#mike stop looking bashful

[theatticosm]

what the ao3 were these writers on im freaking losing it MIKE YOUR LINE DELIVERY IS NOT HELPING

[clioerato]

The Language of Steve Harrington’s Feelings

After everything — the underground base, the torture, the screaming, the bloody teeth, another concussion, and that awful, bleach-heavy smell that lingered in memory — Steve started learning Russian. Just… because. Because when you survive torture, when no one understands the words you’re screaming, you simply want to be able to speak.

And to be understood. Or not understood — that too.

He studied from old textbooks. Ordered cassettes and grammar guides, repeating harsh, growling words until they turned into honey and milk on his tongue. He scribbled awkward letters that, over time, became a graceful Cyrillic flow.

Steve didn’t tell anyone. Not Robin, not Nancy, not even Dustin. There weren’t any Russian language experts in Hawkins, and no real reason to speak it, so it was easy to keep his little hobby tucked away at home. He didn’t even use the local library — just occasionally bought books with his father’s money. (He secretly hoped some government official would start wondering why John Harrington suddenly took an interest in the USSR. But that, of course, belonged more to the realm of unlikely fantasies.)

Two years passed, and it became a habit.

He’d start thinking in Russian when he wanted to hide from his own thoughts. And speaking it — quietly, when no one was around. Or even when they were, but couldn’t understand.

One day he saw Nancy and Jonathan in the park. They were laughing. Holding hands. Jonathan had that rare look of confidence on his face, and Nancy… she had a softness in her smile, a gentleness in her eyes. Their happiness scorched Steve with quiet bitterness. He didn’t love Nancy anymore — not in that way — and he loved Jonathan, if anything, like a friend. But his feelings almost lifted its heavy head and made him whisper:

"Я завидую тебе. Мне до сих пор больно из-за того, что ты сделала тогда со мной на вечеринке" (“I envy you. It still hurts, what you did to me at that party.”)

And no one understood. And that was… a relief.

From then on, Russian became his emotional purge. He’d whisper, "Если бы ты только знал, как я устал" (“If only you knew how tired I am,”) when Mike begged for a ride even after two shifts and three sleepless nights. Of course, Steve would still pick him up. He’d mutter "Придурок" (“dumb-ass”) in Russian to particularly rude customers at Family Video and smile broadly when Robin wasn’t on shift. His father, in the private corridors of Steve’s thoughts, was officially renamed “Сэр мудозвон” ("Sir fuck-nugget") Russian swearing hit just as hard as drugs.

And then… there was Eddie.

Eddie became something like a permanent hallucination. Always there. Loud, alive, real. And that… was dangerous.

Steve, who had long stopped feeling in English, stumbled one day in a Russian-English dictionary on the word "любовь" (love), and froze.

Nothing changed in the way he behaved, but his vocabulary shifted.

Sometimes, when Eddie sat beside him, loudly sipping soda, feet kicked up on the table, calling Steve pretty boy, Steve would turn away and whisper:

“Отвяжись, я тебя умоляю!

Вечер страшен, гул жизни затих.

Я беспомощен. Я умираю

от слепых наплываний твоих.” (Набоков)

(“Leave me alone, I’m begging you. The night is terrifying, the hum of life is still. I’m helpless. I am dying from your blind surging will.” (Nabokov))*

Or he’d murmur:

"Я бы хотел, чтобы ты знал" (“I wish you knew.”)

It all came out by accident.

Summer. A quiet evening. The Party threw a backyard bash — barbecue, lemonade, beer for the grown-ups, sunscreen in the air, fireflies. Everyone had gone. Nancy and Robin, freshly licensed, had dropped the kids off. Only Steve, Eddie, and Hopper remained — the latter fiddling with the Jeep, not in any hurry.

Steve was tired — the kids had been extra energetic, and sleep had been a stranger lately. Slightly drunk, which was rare, but Hopper had promised them a ride home. Disheveled.

He watched Eddie walk toward the woods with his guitar, and without thinking, not even loud enough to be heard, he said:

"Я люблю тебя. Ты же никогда не узнаешь, да?" (“I love you. You’ll never know, will you?”)

Nothing happened.

The world didn’t explode. No cicadas stopped singing.Hopper sighed, slammed the hood of the Jeep, and called them over.

Nothing happened. But before he dropped Steve off, Hopper said quietly:

"Знаешь, парень… ему ты можешь это сказать и на английском." (“You know, kid… you could tell him. In English.”)

Steve froze. Turned his head. Hopper was looking at him — not judging, just calm. Understanding.

Steve lowered his gaze.

“I didn’t want anyone to know. It’s easier that way. I… didn’t think you knew Russian.”

“You’re not the only one who had a wild time back in ‘84,” Hopper replied with a shrug. “I don’t know much — just the basics. But "Привет" (‘hello,’) "Пока" (‘goodbye,’) "Сдавайся!" (‘give up the fight’) and "Я люблю тебя" (‘I love you’) I can still recognize. And listen, Steve… that’s your choice. But him? You can definitely tell him.”

Steve nodded. Said nothing. Just turned away.

Hopper watches them for another month. He doesn’t look at Steve—Steve is already clear to him. He watches Eddie. Watches how Eddie smiles only at Steve. How he jokes a little too nervously, as if afraid of how Steve might react. How he leans toward Steve more than toward anyone else.

That’s all Hopper needs. One day, he catches Eddie by the trailer park and hands him a battered book, a creased notebook filled with scribbled notes, and a worn-out cassette tape.

"Hopper? What’s this?" Eddie asks, uncertain, not quite sure how to deal with the former sheriff without a bunch of kids around.

"You’ll find out if you want to find out," Hopper says simply and turns to leave.

Eddie stands in the doorway, holding a Russian language textbook.

—

The next time Steve says " Я люблю тебя" (“I love you”) they’re sitting in his backyard. Summer is in full bloom, and the world feels quiet for once—no monsters, no missions, no kids who need constant supervision. Just sunlight and the sound of cicadas.

Eddie is covered with drop of water and tattoos, halfway through a story about the one inked on his chest.

Steve says it in a whisper “Я люблю тебя.” ("I love you") Soft. Natural. Because he’s used to thinking in Russian when the feelings are too big for English.

He doesn’t even notice the shift at first— Not until Eddie’s face flickers, like something fragile just cracked. Steve’s heart skips. Panic bubbles up. Then— A push to the chest, sudden and strong. Followed by a kiss. Desperate. Breath-stealing. So intense Steve forgets how to breathe.

"...what?" Steve whispers, dazed, still not quite caught up.

"Harrington, you’re a damn mystery." Eddie’s voice is hoarse, a little wild.

"Я люблю тебя тоже" ("I love you too.")**

*It's not really a love poem and damn me, I shouldn't be translating Nabokov. Sorry. **It would be more correct to say "Я тоже тебя люблю" (like “I too love you”), but let's assume that Eddie uses the correct words, but puts the words as in English grammar.

*** It started as the language of pain and ended as the language of love because Steve deserves it.

[steddiealltheway]

Eddie chronically leaves his rings at Steve’s place to the point that Steve checks the bathroom and kitchen sink every time after he leaves, only to find one of them there every time.

Not that Steve is entirely complaining since this means he gets to call him and Eddie gets to stop by on his own to pick them up.

But when they’re at the Wheeler’s place, and Eddie says he’s going to the bathroom, Steve says, “Be careful not to leave one of your rings behind,” with a wink that has the kids exchanging confused looks. But Steve doesn’t notice because he’s too distracted by the light blush coloring Eddie’s cheeks.

“Why would Eddie leave one of his rings behind?” Dustin asks Steve when Eddie’s out of earshot.

Steve laughs. “He leaves one behind every time he washes his hands I swear. I don’t know how he hasn’t lost one at this point.” But his amusement is quick to die down when he realizes the kids are staring at him as if he’s absolutely insane. “What?”

They all glance at each other, and Steve is surprised when Mike is the first to pipe in, “He never leaves them anywhere. They’re like his prized possession. I’ve never even seen him take them off.”

Steve frowns and glances around at everyone, sensing that there’s definitely something he’s missing, so he’s quick to lie, “Well, I guess it was only once or twice that it happened. Maybe it was my fancy soap. Made things too… slippery.”

He gets a few eye rolls at the comment, but the group is quick to move on especially when Eddie comes back a few moments later with all his rings on his hands.

Steve gives him a quick smile, and Eddie is quick to return it, eyes lingering on him for a few seconds longer than necessary and the same blush from earlier returning.

It hits Steve very suddenly.

The rings are an excuse to come back.

And with this knowledge, Steve’s let’s his own gaze linger on Eddie longer than he usually allows, moving into his space more often than not, and carefully keeping track of time, waiting for the hang out to end.

When it finally comes to a halt, Steve is quick to say his goodbyes, hoping that Eddie will join and let the kids have their unnecessarily prolonged goodbyes in private. And luckily, Eddie is quick to move out of the basement, following after Steve in a way that’s supposed to look causal but is anything but casual now that Steve knows to look for the signs.

When he and Eddie silently go out the front door, Steve is quick to turn to him and hold out his hand. Eddie gives him a confused look but offers his hand which Steve takes and slides one of the rings off of.

Eddie stares at it for a moment, looking slightly frightened, as if he’s been caught doing something he isn’t supposed to.

Steve is quick to soothe the fear as he pockets the ring and says, “Just so you’ll have an excuse to stop by later tonight.”

Eddie’s cheeks flush bright red and he runs a hand over his face. “Shit.”

Steve laughs, “So it has been on purpose?”

“No,” Eddie clearly lies, pulling a strand of hair in front of his face.

“And what if I told you I wanted it to be on purpose?” Steve asks.

Eddie freezes for a moment as if he’s waiting for Steve to tell him that he’s joking, but Steve sits in the silence, letting the question settle between them.

“Then,” Eddie starts, taking a small step forward into Steve’s space, “I would-”

The door behind them bursts open and Dustin yells, “Hurry up I have a curfew!” as he races off to Steve’s car.

Steve rolls his eyes at the kid and takes a step back as everyone else makes their way out the door to the cars or their bikes.

Steve and Eddie linger behind for a moment, which Steve uses to quietly ask, “I’ll see you tonight?”

Eddie gives him a bashful smile in return and nods. “Yeah, I’ll see you tonight.”

Steve resists the urge to celebrate in any way in front of the kids and instead puts his hand in his pocket, fingers curling around Eddie’s ring.

As he gets into his car, ignoring Dustin bitching and complaining, he slips the ring over his finger and smiles at it.

He notices the car go quiet and he nearly groans at his mistake.

“Is that Eddie’s ring?” Dustin screeches.

It’s going to be a long drive home, but Steve doesn’t mind when he has Eddie to look forward to.

[nymphus-fan-account]

Jealous Mike fic recs

made by nymphy

eyecatcher by smoosnoom (moonsooms) | 9k words

“Nah, man,” Lucas shakes his head, leaning back as he snacks on an apple, “he got, like, buff. Do you see his arms?”

Mike does, in fact, see Will’s arms. He has not stopped seeing his arms.

“She definitely sees his arms,” Dustin very unhelpfully points out, waggling his eyebrows, and Mike gets the overwhelming urge to bash his own head in.

OR

While volunteering at the Hawkins' help center, it seems like every girl around has a newfound interest in Will Byers, and Mike doesn't like it.

Comedy gold 😭 I love moon's works so much

All I wanted was you by regretcassette | 8k words

Will gets asked out on a date, naturally Mike comes along to keep everything safe. Ft. Seventeen year Olds, rain fight parallels, jealous Mike Wheeler, unrequited affection but its not between byler lol

You tell me, haven't read it

Operation Wax by draconabraxas | 41k words | 8/? chapters, still updating

After a humiliating homophobic verbal attack against Will, Max and Will decided that enough was enough. Being anything but straight was dangerous in a place like Hawkins, and the only way out of the spotlight was to blend in.

Will just wished that Max didn't name their plan Operation Wax.

OR

Will and Max fake date as a way to stay safe in the closet and accidentally cause a civil war within the Party.

Madwise fake dating and creating a drama?!! I'm so here for it.

closeface by miketozier (smallcuts) | 13k words

“You said I was bad at managing my time between my girlfriend and my best friend but you’re basically doing the same thing.”

“Girlfriend?!” Will spits out, thoroughly shell-shocked.

“I don’t get it! You could’ve told me you had a crush on someone, I would’ve—and when did you ever talk to Robin? You move to California and all of a sudden you’ve got all these girls hanging off of you and you’re interested in older girls—“ Mike’s voice embarrassingly cracks. He decides to quit while he’s ahead before he delves into the forbidden.

OR

In the wake of the apocalypse, Will befriends Robin and Mike thinks they're dating BYE. (ft. Paintinggate)

LMAOO this poor boy (haven't read it)

It's just polyester by mayfixlds, okwillthewise | 60k words | 13/13 chapters

“I just can’t believe he’s got a boyfriend and-”

“It’s not you?” Max smacks on the lollipop

OR

Will gets a boyfriend and Mike gets jealous.

