#mike right before reader 'reads' him into existence

[lovebugism]

Okay soooooooo

How bout something like King Steve picking on shy!reader, then later finding out she has a shitty home life plz

ty for requesting!! this can be read as a prequel to this fic — steve comforts you when he accidentally makes you flinch (enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort, cw for brief mentions of abuse, 1.8k)

Sitting alone at the Hellfire table, you feel a little like fishbait. 

Your spot in the very back of the cafeteria is normally full and loud — with Dustin’s bickering, and Eddie’s laughing, and Gareth’s stupid jokes — but they’re not here now. They’re off getting their trays while you sit in wait for them (and the cold fries you’ll ultimately steal from Eddie’s plate). It leaves you perfect prey for circling sharks.

You hear laughter from behind you, over the sounds of the bustling lunch room. You’re certain they’re laughing at you — ‘cause you always think someone’s laughing at you — but you try hard to ignore it. You disregard the subtle pang of anxiety in your chest and stick your nose in your book, eyes flitting across the words without reading any of them.

Someone flumps down at your side then, where Mike usually sits. The overwhelming scent of spiced cologne stings your nostrils. With watering eyes, you look beside you. At Tommy fucking Hagan.

“Hey, Wallflower,” he greets like it’s normal — like he hasn’t spent the past four years pretending you don’t exist. You think he only calls you Wallflower now because his friends have been doing it for so long they don’t remember your real name.

The boy props his elbow on the table and puts his chin in his fist, trying hard to hide his boyish beam and accompanying laughter. He fails.

You cower at his presence, all but shrinking into yourself. “…Hi?” you reply in a tiny voice.

“How’s it hangin’?”

“...Fine?”

“That’s great!” he answers instantly, like he hadn’t heard you at all. “You see, my friend Steve, over there— you know him, right?”

You don’t bother to look where he’s pointing. Of course, you know Steve The Hair Harrington. You don’t think there’s a single person in Hawkins who doesn’t.

You nod in response.

Tommy’s smile widens. “Well, he’s got this massive crush on you,” he confesses, choking back a laugh halfway through. “I mean, he talks about you all the time.”

You know he’s lying. And not just because he’s grinning so hard that his eyes are crinkled and his freckled cheeks are turning pink. You’re almost certain Steve Harrington doesn’t even know who you are. He never had a reason to. Why would the King of Hawkins High ever stoop so low to know someone like you?

You glance at him over your shoulder, a couple tables down from you. He’s almost magnetically pretty. You couldn’t ignore him if you tried — with his pretty hair and his pretty eyes and his pretty smile. His golden cheeks flush as all his friends start poking fun at him. 

He rolls his eyes and scoffs a laugh you can tell is forced from here. He doesn’t think any of this is funny. You can see it on his face. But he isn’t trying to stop it all from happening. You’re just collateral damage, really.

You turn back to Tommy with a disbelieving look in your eye.

He continues to ramble despite it. “He was just a little nervous coming up to you, that’s all. So I thought I’d do him a favor and slip you his number. You know, as his wingman and all.” He tosses a folded-up index card onto the pages of your opened book. “You should call him tonight— It’ll make his day, I swear.”

He pats you a little too hard on the back before he goes. His laugh echoes over all the rest when he sits back down at his table. You watch them over your shoulder as they fall over themselves to crack jokes about you. 

Steve’s the only one not smiling. “Not cool, Tommy,” he mouths.

—————

Locker 148. The one right across from yours. Property of Steve The Hair Harrington. 

You shove the thick card with his number written on it between the slits in the metal. You’d carried it around all day, utterly unsure of what to do with it. You decided ultimately to return it, figuring he might feel a little better if a total stranger didn’t have his phone number.

You struggle to slide it through the thin gap, though. The paper gets caught halfway through, and you try to yank it back out again. The old locker moves with you, like it’s not completely shut but still somehow latched. 

You’re so in your own head you don’t hear the gymnasium door down the hall squeal open and shut again. Steve pants heavily and tries to recover from a ruthless basketball practice. He hunts for a water fountain and finds you instead.

“What are you doing?” he calls as he nears you, not malicious or unkind but genuinely curious.

Your heart lurches into your throat as you all but jump out of your skin.

Steve laughs, a pretty sound in the silent hallway. “Shit. Sorry. I didn’t— I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You didn’t,” you assure with an averted gaze, though your frightened demeanor says otherwise. “I was just— I was trying to give you this.”

You hold the paper out towards him. He takes it with hesitant hands. “What is it?”

“Your number. Tommy gave it to me earlier, and I know it was just a stupid joke, so I… I thought you’d feel more comfortable if I gave it back to you.”

Something in Steve’s chest aches. He doesn’t understand why you would care about what might make him comfortable. It’s not like he ever gave you the time of day — or ever tried to stop his friends from being total assholes. As far as he’s concerned, you’re the last person who should give a shit about him.

“Oh. Right— Yeah… Thanks,” he stammers and shoves the thing into his pocket. “And I’m— I’m sorry about Tommy and everything. He can be a real douchebag sometimes. I didn’t… I didn’t tell him to bother you or anything—”

“I know,” you assure in a mousy voice. “Tommy gave me your number hoping I’d be dumb enough to call while your friends were over so you could all… laugh at me? I guess. He could’ve been a little more original, honestly.”

Steve cracks a smile. He almost laughs, but he can’t tell if you’re joking or not.

“I’ll talk to him later. Tell him to leave you alone—” He rambles and walks closer to you. You watch him with tentative eyes as he approaches. “—He’s a total dumbass sometimes, but he usually means well. Most of the time, anyway—”

Steve raises his hand suddenly. And, because you’re frightened by everything little thing, you flinch and stumble over yourself in the process. The lockers catch your fall, and you hit the back of your head. Hard.

“Shit— Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” you squeak, holding the crown of your hair and squinting as your skull pounds.

Steve rushes to your side, then idles just ahead of you because he doesn’t know if you want him touching you. His brows pinch, chiseled features swimming with concern. His cinnamon eyes glitter with it, too. “I wasn’t trying to scare you—”

“It’s okay.”

“—My locker was just jammed. I was going to shut it.”

The metal door is open now, from where it wasn’t shut all the way and where you just smacked your head on it.

“I just wasn’t expecting it,” you assure in a tight voice, trying hard to ignore the sharp throbbing. “It’s fine. I’m fine—”

“You’re hurt.”

“It’ll go away—”

“Let me get you an icepack.”

“—I’ll be fine once I get home.”

Steve, feeling purely at fault and aching at how effortlessly you shrug him off, decides to approach you fully. He curls a warm hand around the outside of your elbow. A touch surprisingly gentle. “No. C’mon. Let me help.”

You don’t feel much like you’re in any position to fight him about it. Not with the world still swaying under your feet. 

Steve guides you the short distance to the empty cafeteria. Slow and kind and dreadfully patient. He sits you down, makes sure you’re still okay, and then rushes to fix you a makeshift icepack — a ziplock bag filled to the brim with chipped ice.

He sits at the chair beside yours, slightly askew so his knees bump your thighs. He holds the pack to the crown of your head and gazes at you attentively. You’re not looking back at him to see it.

“Does it still hurt?”

You shrug, eyes flitted to the wringing hands in your lap. “It’s fine. It just feels a little like I have a migraine.”

Steve winces. “I’m sorry.”

Your doe eyes peek at him from beneath your lashes. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I scared you.”

“Everything scares me.”

It’s a dumb joke. You mean it, but you still expect him to laugh about it. He doesn’t even crack a smile, though. He just keeps looking at you with that puppy-like twist to his features. The worry is evident in his face. 

“Do you wanna, like, talk about it or something?”

“About what?”

“Why you flinched.”

You freeze, breath hitching in your throat. No one’s ever noticed your incessant panic — outside of making jokes about it anyway. No one’s cared enough to ask about it, either. Steve Harrington is the last person you expected any kind of concern from.

You shake your head after a few long moments. “No.”

“You could,” Steve assures, suddenly shy. You didn’t know he could be anything other than totally full of himself. “You know, if you wanted to. I wouldn’t— I wouldn’t tell anyone—”

You scoff a disbelieving laugh.

Steve’s features swirl with hurt. You hate that it makes your chest ache. You hate most that he hasn’t stopped being soft with you. The hand holding the pack to your head hasn’t yet wavered, even though you know his arm must be tired now.

“I wouldn’t. ‘Cause I— I know what it’s like to… to have a bad home life or whatever,” he confesses, stammering hopelessly. He forces a laugh at himself. “Probably more than most people do, honestly.”

His admission takes you by surprise. It comforts you in a way you didn’t think someone like him could. 

Even still, you shake your head. “I— I can’t—” you murmur, clearing your throat when the words get stuck there. “I can’t talk about it…”

Steve nods, firm and reassuring. “That’s okay. You don’t have to, I was just… I was just saying, you know? I get it.”

You swallow through a tight throat, nodding wordlessly in response.

“Plus, you know, you have my number and everything… If you ever wanted to talk…”

You flash him a timid look and crack a quiet smile. “I gave it back to you, remember?”

“I’ll write it down for you again,” he promises with a shrug and a lopsided grin. It’s easier to ignore his aching arm and the ice stinging his palm when he’s looking at you. “For real this time.”

[happy74827]

Oblivious to Love

[Mike Ross x Female!Reader]

Synopsis: Finding that your crush was evidently hiding something from you became more nerve-wracking than you thought. But something tells you that maybe it's worth the chase through the office, much to Harvey's displease of course.

WC: 2323

Category: Fluff

I wrote this mostly for my friend (love you @yoursacredqueenmother), but honestly I wrote it for myself too. Plus, there’s barely any Mike Ross fics on this app so I wanted to give some popularity towards him.

Oh how I love writing underrated kings.

『••✎••』

When you first met Mike Ross, he was nothing but a loser, a sorry excuse for a man. From his annoying habits of always being right to his slightly disheveled appearance, the way he always looked like a lost puppy in the morning. Everything about him was just... annoying.

Yet you couldn't help but fall for him. Fall for that crooked smile that seemed to make your knees wobble, those blue eyes that you swore were made out of crystals, and that damn brain of his. God, his brain was impressive. And every time you watched him work, you could only think that this guy was a fucking genius. He was just a brilliant person, and you knew it.

And he knew you knew it. Mike Ross was a very talented man, more talented than you. The way he talked, his words seemed to flow out of his mouth as if they were enchanted, and with one single phrase, he could convince you of the existence of unicorns. He had always had this way about him. It was like he could get anything he wanted by simply giving a smile. And even though Mike didn't know this about himself, he was able to make you melt with just a few words.

And after getting to know Mike better, you found that he was an amazing person. Sure, he could be a bit cocky at times, but his cockiness always came with the fact that he knew he was doing something right, and he was willing to admit to his wrongdoings when it was necessary. That's something that not everyone is willing to do, and you found that really impressive. He also had the most caring eyes you had ever seen, always willing to take care of anyone who needed help. Mike was a great guy, one of the best you knew. And when it came to his intelligence, you had no doubt that he was the smartest guy in the world.

But you still couldn't help but think, what was a guy like Mike doing with a girl like you?

You were nothing compared to him. He was intelligent, quick-witted, and attractive to boot. He was like the epitome of a perfect human, while you... you were just another boring girl who happened to be lucky enough to be in his life. You could never compare to someone like him, someone as amazing as Mike Ross.

It wasn't long before your feelings for him began to show, and when they did, it was inevitable that Mike would find out. It seemed that he could read you like a book, and you had no idea what gave away your feelings, but you had a sense that Mike had caught on early. Of course, it was only speculation, but the evidence was… well, there. He came up to you more, wanting to hang out with you, and his words to you were even sweeter. You were too embarrassed to think straight, and you had no idea what to do with yourself.

"You alright?"

It was lunchtime when Mike decided to show up, his blue eyes glancing down at you. His question took you by surprise, and you gave a quick nod in response.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm alright," you said, looking down at your salad. "I'm just a bit tired today, that's all."

He seemed to buy your answer because he didn't push any further on the subject. He just continued on as if nothing had happened. But something did happen, and you could tell that Mike was avoiding your eyes. You noticed this right away because he would never look away from you for so long, and you began to grow suspicious. What did Mike know?

The first person you decided to chase down and confront was Donna, the woman who knew anything and everything. She was like the goddess of knowledge, and if there was anyone who knew what was going on, it was her.

"Alright, what's up with Mike?" You questioned, waiting for an answer.

Donna looked up, giving you a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"Don't give me that, D. You know exactly what I mean. Mike is being… I don’t know, he's being strange. I know you know why."

The older woman gave a sigh, taking a bite from her salad. "I don't know, he hasn't told me anything," she replied. "But are you sure he’s the one being weird? Because, you know, you're not exactly normal yourself."

"I am exactly normal!"

"You're so not normal."

"And how would you know that? Have you ever seen me? I look normal to the naked eye!"

Donna only smirked in response.

"You're useless," you groaned, turning away from the woman and sitting down at the table. Just as you did so, Harvey decided to walk past on the way to Jessica’s office. Of course, Harvey. Mike and him are practically glued at the hip.

He must know something.

"Harvey!" You shouted, causing him to halt in his tracks. The man turned around, his face contorting into one of confusion when he saw you. The confusion only stayed for a minute, though, because the second you went to open your mouth, he shut you down.

“Nope. I’m not doing this," Harvey said, pointing to the door. "Not this time."

"Doing what?" You asked, following behind him as he continued on his way. "You didn’t even know what I was going to ask.”

"Doesn't matter. I’m not getting involved with you and Mike."

"How’d you…?" You stopped yourself before you could finish your sentence, watching Harvey continuing on his way to Jessica's office, ignoring your complete presence.

Why was everyone avoiding you?

"Alright, what the hell?" You said, stomping back towards Donna. She gave a look of concern as if she was expecting you to explode any second now. “What’s going on? Please, tell me. Please don’t make me go to Louis. If I have to hear him talk about going mudding one more time, I might just snap. I swear to God-"

"Alright, alright," Donna interrupted, holding up her hands in defense. "But just remember, you asked for this."

"Just tell me, Donna. Tell me now before I die of curiosity!"

Donna sighed, rolling her eyes and looking you dead in the eyes. "Mike knows.”

"Knows what?"

"He knows.”

Oh.

Oh.

Oh no.

Donna must’ve immediately picked up on your panicked state because she was suddenly in front of you, grabbing onto your shoulders and trying to ground you as your eyes widened in sheer panic.

"Calm down," she whispered, shaking you slightly. "Just breathe."

"Is this bad? I think this is bad. This is bad. I’m going to die of embarrassment now. I won’t even be able to look at him ever again-"

"Stop." Donna slapped you in the face, her actions taking you by surprise. "Look, I'm going to tell you what I told him, alright?"

You only gave a small nod in response.

"After Mike asked—”

“He asked?!”

“Shush! After Mike asked if you were in love with him, I asked if he was in love with you."

"And?"

"He wouldn’t say. So, I asked him if he thought he was, and he didn't give me an answer.”

You blinked at her. "Okay. I don't think this is helping."

"You don’t understand. That’s a good sign. When you want to tell someone how you feel, but you don't want to give them the satisfaction of saying it out loud, you refuse to answer a question when someone asks if you feel that way about them. It means they really care, you know? Mike doesn't want to risk telling you how he feels, but he doesn't want to lie to me."

You stared at her, unable to respond. Donna just gave a sigh and patted you on the head.

"Look, all I'm trying to tell you is that this might work out. Just give it time."

You, in fact, didn’t give it time. You practically went insane to the point of going back to Harvey to question him again. This time, he gave you an answer.

"Does Mike like me?”

He gave you a confused look as if he were expecting you to explain what the hell you were talking about.

"…I’m going to pretend like you asked a real question," Harvey said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t know if you've forgotten, but this is a law firm. Not a damn soap opera."

"I need to know!" You pressed. “I know Mike said something to you. That man cannot keep anything secret. It's just not possible."

"Dammit," Harvey muttered, rubbing his temples. "This isn't something I want to deal with right now, I’m busy-"

"Harvey, it’s a simple yes or no. I will literally leave you alone for a whole week if you tell me. I promise I won't bug you at all; I swear on my life. So, please. Just tell me."

Harvey sighed, putting down his pen. There was a part of you that felt bad about interrupting his work, but this was too important just to ignore. You had to know.

"Mike likes you, kid. Now get the hell out of my office," Harvey said, waving you off as you left, feeling a huge weight off your shoulders.

Oh, man. Oh boy. This was actually happening. Mike Ross, the smartest man in the world, liked you. The smile that surfaced on your face was involuntary, and you couldn’t help but put it on full display as you walked past Donna, who raised an eyebrow.

"You need to talk to him," Donna said. "Or else you'll never stop smiling like an idiot."

That's what you did.

The second you saw Mike, you rushed to his office, where you could see that he was alone. You entered quietly, making sure to close the door behind you as Mike looked up, his blue eyes locking with yours.

"Hey," he said, clearing his throat as you made your way towards him. “I was just—”

“Harvey said you liked me.” You blurted, causing Mike to freeze. You didn’t mean to just come out and say it like that, but you couldn't stop yourself from doing so. He looked a bit shocked, but his expression quickly changed to one of curiosity, his eyebrows arching.

Then, he did something you hadn't been expecting at all. He gave you a smile. Mike Ross, the man you had been pining over for years, gave you a smile that made your knees wobble, and you felt your stomach tighten.

"Funny enough,” he said, leaning back into his chair, still wearing that grin on his face. "Donna said the exact same thing about you.”

You couldn’t help the soft laughter that escaped you because it was funny. Donna and Harvey. Everyone seemed to know except you two, and that was almost humorous. But it wasn't enough to stop your nerves because you still wanted to talk to him.

"Listen, Mike-"

"No," he interrupted, shaking his head. "Not until you listen."

He paused for a moment, waiting until you were fully in attention before continuing.

"You don't need to say anything," Mike said, his voice taking on a serious tone that surprised you. "I’m smart enough to know how you feel about me. I knew it as soon as I saw the way you looked at me. Sorry that it took me so long to say something, but I wanted to make sure it was real, you know? Because you can't just trust someone based on looks, not with stuff like this. You know?"

“Mike,”

“I’m rambling, aren’t I? I’m totally rambling, aren't I?"

"Mike-"

"I feel really awkward right now," he said, a nervous chuckle escaping him. "Because this is normally the part where you would just kiss me, but you haven't done anything of the sort."

"You want me to kiss you?” You asked, your heart pounding so loud that you could feel it in your throat. “That’s a little bold, don't you think?"

Mike leaned forward, giving you a look that caused your heart to practically leap out of your chest. His eyes seemed to be sparkling as if he were asking a question you already knew the answer to.

"Since when has anyone said I was shy?"

You let out a small gasp, almost like a squeak, as he grabbed onto your hand and pulled you closer to him. The chair Mike was in was not made to sit two people, and you had to squeeze in between him, your bodies pressing against each other.

He leaned into you, his nose brushing against yours as he closed his eyes, giving you a second to do the same before he kissed you. It was soft and warm, and the second his lips touched yours, you were gone. His hands came up to your face, and you could feel his fingers caress your cheeks as you pressed into his kiss.

The first time you kissed someone, you knew it was special. Something about it caused butterflies to swarm in your stomach, and you wanted nothing more than to continue this for the rest of your life. But as you kissed Mike Ross, you knew that it was even better.

His kiss was passionate and full of longing as if he were kissing you for the first time. It was a feeling you never experienced before, and it was amazing.

When the two of you finally parted, your cheeks flushed and your lips slightly swollen; you couldn't help the giggle that escaped you, watching Mike as his face turned slightly pink.

"That was… wow.” Mike bit down on his lip, trying to hold back his smile. "I never knew."

"Never knew what?”

Mike looked up, giving you that crooked grin that you adored so much. "That a kiss from you can make my heart stop beating."

[sameschmidtdiffname]

Slip

Mike Schmidt x Gender Neutral! Reader

Summery: At some point or another, the words slip out. It's just that, naturally, you're an idiot who can't pick the right moment.

Tags: No use of Y/N, no specific pronouns for reader, night terrors, disassociation, attempted comfort, miscommunication, brief non sexual shower scene, unintentional harm, anxiety, sweet ending. (fr this time, I'm not pulling a 'Repentance.') Slight spoilers for 'Petals On The Wind' by V.C. Andrews.

Notes: I had a vision and I tried. Pls give me mercy.

                     ▪︎◇{¤♧■♧¤}◇▪︎

The night air is sweet, fresh with the smell of citrus from the soap I had used earlier that evening in my shower mixed with the damp smell of the dew forming on the grass and the leaves outside. The curtains shift slightly as the air spills into the dark room, the only light born by a small lamp clipped to the cover of my book as I read quietly.

Beside me lays Mike, facing the ceiling and looking as peaceful as he ever could. It was a relaxation that doesn't come to him in consciousness, too busy with thoughts I sometimes am not privy too. But I don't pry. I've heard most of the story from him and from Abby, and he is allowed to grieve the past alone. He knows I am always available to help him.

It had been a long day for him. He didn't need to tell me, it was obvious by the way he'd sat at the kitchen table, thinking he was alone and hands buried in his hair. I hadn't meant to spy on him, having just slipped out of my shower. He wasn't crying, but his face was pale and dreadful. The bags under his eyes a dark purple that they hadn't been earlier at dinner, and the haunted quality of his stare had increased in an alarming manner since I'd left him. Had he moved since dinner? Abby was in her room, her voice trailing quietly down the hall as she hummed to herself behind the closed door. The overhead yellow light directly above Michael made him look like a painting of doom, covered in shadows with sharp edges as dark as his thoughts.

When I guided him to bed he wouldn't talk to me. Not when I removed his shirt to change him into something clean. Not when I opened the bottle of pills he'd been able to relax on for the past couple weeks. And not when I held a glass of water to his lips, his mouth only moving to take a long drink before I guided him onto his back, where he stared at the ceiling quietly while I stroked his hair, watching him carefully until he drifted away into a drugged dream of obliviousness where hopefully he could find the peace he needed.

More often than not I read before bed. Usually Mike would lay his head on my chest, his eyes reading the same bits I would and commenting on something here or there, once in a while spoiling the next paragraph for me. But I never minded when he did, it was always an accident.

It did get to the point where Mike imposed a limit of two chapters a night, knowing I could become so enraptured in a story I wouldn't even pay attention to the world around me until I finished it, usually with the early light beginning to peak through the branches outside and create dancing rays of sun along our bed. It wasn't really a rule, more so a concerned request. There was no punishment if I didn't comply, if I deprived myself of sleep reading all that would exist as a reprimand is my own exhaustion. Mike would always silently pick up on this, more gentle with me and luring me away from my nightly ritual with his arms wrapped around my tired body, fingers combing through my hair and his even breathing coaxing me into the sleep I needed until his alarm would wake us, still wrapped around each other and warm in the morning glow of a new day with a new chapter. And recently I realized it was something about him I loved. Though I dare not say it out loud. Not yet.

I'm only a handful chapters into this book. It's one that I've read before, an ironic favorite from when I was younger and snuck books home that I'd borrowed from the woman next door after playing with her granddaughters. The subject of the novel was taboo, Gothic horror I would hide under my bed away from my mother's eyes until she would lay in her own bed, allowing me to click on a light and read until school the next morning. It's been years since I've revisited it, and this copy I had bought at a local thrift store for only a quarter with an excited smile, causing an amused look on Mike's face as he'd watched me.

"Shouldn't you read something you already own?" He'd teased while we walked out of the store hand in hand, Abby leading the way to our car.

I'd rolled my eyes, smiling as I checked for cars coming through the parking lot with no regard for little girls.

"Am I not allowed to spend a quarter on my passions?" I said.

"You absolutely are. I'm just wondering how you're going to read everything," he said with a small squeeze of his hand.

The answer is by drinking a cup of tea and working through the book in one sitting as he lays next to me, no work ahead of me for the next two days that would demand proper rest. No limitation able to stop me now. I'm a few hours into my plan when I notice his leg jolt beside mine, no movement otherwise.

I glance at him quickly, seeing if he's woken with a start. His eyes remain closed, lips parted slightly in sleep and otherwise seeming fine. So I resume my book, flipping to the next page to start chapter eleven.

Halfway through chapter thirteen, Mike gasps. Loud and quick, causing a cough to escape him. I slip a finger inbetween my pages, turning to face him and worry stabbing my chest as I wait for him to choke and thrash frantically. But he doesn't. He remains still, his pulse visible near his adams apple as his breath quickens slightly. I watch him, waiting for any signs of distress. But he remains still in sleep, and reluctantly I return to my book once more, having decided it was just a dream.

Finally, at the early hour of four o'clock his hand reaches out, nails digging into my thigh desperately in a way that's painful against my bare skin, raking down and surely creating a trail of blood in his wake as a short, startled yell of Abby's name pierces the air, his body going ridged. And then he's still, body shaking and eyes wide open in confusion, darting around the room as though he cannot place his environment in his still drugged state.

"Hey," I say softly, abandoning my book and turning to face him, unsure if I should touch him or what I need to say to tear him away from the horrors of his mind. "You're okay, you're awake now."

If he hears me he doesn't give any indication, his breathing so quick and unsteady I'm scared he'll knock himself out from hyperventilating.

"It's okay, it was a dream," I tell him. I place my hand apprehensively on his chest, feeling his heart slam against the cage of ribs below my touch. "You're awake now."

His head turns slightly towards me, but he's still panicking, his hand gripping my thigh hard enough hard with nails he hadn't meant to let grow out for the past couple weeks that I have to make a conscious effort to not whine in pain.

He's saying something, quiet and mixing with his irregular breathing as his other hand grabs my hand upon his chest, pressing it tightly against him. But I can't make it out, I can only hear fragments of 'sorry' and 'take.' And the words only blur more as he starts sobbing beside me, the noises he makes terrifying as he struggles for air.

"Let's sit up. Come on, let's sit up," I say. I'm close to panic myself, trying to find his shoulders to pull him up in fear of him choking in such a state. But his hand is too tight around mine, and trying to take it away seems to only cause further distress, his teeth gritting and nostrils flailing as he tries to breathe in as much air as possible. I manage to get one arm under his shoulders, wrapping it around his body and pulling us both up. The shift of his body seems to make something click, his hand suddenly releasing my thigh as he gasps once more, eyes seeming to show recognition of something.

"You're home. We're in our room, Abby is down the hall," I tell him.

"They'll come here, they knew where we live," he says in a rapid but finally coherent voice.

"Who?" I ask. He's scaring me, making me want to join him in my own hysteria. But I don't show it, the pain throbbing in my leg giving me a point of focus to keep my voice even. "No one's coming."

"My aunt- she- they-"

"She's not coming over, no one's coming to take Abby," I tell him, stroking him arm and trying to shift my body to face his. "Everyone's home and safe. I won't let anyone go."

This seems to hit him, his shoulders relaxing slightly. He looks at my face, staring and trying to focus on me.

"I won't let anyone go anywhere," I repeat gently. His shoulders relax, his body leaning towards mine.

"You don't have to worry," I tell him. "I'm here."

His head lands on my shoulder, hand still pressing mine tight against his chest as his arm finds my waist, body wracking with sobs.

"It's okay. Slow your breathing," I say softly, my hand finding his hair and holding him close against me. "Focus on me and slow your breathing."

He's trying, I can tell by the way he gasps against my chest in even tempo that he's trying to regain his breath. His skin is hot against mine, body wet with sweat. Maybe I should get this shirt off of him, take away the sticking cotton and allow his skin to feel the cool morning air against it to prevent overstimulation. Or maybe the sudden change would throw him into more distress. I don't know what to do, what to offer.

"Do you want me to distract you?" I ask. At this he lifts his head slightly, a small 'what?' Asking for me to repeat the question. "Do you want me to distract you?" I repeat, anxious I've said something wrong.

He seems to think for a moment, his heart still beating at a concerning rate.

"How long have you been reading?" He finally asks, eyeing the book I'd practically thrown to the edge of the bed in my panic.

"A few hours," I say. "Started reading when you went to sleep."

He nods, going silent once more for a few more minutes. I focus on his hair, how some curls wrap perfectly around my fingertips, how soft his hair is even though he doesn't take proper care of it.

"Is it any good?" He asks softly, his mouth against my neck as he tries to relax.

Okay, talk about the book. Book with dead parents. Ah, fuck.

"Not... particularly," I admit. "The first one was better."

"Yeah?" Mike asks. "How so?"

Well, Mike. This is a V.C. Andrews novel. So there's an unsettling amount of incest that serves a horrifying point that I don't think you wanna hear about right now because that's gonna take several hours for me to explain. I wish you'd asked sooner.

"...questionable decisions," I decide is how I'll phrase it.

"Sounds like me," he mutters against my skin.

"I promise you it isn't," I mutter back, trying to think of what to say next.

Mike doesn't say anything, still breathing hard against my skin but finally gaining a steady rhythm. His body shakes less, my fingers gently combing through his hair as I finally speak again.

"It's something you'd laugh at if you felt better," I feel stupid, useless as I try to bring him back to me. But it seems to work, his shaking decreasing as he focuses on my words. "The main character is... dramatic, and... passionate."

I feel his smile against my skin, his fingers stroking my waist. "Oh?" He asks.

"Mm-hmm," I say. He hums, waiting for me to continue. And I'm not sure if I should.

