#newsflash: he'd wait you out

[irachki]

scaredy cat

chapter: unumbered one shot (maybe more to come) pairing: simon 'ghost' riley warnings: nothing explicit. all lowercase. a/n: because everyone deserves a love that is patient and kind. in spite of everything. for @wraithdance and @disgustingtwitches

it’s why he blames himself when you run.

he’s invaded your space, pushed too hard against the ease of the relationship you’d found yourselves in. it wasn’t purposeful, but simon knew there was something amiss. could sense it from the way your gait had changed around him. how you’d taken to covering parts of yourself from him that you’d otherwise let him bare witness to. the clothes didnt change, no, but your laughter did. clipped and short, long enough to fool others but simon knew you better.

he saw you transform into a version of yourself he’d only seen before he knew you. a hardened version of you made by the winds that eroded your softness.

you’d erected walls for refuge. hiding yourself away from the reach of any hands who tried to tug at you, kind or otherwise.

and yet, simon had been granted access until recently.

he’d pushed his luck, known some conversations were likely to push you to the brink, but you held strongly. in the end, it wasn’t even a conversation. you’d clammed up mid conversation giggling over childhood talks. he’d seen the realization dawn on you in real time.

overexposed, overly comfortable, unprotected.

your things were gone the next day. his side table clear of anything of importance to you. there were still traces of you, lingering in the crevices of his flat but he knew they were there to keep him off your scent. to keep him from being alarmed.

he’s a damn good soldier though. better at understanding when someone’s got the urge to run. and exceptionally good at finding people.

he gives you two days. no messages, no calls, nothing.

all so you can breathe a little easier. work yourself out of the state of mind you’d found yourself in. leaving you bare and exposed.

then he shows up to your coffee shop. order his drink and yours and simply waits.

the baristas know him by now, and they’ve already known you, so when you approach the counter eager to get your liquid energy they simply wave to simon.

you’re an expert at hiding your emotions. anyone else would have accepted your absence of a reaction as expectation but simon knows better. sees the small inhale, your hands curling on the strap of your bag, other hand clutching your phone a little tighter. you’re unhappy, but not angry.

he’ll give you your space, let you run but be within your vicinity. watching you from behind the glass while you get comfortable around again. until you allow yourself to have your back to him, to let your fingers graze the back of his, until you find yourself curled into his side again.

he’s willing to wait.

“just a cup of coffee. take your time, i’m not in a rush for anything love. i’ll be here”

[f1fantasys]

Thought you were mine all along, guess I was wrong - Part 2.

Summary - What happens when you meet Lando again? So, this was supposed to be angst only, but ya girl can't post anything without smut, so, enjoy!

Warnings - 18+ minors DNI, smut, p in v sex, dirty talk, creampie, angst.

Part 1

The next two weeks following that morning had whizzed by in a blur. Both you and Lando had extremely busy schedules and took every free second you got to text or call each other.

It wasn't easy with the time differences, but the cyber sex was honestly the best you'd had since the start of your 'relationship...' It was intense, mind blowing phone sex, leaving you both desperate and eager to see each other, although you'd have to wait a whole extra week because Lando had some media obligations in America. So that meant it was a whole two more weeks before you could get your hands on one another.

On one particular day, you'd texted Lando in the wee hours of the morning, knowing it was late night where he was, and since he'd said he planned to spend the night in, you were expecting a quick response from him.

You didn't get one.

But you thought nothing of it, not even worrying the slightest bit, and eventually, you got on with your day. It wasn't until evening when you saw that there was still no response for him, though you could see he had been online.

You tried to call him, it just rang and rang.

Still, you didn't think much of it. Maybe he just needed space, and you were happy to oblige.

The next few days as well passed with radio silence from him. You could see from social media that he was out and about, doing whatever media he had to do, getting on with it all, except you it seems, though you willed yourself not to let it affect you.

Newsflash it did.

Deciding it was best to throw yourself into work, you were now working ungodly hours overtime, getting as much done to try and block out the fact that Lando was clearly avoiding you by now. It had only been a week of absolutely no contact, but it definitely felt much longer than that. You missed his goofy laugh, his adorable dimples, his banter, and you missed the orgasms he gave you...you missed his dick.

It was now past 8pm, and after a long day of grinding you stopped at the shops to get some food that you could just throw in he microwave to get hot. Busy scrolling the aisles at your local store then you stopped in your tracks. You'd never miss those god damn perfect curls, even in a sea of a million people.

He had his back to you, and before you mind could make a decision on whether to leave or talk to him, he turned around, bit his bottom lip when he saw you.

It was no surprise that Lando was a handsome man. His physique alone was hot. And so seeing him stand in front of you - in the flesh, already had a wetness pooling through your cunt.

Quickly, you out those thoughts to the back of your mind as he approached you.

''Didn't know you were back'' you said breaking the silence. You were curious to hear what his answer would be, because you were always the first person he'd call the second he was back in Monaco.

''Yeah, just been caught up..'' he trailed, letting out a breath, bringing his hand up to massage the back of his thick neck.

Caught up enough to toss me to the side... you thought to yourself.

It was awkward. Awkward as fuck. The both of you standing there, not knowing what to say to one another. Really, it was a first.

Until...

It wasn't 10 minutes later and you were riding Lando in his McLaren.

Your panty thrown somewhere in the back seat.

You should have known better, should have stopped yourselves, but clearly your pussy, and his dick, had a mind of their own.

You rode him like your life depended on it, watching with hooded eyes as your nipples disappeared into Lando's mouth, his teeth grazing and biting down hard before using his tongue to sooth over your bud.

''Fuck, Lando, yes..ri-right there, please'' you begged as even in the small of his sports car, he was lifting his hips to meet your half way, thrusting in and out of you pussy relentlessly, letting out a series of guttural moans and grunts.

It wasn't even a few minutes until you felt your orgasm nearing, your walls clenching almost painfully around Lando's cock as he bought his hand down to flick a thumb at your clit.

''So tight, fuck..need to stretch you out some more'' he murmured before capturing your lips in a heated kiss.

''I'm close'' you barely managed to say between nips and licks, your body was shuddering, shaking uncontrollably as Lando has two tasks at hand - one, keeping your body in control, two, chase his own orgasm.

And not two minutes later Lando was emptying his load into you, sheets of warm cum filling you up to the brink while lewd grunts left his mouth, his dick twitching as you rode him through it.

You finally stilled your bodies, chests heaving trying to catch your breaths as you leaned back and put your weight on his steering wheel behind you.

''Fucking hell'' he said, panting as his eyes stayed trained on the state you were in - disheveled hair, boobs slipped out of your bra and dress, looking red and bruised.

There was an unspoken tension filling up the car, and you could feel him softening inside you, the both of you looking down to the place you were still joined, almost as if you were avoiding looking at each other.

You watched as Lando gently pulled himself out, gasping when he saw a mixture of both your cum oozing out of your cunt, the both of you moaning at the sight, and then suddenly his eyes were trained on yours, as he very quickly pushed his dick back into you, pushing the cum back in.

''Fuck'' he whispered as you let out another moan, your walls clenching tightly around him.

''Lan..'' you murmured, closing your eyes and trying to etch the feeling of his dick inside you to your brain, because something told you this wouldn't happen again, though you prayed you were wrong.

He was suddenly hard again, no surprise to him because just the sight you all fucked out and dripping with his cum got him all excited again. Call it his good stamina.

''Come here'' he softly said, pulling you forward again, your boobs in his face as he lifted you ass up slightly before slamming you down in one hard thrust.

You braced your hands on his shoulders again, leaning down to lock lips with him for the first time since you last saw him.

It was sloppy and dirty, tongue and teeth clashing, almost as if you were just licking each other where possible - not properly kissing, all the while Lando bounced you up and down his dick, each thrust getting harder than each.

You pulled back for air, Lando stuffing his face back into your boobs, letting a series of staggered breaths and groans leave your mouth, feeling your orgasm approaching fast.

''Lando, I- fuck, I can't. Too much'' you were barely able to say. He was being ruthless and as much as you wanted it, your body was overly sensitive today.

''You can baby, one more for me, yeah? Fuck please'' he sounded like he was begging, and how could you refuse him?

You couldn't form any words by now, so all you did was nod your head, while his hand raked down to pinch at your clit.

''That's it baby. Please just be a slut for me. You're already doing so fucking good, letting me fuck you so good. Fuck'' he grunted, through gritted teeth, knowing his dirty words would send you over the edge.

And he was right, within seconds your cum was coating his dick again, your body quivering in his arms again, feeling like jelly, releasing pornographic moans into the confinement of the car.

And Lando - as soon as he felt you walls closing up on him, his own release spluttering his cum through your pussy, warm and sticky as he slowed his movements and eventually came to a standstill.

''Ah, fuck y/n'' he mumbled, causing you to giggle because yeah, ''fuck'' was the word of the day.

You stayed close together, breathing in each others air as your bodies shivered with cool air on your sweat, Lando busying his hands by combing your hair back through his fingers.

This time, he pulled out, and he stayed out, using his fingers instead to gently push the cum back up your pussy before bringing them up to his lips and licking them clean.

And this time, your eyes didn't avoid each other.

Lando kept opening and closing his mouth, wanting to say something though falling short every time.

You didn't miss how his body language changed all of a sudden, how he stiffened underneath you, and suddenly you felt cautious.

It was awkward as fuck - you sitting on his naked thighs, dress bunched up you stomach, pussy bare and leaking, while his jeans and boxers were pushed halfway down his legs, cock soft and twitchy resting against your stomach.

Finally, he cleared his throat. His words knocking all the air out of his lungs.

''I...I'm seeing someone..Magui. I mean. I'm gonna start seeing Magui. So this - he gestured between the two of you - can't happen again.''

Your breath hitched, you could feel the color draining from you face as your own body now stiffened.

He said it so casually, like what you just did meant nothing. Like the last 6 months have been nothing, just tossed off to the side.

''Say something..'' he whispered.

You were sure your words would get stuck in your throat, already feeling your cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the whole situation.

Lando was done with you. He basically 'dumped' you while you were both naked in the smallest space possible.

You cleared your throat and leaned over to his passenger seat to grab a tissue, your mind racing as fast as his cars go. Some many thoughts overwhelming you as you willed yourself not to let tears spill out your eyes.

This is it. He's not yours. He's back with her, an ex fling. He's leaving you for her.

''Y/N'' he said your name softly, gauging your reaction.

You sniffled, concentrating on cleaning your cunt - that was still on full display, before you finally pulled your dress down and looked up at him.

Gone was that look that was reserved just for you, and you heart broke at the cold eyes staring at you.

''So that's why you've been avoiding me..? Too busy fucking someone else? Why did we just do this if you're with her? You've just used me to basically cheat on her....thought you'd have more respect for the both of us...'' you questioned, almost whispering the last part, and wincing at your words because you didn't want to know the answer.

Lando coughed, shifting underneath you as he slyly tucked his dick back into his boxers.

''Not seeing her yet...but yeah I guess there are unresolved feelings so we're gonna give it a shot'' he said. ''As for us... guess this was a moment of weakness. But I'm done. We're done.'' he said matter of factly.

You suddenly felt like you couldn't breathe, needing to get out of this space asap because the man in front of you wasn't the Lando you knew.

Not 10 minutes ago was he calling you baby...swallowing a mix of your cum, and now he's done with you.

You're heart clenched not just at the fact that you were losing your fuckbuddy, but Lando as your best friend. From the way he was talking, it was clear that the friendship part of your relationship was also done with.

You needed to get out of here before you broke down in front of him. He didn't deserve to see you vulnerable like this.

So you took one last longing look at him, memorizing each and every freckle and line on his face as you body tingled from the warmth of him.

Surely he could see the hurt on your face, right? He knew you better than most. But still, his eyes didn't soften, nor did his words.

''You should go..now..forget the last few months...'' he said, already moving to open the door for you to climb out of his lap.

You cleared your throat for the umpteenth time today, mind fuzzed when your body finally lost contact with his, and with one last look at him, you turned on your heels, shamefully walking to your car, and not a few seconds later, he was zooming out of the car park.

The next few days were spent wallowing in bed, avoiding any events in town with the fear of running into them.

So George's girlfriend Carmen took up residency at your apartment to keep your mind busy.

You needed to heal, and move on from something that was nothing to even begin with.

A whole week later as you were scrolling Instagram, the photo slapped you in the face.