Be the Boy by blueremedy | 17k words

“Jonathan…” His voice was high and resigned. “You know there’s no way I could do that. There’s no point—he likes girls. Plus, he’s going through a break up. And all this Vecna bullshit…” He sighed heavily, voice crumpling up like a tin can the more he spoke. “The last thing he needs is me burdening him further with my lame crush.”

In a blink Mike snatched up the walkie with trembling hands, shoving the plastic brick’s speaker hard against his ear. So. El was right. Will did have a crush after all.

OR

Mike's nosy ass hears something he shouldn't and he gets jealous of himself

Read it a few times before going to sleep. Very cute and fluffy 💕

i think we're alone now by lumism | 3.5 k words

“Whatever," Lucas shrugs. "You’re just jealous that you aren’t getting any.”

Mike raises an eyebrow, like he knows something the rest of them don't. Will looks like he wants to drown him. He probably deserves it.

OR

Will has a love bite, the Party freaks out about it, and Mike is jealous of himself

And another fic where Mike gets jealous of himself. I'll be honest, I don't remember the plot but I remember getting many positive emotions

Everything comes back to you by wasabi8000 | 120k words | 26/26 chapters

The world is ending, which means for the time being, Will is living at the Wheeler’s house with Mike and El. Which means his life is once again a third-wheeling roller rink nightmare, and he’s basically invisible to Mike.

Until Jonathan gives him $20 to go to an art sale, and he meets Tobias, a guy just as into art as he is.

It’s not long before him and Tobias start dating.

And then suddenly, Mike’s paying attention to him after all.

OR

Will gets a boyfriend. Mike doesn’t like it.

TWENTY SIX?? 🤯 I could never. Maybe I should try though

Jealousy (turning saints into the sea) by wasabi8000

Will has had to watch Mike and Eleven for years, and as much as it kills him, he's learned to accept it.

He's also accepted that for the time being, no one has really shown much interest in him. And he's fine with that.

Until they pull off at a gas station and a random guy hits on Will.

OR

The one where Mike finally gets jealous.

Hehehehehehehe

💌

Have a good read!

[sunflowergirl522]

M'Lady, M'Lord

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Reader

Summary: Eddie’s smitten from the moment he sees you playing pirates with your brother.

Word Count: 5176

Eddie Masterlist

The first time Eddie laid eyes on you it was basically game over for him. You were dressed as pirates with your younger brother sword fighting in the park where Mike tricked Eddie into having a Hellfire meeting purely because he had to help Nancy watch Holly. Each time they had to pause so he could take his turn playing with her or pushing her on a swing Eddie’s attention went straight to you. Once you had your brother on a fake plank, sword pointed at him looking triumphant and the next time he looked over your wooden sword was knocked out of your hands that were being held up in surrender.

Your family was new to town and after days of your brother begging you about going out instead of unpacking you agreed. Which led him to immediately ask if the two of you could play pirates when you got to the park not far from your house. You weren’t expecting there to be a group of boys playing a game at one of the picnic tables when you got there or to become so intrigued with the story the boy with curly hair was weaving that Henry actually got the upper hand on you instead of you letting him get it like you normally do.

“Come on Y/n, you weren’t even trying that time!” Your hands go up in surrender and in an apology.

“Sorry little man, just got a little distracted is all. Won’t happen again scouts honor!” And you lose yourself in the game once more, not even glancing back over at the group of boys knowing you’ll get sucked in again.

Eddie doesn’t know it’s game over for him till the second time he sees you. He was stuck cleaning up by himself after Hellfire having yet another meeting at the park because his friends liked having it outside with how nice the summers been this year. He was just leaving the table when he spotted you sitting in a fucking tree headphones on book in hand and not a care in the world. Your bandana matched your brown flowy skirt and your black cami hugged your body like a second skin. He couldn’t help himself from approaching you. Luckily you spot him approaching and rest the headphones around your neck in case he was going to try to talk to you.

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing up in a tree?” You shrug marking your place in your book and resting it on your raised knee.

“What’s a pretty boy like you doing at a park in the middle of the afternoon?” Eddie freezes not expecting you to flirt back with him so quickly. “It’s just peaceful up here. I really gotta get home though so thanks for saying something.” You add in after realizing how long you’ve been here. When you jump down Eddie near has a heart attack worrying you’ll hurt yourself and surges forward to catch you. A fact that you notice and can’t help but smile and feel warm inside at the thought of someone caring about your safety that much.

Time seems to freeze as you look up at him and your eyes meet his widened chocolate brown ones. His mouth stays slightly parted as he takes you in soft curves and all now that you’re standing in front of him. While his eyes roam up and down your body you just can’t stop staring into them wondering how you’ve never seen such pretty eyes before.

“Hi.”

“Hi, I’m Y/n.”

“Hi.” His voice is breathless and it doesn’t seem like he was paying much attention to what you said. Your giggles at the fact are what seem to wake him from the daze you put him in. “Sorry you’re just, you’re so much prettier up close.” Heat crawls up your neck and you become bashful quicker than you ever have in your life.

“Thanks.” You start walking and he’s quick to follow you swinging his bag of DnD stuff back over his shoulder.

“I saw you here the other week with your brother?”

“Yeah, I saw you too, playing that game with your friends. That was Dungeons and Dragons right?” He’s almost left speechless at how you know about his favorite pastime.

“Dungeons and Dragons, yeah. You know about it?”

“A little, I had friends who played it before we moved here but I just didn’t have the attention span for it. Most of the time I’d bring a book and watch them play.”

“Are you walking?” Eddie asks when you keep walking past the parking lot getting completely distracted from what he originally wanted to ask.

“Yeah, I’m not too far.”

“Do you want a ride?” He points over his shoulder with his thumb to his van.

“If I say yes, are you going to serial kill me?”

“Guess you’ll have to say yes to find out Princess.” He winks but also then doubts his words almost immediately because the two of you are strangers,

“Hm, alright.” You take the journey of a couple  of feet to stop in front of him. “I like to live on the edge anyway so lead the way.”

“M’lady.” Eddie bows as he opens the passenger side door and holds it open for you.

“M’lord.” You’re quick to play along, adding a curtsy before hopping in and stunning Eddie once more. He mouths ‘wow’ before shutting the door and rushing around to his side. 

When he starts the van he’s so unbelievably relieved that he turned the radio off because otherwise his music would’ve been blasting. You let him know your street and he starts to back out of the parking spot. He almost stops the whole car when he spots the book you rest in your lap as you unwrap your headphones from your body and unclip your walkman. It’s silent in the van as Eddie untwists his tongue to comment on it.

“You’re reading Lord of The Rings?” He clears his throat before he speaks, only glancing at you out of the corner of his eye while he drives.

“Yeah, it’s one of my absolute favorite series. Have you read it?”

“Only a million times!” Despite his excited words it’s at this moment that Eddie knows he’s absolutely screwed. Especially with how you light up and start talking about your favorite characters and parts of the story.

The next time you see Eddie is at Family Video just a handful of days later. You brought Henry to pick out a couple movies for sibling bonding movie night, a night you created for the days your mom worked late to distract him from the fact of not seeing her. It was invented when he was younger and unsure as to why she was gone, you found him crying in her room thinking she left the two of you like his dad did, and it’s just become a norm now neither one of you would miss it for the world.

“Eddie?” You’re moving around the store looking for him when you spot Eddie stocking movies with the green vest on. He nearly drops all the tapes in his hands at the sound of your voice.

“Hey Princess! What’re you doing here?” 

“Movie night.” You hold up The Muppet Movie to show the reason even though he still hasn’t looked away from his task. “You work here?”

“Sadly I do.”

“Good thing you do, otherwise who knows when we would’ve seen each other again.” He looks at you then and you look like an angel standing there in front of the window, the sunset making it seem like you’re absolutely glowing and he’s speechless for a moment. You’re in another flowy skirt, green this time with yet another matching bandana, but this time you’re in a white long sleeved shirt that flares at the end of the sleeves. You’re beautiful.

“You haven’t seen my brother around have you? He’s about ye high, looks a little bit like me, cowboy hat on.” 

“Yeah, I reckon he’s over yonder in horror.” Eddie cringes at his stupid decision to do a silly cowboy impersonation but when you start laughing at it he knows he’d do it again in a heartbeat.

“Thanks!” You leave then and Eddie hurries up with stocking the shelf to rush to the counter so he can be the one to ring you out.

“Move Harrington!”  He all but shoves Steve away from the counter he was leaning on bored.

“Woah, what has you suddenly wanting to do your job Munson?”

“If you stop pouting about it we can go to the arcade tomorrow.” Your voice greets both boys behind the counter as you round the corner of aisles.

“You mean it?” Your brother rushes to your side and follows close to you up to the counter. Steve watches you get closer and then how his friend seems to get more and more jittery with each step you take. He holds back the chuckle that wants to escape as he takes it in and instead just shakes his head choosing to lean against the other counter arms crossed over his chest.

“Course I do. I haven’t been able to get the Burgertime high score yet.” You place the movies on the counter before turning your attention and soft smile over to Eddie. “Hello again.”

“Hi. You find everything okay?” 

“Easy peasy lemon squeezy.” You beam at him and even Steve is stunned by it for a second.

“So The Muppets and The Thing huh? That’s an interesting combo.”

“What can I say? We have a wide berth of interests.” You shrug and then motion to your brother. “He was stuck between Thing and Poltergeist but last time we watched it he had to sleep either in my room or with all the lights on for a week.”

“You can’t just tell people that!”

“It’s alright cowboy, I’ll keep your secret.” Eddie tips an imaginary hat to him while you dig around your saggy brown tote bag for your wallet.

“Oh, Eddie this is my brother Henry, Hens this is my new friend Eddie.” 

“Howdy partner.” Eddie's mock cowboy voice comes out again and it earns him another wonderful laugh from you, a beaming smile from Henry, and a ‘I can’t believe you just did that’ laugh from Steve. He goes pink at hearing Steve’s laugh having forgotten he was there while your eyes dart over to the other boy behind the counter.

“Oh hello.” You greet him a shy smile on your face and a small wave after handing Eddie the cash for the movies.

“Steve Harrington.” He holds his hand out for you to shake which you do once getting your change back.

“Y/n Y/l/n.” 

“That’s a pretty name.” Steve throws on his best flirty smile and Eddie resists the urge to roll his eyes.

“Thanks.” Eddie wants to stick his tongue out at his friend at how uninterested you seem in him. “Oh Eddie, do you have a pen I could use?” He nods and hands you one of the loose ones behind the counter that’s missing a cap. You grab his wrist before he can pull it away and shove his long sleeve up writing your number along the inside of his arm. “Should’ve done this the other day but now we don’t have to just happen upon each other.”

“Thanks Princess, I’ll be sure to use it.”

“You better.” You look up at him and wink before stepping back. “Alright Hens, let's go get some snacks.” You shove the VHS tapes into your bag and push on the back of his shoulders to get him to lead the way out of the store.

“What the hell just happened?” Steve asks once you’re gone and turns to his friend who’s busy smiling at the writing on his arm.

“That my dear friend was my turn getting the girl.” He beams as he proudly shows off that you added a heart after your number.

Eddie doesn’t call you the days after giving him your number. And he wasn’t working the day you went to return the movies so you were beginning to think maybe you came off too strong or you read the vibes wrong. You were trying not to let it get to you but it was hard because you at least wanted to have Eddie as a friend.

“Woah, hey there Princess.” His voice graces your ears and his warm hands consume your shoulders as he stops you where you are. You look up from where you were digging around in your bag trying to find your keys and find that your nose is probably an inch away from his chest. “You should probably watch where you’re going before you trip or walk into something.” You’re quick to figure out that you were about to walk into him on your way out of  the shop.

“Sorry Eddie, got lost in thought. How’re you?”

“Good, good. Hey I’ve been meaning to call ya.” He brings his hand up to rub the back of his neck and you fight with yourself to not look when his shirt rides up revealing the smallest sliver of tummy.

“Oh?” You genuinely don’t know what to say with how genuine he sounds. 

“My friends and I do this movie night thing once a week, was wonderin if maybe you wanted to come?” You open your mouth to respond but he keeps talking. “I was gonna grow some balls and finally call you after I picked up the movie since it’s tonight. I just haven’t called you yet because everytime I go to pick up the phone I chicken out. You’re just so pretty and you’re really cool and you love Lord of The Rings which is like the biggest deal to me.” Your giggles interrupt Eddie and he freezes eyes wide as he stares at you.

“I’d love to come to movie night with you and your friends.” You reach out to hold onto his arm to help get him to stop talking.

“Really?”

“Really. What’s the movie?” You retract your hand and go back to digging to the bottom of your bag and Eddie immediately misses your touch.

“The Fly, we went to see it when it was in theaters but the kids weren’t able to come with us and finally convinced Steve to watch it again.”

“That has Jeff Goldblum in it right?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure at least.”

“Oh I’m definitely in then!” Your fingers hook through your key ring and pull them out a triumphant smile on your face. “When and where?”

“I’ll pick you up around seven?”

“Sounds great!” You start to move around him and he turns to get the door for you.

“M’lady.”

“M’lord.” You beam at him as you leave the store and Eddie swears his world gets dimmer when you turn away from him.