"What's the plot?" He asks. Not something you should hear in your state, Michael. Lots of people die.

"It's about..."

Fucking half the town out of spite.

"...family."

That's one way to put it.

"And... doing what's right."

By burning a house down.

"And taking care of those you love."

Well, at least that point is accurate.

He seems content with this, pulling me down onto the bed once more and keeping me close.

"Are you okay?" I ask him carefully.

"I will be," he says softly. "Thank you. For caring."

"Of course I care," I say with a small laugh of nervous relief. "I love you."

Oh.

Oh.

Oh motherfucker, no.

"What?" Mike asks in a small voice, his body going still, mine going stiff.

Goddammit.

We've been together for about a year. And this is a normal point to finally say the words to each other, a sweet moment of realization and commitment that I'd been wanting to have. And I'd been trying to find the right moment, wanting to say it while he serves pancakes in the morning that he douses in syrup because he hates them dry. To say it when he pulls me close at night, taking a deep breath as he smells my hair. When he falls asleep on the couch or with his head on my lap. And maybe he's wanted to say it too, the way his eyes linger on me when I spin around the room with his sister, or when I fix her hair before walking her out the door, or when I slip out said door to return to my own home only to find myself back here the next day anyways, unable to stay away.

But this is the wrong moment. A moment of fear and terror and I have been selfish enough to dare utter such words that he may not even reciprocate while he's in such a vulnerable state. Shit.

"What did you say?" Mike asks, pulling away to look into my face, suddenly awake and clear of any fog that had been torturing him.

I can't speak. I can't tell him. What if he doesn't feel the same way? Or worse, what if he says it back in a desperation for approval after such pressure has been placed upon him to respond. Or what if he convinces himself he feels the same way only because I do?

"I- Shouldn't-" My head is shaking, eyes wide in worry as I try to think of a response.

"Shouldn't?" He says in the most heartbreaking voice.

"No!" This is all wrong! It all sounds wrong.

"Oh," he says quietly, eyes casted downwards.

"No, wait a minute. This is wrong-" I stutter, my hands shaking slightly.

"I heard you the first time," He says flatly, eyes avoiding mine.

"I'm sorry," I blurt out. "I didn't mean to say anything."

"Then stop saying things," He says sharply, pulling away and turning to face the room.

"I'm not- I can't-" One of the ways Mike and I understand each other is by the way vulnerability makes us choke, gagging on sincere words for fear of rejection and becoming fools. And this time is one of them, even if I'm fighting against it. The silence is too long as I choke on my own tongue.

"It's fine," he says. He stands from the bed, not looking back at me. "I'm gonna take a shower."

I open my mouth to speak, my mind urging me to extend my hand in explanation. But he walks quickly, opening and shutting the door before I can even begin to put the words together in my mind. And I'm alone. With no one but my book to offer comfort.

I try to read. Try to focus on Cathy's piss poor plan that ends with her toes broken because of her terrible husband that she married to avoid her adoptive father. (Don't ask.) But all I can think about is what I should have said. And what Mike must be thinking. Of course he misunderstood me, his mind still racing from adrenaline and nightmares of losing his sister, addled by his sleep medication that would still be in effect. Vulnerable situations are already tricky with Mike, who'd lost his family young and had been forced to create his own stability with no comfort or care returned to him until the past few years when he finally began to create a new inner circle. It was understandable that he was gun shy around this sort of topic. And his already darkened mind earlier today? What a horrible day for a moment like this.

It feels like an eternity, but it must have only been about half an hour when Mike comes racing back into the room. Wet, towel crudely wrapped around his waist and holding up his hand as he rushed towards the bed.

"There's blood on here," he said. "Who's is it?"

I squint as I try to look, reaching out for his hand. He offers it quickly, and at the sight I remember. My thigh. Earlier when he'd gripped it so hard, nails digging in. I can see the blood underneath his nails, dark and most likely having just been noticed by him.

"Earlier when you were upset you grabbed my thigh," I say. Within seconds he's on the bed, ripping the sheet off of me and dripping water all over the place. It's not exactly a pretty sight, cuts from where his nails had dragged and sunk into me. His eyes go wide, cheeks turning pink with shame.

"Jesus," he says. "I didn't mean to."

"I know, you were scared," I say. "Don't worry about it."

"Let me clean this," he says, moving to stand from the bed.

"Mike, we need to talk," I say, grabbing his wrist. He doesn't stop, trying to pull his arm free.

"After I clean this."

"No, now," I say. My voice sounds so much sharper than it should in a situation like this, like a command rather than a request. But he finally stops his rush, his eyes meeting mine as he stands still, gripping the towel around his waist as he contemplates.

"I left the water running," he finally says.

"Clean me in there," I offer thoughtlessly. He raises an eyebrow at me but doesn't question it, tugging me up by my hand and not letting go as we walk to the bathroom in silence.

The water stings on my cuts as Mike kneels in front of me, his body between my slightly parted legs as his hands wash me carefully, lathering soap and working at my thigh with careful concentration. 'It's been ten minutes. Say something, dumbass,' I think to myself.

"I love you," Mike blurts out suddenly. His hands don't rubbing soap onto my thigh, and his eyes don't meet mine. "And you don't have to feel the same way, but you should know that I do."

There's another long moment of silence, dread filling my chest.

"Why are you saying this?" I finally ask. He looks up at me with an unintentional glare.

"What?" He asks sharply.

"Are you saying this for me or for you?" I ask. His brows furrow.

"I don't know what you mean," he says.

"Earlier I said I love you and that was a mistake-"

"You don't need to remind me."

"No, my timing was a mistake. You were vulnerable," I say quickly, sliding quickly down the shower wall to join him on the floor of the bathtub. "Are you saying this because I said it or because you mean it?"

Realization seems to finally sink through, Mike blinking at me slowly.

"So, you love me?"

"I'm sorry that I was an idiot earlier-"

"But you love me?"

"I've been trying to say it for months, but I couldn't-"

Mike's kiss is hard and clumsy, teeth clicking together and making us both draw away in a fit of stupid, teenage like giggles from the way he'd tried to be romantic and jump on me, my face now covered in the orange scented soap from his hands.

"You need to lead with that next time," he says, laughing and covering my face in quick kisses without care that he's smearing the soap onto his face too. "You had me scripting our conversations for the next month in here."

"I was trying. You know I can't- that-" I can hardly respond between his kisses, tasting awful but so sweet I can't help but want more.

"I love you," he says. Then he says it again, and again. Like a dam has been broken and he can't stop the river spilling forth. "I love you."

"I love you too," I finally say, relieved and melting into his touch under the warm stream that he drags me under, holding me close to his body.

Later, as we lay in bed, I finally tell him the real plot of my book, to which he says "I take it back, get out," before dragging me under the covers to repeat his devotion again and again until we can't say it anymore. Coherently, that is.

                             ¤▪︎{♧}▪︎¤

I'm gonna be fr, I haven't been happy with my writing lately and that's mostly due to my packed schedule. This is a draft I've been working on in bits and pieces for the last couple weeks when I've had a spare moment at work, and honestly will probably regurgitate at some point in the future when I have the time and energy to get more detailed with this concept in a more detailed fic. But for right now, I did want to put this out as a drabble. So, I hope you enjoyed it, and I promise I'll try to get some more properly fleshed out content out soon for y'all <3

Taglist:

@cassiecasluciluce @gh0u1ishly @joshhutchersons-slut @schmidtsbimbo @sugarevans @wompwompwomp57 @jhutchissupercool . Thank you for your support pookies!!! <3

               •▪︎Masterlist▪︎•

[bullet-prooflove]

Worry: Mike McLusky x Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989 @mqdhvtter @buckysteveloki-me @elenavampire21 @noorbindi

Companion piece to:

Hell or Highwater - You and Mike always find your way back to each other.

Everything You Need (NSFW) - You and Mike get a little rough because you both won't commit.

Battle Scars - Mike tells you how he feels after a near miss.

Insomnia - Mike can't sleep without you.

Dreams - Mike experiances a panic attack in the middle of the night.

A White Picket Fence - You and Mike are forced to make a terrible decision.

You haven’t spoken to Mike since the appointment. He’s tried texting, tried calling but there’s no response. He gets it, you had a dream and now you’re seeing the reality. You understand that Mike has no future, at least not one that exists outside of Kingstown.

He finds you drinking in the same bar you told him about your pregnancy, that’s how he knows it’s done. You’re nursing a glass of scotch, staring into it’s depths as he takes up residence on the seat beside you.

“I’ve been trying to get in contact with you.” He says gruffly as he clasps his hands in front of him. “I wanted to check in, see how you were doing.”

“It’s gone.” You say, draining the rest of your glass before indicating to the bartender for another. “So you don’t have to worry about anything coming back to bite you.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” He tells you, tilting his head so that he can study the profile your face. He can see the dark circles under your eyes from where you haven’t been sleeping, sense the unhappiness in your bones. “I’m worried about you. I want you to know that you can talk to me-”

“I don’t want to talk to you.” You tell him, your eyes full of vitriol. “Christ Mike I don’t even want to look at you right now!”

“Then let’s talk about that.” He says as the bartender sets a pair of scotches in front of the both of you “You have every right to blame me…”

“No I don’t.” You respond, you voice hitching in frustration.  “Because I knew, I knew in my heart you would never leave Kingstown, that even a baby, our baby would not be enough to drag you away.” You wipe away the tears that line your eyes with the back of your hand because just the mention of that child is enough to bring all the emotions you’ve been trying to numb right back up to the surface. “Fuck Mike, what is the point of all of this if there is no future for the both of us, if we don’t get a happy ending?”

“I guess that there isn’t.” He says and those words, they kill the final part of you that loves him, he can see it in your eyes as you slip off the stool and hiss.

“Fuck you Mike, fuck you and fuck this shitty hellscape of a town.”

Love Mike? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[irrevocableloves]

violent delights

twilight rewrite! edward cullen x fem!witch!reader

chapter five: blood type

previous chapter ౨ৎ masterlist ౨ৎ chapter six

summary: edward gives in, no matter the efforts it took to keep himself away from her.

warnings: swearing, fluff, blood, gore

words: 4.9k (unedited)

Throughout the entire night, Edward’s words replayed in my mind. It's better if we're not friends. What did that even mean? That he wanted to? That he felt this pull just as I did, but was too afraid to embrace it? Or was it just me? My stomach twisted. He must’ve noticed how engrossed I was by him and didn’t want to lead me on. Perhaps he was a mind reader. Oh god. The pathetic thoughts I’ve had towards him… I was considering it.

Normally, it was so easy for me to read people. For all my life, I was able to take in someone's thoughts from just their expressions whether it was genuine or forced. I knew someone was so annoyingly obsessed with me or completely hated my guts. Lauren wasn’t even a good example, anyone could see right through her act even though she tried to hide it with fake smiles and interactions. She didn’t like me and even the entire school could catch onto that. My dad always wondered if I could hear his thoughts because of how in tune I was with his emotions. He was closed off, which was part of the reason him and my mother ended things, but for me? I could always see right through him and know exactly what to say to him. But, Edward on the other hand? He drove me absolutely insane.

My thoughts were thankfully interrupted by a buzz on my cell.

jess &lt;3: Mike said YES!!!!

And then an immediate call afterwards.

Jess had me on the phone for almost an hour talking about Mike, the dance, Angela and Ben, and then of course, the so-called ‘tension’ she felt with Edward and I. But, I quickly changed the subject to shopping for dresses which kept her occupied for another hour.

Finally, she hung up and I went onto doing homework and answering emails from my mom before eventually passing out.

Turning into the school lot, I made sure to park even farther than usual from his Volvo for my own sanity. Getting out of my car, I realized I’d left my keys and yanked it out a bit too swiftly, the keys flying into a puddle just outside my car. As I bent down to get it, a white hand swooped in and grabbed it, causing my jerk upright. I looked up, seeing Edward Cullen casually leaning on my car, my keys just dangling in his hands for me to take.

“How the hell do you do that?” I ask with an exasperated huff.

“Do what?” He held out my keys for me and I snatched them. He gave a light-hearted chuckle.

“Appear out of thin air.” I spat out.

“Y/N, it’s not my fault that you’re exceptionally unobservant.” 

I didn’t want to have this conversation again. I was tired of it. Instead, I walked past him. This time not even bothering to serve him a glance towards his way, no matter how much I wanted to.

To my surprise, he jogged towards me.

“So, why the traffic jam yesterday?” I huffed. “Thought you were supposed to be pretending I don’t exist, not deliberately annoying me.”

He gave a light chuckle. “That was for Tyler’s sake, not mine. Seems like he wanted a chance with you.”

That’s when I finally faced him, finding the urge not to hit his perfect face or perfect anything for that matter. “You’re fucking kidding.” He only seemed amused by my response.

“And I’m not pretending you don’t exist.”

“Oh, really? So you’re trying to annoy me to death? What? Since Tyler’s van didn’t do the job?” This anger was new to me. Usually, things didn’t bother me this much. But, Edward was different.

I expected anger from him as usual, but he only looked down at his feet, before muttering, “Y/N, that’s not–”

“I don’t care. Can you just leave me alone? Please? I just can’t keep up. One minute you're angry and the other you're consoling me. Your mood swings are giving me whiplash.” I interrupted him, not daring to look him back in the eye.

Silence followed, which was my que to head off to English.

I hadn’t realized class started by the time I walked in, Mr. Mason gave a huff with a “Thank you for joining us, Miss Y/L/N.” I headed to my seat in a rush. 

The entire class, I spent the majority of the time zoning out, thinking about what Edward had said. It wasn’t until class ended that I realized the seat next to me wasn’t occupied by the usual Mike, who would whisper my ear off for a straight hour. The silence was quite nice, but it worried me a bit. Once we all walked out of class, Mike’s spirits seemed to have lifted somehow as Eric mentioned the beach trip. Even with your sixteen years living here, it amazed you how Jess and the boys enjoyed surfing in this weather. No matter how much you favored Forks, California sure had Forks beaten with beaches. Most of the beach trips at Forks consisted of Angela and I waddled up in blankets at the back of Tyler’s van and watching movies off of one of my old DVD players.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur. Now, it was lunch. With my shaking nerves, I attempted to keep all my focus on Jessica’s babbling instead of searching for those golden eyes. I could hardly keep up with her pace as she rambled on about the dance plans, even convincing Angela to ask out Ben. I couldn’t help but wander my eyes towards his table. He wasn’t there. His four siblings sat in their usual spots, the only one with eyes on me was the one with a pixie-cut, Alice, with a slight smile curving on her lips.

“Edward is staring at you again,” Jessica said. I broke eye contact with Alice, bringing my attention towards Jessica. “I wonder why he’s sitting alone today.”

I followed her gaze from across the classroom. There he was. Edward. His crooked smile widening once he’d caught my attention. Suddenly, I’d lost my appetite. He waved his fingers towards me, motioning for me to join him, then a wink. Fuck.

“Does he mean you?” Jessica’s voice staggered. I’d forgotten we weren’t the only people in the room for a moment. “Told you he was into you.” she whispered, fighting through her giggles. I swore he heard that asI saw him fight a chuckle.

I shoved Jessica with my shoulder, hesitantly walking towards Edward with Jessica’s giggles in my rear view. When I reached the table, I didn’t sit, instead I stood behind the chair waiting for him to speak.

“Why don’t you sit with me today?” he asked, smiling. I eyed the chair, pulling it opening and sitting on the edge of it. His smile felt unreal, as if it was another ploy to reel me in again and push me away just as hard.

“Thought you didn’t wanna be friends?” I questioned.

“I said it would be better if we weren’t friends, not that I didn’t want to be.”

“What does that even mean?” I couldn’t read him. Why put so much effort into someone he hardly even knew? Why was I doing that?

“It means if you were smart, you’d stay away from me.” I tried.

“Haven’t I tried that already? You’re the one who wanted me here.”

“Well, I’ve decided to hell with it. As long as I’m going, I might as well get to know you better.”

“Hell? Now you’ve just expanded my theories.” I had none. No logical ones at least. I couldn’t even think them, let alone say them out loud, it was too bizarre.

“Oh, really? Won’t you tell me then?” he asked, tilting his head to the side with a tempting smile.

“Nope.” I shook my head, giving him a malicious smile.

“That’s really frustrating, you know?” So was he.

“Well that’s too bad.” I snickered. I decided not to make a scene, I could’ve bursted to him about the many ways he’s frustrated me. For starters, him being absolutely disgusted by me, ignoring me, then suddenly being enamored by me, then saving me, then ignoring me again, then suddenly he wants to get to know me? But, I wasn’t about to let the entire cafeteria know my frustrations with him.

“Fair enough.” He chuckled, then moved his gaze towards my original table. “I think your friends are angry with me for stealing you.”

I looked towards them. Angela and Jessica wore the same attitude: smiles and a fit of giggles. Lauren was angry as always, forcing herself closer to Tyler as he watched Edward and I with careful eyes. Eric pretended he wasn’t looking at all. Mike on the other hand, thankfully Jess hadn’t noticed, was burning holes at the back of Edward's head.

“They’ll survive.”

“Your boyfriend seems to think I’m being unpleasant to you – he’s debating whether or not to come and steal you away from me.” My face fell.

“He’s not my boyfriend.” I mumbled.

“He sure acts like he is.”

“Yeah, well that’s not my problem.”

Our table fell silent for a moment, until he spoke, “Aren’t you hungry?” No. I was full of nerves.

“No,” I said plainly. “You?” I knew what the answer was. It was embarrassing how attentively I watched him. He had food and he nibbled at it, but he never once ate. Same with his family. Emmett always carried a large amount of boiled eggs for whatever reason.

“Can you do me a favor?” I breathed out, hesitant to even say anything at all.

“Depends on what you’re asking for.”

“Not much…” He waited for my response. “What is this? What are we doing? Are we friends? Cause I don’t wanna waste my time if you’re just gonna ignore me again.”

“I told you – I got tired of trying to stay away from you. So… I’m giving up.” His smile was almost contagious, but I can see the pained look in his eyes.

“Giving up?”

“Yes, giving up. I’m not good for you, I know that. But, for some reason, I can’t seem to stay away from you.” He said softly. My breath hitched. I can’t seem to stay away from you. So, I wasn’t the only one.

“So…” I breathed in. I could hardly even bring myself to speak. “Friends?”

“Only if you tell me one of your theories.”

“Maybe later. Too many people around.”

He’d gotten up, I assumed that he’d wanted to leave. Instead, he moved his arm in front of himself, gesturing for me to go in front of him. “Lead the way.”

“You can’t be serious.” I laughed. The entire cafeteria’s eyes were on us, even his siblings and the stare they wore seemed unwelcoming, besides Alice, who tried her hardest to not break out into a smile.

All he did was give me another famous smirk. I practically jumped out of my seat, feeling all eyes on me as Edward and I left the cafeteria. We walked until no one was in sight, leading me to the back of the school on a hillside.

“Now, just one theory – I won’t laugh,” he said, plopping himself down in the grass.

“Yes, you will.”

“Please?” he breathed, leaning towards me.

I froze. My mind had gone completely blank. It took me a minute to recuperate before responding, “It’s dumb. I–I don’t know? Bitten by a radioactive spider?” It didn’t even sound better in my head at all.

“Well that’s not creative at all,” he scoffed.

“Well that’s all I’ve got. You haven’t given me much,” I laughed.

“You’re not even close,” he teased.

“No spiders?”

“Nope.”

“And no radioactivity?”

“None.”

“Dammit,” I sighed.

“Kryptonite doesn’t bother me, either.” He chuckled.

“Hey! You’re not supposed to laugh, remember?”

He struggled to compose his laughter.

After a few moments of silence, I started up again, “I just feel like… this doesn’t feel real. I’m here guessing which superpower you have and it sounds ridiculous, it really does…” I was caught up in thought, not even realizing the words I was saying aloud. “But I know what I saw. I just need a little help feeling a little less crazy here.”

“I wish you wouldn’t try.” His tone was serious again.

“Because…?”

“You say superpower, as in superheroes, but what if I’m not a hero? What if I’m the bad guy?” He tried to hide his remorse with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“No.” He seemed surprised by my remark. “I don’t believe that you’re a bad person. Dangerous, maybe? I don’t know. But not bad.”

“You’re wrong.”

Before I could even respond, the bell had rang, not even allowing me to process my thoughts.

I got up, offering my hand to his. “We’re gonna be late.”

He ignored my offer, gracefully standing up on his own.

“I’m not going to class today.”

“Why not?” I said, trying to hide my disappointment.

“It’s healthy to ditch class now and then.” He smiled, but still had a look of uneasiness.

“Not me. I’m gonna go,” I said. I couldn’t miss any more school than I already did, plus, I was a coward.

“I’ll see you later, then.” I wanted to stay with him. I considered it about fifty times in my head, but once I heard the first bell, my feet moved to its own accord.

As I fast-walked to class, I couldn’t help that my mind wandered to Edward. How none of my questions were answered, how I wasn’t afraid of him, how he thought of himself as a bad person. Only one question had been answered: I wasn’t the only one who felt a mental and physical pull towards him.

Lucky for me, Mr. Banner wasn’t in the class yet, so I hurried to my seat, hearing Jessica and Angela plead to come to their table for ‘deets’. Mike on the other hand looked resentful as he stared at me with his dejected eyes. I hushed them before Mr. Banner finally came into the room, juggling a few cardboard boxes in his arms, ordering Mike to pass them around.

“Okay, guys, I want you all to take one piece from each box,” he said, pulling a pair of disposable rubber gloves from his desk onto his hands. “The first should be an indicator card,” he went on, grabbing a white card with four squares marked on it. “The second is a four-pronged applicator –” he held up what looked to be a nearly toothless hair pick “– and the third is a sterile micro-lancet.” He held up a small piece of blue plastic and split it open. The barb was invisible from this distance, but my stomach flipped.

It happened when I was 12. I always saw my dad watching sports, but no matter how hard I tried, I was never engaged. One thing I did love: tossing around a foam football in our backyard. It was something that I could be a part of, rather than being lost in all the rules and regulations, tossing around a ball with my dad was almost effortless, with either no rules at all or ones that I maliciously made up on the spot. One day, my dad’s hand was far too strong, throwing it far into the woods. Normally, there was never an issue. Either one of us would run over and pick it up because what was the harm? It was only our backyard after all. So, I ran to get it. I found myself wandering a bit too far off than usual, hearing my dad’s shuffling and yells to head back. When I turned to head back, on my left there was a foot in the distance. I ran to it, calling out to my dad over and over to help the poor person who laid motionless in the middle of the woods. But when I reached them, they were far from gone. There was blood, a lot of it. I could hardly stand the gory horror movies with the blood even knowing it was fake. But this was something entirely different. Blood was absolutely everywhere, pooling from the neck. I was mortified. I ran back screaming, fully broken out into sobs as I tried to explain to my dad what I’d seen. That was the first animal attack in years. Ever since then, I’ve had what the doctor’s called ‘hemophobia’. It had gotten better over the years, the only exception being television or movies where I mostly closed my eyes, but physically? Needles and blood draws were a different story entirely.

“I’ll be coming around with a dropper of water to prepare your cards, so please don’t start until I get to you.” I felt like all my senses had heightened. At Mike’s table again, he started by carefully putting one drop of water in each of the four squares. “Then I want you to carefully prick your finger with the lancet…” He grabbed Mike’s hand and plunged the spike into the tip of Mike’s middle finger. Fuck. I felt sweat accumulate on my body, my hands leaving marks on the black countertop.

“Put a small drop of blood on each of the prongs.” He demonstrated, squeezing Mike’s finger till the blood flowed. That was it. The entire room spun around me and I couldn’t move a single inch. The words of Mr. Banner turned into a mumble as the ringing in my ears rang at an uncomfortable volume. I squeezed my eyes shut, attempting to tune out the entire world. A flash of red floods through my vision, not blood, but hair. A fiery red shade that complimented her pale skin and dark lips. She ran through a forest, impossibly fast, never breaking a sweat. Next to her, a man, just as pale as her, blonde with his hair tucked away in a ponytail. Then a third, one with much darker skin, but they all shared the same quality: red, bloodthirsty eyes. Then there’s water. A dock. A boat. Then, blood. Lots of it.

“Y/N, are you alright?” a voice said. I opened my eyes and I was back in the classroom, Mr. Banner hovering over me. What the fuck.

“I– uh– I already know my blood type,” I said in a weak voice, wiping the sweat from my hands on my pants.

“Are you feeling faint?” I nodded in response. “Can someone take Y/N to the nurse, please?” I didn’t even have to look around to know that it was Mike who volunteered to take me.

I attempted to stand, but Mike had practically ran to my side, putting his arm around my waist and my arm to his shoulder, forcing me to lean on him on the way out of the classroom. While he lugged me across campus, my mind was moving faster than my body, which had almost completely shut down from the shock.

“Can we stop for a minute, please? I– I just need to sit.” I yelped out. He brought me to a bench on the side of the building before I begged, “And p-please, keep your hand in your pocket.” I didn’t know what would happen if I saw blood again. I shivered at the thought.

“Bella?” his voice called from the distance. No, please, no.

“What’s wrong – is she hurt?” His voice was much closer, a voice filled with worry?

I didn’t even bother opening my eyes, instead I rocked my body back and forth, knocking my head on the wall, hoping that by some miracle, I was dreaming.

“I think she fainted. She didn’t even stick her finger, I don’t know what happened.” I could hear the stress in Mike’s voice, also the anger. He wanted more than anything for Edward to go away and so did I.

“Y/N.” Edward was inches away from my face. “Can you hear me?”

“No,” I groaned. “Go away.” A chuckle left his lips.

“I was taking her to the nurse,” Mike explained defensively, “but she wanted to stop.”

“I’ll take her,” Edward said. Please, no. “You can go back to class.”

“No,” Mike protested. Oh god, here we go again. “I’m supposed to do it.” Even with my eyes closed, I could picture Mike attempting to stand his ground against Edward, who was probably three inches taller than him. If I wasn’t so mentally and physically drained, I would’ve giggled at just the mental picture.

Suddenly I didn’t feel the bench anymore. My eyes shot upon. Edward had effortlessly scooped me up in his arms as if I weighed nothing at all.

“Put me down!” Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I could hear Mike yelling in the back, but Edward had already strode quick enough to the point where he was only a mumble.

“You look awful,” he said, grinning.

“Edward. Please put me down.” The rocking felt worse. He wasn’t listening, so I settled my arms around his neck to steady my movements. I couldn’t help but notice how much his body had gone rigid. 

“So you faint at the sight of blood?” he asked. Yes... and apparently have freaky visions too… I didn’t answer. “And not even your own blood,” he continued, obviously amusing himself.

“Oh my,” I heard a female voice gasp.

“She fainted in Biology,” Edward explained.

Opening my eyes, I found myself in the office with Edward already making his way to the nurse’s door, to which a lady opened for him. Edward gently placed me on the cot, moving only just inches away from me.

“She’s just a little faint,” he said to the nurse. “They’re blood typing in Biology.”

“Just lie down for a minute, hon. It’ll pass.” I nodded in response. “Does this happen a lot?”

“Hasn’t happened in a while.” I couldn’t help, but notice Edward from the side of me, barely being able to contain a laugh.

The nurse faced Edward. “You can go back to class now,” she told him.

“I’m supposed to stay with her.” The nurse didn’t seem to argue with him. How did Edward have such a way with people?

The nurse had left the room to get ice, to which I laid down on the cot, groaning, “You were right.”

“I usually am – but about what in particular this time?” I didn’t have the energy to argue.

“Ditching is healthy.”

“You scared me back there.” His tone surprised me. The way his breath hitched, as if he was confessing his deepest darkest secrets; that he was worried about me. “I thought Newton was dragging your dead body off to bury it in the woods.”

I stifled a chuckle. I tried to imagine poor Mike Newton, anxiety and all, trying to cover up my murder.

“How’d you see me? Thought you were ditching?” I sat up, facing him. Finally, the dizzy spell had passed.

“I was in my car, listening to a CD.” For some reason, it surprised me. So, he was normal-ish?

The door opened, revealing the nurse with an ice pack in hand, laying it across my forehead. “You’re looking better,” she chirped.

“Yeah, I think–” I was interrupted by the door opening, the receptionist had her head peeking through, claiming there was a boy waiting at the door for me.

The door fully opened to reveal Mike, awkwardly walking through the door, glancing from me to Edward, a look of loathe stretched across his face.

“You look better.” I nodded in response. He continued, “So, you ready to go back to class?”

The nurse interrupted before I could reply, “I think it would be best if she stayed. What’s your next class, dear?”

“Gym.”

“Oh my, Ms. Cope here will get a note right out to your class, dear, don’t you worry about that!”

Mike left awkwardly, mumbling, “Feel better. See you at the beach.” before heading back to Biology. I didn’t even realize Edward had left too. I took the time alone to lie back down, placing the ice pack back on my forehead, hoping the ice would numb my mind too.

I felt the cot from beneath me disappear and was once again surprised to see Edward scooping me up in his arms. I yelped, “What are you doing?!”

“Taking you home.” As it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Once we were through the doors, I could feel all eyes on me, both the nurse and Ms. Cope looked at me in admiration. I could feel my cheeks burning red from the embarrassment.

“I can walk, you know?”

“Yep.” I didn’t miss the smirk on his lips, especially when we’d passed Mike, who’d become even more red from the sight of us. Edward simply laughed it off.