There he was, with his tongue down her throat, hands groping her ass.

You had no right to be mad, sad, angry, whatever emotions that were over taking your senses. Lando wasn't yours. Not anymore at least. There was never any label between you.

But the more you thought about it, you were more so longing the guy with whom you could talk about anything, truly be yourself around and not get judged for silly things.

The universe had other plans for you though...because in just two weeks time, you were to host an event in London for McLaren. Oh, what could go wrong......

A/N - hope you all enjoyed this...side tracked part! Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

Taglist - @somanyfandomsbruh @lanf1an @annimausi @ernegren @plotpal @hurtblossom @rbv3rstappen @tylerstacobell @wanderingreigns @bowielovesyou @alexanderachillesisgay @sarx164

[im-so-normal-iswear]

Hi, I want to request a headcanon with SSS, with a human!reader (separately, this is not poly), reader is a friend of the trinity, based on this, reader has feelings for the trinity, but because reader is a human, and they are meanwhile mobians, she thinks that she is not attracted to them, since she is a human, and mobians may have different standards of beauty, plus, she does not want to seem like a pervert in their eyes, and ruin their friendship, but somehow SSS finds out about the reader's feelings, and they begin dating. Thanks in advance if you write 💙❤️🤍

A/n: my head hurts, sorry for posting this so late

triple s x Human!Reader

Sonic:

You had been friends with Sonic for years. From the moment you met him, you knew he was special, not just because of his speed or heroics but because of the way he made everything feel more exciting. He was a whirlwind of energy, always dragging you along on adventures, cracking jokes, and treating you like you were just as capable as any of his other friends.

But deep down, there was something you harbored, something that gnawed at you whenever he flashed that confident aura your way. You had feelings for him.

It wasn't supposed to happen. He was a Mobian, and you were human. Surely, his kind had different standards of beauty. Maybe Mobians found humans ugly? Off putting? The last thing you wanted was for Sonic to see you as some weirdo who had inappropriate thoughts about one of his kind.

You convinced yourself it wasn't possible, that he'd never see you the way you saw him. So, you swallowed your feelings and stayed his loyal friend, even when your heart ached to be more.

But Sonic wasn't oblivious. He knows a thing or two about crushes (being around amy is already more than enough to teach him) he noticed the way your eyes lingered when he was in vicinity, how your laugh was just a bit too strained when he teased you, he saw the way your shoulders tensed when he got too close. Sonic wasn't the type to ignore his instincts, and his gut told him something was up.

One day, after an especially intense adventure, the two of you collapsed onto a grassy hill, panting and laughing. The sunset cast a golden glow over you both, and sonic, never one for subtlety, turned to you with a smirk.

"You know, you've been acting weird around me lately," he said, propping himself up on his elbow. "Something on your mind?"

Your stomach twisted. This was it. The moment you dreaded.

"I... it's nothing," you forced a chuckle, looking anywhere but at him. "Just tired, I guess."

Sonic wasn't buying it. "Come on, you can tell me anything, y'know? We're friends!"

And that was the problem, wasn't it?

The words came out before you could stop them. "That’s exactly why I can't tell you."

Sonic blinked, caught off guard. His ears twitched, processing your words before a slow grin spread across his face. "Wait a sec... do you like me?"

Your heart stopped. Your face burned. You shot up in panic. "No! I mean- yes! I meant- ugh!" You groaned, covering your face. "This is exactly what I didn't want! I didnt want to make things weird, because your movian and im... Human..."

Sonic was silent for a moment, but then he started laughing. Not cruelly, not mockingly, just his usual, carefree laugh. "Wow, and here I thought I was the dense one!"

You peeked between your fingers. "...Huh?"

He leaned back, hands behind his head. "You seriously thought I wouldn't be into you just because you're human?" He turned to you, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Newsflash, I don't care about that. You're you, and that's what matters."

Your heart stopped. "You mean... you?"

Sonic grinned. "Yeah, I like you, dummy."

Your world tilted. The worries, the doubts, the fear of being seen as some creepy human crushing on a Mobian, all of it evaporated in an instant. Before you could even process it, Sonic was already standing, holding out a hand.

"Now that that's outta the way, how 'bout a date? Maybe a race, loser buys chili dogs?"

You laughed, shaking your head as you took his hand. "I’m going to regret this, aren't I?"

Sonic just smirked. "Oh, definitely."

And just like that, your fears faded away.

Shadow:

Loving Shadow was a quiet kind of torture.

Shadow was... different. He was distant yet ever-present. You weren't even sure how you had become friends with him, Shadow didn't really have many friends after all. But somehow, after some time, you had earned a place in his life.

That was bad.

Because along the way, you had fallen for him.

And that was unacceptable.

Shadow wasn't the type to tolerate foolishness, and what was more foolish than a human harboring feelings for a Mobian? It didn't matter that your heart flipped every time he stood close, that your skin tingled when his gloved hand brushed against yours, or that his rare smirks made your knees weak. It didn't matter, because you were human, and he wasn't.

He could never see you that way.

But Shadow wasn't blind. He saw how you hesitated when he got too close, how your heart rate spiked when he addressed you. Shadow didn't believe in coincidences, and he wasn't one to ignore anomalies, especially not when they involved you.

One evening, after a particularly grueling mission, he cornered you.

"You're avoiding me."

You answered quick, "I'm not avoiding you."

"Lying doesn't suit you," he said, stepping closer. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Shadow. Drop it."

He didn't. Of course he didn't.

"Tell me the truth." His voice was less intense now.

You looked away. "I can't."

Silence stretched between you. Then, so quietly you almost didn't hear it.

"You think I wouldn't want you because you're human."

Your entire body froze. Your eyes snapped to him. "...What?"

His expression was unreadable, but his gaze burned into you. "You think I wouldn't reciprocate." He took another step forward. "You're wrong."

"I... I don't understand."

Shadows eyes softened, just a fraction. "I don't care about species. I care about strength, about loyalty, about who someone is at their core." He paused. "I care about you."

Your world tilted. The fear, the doubt, the self-imposed barriers, they all shattered in an instant.

Shadow reached out, hesitating for only a second before brushing a hand against your cheek. "You're important to me," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "If you feel the same... I won't run from it."

Tears pricked your eyes. "I thought I wasn’t enough."

"You are," he said firmly. "Always."

And just like that, the walls crumbled.

Silver:

You never meant to fall for Silver.

He had been your friend for so long, always bright eyed and hopeful, always treating you like you were the most important person in the world. He was gentle in ways others weren't, encouraging you when you doubted yourself, listening intently to your dreams, and never making you feel like an outsider despite being a human in a world full of Mobians.

Maybe that's why it hurt so much.

Because even though you cared for him, even though your heart raced when he smiled at you, even though you wanted so badly to take his hand in yours, you couldn't.

He was a Mobian. You were human.

Mobians probably had different beauty standards. What if you were ugly to him? What if you confessed and he was disgusted? Worse, what if he pitied you?

Silver was too kind to outright reject you in a cruel way. He'd probably give you an awkward smile, say something about how he "values you as a friend," and then things would never be the same. You couldn't risk it.

So, you buried your feelings.

You let him ramble about the future, let him take your hand when he was excited, let him hug you when he was happy, all the while pretending that it didn't tear you apart inside.

But Silver wasn't stupid. Naive? Yes. Oblivious? Sometimes. But when it came to you, he always paid close attention.

One day, after an exhausting mission, the two of you sat on the edge of a cliff, watching the sky shift from orange to deep purple. The air was cool, and Silver, without thinking,rested his head on you.

Your heart stopped.

"You've been weird lately," he murmured, eyes on the horizon.

You swallowed hard. "I don't know what you mean."

Silver lifted his head, looking up at you with soft curiosity. "You don't talk to me the same way anymore. You don't look me in the eyes as much. Did I do something wrong?"

Guilt twisted in your gut. "No! You didn't do anything wrong, I just..."

"Just what?" He tilted his head, eyes shining with concern.

You couldn't tell him. You couldn't risk losing this.

But then Silver reached out, fingers brushing against yours, hesitant but warm. "You can tell me anything, y'know?"

The sincerity in his voice broke you.

"I like you," you blurted, eyes squeezing shut. "I’ve liked you for so long, but I thought-" You inhaled sharply. "I thought I wasn't right for you. Im human. You're Mobian. What if I'm... what if I'm not attractive to you? What if I ruin everything?"

For a second, there was silence.

Then-

"You idiot."

Your eyes flew open, as you turned towards him. Silver's face was flushed, ears twitching, hands gripping yours tightly.

"You think I care about any of that?" he huffed, voice shaking. "Do you even know how much I like you?"

Your breath caught. "You-"

"Yes!" He groaned, running a hand down his face. "I thought you didn't see me that way! I thought I was being weird for liking a human, but I didn't care because it's you! I don't care about species or looks or any of that stuff! I just wanted to be with you!"

Tears pricked your eyes. "Silver-"

"You're the most amazing person I’ve ever met," he continued, voice cracking slightly. "You're kind, strong, and you always make me feel like I belong. Do you really think I'd let something as stupid as species get in the way of that?"

You let out a shaky laugh, overwhelmed. "I'm the idiot, huh?"

Silver smiled, soft and warm. "The biggest."

And then, hesitantly, he leaned forward, resting his forehead against yours. His hands squeezed yours, his tail flicking behind him.

"Can I...?" he whispered, breath warm against your lips.

You nodded.

And then, finally, Silver closed the distance

A/n: i dont know how to describe kissing, im sorry

[ronearoundblindly]

Surprise blurb bomb!

You knew better than to take the elevator of the old building, but you gaslit yourself that it would be fine. Newsflash, it wasn’t fine, and the old box got stuck between floors. It’s okay, though, because you knew the fire station wasn’t far away. You called the fire department to come rescue you, and as the doors open, you’re greeted by a warm smile from the man standing on the ladder. He lifts you out like it’s nothing and personally checks that you’re okay. He knows it’s not very professional, but he just can’t help how badly he wants to ask you out. Who’s your babe?

Ok, I went through SEVERAL scenarios until I arrived at my choice. (Also, I don't know how FDs work and I think that will become clear at some point while reading this...)

First, I thought Johnny Storm, obvs, because firefighter makes sense. He'd be the young, cocky kid who is used to being hit on by all the ladies of all ages. He'd be impressed when he reaches into the elevator compartment to find you not only alone but perfectly calm. He sees damsels in distress everyday really; he's bored of the type. You, however, are intriguing.

Second, I went for the painfully typical of me and thought Steve, DUH! He's just so sweet and generous with his time. He's so patient while you gather your thing strewn about the elevator floor and secure your hand in his. He is a consummate professional, so he blushes and looks away when you adjust your skirt. The fabric rode up your thighs, and he may have seen a peek of underwear, naughty boy. He considers it only gentlemanly to buy you a drink and maybe dinner to make up for it...

BUT THEN!

Finally, I landed on Curtis.

He's a grouch today. The whole team has seen it. He does nothing but hang out with the guys, and there's only so much bro-ing one can take before throwing a tantrum. He misses quiet, delicate, soft things. He misses quality time. He's BIG TIRED.

He just put out two blazes in the last six hours when they received a call about a jammed elevator three blocks away. Captain sent him over because the fire was almost entirely contained, and the last time they waited even five minutes to respond to a power outage emergency like this, some poor schmuck had a coronary and died in front of the other four people trapped in the lift!

The department doesn't need that type of shit storm in the press again, never mind they simply outsourced the call in the midst of six floors on the east side of a building going up in thirty minutes flat.

Anyway, Curtis is grumpy, the epitome of grumpy, and he sucks on his teeth the whole time he's yelling into the cracked elevator door to remain calm.

"Oh, hi," you chirp with a little wave once he's pried open a foot of leeway. The most urgent thing you seem to do is put your bookmark in place before standing up.

Curtis huffs out a chuckle, relieved to see it's just you and you're perfectly fine.

Curtis also sees that you are, well, perfectly fine.

The kind of 'fine' he could be quiet, delicate, and soft with. A quality sort of 'fine.' And grumpy-ass Curtis is so tired he just blurts out that you two should have dinner in celebration of his heroic rescue. He really, really likes that your first thought is not keeping him from helping someone else today.

"Not a chance, sunshine. I earned a bite to eat. Only question is whether or not you need carryin' down to the restaurant..."

Thank you for asking!