Eddie shows up at your door at exactly seven o'clock on the dot. He hesitates for a minute before knocking on the door nervous for if he might meet your parents or not. When he does he can hear a muffled yell before someone runs to the door. Henry’s the one who opens it.

“Y/n’s in the kitchen.” Is all he says before leaving the door open and disappearing into the living room. 

Eddie stays in the doorway for a minute unsure if he should just walk into your home before deciding to go in if only to shut the door. Ultimately he decides to find you so he doesn’t feel awkward in the entranceway. He finds you washing dishes in a kitchen that smells like freshly baked cookies.

“Hi Eddie.” You greet him as you place the big plastic bowl you were washing on the drying rack and grabbing the dish towel on the counter to dry your hands. 

“Hey Princess, not to rush you or anything but you ready to go?” 

“Yeah, I just gotta say bye to Henry first. Can you hold this for me real quick?” You hand him your tote on your way into the living room where you know your shoes are.

“What are you packing in here Sweetheart? It’s way heavier than I thought it’d be?” He could just peek in and see but he doesn't want to be rude or invade your privacy.

“Oh! I baked cookies so I hope all your friends like chocolate chip.” You fall onto the couch next to Henry, who’s snacking on some of said cookies and watching Transformers, to pull your sneakers on.

“You really didn’t have to do that. Now they’ll never want you to leave.”

“That’s the point.” You smile at him standing up and taking your bag back before turning to Henry. “Are you sure you’re good if I leave?” You lean down to speak softly to him, voice low enough that Eddie barely hears it. As much as you want to go tonight if he were to say he wanted to hang with you, you’d stay. 

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Be good, if you need anything call me. Eddie, can you write down the number for whatever house we’ll be at?”

“Yeah, course.” He immediately searches for paper and a pen.

“Mom will probably be asleep for the rest of the night so I need you to be responsible, go to bed at a decent time, don’t stay up till I get home because I don’t know when that’ll be.” It’s something he often did when you went out with friends worrying about if you would come back. 

“Number’s right here.” Eddie places the piece of paper he found on the coffee table in front of Henry.

“Alright, bye Henners, love you.” You duck down to hug him and place a kiss on his head.

“Love you too.” 

“See ya cowboy.” Eddie says waving as he follows you out of the room and the house. Once outside he beats you to the van holding your door open for you.

“So you two seem to have a good relationship.” Eddie says about halfway to Steve’s house about you and your brother.

“Yeah.” You’re silent for a beat before turning to look at Eddie. “Sorry if he seems a little standoffish towards you, he has issues getting close to people when he doesn’t know if they’ll stick around.”

“It’s fine, really. I’m not always the quickest to accept people into my life either.” 

“Hmm I’d say you were with how quick you brought me into it.” You’re teasing but you can sense the truth in his words and he gives off the vibe of someone who just has one small group of people he’s close with.

“Ah you were a special case though. A pretty girl who plays pirates and reads Lord of The Rings? I had to scoop you up before anyone else could.” 

“I play cowboys and cops and robbers too.” You speak just as Eddie parks and he’s able to turn his whole body to face you.

“Careful Princess before you steal even more of my heart.”

“Just wait till you hear about my ren faire costumes.” You wink before opening your door. “Now c’mon so you can introduce me to everyone.” Eddie’s frozen there for a couple seconds, mouth partly open. Everytime he thinks you can’t possibly get any better you go and prove him wrong. He can just imagine you dressed up as an elf or an actual princess.

Once he breaks out of it he’s quick to follow you out of the van and lead you to Steve’s front door. He goes straight in grabbing your hand as he does so to steer you through the big house to the basement where they always have movie nights. The sound of his friends' voices greet the two of you as soon as he opens the basement door.

“Eddie’s here!” Robin announces as she peers up the stairs in passing. “And it looks like he brought someone.” There’s a chorus of ‘ooo’s and Eddie rolls his eyes, shaking the urge to sweep you away and keep you to himself. 

“Did Eddie finally get a girlfriend?” He can barely hear El’s quiet question but it makes him go red all the same wondering if you heard it too.

“Hey guys, this is Y/n.” He introduces you once you’re both at the bottom of the stairs motioning to you with the hand that isn’t holding onto your own. 

“Hello.” You wave with your free hand and hold onto Eddie’s a little tighter with your other at seeing all the eyes on you.

“Y/n this is Robin, Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Will, El, Max, and you’ve met Steve before.” He leans down to whisper in your ear then. “Careful around the kids they might imprint on you like baby ducks the way they did Steve and I.” You smile and shove him away at the joke taking your hand back.

“I brought cookies. Think of it as a peace offering of sorts.” You reach into your tote and pull out a big tupperware that Eddie can’t help but wonder how it fit inside.

“I’ll take that.” Robin comes over and takes it out of your hand before grabbing your wrist to pull you over to the couch. “Come join the party we were just about to start the movie.” You sit next to Robin at the end of the couch. As soon as she opens the container Dustin’s reaching up and over laps to get some from his spot on the floor next to Steve who’s at Robin's feet. He groans in delight as soon as he takes a bite and you can’t stop the smile from forming on your face.

“These are the best cookies I’ve ever had!” Eddie whistles as he takes his seat on the floor beneath you.

“That’s really saying something with how good your moms cooking and baking is.” He reaches up and grabs his own before Mike steals the container to take over to the couch he’s sharing with Lucas and the girls. “Oh my God.” Eddie says with his mouth full throwing his head back as the taste of what seems to be the perfect cookie completely envelopes his mouth.

“Is that a good oh my god?” You ask in a timid soft voice leaning over so your head was positioned right above where Eddie threw his on the couch between your legs.

“Princess, this is the best thing I think I’ve ever eaten.” You visibly light up at his praise. A wide smile overtakes your face and your eyes shine and it makes Eddie do the same. There’s a chorus of agreement to Eddie’s words but the two of you are so lost in eachothers eyes that you don’t pay them any attention. 

“Eddie, you better bring your girlfriend around all the time if she’s gonna be bringing more of this stuff.” Lucas says reaching into the container as Steve starts the movie. 

“Shut up and stop hogging them, pass em over.” Mike hands them to Eddie while he’s up to turn the lights off and neither of you correct Lucas.

It’s a little after eleven when Eddie pulls into your driveway. After the movie ended Robin immediately started to ask you questions about yourself, Max joining soon after making Steve move so she can take his spot. You happily answered, asking questions right back almost giddy with the thought of making friends so soon after moving here. 

Eddie had chimed in here and there like when Mike asked when the two of you met. “You assholes abandoned me after the last Hellfire meeting and I found her in a tree.” Or when you answered a question about your music taste, saying you liked Blondie and the Bee Gees. “What about Motorhead or Judas Priest?” And when you shrugged and told him you’d never heard of them he mocked injury, falling over and pulling the imaginary sword from his heart.

“That was fun.” You say to Eddie as you round his van to head to your front door. “I like your friends.”

“They liked you too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen El get so comfortable around someone so fast.” She had come over to join the group around you soon after the conversations started and while she didn’t say much Eddie could tell she was taking to you. “Stick around and they’ll be your friends in no time.” You smile at the thought of having a group to hang out with again.

When you open the door the soft sound of the tv still on drifts to your ears and you let out a small sigh before moving silently and quickly into the living room. You leave your keys in the door which Eddie is quick to take out before shutting it and following your path. He finds you knelt next to the couch and brushing some of Henry’s hair off of his forehead.

“You gonna wake him up?”

“I should, let him know I’m home and get him to bed. But he looks so peaceful that I don’t want to.” You whisper back not taking your eyes off of your brother that you’ve basically raised yourself.

“Want me to carry him while you lead the way to his room?” You didn’t hear Eddie get closer so when he crouches next to you it makes you jump a little.

“You’d do that?”

“Course.” He ignores how shocked your wide eyes reveal you to be and instead takes your hand to help you up before scooping Henry up. “Lead the way.”

Eddie’s careful not to move the boy in his arms too much as he follows you up the steps and then down the hallway. You leave his door open and move his blankets out of the way to make room for Eddie to place him down. Once he does, you cover him and place a soft small kiss on his forehead before leading the way out of the room, closing the door once you’re both in the hallway.

“Do you want a drink or something before you go?”

“I could use a smoke, you want one? If not, I can just wait till I get home.” He follows you back down the stairs as he speaks.

“I don’t smoke but I don’t mind hanging out with you while you do it. We could go sit on the swing on the back porch?”

“Sounds perfect.” You lead the way through the house and Eddie holds the back door open for you. “M’lady.”

“M’lord.” There’s a comfortable silence between the two of you as you sit slightly moving the porch swing back and forth with your feet while Eddie pulls out a cigarette and lights it up. “My dad died when I was young.” You say suddenly after another beat of silence.

“Oh, I’m so-”

“You don’t have to be sorry or anything. It happened so long ago and I’ve had a long time to grieve so it doesn’t really hurt to think or talk about anymore.”

“Okay.” It’s all Eddie can think to say sensing you had more words coming his way.

“Mom started working more after he died but not too much so she could still y'know be a mom. And then she met this guy, Doug, and she became pregnant with Henry. They didn’t get married or anything but he took care of us. Mom was able to stop working so much and when Henry was born she was able to take time off even. But then one day when Henry was four, probably closer to being five, Doug just up and left. Just completely disappeared.” Eddie takes another drag of the cig and places a hand on your knee as you take in a shaky breath. 

“It absolutely broke mom but Henry? He didn’t even know what was happening, he’d ask me when dad would be home and why mom was crying all the time. We had to move out of the house and into a small apartment and mom had to work all the time, constantly pulling doubles to make sure we’d have rent and food money. Henry hasn’t been the same since he figured out his dad wasn’t coming back, so he has a hard time bringing people into his life and worrying that one day me or mom are going to do the same thing. That's why he tried to stay up till I got home tonight, to make sure I was actually coming back.”

“You don’t have to tell me all this darlin’.”

“No, I do, because I like you Eddie. And I think you like me.”

“I do, like so much.” You smile and let a small laugh leave your mouth at his eagerness to say the words.

“So if we’re gonna do this I need you to know I’ve got baggage but also that Henry is my whole world. When mom started working all the time I slipped into that role the best I could for him and I’m still in it. So I can’t always go out and do things because I spend most of my free time watching him.”

“That’s fine.” Eddie stomps out his cig and grabs your hand. “I’ll hang out here or we can take him to the movies or I don’t know whatever he’d wanna do. He seems like a fun kid and I’d love to get to know him.” Your eyes tear up at that and you launch yourself into his chest holding him in a tight hug. No one’s ever been so kind and understanding about how much you want to take care of your brother before. “Besides everyones got baggage, my dads been in and out of jail my whole life and I live with my uncle in a small trailer. The whole rest of the crew has their own thing too so don’t feel like anyone would judge you or anything alright?” 

”Okay.”

“So, be my girlfriend? Because I’ve been dying to ask from the moment I found you in that tree.” He doesn’t say how he decided you were probably his soulmate when he found out you were reading Lord of The Rings.

“I’d love to. I’ve been dying for you to ask since you did that awful cowboy impression in Family Video.” You don’t say how you can see yourself falling for him hard and fast.

“Then it’s settled. What do you say to pizza and a movie? I’ll bring the pizza, you and Henry pick the movie.”

“I’d say it’s a date.”

“Tomorrow night? I’ll come over after my shift at Family Video?”

“Sounds perfect.”

This time when you’re holding the door open for him to leave you bow holding your arm out to show him the way.

“M’lord.” Eddie smiles at how you beat him to it and grabs your hand landing a kiss on the back of it before he speaks himself.

“M’lady.”

Eddie Taglist (25/40): @sadbitchfangirl @notbeforelong​​​​ @navs-bhat​ @emotionaldreamer​ ​​​​​ @fangirling-4-ever  @gaysludge​​​ ​@eddiethesexy @mazerunnerrose​ @midnightsgetawaycar  @goldylions  @mushroomelephant @saramelaniemoon @nojamsonmytoast @vintagehellfire @esoltis280 @spikedhe4rt @siriuslysmoking @toobsessedsstuff @alana4610 @gretavanfleas @sparkletash @aactuaaltraash @spookyemorockbabe @jesssssmaybankk @tlclick73

Everything Taglist: @matchamunson​ @bubsonnobx​ @practicalghost @katsukis1wife @crustyowos @yourfavdummy @protecteddiemunson4vr @kennedy-brooke @m00nkn1ghts @rory-cakes

[wittyminds]

More Than A Feeling

This was just a random idea to distract me from revising for my exams. I'm slightly obsessed with him at the moment and just wanted to write some fluff that would make me even more sad than i already am. I know I also said that I would be doing a bucky barnes fic but... i got distracted and now can't commit to writing it. I'll probably write it eventually but i can't bring myself to do it right now.

I was also listening to More Than A Feeling by Boston when writing this so... it stuck.

Just a small fic of Steve Harrington and a bookworm reader girlfriend who is also Dustin's sister after their first time and the "chaos" that ensues.