As soon as we got to the parking lot, he set me on my feet, leaving us both to walk side by side until we reached our cars.

“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?”

“A little, yeah.” That damn smile. 

When I went to walk over to my own car, something caught my jacket, yanking me back.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, his eyebrows completely raised.

“Home?”

“I promised I’d safely take you home. You think I’m going to let you drive in your condition?”

He was right, as much as I hated to admit it. Not even twenty minutes ago I was recovering from a dizzy spell, accompanied by whatever the hell I saw when I closed my eyes. I only asked, “What about my car?”

“I’ll have Alice drop it off for you after school.” He loosened his grip on my jacket, placing his hand on my back to guide me to his car, to which he opened and closed for me once I’d gotten in.

He got into his car and settled his keys in, cranking up the heat. I didn’t even realize how freezing I was until he cranked up the heat, which eventually settled down my shivers. Before we set off, I told him my address. Then, a familiar tune flooded my ears.

“Clair de Lune?” I asked, surprised. When he said he was listening to a CD, I didn’t know what I’d expect to blare from his speakers, but it definitely wasn’t the elegance of Claude Debussy.

“You know Debussy?” He sounded just as surprised as I was.

“From my mom.” I nodded. “She plays a lot of classical music – I only know a couple of my favorites.”

“It’s one of my favorites, too.”

I leaned back into the gray leather seat, watching the rain, and letting the music soothe my nerves. The view outside had blurred completely into green and gray streaks, showing just how fast we were going, but the ride had felt as smooth as ever.

“If you don’t mind me asking… Why are you sensitive to blood?”

“Um…” I paused. For some reason, I felt alright with telling him. No one else had known besides my dad, the doctors, and the occasional therapist. “When I was 12, I saw an animal attack. It was in the woods by my house. There was a lot of blood… and since then, I don’t know… I just freak out.”

“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.

I let silence invade the space, before mumbling, “Your turn.”

“What?” He looked terrified. As if I’d just asked him to reveal one of his deepest and darkest secrets.

“Tell me something about yourself. It doesn’t have to be as deep and traumatic as mine… What about your family?” I deserved to know even a portion about his life at least.

“What do you want to know?”

“The Cullens adopted you?” I confirmed.

“Yes.”

“Can I ask what happened to your parents?” I didn’t expect an answer. Even after all that I’ve told him, it seemed too overbearing.

“They died a long time ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “I don’t remember them much. Carlisle and Esme are all I’ve ever known really. I couldn’t imagine two better people.”

“I’m glad.” I continued on, “And your brother and sister?”

“My brother and sister, and Jasper and Rosalie for that matter… they are going to be quite upset if they have to stand in the rain to wait for me.” He chuckled.

“Oh, shit.” I hadn’t even realized we stopped, let alone in front of my house already. “Sorry, yeah, I’ll um– see you later?” 

I didn’t get out of the car yet. I wanted to ask him something, even if I ended up regretting it later.

“Did you wanna come with us to the beach?” I breathed out.

A smile littered across his face. “Which beach?” Was he considering it?

“La Push.”

His smile lessened. So I asked, “Something wrong?”

“No, sorry.” His eyebrows furrowed intensely. “I just remembered Emmett and I had plans. Hiking in the Goat Rock Wilderness.”

“Oh,” I said. “Well, have fun.” I tried to hide my disappointment, but I don’t think I fooled him too much. A smile was still spread across his face, almost amused by how I reacted.

Just as I was about to open the door, he said, “Maybe another time. Just the two of us. Somewhere more quiet.” I felt shivers down my spine.

“Y-yeah.” I stuttered. “Thanks for the ride.”

Slamming the door shut, I turned to face him, his smile still radiating even after he drove off.

next chapter

a/n: this one is a lot longer than the others and i had to rely on the book a lot for some of the dialogue, but just some little changes here and there! i hope you all like it!

tags: @measure-in-pain @brekkers-whore @rejectedbimbo @leilanileila

[agirlwholovesrockstars]

need your loving tonight

☆AGATHA'S MASTERLIST☆

☆ EDDIE MUNSON'S MASTERLIST ☆

summary : Eddie is trying to make amends with you after he acted like an idiot to you but no matter how hard he tries, you wouldn't forgive him for his mistakes

word count : I hope this won't be too long 😭

warnings : 18+ MDNI Eddie Munson x FEM!reader, language, no use of y/n, Eddie and reader are both 20, EVENTUAL SMUT‼️, protected sex (as they should) Jason Carver I know I'm sorry 😖 Eddie being dumb at some points, reader might be too harsh with Eddie here, happy ending? will see 🙃

what to expect : lots of ANGST‼️ in the beginning but fluff in the end, friends to lovers

note to reader : VECNA & UPSIDE DOWN DON'T EXIST HERE! it would be nice to read that Eddie is begging for your forgiveness hehe

author note : I love Queen and this is my ultimate favorite song of all time never get tired of listening to it- if you haven't- MY GOD! SHAME ON YOU! 😤

He struggles not to get mad at you

He struggles not to get frustrated at you

He struggles not to hate on you

What happened?

Did he have done something wrong?

Hell

Hell yes, he did something wrong with you

"I'm so fucking dumb" he mumbles to himself

"What did you say?" Jeff says as he flips the next page of his comic book

The voice of his friend made his snap out of his thoughts while he's looking at you at the other side of the cafeteria

"uh- nothing" he clears his throat, straightens himself up and he averts his eyes away from you

Jeff looks up to his friend with critical eyes as he observes him, slowly putting his comic book down on the table, he turns around and he founds you there

"Ah" he chuckles shaking his head, he finally understands the situation

Eddie catches this and he questions him "Excuse me?"

"Make it up to her, man" Gareth says as he takes a sip from his canned Coke

He swings his head over to his other friend, confusion expression sitting on his face clearly

"Woo her" Dustin added while he's writing on his science notebook

Eddie quickly shuts his eyes as he responds "Was I too obvious for thinking about her too much?"

"Stop moping around and talk to her!" Lucas leans in, his tone is serious making Eddie nodding taking his words carefully

"The more you don't try to fix, the more she'll gets angry at you, been there done that" Mike raising his hands up as he tries to forget the idiot things that he did to Jane

"What the hell- did you to her this time, Munson?"

All of them turn their heads at the other voice, it's standing right there next to Eddie looking at him down with a stern look on his face

The look is not threatening but Eddie can see it that he genuinely cares

Eddie just lifts his head up to see the man standing beside him and he can see the guilty and sadness on his eyes

He sighs "I don't know anymore, dude...." He trails off

"He probably done something asshole to her girl" Jeff fills him up

Eddie looks at him with wide eyes and then turns to a pointed look

"I-I'm sorry, man, it's the truth!" Jeff surrenders

He shook his head as he leans his back against his seat

Eddie's eyes always goes back at you for everytime he tries to rethink and remember those past few weeks before you chose to ignore him

It's been 3 weeks

It almost looks like he doesn't even exist to you

He should've known, a girl like you who got a heart of gold, nicest soul

Could turn into something else that he never expected to happen

You became mean, hateful, rude, impolite to him

The only time he sees you smiling and laughing so sweetly is when you're not close to him

But whenever your eyes falls to him, it changes into anger, it flashes to him so sharply that he can feel your gaze stabbing into him

He knows he deserves it for treating you this way

And my god, both of you have been bestfriends for years and he never thought this day would come

The day he will never ever forget is that you despise him, every bit of him irritates into your core

He can't blame you, you've been together since elementary, he knows how much you give your whole heart to someone you love

And then he just chose to fucking mess things up

"Answer me, Munson"

he puts his food tray on the table, it made Eddie flinch a little, he goes straight back into reality again

"What's going on between you and her?"

Eddie breathes from his nose deeply, he looks down shamefully

"You can still bring her back, you know, it's not too late"

"How can I ever talk to her if she doesn't give me a chance?!" Eddie finally speaks throwing his hands up while stealing a glance at you

You're staring at him coldly

Eddie can't even look at you like that for long giving him that icy glare

The man beside Eddie gave a gesture to Jeff and Gareth to scoot over on the side so he will have a seat next to Eddie

Eddie rubs his face, he's stressing out, his friend can see that

"It's not the right time to give me advices, Harrington"

"Look, dude, I just wanted to help you, if you lose her you're going to regret it, believe me"

Eddie stare at him for a second, he nods along for him to continue

"What did you do that might upset her?" Steve tries to look at his friends eyes

The whole crew looks at him directly, awaiting for his answer

Eddie swallows he knows he's gonna get scolded from his friends and if Wayne knew about this

He's a fucking dead man

"b-before the 3 weeks happened, we h-hang a lot like the usual a-and then I-I think she gives so many hints that s-she liked me and I thought she's j-just expressing her l-love to me as a f-friend and then few days later it feels like she's n-not the same anymore until s-she finally let it all out that she h-has feelings for me"

"and then what happened?" Mike asks

"She told me she w-was fine, she'll be in t-touch with me until I received a letter from her, I'm still confused and I don't know what she meant about it, I reread it like a million times and I think-"

"you think what?" Lucas cuts him off

"She d-doesn't want to be with me a-anymore" Eddie said the last line like he was holding his breath, he breathes out shakily

"Well, that sucked" Gareth saids while Jeff nudges him in the stomach as he gestures to be sympathetic for his friend for a moment

Steve facepalmed for a second as he tries to think of something

"What did you do after she..." Dustin glances at you before he continues "confessed to you?"

"Here's the thing, Henderson" your voice goes behind his back making Eddie tense up at the fury anger coming out from your voice

All of the boys stare at you like they've been caught

"He fucking acted like our friendship together didn't exist and let me guess he told you I was the one who got cold right?"

All of them nod and then they scrunch their faces up making it harder for Eddie

You laugh in disbelief "What y'all boys didn't know right after I confessed at him, he just acted like it was nothing, he just go on day by day like nothing happened, just like that" you shrugged

You lean down close to him, his breath hitches being you this close to him while you're in rage

"He expects me to be like?!? Do the same shit that he did?!? No fucking way" you whisper on his ear and he squeezes his eyes shut

All of the boys are intimidated seeing you like this

They're used to see you being so lovely and fun like Eddie

But now, they get it, why Eddie can't just talk you out of it

"That's why I wrote him a farewell letter to end my misery and his misery because I'm such a good person" you say the last word clutching to your heart sarcastically and smiling

Your forced smile drops, you say one more thing before you leave "Even though he doesn't deserve it" you scoffed at him while you look at him up and down

He pushed his seat back running after you

You ignore him calling out for you until he finally reaches your hand you turn around

You slapped him across his face making the other students gasped and you don't even care if the other students having prying eyes on you and him

"Oh shit!" Dustin exclaimed

The whole gang stand up from their seats, jaws are dropped and shocked as they watch the scene unfolds

There's a bit of regret of what you just did to him but you can't help it, you're just so mad at him for invalidating your feelings and you hate that you got rejected at your most beloved and important person in your whole life

You wished that you didn't confessed at him, if only you knew that this is going to happen

But it already did so.... you'll just hop in onto the fire and burn and live through the chaos of your emotions

"Don't you try to touch me again, we're through" your eyes became glossy but Eddie knew that's how you get angry

You rip his hands off from you as he watches you disappear in the cafeteria

Angry tears coming out from you eyes and he hates that he's the cause of it

He only sees that if you're having problems at your life and now he's the part of it

He hates himself for it, for letting this happen

If only he wasn't so dumb about it, this wouldn't happen

He is making this hard for you, he doesn't even know where to start

He's tearing up, half of his face burning up from the slap that you gave him, it turns to a bright red color from his cheek

All of his friends goes after him, giving him a pat behind his back

Jeff and Gareth both saying in unison "Are you okay?" he just nods weakly and he sniffles

"Now all of you believe me?" He told them referring to the question earlier "just talk to her"

"I believe you, man" Steve sighs and he gives a small smile to his friend

It's been a month ever since you slapped him

Eddie's eyes still longing on for you everytime you brush past by him

He's trying to look into your eyes and tell you that he's sorry

"I think you're too hard on him" Robin says as she offers you a cherry lollipop, you grab it and unwrapped it and you stick it out to your mouth

You watch Eddie with his friends cheering for another successful D&D meeting

Your heart aches at the sight of it, you should've been there if it wasn't for the unfortunate events that happened

Even his friends are in celebration, you can see his eyes and his smile not reaching to his ears, he is not happy because you're not there

"I think you might be right" you remove the lollipop from your mouth

Robin's voice is muffled from the lollipop as she darts her eyes to you and to him "What- wait- how's so?"

"He isn't like the kind of trying to get my attention, he stopped doing that"

Robin smirks "You miss him, don't you?"

You huffed and chuckled "There's no shame in that, and you know it, Robs, yeah I do miss him" you admit unashamedly as you popped the lollipop back in your mouth

She gives you a empathetic smile

"Why don't you try to talk to him? Maybe he is truly sorry for what he has done"

You stare at her, This is the only time you let your walls down, Robin can see that you're also longing for him

You're just wearing this facade of yours so don't that he can't see how you truly hurt

At least that's what you think

Eddie knows it and you know that he can see right through you

You gave your friend a warm smile "I'll think about it"

"I just wanted for the both of you to be happy, I don't want you guys end up giving each other's cold and hatred remarks when they can be together again" she says as she puts her hands on her pockets

You nod at her, you're now thinking deeply about it

Eddie decided to ignore you or maybe if possible, forget about you

He gets even more scared of the letter you gave him that haunts him til' his day

He'll have to learn to forgive and forget

Which is impossible

He goes out looking strong but whenever he saw you, all of his courage to not acknowledging your existence just quickly fades away

He can't sleep either, he just keeps rolling around his bed all night, he can't stop thinking about you, he doesn't even know how he can get rest enough for the next day

His body aches and he stopped trying to get talk to you, he doesn't want to argue with you anymore, he's exhausted, he knows how will end up

Another slap from his face

He groans and goes back to his previous bed position as he throws a pillow on top of his head

He knows what you need, you need space, but he's trying his best to stay away from you he can't remove himself out of you that easy

He got even more mad when he saw you talking to another guy at school

Eddie can't deny his looks, the guy is good looking, maybe he's one of the popular guys at school judging by the way he dresses

His eyes turn to jealousy, his jaw clenches when you giggled about the guy was saying to you

He furrow his brows, he's the only one who can make you laugh like that, his heart drops of what the future might be

He would rather die seeing you holding hands with another man when he must've been the one with you on his side

He'll eat his heart out on how much he loves you

Eddie walked inside of the men's restroom

"It's a good thing you let her go, man"

Eddie raises his head looking for the familiar voice in the room, he rolled his eyes when he finally see him

It's Jason fucking Carver

Until he freezes, he can't recognize him because of the dim lights but his posture and his mannerisms

It's him, he's the guy that he saw with you

He is now simmering with anger, he knows guys like Jason just get girls and leaving them after they got what they wanted like they're pieces of trash

"Just get the hell away from me, dude" he spits out

He laughs darkly "I'm giving you a piece of advice, freak"

He gives him a daggering stare at him, a warning

"Girls like her, are too much of a work, they think a lot, they're unstable and hell, too fucking sensitive"

He shakes his head at his words and scoffs, he goes by the sink and wash his hands

Jason follows suit and he leans his back as he continues to talk

"You should get yourself a girl who doesn't have anything like her, just by one look she knows what you needed"

The faucet keeps running, he pauses, he knows exactly what he mean by that and that alone just pisses him off

Jason flinches at Eddie's action by holding him up by his collar pining him behind the wall

"I don't want any girl, Jason, I only want her, I am not like you breaking every girl's heart in Hawkins High, you're full of shit!" He punches him causing him to open the men's door

Throwing Jason in the process on the floor, making every student halt their tracks as they watch the scene, Jason can't even give a fist to Eddie

Eddie grabbed Jason again by his collar as he give him 2 blowing hard punches on his face, making him bloody enough to not speak to him ever again

"Next time, Carver, I hope this will mark that you won't fucking talk to my girl that way" he pushes him down, Jason weakly nods and he grunts while he slowly crawls away from him

It's like the universe is helping you to get back together, he turned around to see you standing there

It's the only time he is seeing you not giving him any cold shoulder instead he sees shock, pity, and hopeful?

He blinks and stares at you for a bit, he turned his heels and walked away

You tried to follow him, you sigh of what you just witnessed

"Another suspension again, son?" Wayne asks as he pours himself a cup of coffee as he glances at his nephew, washing the remnants of blood from his fists, it appears to be bruised from the punch

"Yeah, I blew Carver's face off" he plainly said

Wayne almost choked from his coffee, he clears his throat

"Pardon?"

He turn around to face him "I punched him after he talked shit to my girl"

He says it all at once, he realized of what he has done, he slowly looks up from his uncle who is now staring at him with a smug on his face

"Your girl huh?" He places his newspaper down on the coffee table

He sighs in exasperation "Who am I kidding? Why am I jealous, she's not even mine"

Wayne's smug smile falls as he stands up goes over to his nephew, joining him on the couch

"Tell me, what happened, son?"

Wayne already knew to what he has done with you, of course he's upset about it, Wayne likes you so much that he treats you normally like you're a part of his family

You can also feel it whenever you spend your time at their trailer, Even Wayne doesn't say it he's not much of a big talker but it just feels natural, it's home and that added more to your pain

"She saw everything that I made a scene, I turned around and saw her there standing, I thought I'm going to receive the same glares but-" he pauses as he shifts from his seat

He looked at the framed photograph of you and him on the top shelf, both arms hanging around on each other's shoulders, his heart beats fast when he looked at your beautiful smile, he misses seeing that smile of yours

"But?" Wayne says as he puts his hand over his knee

"She doesn't do it anymore, what does it mean? Does that mean she's not a-angry at me anymore?"

Wayne is proud of himself, he taught him well, a true gentleman like he is

Except for the idiot part, that's on him

"I think she's giving you a second chance"

Eddie looked at him, he grows nervous about it

"And by that chance, boy, don't ever waste it" he points at him giving him a pointed look

Eddie nods at his uncle as he throws his head on the sofa

This is it, you're giving him a chance, he is still certain that he wants you, he will do anything to make things go back to normal

The question is.... Do you still want him? or you just wanted reconciliation from him?

Tuesday, The Hideout, Eddie is there

Forest Park Hills, you arrived at 7pm

There's so many memories that you and Eddie created in his home, just by looking at it, makes you wanna sob about it

You knocked on the door and saw Wayne standing in there

His eyes shines in delight, the moment he sees you, he has the same grin that you always loved with Eddie

He hugs you that you gladly accept

"Oh! It's you! how wonderful to see you again"

"I'm very happy to see you too, Wayne"

He pulls back and invites you inside "Come on in"

"Where's-"

"He'll be back-"

"After 11pm, yeah I know" you chuckled slightly

He goes straight into the kitchen and offers you a cup of coffee that you always liked and thank goodness he has a box of butter croissant and that he bought after his salary, a treat for him and his nephew

"Thank you" you say softly

"Why'd you come here? Not that I don't mind you coming in here everytime you want"

You're chewing on the flaky pastry "I-I felt bad for him for what I did to him"

He nods as he listens to you carefully

"He deserves to know the all of the answers that he's been dying to know"

You reach out for your mug shakily, you drink it

You can't hold back the tears anymore, you put down your mug before you can break it

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't apologize, it's okay" Wayne didn't waste time to hold your hand

You calm down for a bit as you exhale slowly

"I think he learned his lesson"

"W-What do you mean?"

"One time, he told me, he had an idea, he will be on his knees, begging for you, for mercy and ask for forgiveness"

You bursted out laughing as he laughs as well with you

"I embarrassed him, enough, Wayne, I slapped him in the cafeteria, last month"

"You- did what?" His hold on you drops as he places over his hips

You winced at of what you just did "Oh shoot, he's been through, already, Wayne, don't tell me you're going to reprimand him about it, I thought you knew"

He chuckles "He will be, if he loses this last chance"

You smile at him shyly, Wayne knew that you and Eddie had a thing for each other, both of you are just afraid, until one of you finally speaks up and turns into heartache

"I always knew, even my boy doesn't go fully into details but I know what's going on"

"Thanks, Wayne"

He never fails to make you laugh, you always feel safe whenever you're with the Munson's, he radiates the same energy like his uncle

"No, Thank you for making my dear boy happy, I don't trust that school aside from you and his friends, he got a lot of hard times on his life and I thought I would never see him this way, the moment you existed, I just know he'll be okay"

You gave him a heartwarming smile, you sniffled

For what Wayne just said, you know everything will work out just fine

While putting away the music equipments

Jeff looking at his friend, he doesn't want to meddle with his plans but he cares for his friend he just wanted to know

"Do you think you can still have her?" He asks

Eddie has this weird gut that's been going on all night, he doesn't know if it's bad or not

"I think so"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, man" he smiles genuinely and just like that his friend knew he'll be alright

"Good for you, man, I'm happy for you" he holds him by the shoulders

"Just don't do anything stupid to her this time" Gareth walks past by them while holding a big speaker

Jeff calls him out for being too hard on the words that he's giving to Eddie, he just laughs as he says "Got that!" he loves that for Gareth for being real and just speaking the truth

He is thankful for having friends like them

Eddie came home, he is in a state of shock to see you in there, laying on the couch, asleep, with his blanket

"I'm off to work, son" Wayne says as he swings his bag over to his shoulder

Before he exits, he says "You want her?"

"Yes"

"You want her back in your life?"

"Yes!"

"Then fight for her, boy" he says, he gives him an encouraging smile, he leaves while closing the door on his way

Eddie puts his beloved guitar down and places it on the side of the room to where it's safe

He crouch down to look at your face, even you're sleeping, you're so mesmerizing to look at, he missed looking at your pretty face

He watches as your chest rise and up and down, his eyes widens when he recognized the shirt that you're wearing

It's a gift that he gave to you last Christmas, his favorite Metallica bandshirt, you're wearing black leggings and a black cardigan

He can't help himself that he reaches out to touch your face and he caresses it

You stir up and your eyes flutter open and it lands on your sweet lover

"Hey"

"Hi" you rise up and sit down as you scoot over to offer him a seat

He goes under the blankets as well

You yawn and Eddie thinks it's the most cutest thing he ever seen

You rub your eyes as you looked around "Wayne?"

"Uh- he left just recently"

"Oh"

You both sat together in comfortable silence

"I'm sorry" you both turned your heads around at the same time, both saying the same thing in unison

Causing the both of you to laugh, he wheezes

After trying to calm down from your laughter

"I miss you, Eddie"

"I missed you too, sweetheart, so much"

You don't want to spoil the moment but you had to "I don't like that you keep leading me on, building up my feelings and just leave me there hanging, after I confessed my true feelings with you and you acted like it was a joke, it hurt me a lot"

"I know and I am so sorry like truly, I am, if only I go back I would've done better but I didn't"

He moves even closer to you and he can't believe that you let him hold your hand

"I regret it everyday, I hate that I was the cause of your pain, I can't sleep at night thinking about you"

You looked into his eyes, holy shit, he is telling you the truth

"I love you" There's no ounce of dishonest, zero hesitation on his voice

You gasp "That's all I ever wanted to hear"

He closed the gap between the two of you, he slammed his lips onto yours

You kissed him back, both heavily breathing, he smiles into the kiss as he swipes his tongue onto you, you sigh in content as you throw your arms around him, holding the back of his head as he deepens the kiss, you moaned

Until your back is laying flat down on the couch as you both continue to make out

It's the kiss that you always wanted and it's everything

He pulled back "Am I forgiven?" He knits his eyebrows together

"You sure are" you smiled back at him as you pull him by the collar, you kiss him passionately

Eddie might cry, the gut that he was feeling earlier was a good sign

You sat on his lap, he puts his arms around your waist, breathing your scent like it adds to his lifespan, you frown at the bruise from his knuckles

He seethed when you rub your thumb over it "I'm sorry" you whispered

"You really meant it, don't you?"

"Was me drawing blood, isn't enough for you?"

You snorted, you move your body to face him, you're now straddling him

"There's one more thing, though"

"Yes, anything for you, darling" he says as he drew circles on your forearm

"You need to prove it to me" you start grinding on him slowly, he hums, as he looks at you from up and down, he took the hint clearly

You yelped when he carries you putting you down on his bed

"Please, go easy on me, I'm fragile" you say coyly

He chortled "Look, honey, I don't want to rush-"

"Are you gonna do it or spend your rest of your life that I am not yours?" You say bitterly rolling your eyes in the process

"Fuck- ah shit! Of course, I don't want that!"

"Then fucking just do it!"

He pulls you down causing you to squeal from his action making him laugh devilishly

It makes your thighs clench, he saw it and he looks up to you "Didn't know I had a effect on you like that"

You're about to slap him again until he grabs it and puts it down

"I don't think so sweetheart, not this time"

It's the first time you got alarmed from his action, it turns you on

He leans down to whisper behind your ear "I'm the boss here"

He removes your leggings with your underwear at the same time, he removes his shirt and his pants

His eyes grow lustfully as he sees your cunt, so wet for him and only just for him

He puts his hands over your knees, to open wide for him, you shiver under his touch

You reach down at the hem of your shirt, he stops you

"Let me do it, sweet thing" he winks at you

His hand goes behind your back to unclip your bra and remove it

"Oh my gosh" he places his hand over his mouth as he looks at you, admiring your naked body

You became bashful on his gaze, you tried to cover yourself

"I'm so lucky, goddamn!" He exaggerates the last line making you giggle

As he reaches on the drawer, he pulls his boxers down, you saw the length, it's big

Your mouth became dry

"Are you still up for this, sweetheart?"

You nod at him

"I only accept verbal answers, baby"

"Yes, Eddie, I'm ready"

"I'm gonna to take care of you, just tell me if it hurts, I'll stop"

"Okay"

He distracts you from kissing you, your forehead crumples up

"Too much?"

"I can take it, hold on"

"Just relax, angel"

The moment he fills you up, you're so fuck drunk in the feeling, you can't even register that he's inside of you

He holds your hip and raises one leg as he thrusts into you slowly

You whimpered and he is so fuck drunk like as you do, your pussy squelches in the most sinful things sound ever

"Stop clenching, I won't last long" he grunts

Your eyes are heavy-lidded, you run down your hands on his chest as you copy his thrusts making him groan

"Faster, Eddie, please move"

"I got you"

He places both of your legs around his waist, he holds both of your hands as he fucks you speedily

You wrap your legs around him tightly bringing him deeper, making you moan even harder

He flushes down on you, he nuzzles over your shoulder, you wrap your arms around him, you both moan at the sweet sensation

"Wait- Eddie- d-don't stop!" Your moans turn into high pitched screams

You used your last energy to bring him around so you're place on top of him, he gasps as his face contorts into pleasure

"I-I love you so much, E-Eddie" you moan as you grind him

Eddie watches as your pussy devours his cock gliding down smoothly like it was made just for him making him buckle his hips

You arch your back and your head falls down on the side, as you continue to ride him, cheeks are flushed, your eyes are closed can't hold them longer enough, you're so lost in the feeling

Eddie sits up as he holds you close, both burning bodies with so much ecstacy feeling both of your minds, both panting, a bit sweaty for getting all worked up

You kept saying his name "Oh- Eddie- Eddie- Eddie- ah"

"I- l-love you more, sweetheart, y-you're the best thing that is ever happened t-to me, holy shit, baby" he cusses on how good you feel

Making you clench and he groans, you smile to him lazily

He pulled you even more close causing your moans into scream, you grind him so fast, he holds your hips placing your legs around him, he squeezes your breasts, he plays with your clit, making you moan even louder

You start bouncing on top of him as you remove the pieces of his hair on his face

"My p-pretty boy" you say, biting down the another wave arousal coming in

"M-my pretty g-girl" he tucked a piece of hair behind your ear, he says as he holds you tight your legs are trembling, you shout his name as you both came undone

You kissed his cheek as you bring your arms around him, he is still holding you, he kisses your shoulder

"That was awesome"

There he is, the boy that you always loved, he is always unserious

You laughed, your laughing body shakes as you hide your face on his neck, you pulled back

Admiring his tattoos, he smiles down at you

Once you calmed down, he peels himself out of you, you winced at it a little, everytime he tries to pulls out slowly and carefully he says sorry, he takes care of you

He cleaned you up and helped you get dressed

He opens his cabinet, he grab a clean boxers and a pair of DIO bandshirt

He settle for his blue striped pajama pants, he stays shirtless

He says he'll be at the kitchen getting a glass of water, he offers you and you said yes

He has that silly smile again, you missed seeing that

None of that matters anymore, the important is that at the end, you're still together

You noticed a familiar polaroid picture on his bedside table, you reach for it and it reveals

It's you and him together celebrating your 20th birthday, you recognized his handwrite on the bottom, it says

"My best girl, ♡"

Your eyes are now brimmed with threatening tears to spill for any moment

"Here you go-" he stops as he sees what you're holding

"You kept it?" Your tears fall into tears of joy

He shows you a warm smile, he hand out the glass of water and you drank it, he kisses your forehead as he places the glass on the beside table

"I always kept everything that remind me of you"

Your heart flutters to what he just said, you hug him tighter making him shocked but he recovers as he realizes your muffled cries on his chest, he felt the tears that goes down

He pulled back to look at you "W-What's wrong?"