[isabella-2025]

Professor professor finale:

warnings: cursing, unwanted advances and light smut. I know I said I would never write smut but I tried it out so let me know what you think.

Let me know what you think in the comments ❤️

PS: I cannot wait to see jimmy do his thing tonight. 😊

Jimmy USO x bella (oc)

It had been three months since that moment in the classroom and jimmy and bella are closer than ever before. It started with jimmy leaving little notes on her tests that ranged from good job to great work all the normal things a teacher would say to a student. One day all that changed.

Bella walked into class that day with her head hung low and red eyes. She had gotten into an argument with Ella about Jimmy. Ella had tried to get bella to set her up with jimmy for a "private, history lesson" . She wasn't talking about history though, bella knew she just wanted to get alone with jimmy to seduce him. Bella looked at Ella with angry eyes and said

" Hell no, I am not gonna set you up with that man for you to violate him, It is just not right."

" Aww come on it's not violating if he wants it, and newsflash I think he does." Ella said.

" How the hell would you know what he wants huh Ella." Bella says

" Well wait ....omg your jealous that is so cute.". Ella says while laughing.

" What the hell is so cute about it." Bella remarks

" Because sweetie, he sure as hell doesn't want you, you wouldn't even know where to start. Actually come talk to me when you finally have sex with someone you prude " Ella says

" What the hell, why would you say that Ella." Bella said

" Because, people are starting to talk especially your ex about how easy you were " Hahaha Ella laughs loudly as she walks away.

That leads up to now Jimmy had started his lecture on world war 2 and Bella couldn't focus all she could focus on was the rumors her ex Jordan was spreading about her. He broke up with her because she wouldn't give it up on the first date and now he's spreading rumors that she was an easy lay.

Bella was in her head so much that she didn't hear the bell ring or Jimmy walk up to her. He taps on her desk and she looks at him. He kneels down in front of her and gently brushes her knee with his hand and says

" Bella what's wrong, you're never this quiet"

" Nothing, it's just someone I know is spreading nasty rumors about me," Bella says

"What kind of nasty rumors, you can trust me you know that right." Jimmy. Says gently.

" I do trust you, my ex he is telling everybody that I am an easy lay.. because I wouldn't give it up on the first date." Bella says

"Bella please look at me, you should not feel had about that. It was your choice and he should've respected that. As for the rumors let them go in one ear and out the other your out of here in a month and they'll probably forget about it soon. " Jimmy says

" Yeah I guess your right thanks Jimmy." Bella says

"You're welcome hey, if you need anything you let me know." Jimmy says.

She smiles and gets up to talk to the door right before she gets there he pulls her into a comforting hug kisses her forehead and walks away.

Bella is walking to her car smiling like an idiot because jimmy just hugged and kissed her. Wow I have never felt more safe than I do when I am with him she thought. She finally reaches her car unlocks her door and is grabbed from behind and pinned against the truck. Her ex Jordan has he'd pinned to the truck and smirking he says

" Well,hey bitch nice to see you, you know I hear you've been having a little fun with Mr fatu , is that true?

" No, no I haven't he's been nothing but good to me, he's a gentleman not a prick like you." Bella spats

Jordans face goes cold he snarls and slaps her and says

" Well you think I'm a prick, you ain't seen nothing yet babygirl."

He starts to move his hands from her shoulders down her arms, past her chest and onto her stomach when he gets to the top of her pants he says

" Well now the fun begins."

"NO NO HELP SOMEONE HELP ME. " Bella yells through sobs

When she thinks no one is coming to help her Jimmy come out of nowhere rips Jordan off of her and throws him to the ground. Jimmy pulls him up by the shirt collar presses him against a nearby car and says

" You prick, you touch her again you're dead, got it asshole."

Jordan just nods as he hobbles away.

Jimmy carefully walks over to bella who's sitting on the ground with her knees to her chest rocking back and forth. He couches down in front of her gently grabs her hand a kissss her knuckles. He says

" Hey, hey bella I'm here you're safe now, you hear me babygirl please talk to me."

" I hear you jimmy thank you, Im sorry..." Bella says

" Don't say sorry this is not your fault, If it's okay with you I would like to take you home in case he tries anything stupid." Jimmy gently says

Bella just nods, jimmy holds the door open for her and they are off. On the way back to her house jimmy couldn't help but look to the passenger seat to make sure she was doing okay. He found himself over the last couple months being drawn to her because of the way she was. She was kind, compassionate and beautiful and all he wanted to do was be in her presence it was comforting to him. The first time he saw her down and out at what those girls were saying he felt the urge to protect her. Now with everything that has happened he feels that pull stronger and stronger. He would never tell it to bella because he did not want to lose everything they had. After a thirty minute drive they arrive at bellas house. Jimmy ever the gentleman goes around to the passenger door and opens it for Bella. She smiles at him walks to her door and says

" Hey,would you maybe want to come in for some tea, you don't..."

Before she can finish Jimmy eagerly says * yes I would love to come in. "

Bella smiles unlocks the door walks in with jimmy behind her. She goes to the kitchen and pours then some tea. Jimmy is sitting on the left side of the couch so she gives him his tea and sits beside him. She starts to speak

" Jimmy I want to thank you for everything, nobody's ever been this kinc to me before."

Jimmy smiles and says " it was my pleasure and you are kind to me so I am kind to you."

Bella smiles and says * can I confess something."

Jimmy nods

" I... I have never felt safe with anyone before, I have never been able to be vulnerable with anybody about my situation... Until I met you. You showed up and tore all these walls down I had built around myself and were just there never expecting anything in return. I just really appreciate it. " Bella says

" You are one of the kindest and gentlest people I have ever met. I know you don't think you deserve this but you deserve someone who will make you happy, cherish you and protect you because you are special babygirl."

Bella nods puts her tea down and nervously scoots over to Jimmy. Jimmy picks up on her nerves and scoots closer to her. They are nose to nose now just looking into each others eyes. Jimmy says

" You're eyes are the most beautiful shade of blue I've ever seen."

" Thank you.... Jimmy, can you." Bellas voice falters as tears begin to fall.

Jimmy gently grabs her hand brushes the tears out of her eyes and says

" Hey, it's okay I am here okay, I got you. You can tell me." He coaxes gently.

" Jimmy, I feel safe with you, I trust you and I would like you to be my first." Bella says

Jimmy smiles and says " I would be honored to be your first baby girl. Before we do anything though, I want you to know that we are on your time and if you want to stop at anytime you tell me and I will stop okay."

" Okay , can you kiss me ." Bells says

Jimmy doesn't answer with words. He leans in places a gentle kiss to her lips then to her neck. Bella exhales a shaky breath as he does so. He pulls back and she grabs his hand and leads her into her room. Jimmy gently closes the door and looks at Bella with nothing but love shining in his eyes. Jimmy steps in front of her gently touches her arm and ask

" Can I remove your shirt "

Bella just nods jimmy removes her shirt then his shirt. Then jimmy reaches the top of her pants looks at her and asks

" May I take these off."

Bella nods he removes her pants then his own. Now they are left in nothing but their undergarments. Bella reaches for the clasp of her bra and pulls it off the her underwear. Jimmy then takes his boxers off. Now they are completely bare in front of one another. Bella lays down on the bed slowly and jimmy gently lays on top of her. He doesn't look at her body he just looks at her and with a voice full of emotion and says

" Bella, this is about you, so you tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it."

Bella wraps her hands around the back of his neck and pulls him into a gentle kiss . Jimmy returns the kiss with equal gentleness. He begins to kiss from her neck all the way down to her stomach. She gaps in pleasure as he does so. Jimmy's head dips between her thighs and he begins slow intimate strokes with his tounge. Bellas back arches off the bed in pleasure and she starts moaning. Soon she feels a pit in the bottom of her stomach and a sudden urge to go pee. She looks down at jimmy and shakily says

" Jimmy what.... What's happening. "

Jimmy says " it's okay babygirl your safe let it go, I'm right here baby im not going anywhere."

Bella let's go, she moans loudly as she cums. Jimmy pulls away from her grabs a condom out of his pants pocket puts in on. Then he gets on top of Bella strokes her face gently and says

" Are you ready babygirl."

" Yes, I just im nervous." She says shakily.

" Beautiful don't be nervous Its gonna hurt at first but then it'll feel good. Just let me know when you're ready babygirl. " Jimmy says

" Okay, I'm ready I trust you jimmy." Bella says

Jimmy and Bella then become one. At the beginning Bella feels a sting at first and winces. Jimmy immediately stops puts his forehead against hers and says

" I'm sorry, I know it hurts, let me know when I can move."

The sting soon passes and it begins to slowly feel good. She says

" Jimmy you can move but please be gentle."

"Always babygirl." He replies

Jimmy then begins to move slowly into bella. He leans down and whispers sweet nothings and praises in her ear. Bella moans Jimmy's name like a prayer and he does the same with her name. Soon Bella begins to feel the same pit in her stomach and says

" Jimmy it's happening again, I feel so good."

" I know you do, me too just let go I'm right here I love you bella," He says

" I love you to jimmy" she screams as she comes undone.

Afterwards jimmy runs her a bath changes the sheets and waits for her to finish taking a bath. She comes out of the bathroom in his shirt and he gently pulls her into bed. She lays her head on his shoulder and says

* Jimmy thank you for being so gentle and making me feel so loved."

" Anytime babygirl that all I wanna do is love you."

He pulls her into a gentle kiss and they fall asleep together.

The end

Let me know what you thought in the comments.

@trippinsorrows @acute-crashout-jeyuso @punksyeet @uceyliyahh @femdisa @usoinked @eringobragh420 @mytribalnightmare @southerngirl41 @madhatterbri @empressdede @officialeve24 @bossbitch-22 @purplementalitybluebird @amazinggirlsstuff

[teatitty]

DSOD would've been a vastly different movie if Yugi had been in his anger stage of the grieving and not acceptance because I guarantee he would've been way more pissed off at Kaiba and a lot less willing to try understanding him he would've launched himself at that lanky motherfucker and just started beating his ass

And don't even get me started on what he would've done to Aigami's bitch self "oouuuu I gotta make sure the Pharaoh never comes back" newsflash motherfucker he's ALREADY DEAD AND HAS BEEN FOR A WHILE the only reason he does come back is because you fucked around and found out

All I'm saying is that Kaiba and Aigami were both lucky that Yugi had already hit acceptance and wasn't still in anger. I'm convinced this is why Kaiba waited so long to tell him about the Atem AI and his whole plans with the puzzle because he knew if he'd done it before Acceptance Stage he would've ended up with broken bones

[sabraeal]

don't speak boyshit, Chapter 13

[Read on AO3]

Only a month ago it’d been dark when club let out, dusk prying at the edges of the practice field. He’d liked that— getting out and feeling like it was the end of a long day instead of stumbling right through the middle, using hours rather than losing them. Put some fucking hurry into his teammates too— captain’s supposed to hit the showers last, making sure everyone makes it out the door before he flips the lights, but these idiots linger as long as the sun’s up, screwing around and shooting the shit until he turns the key. But a glimpse of starlight sends them scurrying real quick, all that stupid shit like studying and homework and curfew suddenly important, instead of something they can put off until the captain blows his stack.

It’s full sun when Kamitani’s sneakers hit pavement tonight, but the locker room’s a fucking ghost town, not even an empty protein drink on the floor or a stray jock strap slung over a stall to clutter the place up. Which is fine— that’s how it should be. Just him and the buzz of the overhead lights, cutting out the minute he flips the switch.

“Senpai.” Sato doesn’t quite jump out from the shadows— there’s not enough of them, for one, and what is there is pale and washed out, not enough to hide a whole grown-ass girl— but she does swing out from his blind spot, just as annoying. “Got something on your mind today?”

“No.” Her head cocks, squinting like if she just stared long enough, she might be able to puzzle out his fucking issues. Annoying enough that he changes tack: “None of your fucking business.”

Makino-senpai would have hummed, would have pursed her lips and just stood there, all thoughtful, letting the silence leech out the truth one way or another. But that’s not how Sato works. No, she just squares up, hands hooking over her hips and tells him, as casual as calling a fly ball, “Seems like it might be, if you had both Watanabe and Moriyama-senpai running laps over it.”