Warnings: Fluff fluff fluff, Suggestive, Both Steve's and Reader's 'first time'

Steve Harrington x Henderson!Reader

Dustin couldn't understand how it all happened or exactly when you stopped disliking the King of Hawkins but he was convinced it would all end in heartbreak. He did like Steve Harrington after he protected them all from all the dangers they had faced over the years. But dating his sister was a different matter.

To say he is overprotective of you would be an understatement.

You had spent your entire life protecting him from bullies and assholes and now it was his turn to keep you from the possible heartbreak that was Steve Harrington.

So when he peaked through the door to your room and saw the two of you curled round each other fast asleep, he couldn't help but feel upset and scared for you. It clearly wasn't the first time Steve had snuck through the window without anyone but you knowing and the thought brought disgust to his gut. He had invited his friends round as your parents were away. He now regretted the idea and wished he had agreed when Mike suggested his house instead.

He wasn't being dramatic, he had every right to believe that you could end up like all the other girls.

Before he could wake you both up, though, his friends had pulled him back and disappeared back into his room to discuss what they had just seen.

Steve, on the other hand, couldn't be happier.

Your head rests on his chest, arms wrapped round his body. A sheet covers you and he brings his hand up and down your arm gently as he gazes at you asleep. He has been like this since he woke up to see you curled round him, hair a mess, no makeup on and breathing softly onto his bare chest.

What had happened the night before had surprised you both, if he was quite honest with himself. He had been ready from the second date with you but you had made it clear that you wanted to wait. He had thought he was ready when he dated Nancy but when the time came, he froze and ruined the moment.

But now, here you were snuggled up close with memories of the night before playing through your dreams as your boyfriend watches over you lovingly. He can't remember ever loving anyone as much as he loves you and all he wants is to tell you, and keep you by his side till the day he dies.

Just as his hand stops grazing your arm, you roll over off of him and wriggle onto your side, still facing him. Your lips pull up into a brief smile before dropping again. He shifts his body onto his side too and props his head onto his arms, watching as your eyebrows pull together and your eyes flutter open slowly.

A huge grin falls onto his lips as you look up groggily with a bashful smile.

"Morning, beautiful." His voice is still husky from sleep and a thousand butterflies take flight in your stomach.

"Morning." You rub a hand over your eyes to try and wake up properly, to no avail.

"I was gonna make breakfast, if you're hungry." He lifts his head off his arm to give you a playful look that is sleepily returned.

He gets up from the bed and tries to track down his trousers and socks before perching on the edge of the bed to give you a soft kiss that lingers longer than usual.

His blushing face then leaves your eyesight and you roll onto your back with a disbelieving laugh, quickly covering your mouth to stifle it.

You were still questioning how the two of you were even together, total opposites from different sides of the school. The King and a bookworm.

You suppose, in a weird way, you could thank the horrors that you had both witnessed over the past two years for bringing you together. But you don't want to give the Upside-Down any credit for your happiness given it was a hell like no other.

You can still remember how much you had disliked him at first, the way he acted, the way he spoke to people, the way he made you feel about yourself. His "friends" had given you hell for years and when he had finally stood up to them and broken up with Nancy, you had seen the better version of Steve Harrington who laughed and smiled and actually cared without any fear of being judged.

As you lie on your back, you cans still feel the gentle press of his hands on your skin, hear the whispered words "Are you sure?". Still feel his face buried in the crook of your neck, hear the hushed laughter when he first appeared over you with a bashful "Hello."

It couldn't have been more perfect and you could smile forever in your new bliss.

You wrestle your way out of the warmth of the bedsheets, grabbing the closest article of clothing to you: his navy sweater from yesterday. The sleeves fall over your hands and you bunch it up in fists as you open the door and walk into the hallway.

Dustin's door is still closed and you creep past, so as not to wake him. He wouldn't quit poking fun at you or Steve if he saw you now so it was better to be safe than sorry to leave him sleeping in. It was the holidays anyway.

You're suddenly startled by the sound of pots and pans crashing against each other, followed by the sound of a terribly hidden string of curses as whoever spilled the contents of the cupboard tried (and failed) to catch them.

When you reach the kitchen door, you can see Steve busy at the stove, pots and pans sitting haphazardly on the counter and floor. Without a word, you lean against the doorframe, arms crossed, and watch him attempt to work the stove. A smile plays on your lips and eventually, you clear your throat quietly to get his attention.

He whips round, only to notice that it's you.

"Morning... again." You murmur softly, still smiling.

God, it was like you slept with a hanger in your mouth or something.

"Morning," He turns away as his cheeks blush bashfully, and you can't help but feel warmth at the thought of making Steve Harrington blush. The thought nearly turns your legs to jelly and you walk over to the stove to keep them working.

You swat his hands away from the buttons with a laugh and stand in his place to turn the stove on, hearing his almost silent "Oh." as you show him how to work it.

His arms snake their way round your middle and his chin falls onto your shoulder, your face heating at the contact. He places soft kisses on your shoulder, then your neck, and you run your hands along his forearms.

"Steve." You feel him hug you tighter at his name and his hum of acknowledgement is disguised by another kiss, "Last night..."

You trail off and he laughs against your neck, moving away to turn you round. His nose scrunches as your hands move to the ends of his hair out of habit and he sways slightly.

"Yeah?" You can tell he's wanting you to talk more and you repress a sigh.

"I just wanted to say I..." You can't seem to finish the sentence as you gaze into his eyes, the whole scene perfectly homely. You didn't want to ruin it with a love confession that might be rejected.

He watches you with curious smirk and you open your mouth to speak again but he cuts you off with a sweet, slow kiss.

Your hands move further into his hair and his pull you closer by the waist. More memories of meaningful kisses and the whispered confessions whilst pressed close together from last night resurface in your mind. The feeling of his hands, his lips, just his touch made your head spin and your forehead falls onto his, not breaking the kiss.

"Oh come on!"

Your brother's voice startles you both and you break apart, Steve keeping a hold of your waist.

Dustin stands in the doorway, his friends lingering in the hallway, awkwardly watching the scene playing out. You feel your face burn and turn to your boyfriend for help, but he seems entirely unfazed.

"A bit of privacy wouldn't kill you, Henderson." Steve grumbles, ignoring the disgust on Dustin's face.

"I live here." Dustin replies matter-of-factly, crossing his arms.

"And..?" You can't help but hold back a laugh at your boyfriend's oblivion and he pulls a face at you which lets the laughter escape.

Dustin pulls a different kind of face, "Well, when you two are finished grossing everyone out, I'd like some pancakes."

You roll your eyes and walk over to him, placing your hands on his shoulders to turn him round. He begins to protest but gives up when you give him a sharp pinch on either side.

"Just go upstairs and do whatever it is you do together there," You give him your most serious look you can muster with a stomach full of butterflies.

"Fine," He stomps up the stairs, "But I'm serious about those pancakes!"

You watch his friends follow him up, quickly noticing the two girls and yell up a quick "Leave the door open!" before turning to return to the kitchen.

Max stops and gives you a look that makes you freeze and eye her curiously.

"Yes?" You ask quietly.

"I was just thinking that the sweater is real subtle." Her eyes move along the sweater and you shift uncomfortably under them.

"I-I don't know what you mean..."

She snorts out a laugh and runs up the stairs.

"Nice hickey, by the way!" She yells after her and you throw a shoe up the stairs that hits her legs.

"Teenagers." You mutter under your breath and turn back to the kitchen to see Steve leaning against the counter, a smirk playing on his pretty lips.

"Want to tell me what's going on in that head of yours, Harrington?" Your voice is quiet and he closes the distance between the two of you in four long strides.

His thumb grazes your chin, pushing your face up to his before he kisses you again, a contented sigh escaping him. Once again, your hands find his messy hair and he grips the sweater with a little more power than before.

"God, I love you." His words are almost hidden against your lips but you freeze and pull away slightly, out of breath from both the kiss and his confession.

A blush creeps up his face and you can't help but smile before giving him another quick peck on his lips, relief filling you.

How can you have thought this man didn't love you enough to say it when he had blushed and grinned the entire morning. You love him to Jupiter and back a thousand times and realise, you had always really known he feels the same.

So, when the words leave your mouth and leave him a blushing mess, you can't help but know that this is your future.

You and him.

"I love you too."

***

A/N

I really hope you liked it and just a reminder that my requests are open via messages so just ping me a message if you have a request for any of the characters from my first post. Thank you! xx

[strangelythirsty]

Tether and Drift [17/?]

Pairing: Yelena Belova/Kate Bishop

Rating: M

Word Count: 4,836

Chapter: Seventeen

Summary:

Besides that there is that little feeling. A tinge of excitement and something she can't name because she's never felt it before. It reminds her of the moment following jumping off a building with her tether. Eyes closed, heart racing — and before she’s caught and anchored and reassured of her safety there is the half second of flying, of being pulled to the Earth. It feels similar enough here, captured and crystallized in that moment with Kate Bishop. Which begs the next question — will she experience it again?

A Pacific Rim AU

PREVIEW

Mike looks up at Kate, a bashful expression overtaking him. And Kate’s heart is a-flutter as she thinks that this boy is her biggest crush and now they get to kiss. Present Kate feels embarrassed, but Kate in the memory is thinking that she's waited a long time to do this and the excitement and anxiety makes her nearly vibrate with its intensity. The pair lean into each other and kiss. It's a short thing, and not good in Yelena’s opinion. Mike’s big mouth completely encloses Kate’s. But Kate practically melts from it and when the pair separate they’re both blushing even harder. The emotions from Kate then are clean and clear — a rush of heady emotion, heart pounding with excitement, overjoyed to kiss her crush. She can't wait to tease Kate about this. Kate’s thoughts now are clumsy by comparison, and with Yelena here the emotion continues and now Kate is remembering their own kiss. There's still that sort of clean emotion — affection that bloomed in her chest as she watched Yelena step closer, the joy as she realized this is it. Things become confused now as Yelena’s remembering her own thoughts — muddled and emerging from a gray fog, certain in its own way but not nearly like this. It's clearly different in comparison as she sees them side by side, but is the difference good? Are they on the same page?  Oh, this is a bad idea, she thinks before she can stop herself.

Link to AO3: here

[episodes-ff]

Can I Love On You?

Armando

Walking around the house with the event coordinator, I pinched the bridge of my nose trying not to strangle her as she discussed the current details surrounding our New Year's party. That's right, a damn party! Diamonté was absolutely insistent upon us having a big celebratory bash to ring in the new year with our loved ones. We could have sprung for a cozy, quaint get together at Mike's but nooooo, it had to be special! I agreed because she's my Queen and I'd give her the world, but she's taking the whole thing to the next level. Entertainment, caterers, live music (I told her that was a hell no and she refused to look at me for a few days), and planners. Two chipper, annoyingly perky and overly expensive planners, named Sabrina and Becca, who were willing to give Dee her wildest dreams no matter the cost or aggravation to me.

"Are you listening, Armando?" Sabrina pondered in her disgustingly happy voice as she looked up from her planning book. "Uh, y-yea, you said we'll be doing an entrance?" "Precisely! Once the fire dancers do thei-" "Fire dancers?! What fire dancers?!" "For the New Year's extravaganza! They will be stationed at the-" "No! Hell no! Matter of fact, hold on just a moment." Nodding swiftly in fear, she clutched her planner to her chest as I turned and stormed up the stairs. "Diamonté!" "I'm in the bedroom, baby!"

Marching into the confines of our room, I saw her in the closet organizing and folding clothes. "Hey, sweetie, everything ok?" "Everything ok? This party is getting out of control, Dee. I'm putting my foot down!" Looking up at me, she frowned her big puppy dog eyes but I wasn't budging, not today. "But papa, I want this to be special! It's our first New Year's together as a family and I wanna celebrate that properly." "Fire dancers? Jugglers? All these crazy fireworks? Baby, we don't need all this craziness to celebrate our family." I cooed as I saw the beginning of tears forming in her eyes. "But I want it." "Next year, baby. We can plan and e-" "No!" She stomped snapping into a full on tantrum as my brows furrowed in disbelief. "Que?" "You heard me. I really really really want this party." She murmured staring in fear as I leaned in closer. "And just who do you think you're taking that tone with?" I gritted against her ear as I felt the goosebumps cover her skin. "U-Um, I-" "Tsk tsk tsk, nah baby girl. I don't think you heard me clearly. You'll understand in a few minutes though."

Terry

Hearing the ringing of my phone, I groaned before picking up the call. "Hey, Tee! Change of plans, we're doing the party over at Mike's. Just something simple and intimate if you still wanted to come." Armando clarified as I nodded. "Thanks for the heads up. Um, I'm still a little busy but I may stop by to show my face for a couple minutes." "Ok man, just hit me up if you do come." "Will do, thanks!" Saying our farewells, I ended the call before looking around and huffing as I grabbed another box. Hoisting it up onto the counter, I huffed before going through the remaining of my things.

After the filing I knew the best thing for everyone involved would be for me to leave, so I did just that. I gave Anaya the house and bought a small apartment a little bit away from work so that I could still provide for her and the kids and give her some peace. We agreed to co-parent for Maya's sake, but I don't want to hurt anymore and I'm trying to make good on my promise not to. I can't really say the same for her, but again that's my own doing...