"I don't wanna lose you, Eddie, I want you forever in my life, I'm so sorry for acting like that"

"Hey, you have the every right to act that way, you have to right to be angry with me because what I did is absolutely unforgivable"

You hiccuped and he shushes you as he pulls your closer

"You didn't lose me, sweetheart"

You raise your head up to look at him, your ears are open for what he has to answer

"You save me again, I didn't stop loving you and I don't think that I never will"

His swipes the tears using his thumb, you hold him from his wrists as you say "I also don't think I could never love on another person again unless it's you"

It's his turn to cry in front of you "That is the most extraordinary thing that I ever heard"

You smiled at him as you kiss him

Eddie woke up with you laying on his shoulder, on his bed and the brightness outside, making him eyes shut again

Your arms are laying on top of his stomach afraid that he might disappear from you

The scent of the air is your sweet bergamot lavender perfume, your shampoo now lingers on his bedroom sheets, he smiles down at you kissing you on the top of your head

Eddie overheard the front door opens, he heard him removing heavy boots as he anticipates for his uncle to peek on the slightly opened door

Wayne looks over he sees his nephew already staring at him as his eyes falls on you asleep, he slowly opens the door wide making the door creak

Wayne manages to give his nephew a thumbs up causing Eddie to bite back a giggle, he freezes when you start waking up

"Goodmorning, sunshine"

"Morning, Eddie my love"

"I would never get tired hearing you say things like that"

He leans in to give you a kiss but you pulled back, he got confused "What?"

"I just got woke up and I have bad morning breath" your voice is hoarse from the sleep

He tuts "I don't care" he ignores your protest as he kisses you and you melt with it

"Hey kids, do you want me to join for breakfast? My treat?"

Wayne calls out to the both of you and you jumped at his voice, making Eddie laugh while holding on his chest

"Sure, Wayne, we'll be right there!"

You didn't remove the clothes that you wore last night, instead you eye his red checkered flannel that you always loved, you wear it fond smile coming from your lips

He wore his muscle tee black shirt and wore his another pair of sweatpants

"What do you say, sweetheart? Pancakes or Waffles?"

You laugh at the memory, you feel all bubbly inside, you washed your face and dried it with a clean towel

You brush your hair as you put on a cherry lipbalm

You walked towards him "You always end up getting the same thing" as you watch him putting a silver chain on his neck as he sprays his musk cologne on him, the scent that you always liked

"You always loved Pancakes" you placed your arms above his shoulder

"You always loved Waffles" he tilt his head onto the side as he leans down to kiss you again

"I'd say it's a date" he flashes you a cheeky smile

"It's perfect" he opens the door for you as he hugs you from behind

You, Eddie and Wayne ate happily at Benny's

Eddie always gives you a generous piece of his favorite waffle even you don't ask him to do it

The morning feels vibey and a new beginning, you take in the fresh of nice air

You rest your head on his shoulder as he does the same

You're both finally at peace and happiness once again and this time, you both know, nothing will ever comes between the two of you

🎶Ooh, I need your loving, oooh I need your loving, Ooh I need your loving tonight🎶

here's a lil' sequel of this cuties together again <3 "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy"

[lauren-likes-to-type]

Here For You

[Until Dawn] Samantha Giddings x Female Reader

Word Count: 4.4k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Mentions of war, PTSD, death, strong language

[A/N]: I haven't seen many stories for Sam with a female reader, so I figured I could add on to what already exists! For context: I do struggle with PTSD myself, so I know some of the effects, but mine isn't from war, meaning I'm not sure how accurate my representation of it is in this story. Also, this was written on 11-22-2022, so it's been a while since I've read over this.

Enjoy!

“Shit. I don’t know, Mike. We just got back from war for god’s sake! I don’t want to add on to her worries. Maybe I shouldn’t do this after all,” Sam ranted over the phone, her grip tightening on the steering wheel as her anxiety skyrocketed. Mike sighed on the other side. “Sam, buddy, you’ve gotta calm down. I’m sure she feels the same way. Sure, I’ve never met her, but you talk about her so much, and it seems like she’ll feel the same way. And even if she doesn’t, I can promise you it won’t add on to her worries. Just go for it! You’ll feel better if you get it done. I don’t want you to regret not asking her out.”

As she came to a red light, Sam eased on the brake to bring her car to a stop. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose before running her fingers through her loose strands of hair. Her hazel eyes flickered around in front of her, seemingly staring at nothing as her mind raced. At length, she let out another sigh and shut her eyes tight. “You’re right. You’re right, okay? I’ll do it–I’ll tell her how I feel.” Her friend chuckled. “Good.” Sam smiled for a moment, but it quickly faltered before dropping. “Ugh, but what if she doesn’t feel the same way? What if I make her uncomfortable, and she doesn’t want to be friends anymore?” Mike groaned. Sam could hear him scratching hard at his head.

“Sam, I can’t tell you what she’ll say when you confess, but it doesn’t seem like she’d be the type to stop hanging out with you over something like this. Not from how you’ve described her, anyway. Just…when the time seems right, tell her how you feel. Let her know what you love about her–specific things–and then tell her that you love her entirely.” “Yeah, but what if–” “You’re an incredible woman, Sam. I don’t see why she wouldn’t share your feelings. And hey, I thought you were supposed to be the calm, level headed one. I’ve never seen you get this anxious over something before. Not when you were applying to college. Not even when you enlisted for the army and got shipped off to war! You’re tough, Sam. You’ve gotta get your nerves under control so you don’t blow this.”

Sam rolled her eyes at his “level headed” comment, though she couldn’t bite back her smirk. She was so grateful for Mike–he truly was like an older brother to her. “Yeah yeah, okay. I’ll calm down before I say anything. Thank you, Mike.” “No problemo. Let me know how it goes afterwards, alright? I wanna have proof that I’m the ultimate wingman.” The blonde laughed softly and glanced up at the streetlight as it turned green. She eased her foot onto the accelerator and began driving forwards again. “Will do. Bye, Mike.” “Bye.”

Sam continued driving after turning her phone off and gently tossing it into her passenger seat. She sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to steel her nerves. “It’ll be alright. [Y/N] likes you. Maybe not the way you like her, but she still likes you. She won’t stop hanging out with you just because she might not feel the same way–just like Mike said. Just…calm down. You just got back from a war. So has [Y/N]. It’s not like this will be the most terrifying thing you ever have to do.” She managed to calm herself momentarily, but as she rounded the corner that led to the cafe she had agreed to meet [Y/N] at, her anxiety spiked. It was hard not to give in to her overwhelming thoughts.

Once she pulled to the side of the road and stepped out of her car, first grabbing her phone from the seat beside her, she clicked on [Y/N]’s contact and sent her a quick message to let her know she had made it. She went inside just as her phone buzzed in her hand. ‘I know. I’m across the room from you, silly.’ Sam looked up from her phone to find the [h/c] girl standing in line at the register, smiling and waving at her. The blonde grinned nervously and waved back before joining her in line. They hugged each other tightly, so relieved to see each other again.

When the war had gotten worse and they were sent to fight in it, they were shipped off to separate locations without any contact. It drove them insane not being able to know if the other was okay. Finally, after they were sent home, they immediately called each other and were relieved to hear each other’s voice. Knowing that they were both okay allowed them to finally get the rest they desperately needed. After sleeping for about a day and a half, Sam asked [Y/N] if she’d want to meet up so they could talk. The [h/c] girl agreed instantly, and they chose to go to the cafe closest to where they lived. For Sam, it was only an eight minute drive. For [Y/N], however, it took twenty.

Sam figured the girl had left much earlier than she needed to so she wouldn’t be late. She couldn’t have arrived much sooner than she had. She smiled and sighed, finally stepping back from the embrace to look [Y/N] in the eyes. Oh, those beautiful [e/c] eyes. So captivating and gentle. She always found herself getting lost in a trance as she stared into them. All those late nights in their shared bunk, talking about plans for upcoming missions, gossipping about their fellow soldiers, softly whispering kind words and risque secrets. She cherished those nights.

Those nights were partly the reason she fell so hard for the girl so quickly.

“Sam? You’re doing it again,” [Y/N] said suddenly, waving her hand in front of the blonde’s face. Sam blinked and felt the heat rising to her cheeks. “Huh? Oh, uh…sorry. Zoned out.” The girl in front of her giggled, making her heart flutter. “You do that a lot.” She nodded and scratched the back of her neck, silently thankful that they had to step forward in line so she could hide her face by looking ahead momentarily. “Yeah, my bad. My mind just kind of…wanders.” [Y/N]’s eyebrows popped upwards as she tilted her head to the side in curiosity. “Really? Where to?” The crimson red once again warmed her face at the girl’s question. “N-Nowhere. It’s…embarrassing.”

[Y/N] smirked and nodded. “Fair enough. I’m just curious though. Why does your mind only seem to wander when you’re staring at me? I’ve never seen you zone out around anyone else.” Sam choked on the air she tried to breathe in, startled by the fact [Y/N] had caught on to her situation. The girl laughed. “Don’t worry, Sammy, I’m just teasing.” Sam looked down and used her hand to cover her face as she took a deep breath. When she felt her face was back to its original color, she lowered her hand back down to her side. They stepped forward again when it was their turn to order. “I’d like a medium vanilla frappe.” The barista behind the register nodded with a smile, wrote the order down on the cup, then turned to Sam. “And for you, miss?” “Uh, just a small green tea please.” “Alright. Can I get a name for the order?”

Sam and [Y/N] looked at each other, silently communicating before turning back to the barista. “Samantha G.” The barista nodded and typed the name up on her register. “That’ll be $8.03.” At that, both Sam and [Y/N] reached into their pockets for their wallets. They looked at each other. “Oh, it’s alright, [Y/N]. I’m fine with paying.” [Y/N] smiled softly. “You don’t have to, Sam. I don’t mind paying this time.” “Nah, I got it. You can pay next time.” The [h/c] girl blushed faintly. “O-Oh. Uh, yeah, of course.” [Y/N] put her wallet away as Sam handed the barista her card. She returned it to the blonde shortly after scanning it and handing her the receipt. “We’ll call when it’s ready.” Sam nodded.

“Thanks,” she mumbled loud enough for the employee to hear. She headed over to a table near the back of the room, [Y/N] trailing closely behind her. They sat down across from each other and smiled. Both tried to think of something to say, but couldn’t, so they looked away instead and blushed. Sam’s mind screamed at her to say something–anything–to break the silence. Finally, she cleared her throat. “S-So, uh…did your mission go well?” The [h/c] girl looked over at her. “Hm? Oh, yeah. It was…successful, in terms of the goal, but…” The girl fell silent. Sam raised an eyebrow. “But…?” [Y/N] sighed, averting her gaze to stare at the table in front of her. She began to pick at her nails.

“We just…I saw so many of my friends die, Sam. So many men and women didn’t get to come home to their loved ones. They never get to see their friends or families again. How can I consider that a success?” Sam frowned, her heart breaking as she saw tears forming in [Y/N]’s eyes. Hesitantly, she reached across the table and grabbed the girl’s trembling hand. She caressed the back of it with her thumb. “I know what you mean. I can’t tell you how many people I saw die in a single day. I see their faces every time I close my eyes. I spoke to my therapist about it, and she said it sounds like Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder. It’s really common with soldiers, even if they haven’t seen battle in person, so it doesn’t surprise me that we both might have it.”

“Yeah, my dad warned me about that. I’d heard about it multiple times throughout school, but I never knew how horrible it really is. I wish there was a way I could forget about everything I witnessed. All this stress is making me worry about my future.” “I know. It’s going to take some time, and by that, I mean years, but we’ll get through it, okay? I promise. Yes, we both have therapists who can help us find healthy ways to cope, but we also have each other. We both know the general idea of what we saw, so we have true sympathy for our situation. We aren’t alone in this. I’m here for you.” [Y/N] smiled weakly, though it dropped. “I know. I’m just…I’m scared, Sam.” Sam tilted her head. “Of what?”

“I’ve heard so many stories–I’ve seen it multiple times! How people with PTSD snap at the smallest things and end up driving away the people they love. I don’t want that to happen.” Sam sighed softly, her own hand beginning to tremble. “I can’t promise that we won’t lose control sometimes. Trauma makes you do scary things–it gives you horrible thoughts and overrides your emotions. It can make you lose sight of what’s logical. It’s terrifying, but there are ways to cope with it. Therapy and talking with people who understand it are two of those ways. It’s going to take years. I know that’s terrible to think about, but it’s true. You won’t be alone during those years, I can promise you that. I’m here, your therapist is here, and everyone else is too: Emily, Jessica, Matt, Mike, Chris, Ashley–all of us. We’re here.”

[Y/N] smiled genuinely at Sam, who returned it with her own small grin. They gazed into each other’s eyes, visibly refraining from telling each other something. Sam took in a shaky breath to ease her anxiety. She took note of how warm [Y/N]’s hand felt in her own–how soft her skin felt against her own. She recalled how warm the girl’s body felt when they had hugged earlier in line. She smiled. “[Y/N], can I be honest with you?” The [h/c] girl nodded, a spark of interest flickering in her eyes. “Of course.” Sam parted her lips to speak. “I wanted to t–”

“Samantha G, your order is ready!”

Both women jumped at the sudden holler, looking over to the register where the barista from before had placed their drinks. Sam sighed, her heart pounding in her ears. She turned back to [Y/N]. “I-I, uh…I guess I’ll be right back.” [Y/N] smiled nervously and nodded. The blonde then stood and walked to the counter, picking up the drinks before spinning on her heel to head back to the table. She sucked in a breath, cursing under her breath at how stupid she was for trying to confess at a time like that. She deliberately slowed her steps so she wouldn’t have to face [Y/N] again so soon, but because of the small size of the cafe, it only took her a few seconds to make it back. She sat down and handed the drink over, instantly taking a sip of her own to avoid eye contact.

“What were you saying?” Sam put her drink down and cleared her throat. “Uh, nothing. It’s not important.” [Y/N] frowned. “Alright…” They sat in silence, the only background noise the surrounding chatter of the tables nearby and the occasional sip they alternated between taking. After a few minutes, Sam’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and clicked on the notification. Mike had texted, asking if she had confessed yet. She sighed. ‘No, I can’t do it. Not now. I think we still need time before either one of us is ready.’ Mike sent back a frowny face, but agreed that she should wait. ‘You should still tell her how you feel though. That way she knows she can come to you when she’s ready.’ Sam rolled her eyes. ‘Fine. But I’m not telling her now. I’ll tell her some other time.’

She pocketed her phone with a huff and finished off the last of her drink. She stood and walked to a trash can, tossed her empty cup inside, and stepped back over to the table. She put her fidgety hands into her pockets and stood beside [Y/N], who looked up at her with an unreadable expression. “Why don’t we get out of here? I think it would be best to get some fresh air and talk about something else until we’re comfortable.” The girl still sitting nodded and stood up as well, following Sam as they both headed out the door. They got into the blonde’s car, and as they were buckling up, Sam paused her movements, making the [h/c] girl look over at her in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

“Didn’t you drive here?” “Oh, yeah. I guess you can just drop me off here after we’re done hanging out. That way I can take my car home.” Sam nodded and started the engine, merging into the street once the upcoming traffic cleared. They sat in silence for a while, not sure what to say. Finally, as [Y/N] realized Sam hadn’t specified where she was going, she turned to her. “Where were you wanting to go? I’m not really sure of any store or mall that isn’t packed at this time.” Sam hummed, the gears in her mind turning as she kept her eyes on the road ahead. “I guess we can go walk around at the park near my place. Would that be alright?”

“Yeah, anything is fine. I just want to get my mind off of what we were talking about for a little bit.” Sam nodded, but they went completely silent after that. They drove for a few more short minutes, though it felt like an eternity to the both of them. Once they finally pulled up to the side of the road, they got out. [Y/N] stood near the hood of the car as she waited for Sam to join her after locking the car. They linked up and walked over to the red track that trailed along the edge of the park, standing a more-than-reasonable distance away from each other. Sam looked around at the other people walking around while [Y/N] stared down at her phone, mindlessly scrolling through posts on her feed.

Sam’s previously tense gaze softened as it landed on a group of small children laughing and running as their parents chased them with bright smiles. A small smile of its own made its way to her lips as she looked over at [Y/N]. “Hey, have you ever thought of having a family of your own? Y’know, once you’re ready?” The [h/c] girl looked up, surprised at the sudden question. She shrugged. “Oh, uh…I guess so. Every once in a while, yeah, but I really want to find the right person first before I even think of starting a family.” Sam nodded. “Ah, yeah, that’s a good idea. But a family doesn’t necessarily mean having children. It could mean having nieces, nephews, or a pet, or even just having a partner. There’s no real definition of what a family has to be.”

[Y/N] smiled. “That’s a nice way to look at it.” They shared a smile, finally making eye contact for the first time since they left the cafe. “What about you?” “Hm?” “Have you ever thought about starting a family when you’re ready?” Sam blushed. “Oh. Yeah, I have.” “Anyone specific in mind?” The blonde’s blush deepened. “Y-Yes.” [Y/N] suddenly smirked, pocketing her phone as she stepped closer and leaned in a bit to the side. “Oh? Who?” Sam looked away. “No one. I don’t wanna say.” “C’mon, Sammy, you can tell me. I’m the same one you shared all those secrets with back in our bunk.” Sam sighed after a moment and looked down at her feet, unable to wipe the smile from her face. “I-I can’t share any names, but…it’s this girl.”

“Yeah? Tell me about her! Maybe I could find a way to get you two together.” ‘Oh, the irony,’ Sam thought to herself. “She’s just…perfect in my eyes. She’s kind, beautiful, selfless, strong, and just…incredible. I wish I could tell her how I feel. She means the world to me. I could go on and on for hours about how much I love her. I can’t picture a life ahead without her in it–I don’t want to picture one without her in it either. Even if she doesn’t feel the same, I still want to be there for her–to make her happy and feel loved like she deserves.” [Y/N]’s smile seemed forced, not quite reaching her eyes. “Oh, it sounds like you really love her a lot!” “Yeah, I do. How would you confess?” “Me?” “Yeah. If you were in my shoes, what would you do or say to her to let her know how I feel?”

[Y/N] looked ahead, not really looking at anything in particular. “Hm…Well, I’d probably take her to a nice place where we’d be alone, and then start talking to her about what I love most about her. Then, if she doesn’t seem uncomfortable, I’d tell her how I feel.” Sam nodded, making a mental note. “That’s not a bad plan at all. Maybe I’ll follow through with it. I could do it tonight, actually.” “Oh, do I need to leave at a certain time so you’re alone?” “No, it’s fine. We’ll figure it out.” “Alright.”

They continued walking, Sam seeming to lead the conversation afterwards as [Y/N] gave increasingly shorter answers. Finally, after about an hour and a half of walking, they headed back. Sam drove them to her apartment instead of the cafe, confusing the [h/c] girl. She turned to ask her where they were, but the blonde had already gotten out of the car and headed to the front of the building. [Y/N] stepped out and shut the door. Sam turned to her and motioned for her to come over. “C’mon! I wanna hang out with you for a bit longer. Unless you’re busy?” “Oh, no, not at all.”

Sam nodded, and they headed inside. They stepped into the elevator as the blonde pressed her floor. They made it up in a few short moments and headed down the overly long hallway. Finally, just as [Y/N] was getting ready to ask how much further they would have to walk, Sam turned and pulled her keys out from her pocket, unlocking the door in front of her and pushing it open to step inside. [Y/N] followed after her. Sam closed and locked the door behind her once they were both inside. “Go ahead and make yourself comfortable in the living room. I’m just gonna change into something a little more cozy.” “Alright.”

Sam headed into her room off to the side, closing the door behind her and locking it before quickly grabbing her phone. She shot Mike a text in a panic. ‘She’s in my apartment rn, what the hell do I do??’ Mike didn’t take long to respond. ‘Nice!! Shoot your shot and tell her how you feel!’ Sam groaned, tossing her phone onto her bed and heading to her closet. She grabbed a slightly oversized t-shirt and some sweatpants. She changed into them quickly and sat on the edge of her mattress, holding her head in her hands as her mind raced. ‘Just tell her how you feel. Make her feel safe, so that even if she doesn’t feel the same, she knows it’s okay to reject you and leave. Don’t be pushy.’

She stood and grabbed her phone. She stepped over to her door and unlocked it, though she didn’t make any move to actually twist the doorknob and open it. ‘Breathe, and just tell her how you feel.’ She finally opened the door and headed over to the couch, joining [Y/N] as she sat down on the opposite side. They smiled nervously at each other before looking away. Sam’s phone buzzed in her hand, making her look down at it. Mike texted again, giving her a few words of encouragement. The blonde smiled with a soft sigh and looked over at [Y/N], who was toying with her fingers. “Hey, so…about earlier–when I asked about starting a family. There was actually a reason I brought that up.”

[Y/N] turned to her, now intrigued. “Yeah? What is it?” “You know those things I said about that girl I like?” She nodded. “I’m not sure if I made it obvious about who I was talking about, but could you kind of get a hint as to who I was referring to?” [Y/N] looked to the side as she thought to herself. “Uh…no, actually. I don’t really know anyone that we didn’t both meet during training, and from what I could tell, you didn’t really care for anyone there since they were all really rude at first.” Sam chuckled. “Yeah, until they got scolded multiple times, they were honestly pretty annoying. I tried pretty damn hard to stay calm around them, but they made it so difficult.” [Y/N] laughed with her this time. “Yeah. Kinda reminds me of boot camp.”

Sam nodded, both women smiling warmly at each other. Suddenly feeling the urge to be closer, the blonde scooted towards [Y/N], who didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. “Well, the girl I was talking about, I actually did meet her during training.” The girl’s eyes brightened, seeming hopeful. “R-Really?” “Yeah. All those things I said about her were true. I don’t want to picture my life without her in it.” Sam’s smile widened. “I don’t want to picture my life without you in it, [Y/N]. Even if you don’t feel the same about me, I want you to know that I’ll always be here for you–trying everything I can to make you happy. You deserve the world, and I want to try to give that to you.”

[Y/N] stared at her in shock, her face bright red as she fumbled nervously with her shirt. Sam’s eyebrows furrowed a bit after a moment of no response, her confidence crumbling. “Is…Is everything alright? I didn’t make you uncomfortable, did I?” [Y/N] blinked. “Huh? O-Oh, no! Not at all! I just didn’t expect you to feel the same way about me that I feel about you.” It was Sam’s turn to blush this time. “You feel the same way about me?” [Y/N] nodded. They smiled wildly at each other, overwhelmed with both joy and relief at the realization that they felt the same way about each other. Sam scooted closer, tenderly taking [Y/N]’s hand into her own. “So…what does this mean? What are we?”

The [h/c] girl shrugged after a moment, her smile never faltering. “I’m not sure, honestly. I really do love you, Sam, I’m just scared.” Sam tilted her head. “Scared? Of what?” “Of being in a relationship so soon after making it home. I’m worried I’ll be too anxious or stressed to play my part in a relationship like this. I just…I need time. I promise you, we will date–my heart belongs to you, but I’m just going to need a bit of time to figure things out. Maybe once I find good ways to cope with what happened, I’ll be ready.” She looked up at the blonde, expecting her to be upset. To her relief, Sam was still smiling as wide as before. She nodded and squeezed her hand.

“I agree. I think I need a bit of time as well. I’m just so relieved to know you feel the same way.” They stared at each other for a moment longer. At length, [Y/N] suddenly leaned forward and pulled Sam into one of those warm hugs she was so in love with. She froze, but quickly melted into the embrace and held her back just as tight, inhaling her scent and closing her eyes. “I’m so glad I met you, Sam,” [Y/N] whispered softly. Sam felt her smile grow wider as she buried her face into the girl’s hair. She held her tighter. “I’m glad I met you too. I love you so much.” [Y/N] didn’t respond for a moment, making Sam worry that she had said it too soon. Her worries were washed away, however, as [Y/N] chuckled through a sob. Before Sam could ask what was wrong, a soft, “I love you too,” came from the girl’s lips. They stayed there for several long moments, swaying side to side slightly as they enjoyed each other’s presence and warmth.

Finally, they leaned back and gazed into each other’s eyes. [Y/N] had been crying, but Sam could tell it was from joy instead of pain. She grinned, softly wiping her tears away. “Everything will be okay, [Y/N]. I promise you. I’m here for you.”

[ronance-is-heaven]

Grosvenor Square, 1813.

Dearest reader, the time has come to place our bets on the upcoming social season. Consider the household of the Baron Hargrove.

A Miss foisted upon the marriage market like a sorrowful sow. Being the only daughter, she has been sent into the season by her mama in hopes she’d find a husband.

A woman with red wavy hair and blue eyes was getting into a rather tight corset with her mother watching, matching hair and eyes though a bit curlier. “Must it be so tight?” Max grumbled out. She hated that women needed to look fancy and thin. It felt like she had a snake constricting on her waist.

Her mother nodded lightly with an empathetic sigh. “You must look your best.” Lady Hargrove said. She wanted a good suitor for her daughter and more often than not, that required looking perfect. Or.. as close to perfect as one can get.

Far better odds might exist in the household of the widowed Viscountess Wheeler. A shockingly prolific family, noted for its rather intelligent and curious daughter , whether it is believed to be good or bad is for you to decide.

A woman with dirty blonde hair sighed as she shook her head. “Where is your sister? We must get going..” she asked her second eldest. They had to hurry to see the Queen, one mustn’t be late for their deput.

Micheal lightly shrugged his shoulders as he raised his hands. “I do not know! I hardly know what things she’s up to.” He huffed out. He watched as his younger sister moved past him, seeing her blonde hair bounce gently. “What are you doing?”

El took a deep breath at the bottom of the stairs. “Nancy!” She shouted at the top of her lungs. “You must. Make. Haste!” She turned around to her brother. “Should you think she heard me?” She asked breathlessly.

Mike let his mouth fall open as he blinked at her in horror. He shook his head lightly with an exasperated sigh.

Meanwhile in the upper quarters, Nancy was getting dressed with her maids. She sighed softly as she looked at herself in the mirror, fixing her little head piece. Today was the day she’d enter the ton. She finally left the room, followed by her maids thst helped with the tail on her dress.

“There you are darling! You look beautiful.” Karen beamed before clapping her hands together. “Alright.. let’s go.” She head before heading out the door, the others following her lead into the carriage.

Nancy played with the tips of her gloves. She had read stories about a lady finding true love with a man. It seemed so sweet… so blissful. Her mother was unable to have that with her father. She wanted that though of course it wasn’t all she wanted. She didn’t just want a husband to love. She wanted to be able to do her own thing, to have hobbies. She hoped her husband would allow such things.

The carriage stopped and she stepped out, looking up at the castle with wide eyed wonder. She would meet the Queen.. though surely she would not be the one she chose. She stepped inside with her mother, going to the room where the other women that were making deput were getting ready. There was one last thing she needed for her outfit.. the big long white feather that would go on the top of her head.

Today is the most important day, and for some a terrifying one, for today is the day London’s marriage-minded misses are presented to Her Majesty the Queen. May God have mercy on their souls.

She wondered why the feather was necessary.. in her opinion it was just obnoxious but it wasn’t an option. She watched as woman after woman stepped out to see the queen, taking a deep breath. Next were the Hargrove’s.

“Miss Maxine Mayfield, presented by her mother, the Right Honorable Lady Hargrove.” The announcer called out as Max stepped out in front of her mother. She glanced to him with a light scowl, must they use her full first name?

Susan Hargrove gave her a light pat on the back and Max began walking towards the Queen. She didn’t really want to do this and maybe the Queen could tell because she looked displeased as she looked at her. The Queen waved her hand, signaling for the next woman to come forth.

Max bowed her head before quickly stepping to the side with her mama. She turned to glance at El, who was given an extra year until her own deput.

The announcer spoke again. “Nancy Wheeler, presented by the Roght Honorable, the Dowager Viscountess Wheeler.”

Nancy put on her best smile as she stood in front of her mother. She walked towards the Queen with straight posture and confidence in her stride.l. Her face gentle but serious and unmoving.

The Queen leaned into the Queen’s man as he whispered in her ear but Nancy did not let that falter her. She kept going. She bowed her at the end of her stride and waited in that position for some sort of reaction. Suddenly the Queen stood up and walked towards her.

Nancy felt her chin being lifted by a gentle hand and she looked up through her eye lashes. She had to bite her tongue to stop blushing. Anyone would blush at the Queen.. right? She stood straight and heard the words; “Flawless, my dear.” And her smile grew wider before the Queen cupped her face as she kissed her head.

Queen Charlotte went back to her throne and Nancy bowed again with her mother, whispering. “Did that truly just happen?” In shock and glee. It was an honorable thing to be picked by Her Majesty. “Keep smiling, dearest.” Her mama replied with a smile of her own. “They are watching you… now more than ever.”

But as we know, the brighter a lady shines, the faster she may burn.

[amazildoessomethingstupid]

Chapter 85: Total Recall

Well, now that we’ve had a good laugh and some great times, it’s time to get into the big stuff.  We’ve had our sweet fun chapters, but now it’s time we get serious as we get into Chapter 85: Total Recall. By far one of the most memorable chapters in BCB, with the second most impactful moment in recent memory!

Look we get one alright? I get one.  What was the most impactful moment you ask? Oh, that’s easy!