Air squeaks through his teeth, an itch setting itself right between his shoulder blades. The call had barely left his mouth before Sato slanted him one of those speculative looks— the kind that said, really, BOTH your Vice Captains?— and he'd known he'd be here, getting hell for it later. But that doesn't mean he's wrong. “They needed to lock in.”

It’s damning how mild she looks, lifting her brows like that. “And sending them off the field was supposed to help with that?”

Kamitani scowls— glowers, really, using all those inches last summer gave him— but Sato just stands there, as short as ever and somehow even less impressed. “You got something to say to me?”

“Not to put too fine a point on it, senpai” — stupid how he stands head and shoulders over this girl, and yet a crook of her mouth has his shoulders hiked up around his ears— “but I did ask first.”

Fucking first year. “I already told you— it’s none of your business.”

“But there is something.” Leave it to Sato to make that sound like a victory, like he’s giving up ground admitting that, yeah, life sucks. Newsflash: he’s seventeen. The only thing that’s not a fucking misery is being out on the field— and even then, he’s got to deal with these idiots doing their best to give him an aneurysm.

“No.” He’s got every intention of leaving it at that— kid might be as good a manager as Makino-senpai, maybe even better, but if she’s going to stick her nose in his business, she can go choke on it— but she just stands there, waiting, and— “If you were gonna make some guy a lunch or whatever, you’d eat it with him, wouldn’t you?”

Sato blinks. “I thought you said you didn’t have a girlfriend, senpai?”

“I don’t.” Ugh, fuck this. He should have kept his damn mouth shut. “Never mind, forget it.”

“No, no, you just surprised me. Give me a minute.” She doesn’t make the mistake of grabbing at him like other girls would; no, Sato just stands back and lets the strength of her voice do the talking. Stops him dead with only a lift of her hand, looking all thoughtful, which is the last thing he wants anyone to do when he says shit like this. “So someone brought you a bento today?”

“I didn’t say this was about me.” Heat burns up his neck, like he’s spent summer practice somewhere in the outfield. “I meant— just people. In general.”

“Right, right, of course. We’re talking in hypotheticals here.” She’s so serious about it, mouth all pinched and ponderous, that Kamitani considers putting his hackles down. “I guess if I had to bring a boy a bento, I’d probably want him to eat it with me. But I wouldn’t necessarily expect it.”

“But you would if he said something,” he presses, a cool trail of sweat tracking down his neck. Damn, it’s hot out here. “Not just walk off to eat with your friends.”

Her eyebrows knit right over her nose. “Well, sure, if he asked. But I mean— girls don’t give a guy lunch expecting him to do much more than say thanks. That’s polite. But if he says you should eat with him, that’s sort of, hm…”

Kamitani crosses his arms, hoping it reads as— aloof or something. Definitely not interested. “Sort of what?”

“Well, if a girl spends that much time on a bento, it’s sort of like saying she likes you right?” Sato shoots him one of her sideways glances, the same way she does in the dugout, all skeptical. “So if you tell her to eat with you, that’s sort of like saying that you—?”

“That’s not what’s happening here.” If there's one thing he's sure of in this whole cluster fuck, it's that. “It’s just a favor, okay?”

Sato’s eyebrows practically bounce off her hairline. “You’re doing some girl a favor by letting her make you lunch?”

Well, of course it’s going to sound stupid if she puts it like that. “It’s complicated.”

“Is this the same one who asked you about the kind of girl you liked? Senpai”— he doesn’t like how she says it, concerned and consternated like maybe he’s the one slow on the pick up— “are you sure that you don’t have—?”

“Not gonna happen.”

“Okay.” Sato surveys the field, hands hooked on her hips. “But maybe you should consider that one of you might want it to?”

Impossible. So far out of left field that Kamitani can only stand there, staring, trying to string together more than two words to explain why— but hell if he can figure out how. Not without having to rehash this whole deal, and, well, Inomata might not have sworn him to secrecy, but that’s only because no one with more than two brain cells to rub together would want to admit to being roped into her stupid little science project.

And what would he say anyway? My friend’s too much of a doormat to have his own opinions, so this girl has to borrow mine and hope for the best? That’s not—

Pain flares sharply between his eyebrows— takes him a solid minute and Sato’s stupid grin to realize she flicked him. “Seems like you might be the one who needs to lock in, senpai.”

He scowls. “What the hell is that supposed to—?”

“Ah, Kamitani!” Kashima’s not someone that gets kudos on his sense of timing, but he’s got to admit— he’s never been happier to see the kid. Even if he’s got his little brother weaving around his legs, oblivious to things like boundaries and just being fucking normal for five minutes. A genetic thing, if Kashima’s anyone to judge by. “I would have thought you’d already left.”

“Just finished.” He pointedly puts his back to Sato, every inch of him radiating go the fuck away. Who he’s hoping will get the message, he couldn’t even begin to guess. Someone. Anyone. Both of them for all that he wants to keep talking. “Got held up.”

“Oh! You must be the new manager.” Kashima peers around him, all smiles, blithely refusing to pick up a hint. Or maybe just being oblivious; Kamitani’s never been able to tell. “Sato-san, right?”

“Uh.” She slants a glance his way— alarmed, annoyed, and completely unearned. “Yeah, that’d be me. You’re one of Kamitani-senpai’s…friends?”

He frowns, but Sato just shrugs, like anyone would be surprised. It’s not like he made captain just on the strength of his swing— people like him. For some reason.

“Ah, yes! I’m Kashima Ryuuichi— and this is Kotaro! Kamitani and I are, er…in the same class. For a few years now.” A pretty concise explanation for this kid, considering how the only thing Kashima likes to talk about half as much as his brother is all of his brother’s friends— even Taka, annoying shit that he is. “I’ve heard a lot about you!”

Kamitani whips around, sure that the what-the-fuck-do-you-think-you’re-doing vibe radiating off of him must be heavy enough to deserve a push-notification for coming on so quick and strong, like a low-pressure system or whatever, warning everyone that a typhoon’s coming just around the corner. But Sato’s only a step back from him, a girl-shaped obstruction in his peripheral, and all she does is stare, neck swiveling toward Kashima before she blurts out, “Senpai talks about me?”

“Ah…” Kashima doesn’t even have the decency to shrink under his glare— no, when his already too-narrow shoulders collapse in on themselves like the equipment sheds until storm-force winds, it’s because he’s remembered it’s Usokawa that put her name on the map for him. His weird obsession with the sports teams’ female managers has the five stages of grief flickering across Kashima’s face— one for each metric that weirdo measures them by; cuteness and authority and effectiveness, and probably something gross like bust-to-waist ratio— before he settles on, “He talks about baseball!”

Kamitani grunts, hefting the strap of his bag higher on his shoulder. Liar. He doesn’t tell those idiots anything unless it’s under duress. “Heading out?”

“Oh, ah, right! As long as you don’t mind.” It takes a moment for Kashima to gather all eight of the limbs he’s personally responsible for and orient them in the same direction, let alone the one he wants, but he still spares Sato a smile, shy and soft and so charming even her shoulders lose the corners of their square. “It was nice to meet you, Sato-san.”

There’s no giggle, no shoes shuffling beneath her skirt or hair twisted around a finger, but Kamitani can still see it— the way Sato drops her hands from her hips, the hard edges of her voice softening to a slightly higher pitch as she says, “You too.”

Unbelievable. It's like the kid puts out some weird musk that sends girls who don’t have time for this shit into a fucking frenzy. “Are we going or what?”

“Ah, Kamitani!” Kashima practically scrambles to chase his heels, Kotaro in loping tow. “I’m just trying to be—!”

“Walk more,” he grunts, quickening his pace. “Talk less.”

*

It’s not like it’s easy hanging out with Kashima; the guy has some real lofty ideas about how he should act, for one, yelping his name every time Kamitani says something that isn’t the most blandly-worded positive reinforcement to the weirdos that float around their orbit— Kashima’s fault, for not just telling them to hit the road the first time he finds them lurking in the bushes. Or giving him that whole I-expected-better look every time he cuffs Taka to keep him from eating road snow or climbing street shrines or whatever. Like words work on a kid powered by a perpetual motion machine. People should study that little shit for science— in another country. Far away. Like Zanzibar.

But it’s supposed to be easier than this. The sunlight stretches and their strides shorten, trying to pull out these last few hours before curfew, and he could scratch off his own skin from how tight it feels, annoyance prickling just beneath the surface. Kotaro crouches over by a fire hydrant, watching ants march along the gully between sidewalk stones, every inch of him painted gold in the thinning light— and if the kid doesn’t hurry up, he’s going to shove his brother into the bushes for breathing too loud.

He’s not even mad or whatever— there’s nothing to even be mad about. It’s just that the whole world is vibrating at a frequency he can feel, prickling every inch of skin and setting his teeth on edge, and if it doesn’t stop soon, he’ll—

“Sato-san seems very nice. Really…responsible.” Kashima says it all chipper, like nothing’s wrong, and god, he could smack him just for that. Sure, nothing is wrong, but still. It’s the principle of the thing. “Is she the one coming to the movie tomorrow?”

“What?” That girl might be riding his last nerve, asking all sorts of questions about his deal or whatever, but that doesn’t mean he wants to subject her to whatever weird obsession Usokawa’s got going on. “When’d I say that?”

“Ah, you didn’t! It’s just” — Kashima eyes dart around like somehow the universe is going to give him a good answer— “I assumed that when you said you would bring a friend, it would be from the baseball team. And the two of you seemed…friendly?”

Kamitani stares. “She’s our manager.”

“So you must spend quite a bit of time together outside of practice. To, er, review tapes and stuff,” Kashima adds with all the authority of Saginuma reading off a set of group project cue cards— like someone wrote that last bit for him. Like he was coached. Which means—

“You guys have talked about this.” Speculating. Gossiping. “Behind my back.”

“N-not like that! We’re just…curious.” The kid shifts on his feet, eyes darting around all guilty. “You’ve never really shown interest in hanging out with, well, anyone, so to ask if you can bring a friend…”

“Friend is overstating things,” he grunts, ignoring the weird twist of his stomach. “I’m just— I’m doing them a favor.”

Kashima cocks his head. “By letting them come to the movie with us?”

Kamitani’s not a guy who flinches— bad habit to pick up, when you’ve got balls flying at you at a hundred thirty kilometers per hour for a hobby— but he must now, since pain radiates right out from the hinge of his jaw and— ah. He’s been clenching his teeth. Great. “You don’t like carrots, right?”

“E-excuse me?” Kashima stares at him, all wide-eyed and owlish, and— it’s not that weird a question. Practically small talk. “Carrots? Like…the vegetable?”

“What else would I be talking about?” Honestly, what the hell is wrong with this kid? He’s not speaking in tongues or whatever. “Do you like ‘em or not?”

“T-to eat?”

Kamitani glares. “What? Do you do something else with them?”

“I-I don’t know!” he yelps, shoulders up around his ears, and it’s nice to finally see someone else on the defensive for once. “You just asked it, like it was part of the conversation, and I” — the kid takes a deep steadying breath— “You’re asking me if I like to eat carrots, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Ah…okay.” Another deep breath, and then that stupid smile creeps out across his mouth, like he’s nostalgic or something. “Yeah, I do. I really like carrots actually. Especially when they’re cut up and put into things— like pickled vegetables. Or rice.”

Kamitani stands there for a minute, brows furrowing deeper with every breath before he says, “There’s something deeply wrong with you.”

“W-what? Me? You’re the one that—”

“You’re telling me that if some girl hid some little chopped up bell peppers—”

“—I thought we were talking about carrots—” 

Kamitani holds up fingers, just a few millimeters apart, to really bring home the point. “Small, like this. Tiny. All over a bento. And you’d still take it?”

The smile— barely hanging by a thread— slips right off Kashima’s face. “W-well, no. But that’s not because of something silly like carrots or bell peppers.”

“Oh yeah?” he huffs, crossing his arms “Then why not?”

“W-well, it’s just— Saikawa makes our lunches every day.” Kashima clears his throat, flushed. “And he really enjoys doing it. I’d hate to take that from him, even though I’m sure he’d understand.”

That hauls him up short. “What? Even if you got a girlfriend?”