**ONE WEEK EARLIER**

It was Christmas Eve in the Richmond household and things have been anything but cheerful. Despite the best efforts from my parents to have a cozy and warm gathering, tensions were still at an all time high, and getting more petty by the minute. "Terry, will you please let Anaya know that I'm putting the ham on now so she can use the stove to start the greens?" "You could have texted her." I muttered to myself earning her scowl. "On my way." I sighed before trudging upstairs. Walking up to her door, I heard her giggling sweetly in what felt like forever. Quietly smiling to myself, my grin quickly dissipated as I heard the smooth chuckle of another man. "Boy, shut up! You steady lying!" She chuckled as my brows drew together in anger. Who the fuck?! Waltzing in, I watched her shift her eyes up to me as her bright smile transitioned to a deep mug while pulling her phone to her chest. "Can I help you?" "Kitchen's available." I spat before slamming her door and heading out for a jog.

Coming back from my jog, I ignored hellos and greetings as I headed up to the room. Changing out of my clothes and hopping into the shower, I let the steam overtake me as my thoughts ran wild. Damn, she just gone hop to the next nigga like that?! Nahhh, Tee, you can't really fault her, you know you caused this. But she just fucking filed two days ago, what the FUCK?! You did her foul though, can you really blame her for wanting to move on so quick? True true true. NAH FUCK ALLAT SHIT?! WHO THE FUCK IS THIS NEW NIGGA?! Ending my shower, I tossed on some sweats and a tank before barging down to the kitchen. Seeing her by the stove, I pulled her toward me and stormed off with her in my grasp. "Hey! Wh-" "Mama, watch the stove please?" "O-Ok." "Terry get the fuck off of me!"

Walking into the garage, I slammed the door shut as she jumped from the rush of cool air. "Terry, what the fuck is wrong with you?! Don't be fucking snatching me up like that! And why you bring me down here in this cold ass shit?!?!" "Aye, shut allat shit up! Who the fuck is this new ass nigga?!" "Wh- Ahahaha!!! Yo you serious?!" "Anaya, I'm not fucking playing with you!" "And nigga I'm not mothafucking playing with you!" She shouted poking my chest before I grabbed her hand. Staring each other down fiercely, I silently fumed huffing as she puffed her on fiery breaths at me; our eyes trailed down slowly, almost memorizing one another, landing to each other's lips. You could hear an ant piss how tensely we were eyeing each other.

Leaning forward slowly, I caressed her cheek pulling her into a deep and sloppy kiss. Immediately tangling her hands in the nape of my neck, I hoisted her up feeling on her juicy ass as she wrapped her legs around me grinding her center against my waist as the kiss heated up. Smacking her ass as I held her close, her moans coated my ears beautifully before a voice called from beyond. "Anaya, sweetie! You have a guest!" We heard my mother signaling Anaya to jump off me and scurry into the house in confusion at her actions. Looking on in my own confusion, I followed her before stopping in my tracks as I saw another man standing at my mother's doorstep with flowers for my wife.

**FLASHBACK OVER**

Ever since that day it's been all about her and Rome. I can't even lie, a nigga was livid, hell I'm still livid! I did some of the lowest shit possible but am I really not worth a second chance? This is my first time ever doing something this crazy to Anaya and immediately I'm thrown to the wolves?! I think that crushes my spirit the most, but it just motivates me to do what I gotta do to get my family back. Terry Richmond is once again, a man on a mission of a lifetime.

Anaya

Waking up, I stretched before feeling warmth as his strong arms wrapped around my waist. Looking over at him, I smiled as he placed a kiss on my cheek. "Good morning, beautiful." "Good morning to you too, handsome." I giggled before he got up to relieve himself and take a shower. Listening to Rome humming from the bathroom door, I blushed before opening my Snapchat and taking a few pictures to match my glittering mood. Choosing one from the bunch, I smiled typing my somewhat petty caption before posting it to my story and getting up to go join my new man in the shower.

Rome and I have started dating and while things are still pretty casual for us, they're starting to heat up. I took that chance and texted him after the encounter at the grocery store, and he took me on our first date on Christmas Eve. Of course, Terrence was royally pissed but he'll be ok. I told him off the bat about my pregnancy and he's been so accepting and caring of the situation. It's only been a week since we had our first date but he's been treating me like a princess nonstop, even agreeing to come to Miami for New Years so I wouldn't spend it alone. We haven't slept together, but if he keeps this up, I might be breaking that rule.

Getting something for Maya to snack on, I smiled as my phone continued to buzz and ring with plenty of congratulations and well wishes for the new year. I decided I wasn't going to hide this pregnancy or separation from the world or the people in it. I was in fact a new woman, and I'm damn proud of the new woman I'm becoming. I do wish sometimes that things could've been different, but everything happens for a reason. Walking into her nursery, I smiled as I handed Maya her fruit and checked her before heading back into the room to see about Rome. I haven't had them interact yet because for me it would be too soon but I can’t wait for the day. I just hope Terry doesn’t try to ruin this for me.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Tags: @theereina @violetmuses @kumkaniudaku @kaylaahisthebestest- @kimuzostar @simpledopeme @mymindisneverhere @believeinthefireflies95 @tbmotw @brisunique @madxlov3 @playgurlxoxo @mauvecherie-writes @casualsludgeshoetoad @nahimjustfeelingit-writes @geneziesm @ghettogirly @goldenjasssy @megamindsecretlair @vivaalenaa @ranikyani @luuvprincess @perfectlyimperfectme @comfortzonequeen @melanin-honeyy @qdancer22 @strawberrymoon45 @luckygirlszn @kindofaintrovert @secretlifeoofmarpessa @cmbmjbfan @summwerella @ihateyallniggas @rebelrel0987 @cheracherachera @bhristpher @cocooned-butterfly @theblessedcap @deijalee @catha2003 @magik22 @pinkbuzzlightyrrr @sweettea-and-honeybutter @j0joworld @liv10002 @justicefordeanthomas @withoutmusiclifewouldbflat @brattyfics

[libraryofgage]

Mermaid/Pirate Steddie Four

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Hi hi! It's been kind of a long week for me lmao but here's the next part! You'll def wanna stick around to the very end of the post; there's a very fun surprise for y'all lol

Also! If you like my writing or want to see a quicker update of this or another series, I've opened commissions (student loans are hitting a lot harder than I expected orz). If you're interested, you can find more information in this post

Even if you don't commission me, I appreciate your likes/comments/reblogs of my work! They keep me going and make me really happy ^_^

Anyway, now for the good stuff. As always, if you see any typos, no you didn't ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

----

Sinking a ship takes skill, intense planning, and strong tails. Or, if you're Robin and seven guppies, it takes incredible, unbridled rage and a worry that could kill a Kraken. A ship that should take half the day to sink only takes the group two hours, their tails bashing against the hull and claws ripping planks to let seawater surge inside. Dustin is particularly brutal, recruiting Lucas and Mike to help him use the same net that caught him and took Steve to drag the ship beneath the waves.

Between tending to Dustin's wounds, lying to the pod about why they're going to be away for a while, and actually tracking the damned thing, it took Robin and the guppies a few days to catch up to the ship. And as they scavenge the drowned wreckage, pushing past broken doors and through holes in the hull, it becomes increasingly clear that they're too late.

"Where could he be?!" Dustin shouts, his gills flaring and bubbles rising in an enraged pattern above him. He takes a spear and jabs it into a water-bloated plank. "If he's not here, that means he escaped, right? So why hasn't he found us yet?"

"Steve could have been taken by another ship," El points out, her head poking from behind a mast. She's gained a dagger with a jewel-encrusted hilt and is currently using her nails to dig the jewels out and drop them into a seaweed bag.

Robin frowns, swimmingly anxiously in circles. She's not the one that's good with guppies. That's Steve. If she's the fun caretaker that encourages them to play Scuttlefish with sharks, Steve is the one a tail's-length behind dragging them back to the pod before they can get hurt. He's the one who knows how to keep the guppies calm and healthy. Robin is the one who keeps them energetic and chaotic.

"He was definitely here," Will says, swimming out from a cabin on the ship. He stops in front of Robin and holds his hands out, letting her see the dull, blood-stained scales sitting in his palms.

With a shaking hand, Robin takes the scales and turns them over, hoping they're somehow not Steve's. But he's her partner. Robin could recognize him by the flick of his tail alone. So, of course, she knows they're Steve's scales at a glance.

She turns, her tail creating a small current that brushes over the guppies and forces them to look at her. "If he's not on this one," she says, "then we'll just keep sinking ships until we find him."

"Let's start with the other ship," Erica says.

"The other ship?" Robin asks.

Erica nods, pointing in the direction they'd just come from. "A few leagues before we found this one, I saw another one that was sailing in the other direction. Maybe they crossed paths."

For a brief moment, Robin wonders how she missed the other ship. But then she remembers how she's been caught between her own worries and keeping the guppies from spiraling, and she gives herself a break. "Yeah," she says, nodding as she closes her fingers over the scales. The edges cut into her palms but don't draw blood. "Let's go track down that ship. But don't keep something like that from me next time."

The guppies all nod in agreement, and Robin looks at the wreckage around them. She's half-tempted to let the guppies loot the rest of the ship, but she knows they're all aching to find Steve already. So, Robin herds them away from the sunken ship in the direction Erica pointed and hopes Steve can hold on for just a little longer.

----

Excerpt from "The Lovelorn Fool's Guide to Merfolk Courtship"

Song Types

There are several song types that merfolk are likely to use in their lifetime. While the human ear cannot distinguish the intricacies of the songs, it can tell the major categories apart.

As newly-born guppies, they know only how to vocalize wordless sounds based on their needs. These sounds are referred to as Guppy Songs. These songs are generally lacking in any real melody or rhythm. They are rough and unskilled, but many caretakers consider them precious.

Pod songs are shared tunes and melodies among the pod to communicate big news. When hearing a pod song from a lone merperson, it will sound incomplete. Pod songs usually require at least one other merperson to support or respond to the initial measures, which creates a complete and satisfying loop.

Individual songs are varied and unique, as the name suggests. They cover a range of emotions that simply can't be communicated through regular speech or bubble patterns (to learn more about bubble patterns, please see Part I: The Basics). Among these songs, the most important to know is the courting song, which can actually be multiple songs using the same opening measures and melodies with slightly different tones.

Now that you know the most basic kind of songs, we can move to harmonizing. Truthfully, a human's ability to harmonize with a merperson is nearly impossible. However, it can be done with an instrument, which can reach ranges the human voice cannot. So, if you don't know how to play one, I'd suggest learning. Harmonizing is a key step in the courtship process, after all.

----

Steve shrieks as Eddie spins him around, the sound high and grating, and clings tighter to Eddie's neck. His tailfin slaps Eddie behind his knee, hard enough to make him falter and slip on the rain-soaked deck. He falls on his ass, Steve safely in his lap, and laughs. The charms in his hair knock against each other, and Steve idly reaches up to brush his finger against one. "What was that for?" Eddie asks, the words slightly breathless.

"You surprised me," Steve says, frowning slightly as raindrops catch in his eyelashes and make them heavy. He holds a hand above his eyes and then does the same for Eddie.

"You just looked so pretty, sweetheart," Eddie says, grinning at Steve like he knows what bubble pattern his fluttering gills would create (flustered and flattered).

He rolls his eyes, looking at the sky and sea in the distance. The ocean is surging, and waves and sea foam collide as the wind picks up force. Dark clouds hang over the sea, and Steve would be concerned if he didn't know the storm would clear up soon. He can tell from the sound of the ocean and the taste in the air: the water isn't angry enough and there isn't enough salt on his lips.

The rain is still going to turn brutal, though, and Steve would prefer they weren't on deck when it happens. He overheard Asher and Jeff talking about the last time Eddie got soaked to the bone and got sick. He's not sure what a "cold" is, but he doesn't want Eddie catching it again.

"Let's go back to the cabin," he says, looking back at Eddie with a light smile. "I want to hear you play that, uh, gee-tare."

"Guitar, Stevie," Eddie corrects, holding Steve tight as he stands. He has an excited smile, something expectant in his eyes that Steve still hasn't figured out.

Steve hums, knowing very well how it's pronounced, but he likes to see the somewhat dopey smile Eddie gets whenever he mispronounces something. He gets the feeling Eddie also knows he's doing it on purpose, but he's not said anything yet.

Eddie carries him down to the captain's cabin, kicking the door shut with his foot. "Where do you want to be, sweetheart?" he asks.

After a moment's consideration, Steve gestures to the bed, looking forward to the soft pillows and even softer sheets. When Eddie places him down, he wiggles until his tail is curled comfortably, soaking the sheets beneath him, and looks at Eddie expectantly.

"Any requests?" Eddie asks, clearly amused as he grabs his guitar and hops onto the bed next to Steve. His knee brushes against Steve's tail, drawing Steve's attention briefly to the faint scar that lingers across his scales.

He's been healed for almost a day now, and Steve should probably start bracing himself to say goodbye, but he'd like to remain in denial a little longer. He doesn't want to leave. Even if he knows he'll come right back with Robin and the guppies, Steve doesn't want to be away from Eddie that long. They haven't even confirmed their courtship. Leaving before they do means any merperson with half a brain could see how much of a pearl Eddie is and try to steal him away.