Why yes, I am proud of myself. Very much so, thank you for asking, your boos make it all the more worth it.  But seriously, Total Recall is an interesting chapter to revisit because going back to reread it’s allowed me to bring up and talk about some of the moments that got overshadowed by that one big moment and the little things that lead to it. One thing I want to point out though about the early part of this chapter though, is all the callbacks!

It straight up just pokes at the carnival chapter! Which I guess it has to since it’s another prom chapter, so it would naturally draw comparison to the previous prom chapter, but still it’s worth mentioning since BCB has this nasty habit of preferring to push aside things from Volume 1 that it doesn’t like.  With a common consensus at the time being, “NEW READERS SHOULD START FROM VOLUME 2! THAT’S THE BEST WAY TO READ BCB!” And while yes, we did also get nods to past gags during the Stacy chapter but that was a commissioned chapter with a character that hadn’t been relevant SINCE Volume 1. But here it’s more in your face and lingers on that a lot, with whole pages used to remind you of what happened, and how far Paulo has come in his romantic journey.  But it’s not just Paulo though, as that jab at the carnival wasn’t just a one-off! It actually sets up THIS scene:

Yeah! The awkward talk between Daisy and Augustus, that reaffirms his character and shows that the AU of Love My Way was correct in that he was just intending for that moment to be nothing more than a kiss, but it was still over the line?  The scene where Daisy repells Augustus, but tells him that he needs help? THAT WAS IN THIS CHAPTER! I COMPLETELY FORGOT! I bet you did too, didn’t you?  But as for the actual chapter, Paulo goes to the junior prom and we get to spend time with all of them!  Of course, Rachel, but also Jess, Matt and Jordan who is…

Going through his own character arc it seems.  And I love it! It harkens to a critique I had with the comic at the time, and even now in that it shows that there is life outside of the main characters’ plotlines!  While I’ve complained and maintain that Jordan’s no-good-very-bad-inconsequential love square is fucking POINTLESS; in here it helps flesh out the world a bit.  Much like the Stacy chapter, it shows that these side-characters we may not care about have lives of their own, their own little drama arcs and romantic interests, it’s nice! Although it’s weird to compare him to Mi- wait a second…

oh ha. Ha. Very funny Taeshi- IS THAT WHY ROXY GETS SHOVED ASIDE AND CAST AWAY LIKE SHE NEVER EXISTED? IS THAT MEANT TO BE LIKE HOW MIKE TREATED LUCY? *hissss* positivity. Positivity… BUT WE WERE ROBBED! Everyone gushes over how adorable the twink team is...

BUT WE HAD THIS CUTIE PATOOTIE WAIFU BAIT RIGHT HERE! SHE HAD A FUCKING NAME! SHE HAD POTENTIAL! WE WERE RRRRROOOOBBBBBEEEED! Ahhh oh well.  The girls hang back as the boys drive home, and we are treated to an actually nice bit where Jordan sympathizes with Paulo a bit, and it’s sweet before they all get Charlie St. Cloud’d an-… OH MY GOD I GET TO USE THIS PHRASE! OH MY GOD GET IN THE CAR, WE GOTTA GO RIGHT NOW! I GOTTA SHOW YOU SOMETHING!

So “Getting Charlie St. Cloud’d” is a term that I and only I ever use.  If you find another person using that term, that is me do not reveal yourself until the time is right.  I have been waiting YEARS to use the term, because it perfectly describes a common trope in media.  The phrase comes from the movie Charlie St. Cloud. Have you ever seen Charlie St. Cloud?  No! Of course you haven’t, it’s a stupid boring fucking movie from 2010 that is only known for two things.  One being that it starred Zach Efron hot off the heels of High School Musical in a dumb melodrama about a guy talking to his little ghost brother, but the other was that in the trailer for the movie it prominently featured the trope where two characters are having a benign conversation where out of fucking now-

And now the cursed knowledge of the phrase, “Getting Charlie St. Clouded” is in your brain tooooo.  But jokes aside, we really should talk about this scene because it does something very very well.  Pacing.  And I know, I joke and poke and get angry at the overuse of splash pages in recent chapters.  Going so far as making a drinking game out of Eternal Flame for how many there were in that but in Total Recall? I’m going to tell you to do something that I would never tell you to do under any other circumstance because this is actually important.  I want you, to stop right now.  And go to the official Bittersweet Candy Bowl website- NOW DON’T CLICK ANYTHING YET, DO NOT LOOK AT THE FRONT PAGE! Okay, DON’T read the comic.  Glance at the pretty colors, but do not even read the words. I’m going to guide you through this, okay? this next part may be tricky but I need to be particular about this.  Some people reading this may not have actually read BCB, so we have to be VERY delicate, and VERY particular about this.  This is a live bomb we are handling and I do not want to be responsible for any of you who have not been caught in this hellhole, to fall for it now! So, keep your eyes firmly at the top of your screen.  Where it says Bittersweet Candy Bowl, right underneath there are going to be a few words.  You are going to click the word “Archive”, now this is very important there are going to be a list of chapters DO NOT CLICK ANY OF THEM YET! You are going to count the numbers and scroll down the list until you find number 85. Total Recall.  If you see a banner that says “Volume Six” you have scrolled too far! Calmly but firmly scroll a  little further up and you should see Chapter 85.  Now you will notice that under that chapter’s description there are a few titled links.  You are going to click the link that says “Blinding Light” it should take you to page 25 of 42.  Click on that comic page, and you will see what makes this scene with all its splash pages… blows every other excuse for “pacing splash pages” out of the water.  It is fantastic.  It’s minimal, and it’s Taeshi at her most brilliant.  It’s dramatic pacing in a webcomic done right. It’s Taeshi utilizing her artistic talent to perfectly set a scene.  The stark contrast of pages filled with word bubbles to a hard splash page of white ruggedly brushed to fade into black.  The realistic watercolors working in perfect comparison to the cartoonish artstyle we had been accustomed to in Volume 5. Fading softly into white again to reintroduce us to the cartoonish style in a bouquet of flowers. The use of longer vertical pages to turn what could’ve been three splash pages of nothing into only two pages! It doesn’t waste your time, it perfectly itself and puts you into the place of Paulo’s waning consciousness.  And we see the light at the end of the tunnel.

it’s SO good! There’s a reason it’s the one thing people remember from The Paulo Show.  The way this scene is handled, perfectly exemplifies what Taeshi is capable of.  This was what made me realize that Taeshi wasn’t good.  She was great.  She was an artist, and she is able to do fantastic work.  Even when the characters look like munchkins, she could turn it serious and make you shut up without missing a beat. I mean think about it.  Paulo just got Charlie St. Cloud’d one of the oldest tricks in the book, we get baited with Lucy coming back when we know that wasn���t happening.  It was bait to make us think Lucy was there to see Paulo when even back then I knew that it wasn’t just for him. It was because her brother was in the car too when it got wrecked, and so her family probably insisted she come see him. But none of that mattered. Because this scene was fucking PERFECT.

AND THE AFTER CARE IS GOOD TOO! We get everyone showing up to Paulo’s bedside and showing that they care, it’s filled with some well-needed comic relief that much like the rest of The Paulo Show, is really fun and sweet.

 And it’s capped off by a talk with Tess explaining how like Paulo she too has progressed and moved on from who she was in that last prom chapter. She shows that she’s in a better place now, and is able to move on.  Yeah, it’s kinda forced and it’s blatant exposition to explain her lack of presence in the last two volumes but… It doesn’t matter.

10/10

It was perfect

[loveronlineee]

The Metalhead and the Material Girl (Eddie Munson x Reader)

Masterlist   All Parts

Eddie Munson x Reader (She/Her)

Warnings: none

Synopsis: When a super fem new girl joins Eddie’s class he thinks he’s got her all figured out, but he soon finds out that the popular kids aren’t the only ones who judge people’s first appearances 

Y/N notes: none

Okay I don’t usually do writers notes but I gotta say thanks to these four: @carolinaflicker​ @iamsiriuss​ @hauntingtherosebush​ @lindsey3300​ for helping me out on the lil bit of D&D stuff I mentioned. Some of you guys had slightly different answers for me so if I’m still wrong let me know! (And other D&D playing peeps)

Wanna be on the Eddie Munson tag list? Look here!

Wanna request something? Look here!

“I’m Y/N L/N. I transferred here from California for my senior year. I like pop music, fashion and hanging out with my friends. And I hope I can become friends with all of you!”

Pretty. Bubbly. Probably a bit of an airhead. The popular kids will scoop her up in a heartbeat. Eddie thought to himself looking up at the new girl. I wonder how long it’ll take for her to be just like everyone else.

The teacher pointed at the empty seat on the metal head’s right, giving the boy a stern look.

“Y/N I’m gonna seat you next to Eddie here at the front so you can help me keep an eye on him.” Eddie grinned and gave the teacher a wink.

Okaaaay here we go. Eddie thought to himself, leaning back in his chair. What kind of popular girl is this one gonna be? Disgusted by me? Weirded out? Just plain old pretend I don’t exist?

“Hi, Eddie was it?” The new girl asked with the biggest most genuine smile Eddie had ever seen. Her face was enough to melt away any built up hate he had accumulated from every harsh comment thrown at him throughout the years.

“Uh yeah Eddie. Eddie Munson.” He couldn’t help the smile appearing on his own face. This girl was a ball of sunshine.

“Nice to meet you Eddie.” He watched as she took out her things from her bag and set them out on the table. Everything was either pink, glittery or had a cute little character on it. She wrote the date on a new page in her notebook, doodling little stars around the numbers.

The teacher came over and placed a piece of paper on Y/N’s desk.

“This is your time table with your classes. Don’t be afraid to ask someone for help.”

“Oh thank you!” Y/N chirped before beginning to read through it. “Hey Eddie, what classes do we have together?” She tilted the paper towards him. Eddie leaned over and skimmed the page.

“Oh wow most of them. We got all the same ones today in fact.”

“Do you mind if I just stuck with you then?”

“Y-Yeah. Yeah that’s cool.” Eddie wasn’t in fact planning on going to all his classes today, like most days, but he couldn’t pass up the chance to get to know this girl more. He spent the morning walking Y/N to all her classes, pointing out other parts of the school she’ll need to know. He revelled in the looks the other students were giving him when they saw them together. The resident freak with a mystery bombshell.

Lunch came around and Y/N followed Eddie to the lunch hall.

“Hey I’ve been meaning to ask you… what’s on your shirt? Is it a band?” Y/N asked.

“It’s my club.”

“Oh cool! You run a club? What’s it about?” Eddie smiled at her as they reached his table of friends.

“A little game called D&D.” He turned to them and gestured to the new girl. “Gentlemen, this is Y/N.”

The boys all looked at her slack jawed, unable to think of anything to say. Luckily, Y/N had enough social skills for the whole table.

“It’s nice to meet you all! I started here today, Eddie’s been showing me around.” She explained as Eddie pulled out the chair in between his and Dustin’s and letting her sit down. He sat in his own chair at the head of the table just observing his friends trying to process this girl being here.

“You’ve been with Eddie…” Mike started asking very slowly, like he was waiting for the pin to drop. “…since this morning?”

“Yeah he’s been really helpful.” Y/N smiled at the younger student. “So are you two freshmen?”

Y/N continued chatting with Mike and Dustin. Eddie looked behind them at the popular kids who were eyeing him suspiciously. The cheerleaders all glaring and whispering to each other. “Eddie!” The metal head looked back at Y/N.

“Yeah?”

“So all these guys are in your club?” She gestured at the group. “You were gonna tell me about D&D earlier, what’s the game about?” Y/N asked, genuinely interested. Eddie grinned. He stood up like he was presenting to a class. Everyone sat up, hands neatly rested on the table, going along with the joke.

“D&D, or Dungeons and Dragons, is a fantasy table-top roleplaying game that only a select few at this school truly appreciate.” Eddie used theatrical hand motions as he described the game, putting one foot on his chair to add to the dramatic effect. “It is a game of teamwork, decision making, and the luck of the dice.”

He gave Dustin a small nod which prompted the boy to take a heavy book out of his bag and put it in front of Y/N. The Dungeons and Dragons Handbook. She began flicking through it, taking in as much as she could. She gasped.

“Can I be a fairy???” Eddie chuckled at her enthusiasm. He sat back down and shuffled his chair closer to hers.

“I’m sure I could homebrew something for you. Either that or you could be an elfen princess? If you just want that pretty ethereal girl look.” Eddie paused. “That… you’ve already got.” He looked back down at his hands, a little hesitant of his last line, before looking back up. Y/N was smiling at the compliment, easing Eddie’s nerves.

“Hey!” Two cheerleaders had approached the table, one calling out to Eddie with annoyance in her voice. “Why don’t you just stick with the freaks?” Eddie leaned away from Y/N and looked to the popular girls.

They turned to Y/N, who seemed a little confused. “You can come and sit with us instead.” One of them said, like she was doing the new girl a favour. Y/N looked over at Eddie. He kept his face the same, not wanting to influence her decision.

Of course he wanted her to stay, but he just couldn’t deal with the guilt of depriving Y/N of having an actual enjoyable high school experience. It didn’t matter how pretty she was, if she was hanging out with the freaks then she was gonna get bullied.

“Oh uh okay then.” Y/N replied apprehensively, slowly getting up. “I-I’ll be back in a minute.” She said as she was dragged away by the cheerleaders. Eddie pursed his lips together in a saddening smile.

“Suuuuuuuure you will.” He said just as Y/N got out of earshot. He looked around at the guys. “And that my friends, concludes the story of the time we almost got a hot chick to play D&D.” The group mumbled and chuckled, going back to their lunch, clearly no where nearly as affected as Eddie.

He knew this was inevitable. With who Y/N was and who he was. But a part of him, a small part of him wanted to believe that she’d stay. For him. That she wouldn’t get poisoned by the ideologies of the social hierarchy. But that was just wishful thinking. He looked back down at the table.

At least it was nice while it lasted.

“Sorry bout that.” Eddie looked back up to see Y/N again. “So I can be an elf princess?”

“Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

“…why are you here?”

“I did say I’d only be gone a minute.” She smiled. Eddie stared at her, unable to speak. His head slowly turned to the popular kids. They looked even more surprised than him.

“W-What about them?” He gestured.

“What about them?” Y/N asked, confused.

“Aren’t you gonna hang out with them?”

“They don’t seem like people I’d want to hang out with.”

“They don’t?”

“Do I look like a bully to you?” She joked. “So, elf princess? Yes?” Eddie’s smile retuned to his face.

“Yeah. Yeah definitely a princess.”

Tag list: @Mikinyi @justaproudslytherpuff @angelicjinwoo @k12baby @spiderman-berries​ @ruhro7​ @justanotherhappyidiot @dontcallmesavvy @kenzi-woycehoski​

[xoxo-sarah]

I Wanna Be Yours || Part 1

Series Masterlist | Part 2

↝a/n: my first Robin Series. Set in season 4.

↝pairing: Robin Buckley x fem!Wheeler!reader

↝ Warning:slightly proof read. Possible spoilers if you still haven't watched season 4, everything that happens in stranger things, slow burn, Vicky doesn't exist here, not because I don't like her, but because it's easier to write for Robin when she's not madly in love with another chick.

↝⎙ 6.24.23

Nancy jiggled her keys, annoyed with the mop headed boy. “Mike! Let's go.” She turned, looking at you with an irked expression. “This kid.” She opened the door, walking past you as you put your backpack on.

Mike rolled his eyes, hunching over the toaster, impatiently waiting for the pop tart to pop any second. “Jesus. How am I gonna survive a whole week without you guys?” You grinned as he walked past, handing you one of the warm pop tarts. “Besides you. You're cool.” He whispered before practically jogging to the car, where Nancy sat with her head thrown back in annoyance. You bid your parents goodbye before following him to the car, deciding you didn't have time to argue over who was getting in the front.

“So, Cali, huh?” Nancy glanced at you from the rearview mirror, a small grin making its way onto her lips. You two have tormented him for weeks over him going all the way to California for spring break. You did it more than Nancy though, only because you loved his grossed-out reaction when you'd turn around, acting as if you were making out with someone, hinting at the two.

“Yeah.” Mike grumbled, looking out the window from the passenger seat.

You nodded, not mentioning it for the rest of the car. At least, until you got to school.

“And then there's Heidi tomorrow night, but the problem with Heidi is that she's going out of state for college. So, it's like, do I really wanna start another relationship that has no point other than sex?” Steve continued to rant to deaf ears. “I mean, I don't know. Does that make sense to you?” He rubbed his forehead, glancing to his side, where Robin was putting on mascara, solemnly paying attention to the mirror and not to the man who was ranting for the whole car ride. “Robin, are you listening?”

“Uh, yes. I-I'm lis-”

“What did I just say?” Steve threw his hand up, shaking his head, unimpressed.

“Something about sex with…Linda.”

“No! I'm talking about Heidi.”

“Cut me some slack, please!”

Steve bit his cheek before rubbing his forehead again. “Well-”

Robin began to rant, “Your love life is one of labyrinthine complexity. And it is 7:00 in the morning, we have this stupid pep rally and I woke up looking like a total corpse.” She stretched her hands on the sides of her face, surely not looking flattering at all.

“Oh, you're worried about a pep rally? You expect me to believe that?” He glanced over again, his expression showing he absolutely did not believe that, not one bit.

“Yeah? So?”

“So, we both know what this is about. Okay, I'm not buying that bullshit. This is about Y/n.” He had met you a few times, when he was with Nancy and when you guys had to fight some ugly parasite looking monster. You were quick to catch Robin's eye in school, which, in turn, made her turn to Steve and tell him all about this girl. There were a few characteristics that led him to know she fancied you before she even told him your name.

“Absolutely not.” Robin couldn't help the blush that painted her cheeks, moving to do anything with her hands. She began applying lip balm, staring back into the little mirror in the visor.

“Yes it is. You know what else I think?”

“I really don't care-” Steve could go on and on. If you were to ask Robin what he said, she'd surely say blah blah blah with a roll of her eyes.

“I think you gotta stop pretending to be someone else when you're around her. You just gotta be yourself.” He had his hand out, motioning around absentmindedly.

“You're literally quoting me to me. You do realize that, right?”

“Well, maybe you need to listen to yourself. Ever think about that, smarty-pants?” Robin stared at him with a look that could kill. Was she this annoying when she scolded him, telling to get his shit together? "I listened to you and look at me. Boom. Back in business.”

“It's not the same thing, okay?”

“Well…"

Robin made a sound of disagreement at that, not letting him finish that thought. “You ask a girl out and she says no, big deal. Nothing happens. Maybe your ego is a little bruised.” Robin looked at him with false pity, before moving her hands around again. “But I ask out the wrong girl, and BAM! I'm a town pariah.”

Shaking his head, Steve understood where she was coming from, but disagreeing with how she was going about it. “Yeah, okay, I'd buy that, except Y/n is definitely not the wrong girl.”

“We just don't know that do we?”

"She returned Fast Times at 53 minutes, 5 seconds. Do you know who paused Fast times at 53 minutes, 5 seconds?”

“...”

“People who like boobies, Robin!”

“Ew! Gross! Don't say boobies!”

“Boobies. It's not a big deal, okay. I like boobies. You like boobies. Y/n likes boobies. Definitely.”

Climbing over the seat after Nancy parked, you patted Mike as he held the car door open. “Use protection at least.” Before he could reply or grumble, you were jogging towards the gym, finding some of your friends in the process.

“Got any plans for spring break?” Chrissy asked, trying to keep in stride with you.

“Not really.” You hadn't made plans, but you'd probably end up staying at one of your friend's house. After walking in, you turned towards her, grinning to ease her nerves. “Have fun. You'll do amazing.” She smiled back, giving you a quick hug before running off.

Turning back to the bleachers, you tried to look for an empty seat, which was becoming harder with the people trampling into the double doors.

Hearing your name being yelled, you looked around, stopping when you saw Steve. He motioned you over, making sure no one sat down beside him.

With the glare he could feel on the side of his head, he'd definitely be getting an earful from Robin.

He held his hand out, helping you step up the stairs with all the people walking around you to take a seat. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” He turned to face Robin, mouthing '53 minutes, 5 seconds'. She rolled her eyes before looking forward.

When everything started, he cheered with you as you not only cheered on your school, but your friends and all the work they put into the moves.

“And of course, I have to give a special shout-out.” Steve glanced over at you when he heard you scoff at Jason Carver.

“What? You don't like Jason?” His words were playful, already knowing you despised him for some reason, hearing it from Robin.

“I don't know. He loves Chrissy and shows it, but he's just a dick to everyone else.”

Jason continued to speak, “Chrissy…" He stared at her as they were the only two in the room. “Chrissy, I love you, babe.”

You made a gagging sound, only loud enough for Steve to hear it.

Jason went on to make another speech. “You know…I think I can speak for all of us when I say it's been a tough year for Hawkins. So much loss. And sometimes I wonder 'how much loss can one community take?' In dark days like this, we need something to believe in. So, last night, when we were down by ten points at half to Christian Academy I looked at my team and I said, think of Jack, think of Melissa, think of Heather, think of Billy.”

Both you and Steve looked down, searching for the red head you had seen climbing the bleachers to sit with your brother and Dustin. You both looked back at each other, taking pity on the poor girl.

Sure, you never got along with Billy. But you would've never wished that kind of death upon anybody, including him. Especially with the way it affected Max. You could tell she felt guilty. It wasn't fair for her; she was just a kid- a good kid at that.

"— Think of our heroic police chief, Jim Hopper. "

“You alright?” Chrissy almost walked past you in the hall, looking a little uneasy.

“Yeah, people died so they could win a basketball game. That's the reason.” You rolled your eyes, grumbling as you glared at the man screaming into the mic. “For a stupid trophy.” Sure, you will still congratulate Lucas if they do, indeed, win the trophy. But to say many people died for that was just ridiculous. Honoring the people who have fallen is different, but that's not what he's doing. Maybe Lucas would play in honor of them, but not Jason.

She blinked a couple of times before trying to smile. “Yeah-yeah. Of course. Just had to go to the counselor. I'm alright.” You slowly nodded, before wrapping an arm around one of hers and walking towards class. She had been acting weird lately. So you made sure to stay close to her, making sure she didn't do anything. “Would you like to do something for spring break?” You brought back the question she asked earlier.

“Like what?”

“I don't know. We could hang at your house-”

“No!” You looked at her, confused by her outburst. “Why would we do that when we have your house?”

“I mean, Mike's not going to be there, so sure.” You gently smiled at her, squeezing her arm affectionately when she stopped by the bathrooms. “I'll talk to you about it later, yeah?” She nodded before pushing the door open.

You began walking towards class, trying to wrap your brain around what was going on with her. She obviously wasn't okay.

•2021-2024 by xoxo-sarah on Tumblr•

•My work is not to be translated, copied, modified, and/or reposted on any other site without my permission. [!I don't give permission!]

[pikmingrubb]

Star Gazing

Mike Ehrmantraut x Reader

Tags: sfw, cuddling, star gazing, thoughts of suicide and depression,

Word count: 1,993

The impulse for jumping in front of a moving car felt like the temptation of eating chocolate late at night, something you craved deeply, but perhaps you should just sleep. Allow yourself to dream and forget about the chocolate, forget about the feeling that seeded itself inside that wanted to extinguish your very existence.

It was one of those nights again, the lonesome table that you sat at felt as if it had trapped you in a spiraling thought process you couldn’t break from. Everything felt heavy, mournful…Regrets about things that had yet to even occur spun.

Fuck…

Your eyes blinked from your stupor, how long had you just been staring at the wall, this wasn’t helping. Those racing thoughts broke through again, would be nice just to end it all, a knife to the throat, gurgle out silently. It would just take a second. These thoughts used to scare you, but now they just felt dull and annoying, like a little bird that kept squawking at you no matter what you did.

You let out a little sigh, looking at the clock in your kitchen, fuck… 2am…

Picking up your phone you scrolled through your contacts, no reasonable person would ever be awake now. You stopped at one, Mike, weighing the pros and cons of possibly waking him up all for your stupid bull shit. One text, you prayed.

Hey, you up?

You sent it and closed your phone, a solemn feeling entering you. Nothing was expected to come from your one prayer, but maybe.

Beep.

Never had you opened your phone up so quickly, the light of your phone burning your eyes as you quickly read the response.

Yes. Can’t sleep again?

No, you either? Care for company?

I’ll pick you up.

Relief filled your body, hands folding on the table as you allowed yourself a moment of peace. You wouldn’t be alone.

The car door was your only notice that he was here, you didn’t even bother checking before you exited the house. His dark silhouette stood by his vehicle, it hummed slightly, he just watched as you approached his passenger door.

You both got in wordlessly, your hands instinctively buckling yourself in, Mike gave you a little nod of approval before he started pulling away into the serene night.

The windows were down allowing you to reach your hand out and feel the wind through your spread fingers, pretending to be a bird soaring high above. The wind caught under your wings as you expertly glided through the flow of air, it felt calming.

The high beams gleamed off the signs and metal passing by, and streetlights above gave small fragments of light disappearing as soon as they came. Nightlife felt so different than the day, you absolutely loved it, the sound of bugs chittering calmly, most slept while a few people did as you two were doing right now.

“Where are we going?” Your voice broke the silence, you tried bringing yourself to the present, licking your wounds and allowing your mind to heal from stupid thoughts.

“You’ll see.” Was all he had to give, he gave you a comforting glance before refocusing on the trip before him. The two of you seemed to drive for almost thirty minutes, you just sat back and reclined the seat, closing your eyes and letting the rumble of the road lull you into a peaceful doze.

Mike relaxed a little seeing you start to doze off, he was glad you texted. He couldn’t care less about when he was late at night, but you had been worrying him lately. He knew something was up, but wanted you to approach him first, it wasn’t the first late-night outing he had experienced with you.

The sudden humming of the vehicle turning off alerted your brain that you had reached your destination, your body slowly climbing up from the soft seat.

“Mmmm, w’here?” You mumbled looking around, there was nothing…

You blinked slowly observing, the darkness didn’t allow for much to be seen, the sandy dirt and shrubs stretched for miles, and you were far away from any civilization.

Confusion split your tired mind as you turned to give Mike a questioning look, “Is this like some horror movie shit? Like, are you gonna sacrifice me now?” your glaring squint made him raise his brows at such an accusation.

“Tsk, yeah, now get out so I can nail you to a cross.” He rolled his eyes opening his door and popping the trunk button. You followed him out with a small smile and stretched your cramped limbs, letting out a small yawn.

Mike’s dark jacket could be seen digging around inside the car’s trunk, curiosity led you to peer into the back, trying to see over him inside the dark hole.

He quickly rose back up with a large bag in hand, it almost looked like a gun case…You gave Mike a worried look, “Here, carry this.” he just handed you the large tote and closed his trunk softly, the bag was a lot heavier than a gun. He shouldered a smaller bag, this one looked more familiar, maybe his lunch box?

Mike started to walk out into the desert, you trailed along trying to carry the awkwardly long bag with you, slightly tripping over some roots and stumbling after him. He gave you a quick glance to see you were still upright, “Come on, pokey little puppy.” He commented with a smirk.

A frown just laced your lips, he would never let you live that joke down, would he? He was right though, you practically tripped on nothing and got distracted by a bug on the ground, before realizing that the person you were walking with was now ten meters away.

Mike stopped in a particularly shrub-free area, he glanced around as if to inspect the dirt and decided it met whatever strange criteria he wanted.

“Here’s a good spot.” He said looking back at you standing awkwardly, awaiting his command and still grasping the large tote.

“Go ahead and put it down. Genty,” he said letting the bag around his shoulders hit the ground softly before approaching you.

You placed the bag down and kneeled on the ground, your fingers already unzipping it, Mike just watched from above you. Slowly metal gleaming rods and a cylinder was revealed, your brain slowly locking into place what exactly you were looking at. A gasp left your lips, looking up at Mike excitedly, a giant grin across your face.

“Oh my god, is this a fucking Celestron?” Your hands practically shook as you pulled out an extremely costly telescope, it had large optics, it was massive… Way more impressive than a gun, you carefully set it down and brought out the standing tripod to set it up, Mike just watched as you unpacked his gear like a giddy child.

After completely setting it up and fiddling with the lenses and eyepieces, you finally positioned it and stopped adjusting the mount, “Shit, this thing will be able to see everything!” You exclaimed already taking a peek into the lens.

You stopped dead in your tracks, the light that gleamed and shone before you were awe-inspiring. You were currently looking at the billowing dust particles and clouds of the Milkyway galaxy, past and distant stars shone and glimmered clearer than anything you’d seen before. You felt the hairs on your arms raise, and a small shiver ran down your spine.

You just sat and silently observed, swiveling the mount to look at different things before you, it didn’t matter what. Everything you saw was beautiful and vibrant. You pulled back and looked at Mike with a very star-struck look, you felt choked up, your voice failing you.

“Its…Uh, it's strange to think that we’re currently looking at long-dead stars.” You chuckled, resting your hands on your thighs, “Weird, huh?” You smiled watching his expression rest on an amused and happy look, he was enjoying your reaction.

“Think you can spot Saturn?” He asked looking up and into the night sky, you hummed slightly and began orienting yourself, looking for a familiar constellation.

“Capricornus…” You mumbled to yourself, you could see Saturn with just your eyes, but with the telescope, it would be brilliant and beautiful.