If anything, Kashima looks uncomfortable, red deep like a burn. “I-I don’t know about that. It’s never really come up, but…I don’t know…it already feels strange enough letting Saikawa do it, when really…”

It’s been a long time since Kashima’s left sentences hanging like that, like there’s a big, parent-shaped hole he can’t figure out how to build his way over, not without laying tracks down into it. Kamitani’s not good with stuff like this— never has been, not even with his own asshole-shaped gap he has to talk his way around— but he knows that it’s the sort of thing that can’t be filled. Not with well-meaning platitudes or meaningless bullshit, just something you gotta wait out until that train of thought figures out how to put itself on another track.

“I was always the one who packed our lunches. Before.” He can hear the capital on that one, splitting time right down the middle. “My parents were always busy, and I was the one that knew what Kotaro liked anyway. So I never really thought about other people doing it for us. I guess if I imagined having a…um…someone, I always thought I'd being the one taking care of them.”

He fucking hates how the words crowd behind his teeth, how they all jostle each other, like somehow getting to the front of the line means they're the right thing to say.

We're fucking seventeen. That's the one that elbows itself way to the tip of his tongue. What the hell are you doing, dreaming of cleaning up behind someone for the rest of your life?

Aren't you mad? He wants to scream it, wants to take Kashima by the shoulders and see if he can shake out more than one of those stupid smiles. We're supposed to be kids too. When does that happen for us?

But Kamitani knows what it means to be the glue that holds everything together, the band-aid slapped over a problem that a parent can’t— or won’t— fill. It’s just that unlike Kashima, he also knows how to say ‘no.’

"That's fucked up."

Kashima's neck snaps to him hard enough to crack. "Excuse me?"

What about you? That's what he really wants to say. What he wants Kashima to hear for once in his fucking life, before he lets that old hag burn him up from both ends as a favor. When is it gonna be time for someone to take care of you?

But there’s no point, not when Kashima’s only going to shake his head. My parents took care of us, he’d swear up, down, and sideways, they took us to the beach during the summer, and sometimes we’d even get to light fireworks. Or he'll insist, Saikawa takes care of everything, and the headmistress is always too kind about letting me find time to study.

So instead, he just grunts, "Don't girls get off on stuff like that? Taking care of their boyfriends?"

“Ah…I'm not sure about that.” He’s all pink now, but it’s paler now, pleased. “But I think if someone wants to be with me, that would be okay. After all, I could make them a pretty cute bento! Well, so long as they like rice pandas…”

*

That prickle beneath his skin doesn’t leave— not even when Kashima does, scooping up Kotaro and urging him to wave instead of worrying over just where his new ant friends have disappeared to. No, instead it stays there, distracting during dinner and itching right through the hour he pretends to study. It’s not until he’s glaring a hole in his chemistry homework that he realizes—

This is fucking stupid. He doesn’t even want to eat Inomata’s stupid lunches, but she’d left him holding the bag like it was his problem, when—

His phone rattles against the table, screen displaying, Hello.

He’s still staring at it when the next line comes in on the heels of the first: This is Inomata Maria.

There’s no reason for him to choke on air for just that, coughing as he flicks the message open to read: From Class 3A.

Yeah, as if there’s an abundance of Inomata Marias that he talks to. Where are we meeting tomorrow?

Kamitani slouches into his seat, scrubbing a hand over his face with a sigh. Great. Now he’ll get to spend all night fielding this girl’s freak out.

movie theater in town next to the mall

Great. Thank you.

It’s stupid how long she takes to type, like she’s actually composing her texts before she sends them instead of letting them fly out from her fingertips. Like she's reading them through them once— maybe even twice— before hitting send. Like it matters.

He’s tired just thinking about it. At least she’ll probably be in bed by nine.

Also I wanted to thank you again. For inviting me, I mean.

A weird pang rattles through his ribcage, almost like pity.

np

That should be it— the end of the conversation. Information passed on, thanks tendered, no reason to keep—

Are you sure it’s okay?

Kamitani blinks down at the screen. Why the hell is she still talking to him?

That I’m coming, I mean. If there would be a problem, I don’t have to.

“I wouldn’t have invited you if I thought there was a fucking problem,” he grunts, that stupid itch still between his shoulders, putting his fingers on that cramped little keyboard to type out, its cool

There. Question asked and question answered. There’s really nothing more to say than—

Would it kill you to interact like a normal person?

He grips the phone hard enough the case lets loose a warning pop, plastic bowing in his hands before he relaxes his fingers.

i AM acting normal

Normal people give more than two word replies when asked clarifying questions. That’s how conversation works.

A growl rattles around in his chest, setting even his fingers shaking. “Who said I wanted to talk with you?”

i dont do texting

I’m hardly used to it either, but I’m at least making an effort to be POLITE if not FRIENDLY. You could afford me the same courtesy.

He glares down at the screen, and ekes out through his teeth, “You texted me.”

It’s really the least you could do.

whos doing who a favor here?

That puts a cork in her snappy little replies, a [. . .] flashing under their conversation. Once, twice, three times— and then gone, his phone suddenly silent and still. It should be a victory, vindication, a reason to finally finish this stupid work—

But that place between his shoulders still itches.

btw dont give me those stupid lunches if your just gonna disappear

There’s a hesitation, an endless run of seconds before she finally replies, What do you mean?

you shoved that stupid bento at me and bounced left me to eat it alone like some loser or whatever

??? Couldn’t you just eat with your friends?

Ha, sure, like he could show up with a bento right in front of that idiot Usokawa and expect to eat in peace. Spend fifteen minutes alone trying to dodge the fifth degree, grunting through since when did you start taking lunches from the girls in our class and are you going to introduce us to your girlfriend or not only to be foiled by Ebizawa coming back from the lunch line and blurting out something stupid, like, hey is that from Inomata again? And then Kashima would probably say something nice, like how happy he is that Kamitani has someone to take care of him the way he takes care of everyone else, and he’ll be struck trying to explain that it’s not some girlfriend thing. That it’s not even for him, it’s just some favor, and all this effort is for—

Someone else. He scrubs a hand over his face. That’s the last thing he needs, all those idiots up in his business giving Kashima the wrong idea. That Inomata is off limits due to some…bro code stuff, or whatever.

i cant eat that in front of them their nosy ask questions and shit

That would cause some sort of speculation, given your reputation. I should have considered that before I handed it to you.

It’s not until his throat rasps when he swallow that Kamitani knows his mouth’s hanging open. Lettin’ the flies in, his grandma would say.

In my defense, I would have assumed it would be preferable to eat alone. At least when the other option is to eat with me.

It’s stupid how his stomach twists— like Inomata hasn’t been his own personal thorn in his side for years, haunting the corner of every hang out Kashima gets himself invited to, acting annoyed whenever he so much as breathed in her direction. But he thinks of her in her room— pink, probably, so girly his teeth would ache just stepping from inside, ruthlessly organized down to her hair ties— plugging in each word of that like it’s obvious, like her existence is so annoying it’s impossible to imagine that someone might choose to be near her—

not my point eat with me if you want your stupid boy data or whatever

[. . .] flashes like a held breath before, If that’s what you’d find preferable.

It’s not. He doesn’t want to spend half his lunch picking out carrots from every conceivable corner of his bento, or rubbing elbows when she leans over to mark up his notes with that stupid red pen or hers, or having to think about what girls squeeze themselves into in the morning and whether his dick has an opinion about it, but—

whatever just don’t do it again

Your constructive criticism is appreciated.

From anyone else, that’d be a non-answer, a way to end the argument without more raised voices or wagging fingers. But Inomata means it; she’s probably even logging this whole interaction in one of her meticulously color-coded notebooks, like this fucking freak out of his means something. Like how he feels matters, instead of just being another sign that he’s a natural-born asshole.

His hand clenches again, case creaking beneath the pressure, and—

And it vibrates. Not just once, one right after the other. Like the kid’s on a roll or something.

I’ve given out things I have made in club before, but I have to admit that I am unaware of the social protocol for something as involved as a bento. I appreciate your straightforwardness on the matter. See you tomorrow. And thank you again for the invitation.

Heat builds right under his collar, threatening to creep right up his neck, and—

He chucks the phone, grunting when it hits his mattress, giving a good bounce before it lands screen-first on his comforter.

“What,” he seethes with sincerity, “the fuck is wrong with her?”

*

It’s a shit show getting out of the house that morning, like always. Oh sure, the old hag said she’d be happy to have him out of her hair, but by the time he’s showered and dressed, hair already half dry just from walking around with the windows open, Taka’s halfway through three different breakfasts. Keeps taking three bites before darting out into the living room, watching his Lame Rangers until it breaks for commercials and then running back in to rummage around for something else like a squirrel who not only can’t remember where he’s buried his nuts, but even that he had them in the first place.

“There you are,” the hag huffs, hands on her hips, like somehow he’s the problem here. “Where are you going? I’m behind on grading, so I need you to—”

“Movies,” he grunts, not bothering to slow down. “Like I told you.”

That hauls her up short, thinking hard enough he hears the gears grinding as he sits down on the genkan. “Oh. You did ask about that, didn’t you?”

He snorts, slipping on his sneakers. “You said it was fine.”

Or close enough to it. “Ryuuichi-kun is going, isn’t he? Do you think he’ll bring Kotaro? If that’s the case, you might as well—”

“I’m not bringing Taka,” he says, sneakers on and shoulders squared, braced for impact. “I’m hanging out with my friends, not chaperoning one of his playdates.”

“I’m just saying, that if there’s going to be another kid there, there’s no reason you can’t just—”

“I don’t care if there’s a whole Lame Ranger convention.” Kamitani draws himself up, a solid head over her even with the drop into the genkan, and glares. “I’m not bringing him.”

The hag’s hands hook right over her hips, and hah, she may not be as tall as him, and not nearly half as strong, but she is loud. “Now listen here, Hayato, when I tell you to bring your brother—”

*

For what it’s worth, Kamitani does listen. Does a bit of talking of his own, too— the loud kind, enough that some of their neighbors peek out their windows, wondering what the ruckus is all about so early on the weekend— but ultimately, he doesn’t bring Taka.

A victory not without its costs, since both Usokawa and Saginuma beat him to the theater, loitering around the crane machines, arguing over whether some stupid robot girl plush is gettable or not. Idiots must not have anything better to do than wait around.

“Kamitani!” Saginuma’s wave curdles, curling in on itself the closer Kamitani’s glare comes to it. “You didn’t come with your friend?”

He furrows that glare into a glower. “Why would I?”

“Didn’t you invite them?” Usokawa glances over his shoulder, like this is some kind of magic trick and somehow Kamitani’s going to pull some kid out from his pocket or behind Saginuma’s ear. “Most people would come with someone they invited. You know, as an escort or whatever.”

“There’s only one movie theater,” he grunts, glancing up at the marquee, titles rotating at a snail’s pace. “It’s not like it’s confusing.”

“What if they get lost?” Saginuma offers at the same time Usokawa blurts out, “What if they came first?”

Both ideas are equally stupid. Even if Inomata hasn’t been here before— impossible, when he’s heard the girls she hangs out with in his class nattering on about every chick flick that rolls through here the weekend it comes out— she’s got to have no less than three map apps on her phone, cross referencing each intersection with the sort of intense study left for priests and their sutras. And as for the other thing— even the sun would have to get up pretty early in the morning to beat that girl to the dawn, let alone him beating her to a movie theater. Goes without saying that she’s already here, lurking in some inconvenient corner.

And yet, he can’t help himself from asking, “What’s the problem with that?”

“Kamitani-kun, come on.” Saginuma sighs, like somehow he’s the idiot for not understanding their nonsense. “It’s awkward to hang out with someone’s friends without them. What if he didn’t recognize us? We could all be here at the same time and we’d never know! Well, until you showed up.”

Usokawa nods his head, like this is a real problem and not something these nerds invented for no other reason than to ride his ass. “They could have been too intimidated to approach—”

Kamitani snorts. “Who would get intimidated by you idiots?”

“Hey!” The kid shoves up his glasses, like somehow that’s supposed to have him quaking in his sneakers. “I’ll have you know, plenty of people think that I’m unapproachable!”

Even Saginuma snorts. “I don’t think that’s because they’re intimidated, man.”

“Then how do you explain—?”

“Ah, sorry!” Kashima gasps, the whole span of his cheeks flushed red enough to make cars stop, let alone their conversation. His collar hangs askew, like he’d barely managed to throw the thing on before flying out the door, cotton clinging oddly in places. “I didn’t mean to be so late. The Headmistress asked me to handle something before I went out, and one thing just led to another—”

“The hag tried to pull the same shit before I left today too,” Kamitani grunts, crossing his arms over his chest. “I just left.”