Steve forces the thought away, forces himself to focus on answering Eddie's question, and shakes his head. "Just play something," he says.

Eddie nods and thinks a moment as he tunes the guitar. "Could you hum something?" he asks.

When he looks up at Steve again, there's something oddly intense in his gaze. He looks determined, as though something very important is riding on this moment. Steve isn't sure what it is, exactly, but he knows he doesn't want it to pass him by. Steve nods and starts humming a soft and familiar tune, one he's used a lot more after meeting Eddie.

It must be the right choice, because Eddie practically lights up, a grin tugging at his lips and crinkling the corners of his eyes as he listens. After a few seconds, he starts plucking strings on the guitar, adding a gentle accompaniment that makes Steve's humming rock back and forth like the ocean currents.

Usually, Eddie plays fast, his music filling Steve with the same heat and energy as an underwater volcano in the middle of an eruption. But this is slow and sweet like the honey Steve tried a few days ago. It creeps through him, his gills fluttering with each note that Eddie pulls from his guitar. He feels soft and happy, his voice shifting to follow Eddie's lead as inspiration hits him.

They trade the lead back and forth between them, and Steve starts to actually sing at some point. He doesn't know when he opened his mouth and started to vocalize the notes instead of just humming them, a sweet melody forming as his voice resonates with the guitar. It just happens as naturally as swimming. Steve can no longer tell where his voice ends and the guitar begins. They've fallen into sync, strumming and singing together without missing a beat.

Steve leans closer, his heart pounding against his ribs even faster than usual. They're harmonizing. He realizes it suddenly, but it doesn't catch him off-guard. It's just a whisper in the back of his mind, a little nudge that makes him smile and move without thinking beyond the desire to be closer.

The song doesn't end naturally. In fact, Eddie is in the middle of a particularly lovely string of notes when Steve kisses him, still humming low in his throat. Eddie's fingers fumble, a sour note pulling from the guitar, but Steve doesn't care. He's too busy wrapping one hand around the back of Eddie's neck and placing the other on Eddie's chest.

He can feel Eddie's heart beating just as rapidly as his own, and Steve presses closer. He's barely balancing on his tail as Eddie moves the guitar from his lap, pushing it to the side of the bed while he kisses Steve back. Eddie pushes his hand into Steve's hair, tangling his fingers in the strands.

Steve's humming happily rises in pitch, and he finally loses his balance, his weight pressing entirely on Eddie and causing him to fall back on the bed. The kiss breaks when Eddie bounces slightly, their foreheads knocking together, and Steve can't help laughing.

"You're fucking gorgeous, sweetheart," Eddie whispers, his free hand trailing to Steve's waist and settling on his back. His fingers brush against the line where scales meet skin, and Steve shudders, his mouth going dry, and he kisses Eddie again before he can say another word.

----

Tag List (the tag list is full! I wasn't able to fit everyone, so if you aren't on here, I'd suggest following #high seas steddie. I think you should still get updates on your dash if you do)

@mugloversonly, @raisedbylibrarians, @thegirlwiththelibrarybag, @savory-babby, @vankaar, @beckkthewreck, @itcanbepalped, @imfinereallyy, @finntheehumaneater, @mightbeasleep, @weekend-dreamer7

@whenindoubtb72, @troublemaker2azz, @just-a-tiny-void, @upallnightogetloki, @mxmakessense, @ellietheasexylibrarian, @haelreadsshit, @y4r3luv, @starman-jpg, @littlewildflowerkitten, @estrellami-1, @stevieschrodinger, @gaelicblue, @they-reap-what-we-sow

@5ammi90, @noodle-shenaniganery, @acrolius, @hallelujahimatheist, @rainbow-freckle, @desidrarry-wolfstarshipper, @goodolefashionedloverboi, @79chevyimpala, @aliea82, @hopefulcookieoperatorpersona, @sani-86, @queenie-ofthe-void, @goosesister, @hello-fellow-nerds, @luthienstormblessed, @xtkxkrzrizir, @potato-of-the-lord, @geekymagicalpotato, @child-of-cthulhu, @aizawa-emma, @m-owo-n, @newtstabber, @cartercaptainofthemoon, @spectrum-spectre, @a-little-unsteddie

And, if you've made it this far, here's a little meme for your entertainment

[lucydixon]

Mike Dating Headcanons

I watched 5 lbs of pressure over the weekend, and let me tell you, I've been thinking about Rory in a cowboy hat every second since. Here are some general dating headcanons for him.

Mike would just melt if you worshipped those beautiful arms of his. This man would die if you were wrapped up in bed in the morning, spooning, and he felt you stretch and wake up, then press your lips to his bicep, or if you were standing around at a bar and you were caressing his muscular arms while he was in a tank top. He’d love flexing his muscles for you.

Gets a big goofy smile on his face when you talk about the future with him. He has such big dreams and once he has you around, he can’t stop thinking about getting away from all the Illegal shit he’s doing and taking you somewhere far away so the two of you can live your lives without looking over your shoulder and maybe even start a family one day. He’d always be looking for ways to save up money and wouldn’t want to actually leave until he had enough to take care of you.

When he plays you little songs he writes, he’ll get a little bashful about it. ‘It’s not that good, but it's a start,’ he’d shrug with pink cheeks, but then you’d tell him that you loved it and ask him to play it again, he’ll go, ‘You think it’s good? You really think so?’ 

I think there would be a lot of self-doubt in all areas of his life, after years of everyone telling him how stupid he is all the time and trying to convince him that his dreams were unattainable :( You’d have to give him a lot of reassurance and encouragement.

He would absolutely write songs about you specifically, but wouldn’t think that they’re good enough to show you, so he’d hide them in the lining of his guitar case so you never saw them. 

Is probably so touchy and cuddly when you’re alone. He’ll pull you onto his lap whenever he sits down, would follow you into the kitchen, resting his chin on your shoulder or the top of your head while hugging you from behind while you cook. If it’s him cooking (I don’t think he cooks), he’ll get you to sit up on the countertop and feed you little bites as he goes, stopping between every step in the recipe to kiss you. 

When you’re in public, he’d still be touchy, but he’d want to look at least a little tough, so it would be more arm over your shoulders or a firm hand on the small of your back. He would hold your hand, but you would have to initiate it.

Mike would hold your purse for you while you’re out shopping together without you having to ask. If he sees it’s in the way, he’ll just hold his hand out and nod to your bag and anything else you’re carrying with an expectant look on his face. 

He’d let you wear his hat and would love seeing you in it. In fact, he’d love seeing you in all of his clothes so much that he’d bring extra when he’s sleeping over at your place, just so you can wear them.

Would want you sooo far away from Leff and all that shit. He’d be terrified of you getting involved and probably wouldn’t even tell you about half the shit he’s doing. He’d get really cagey about it, and it would probably spark quite a few arguments between the two of you considering he’s probably a fucking terrible liar with shitty explanations for where he’s always running off to in the middle of the night and you’d see right through him.

I don’t think fights would last particularly long or be all that messy since you’re the only good thing in his life and he desperately wants to keep you around, so he’s always quick to apologize and means it. You can see it in those big blue eyes of his, pleading for forgiveness. He’d get on his hands and knees if he needed to. For better or for worse, he’d be impossible to stay mad at. 

Dividers made by @saradika-graphics

[the-milk-monarch]

[𝚂𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙰 𝙱𝙴𝙳 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃 𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴]

Summary: Reader asks to sleep in the same bed for the first time.

☢︎ | Total Drama | ~1,3k words | gender-neutral reader ♡ | Mike | Mal | Vito ⚠ | none

[𝙼𝚒𝚔𝚎]

You were already past the phase of confessing your feelings to each other.

Of course you and Mike were pining for each other hard, but you weren't really that affectionate as a couple.

It's not because you didn't want to, but you were both awkward messes when it comes to that stuff. The most you did was hold hands or lean against each other while sitting close, which was still nice.

So Mike was very surprised when you out of the blue (and very low-key) suggested to sleep in the same bed one day.

"Uh, like, in the cabin? Together?" He asked a bit taken aback by the sudden offer, his face becoming slightly warmer.

You quickly explained that if he's not comfortable he can just brush it off and ignore you asked, trying to save face and potential rejection from your boyfriend.

"Oh, no- No, I mean-" He started to ramble a bit, trying to not look like he's about to burst with happiness and keep cool so you wouldn't think he's weird when someone finally took the initiative to get closer to him. "I- I would love to. If- If you're okay with it, I mean."

"Of course I am. I suggested it, didn't I?" You said with a comforting and apologetic smile to him.

After your mutual agreement you were looking forward to sharing a bed, which was exciting and a bit "scary", as often new experiences are.

Of course, sleeping in one bed was somewhat of a "taboo", given that other contestants were there to judge you both, but ultimately you decided that their stares won't stop you from enjoying yourselves.

Unsurprisingly, Mike is a small-spoon. He was rarely (if ever) held or liked by anyone in that way, so he appreciates the contact with the person he treasures the most. It makes him feel protected, although inside he probably thinks he's a bother for even wanting affection, but you make sure to be understanding and reassure him if it ever comes up in the conversation.

Mike doesn't move much while he's still in the process of falling asleep, keeping in mind your comfort before his own. Of course he becomes more chilled out about it the more you both sleep together.

Although he's mindful of you while awake, he can't stop himself from muttering few things while he's asleep.

He's also very clingy once he's perfectly assured he's not a bother.

Hopefully you're a heavy-sleeper.

[𝙼𝚊𝚕]

Similar to Mike, Mal wasn't hugged much as a kid and in general. He's not exactly big on PDA, so you both didn't have a lot of romantic moments.

Your relationship was more like two friends who are very comfortable with each other. Well, as comfortable as you can be when it comes to a first relationship.

He's not against it, but he usually doesn't think of it as necessary and doesn't initiate anything. Unless he's acting slightly possessive and jealous when he feels threatened by the other contestants, which usually shows by him bringing you closer by your waist to him in a nonchalant manner that also shows others what 'belongs to him'.

You also didn't show a lot of affection towards him, because of your shy behavior about the topic.

He almost started to doubt your interest in him (which was already a surprise on it's own when your mutual attraction towards each other became clear, given how other people are usually not very fond of him), until you mustered the courage to ask.

He was- amused. His face had a smug smile that almost made you reconsider your request, in fear of being judged for asking something "silly".

"Oh, you wanna sleep together?" He asked, looking you up and down in a slightly dominant and proud of himself manner that made you feel a bit bashful about your words.

Before you opened your mouth to add something else, he cut you off. "Fine, fine… I guess I might consider your request." He smugly teased in a bit mocking way, as if you were so desperate to cuddle with him in bed that he was mercifully letting you touch him.

Of course while Mal's words might have sounded a bit narcissistic and degrading towards you, it was merely a front for his anxiousness about the act that he tried to hide so well.

I'm sure it's obvious he won't let you know about it whatsoever though. Years of acting emotionless and void of any weakness has made him still wary of showing vulnerability, even towards you.

Although he could 'sweep anyone off their feet if he wanted to', he's not really as smooth with more tender acts, such as cozily sleeping together, which he fiercely masks with his confidence.

While you felt a bit put down by his constant tough demeanor, you were (at least somewhat) aware of the reason why he was this way, that's why you patiently endured his behavior. You wouldn't be dating him if you weren't.

As for the others, he didn't even worry about the opinion of other contestants while you both were supposed to share a bed, as the whole camp knew he's not the one to make fun of.

Of course he insisted on being the big spoon, feeling more comfortable with him just embracing you, as if he's in the control of the situation.

While you were finally laying on bed together he got more relaxed as time went by, and you both adjusted to the feeling of your warm bodies against each other.

Your first few times were slightly tense, but with each next night spent together it became more casual and normal for you both.

Mal even warmed up to being the small spoon from time to time (if you prefer to be the big one) and it didn't put such strain on his pride while got used to being so close to you.

It doesn't mean he will be the small spoon every time though.

He loves the feeling of holding you close to him and knowing you're not gonna leave him. This, and the fact that he still has to keep up an appearance, after all.

[𝚅𝚒𝚝𝚘]

Unlike Mike and Mal, Vito's love language was always being touchy-feely or using pet-names, so being brave in the cuddle department wasn't a big deal.

Of course he didn't push you if you weren't comfortable with that, but he wasn't scared of showing his affection towards you.

Whether you both were already more confident with each other or not, he was still a bit surprised when you voiced your idea of sleeping together in bed. Of course you specified it was only sleeping, so he wouldn't get the wrong idea.

"Damn babe, finally!" He said a bit loudly, because of his excitement at the thought. Was he finally getting some affection from you? Did you finally decide to show Vito some love without being so hesitant?

You chuckled slightly, embarrassed from his reaction. You knew Vito would probably not reject you, but to hear such enthusiasm from him was reassuring.

Vito couldn't care less what other contestants would think if they saw you both cuddling on one bed, why would he? Only you and him mattered to him, and if anyone had anything to say, that just meant they're jealous.