You checked the visuals a few times, homing in on the planet before you finally were able to clearly see it. You looked at it for a few seconds, a strange feeling rose in you.

“It looks… Lonely and sad.” You grimaced pulling back, “Also, can I not see its ring fully?” You questioned Mike, he shook his head a little gazing upward.

“It depends, our movement in the system means we’re getting a head-on angle of the ring, it’ll come back around in a few years. What you’re probably seeing now is mostly shadow casting on the planet.” He explained, you listened carefully and made a little “ah” sound peaking back into the scope.

“Poor Saturn, not a good look on you, still a beautiful planet though…” You smiled and sighed.

The two of you spent another hour looking for stars and constellations, naming out as many as you could spot. Mike apparently knew a great deal of lore and stories behind them, you enjoyed him regaling hunters who became trapped in the stars and wicked creatures forever entwined inside the patterns above you.

Stories that humans told hundreds of years ago, and stars that changed little above you, it was serene knowing that billions of humans adored the very same burning little lights. A beauty upon the world that all shared.

Mike and you were currently lying down on a thick blanket on the ground, he had brought out warm coffee and sandwiches for you to share. The two of you just watched the stars above, they slowly moved and seeped into the sky as the Earth turned gently.

At some point you had cuddled closer to Mike, the night desert had gotten cold and started to suck the warmth from you. He just wrapped his arm around your shoulder as you rested your head in his armpit. His jacket crinkled against your face as you snuggled as close as possible while continuing to gaze at the stars above.

“Thank you for bringing me out here, this was fun.” You said with tiredness seeping in, Mike was silent for a moment, just basking in your presence before feeling his hand squeeze your shoulder in a comforting way.

“Of course, and if you ever wanna do midnight activities, I’m always gonna be there. Just make sure you got some coffee already brewed next time.” He joked smiling into the night sky, you chuckled slightly and readjusted yourself, so you were sitting up.

You gently took his hand and tugged it, “Come on, I wanna go home, I’m tired.” You whined at him, he just sighed in agreement and got up with you, complaining that you were making his old man bones hurt.

“Mmm, can I crash at your place? It’s closer and I’m already so sleepy.” You said buckling up in the car, Mike raised his eyebrow at you but didn’t say no.

“Plus, your bed is wayyy comfier,” You smiled practically falling asleep in the passenger side before he could even start pulling away.

“Yeesh,” Mike said trying not to fall even harder for you as you dozed off in his car, his chest felt warm, and relaxed. He too, just wanted to lie next to you and go to bed, not a worry in his mind.

[scwheeler]

🏹 ˖ ࣪⊹ — jealousy

pairing: mike wheeler x fem!reader

summary: is this angst? is this fluff? read to find out !!

warnings: plot-twist…? it’s short btw

age of pairing: 14-15

mike wheeler.

he was so kind and handsome, resembling somewhat of a knight in shining armpit after you saw him defend his friend dustin from a bully in middle school. even though he was clearly geeky and sometimes a loser, you wanted him to be your loser.

but one day you saw him with a girl beside him. a girl you had never seen before. she was gorgeous and stayed right beside mike during the entire memorial that was held for will at the school’s mpr.

you had spoken to mike a couple of times during middle school, just small things like “do you have an eraser?” “what were the notes from yesterday?” and things as such. you definitely considered each other acquaintances at least. but you fell for him. sitting behind him for your sixth and seventh grade years was the best decision you made. for three periods you sat near him and would usually get distracted.

he sat right next to the windows in the classroom so the sunshine would shine on his pale face, making his beauty evident. sitting behind him you couldn’t see his face but his shaggy dark hair was just enough for you to stay interested in him. whatever he wore, whatever he said, whatever he did, you would always love it. you would always love him.

one magically afternoon, he turned around to ask what the question the teacher just had written on the board and erased, and you were so startled that you forgot how to speak for a moment. you just turned your notebook and showed him your notes instead, which he responded with a small ‘thanks’ and a smile. that damn smile.

luckily you never saw that girl again, at school at least. during the summer though, she randomly appeared glued next to mike’s side every single day. you had never felt more jealous in your life. they hopped onto a bike and were rushing to get somewhere but the way they looked at each other you knew they liked each other.

the wind blew her hair out of her face you finally had a good look at what she looked like. but wanted to curse at her or say something bad about her but you couldn’t. she was beautiful and basing off of the smile that spread on her face after mike mouthed something, she looked like the kindest.

so you couldn’t hate her. or even hate mike for choosing her. there wasn’t even a competition anyway, you knew he was always going to chose her. he barely knew you and of your existence. so all you could do was watch from afar.

but you couldn’t help feeling jealous of y/n.

[violetrainbow412-blog]

Discoveries (or Eddie the banished part. 3) [E. M.]

Eddie Munson x Byers!reader

This can be read as a continuation of these two [1] [2], but also as a standalone thing. If you have more ideas about this concept, please tell me!

STRANGER THINGS MASTERLIST

Word count: 13k (yes, I have no self-control)

Warnings: not all the one shot talk about the relationship between Eddie and the reader, quality sibling time, come out of the closet, GREATWISE (Garreth x Will), mention of the AIDS epidemic, nightmares with Vecna, mentions of sex, and a lot of sensitive shit.

A/N: I have had a long time without writing and I know this is very long, but I hope it's good enough. I love you so much for reading, you can tell me what you think if you want!

Art by: @kidovna

"Mom, are you sure you don't want to tell me something?" you asked suddenly, while you dropped into her bed, and you watched her pack a couple of suitcases in a hurry.

Things were continuing as usual and you and your siblings had been enjoying your vacation days. You learned that the night before Eleven and Mike had an argument over God knows what while you were working and you thought that when you got home you could talk about it with her (it wouldn't be the first time that Wheeler's disappointment has turned into a topic of conversation with a relative) but during dinner the thought vanished when you found out that your very own mother was going on a business trip to fucking Alaska, while you ate a risotto prepared by none other than Murray Bauman, who was visiting that night; the reasons for all this? A poor explanation on the part of both that you thought to clarify now.

“Tell you something? What do you mean, my love?” she replied absently. She was actually rummaging through all the corners for warm enough clothes, which she clearly hadn't packed since Lenora, to see the scowl you had.

“Nothing, just that I find it very curious that a business trip has come out of nowhere. Especially since the one who accompanies you is Murray" you explained, hoping that she would confess things to you herself "I haven't seen him around here in a long time" you added, noticing the silence. Not for a second had the idea crossed your mind that this mysterious trip was a rescue mission for who should have been your stepfather at some point and the best police officer in Hawkins: Jim Hopper.

"Yes, that was very kind of him"

"Mom," you said again, trying to get her attention, "is this all about a romantic getaway?" you exclaimed, bluntly. You had barely made-up time with your mother and it turns out that she was leaving again, so you weren’t completely satisfied. The mention of a romantic involvement made your mother stop.

"A what? What are you talking about, Y/N?”

“You also have the right to find love, because don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Murray is ugly but… you could have been honest and we wouldn't have been mad”

"Daughter, are you alright?" she said, genuinely confused, "Of course I'm not running away with a man, do you think I'm capable of doing that and leaving my four children alone?"

"I don't know, we do a lot of stupid things when we're in love" you laughed. Oh, and you knew about nonsense made for love.

“No, it's not that. It's a business trip, it's just… it's hard to explain why it's important right now, but I promise you that if everything goes well you'll know very soon” she explained to you. You still didn't quite believe her, but you still let her hug you and nodded your head "And don't think those things again, do you understand?"

“Yeah, yeah… whatever”

"Promise me that you and Jonathan will be good," she asked you, ignoring your lack of encouragement.

"And what about Will?"

“He always is,” she said without thinking and now you did laugh, pretending to be offended and making a sarcastic reference to the obvious favorite that didn't exist “I'm serious Y/N, just promise me you'll be okay. I don’t want to do this, but I trust you and I love you, it will only be a couple of days that I am going to be away”

“Okay, mom, we understand” you answered, with the utmost sincerity “You also take care of yourself and don't take longer than expected, okay? I want to see you as long as possible. The holidays won’t last forever” you exclaimed sadly. Joyce gave you another hug and gently kissed your forehead.

"There's nothing to worry about, I'll be back in a jiffy" she promised, taking the heavy bag she had packed with one hand "Help me with the other, will you?" Joyce asked, which you complied with, escorting her to the entrance where your three siblings were already waiting to say goodbye to her, as well as Murray to escort her. Both Will and Eleven had the same distrust on the trip, with Jonathan probably the only one believing it and only because he was under the influence of cheap weed that he had probably bought from an idiot. Maybe at some point you could tell him that your boyfriend had better quality drugs and they were only a couple of rooms away.

That morning your mother left as planned and you had to go back to your exploitative work routine, which had barely given you time to think about other things, or people. Like in Eddie, for example. Oh, Eddie, what could you say about him? It had already been a couple of weeks since you asked him (or something like that) to be your boyfriend and everything seemed to be going relatively well with your relationship. There were still many new things for you and the honeymoon stage was just passing, so there were no significant problems between you. At least it was one less worry.

As for the others, the truth was that they had taken it quite well. It wasn't a big surprise, of course, but it was still nice to meet you with congratulations and words of encouragement. Your mother was also happy and this happiness only increased when Eddie came to your house and chatted with her to introduce himself as 'your boyfriend'. It was short, but quite significant. And just like he did, you also came to his trailer on one of your free afternoons to meet his Uncle Wayne, with shortbread as a peace offering. He didn’t object, but was glad to meet you and supported his nephew.

Not to mention your brothers, who seemed to be the happiest with the decision. Jonathan preferred to stay out of the matter, but you would sometimes find him exchanging words with Eddie while he waited for you to be ready, always with friendly smiles on both their faces. Eleven was too shy with him at first, but little by little she seemed to be falling for Eddie Munson's charm with women. He liked to ask her about the things she liked and she, so little understood by most, had begun to see potential in your boyfriend to have a confidant. Will was the happiest of all, practically lighting up every time he saw Eddie. You knew that they were both artists as far as drawings and paintings were concerned and of course they shared an uncontrollable love for Dungeons and Dragons, so from there the two of them found more interests that kept the conversations interesting. Honestly, sometimes you got to feel a bit jealous because of the admiration that Will was beginning to feel for your boy, because that had always been your place.

But no matter how beautiful that dream seemed, life went on and your jobs didn’t have a clause that spoke about disability due to deep love.

“What do you think if we put the header with a less… rude title?” you asked your editor, trying not to sound like the troublemaker everyone told you, you were; much of it you had learned from Nancy Wheeler, but you would never admit it out loud. That is why when you saw that the headline referred in a derogatory way to a certain group of people, you thought that it was not something that would give the newspaper a good image... or at least not the image that you wanted to achieve "It's just a suggestion" you added with a shrug, praying he'd hear you, as you looked at the clock above you. In less than an hour you would be home and with any luck, you could call Eddie to join you for dinner or at least take a tour of your house, if he was free.

That night you were resting at The Hideout because the owners were giving a girl a job as payment for a favor, but honestly it wasn't something that was worrying you much. The money wasn’t the same, but the physical and emotional burden had also lessened. And, to be honest, now that you had taken some time to slow things down and enjoy yourself with your family like you used to, you didn't understand how you managed to survive all those months. The rhythm was exhausting and if it hadn't killed you, it was only because God was too merciful to you.

When your hands were finally sore from taking notes and the week's number was diagrammed (ignoring most of your suggestions) you put on your coat and headed out into the already slightly cool streets of Hawkins from the summer breeze. You stopped at the nearest pay phone and typed in the number you were beginning to know by heart, patiently waiting for someone to answer on the other end of the line.

"Munson Residence, who is this?"

"Hi, Eddie," you said, already with a smile for his antics, imagining if that's how he answered everyone who called him "I'm Y/N"

"Hey! Hello, my pretty. How is everything?"

"Are you busy?"

“A little, but nothing major. What's going on?"

“I was thinking if you wanted to come to my house for a while. The exhaustion is killing me and I would really like to see you”

"And you want some Munson-dicine?" he asked and you instantly sighed.

"That joke was so horrible that I already didn't want to see you, we'll talk tomorrow"

"Wait! Wait!" he laughed "I'll be ready in 5, are you near the bus stop?"

“About a block”

"Wait for me there, I'll pick you up"

"Okay"

“See you in a bit, love ya,” he said quickly, before hanging up. You walked the next block, deep in your thoughts, and a couple of minutes later you heard Eddie's beat-up van, which you already recognized perfectly, "Did you order a float, princess?"

"Don't be a clown" you smiled, watching him do the same from the open passenger window. You took a couple of steps and then got into the vehicle, greeting the boy with a quick kiss on the lips.

"Your place?"

“Yes, but we have to get something for dinner. My mom isn’t there and in the fridge there are half a tomato and a liter of milk”

"Not very appetizing" he murmured in amusement. You stopped at a grocery store to buy some whole wheat bread, ham, and more vegetables to prepare some sandwiches, while Eddie bought powdered chocolate to drink with the liter of milk you had at home and you laughed when you noticed. Shopping didn't take long and you were soon home to find Will and Jonathan watching TV, you greeted them and announced that you brought dinner, hearing cheers from both of them.

"Where is El?" 

"She asked me for permission to go to sleep at a friend's house" replied Jonathan without stopping watching television. You snorted.

“And that friend by any chance is called Mike Wheeler?”

“She's with Max,” Will replied, and your frown changed to a softer one.

"Oh," you breathed out, remaining silent for a moment. You didn't know how to react, but anger wasn't on the list “… so it's okay. I'm glad to see that she's going out more” you added, happier than before. Max was a good girl and she also needed some company after what happened with her brother, because, although she talked about the pain as if she didn't care, you knew how much it affected her.

"Just say you hate Wheeler, no one will judge you" Eddie laughed, whispering the words in your ear as he took the opportunity to hug you. You looked at him out of the corner of your eye, but you didn't deny or confirm anything.

"We'll be in the kitchen, making dinner" you announced and both of them nodded their heads. Your boyfriend followed you a very short distance into said room, which was somewhat messy and dirty. The Byers house had never been a palace, but the truth was that for you it was the most welcoming; it was a sanctuary, a small space where you could always feel protected. Eddie, on the other hand, was used to living in trailers since he was little, so there was more than enough space in your house for him to be comfortable.

"I do it, rest if you want"

“Do you even know how to cook?”

"No, but I know how to mayonnaise a couple of bread slices," he huffed, folding his arms like a little boy. Normally you wouldn't let him do things for you, but you were so exhausted that you just whispered a soft 'okay' and gave him a kiss on the cheek by way of thanks. He had already mentally prepared himself to argue with you to let him do it, so your docility didn’t go unnoticed as he said “Was it a hard day?” he muttered. You dropped into a chair and kicked off your shoes, while he squatted in front of you, slumping slightly into the space between your legs and planting both hands on your waist. His face was below yours and he was looking at you through his pretty brown eyes with plenty of compassion.

"I'm very tired, that's all"

"You're always tired" he replied. It wasn't a claim, it was more like… an observation “Is there anything I can do for you?”

"Yes, but we should be in a more private place" you smiled, raising one of your hands to caress his cheek gently.

"Dirty" he laughed, wrinkling his nose, as he moved up a few inches to steal a kiss from you. Most of the time they were short, but to be honest you guys couldn't keep your lips from each other "I'm serious”

“Being here is enough. Just tell me about something, anything to keep me awake”

When he got up, he started making the sandwiches and he started telling you about a fantasy book he was reading. To the surprise of many people, he was a pretty good reader but very selective, so it was sometimes difficult for him to find the books he wanted. Most of them had been bought in second-hand places, but that didn't bother him at all, quite the opposite. Once he had even told you that those books had the best stories to tell.

When four sandwiches were ready, Eddie called your two brothers and the four of you sat at the table, talking about anything you could think of. Suddenly the conversation turned to the movie that Jonathan and Will had just seen, sometimes about silly jokes and then about nerdy things that neither you nor your older brother understood but enjoyed hearing. You ate as much as you wanted and had a good time with the three of you before sleep finally came to the eldest. You had talked to him a couple of times about his self-imposed stress and burdens, college, and family in the hope that he might feel better. And apparently it had worked, maybe that's why now he only smoked a joint before going to sleep. Just to ensure rest.

"I think I'll go to sleep too," Will told you. He had been smiling for most of the time and you took that as a good sign "See you tomorrow, rest up"

"Good night, buddy"

"Rest, Will," you exclaimed, reaching out for a quick hug. You saw him go down the hall and it was just you and Eddie by the old non-functioning fireplace. "Do you want to stay?"

"I can?"

"Of course. I've missed you these days, nothing would make me happier” you said sincerely. Eddie was always caught off guard by this kind of statement because he didn't know how to feel or what to say. How could someone like you say such things to him?

He smiled with flushed cheeks and moved his chair a little closer in your direction.

“Then I'll stay,” he replied softly, with that affectionate expression you loved to see on his face.

"It has nothing to do with this talk, but today something happened at work that bothered me a lot" you began to say.

"What was it, my love?" he asked and then you told him everything. You told him about the AIDS epidemic that by this point everyone had heard about on the news, or knew about the unfortunate death of a loved one, and how the media was taking advantage of this to put out tabloid stories with stupid thoughts.

“FAGS ARE DYING, can you believe it? Is that in a fucking headline in our newspaper?” you said. Your voice trembled, perhaps from helplessness or perhaps from sadness “I mean, there are so many people out there who are left without their best friend, without their partner, without their brother, and the media thinks it's something they can make fun of. AIDS mainly affects… gays, I understand that. But at the end of the day it's human lives we're talking about, what difference does it make if they like men or women? Or does who they love to affect the value of their lives? Doesn't it matter if these people die because at the end of the day they are abnormal? Bullshit, all of that is pure and complete bullshit” you muttered. Your hands moved back and forth as you talked and Eddie hadn't said anything since you started talking, he'd just been calm and attentive. You felt the boy take one of your hands and take it to his mouth to place a soft kiss on your knuckles.

"You have a heart of gold, did you know that, honey?" he said, his voice as kind and sweet as it had ever been, "I love that about you”

"Oh, come on, Ed."

"I'm serious. You never know how much those words can impact someone who thinks he's a freak just because of his feelings. It's nice that there is someone who supports"

“I only say what I think, that we are all equally important. And what if a boy likes boys? What if one girl likes another?

“You may also like both. Or, like, anyone, no matter what” he replied. You looked at him with a slight frown. "Well, it's probably... don't you think so?"

"I guess so" you exclaimed, not giving it much importance. Eddie was trying to say something else, but he didn't bother to explain. “But whatever the case, I think we all deserve respect and love. And if someone I know turned out to be like that, I wouldn't mind” you answered, firm on your main idea. It seemed inhuman to you to judge someone in that way. 

Eddie was about to say something else when you heard footsteps down the hall that caught your attention. Looking at the door, you noticed that it was Will, who still hadn't put on his pajamas.

"Uh... just looking for water," he said nervously, feeling both eyes. Eddie was still holding one of your hands gently and standing too close to you as if everything you'd been talking about was a secret.

"Yes, we'll go to sleep now" you answered, squeezing your boyfriend's hand a little so that he would get up. You did the same and picked up a couple of plates, throwing them into the sink, but turning to the table you saw Will standing in front of you. He was no longer the shoulder-length child whose hair you ruffled. He was growing up, and very quickly "Did you miss something?" you said, just to annoy him. Your little brother smiled and wrapped you in a tight hug that took you by surprise.

"Rest, dumb," he said as he pulled away and you swore to see his shining eyes. Why was everyone suddenly acting so fucking weird?

"Rest too, dumb" you replied in the same way, watching him leave. Although his behavior had been odd, you were too tired to investigate the matter so you just held out your arms for Eddie and let him practically drag you into your own room. You only took off your pants and bra before throwing yourself on the old mattress on your bed.

"Go to sleep now, you need it" he exclaimed, moving a little until you were resting your head on his arm and your body attached to his, then feeling a soft kiss on your forehead.

You didn't say anything for a few minutes, trying to fall asleep, but the truth is that it was useless.

“Eddie”

"Yes?"

"Thanks. For being here” you answered, without coming out of your hiding place in his chest from him.

"There's nothing to be thankful for" he blurted out, as you craned your neck to kiss his bare chest "Goodnight" he breathed out and it was the last thing you heard before falling asleep.

A couple of days passed and your mother started to worry you. Like, too much. She wouldn't answer calls, you couldn't locate her, and no hope of seeing her come back to your house. She had said that she would be staying at a hotel, and you had called there asking for her, but it turned out that they had not even heard her name. It was all so strange that you asked to leave at The Hideout to stay away until you heard something about Joyce. The owners agreed because this new girl still needed money and they could ask her to cover for you. Jonathan was just as worried as you, if not more, and you two had tried to say as little to Eleven and Will as possible. Eddie didn't know anything about it either, you just told him that your mother had had unforeseen events. If anything comforted you, it's that at least she was with Murray and he should be taking care of her, after all he was a good man, right? By God, you expected him to be so.

That night you were impatiently biting your nails and looking at the door as if Joyce was going to knock at any moment and you almost fell on your face when you heard the doorbell and ran to answer it.

"Mom?" you had asked when opening. But instead of her, there was a boy "Eddie?"

"Hello" he greeted shyly. He was wearing his Hellfire shirt, loose jean pants, and a lightweight sweater that fell to his knees.

“Did you come to see me? I totally forgot, I don't know where I've been thinking lately…”

"Oh no, precious. I came for Will” he smiled, striding up to you for a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Will?" you asked now, a little surprised. You didn't remember either of them saying anything.

“Yes, I invited him to come to Hellfire today. We used to hang out at Garreth's over the holidays and I thought maybe he'd like to hang out. I thought maybe it would be nice for him to meet more guys and play, you know…” he said vaguely. The fact that Eddie cared for Will warmed your heart and made you love him even more. "I know I didn't ask you, but it's okay, right?" he cautiously exclaimed.

"No, no... not at all" you managed to say. You felt very tired from stress and the train of your thoughts sometimes took time to move forward. Surely the conversation caught Will's attention, because you heard him leave his room and walk to the entrance, with a backpack slung over his shoulder, while he greeted both of you “But why didn't any of you tell me? Are you trying to steal my boyfriend or are you trying to steal my brother?” you said in a fake dramatic voice, pointing at each one respectively.

"It'll only be a few hours, I promise." Eddie laughed. The way he high-fived Will reminded you of a younger Steve and Dustin at the ice cream parlor you visited over the summer. “Do you want me to bring something back? Do you feel like eating something?"

"I'll just go to sleep, Jonathan and Jane are in the rooms so I'll do it in the living room" you exclaimed. It was half true, because sometimes you slept there to be closer to the door in case your mom came.

"Do you know if mom is coming?" Will asked from beside you as if he read your thoughts. You didn't know, of course, but you didn't want to worry him either.

"I'll call her and ask her, okay?" you promised, to then ruffle Will's hair like when you were little "Have lots of fun and don't do anything silly"

"Did you hear, Byers?"

"I'm telling you, Eddie," you huffed, watching your boyfriend put a hand to his chest as if he was really offended. This didn't last long, because a few seconds later he was already leaning in your direction to kiss you kindly, under the flushed and disgusted look of your younger brother.

"Get some rest, yeah, precious?" he murmured gently. Eddie's voice could be mesmerizing and more than once his choice of words had made you tremble. He was very good at making you nervous, that was something for sure, and much more when after saying something like that he left you a kiss on the face.

"I will do it. Good luck, cheers to all the guys”

"Bye," Will said quickly, hugging you and trailing after Eddie. Once you were both in the van, your boyfriend leaned out the window and blew you a kiss, while your brother waved goodbye. A smile crossed your face at the image and you felt lucky to have someone like the metalhead in your life. You saw the van turn at the end of the street and felt someone tap your shoulder from behind, making you jump in place.

"Oh my God, you scared me" you laughed, now looking at your sister who was standing behind you. 

"Do you wanna watch a movie with me?" she asked kindly.

"Of course"

“And can you make me popcorn?”

"Whatever you want, El," you said smiling. You had thought about resting, but if she wanted to hang out with you, you weren't going to say no. You were about to close the door when you saw a black car with fully tinted windows park in front and panic seized you. "Get into the room" you ordered her, pulling her behind you so that whoever it was couldn't see her " Eleven, go into the room and lock the door, do you understand me?” you repeated, with a little more urgency. Those kinds of cars almost always just spelled trouble.

It took you no more than two seconds to padlock the door and send the girl down the aisle, but when you peeked through the peephole you realized it was Murray getting out of the passenger seat. At his side was Dr. Owens and the one who opened the back door had been your mother. You held her breath at the sight of her safety (except for a couple of scratches she had on her face, which you would question her about later) but all thought of her was overwhelmed by the appearance of a fourth and fifth person. The first was a strange looking blond in a blue uniform, who you didn't know but hoped was someone from the good team. The next you almost didn't recognize him because now he was hairless and had lost a lot of weight, but then it only took you a second to figure out who it was.

Your mother was helping officer Jim Hopper out of the car.

"Jonathan!" you yelled, into the house. Your older brother was the person you fought the most with in life, but he was also the one you turned to when things got tough. Perhaps it had been the lifestyle you had led that had led you to such an extreme relationship.

You didn't hesitate to open the door and run to Joyce, taking her by surprise and almost making her and Hopper fall.

The following were quick and somewhat blurred memories. Eleven obviously burst into tears when she saw her father and you'd swear he was holding back as best he could from imitating the girl. Will and Eddie arrived, just as she had promised, hours later and they were both surprised to see the tide of people that were now in the house.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Eddie asked, moving closer to you and speaking in a barely whisper.

That same question had already been asked by you and answered by everyone; turns out your mom and Murray's supposed conference in Alaska was actually on a crazy trip to Russia to rescue Hooper from a jail where he'd ended up kicking the Communists' ass last year, which they found out about later of receiving the alert from a Russian soldier, even that in the course of the events they had managed to get him expelled from the country, being forced to bring him to the United States where now you had to give him a roof to sleep under.

But compared to the years before your life, this was a pleasant surprise and quite believable.

"This is fucking crazy, but I'm glad you're back, boss" you smiled. You had grown fond of the man and your words were genuine.

"And you, what are you? Her boyfriend?” Hopper asked, as if he had just noticed the boy next to you and it seemed appropriate to pay attention to his identity. Suddenly all eyes were on Eddie, who was sitting timidly and had one arm wrapped around your body, leaving literally no distance between you.

"Uh, that's right, sir."

“You are the Munson boy, right? I arrested you several times and you stole a couple of handcuffs, I remember your face well” he exclaimed, his eyes narrowing. Your three siblings narrowed an expression of surprise at your companion, while Murray suppressed a laugh.

"Couldn't Eddie and his criminal record be the main topic of conversation?" you chimed in, watching your boy turn red to the ears in embarrassment.

"American, do you guys have dinner at any time?" asked the blonde, completely oblivious to everything. You chuckled in relief at the change in subject and everyone followed suit, amused by your new guest, supposedly named Enzo (or Dimitri?) "I'm craving anything but that horrible dough they fed us in hell”

Well, apparently that was officially a new member of Hawkins' strange team.

The news that Hawkins's hero was alive shocked not only your family, but the entire town, because the news had spread rapidly. The visit to town was supposed to be temporary, but after this surprise event the idea of returning to California had been practically ruled out. Your family's life was always in Indiana, under this scenario they couldn't imagine another place to be. Added to this, now your mother and Jim seemed to have realized what the two of them had been feeling for years (something that almost all of you already knew) and after recovering it, she didn’t want to let it go. No again.

Owens was taking care of the legal and dangerous part of all this, because there were still bad people who wanted to hurt your little sister, just as they wanted to use her for their own interests. It would be a long process, but you trusted that he would achieve her relocation without risk to her or anyone in the family.

Suddenly the Byers house, which had been so empty in recent months, the space didn’t fit. The rooms had to be shared by three people at the same time and you had to buy extra pillows, as well as new sheets. Owens even suggested getting a bigger house, but you pointedly refused. You weren't going to abandon all your memories, that house was where you had grown up and it still had a door frame with your height and that of your two brothers marked in pencil over the years. That's how you all split into the Byers house and Hopper's cabin so you could sleep in single beds; it was tricky, but as always you would make it work.

So much fuss had barely left you time to see Eddie and at some point you began to fear that he was upset or began to like you less for your complicated schedule. But when you finally saw him at The Hideout on Tuesday and he dragged you backstage to kiss you like never before and tell you how much he missed you, you knew better. With Hopper's appearance, you thought a lot about the importance of your boyfriend knowing everything that had ever happened in town and the problems your family had faced, so you decided to tell him. He patiently listened to your story and you thought about how he would take the whole fantastic thing: Eleven's powers, the Upside Down, all the monsters that chased Will... it was too much to tell and too much to process, but you still told him. Eddie didn't question a single one of your words and although he didn't have a specific reaction, you knew he wasn't judging you or your friends. Days later he understood why everyone in the group seemed to share something in common that they weren't telling anyone and he was relieved that you made him part of it. As everything did eventually, things were looking up.

"What would you like to drink?" you asked, as kindly as possible, one of the recurring drunks at the bar. Tuesday again and Corroded coffin was already getting ready to go on stage, as was routine. The night was strangely quiet even when there were more people than usual, and you were surprised when you saw a smiling Steve Harrington walk through the door of the place. Two young men were following him and your surprise turned to confusion when you saw that it was your little brother and Dustin Henderson. You knew that the second followed Steve everywhere, it was part of the package, but you didn't imagine what Will could be doing there. Especially with the clothes he was wearing: a totally black outfit and messy hair, nothing to do with what you were used to.