“I-it was just a small favor,” he mutters, skin blushing brighter, rolling right up to the tips of his ears. “Or well, it was supposed to be. It’s not like she made me do anything, I chose to help because—”

“—You have bad boundaries, we know, we know.” Usokawa waves his hand, like the whole thing isn’t worth wasting breath on. “You don’t have to tell us.”

“You’re not the last one here,” Saginuma informs him cheerily. “We’re still waiting for Ebizawa to show up.”

“And Kamitani’s friend,” the other idiot adds, waggling his eyebrows.

Kashima blinks, glancing up to where Kamitani stands, a little knot tying itself above his nose. “You didn’t come together?”

“That’s what I said,” Usokawa squawks, cut off before he can really get flapping by Saginuma’s, “We’ve already been over this. It’s old news: Kamitani’s a shit host.”

“Why do I gotta hold somebody’s hand just to go to a movie?” he grunts. “ You all made it here fine, and most of you couldn’t find your way out of a wet paper bag.”

Kashima turns that stupid look on him, the long one that says, I’m not surprised but I am disappointed. “It would have been nice if you did.”

He huffs. “Whatever.”

“Sorry I’m late, guys!” Ebizawa braces himself between Kamitani and Kashima, out of breath. “Missed the bus to the metro, and then there was some animal on the rail? Took forever just to get—”

Saginuma waves his hand, cutting the excuse short with, “We’re still waiting for Kamitani’s friend.”

Ebizawa swings his whole head toward him. “What, you didn’t come with him?”

One of Usokawa’s hands juts triumphantly between them. “See?”

“We’ve been over this,” Saginuma sighs, shaking his head. “Are they on their way yet? We gotta get tickets soon if we want to get good seats.”

“Yeah, okay, because that’s super necessary for Onibaba’s Curse 3,” Ebizawa snorts. “Hate to miss blood spatter because I’m not at the optimal angle—”

“Hey, don’t underestimate what it’s like to face your fears head on, okay? It’s—”

He doesn’t have to listen to this. “I dunno.”

“Well, can’t you just text them or what— right, right,” Saginuma laughs, nervous, shrinking under Kamitani’s glare, “you don’t do texting or whatever. But have they texted you?”

He slips his phone out of his pocket, glancing down to see 1 Message from Inomata Maria, dated fifteen minutes ago. Typical. “She’s already—”

“Hey.” Ebizawa cocks his head, craning his neck to see past some cardboard standee jammed in beside the more permanent promo boards. “Is that…?

“She?” Usokawa’s eyes blink, owlish, from behind his glasses. “Did you just say—?”

“Inomata-san?”

His head snaps up, scouring the space by the standee, searching for scrawny and stern—

“Really?” Saginuma starts hopping around, trying to be subtle but managing something more like a crane’s mating dance. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in the wild.”

“She goes out with her friends,” Kashima informs him staunchly, as if he might have to go to the mattresses to get them to believe it. “Maybe she’s meeting out Ushimaru-san. I heard there might be a new—”

Ah, there. Kamitani snorts, staring at the spindly set of legs poking out from behind a banana-clutching minion, the pleated hem of her skirt pulled straight enough across her knees to serve as a ruler. “I told you she’d already be here.”

Conversation stops, every eye turning toward him.

“Kamitani,” Usokawa manages, tremulously. “Is that your friend?”

[originemesis]

@celestialfcllen xxx

This was the moment it dropped. The sunny demeanor, the smile, the morning star's light faltered for the second time in his immortal life. Was that truly how they viewed it? From Lucifer came the sound of cracking glass as his heart fractured just a tiny bit more. Of course, he would view it that way. The centuries that passed, the agony that humanity had gone through and them being thrown from the garden. A hatred that never was truly addressed. They never had talked about it had they? Furrowed brow and large widened eyes held an ancient sorrow in them. Reaching out a hand tentatively, Lucifer would pull back knowing that. . no. He was the devil, Lucifer, fallen. There was no way that the deemed 'Father of Lies' would ever be believed. " No. I. . . I wanted to share with you our love. Music was how we spoke and expressed ourselves. I wanted to gift humanity with that joy. Never did I think it would end in this. I love you. I loved all of you and wanted to connect with you. The Heavens had always glorified you as a perfect creation so I wanted to show you how much the heavens loved you by giving you the tools to speak with them. To see and hear their love, like I had once. "

Well, the other two clearly didn't view it that way, or else they would have stayed. All he'd ever known- uprooted with the desire of one being that didn't even belong where he'd come blazing through determining everything about them with a determination that would never wilt like a garden flower and that bloomed itches all around them all the time, just waiting for someone to sneeze. Dominos to fall...misery loved company. Broken kneecaps and all.

He didn't seem to notice that his mask had dropped if only just slightly, still grinning and crooning into his own hand in a vicious little preen at the sight of briefly outstretched fingers recoiling inwards. Of course...didn't have the stomach for it. Couldn't keep down what his meddling cost all of them. Much easier to ignore and then carry on like some whimsy little butterfly free of any wrong doings and beaten down into a pit that he was so eager to recruit beings that were much better off without him into just because HE was lonely. Those were some tough titties.

"Newsflash, asscrack...our 'perfect' card was revoked because of you. The only reason I'm dicking around a pearly, golden city is because I was first and heaven thinks I'm their little MASCOT." He didn't exactly exude heavenly behaviors after all...only a select few was enough while he burned up from the inside. Said flames were enough to coax a golden axe into his lap which he idly strummed and plucked at. Though the music that the other claimed to have shared didn't come from the instrument...no, it was booming waves of vibrations from the very helmet he still had latched on like a face he wanted to replace. "I'll wreck this if I have to-"

After a few bursts more of the endless energy of sound he directed towards the most hated being in creation, he breathed out. The sound of Lucifer in the garden recorded...played through him word for word-

"...I'd be so good to you ~ ... I'd be so g̴̢̬͖̤͍̩̘̗̝̬̺̣̥̭̿̕ͅͅͅợ̶͕̻̣̼̖͍̩͎̣͎͍̹̜̟͌͑̊̎̉̓͆͘o̸̡͕͉̹̻̤̼͚͓̖̩̗̬͋̆̍ͅͅd̴͍̗̘̱͈̦̭̣͈̳͓͛́̈́̓ ̴̛͖̑͒͌͑͒̽͒̈́̈́͛̓ to you-"

Acadia is gone.

[poisonedpowder]

Push. Push. Push.

He had no right to keep pushing her. He had no right to talk about her like he understood a damn thing about what led her here. Like he knew a damn thing about how she felt. Talking like he could see right through her. Read her like a book. Dissect her through his words in the hope that she'd fit the picture he'd drummed up in that head of his—the delusions he had conjured to fit his narrative.

It felt like she was being petulant and he could stop her little temper tantrum if she'd listen. Drag her back into the mold that he wanted of her. Almost as if she let him in... he could fix her. Well, screw that. She wasn't some damsel in distress waiting for him to pick up the pieces of her and craft her into some semblance of the palatable Powder he used to know.

Didn't he know Powder suffocated under the smoke and ash and blood that night? And when that wasn't enough, Jinx finished the job by holding her underwater until she no longer rose to the surface. She'd be damned if she let anyone resuscitate her. She chose this path. It was hers to own.

He needed to step out of it and out of her way because somewhere deep, deep down, she knew he was the only one with a shot in hell of doing just that. Why else could she still feel the remnants of the way her hand stung the night from the slap she gave him any time he showed up? It's the very reason she needed him to back off. Find something else to do that didn't situate her between him and Silco's plans. That didn't keep him in her life.    

❝ one day you’re gonna turn around, and i won’t be here. not ‘cause i gave up... it'd be ‘cause i had to survive you, too. ❞

   It's not in her best interest to turn around, especially after she made a point of not doing it, but that last sentence causes something to snap inside her.

     Survive her?  Didn't he get the memo? No one survives her.  She's a Jinx.

She jerks around, fueled by the irritation under her skin that the words caused as they seeped further and further. She's in his face faster than most would manage to do. Eyes staring right at him in the hopes that it would convey what she wanted. That it'd let him know she could look right at him and it wouldn't mean a damn thing if she didn't want it to. No matter how much he insisted it did.

She leaned in close, effectively taking up his space so he was stuck up against the scaffolding he had secured his grip on.

    "I don't look at you because you're a damn eyesore. Trying to drudge up the past like it'll change the present. Newsflash, we're not kids anymore. You wanna survive me? It's time to stop playing hero and get your nose out of other people's business then," she yanks one of his hands off the railing and slaps her smoke bomb in his palm. Her hand is atop his own, ensuring the device is secured in it, "Do everyone a favor, your bugs and yourself included, and take the fucking hint."

She pulls the pin in the next instant. She knows he'll have enough time to chuck it off the ledge— she built it that like that for when she needed time to get out of its way — but by then she'll be out of sight and long gone and if he had any sense, he'd heed her words and stay away from now on.

If the world had any mercy left to offer her, he would heed her words. She knew it didn't.

jinx's words weren’t nowhere close to the impact of a bullet. they were the aftershock of a bomb. a hot flare in his ribs that didn’t kill, but reminded him where the old wounds were still healing partially, barely. our savior heard her—every vowel suffused in venom and costume charm—but it didn’t change what was already sitting heavy in his chest.

ekko stayed rooted, one foot braced on the edge of the ledge, the other hooked back like instinct already clocked her exit plan. his grip on the metal lip of the scaffold tightened for dear life, whilst the pads of his fingers dragged across rust and ash, grounding him better than air ever did.

    ❝ funny thing is, i never asked you to look at me. ❞ this distance she'd forced between them had his voice scraping raw from too many days spent not being able to say what needed saying.

    ❝ i asked why you wouldn’t. there’s a difference. ❞ he finally lifted his eyes to her back—fixed like a loose screw now, like it came undone by regret and refusal to make something operate right. he could read her in the way her shoulders locked down, the way her hand toyed with the grenade pin like pulling it might erase the question he’d posed. like detonating the moment could stop it from meaning something.

    ❝ but i get it, jinx. 'cause lookin’ at me means rememberin’. and maybe that’s the worst thing you could do right now. ❞

he hated how familiar all this felt. the dance of her inching away. the way her voice wore that candy-coated violence like the best armor the embrace of his arms couldn't be. the scent of powder—both hers and the explosive kind—still clinging to the air like a bittersweet memory.

and in some warped, tired part of him, he didn’t blame her.

he just wanted her to stop pretending he didn’t matter. and like she never did. he remembers their laughs. their painful cries that only they saw out of each other. the little secrets they shared with each other that nobody else knew.

the secrets they created together.

    ❝ the thing is… every time you talk like that, every time you pretend this ain’t real—what’s between us, what used to be, what still is—you’re the one making it harder. not me. ❞ his hand slid off the rail, fingers stained from the metal. he exhaled hard through his nose, jaw clenched like he was holding back from saying something worse, or maybe something softer.

    ❝ you don’t owe me your eyes, jinx. you don’t even owe me closure. but if you’re gonna keep showin’ up in my life like a goddamn flashbang, you better start owning the noise. ❞

this time, there was no break in his voice. it cut. shaped by the intimate years, by the weight of never getting to be angry when he should’ve. by the fact that part of him still fucking loved her, and hated that it mattered more than the pain.

    ❝ one day you’re gonna turn around, and i won’t be here. not ‘cause i gave up... it'd be ‘cause i had to survive you, too. ❞ janna's winds between them felt sharp now—zaun’s breath billowing up through the iron belly of the city. somewhere below, the world kept turning. gears spun and clicked. shimmer smoked. kids shouted over the rooftop half-deflated balls and scraped knuckles.

he didn’t chase her. but his eyes never left her back. not once.

@poisonedpowder

[thruheavenandhighwater]

Pairing: Eddie Munson/ Reader

Requested By: NA

Word Count: 6,676

Summary: When Corroded Coffin finally starts to make a name for themselves, you couldn't be more proud. Your boyfriend and his best friends dreams are coming true. But that doesn't stop the ache in your chest when he has to leave for weeks to go on tour.