He quickly jumped on the bed when the time arrived, expecting you to follow. He made sure to give you some space on his bed, laying on his back.

You slowly crawled near him, laying near his side and gently placing your hand on his chest as he exhaled contently.

"You should suggest stuff like that more often. I won't leave ya hangin', you know~" He teased slightly, a bit of his regular flirtatiousness seeping thru his words. He loved being open about his love and affection for you.

Be prepared for lots of tossing and turning while he sleeps though. He's a great hugger, but once he falls asleep it's tough to keep a position that works for you both. You usually have to "keep him steady" by hugging his waist while he's laying on his back or hugging him from behind, which he has no problem with.

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

"Directors of the Monsterverse" notes

The one featurette exclusive to the 4K Godzilla/Kong Monsterverse 5-Film Collector's Edition set is also just up on Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu) for free. It's possible that the disc version is longer, but what's on streaming has a hefty 49:06 runtime, so I doubt it.

Notes on the discussion:

The venue is Warner Bros. Stage 11, "where Casablanca and ER were shot."

No closed captions, boo.

Skullcrawler egg props from Godzilla vs. Kong were present, as well as the goofy Godzilla suit used to promote King of the Monsters.

Mike Dougherty brought one of his dogs. (Recall that the his dogs inspired the personalities of Ghidorah's three heads.)

Jordan Vogt-Roberts took Adam Wingard out to dinner shortly after he was hired to direct Godzilla vs. Kong, warning him what to expect on his first mega-budget movie (a "Scared Straight thing"). That led to the Monsterverse directors meeting up more regularly.

Vogt-Roberts relays an analogy from producer Eric McLeod: trying to do something spontaneous on a larger film set, like changing a shot angle, is like steering an aircraft carrier.

Gareth Edwards described the feeling of visiting a Godzilla set that wasn't his own movie (King of the Monsters) as like "walking in on your wife cheating on you."

The ever-escalating zaniness of the Monsterverse films wasn't carefully considered, it just happened; Wingard, for one, felt it wasn't possible to return to the tone of Godzilla (2014) after King of the Monsters.

Dougherty describes a Toho Studios visit where he wore part of a Godzilla suit.

Vogt-Roberts never imagined that the Hollow Earth introduced in Kong: Skull Island would become so integral to subsequent films.

The opening credits for Godzilla (2014) were inspired by the JFK credits.

Edwards ordered a ton of G-Fan back issues to prepare for directing Godzilla, and was surprised when the package included a note from J.D. Lees apologizing for bashing Monsters in one of those issues.

Wingard carefully maneuvers Edwards away from saying that following King Kong vs. Godzilla was a much easier task than following the original Godzilla or King Kong, as he should.

Dougherty says he's glad that they as a group gave Kong a happy ending ("for now").

Vogt-Roberts doesn't accept that Kong lost against Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Kong because their battle against Mechagodzilla was part of the same fight; embarks on a lengthy military analogy. Wingard disagrees vociferously. Dougherty tries to say something but Edwards advises him to "let them fight."

Vogt-Roberts wanted Kong to have brown fur to reflect the rabbit fur used on the original stop-motion model.

Edwards jokes that they kept trying variations on Godzilla's design until "someone came with a gun and went, 'If you don't stop now, the movie doesn't get released.'"

I think there's a behind-the-scenes shot of Mothra (showing the layers of VFX that went into her waterfall emergence) that wasn't in the King of the Monsters bonus features.

Ready Player One was released just as Wingard's team was settling on Mechagodzilla's Godzilla vs. Kong design; he was dismayed to hear about it at first, then relieved to see how different it looked.

Vogt-Roberts really wants to see Hedorah turn up in the Monsterverse.

[castlebyersafterdark]

mike staying at will's, which is always easier than will staying at mike's these days, less parental judgement. will has a shower and comes back in a long t shirt and socks, mike pulling his t shirt up accidentally when wrapping his arms around him to find nothing underneath for the very first time, and getting heart palpitations. trying to sneak a finger down between his cheeks in drooling awe but will stopping him with a cheeky wag of the finger. 'wash your hands first'. fresh-out-the-shower-will is a stickler and something of a cleanliness snob! mike dives to the bathroom embarrassingly quickly, he hasn't even dried his hands properly when he comes back and will giggles.

then the time mike decides to try the same thing, feeling shyer as he often does about his bare long legs, and the t shirt doesn't really come down far enough for it to work so he just wears a tight pair of briefs instead (considers wearing a pair of will's and blushes too hard at the thought), and steps into the bedroom, and will is already tucked up looking so cosy but when he sees mike sort of standing there looking bashful, he peels back the covers and trails over to him in a trance and just jumps on him.

😵‍💫❤️😵‍💫❤️😵‍💫❤️

[artydonsgf]

Hi, I know Mike fiast has a dog and not sure if you only write about art or mike but can I request Mike with his dog and a story regarding y/n - any direction works

hi! i forgot to add it to my rules but i don’t really write about actors/real people, all my work is fictional characters because that’s what’s comfortable to me. that’s on me though, but i did write a meet cute with art n his dog! please enjoy<3

“Stop!” The single word is so desperate, you can’t help but look up. Right as your eyes left the book in your hand, a speeding object hits you right in the chest. Everything goes flying, your book now ruined a few feet away. Your head snaps to the ground, your vision briefly going black as a result. You’re still on the floor when the same voice keeps yelling.

“Bad boy! No!” The sound of running fills your ears. You’re hauled up until you’re sitting, making the green of the grass and the blue of the sky blend together. You squeeze your eyes shut, trying to control the nausea rising in your stomach.

“Are you alright? Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” a voice frantically checks on you. The stranger places a hand over your hair. You finally stop swaying enough to put a hand up.

“Please stop yelling,” you say, voice barely above a whisper. You swallow another wave of nausea.

“Oh fuck, I’m so sorry,” the voice quiets but not by much. You crack an eye open, not really sure what you’d find. Crouched in front of you is a boy your age. His blue eyes are crinkled with worry and his blonde curls stick to his forehead, slick with sweat. The rush in your head stops a fraction. The hand that isn’t on your head is wrapped around the collar of his dog, effectively calming the puppy down. “Racket is only a puppy and I’ve been trying to train him to be less-,” he starts ranting.

“Not to interrupt or judge, but you named your dog Racket?” You both interrupt and judge in the same breath. The stressed look on his face melts away, now replaced with a puzzled look.

“I’m a tennis player, it only felt right,” he explained, his hand still situated on your head. You slowly nod. The dimples on his cheeks deepen with a smile. A click sounds in your brain and you recognize the boy in front of you.

“You’re Art Donaldson!” You move too fast and speak too loud and the sharp pain in your head is a swift punishment. He grabs your shoulder to steady you before nodding. His smile somehow getting bigger.

“You recognize me?” He sounds bashful. You give him a look before throwing a glance at the poster pinned to the tree behind him. A picture of Art is plastered over it with details of his upcoming game. There’s one on every tree in the park. His cheeks turn pink. “I didn’t actually think they’d put it on every tree,” he explains. You nod, still dizzy. It’s only then he remembers that his dog knocked you over. “You need a doctor. Can I bring you to the athletic trainer?” He points to a nearby building. You nod, getting ready to gather your things. He beats you to it and soon, your bag is slung around his shoulder. Racket sniffs at your feet but with a stern warning from Art, he walks forward with no issue. When you finally arrive at the trainer, Art explains what happened and waits patiently until you’re assessed.

“You likely have a very mild concussion. Keep an eye on your symptoms and if they worsen after about three days, please see your primary doctor,” The athletic trainer tells you, strapping a ice pack your head. “And if you can, stay with someone. This is just in case you end up passing out.” She pats your hand and gives you a lollipop on your way out the door.

“Thank you for bringing me,” you turn to Art with a smile. The ice pack strapped your head probably makes your face look a little wonky. “I’ll see you around.” You start to turn away but he grabs your hand.

“Wait,” he turns red upon realizing he grabbed you. “Do you have anyone to stay with?” He drops your hand and starts running his fingers through his hair. Your eyebrows shoot up, though your face looks squished.

“Yeah, my roomate is getting back from spring break in a few days, I’ll be fine,” you start to turn again but he stops you once more.

“I’m just a little worried, do you mind if I check up on you? Maybe through text?” He fishes his phone out of his pocket, dropping it in the process. Your head pounds still but butterflies start to flutter in your stomach.

“Are you asking me for my number?” Your sly look is thrown off once more by the ice pack but his face turns an even deeper shade of red anyway. He clears his throat.

“Yes, I am. I want to make sure my dog isn’t the reason a pretty girl gets irreversible brain damage,” he says with a grimace that is somehow adorable despite its awkwardness. You grab his phone and tap your number in, dropping an emoji with a bandage next to your name.

“We’ll work on your flirting techniques, I’ll see you around,” you wiggle your fingers before crouching down to gently rub Racket’s head. As you walk away, you decide that the concussion was worth it if it meant meeting Art Donaldson.

i know this isn’t exactly what you were looking for but i hope you enjoy anyway!! idk how concussions actually work by the way. thank you for the request n as always, feel free to request something again! mwah mwah mwah

[oh-stars]

Unspoken Habits

Love Is Silently Passing Them A Pickle Because You Know It’s Their Favorite.

a @steddielovemonth prompt | 733 words | CW: N/A | Rating: G

--

It’s been forever since they all got together. Steve’s got an arm slung over Robin’s shoulders and is leaning toward Max to talk shit about Mike, while Eddie’s squished between Dustin and Nancy on the opposite side. The rest of the party surround the table, laughing and talking so loudly he’s not even sure if you could call it that anymore. 

As nice as it is, Eddie feels a little bad for how rowdy they are in the middle of a restaurant. Thankfully, it doesn’t last too terribly long once the food comes out. 

“Okay,” their waiter says as he brings out two others with big trays of food, “help me out here.” 

It’s an ordeal to get everyone’s orders where they need to go, but once it’s settled, they all start to tuck in. 

Eddie’s squirting ketchup all over his fries when he looks up to see Steve’s plate has a pickle on it. His chicken fingers didn’t come with a pickle. Dammit. 

Steve’s not even looking, still listening to Lucas’ story about the game he had the other day. He just picks up his plate and holds it out for Eddie. 

Fuck yeah! Eddie plucks the pickle off Steve’s plate and takes a big bite, then sets the rest down on the edge of his basket. 

“Can we please talk about the new player’s handbook that came out?” Dustin says, muffled around his straw. 

“I haven’t picked it up yet,” Eddie admits. 

Dustin groans, then launches into a full comparison of the last version and this new edition. Which brings Mike and Will into the conversation, too, and soon they’re all debating about the merits of all of the editions, which one is superior and the best in both the standard and advanced games. 

He’s so lost in the topic that he nearly misses Robin handing Steve her pickle. 

Eddie’s got a mouthful, chewing faster so he can correct her mistake because Steve doesn’t like pickles. He doesn’t like a lot of things, he’s almost always handing Eddie something at every meal, whether it's olives or pickles or green skittles. 

But then Steve stops him in his tracks and takes the biggest bite out of the pickle. 

What the fuck is this?

Eddie turns away from the nerd talk to lean forward, mouth finally free to talk. “What was that?” 

Steve raises an eyebrow and puts the pickle down on his plate, hanging off the edge so it doesn’t touch his remaining fries. “What was what?” 

“That!” Eddie points to the pickle.

Robin looks like he’s lost his mind and she may have a point, but the input isn’t necessary. “Is he not allowed to eat? Jesus, Munson.” 

“Not pickles, he’s not,” Eddie says. “You hate pickles.” 

Steve’s cheeks go pink as he shakes his head, fringe bouncing on his forehead. He’s bashful when he meets Eddie’s eye. “No, I don’t,” he says softly. 

“What do you mean?” Eddie asks. It’s like the world has turned upside down (no pun intended) and he’s left marooned on an island of imposters. The fuck is this?

He shrugs and leans forward a little, mirroring Eddie’s posture as they rest their crossed arms on the table and try to get a little closer despite the distance. “I like pickles, Eds. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.” 

“Oh fuck you,” Eddie says half-heartedly. “Since when?” 

“Always?” Robin interjects. “You guys have been together for almost a decade! How do you not know that he loves pickles?” 

Steve’s face gets even redder. 

Eddie feels like he’s been shot, the ultimate betrayal playing out before him. He clutches at his chest. “Stevie?” he squeaks out. 

“I’m sorry,” Steve says, reaching a hand across the table. 

“Then why do you…” 

Steve just smiles. “You love them.” 

“That’s it?” 

“That’s all that matters,” Steve says softly. 

“Can you two stop being all sappy for like two seconds? Some of us are trying to eat,” Max says, nearly snarling with disgust (even though her eyes are all gooey so it doesn’t land the way she’s hoping for). 

Steve laughs and takes his hand back. He winks at Eddie from across the table before turning back to Robin to talk in their weird twin language. 

Dammit, he really loves this man. With his stupid winks and silly sacrifices. If that’s not true love, Eddie doesn’t know what is.

--

Thanks to @lady-lostmind for betaing!