"Ahoy, lady”

"What are you doing here?" you asked the air, hoping that one of the three would answer you.

“I came for a few drinks, they came to hear the band” I hadn't noticed the pair of T-shirts with Corroded Coffin printed in purple letters that your brother and his friend were wearing until that moment, which only increased your bewilderment.

"Eddie invited you?"

“Uh, yeah,” Dustin replied, strangely nervous. If there was anything left over from that guy, it was confidence and all of that just smelled very bad to you.

"Why didn't you tell me, Will?" you asked. Your brother had been very quiet the last few days, perhaps because you two had had some arguments. Nothing serious, just nonsense, but they were reason enough to sow discord between you.

That was something that seldom happened, since it was Will you went to when you fought with Jonathan. Between the two of you, it was a case apart; you knew that not all the credit for a good older sister was yours, since Johnny had also supported Will in his worst moments. And of course you too, you would never deny it, only that the relationships were... well, different. Jonathan and you were already adults, now you had different concerns than when you were teenagers and you could also notice that this supposed enmity was not so noticeable now. Sometimes he came up to you to tell you his problems and you never refused to listen to him, because you knew that since he was little he had to face the hardest part. Neither of them was a bad brother, only that you connected more with Will, your inseparable companion on adventures.

Well, that was until now.

“Y/N, don't scold him for God's sake. They just wanted to come and they asked me to accompany them, you have nothing to worry about” Steve said. You had to admit that it made you feel a little sad, even if you didn't have a valid reason "Don't be mean and pass me a beer, okay?" he asked you with a smile. You had no choice but to sigh and nod, after all you and Steve were very good friends and you knew he wouldn't do the boys any harm.

"Good evening, beautiful people," someone said into the microphone. It was Eddie, so handsome with his metal clothes and the makeup that you just fixed him a few minutes ago that made you forget about everything "See you again here, you already know us and we hope you like the show" he exclaimed, making sure wink in your direction.

You knew the band's songs and the covers they did, but the excited face of Dustin and your brother made you feel emotional too. With a slightly cooler head, you thought that now that Will was a member of Hellfire the band had probably gotten along well with him and that's why they had invited him. With Dustin the answer was logical, everyone including you adored that brat.

"They are loud... right?" Steve laughed, leaning across the bar toward you. He had been sipping the same beer for a long time, because he would take the boys back and he didn't want to be drunk for that "I mean, I'm kind of deaf in one ear, but I don't think they sound so bad"

“You should have heard them at the first performances, it was like hearing a cat giving birth,” you joked. You would never let Eddie hear that, but it made your friend laugh. "Why did they ask you to bring them, anyway?" you asked, nodding to the younger ones who were nodding to the beat of the music.

“Henderson said that he needed a half-responsible adult to accompany them and since you and Eddie would be working, that was left to me,” he replied, making you laugh.

"Will didn't tell me anything," you told him "Neither did Eddie" you continued, changing the look between the two of you.

"I think he was invited by someone named Darren or something like that"

"Garreth?"

"Yes, that one" he replied, pointing one of his fingers at you "And Dustin came to accompany him, he didn't want to come alone" Steve blurted out those words so naturally and just shrugged, but you were amazed by what you had heard. It was then that you looked at the drummer and realized that he was indeed looking at Will with a smile, who was looking at him in the same way. You knew Garreth, you had seen him a couple of times in the theater room and he had always been very nice. He was at most a year older than Will, so it didn't surprise you that the two had become friends. But if things were like that, why hide it?

A couple more songs and the show were over, which only leaves a sweaty Eddie walking excitedly up to you.

You kept looking at both young people for another while and indeed, that pair seemed not to want to take their eyes off each other. You could even tell that Garreth was trying hard to play the drums better, you could tell.

“Harrington! What a joy to see you here”

"Hello, Munson," he said friendly, respecting the strange tradition they had of speaking by their last names, hugging your boyfriend with pats on the back. When Eddie saw you, a mischievous smile crossed his face, and before you could say anything he was up on the counter, jumping over to the side where you were.

"Hey," he murmured, trying to sound flirty but failing as he stole a sweet kiss from you, "How's the prettiest waitress in the place?"

"Hi, Ed," you said, shaking your head gently at his flirtations. The rest of the band joined in the greetings at the bar, but you couldn't help but notice that Garreth went directly to Will to ask how the show was and if he liked it. Besides, of course, complimenting the shirt he was wearing.

“Did you enjoy the show? I don't want to spoil the surprise for you, but I'm writing a new song that I'm sure you'll love. It talks about a beautiful and funny girl who fucks like…”

"Eddie!" you said to shut him up, while you hit his chest. Steve had overheard part of that conversation, but he just chuckled.

"Anyway, I'm sure you'll love it" he continued, without any shame, while you noticed that his makeup was already a bit smudged; it just made him look better "Hey, Jeff invited us over to his house for a bit, is it okay if I come over?"

"Why would I object?"

"Maybe because you want me to stay here to spend time with me because you're completely crazy about me" he replied, raising a shoulder and avoiding your gaze as if he expected you to agree with him. Instead, you pulled him by the arm and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Get out of here. I don't want to have to put up with you drunk or high”

"You know I'll still end up sneaking to your room at dawn, right?" he asked, quite close to your ear, with a playful tone.

"By God I hope not, Hopper sleeps with your loaded gun under his pillow" you exclaimed, causing him to laugh nervously. After the first meeting, the man's favorite activity was bothering your boyfriend and although he wanted to look like a fuck-the-police man, you knew perfectly well that he was afraid of him "Ed, before you go, I want to ask you something”

"Spit it out"

"Did you invite Will to come over?" you exclaimed. Your boyfriend looked towards the aforementioned while pointing his thumb at him as if he needed confirmation that you meant that person.

“Lil Byers? No, I think Garreth invited him" he muttered "Why?"

"Not for nothing. Just curious"

“Seems like the two of them hit it off really quick,” Eddie told her, with a smile. "They like the same things and they look… alike”

"It makes me happy that he has more friends," you said "He's been driving me crazy these last few days, that's why he almost doesn't tell me anything anymore"

"I thought you guys got along"

"We do that. When it's important, you know. It's just that living together again makes things like the turn to use the shower a reason for fights” you laughed “Before he was calmer, but he has become a mouthy” 

"The wonders of being an only child," Eddie scoffed. There was silence for barely a second and you were looking for something else to say until you felt the sting of a pair of teeth digging into your cheek.

"Don't do that, it hurts!" you complained It was a damn habit you still hadn't gotten used to; he loved to bite the part of the body that he was closest to.

"I have to go, little princess, but I'll pick you up in a while, 'kay?" he said, ignoring your reproach. Then he gave you a sweeter caress on the lips and jumped back to the other side of the bar.

“Y/N, can I come over to Jeff's house? Steve is going to take us,” Will murmured, moving to Eddie's side. He looked so different in that outfit and you wondered if, like Lucas with his new jock friends, that was the style he would adopt from now on.

"Only until my shift is over and Eddie comes for me" you exclaimed and the boy nodded, taking a couple of steps back to where the others were "Be careful and don't overdo it, okay?" you said to the curly-haired one, seeing him nod in the same way as your little brother "Thanks for taking them, Steve" you half yelled, receiving a thumbs up from your friend.

"Don't be bad, if you need anything you can call us" Eddie said goodbye, scribbling a number on a napkin, which was surely Jeff's house number. When you looked at it you realized that he had 'I love you!' written above the numbers as if he were Jeniffer Parker and you were Marty McFly.

You smiled and put the piece of paper in your pocket, sure that even if you didn't need to make the call you would keep it in that special box kept in your bedroom closet.

Saturdays were regularly your favorite days. Sometimes you'd go out with your friends, sometimes you'd hang out at home, and for the past couple of weeks they've been designated sleep-in days in Eddie's trailer. Wayne had no problem with that, he worked nights, and your boyfriend tried to keep (at least) the bed free of things so he could make a space for you to sleep. Sometimes he would play you a song on his acoustic guitar or he would read to you until you fell asleep, other times you were the one who brushed his curls and that was enough for him to fall like a log on the mattress. You'd obviously been on that mattress many times before, doing things that couldn't be brought up on a familiar schedule, but these times felt like something else; it was more intimate, quieter. Of course sex was great and it was partly what had started your relationship, however, now it was no longer the central point of every encounter. Sometimes it was nice just talking nonsense or lying next to each other.

"Do you think I should move those posters over there?" Eddie asked suddenly. He was lying with his head hanging upside down on the edge of the bed, wearing square-patterned pajamas that were one of your personal favorites, and he was staring at the wall. He liked to redecorate the place from time to time, he said it worked to get ideas and creativity flowing. Most of the time that so-called order was a complete disaster, but for him, it seemed to work perfectly. "I think they would look good where the band blanket is”

"Sure" you exclaimed, keeping your eyes closed and your head leaning against the wall where the head of the bed is supposed to go. You felt movement on the other side of the mattress and when you were about to open your eyes to see what had happened, some lips crashed against yours; soft and meaty.

"Don't ignore me," he complained, pouting and an angry scowl.

"I didn’t do it"

"I don't know why, but I don't believe you" he snorted "If you don't love me anymore you can tell me and that's it"

"Ed!" you laughed, reaching out your arms to draw him to you and kissing his face. Eddie's skin always felt soft, but this time you could notice a stubble on his chin that disturbed your caressing path. Also, his fluffy hair wasn’t making your job easier.

"I think I'll go take a quick shower before I go to sleep" he murmured, after a couple of kisses, to which you nodded your head. He got up and took a couple of steps, but for some reason he stopped to look at you for a couple of seconds "It's a good time for you to say you want to come with me"

"I took a shower before I came"

"You can pretend you need it" he insisted, making you laugh, and after a couple more offers you agreed to accompany him. It was a good opportunity for a quickie and if you were already tired before, after that you fell asleep as soon as your head hit the pillow.

Being summer it was difficult for you to sleep cuddling or the heat would be unbearable, but after a couple of hours you were close enough to him to hear a moan. This woke you up and you instinctively looked at Eddie's alarm clock with glowing numbers on his nightstand: 4:25 a.m. When you turned your head, you noticed that he wasn’t only complaining, but that his head was making soft and involuntary movements, a sign that he was surely having a nightmare.

"Eddie" you started to say, placing one of your outstretched palms on his chest "Ed..." you insisted, now moving him slowly in the hope of waking him up, until your words and actions achieved the goal. He got up panting and looking around for something, which he seemed to find when your eyes met his.

"Hello" was all he said, in a whisper of relief, before slumping back against your body to hug you. His skin was somewhat sweaty and he was still breathing hard.

"You are well?" you asked, running a hand through his curls and letting him hold onto you tightly. Eddie wasn’t a person with recurring nightmares, he almost always snored like a tractor and slept like a baby, so it was cause for concern.

"Mhm," he hummed as best he could, trying to bury his head in the crook of your neck for the sense of security he needed "Yeah, it was just... a bad dream”

"Calm down, nothing's wrong" you exclaimed to reassure him, continuing to run a hand up and down his back. You didn't want to talk, or ask him anything, you just waited for his breathing to slow down under your kind caresses and your soft kisses on the cheeks.

When he finally decided to speak, he did so in whispers, without letting go of your embrace. It turns out that planning the D&D campaigns had affected his mind a bit and somehow the nightmares had ended up going there.

He began to tell you about Vecna, a powerful magician who looked like a stuffed corpse without his left hand and eye, and his story about him. He also began to tell you about Kas the bloody-handed, the traitor, and the army of vampires he had. You were listening carefully to the story and then Eddie explained to you that he dreamed of himself being devoured by these demobats, ending up controlled by Vecna and completely possessed by evil. He told you that he dreamed that he hurt all his friends; the whole Hellfire club, Steve, Max, Robin, your brothers, and you. That was what had woken him up, the mere thought that he had hurt you in some way.

"It's stupid, I'm sorry" he muttered sadly when he was finally calm.

"It's not stupid, Ed. It was a nightmare, dreams are sometimes like that" you said kindly, with an understanding smile. You separated his face from yours to give him a kiss, which greatly reassured the boy, while he planted his warm hands on your cheeks "No vampire will come to attack you"

"I was the vampire, didn't you pay attention to the story?" he told you, a little more animated, and you giggled in the middle of the darkness "We just... it's idiocy, we have to go back to sleep"

"But…"

"We have to sleep" he repeated, pulling you roughly until the two of you were lying on the bed, and you let out a surprised cry that then turned into laughter.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I feel better now. They say that when you tell your nightmares it means they won't come true”

"Oh, sure, because Vecna would come for us if you don't," you said sarcastically. The boy ignored your taunt and his legs tangled with yours, while he buried his face in your boobs. 

"They will protect me," they say, and you laughed, resting your head on his curls and closing your eyes to try to sleep. There was an inexplicable peace being in that position and again it didn't take long for you to slip into unconsciousness.

Fortunately this time neither of us had nightmares and the next morning was very pleasant, Eddie took charge of preparing something for breakfast and after eating it he took you home.

Nobody greeted you so you assumed they were still asleep, so you walked to the room to take all your things out of your backpack and put them away, but you didn't even start to do so when someone came and knocked on the door. It was Will.

"Hello"

"Hi" you answered with a smile. He walked inside and you didn't pay much attention, just dumped the contents of your backpack onto the bed. As soon as your eyes caught a box of condoms that you didn't remember was lying around, you quickly hid it, until your brother spoke again.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Mhm," you hummed, while you folded your pajamas and arranged your toiletries on one of the bureaus "What is it?"

"Has Eddie ever given you anything?" he said. That had taken you by surprise because it wasn’t the kind of question you were expecting.

"Like a gift?" you exclaimed, seeing him nod gently “Uh… he bought me a bandana once to tie my hair up or something. But that was before I was his girlfriend” you explained to your brother, who seemed satisfied with the answer “Why do you ask?”

"Do you promise you won't make fun?"

"It depends"

"Promise"

"Well, well. I promise. Tell me now"

"I… I want to buy someone something" your eyes widened at the shy response and almost a second later your brow furrowed.

"Do you like a girl?"

"You said you weren't going to tease"

“I'm not teasing” you clarified “It's just… you're talking about a girl, right?”

"What can I buy?" he insisted, monumentally ignoring your question. You wanted to bother him a little, but you promised not to, and you knew he would be very angry with you if you broke that promise.

You asked yourself what the hell a girl your brother's age might like and at the same time formulated possible candidates. It couldn't be Eleven, obviously, which left only Max. But she couldn't be either, you didn't think she was Will's type and Lucas was also in the task of winning her back. Most likely, she was a girl you didn't know and that he had met during these weeks in Hawkins. But who was she?

"How about some jewelry?" he said at some point, interrupting your thoughts "Those things look good, don't they?"

"Maybe a bracelet" you supported the idea "It's cute, small, and can always be worn"

"Yes, I think so"

“What is her name?” you asked, knowing that he probably wouldn't tell you anything. And indeed, he refused “Come on, don't be mean. At least tell me what she's like"

Will hesitated to answer, his expression had given him away, but still, he told you a couple of characteristics; golden hair and little curly, chubby cheeks, pretty eyes, very talkative… What the hell were you supposed to do with those poor pieces of information?

"Thanks for helping me" he murmured then, leaving no room for any more questions. You didn't want to harass him, but curiosity was eating at you. 

"You should invite her over one day," you exclaimed vaguely. You tried to make it not sound like an order, but more like a suggestion "Hey, I want to ask you something too”

"Yeah?" he answered, from the door frame.

"Do you think Eddie likes flowers?" Asked. It was a bit of a tension breaker, but there was also sincerity.

"I think so, he seems"

“Cool”

“Cool” you imitated him and then he walked out the door.

Time passed quickly until it was Tuesday, again, and Corroded Coffin was present at the bar as they had been doing every week for a long time now.

Eddie was wearing a sleeveless shirt, with the band's logo printed by himself, which showed all the ink on his arms, shiny thanks to a light sweat, and red leather pants. He gave a flirtatious wave once he walked offstage, practically putting his entire body on the counter to reach up and kiss you, but in the process his hand brushed against something that caught his attention: 

“Who gave you flowers?” he asked you, changing the affectionate tone with which he had spoken to you a moment ago for a jealous and angry one.

You looked at the bouquet next to you; three red roses full of small white flowers around it, covered with plastic and wrapped in a black bow.

Eddie's dismay only grew when you took it and held it out to him with one hand.

"They're for you"

"What?"

"I bought you flowers” he glanced at the flower arrangement and then at you, only to change his jealousy to a violent blush. Eddie was even quiet for a moment as if he was waiting for you to confess that it was a joke.

"Why?"

"Because I like you" you explained, as if it weren't an obvious thing "Come on, take them"

The boy took what you offered and looked at them for a second, analyzing them as if they were a very rare specimen.

"You're full of surprises, aren't you?" was all he said. It was obvious that you had taken him by surprise, but what gave you the most joy was the blush that you had managed to cause him and the shy smile that he had put on "I didn't buy you anything"

"You don't have to do it" you exclaimed trying not to worry him "I just wanted to do something nice for you"

"Thank you" Eddie reached out again to kiss you, this time softer and more deeply, until some whistles interrupted you.

It was the entire band, who were already cracking dirty jokes towards you, and they took their seats on the benches in front of the counter.

"Just because you guys don't have a girlfriend like mine doesn't mean I have to hold back," Eddie snorted. He loved to brag, and your good looks served him well enough to do so. But it wasn't just about beauty, he was proud to have someone who cares about him, thoughtful and kind above all things.

You watched as everyone shared knowing glances and now it was Garreth's turn to embarrass himself since apparently he was on his way to getting a girl. Or… something like that. 

"Do you want something to drink?"

"No, mi cielo," he responded gently. It wasn't the first time that he called you nicknames in another language and you had started to get used to it, but just when you were about to answer something, you saw the object that left you in shock. 

Garreth, who looked quite happy at the moment, was wearing a piece of silver on his left wrist. It was a simple chain that could go unnoticed by everyone, but not by you.

It turns out that that morning, you had accidentally come across a red box in your house that seemed too pretty to be there. You weren't a gossip, but your curiosity was too much and you opened it thinking it was an engagement ring that Hopper had strategically left behind, only to find yourself with a silver chain. You didn't imagine who it might belong to until you remembered your conversation with Will and realized that this was the gift he was going to give to the girl he liked. It was rather rough in your opinion, but not knowing the tastes of your brother's crush, you trusted that he was doing the right thing. You never imagined that that piece of jewelry would end up in the hands of your boyfriend's best friend, and you didn't have to be too smart to put the pieces together.

Golden hair and little curly, plump cheeks, pretty eyes, very talkative. Oh, shit. 

"Are you alright, Y/N?" Jeff asked you suddenly. Your gaze was lost and your face as pale as possible "It seems you saw a ghost"

"I'm fine" you lied "My stomach hurts a little, that's all"

"Really?" Eddie asked, with a concerned expression.

“Mhm. It's… girly things” you answered in a whisper and it took a second for your boyfriend to widen his eyes as he nodded. You would know that under that excuse no one would dare to inquire into the subject.

You didn't say anything else for the rest of the shift, just short responses to Eddie assuring him you felt fine and smiles at the rest of the group. You didn't want to make false assumptions, but no matter how hard you tried to find another explanation or a radical twist in the evidence, you always came to the same conclusion. That your little brother was… that he was…

That he was in love, but not with the person you had imagined. That gift was never for a girl, it was for a boy. 

“I'll take you home,” Eddie offered, hugging you gently from the side, still noticing how distracted you were. You hadn't even realized at what point they had loaded the things in the van and you had closed the bar.

"Hmm, yeah" you replied, blinking a few times to snap back to reality. The three guys were talking by Jeff's car, a space away from your boyfriend's vehicle. As you passed, Eddie waved and you followed suit, making sure to look back at Garreth’s waving arm and make sure your eyes weren't deceiving you.

The way to your house was silent, with your boyfriend's hand planted firmly on your thigh while he gave you gentle caresses. He had asked you countless times if he could do anything for you, if you wanted help or if you had 'those things you needed'. Despite everything, you couldn't help noticing his disposition and you thanked him with a tender kiss on the cheek.

When you arrived, you went straight to bed and your thoughts overflowed without any control, making you think of something that could be your reality. You suddenly thought of all those signs in Will that you had ignored until now or that simply hadn't mattered; his clothes, his way of talking, his personality, his apparent terror for the girls in high school, the sensitivity in him.

Suddenly even Mike came to mind. Were you reading things wrong? Is that why Will cried so much when his best friend was cruel to him? Is that why he always forgave any failure of the black-haired man? His blood boiled at the mere thought of the pain he had been feeling all this time. The pain he had been feeling alone. 

Any selfish feelings were eliminated when you understood the big picture of the situation. It wasn't about whether you wanted nephews one day, or whether you dreamed of seeing Will in a formal suit and a girl in white waiting for him at the altar, and even if you were excited because he had finally asked you for some love advice; to you, his older sister who is supposed to know the taste of women.

You understood that it wasn’t about you, but about him.

And suddenly you felt tremendous fear. Fear for words, for actions, for scorn, fear of seeing him reduced to a simple label with which everyone would judge him. Fear of disease, fear of murder... just all the fear that could be felt by a loved one in that condition. Or situation, rather.

You went to sleep with a tangle of thoughts spinning around your head and a pain in your chest from worry, hoping that when you woke up, they would have completely disappeared. But they hadn't.

The matter disturbed your calm for what were days, something that didn’t go unnoticed by your family, friends, and boyfriend, but still you didn’t speak to anyone about it. It wasn't your place and you weren't even sure Will really felt that way, so what you decided to do was watch. You noticed the secret calls your brother made, the dinner outings, walks, and campaign planning that he had, and Will's attendance at band rehearsals that you noticed thanks to Eddie; it was all by the same person.

"What's wrong with you lately?" Jonathan had asked you once. Just as you were worried about Will, he was worried about you.

"I have nothing" you lied. But with him that nonsense would not work and you knew it perfectly.

“You know it's not like that and I know it. Did something happen with Eddie?"

"Eddie?" you asked confused, not thinking about how this might relate to him. But being logical, it was too valid an assumption “No, no. He's great, we're good."

"Then?" your brother said. You were silent, with a lump in your throat and that burning in the back of your head that could only be due to stress, until you decided that it would be best to tell him what was happening. You knew that he was the most suitable person. He wouldn't judge Will and, after all, he was also his brother. 

"I… I think I've known for a while" he suddenly exclaimed and your eyes almost popped out of your sockets.

“How…? He told you?"

"I just know, just like you know that now he was dating that guy" you two were silent for a moment, you with your eyes lowered on the floor and he evaluating your reaction.

"And what do I do?"

"You? Nothing" answered Jonathan, almost like a mockery "It is Will who will decide what to do, not you"

"Yes, but..."

"Y/N" the older one interrupted you "do you remember that time, when we were kids, you wanted to cut your bangs?" he started to say and you nodded, not knowing what that comment was coming from, “Mom told you no, but you insisted, I told you no, but you insisted. And then you found those scissors and you locked yourself in the bathroom to do it. When you came out you looked… you looked so ridiculous” a giggle escaped Jonathan's lips “And you were crying so much. Mom was working and I had to help you, I fixed it as I could and I made you hot chocolate so you would stop crying. You felt like the ugliest girl in the world for the first few days, but then we laughed so hard about it, do you remember?"

"It took a while to grow" you smiled, not realizing that a couple of tears had already escaped from your eyes.

“He will have to learn. And he's going to suffer, a lot, but all you and I can do is be there and love him, no matter what happens” by this point, the crying was uncontrollable, and you fell against your brother's chest to cry freely. They weren't tears of disappointment or anything like that: it was pure concern.

“I love you so much, Jonathan," you sobbed. You were aware of what your brother represented in your life, but you had never told him openly and you practically vomited everything you were grateful to him for at that moment, which ended with Jonathan crying as well.

And as if that weren't enough, Will walked in just a few minutes later, wearing the Hellfire shirt with another flannel shirt over it that had ripped sleeves (quite similar to a certain someone) and with a huge smile that faded as soon as he saw you.

"What happened?" he asked, lunging in your direction with obvious concern. You wondered if that was how your lives were, always worried about the other and hiding things so as not to hurt each other. But you didn't say anything, you just pulled him with one hand and joined the hug while you continued crying.

Eventually Will did too, with more intensity than both of you, and somehow all three of you knew why. That suspicion was only confirmed when he pulled away and said that he wanted to tell you something.

Joyce wasn't home, nor was Hopper, and maybe that gave your brother more courage to tell you out loud what he had been keeping for so many years. There was not a pout, not a claim, not even an expression of surprise.

“And that time you were talking to Eddie about it, I… I heard you and I thought…” he couldn't even finish the sentence, his sobs impeding it, but after a couple of tries he finished it, “I thought I could tell you. To you two”

"Does anyone else know?"

"Eleven" he replied. That did manage to surprise you, not because you thought she wouldn't support him but because of how Will had explained her situation without confusing her “And Dustin. But only them"

“I'm glad you told us,” Jonathan murmured, and you knew he meant it from the bottom of his heart. Will wiped away the tears with the back of his hand and you shook his hair.

“You should never feel ashamed of your feelings. This doesn’t change you at all, you will always be Will and that is what matters” you completed. You didn't know if they were the right words, but they were the best you could offer. "And whenever you need another love advice, you know where to turn," you joked. You weren't going to pressure him to tell you right there whether he liked Garreth or didn't like him, because the poor boy was doing too much by confessing something so difficult to him.

The subject didn't come up again and although Will felt completely strange for the first few days, you gradually got over it. After all, and as you said before, he was still himself.

Once again the weeks passed normally and when you least expected it half of the summer vacation was already gone. Work and household chores were taking up most of your time with the rest regularly going to Eddie. At first you wanted to tell her about Will, but something in you told you that it wasn't right and it wasn't your place; if he wanted to tell him, he was going to decide. Of course, your boyfriend didn't stop noticing your brother's attendance at practically all the band's rehearsals and somehow, he started to get jealous that the drummer could have an audience to root for him and he didn't. So, one fine day he invited you too.

"And what am I supposed to do?" you smiled. You were half naked on his mattress, while he traced messy patterns on the skin of your tummy.

“Just sitting there and looking pretty. It won't be hard at all,” he teased, brushing a kiss over your skin and crawling around so he could hug you.

You knew how much Eddie loved Corroded Coffin and if something was special to him then it would be special to you too, so on this idea you agreed to go during a rehearsal. All the members were nice, they offered you beer and you had a good time, but what moved you the most was seeing Eddie so happy with you around. You tried not to pay attention to the flirtatious glances your brother and Garreth gave each other, but it was almost impossible not to chuckle inwardly.

You decided to put your trust in him, because you had spoken to him a couple of times and, from everything Eddie had told you, he seemed to be a good person, a thought that was consolidated when you saw the way he spoke to Will and especially the huge smile your brother had when they were around. Still, if he harmed him, he would have to deal with basically your entire family and for his own good you hoped he wouldn't.

That day Eddie, after rehearsal, stole a few hours from you to take you for a ride in his van to practically nowhere. It was just him and you hanging around the road and talking about everything at the same time, giggling and making out with the pair of lovers that you were.

You never expected that summer would turn out like that or that it would bring the surprises that had come. If before it was only a probability, now it was totally certain that you would continue in Hawkins, and with a bit of luck you and Eddie would graduate so that you could go to a university, maybe together or maybe not, but a university at the end of the day.

Night fell and you were still walking, your boyfriend's hand planted firmly on your thigh, as he almost always did, and the music blaring out loud.

“When we get married, do you want a big house or a small house?”

“When we what?" you asked, nearly choking, fearing you had misheard.

"We are going to get married, aren't we?" he exclaimed as if it were a predetermined event. You frowned at him and he laughed "Well, imagine you don't totally hate the idea and would like to marry me, would we have a big house or a small one?"

"I don't hate the idea of marrying you"

"Big or small?" he insisted. You sighed and trying to hide a smile you answered 'small' "And do you want to have pets?"

“A dog maybe. To play with the children"

"Children?" now it was his turn to choke.

"You love having sex, in case you don't remember, that's where children come from"

"But there is also a blessed person who invented condoms," he said, with a tone of obviousness.

"So you don't want to have children?"

"We should really think about it"

“You are not going to give birth to them”

“But I'll have to feed them”

There was silence for a moment, where you only concentrated on the road and the lights.

"And the wedding?" you exclaimed “Do you want one of those huge weddings or something low-key?”

“Discreet and only in a civil way, with our families, a couple of friends. Something on the beach maybe" he replied and something told you that the boy had already danced around the idea before "And I'll get married with my sneakers on"

"No way"

“No sneakers, no deal”

"Fine, you keep the sneakers, but you will wear a nice suit or I’ll stand you up” you replied "And you are going to cut your hair"

"Then I don't want to marry you anymore," he huffed. A fit of laughter invaded both of you suddenly and when it ended you continued with the questions.

The night was spent talking about a wedding that hadn't happened yet, the kids you didn't have yet, your dream job, the decorations for the house, the retirement plan, and a couple of rocking chairs that Eddie would buy you two to sit in the living room to watch TV and sleep. 