Stranger Things Masterlist

Eddie Munson Masterlist

Based loosely on the song Carrying Your Love With Me by George Strait. I also haven't posted anything in a few weeks since I've gotten to be super critical of my own work so please be nice to me.

~~~~~

You knew this day was going to come eventually. Corroded Coffin had been slowly gaining traction for the past few years. You weren't sure when or how it happened, really. All you knew was that all of the sudden a few more people than normal started showing up to The Hideout on Tuesday nights. After a few months of steadily growing crowds management moved them to Thursdays. When they did even better on Thursdays, they were moved to Saturday nights. The "big leagues" as Eddie called their new slot.

And those boys kicked ass every single week. You loved watching them on stage. The way they controlled the crowd, pouring every ounce of themselves into their sets. They were magical to watch.

Then, eight months ago they'd been offered a contract by a small label out of Chicago. An honest to God record contract. You'd been so proud of Eddie when he told you. He was sweaty, having just gotten off stage but you hugged him tightly and kissed him deeply, hoping these would convey how you felt after words didn't seem to be enough.

You were proud of all of them. Your boys. After spending years being the only person who actually showed up to watch them, it was nice to see more people coming back week after week. You'd even started selling t-shirts for them at the back of the small dive bar after Andy had floated the idea.

Two weeks later Corroded Coffin was in a studio in Indianapolis recording their first EP. "Baby, I wish you were here," Eddie sighed into the phone when he'd called you from the hotel his first night away. "God, I miss you. And Bill snores like a goddamn chainsaw."

"You'll be back the day after tomorrow," you reminded him.

"I could just come home tonight. I can't sleep without you."

"You got gas money for all that driving?"

"No," he whined. You heard fabric rustling on the other end as he rolled over in his bed. "But… I just-"

"I miss you, too." You whispered, not trusting your voice not to break if you spoke louder. "The bed feels too big."

He laughed quietly, but it sounded forced. Faked for your benefit. "I definitely don't have that problem. Cheap fuckers only got us one room and Paul is an even worse bed hog than you, if you can believe it."

"He better not be a better cuddler," you giggled. "I'll beat his scrawny ass."

"Now, now, sweetheart, I can't have you threatening my bassist before he records his parts." You could hear the smile in his voice. "Even if he does play with my hair and call me snookums."

"Shut the fuck up, Munson!" You heard Paul on the other end. Eddie's laugh filled your ears. You felt your chest tighten at the familiar sound. You really did miss him more than you thought you would.

"Oh, come on, pookie," Eddie teased. "Don't get shy on me now just 'cause I got your competition on the phone."

"They can have you." Paul grumbled. "And newsflash, Romeo, some of us are trying to sleep."

The line was quiet for a moment, all of the joking suddenly gone. "I'm sorry, babe," Eddie sighed.

"No, he's right." You told him as a bubble of emotion grew painfully in your chest. "Get some sleep, rockstar."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I'll call tomorrow?" He asked almost expectantly.

"I'll be waiting." You answered, already wishing it was tomorrow. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

And suddenly the line was dead. The click followed by the loud dial tone almost enough to shatter you entirely. You ended up sleeping on the couch both nights Eddie was gone. The bed was too big for just you, after all.

But the most exciting news had come just after the winter snow started to melt. It was still cold, but the occasional 35° day felt like a gift from the heavens when they happened. You were bundled up on the couch, a blanket that Uncle Wayne had gifted you for Christmas a few months before wrapped tightly around your shoulders when Eddie burst in the front door like a raging bull.

"Baby!" He squealed excitedly as he closed the door behind him. "It's happening! It's really fuckin' happening!"

"Jesus Christ!" You yelled, your hand flying to your chest as your heart threatened to beat clean through the skin. "What is happening?"

"We're goin' on tour!" He yelled, clapping his hands. "We're gonna be, like, a real fuckin' band now."

"Eddie!" You cried out as you stood from the couch, the blanket dropping lazily behind you. You threw your arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss as his hands wrapped around your waist. "I'm so fucking proud of you, baby." You told him before kissing him again. "My little rockstar."

You'd spend the next ten weeks excitedly helping Eddie and the guys prepare for tour. It was a short stint, just a few weeks as an opener on the Midwest leg of some bands world tour. But they were over the moon about the opportunity to be on a real stage. And you couldn't have been happier for them. This was their dream finally coming true right in front of your eyes.

And since it was their dream you never even thought to tell Eddie how badly you didn't want him to go. You didn't want him to be gone for 19 days and 18 nights. It was selfish and you knew that. That's why you kept your mouth shut, encouraging them and helping Eddie decide which shirts to take instead.

Now, it was just two days before he'd be leaving. The record label had rented a van for the band. It was small, but it got the job done. It had been decided that each person could only bring one bag, otherwise there would be no space for their equipment. Eddie had borrowed an old, beat up leather bag from his uncle and you were currently pulling all of his freshly washed laundry from the dryer. You folded each of his shirts as you pulled them from the dryer.

They were still warm as you held each of them in your hands. Each one carried a memory with it. The Iron Maiden shirt he'd worn on your first real date. The Metallica shirt you'd gotten him for his birthday two years ago. The KISS shirt that he had lent you to wear to bed the first night you stayed at his house, when he was still living with his uncle.

Sharp tears pricked painfully at your eyes as you held a Dio shirt to your chest. You took a deep breath to compose yourself. You didn't need to be getting tears all over his clothes. But you couldn't help it. He was going to be gone and you'd miss him. The two nights you'd had to spend on the couch were bad, but this was going to be so much worse.

"Got some new socks," Eddie suddenly called from your living room. You hadn't even heard the door open, too wrapped up in your emotions. As quickly and quietly as possible you sniffled and wiped your eyes with your hands to hide the fact that you'd been crying.

But Eddie knew you. After this many years together, it shouldn't surprise you. As soon as he rounded the corner and saw you standing in front of the dryer, he knew. He stepped towards you, setting the pack of white socks on top of the dryer behind you as he pulled you to his chest. One arm wrapped around you while he cradled your head in his other hand.

"Sshhh, baby," he cooed. His hand began to gently rub your back as he held you. You wrapped your arms around him, balling your hands into fists at the back of his shirt. "It's gonna be okay. I'm not leavin' forever."

"Long enough." You whimpered into his chest.

"I know, sweetheart." He whispered before planting a kiss on your hair. "I'm sorry."

Your heart fell to your knees. He shouldn't be sorry. You knew this was his dream when you met him. You knew it the first time you'd watched him play. This band was too good to stay in Hawkins forever. And you knew that.

"Oh, man," you said with a smile as you pulled away. "Who knew I was such a crybaby, huh?" You pulled your arms from around his torso and wiped your eyes.

"Dude, I cried in the car in front of Melvalds!" A laugh fell from your lips before you could stop fresh tears from falling. "This is gonna suck, huh?" He asked, his palm meeting your tear stained cheek.

"Sure is," you agree with a forced smile.

By the time Eddie had finished packing a few hours later, the brown leather bag sat barely half full on your bed. "So you do have room for more than one pair of jeans!" You said as you picked up a faded pair of Wranglers from the laundry basket.

"I don't need anymore jeans!" He whined from where he was leaning against your dresser.

"You only packed one pair."

"Plus the ones I'll be wearing when we leave!"

"That's gross." You told him flatly as you finished folding the jeans and tucked them into the bag.

"I'm sure we'll be able to wash our clothes," he smiled. "That's just taking up extra space."

"You better!" You said, turning to face him. "If you bring this thing home smelling like dirty balls and van nachos I'm gonna throw all of it away."

"You'd never," he teased, fake hurt written across his smiling face.

"Try me," you told him, crossing your arms over your chest.

And now you stood in you front lawn, barely holding back tears while Eddie loaded his guitar case into the back of the van. The old, beat up bag felt like a boulder as you gripped the frayed handle in both hands. He was downright giddy as he slid the sleek black case into place. You wanted to be excited for him, you really did. But all you could think about was how much you'd miss him.

"Oh, honey," he whispered as he pulled the bag from your hands, handing it off to Bill to put into the van. "C'mere, sweet thing."

He pulled you to his chest. It was almost too tight, but you didn't care. You wanted to be as close to him as possible before he was three states away. It surprised both of you that you were able to contain your tears while you stood there. You knew the guys were watching you, probably going to make fun of Eddie for being so soft after they pulled away. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was commiting Eddie to memory as fully as possible.

"I'll call tonight?" He whispered into your hair.

"When?"

"Probably after we play," he sighed. "Don't know if I'll have time before."

"Yeah," you sniffled into his shirt.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

He pulled away from you slightly, his arms still around your shoulders as he looked down to you. He kissed you, sweet and hard, like he needed your lips on his to live. And you loved it. Knowing that he hated this moment as much as you did made you feel just a bit less selfish about it. He broke the kiss, smiling at you before his lips were suddenly on your forehead. You heard him inhale deeply through his nose as his hand found the back of your head, pressing his lips even deeper into the kiss.

"Be good," he whispered when his lips left your skin.

"No," you sniffled, smiling at him.

He giggled, high pitched but almost sad as he finally pulled his hands away from you. Shaking his head he took a few small, cautious steps away from you.

"Eddie, dude!" Andy called from the driver side window. "We gotta goooo!" He yelled, drawing out the last word. Eddie rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed that Andy didn't seem to understand how difficult this was for the two of you. He leaned forward, his hand catching your arm as his lips fell to your cheek.

And then he was gone. You waved, plastering a fake grin across your face as you watched the van drive down the street. You already missed him. You finally let your tears fall once you watched the van turn a corner and it finally felt real. He was really gone.

The bed was too big again as you tucked yourself into the blankets. The blankets that smelled like cigarettes and cheap soap. Like Eddie. You grabbed his pillow without thinking, holding it desperately to your chest as you cried silently. He was still in city limits, but your heart missed him like he was on the moon.

When you woke up a few hours later your head hurt and the bed felt cold. You sighed as you placed Eddie's pillow back in its spot next to yours.

You walked into the living room, checking the time on a clock on the wall. Quarter to three. It would be hours before Eddie would be able to call you. You decided to make yourself busy while you waited so that your brain wouldn't eat itself alive with worry.

You suddenly hated how clean you kept the house. By the time you'd done the dishes, folded the laundry, cleaned the kitchen, and vacuumed the entire house it was barely 5 o'clock. Still a few more hours until you'd hear from Eddie.

You wrapped a blanket around your shoulders and bunkered down on the couch after putting some mind numbing tv show on. You weren't watching it. You just needed the noise. Something to occupy the part in your brain that wanted to just cry and cry until Eddie was back in your arms.

The sudden, shrill ring of the phone woke you from where you'd started to fall asleep on the couch. You jumped up, the blanket forgotten in your path as you ran to the phone.

"Hello?" You answered eagerly. You held the phone so tightly in your hands that your fingers almost hurt.

"Hey, sweetheart," His voice was angelic in your ears. You almost started crying on the spot, so happy to hear it. You let out a breath you felt like you'd been holding all day. Leaning against the counter, you felt your shoulders relax for the first time since he drove away.

"Hi, baby," you sighed. "How was the show?"

"Fuckin' incredible." He sounded so happy that it made you feel guilty for how badly you wanted him to come home. "There was so many people. Probably more than when we saw Sabbath last summer in Indy. And seeing all those people from the stage was trippy." He laughed.

"I'm so damn proud of you," you told him. And you meant it. Even if you missed him so bad it made your head hurt, you were proud of him.

"Thanks, babe. I can't wait for you to see us up there."

"18 days," you told him, a pang in your chest. "I miss you already."

"Miss you, too." He admitted, his voice quieting. "D'ya see my present?"

"What present?"

"I left it on the dresser!" He told you excitedly. "It's nothing, really, just-" you didn't hear the rest of his sentence. You'd set the phone down and jogged down the hallway to your bedroom. When you reached the dresser you didn't see anything at first. Your perfume, a few lighters, some tapes stacked in the corner. But then you saw it and your heart swelled in your chest. His necklace. His guitar pick necklace.

He'd made it from the pick he used the first night you saw Corroded Coffin play at The Hideout, using a safety pin that he'd heated over the flame of his zippo to poke a hole in the thin plastic. He told you it was special, a good luck charm. He claimed it was this magic little pick that had brought you to the show, and definitely not his incessant nagging for a week prior. He'd never taken it off in all these years. But here it sat on top of your dresser.

You smiled as you walked back to the phone, clasping the simple chain around your neck as you walked. The chain was longer than you'd normally wear, the pick coming to rest in the middle of your chest.