Ao3 Link

[chelseasdagger]

Behind the Red in My Eyes

Mikey Berzatto x Reader

Summary: Mikey comes home, yet again, exhausted after a long shift at The Beef. You offer him some encouraging words and his favorite touch to unwind.

Warnings: cursing

Author's Note: This is my first entry for @bernthirst-events's Beardthal Bash! I had this idea for a while, but I ended up writing way more plot than was needed oops! I still hope there was enough mention of the beard to count!

Word Count: 2.9k+

Mikey Berzatto took pride in his work. It may not be the most glamorous job, but he put countless hours into the family restaurant that he tries so hard to keep afloat. It’s one of your favorite things about him—how much heart he puts into everything he does.

The only downside is how often you’re stuck missing him while the apartment grows too quiet as the hours pass. You have the schedule of The Beef’s hours ingrained in your mind, tacking on the extra time it takes to close up at night. But all the counting does little to stop the frequent checking of the clock on your phone’s lockscreen.

You were thankful when he worked up the deal with Carmy to split some of the necessary management time at the sandwich shop—if you could call it management time. It would be more truthful to call it “babysitting”, taking into consideration the hotheadedness of the staff. And let's be honest, leaving the restaurant in the hands of Richie Jerimovich? Absolutely not.

But, as much as the Berzatto brothers meant well, this plan didn’t last. It worked for a while, Mikey taking the mornings and helping with opening the store so that around the time that the menu changed, Carmy could come in and work until close. They figured it would be the best way to not overwork themselves but still put a healthy amount of time into their family business.

And then one day it was too busy for Mike to come home. Since then, there hasn’t really been a fix to the original plan. You miss him a lot and definitely wish you could see him more, but you feel so much pride swelling in your chest each time you think of how hard he works for that little brick building. No amount of missing him could outweigh that feeling—or how your face feels as if it might split in two when you sneak into the restaurant and see how happy he is to be there.

Nine times out of ten, you walk in and see his smile brightening the whole room as his infectious laugh fills the air. His eyes would be squinted into thin lines as his head falls back and he clutches his chest for a breath. He always cared about the people and wanted everyone to feel welcome there no matter their background or history. You loved seeing him like this and kept these memories at the front of your mind whenever it got harder to be patient on the long nights alone.

Your phone is in your hand before you can even register it. A habit I need to break, you remind yourself, but your screen shows the time anyway. Quarter after midnight. You place the phone down on the coffee table with a sigh, exchanging it for the book that your friend swore you had to read.

Tucking your finger between the pages and your bookmark, you open up the book and scan the printed words until you can jog your memory of the last thing you read. Once you find your place, you tuck your legs to your chest and lazily tug the blanket down from the back of the couch to cover yourself. It doesn’t take long before your surroundings begin to fade and the words paint a picture in your mind.

You look up from your book at the sound of keys jingling inside the metal deadbolt on your apartment door. What time is it? A second later the door is opening and there stands Mikey. He sighs as he holds onto the doorframe before pressing the toes of one foot to the heel of the other, taking his shoes off before bending down to place them beside the entrance.

When he stands back up you finally get a good look at him in the lamplight. His shoulders are slouched, his whole body a portrait of exhaustion. He’s rubbing his knuckles sleepily at his eyes, setting the keys down on the small table beside him.

“Hey, sweetheart,” you call to him as his footsteps gently sound out on the wooden floors. He finally glances over to the couch once he notices you and the smile that stretches over his face is tired, yet genuine.

“Hey, baby,” he whispers back to you. His voice is hoarse, mostly likely due to all the yelling in the chaotic kitchen he’s spent the whole day inside of. It’s almost as if his words are caught in his chest, sounding out deep and warm when he speaks. He makes his way to the couch, leaning over the back of it, and placing a quick peck of his lips on your forehead.

As soon as you feel it, he’s gone, making his way to the kitchen in the next room over. You can immediately tell something is off; Mikey gets quiet after a long day of being the loudest guy in the room, but he’s not usually reserved in his affection towards you.

The blanket you were wrapped up in slowly slides down your chest and onto your lap as you sit up against the arm of the couch. You question whether you should push it, but something in your gut wouldn’t leave it be.

“Mikey? You okay?” you call out towards the kitchen. The sound of him closing cupboards echoes through the space next. He makes his way to the fridge, opening it before leaning inside and scanning the leftovers from the meals you make while he’s out.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he responds monotonously, pulling away with a glass container in his hand. The slightly blue lighting shines across his face, illuminating his features in a cold hue. It looks almost intentional, as if to reflect his mood. “What is this?”

“Baked ziti from last night. I’m here for you, Bear, you know that right?” You don’t miss a beat, purposefully choosing not to fall for his distraction of mentioning the food. You watch as he pauses for a moment, setting the food down on the counter and closing the fridge before walking back towards you. You never want to push him or demand he open up to you, but you also want him to know he can lean on you if need be.

A heavy sigh leaves him as he sinks down onto the cushion beside you, one arm resting along the length of the couch, the other propping his head up in his palm. You can see all the evidence of his tiring day of work now that he’s closer to you: the dark grease stains along the bottom of his blue shirt, the marks under his eyes indicating he didn’t sleep enough, the new bandage wrapped around his thumb. All signs point to a draining, most likely not rewarding, day.

Gently reaching out for his wrist, you pull his larger hand into yours. “What happened here?” He moves with you, turning his palm face up as you let your index finger gently trace over his skin. The bandage is uneven, and you can see the faint maroon marking under the tan color.

“Was a uh,” he begins, sighing as he rubs at his eyes with the knuckles of his free hand. “Was an accident. Cousin called me while I was choppin’ onions and, well,” he gestures to his injured thumb. You feel your features change as he speaks, the words painting a clear picture in your head of him in the kitchen as he gets hurt.

“I’m so sorry, Mikey,” you whisper in the small space between the two of you. Your own fingers drag down the inside of his arm, trailing over scars from accidental fryer burns and playing rough outside with Carmy when he was younger. All the little markings on his skin have little stories behind them, and you cherish the boisterous laughter that comes from him when he tells the tales.

“S’alright, baby, happens all the time,” he attempts to reassure you. The tone surrounding his words falls flat and leaves you with the same weariness in your mind. Glancing up at his face, you see the tired lines under his eyes and the way he stares out at nothing while his mind wanders.

Curling your fingers around him tighter, you bring his hand up to your face and place a gentle kiss right under the bandage. It takes him another moment to react due to the other thoughts trailing around in his mind. When he finally glances over, his eyes are fixed on your lips pressing against him, the small peck sending a wave of warmth through him. You continue staring up at him from under your eyelashes; the sigh that leaves him makes his chest deflate when his gaze locks with yours.

“Thank you,” he murmurs softly, a sad smile on his face.

“Is there anything else I can do to help?” you ask, wanting to try and improve his mood. He twists his back and adjusts himself against the couch.

“Nah, nah, baby, it’s okay. It’ll heal up,” he answers dismissively. It’s clear he didn’t pick up on the other meaning of your question, so you try wording it another way.

“No I didn’t mean the cut, Mikey.” His eyebrows pull together, confusion painted all over his features. “I can see how tired you are,” you continue, watching him sigh again and prepare to defend himself. “I just want to take some of the weight off your shoulders, is all. I’m not gonna say to cut your hours back, I know you can’t do that but…” you find your words trailing off when he reaches up to drag his palm down his face.

“You have to at least take care of yourself,” you whisper the final words as his hand drops to his lap. There’s a silence that lingers over the room and you’re worried you’ve overstepped in suggesting the restaurant being the source of a good portion of his stress.

“You’re right,” he speaks up, and you feel the tension leaving your body almost instantly. “You’re right, I just don’t… think about it?” his tone rises at the end, twisting the sentence into more of a question. His eyes find yours again and you give him a slight nod, wordlessly encouraging him to continue.

“It just… It’s always been the restaurant first, y’know? Like if that goes under then I’ve got nothing left. And then all the things everybody says about me are true.” He finishes the last sentences with an exasperated breath. Your heart sinks at his words, especially after spending one too many family dinners at his mother’s house and hearing how they treat him and his impulsivity. You want to defend him, but choose not to interrupt his venting.

“And nobody in my family knows how to slow down. I mean, shit, look at Carm,” he chuckles dryly as he shakes his head. “Nearly fuckin’ killed himself out in New York. Mom doesn’t have her head screwed on straight, doesn’t know what’s going on half the fuckin’ time. It just—.” He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, his head hanging low in his hands.

There’s a quick sniffle before he’s raking his fingers through his hair roughly. He sits up and stares down at his fingers, anxiously picking at the skin around his nails. Every fiber in your being screams to reach out to him and comfort him, and this time you listen to your instincts.

“Mikey,” you start, gently placing your hand on his forearm and pulling him towards you. His body falls and you feel his weight instantly pressing into your shoulder. Slumped against you like this, his body heat instantly warms up your side and you melt in turn.

“I know you might not know how to take those breaks, but we can work through it together,” you attempt to calm him. “It might not be easy at first but we can just take it one day at a time, yeah?” You glance down at your shoulder to see him staring up at you with half closed eyes. He slowly blinks before finally registering that you asked him a question.

“I like that plan,” he says eventually. His lips part as a yawn takes over and you smile as his eyes scrunch up while his jaw drops open.

“Oh, poor baby…” you chuckle under your breath. His face rests back in his natural position, but his eyes remain shut. He looks so peaceful like this that it makes your heart warm. Admittedly, it’s been too long since you’ve seen him truly relaxed like this. The last few times must’ve been when you were waking up in the night and happened to catch him asleep.

Stolen glances in the middle of the night aren’t enough, you decide. Adjusting your body on the couch, you angle yourself so your back is against the arm of the couch and your legs extend down the length of the cushions. You pull his body between your legs, guiding his head down to rest on your chest.

“You know none of that shit they say is true… right?” you ask softly as you let your fingers trail down his neck and smoothe down his back. He may not look like it, but Mike is one of the biggest suckers for physical touch—specifically cuddling.

He only hums in response, but still you continue. “The restaurant wasn’t a bad idea, baby. I think it’s sweet you kept something in the family name.” You drag your nails down his broad back softly and feel him sigh deeply, the leftover tension finally leaving his body.

“‘M pretty sure you’re the only one who thinks that,” he mumbles out, not bothering to lift his head from you. 

“I swear to god the next time Uncle Lee, or whoever, opens their god damn mouth I’m gonna be the one to throw a fork.” The next thing you feel is Mikey’s laughter shaking you, his rumbly chuckle sounding out in the quiet room. You let yourself smile at the pleasant sound, pressing your fingers into the junction where his neck meets his shoulders. With each push of your fingertips, you try to get rid of those pesky knots of stress that his body is unconsciously clinging on to.

“Seriously though,” you start again, wrapping your arms around his head this time, “we’ll figure it all out. I just want you to rest for now.” You tilt your head down and press your lips to the top of his head. You shut your eyes and try to focus on this moment: the feeling of his body weighing on your torso, his hot breath gently fanning over your arm, his scent relaxing you with each inhale you take.

You let your fingers wander, scratching your nails around his scalp under his hair. There’s a raspy groan that leaves him next and the sound has butterflies​​ suddenly coming to life in your stomach. A giggle slips out from between your lips as you ask, “Feels that good?”

Something bumps the side of your palm as you continue to play with his hair and you reach for it blindly. You try your hardest not to let disappointment wash over you as you stare at the cigarette between your fingers.

“I thought we weren’t doing this anymore, Mikey bear,” you speak in a whisper. A little less than a week ago, Mike decided to stop smoking and using drugs. You knew he could do it but you also knew how big of a step he was taking, so you tried giving as much support as you could offer. He tilts his head up at your voice and looks at you with confusedly. He glances down at the tightly rolled paper in your grasp before shaking his head gently.

“That’s from this morning, baby. Cousin offered it when he clocked in and I didn’t want to say no and have him asking a bunch of fuckin’ questions,” he explains exasperatedly. “But no, I-I didn’t smoke today.” His words are bathed with sincerity even through the tired rasp of his tone.

Your face lights up instantly, pride swelling in your chest once you realize that he kept his promise to you—his promise to himself. You can’t even imagine how difficult it must be to cut everything out like that, but you know he’s going to feel better in the long run because of it.

“I’m so, so proud of you,” you whisper as your fingers brush down his sideburns and begin to smooth out over his beard. “You’re doing so much and I see it.” You worry your words fall flat, but you also know how sometimes all you want is for someone to say that they notice the work you’re doing.

“Thank you.” You believe for a second that you imagined the words due to the barely audible breath that surrounds them. He reaches up to hold your wrist before turning his head to kiss the back of your hand. Sweet moments like this make your heart melt for him and how gentle he can be. There’s not much else to say so the both of you sit in silence, comforted by the presence of the other.

Your nails drag along the short hair that decorates his jaw and you watch his eyes flutter close for the last time. As you wrap your other arm across his chest and pull him closer, you smile at the sound of his soft snores filling the air. The ends of his facial hair tickle your fingertips but you continue gently scratching, wanting to give him a comforting touch to fall into an even deeper sleep.

“Rest up, baby boy,” you whisper as you kiss his head one final time.