He managed to convince you to stay the night in your room and with him sleeping peacefully next to you, you thought that it wouldn't be so crazy to see all those dreams come true one day.

Who knows, only time would tell.

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[laurfilijames]

Words Unspoken

Part 3

Part 1, Part 2

Pairing: Anders Johnson x female reader

Words: 5,888

Warnings: Rated E, 18+. Unprotected intercourse. Swearing. Feeeeeeelingssssss.

Summary: You return from your work trip in Dunedin, going to Anders' apartment to find him questioning your relationship, and true feelings are revealed.

A/N: I can't believe this chapter is finally finished! Apparently the last time I had touched it was June 😅 but better late than never!! It's full of feelings and I have always wanted to get this part of their story out for you to read, so without further adieu!

---

Anders sat balanced on the edge of his couch staring out the large window that covered almost the entire outer wall of his living room, the view of downtown Auckland allowing him to be lost in thought.

He hadn’t been able to get his mind off of what Mike said to him the other day, the words echoing in his tortured mind with a cruel determination to be believed; Anders isn't capable of loving anyone other than himself.

“Fucking bastard,” he muttered aloud to his empty apartment, swallowing thickly as that constricted feeling in his throat began to choke him again. The view of the Sky Tower was now blurry, and he blinked a few times as he brought the glass he held to his lips with a hand that shook, his knuckles white from gripping it so tight. The scotch was warm as it slid down, but did nothing to dull the possibility that Mike could be right. He puffed out his cheeks and closed his eyes, his breath expelling forcefully, but rickety out of his lungs, and his head tipped up to the ceiling as he was hounded once again with the reminder of his shortcomings.

For most of the time you had been away, Anders had convinced himself that he might have been falling in love with you, but after seeing Mike, the whole notion seemed ludicrous. He had always been so careful never to bring feelings into any of his relationships.

Until you.

No, he reminded himself again. His hands fidgeted nervously against his glass and his leg bounced up and down, unable to keep himself still. The amount of times he switched back and forth in his mind was turning him insane.

He didn’t know what love really was, that if any of the things he felt for you were in fact the one thing that plagued so many people in a painfully beautiful and risky way. How was he to know? No one had ever declared the terrifying phrase to him before, nor had he ever uttered the words, and he assured himself for what had to be the millionth time this week that being with you was no different. What you had together was fun; perfect as it was, and the sex was the best he could recall in the very long line up of his history. Why chance losing all of that over something that he'd gone his whole life thinking didn't really exist with the exception of a few lucky people?

Still, he couldn’t deny that he found himself longing to hear the words slip from your lips; to have you tell him how you felt, to know how it would feel to have someone genuinely hold that kind of unconditional and shamelessly pure affection toward him.

So many times he thought you would say it, lost in intense moments of passion that had you on the brink, almost confessing it within your moans of rapture, and he knew it would be the sweetest sound he ever heard.

And then you left.

Heat crept up through him, his hurt fueling his anger, and he clenched his teeth together hard as his nostrils flared out in an effort to steady his breathing. His head hung low and he ran his hand up the back of it, reminding himself that whatever you felt for him he didn't deserve, and that he would always be the type of man who refused to succumb to something as frivolous as love.

He sat up straight and drained what was left in his glass, his resolve restored, vowing to never let anyone make him doubt his character again.

Anders didn’t want to lose you but—

The sound of the door opening brought him out of his thoughts, his head whipping around to watch you walk in through his kitchen, a mix of bitterness and relief filling him at the sight of you.

Standing from his perch, he set his empty glass down on the table and made his way over to you, your bright, although hesitant smile matching his own.

“Welcome home,” he said with a hint of sarcasm through a grin that didn't reach his eyes, his dimples barely hidden beneath his stubble. Anders stopped before he completely closed the distance between you, tucking his hands in his pockets as he looked at you suspiciously.

Every muscle in his body tensed as you gingerly took a step toward him, the feel of your hands on his chest causing even more confliction. He could see the pain reflected in your eyes as they danced across where your fingertips lingered, the anguish he knew you would be feeling as clear as the day was, making him want to let you in again as if nothing had happened.

"How was Dunedin?" he asked in a low tone, the roughness of his voice a result of his struggle to stay distant.

You looked up at him quizzically, like you couldn't believe that was the question he was asking out of all the other possible ones, and your head shook slightly when you answered.

"Fine. It was fine. Cold…" you said absently as your fingers moved across his chest that poured heat, like you were contrasting the iciness of his current demeanor to the temperature that radiated from him rather than the difference of weather between Dunedin and Auckland. The sensation of your skin gently touching his was like torture, and it took everything in him not to rip your hands off of him.

Anders sighed through his nose and nodded his head slowly. "Good."

He felt like each time he opened his mouth, everything he had felt through the week would come spewing out, and he was determined not to disclose those flaws to you.

"How are you?" you dared ask, and all Anders could do was laugh in disbelief and shake his head. He couldn't bring himself to look you in the eye, his gaze instead focused on your hands that remained timidly on his chest.

"Absolutely perfect."

"Anders…" you pleaded, moving your head to try to meet his eyes, obviously seeing through the bullshit of his words.

"What?" he snapped, finally looking at you, his veil quick to fall and reveal the fury he wasn't very good at concealing.

"I'm sorry."

Your apology hit him like that arrow did Axl, piercing through the wall he built back up only to have it crumble down so easily, exposing his pain piece by piece. He huffed out another small laugh, his eyes darting to the side in fear that if he continued to look at you he would simply forgive you without hesitation.

He wanted to stay mad. He was furious.

His hands moved to cover his face and he swore through them, feeling so torn and deranged. He felt your hands drop from his body, and the loss of contact suddenly stung more than anything else had. His hands automatically reached for yours again, pulling you back toward him, and his eyes flickered back and forth between yours and your lips. Before he could think about what he was doing, Anders covered your mouth with his, demanding your next apology in the form of a kiss.

He was weak, Anders thought, his hands roaming your form that was ingrained in his memory and to his touch, the feel of you against him imprinted on him for eternity and quick to distract him from his earlier decision. With each pass of your tongue over his, he became more and more lured in, wanting to abolish his pain and focus on how good you made him feel and how much he knew he needed you. It was moments like this he could swear you were a goddess, the power you held outweighing the influence his own could ever have.

You hummed against him, bringing him out of his haze, his body betraying the very thing his mind was trying to prevent from happening.

Eventually you parted, both of you needing to resurface for air, drowning in each other but so desperately not wanting to stop.

Be mad, he reminded himself, but it was no use.

He had felt like a house of cards all week; the threat of toppling down from a simple pass of air looming dangerously, leaving him vulnerable and unsteady on his own. Being in your presence again reinforced him and gave him strength, the taste of your lips lingering on his awakening all the reasons why his mind could never win against his heart.

You stood staring at Anders for a moment, sharing panting breaths, your lips already feeling raw from his kiss. Was it possible his eyes had turned even bluer since the last time you saw him?

"I missed you,” he said in a hoarse whisper, the words sounding strangled, almost as if he was scared of telling you something as meaningful as that.

“I missed you, too,” you told him, observing the sincere, but struggling look on his face. Taking more of him in this time and no longer feeling as afraid to let your gaze linger on him, you noticed how tired he looked; the lines around his eyes more prominent, the blue of his irises barely disguising the dull gray that hinted at pain; all of those little details ones you could never forget regardless if after a week or a lifetime.

His proximity was enough to make you say everything that was in your heart, the words bursting to get out, his scent and radiating warmth a lethal combination without him trying, and you scolded yourself for how easy he made it to get you to talk even without the use of his powers.

Your mind pleaded for you not to say it, but as your heart hammered in your chest you could feel the words clawing their way up your throat at record speed. Swallowing thickly, your hand moved so you could trail your fingers up his cheek and across his brow and you noticed even more now the wearied, doleful presence that dulled his eyes. It seemed that each caress brought forward stifled feelings in Anders, the sadness in him switching to anger again.

"Why did you leave like that?" he demanded, his tone making your unsaid words form into a lump in your throat.

You sighed and closed your eyes, trying to find a way to help him understand exactly how he made you feel. It was always a myriad of things with him; excited, happy, whole, loved, scared. How could you begin to explain that he made you feel so good it terrified you?

When you didn't answer right away he backed away from you, a waft of cool air instantly replacing the warmth where his body had been.

Your mouth opened and then closed, and each time you parted your lips those three condemning words threatened to tumble out involuntarily, your heart and soul needing to free itself of the restraints you tried so hard to keep bound and safe.

"Because I-"

His eyebrows flew high on his head and he shrugged, his gestures exaggerated, prompting you to give him something. Your eyes followed him as he turned and walked further away from you, and as much as you wanted to follow him, your feet were rooted where you stood. When he turned back to glare at you impatiently, you finally managed to find your voice.

"I was scared, Anders!" you admitted, cowardly. How long would you be able to keep denying this for, you wondered, watching as Anders moved to lean against the back of the couch, his arms folding across his chest protectively.

"Scared of what?"

His voice was quieter than you expected it to be, and you wondered if he would coax the truth out of you whether you permitted it or not.

You sighed and dropped your head to look at the floor, not wanting to make eye contact in case the bastard did pull his powers out on you.

"You make me feel things that I have tried to avoid this whole time."

"Like what?"

You shook your head as tears stung your eyes, your tongue suddenly too big for your mouth as it desperately tried to block what you knew you wanted to say.

"What are you afraid of?" Anders asked again, this time louder, his frustration no longer disguised.

"Everything…"

You glanced up to see him push off the back of the couch to begin pacing back and forth, one of his hands covering his face as he tried to summon patience to deal with you.

"For fuck's sake," he mumbled to himself. "I thought what we had was good, effortless," he spat, stopping to look at you with honesty in his cerulean eyes, his hand motioning in the air between you. "Special…"

The last word trailed off but held so much honesty in it that your heart split open again, knowing how much damage you caused, and bile rose in your throat at the thought of it being irreparable.

"It is, Anders!"

"Then why the fuck did you leave?!"

His voice boomed through the apartment, the force behind his words triggering your own.

"Because I love you!"

A loud ringing resounded in your ears, and you felt all the blood that was in your face drain out of it only to be pumped forcefully through you again as your heart pounded ruthlessly, its beating deafening. The sound of your laboured breaths made you focus again, drowning out the blaring nothingness, a slight sense of alleviation beginning to take over your panic.

You could physically feel the binds breaking apart in your chest, your heart freed from its confines, and now that it was said, you stood waiting for the aftermath.

Anders faltered, sighed and put his hands on his hips. His expression was full of disbelief, like he didn't hear you or as if you had said something in a language he didn't understand. He looked down at the ground and pulled his bottom lip in his teeth, shifting his weight on his feet to take a step forward, but moved back again.

You kept quiet, and when he finally looked you in the eyes you could see how much emotion your confession brought out in him. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words didn't come.

Anders rubbed a hand over his face, the room so silent you could hear his palm scratch against his stubble. His mouth parted again, and this time he chuckled, but not out of humour or anger.

"Anders-" you started, but stopped when he walked toward you and cupped your cheeks, pulling you so close your lips grazed against each other.

"Please don't take it back," he pleaded, his hands holding your face so tight it was like he was making sure you wouldn't vanish along with your words.

"Never," you vowed, and his mouth connected to yours like he needed the air that was being held in your lungs.

His lips quivered ever so slightly, the smallest tremble of uncertainty and vulnerability that coursed through him unable to hide itself as it transferred onto you. You pressed against him harder, deepening your kiss to give him the surety he searched for, that you meant what you said and would never use it to trick or hurt him. He matched you with equal intensity, his tongue driving into your mouth that still tasted of your declaration, and in turn you relished in the taste and smell of him, the spiced aftertaste of scotch welcoming and familiar.

His hands moved up to cradle the back of your head, supporting you as you felt you were about to melt away under his touch, his body pressing into yours the longer you kissed as if you would simply fuse into one.

Anders moved away from your mouth, and your breathy gasp shuddered in the air as you drew a sharp inhale, the sensation of his wet lips traveling down your jawline to your neck eliciting needy moans from you. One hand returned to rest against your cheek, preventing you from pulling away as he licked at your throat, his tongue marking you with clear streaks, his lips sucking at your flesh that throbbed to the beat of your pulse. You could be lost here forever, drunk and satisfied from this alone, his tongue sending shivers through your whole body as it slowly trailed over your sensitive skin.

You clawed at his back, your nails attempting to tear through the dress shirt that covered him, feeling more desperate than ever to feel his skin on yours. He gripped under your thighs and pulled your legs up to wrap around his waist, your silent prayer being answered by him for yet another time, making you wonder if Bragi was able to read minds as well as make people obey his word.

His lips clashed with yours, sealing them together as he carried you to his room to set you down carefully on the bed. His chest heaved as he undid his buttons in a hurry, tossing the shirt somewhere in the room, and once his upper body was bare, he leaned forward and kissed you again. Your hands carded up his chest, catching in the soft, amber coils that your fingertips had longed for since you saw him last, and it seemed your touch sparked a similar impatience in him. He abruptly stood and pulled at the hem of your shirt, flicking it up and over your head only to meet you in a desperate kiss once it was discarded. His thumbs grazed across each of your cheeks in a sweeping motion that made your head spin, but not enough to stop you from working at freeing him of his pants.

Even though you were the one to do it, your heart rate sped up and arousal flooded through you at the sound of his belt unbuckling, becoming ever closer to reuniting your bodies and displaying what you felt for each other in the best way you knew how.

Anders hissed and nipped at your lower lip when you tugged his boxers down to expose his leaking cock to the cool air of his room, and he knelt between your legs and guided you to lay on the mattress, his lips still locked with yours as you slowly stroked his length.

"Fuck, why aren't you naked yet?" he growled, his cheeks red with frustration and lust when he pulled away from you to look you over. You swallowed thickly at his impatience and released his cock from your hand to shimmy out of your pants, your panties that were soiled by your slick going with them.

Anders slid his hand beneath your back and expertly unclasped your bra, roughly pulling it from you, battling with himself between wanting to take you hard to help carry out his pain, or continue with the terrifying reality of giving in to the tenderness he secretly ached for. As soon as he pressed his mouth on yours again, his decision was made, set in stone and written in the stars, his heart plunging further and further into the trap he vowed it would never get caught in. He could feel the strangled emotion bubbling up his airway - everything he fought for so long to suffocate boiling to the surface - the things he always believed he was unworthy of in front of him for the taking.

Your hips lifted and rolled, teasing the tip of his cock with your soaked core, your hands roaming across every part of his torso like you were trying to make purchase on his heart and soul, coaxing him to no longer fear bearing this part of himself to you. He felt the words choking him, and he swallowed hard and kissed your collarbone, a sound that resembled a cry he didn't recognize from himself sounding out against your skin when he opened his mouth.

Your soft whimpers brought him the focus he needed, drawing his attention back to worshiping your body, his confidence growing as he put his intentions back to the physical kind he knew he had every control over.

His tongue swiped across the curves of your breasts, making your nipples harden into pebbles, swirling his tongue and sucking until every nerve in your body was awakened with jolts of pleasure shooting through you.

Continuing to explore the body he could never get enough of, his hand slowly trailed down your waist, and lifting his hips away from you slightly, he allowed room to slip his hand between your bodies where his fingers delved in your wet folds. Slowly, he fingered you, his need for you increasing with each stroke on you; your walls clenching around him only to have him pull out to leave you vacant and eager for more.

Streetnoise crept in through the walls and window of his bedroom, and for the first time ever it felt distracting to him. Anders sat back on his knees and pulled at the sheets that lay crumpled behind him at the foot of the bed, dragging them up and over your heads as he returned to settle between your legs. You smiled at him as the sheets billowed with air around you, making his heart ache at the sight of you, knowing you were the very reason he was meant to exist in this world; as a mortal or a god, on Earth or in Asgard.

The sheets landed softly on top of him, and a comforting feeling draped over him like the high-end thread count itself, knowing that he was hidden away from everything and everyone else with you. He kissed you slowly, relishing in the fact that no one could reach either of you to judge or criticize, sheltered from denouncement and the need to defend what you had.

His cock lingered at your entrance, nestled comfortably in your folds without pushing through completely, your bodies in agreement to take their time. Anders softly broke your kiss and gazed at you, finally feeling unashamed to let his emotions show. He could feel moisture pooling at the corners of his eyes, his eyelashes damp when he blinked, and with a sigh he brought his forehead down to rest on yours.

A long moan sang out of you when he pushed inside your heat, his mouth returning to cover yours as if capturing the sound would allow him to hear it on repeat in his mind whenever he pleased. He wanted to pull these noises from you any time he was able to, wanted to wake up beside you every day and hear the words you confessed only moments ago. Being away from you only made him realize how undeniably hard he had fallen for you, and he wasn't going to let anyone convince him otherwise again.

He knew he needed you like a heart needed a beat, but even as he thrust deeper inside you, he continued to fight with himself to actually say it.

He pulled his face away from yours again, but still the words wouldn't come.

Frustration quickly began to take over, and as he pressed forcefully into you to push you to the brink, his doubts settled in around outside the sheets that shielded you.

Did you love him? Did he imagine you saying it? Was he so desperate to hear it from someone, anyone, that his mind created an illusion just so it could mock him later?

Another cry of pleasure escaped your mouth and you clenched around his cock, drawing him back. Burying his face in the crook of your neck, he increased his pace, determined to prove what he couldn't speak.

How ironic, he thought, that the God of Poetry couldn't muster the courage to answer you with those three words, even when he knew he believed them.

"Oh my god," you called out softly, swimming in pure, wanton need, his name falling from your parted lips adding to his dizziness. Your praise echoed in his ears, and while he normally basked in it, knowing you worshiped him and his divinity, he questioned if even with the use of his talent he could be convinced that all of this was real.

You couldn't even manage to make her stay using your powers, could you?

Mike's indictment hovered over him like it was floating around just outside the covers - tormenting him - making the thought of speaking seem impossible.

Were you here because you wanted to be, or did you just fall for the shit-talking god whose only appeal was the charm dripping from his lips?

Anders let out a growl that resulted from the mix of pleasure and resentment, and as if you could sense his turmoil and blatant uncertainty, you cupped his face and kissed him with purpose, allowing him to find reprieve in being with you.

He carded his hands through your hair and looked at you with a penetrating stare, his voice dropping and words sounding far-off when he spoke.

"I need you to tell me-"

He stopped, the heightened control and slight tingling sensation in his veins vanishing as quickly as it came. He blinked and when he made eye contact with you again, it felt raw, like you were looking at the most exposed version of him.

"Tell me again," he requested, his voice honest and no longer laced with anything that would sway your response.

That dream-like mist lifted in an instant, the world coming back around you rather than falling away, your body still cradled by the mattress rather than feeling like you were floating as Anders' weight pinned you against it.

You knew right away what he needed to hear, and with or without him drawing it out of you using his gift, you would say it over and over until he knew it was true.

"I love you."

It was like you had stolen his powers, for when you said it this time you could tell he believed it. His eyes danced with a light that was so full of emotion, and you found it funny how you had thought earlier that they looked the most vibrant shade of blue you had seen them yet.

Anders crashed his lips against yours again, his kiss full of fervor and meaning, pressing into you so much that you could feel your body sink into the bed even more.

He gripped one of your legs to pull it up around his waist, grinding against you harder and deeper, his determination to say to you what he couldn't with words clear in his movements. You held each other tight, your bodies seemingly closer than they ever were before, both of you lost in the best way you knew how to express your love. Your hips rolled together in a synchronized motion, repeating the same routine you'd come to know and craved so much, your whimpering increasing as Anders pawed at your flesh.

He could feel his whole body tingling with his power; his magic lingering just below the surface of his skin, latent and pulsing through him in a way he'd rarely experienced.

Wanting to write poems on your skin with his lips, he dipped his face in the hollow of your neck, allowing you to moan softly beside his ear while he attacked you with kisses and gentle nips. Unable to catch his breath with how intense of a pace he was keeping, Anders tore his lips from you, focusing on sending you both through to your end, allowing you to return the favour by lifting your head slightly off the pillow to reach his neck.

It intoxicated you further; his hot, thick skin smelling of him adding to your frenzy and catapulting you closer to the edge of ecstasy.

"Come with me," you pleaded, your voice strained and needy, squeezing his back to aid in your request.

Anders gave a curt nod, angling his hips in a way he knew would take you both to the sought after high, and dipped his head back down again to slot his mouth over yours, his deep moans of pleasure muffled as he worked with unbridled passion.

With your bodies once more tuned in to each other, you let go of the strings that were barely keeping you together, your core tightening around his cock that pulsed into your depths as blinding pleasure took over, his mouth pressing onto yours harshly as he rode out your climaxes.

Slowly rocking until the rippling heat dispersed from every limb, your kisses turned softer, focusing now on the smoothness of your tongues and recognizing just how much you had missed this.

Anders gradually stopped the entanglement of your lips, pressing a final, gentle peck on yours as he pulled back enough to allow you to see his face. You reached your hand up, using your finger to brush away a drop from his cheek you were unsure was sweat or a tear, watching as he didn't attempt to hide whatever he was feeling from you.

"I love you, Anders," you repeated, seeing the relief at being reassured in his eyes. He flashed a faint smile, enough to pull out his dimples, and as he softened and began slipping from you, he rolled off of you onto his back, pulling you into his embrace.

Anders made love to you two more times through the night, hearing you recite the poem he wrote for you out loud countless times before you were taken by sleep, his limerick bestowed into your body and given a voice to be heard only by him.

Despite his own fatigue, his addled mind betrayed him and prevented him from finding rest; the words you spoke etched into him where they burned his skin, knowing he wouldn't find sleep until he let his heart say what it needed to.

You laid tucked up against him, your head on his chest with an arm and leg draped across his body, sleeping peacefully with your mind clearly at ease. His body begged him to close his eyes, but his mind continued to spin. Happiness filled him in knowing that you did love him, but anger mixed in with it at not being able to say it back to you, leading to a level of frustration he had a hard time imagining existed; that even the god of poetry couldn't get the words to fall from his lips, words that held more power than any others he had spoken from his silver tongue.

His hand slowly trailed up and down your arm in an attempt to keep his emotions at bay, but all he really wanted to do was scream from his irritation or wake you up so he could finally tell you.

His heart hammered in his chest and he was convinced that alone would wake you, yet he still feared that even if you were to wake that very second, he wouldn't be able to get it out anyway.

Anders clenched his teeth, desperate to say it and needing you to know, the fear he felt making his cheeks flinch as he fought himself over what to do. He never wanted you to regret saying it, to be embarrassed by your admission or worried he didn't reciprocate your love, and even still his cowardice won.

Exhaling deeply in an attempt to calm his nerves, he rubbed your arm with his thumb, and shifting enough to see if you were still sleeping, he peered down at your beautiful face. You stirred slightly, but your evenly tempoed breaths continued, the only change being that you gripped your arm tighter on his waist and sighed as you nuzzled into his chest more.

“I love you,” he whispered, planting a kiss on your forehead.

His whole body coursed with adrenaline, knowing there was no hope of sleep for him now, and he smiled to himself that somehow the words didn't feel foreign on his tongue.

Anders woke with a start, realizing you were no longer beside him, your side of the bed cold. His stomach dropped and he felt panic rise in him until he heard the familiar sounds of you knocking about in the kitchen, the smell of freshly brewed coffee filling his nostrils as he drew a deep inhale.

A moment later you waltzed into the bedroom, a sweet smile adorning your face, wearing nothing but one of his dress shirts with the buttons unfastened to reveal your perfect form to him. You looked like the goddess you never had been but always were to him, holding two steaming mugs of coffee in your hands as you walked toward the bed.

"Morning," he said, his voice thick and raspy from the short but heavy sleep he had eventually succumbed to. He sat up against the headboard and shifted over a bit to make room for you to sit beside him, watching as you blew on your coffee before taking a careful sip.

"Morning, Anders," you purred, a playful glint sparkling in your eyes as you watched him over the rim of your mug before placing it down. "I figured you could use some coffee, I could tell you didn't sleep very much."

"Mm, yeah," he confirmed, absently. "Hey, come here a sec."

A very serious expression dressed his face, his eyebrows knitted closely together, and reaching for your hands that were warm from the cups, he pulled you to straddle his lap. His hands found your waist beneath his shirt, gripping you with a pressure that was gentle enough but showed his surety.

Opening his mouth to speak, he closed it again, rethinking his words, the power of Bragi seeming to fail him again. Instead, he kissed you, reaching up to cradle your face in his hands, the fervor in his kiss making you reciprocate eagerly and readjust your naked core on his lap.

Finding his courage in your touch, he broke away, his thumb landing on your lower lip to press on it gently before looking into your eyes.

Your name slipped off the curve of his lips, instantly spreading a dream-like warmth over you, your eyes locked on his as he began to speak in his soft, languid voice.

"I love you."

Feeling Bragi flit away, you blinked a couple of times, your heart racing, and your breath hitched in your throat as you did your best to comprehend what Anders said to you in your stunned state.

"I love you," he repeated, in his own voice this time, the help of Bragi missing from his words. "I love you as Bragi, and I love you as just me."

Tears stung your eyes, and as you grinned a beaming smile, a few fell on your cheeks. Cupping his scruffy cheeks in your hands, you kissed him, trying to buy yourself a moment of composure before trying to speak.

"You’re never just you. You’re everything. My god. My Bragi. My Anders."

He chuckled, the sound making your heart swell as much as the happiness on his face did, and tipping your head slightly, you said five words you never thought you would have the chance to utter.

"I love you, too, Anders."

---

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[hxlyhoax]

Crush Culture

Steve Harrington x Reader

Season 3

prompt: “i’m about to do something stupid” “you’re always doing something stupid so how’s it any different?” - found on pinterest.

warning(s): the ending is pretty whack ?!? but that’s about it I think , if there’s anything you think I should add let me know :)

@m-rae23

━━━━━ © hxlyhoax 2022 do not steal, post on third party sites or translate my work. I do not own the rights to Stranger Things or any of the canon characters mentioned.

You sat in the back, reading a book, so engrossed you didn’t notice your friend and co-worker entering the small break area. “Robin’s finally here.” Steve announced, sitting down across from you, frowning when you didn’t answer. “Hey.”

Steve sighed, moving his arm, tapping your arm, resulting in you jumping, “Huh” you looked up, wide eyed, looking the boy in the eyes. “Sorry for scaring you.” he pouted, “Didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay.” you nodded, going to get up, “Robin’s working now, you don’t have to go out.”

“Oh.” you nodded, settling back into your seat, leaning back. “So how’s the book.” he asked, “It’s alright.” you shrugged, “Boring.”

“Then why are you reading it?” he questioned, tilting his head, “Because I can’t leave anything unfinished.”

“Oh.” he nodded, biting his lip, staring at you, eyes scanning over your face as you began reading again, a comfortable silence filling the room, while he admired you, smiling softly, imagining scenarios he believed would never happen in real time.

“I’m about to do something stupid” he blurted out, making you raise an eyebrow, continuing to read, “You’re always doing something stupid so how’s it any different?” you responded, before looking up at the boy who was pushing your book down, leaning in, kissing you.

Your eyes widened, out of the stupid scenarios that could occur, you weren’t expecting this one, but you still kissed back nonetheless, placing your hands on his cheeks, while he smiled, before hearing a gasp and scream.

“Oh. My. God.” Dustin let out, standing at the doorway, while Robin stood behind him. “Holy shit.” Dustin spoke again, looking at both you and Steve who looked like a deer in headlights. “Anyone want to fill us in?” Robin questioned, “The book you suggested is really boring.” you smiled innocently, leaning back, away from Steve who sat back in his seat.

“Oh, I know.” Robin nodded, “Worst read of my life, but that’s now what i’m talking about and you know it.”

“How the hell did that happen?” Dustin asked, pointing between the both of you. “Because Steve has no game whatsoever.”

“Hey!”

“It’s the truth.” Robin added, holding back a smile, while Steve rolled his eyes, crossing his arms like a child.

“Y/n.”

“Robin.”

“What happen in the five minutes since he walked back there.”

You only shrugged, “That’s our business.”

Steve looked at you, hint of a smile on his face, “Please don’t tell me you fell for a dumb pick up line, I had faith in you.” Dustin whined, watching as you shook your head, “No, I didn’t.”

Robin was about to say something but the sound of the bell interrupted her, making her turn your head, seeing Erica and her crew standing there, “What is it today Erica.” the girl sighed, walking to the counter, while Dustin sat down in between both you and Steve, “So what happen?” he smiled, putting his hands under his chin.

“I made the first move.” Steve muttered, answering the question, looking at you, “Yeah, but how?”

“Said I was going to do something stupid, then leaned in and they kissed back.”

Dustin shook his head, “Well, it’s about time my parents got together.”

“Huh?” You looked at the younger boy, confused, because why is the boy you just met not even a week ago calling you his “parent” ?

“Oh, nothing.” He smiled innocently, sighing at the look you were still giving him. “Fine, if you really need to know.” Dustin began, looking at Steve then back to you, “You are our, as in, Mine, Max, Lucas, Will, and Mike’s second favorite person to ever exist really.”

“Second to who?”

“Me, obviously.” Steve smiled, smugly, pointing to himself,

“I regret kissing back.”

“No you don’t.” Steve and Dustin said in unison.