"-ello? Hello? You there?" Eddie sounded worried when you picked up the phone from the counter.

"I'm here," you smiled into the phone, your hand tightly wrapped around the necklace. "But what are you gonna do without your good luck charm?"

He chuckled, a sound you could listen to forever. "Don't you worry, sweetheart. I got something even better."

"What?"

"I'll tell ya when I see ya in Indy."

"18 days," you repeated.

"18 days."

You hung up shortly after that, Eddie saying that Bill was finally out of the shower and he was not gonna miss his turn at the hot water. After hanging up the phone you felt much better than you had all day. Eddie promised to call every night after his set, which put your mind at ease knowing that he never broke a promise. He'd also made dramatic kissy noises into the phone, which pulled a real honest to God laugh from you. Even miles and miles away the boy knew how to cheer you up.

It was five days into his absence when the very bad, super crappy day happened. First, you burned yourself on the coffee pot. Then you couldn't find the one specific shirt you wanted to wear to work. Searching for it made you late to work. The sandwich you'd gotten from the deli for lunch was wrong. And finally, you'd stepped in a mud puddle on your way into your house and one of your white work sneakers was now stained and soaking wet.

You needed Eddie's call that night more than ever. You looked forward to it from the moment you stepped inside from work even though you knew you had a few hours to wait. You just needed to hear his voice. You needed him to call you babe in that way that he does and tell you that he loves you. You just needed him.

The phone rang while you were cleaning up from dinner. You slammed the refrigerator door closed, not even finishing putting the Tupperware bowls in it.

"Eddie?" You asked.

"The one and only," he giggled. You could see the smirk on his face. You missed that smirk.

"Today has been, like, the worst day ever." You sighed.

"What happened?"

And you told him everything. Unloading all of your issues from the day into him while he just listened, occasionally making affirming noises from the other end of the phone. "And now I've got my shoe soaking in the sink hoping it magically turns white again."

"Could always dip the other shoe in the mud puddle." Eddie suggested.

"God, it's a good thing you're pretty, Munson." You laughed. You truly appreciated how easily he could turn your mood around. He was special. Almost magical in his ability to save even the worst days.

"There ya are," he said sweetly. "Missed that laugh today."

"I need a hug," you sighed. "And a drink, but mostly a hug."

"Promise I'll hug ya extra tight in Indy."

"14 days." You said quietly, looking at the calendar that hung in the kitchen. As soon as Eddie found out that the Indianapolis show would be the last one Corroded Coffin would play it was circled in every color pen the two of you could find.

You couldn't help but count the days. You counted hours, really. Hours until Eddie would call. Hours until 2 pm on the 19th. Hours until you could see your favorite person again.

"Two weeks," Eddie said suddenly, pulling your attention. "I can't decide which sounds worse. 14 days or two weeks."

"They both suck," you chuckled.

"You're going to bed soon, yeah?" He asked.

"Gonna shower when we hang up, then try to sleep." You answered. "Same as every night. Why?"

"Because when you go to sleep it'll be basically tomorrow and then it will only be 13 days."

"Ever the optimist," you smiled. You really did appreciate that he was trying to help. It wasn't his fault that you'd had a bad day. But your heart yearned for him, and the fact that he wasn't within arms reach was unbearable.

You talked for a bit longer. Eddie told you all about the night's show, even though it was exactly the same as every other night. But you didn't mind. You'd listen to him read the white pages in pig latin if it meant keeping him in the phone for just a few extra moments.

When you yawned into the phone he suddenly halted his story. "Bed time?" He asked.

"Not yet," you yawned again.

"Sweetheart, you're fallin' asleep on me here," he giggled.

"Not yet," you repeated. "I'm not ready to say goodbye yet." Your voice caught in your throat as tears suddenly threatened to fall.

"Okay, baby," he said. "Not yet."

You insisted that he finish his story. It ended the same as it always did. But you just needed to hear him. Hear his voice. His sighs, his chuckles, his soft whispers. You needed to hear him.

When he ended his story with the same line as always, "It was fuckin' incredible, baby." You begged for another tour story. Any story. But the yawn that interrupted your pleading gave you away.

"You're gonna hate yourself tomorrow if you don't get some sleep," he told you, gently but his voice was serious.

"I'm not ready," you whined.

"I know," he sighed. "How about I call tomorrow morning? Before you go to work?"

"You can do that?" You asked, maybe a bit too loudly.

He laughed and you felt your heart jump. "Course I can. We don't do anything all day until it's time for soundcheck."

"I would love that."

"Then I'll call in the morning. But right now you need sleep."

"Okay," you finally agreed. "I love you."

"I love you, too. More than I could ever say."

There was a pause. It was your turn. He always made you say it first. This had to be your choice.

"Goodnight, Eddie."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

There was just a moment of silence before you heard the familiar and heartbreaking click. Then the deafening dial tone. And he was gone.

You and Eddie quickly settled into a new routine. Morning phone calls before work, evening phone calls after his show. On the days that you didn't work you kept him on the phone for hours. You didn't even talk sometimes, just hearing him breathing brought a bit of normalcy to your life. It was nice. It was exactly what you needed. The extra calls made the days move by just a little quicker.

It was still agonizing having to sleep in your bed alone. He was insistent that eventually you'd get used to it. He joked that you'd make him sleep on the couch when he got back. But every night he wasn't there felt like an eternity. You even began to miss the way he'd aggressively grab your thighs when you were trying to sleep, tickling you just to annoy you. 11 nights in you decided that you'd never push his hand away again, no matter how much it tickled.

Finally, mercifully, the day came. Today was the day you were going to Indianapolis to see the show. Today was the day you'd get Eddie back.

During your morning phone call both of you were antsy and excited. Your eagerness was almost debilitating, causing you to nearly drop one of your favorite coffee mugs and knock over a stack of tapes in the bedroom as you danced around excitedly. But you didn't care about any of that. Today, instead of counting hours to phone calls, you were counting hours until you were back in his arms.

"God damn, I'm so ready for tonight," His voice was high pitched, almost giddy as you two made your plan for the evening.

You would drive to Indianapolis and he would meet you at the box office. His badge could get you in for free. Once there you'd hang out with him backstage until Corroded Coffin played. You hadn't decided yet if you wanted to stay for the rest of the show or head out immediately to the hotel after their set. "Let's play it by ear," he said.

You'd booked a room at a hotel. You made sure to get a completely different hotel from the one the rest of the band would be staying in. You wanted Eddie all to yourself tonight.

As you drove to the city you couldn't stop smiling. Your cheeks actually started to ache the closer you got. But you didn't mind at all. Aching cheeks was a lot better than an aching heart, or an aching head from crying too hard. This was a pain you could handle. A pain you almost liked, because it meant that all of your waiting was over.

You parked at the venue and all but ran to the box office. True to his word as always Eddie was standing inside the small building talking to the person taking tickets.

"This one's mine," he told the older lady behind the glass. You began to cry as you watched him open the door and walk outside. His arms were spread wide and you wasted no time burying your face into his chest. His familiar scent was intoxicating as you breathed him in deeply.

"I missed you," you said through tears. "I didn't know it was possible to miss someone this much."

His hands held you so tight to his chest that you wondered if it were possible for two people to actually become one. One hand tangled itself into your hair, holding your head in that soft, strong way he does. His other arm wrapped around your shoulders. All you could feel in that moment was Eddie. It was perfect.

He pulled away from you just enough to look down at you. His brown eyes sparkled like gems under the summer sun. His cheeks, sprinkled with dark brown stubble, dimpled as he smiled at you.

"Missed ya, babe," he whispered.

It was so nice to hear his voice again. Sure, you heard him on your phone calls. But this was different. You felt his chest rise and fall as you clung to him. You felt his breath against your hair as he pulled you to him. His lips on your temple, soft and strong. You finally felt whole again.

The two of you stood outside the box office for probably far too long. But you couldn't help it. You'd missed him so much that separating from this embrace for even a moment felt undoable. Eddie didn't seem to mind. He kept his arms around you, running his fingers through your hair while you reacquainted yourself with his presence.

It was only when other cars started showing up in the parking lot that Eddie suggested you go inside. You agreed, squeezing him tightly one last time. His arm stayed around your shoulders, now loosely draping around your neck as he turned to stand beside you. You both smiled at woman in the box office, Eddie flashing his badge as you walked through the turnstile.

"I'm so excited to see you guys play again," you told him as he led you through the front door of the venue.

"The Hideout got nothing on these stages, babe" he laughed. "You gonna be in the crowd or in the wings?"

"Not sure. Which is better?" You asked, reaching up to link your fingers with his that hung over your shoulder.

"Crowd, definitely." He answered. "You can even get right up front and center."

"Finally keeping you around for all these years is paying off." You teased.

He smiled, a chuckle falling from his lips just before his lips touched gently to your temple again. "'Bout damn time I'm good for something, huh?"

When you reached Corroded Coffin's dressing room you were immediately torn from beneath Eddie's arm by Paul.

"God, I'm glad you're here." He said, pulling you into a hug. "Your boyfriend's fuckin' annoying. How do you sleep in the same bed with him every night? You deserve a fuckin' medal."

"Right!?" You said dramatically, grabbing his shoulders as you pulled away from him just a bit. "Did he make you be the big spoon too?"

"No," Eddie laughed behind you. "I let Paul be the big spoon. He practically begged me."

"Can you take him home now?" Paul asked with a smile. "We really don't even need him for the show."

You laughed as you turned back to Eddie. He was trying to force a dramatic pout to his lips, but he just couldn't do it. His lips curled high onto his cheeks with a bright smile.

Bill and Andy greeted you with hugs, too. You missed all of them more than you had realized. It felt so right to be in a tiny dressing room with the guys.

You spent the next few hours on Eddie's lap on one of the faded black couches in the back room. Even though you'd heard all of their stories already you loved hearing them again. They were all so excited to tell you everything. You suspected that they had missed you just as much as you missed them.

A few minutes before the doors opened for the show you and Eddie made your exit from the group. He led you through hallways to a metal door and pushed it open. Suddenly it was just you and him in the middle of the large room. You walked hand in hand to the front center of the barricade. Eddie's hands held both of yours, his thumbs rubbing the backs of your hands softly.

"Ready to get your face rocked off?" He asked.

"Oh, hell yeah," you answered, pulling one hand from his. You tucked your ring and middle fingers under your thumb, leaving your pointer finger and pinky extended. Sticking your tongue out, baring your teeth, you brought your hand to your face.

"Goddamn it, you're so fucking cute." He gushed, bringing both his hands to your cheeks. Just as his lips crashed to yours you heard the loud noise of the venue doors opening. People started to file in, excitedly talking amongst themselves as they walked toward you. Eddie sighed before kissing your forehead softly. "I'm gonna have security pull you after our set, yeah?" He asked. You nodded silently, smiling to him before he removed his hands from your face and turned to walk away.

The guys were amazing. Eddie was right when he said that the shows you'd seen at The Hideout were nothing compared to this. They had actual lighting and a much better sound system than The Hideout could ever even hope to have. And the extra bodies in the crowd seemed to spur the band on, even if they weren't necessarily there to see them.

At more than one point in the show you caught each of the members watching you in the crowd. You were the only person that was screaming their lyrics back to them, so you were easy to find. Eddie had his big solo during the second to last song of the set. He always shined during his solo, but he was on fire tonight. As he hit the high final note of his solo he stretched his guitar out over the crowd, pulling a loud round of applause from you and everyone around you. He didn't seem to notice, his eyes firmly on you as he grinned down to you. Before he walked back to his microphone to the left of the stage he threw one hand up, two fingers extended and his tongue out just like you'd done earlier. You laughed, throwing your head back and bringing your hands to your chest.

Their set ended and the four men gathered at the front of the stage. They all took a quick bow, Andy raising his drumsticks in the air before they left stage in a single file. Eddie pointed at you and winked as he followed Bill across the stage.

A few moments later a large, tattooed security guard was walking toward you. When he reached you you leaned over the barricade, his lips just inches from your ear. He said your name, his voice lifting at the end in question. When you nodded he put his hands out to you. His hands went under your armpits while you braced yourself by placing your hands over his shoulders. You were impressed with how easily he lifted you over the barricade. Once you were on the other side he put his hand on your back, between your shoulder blades as he walked you towards the door you'd come through earlier.

Eddie was waiting on the other side, his million watt smile pasted to his face. As the door closed behind you he wrapped his arms around your thighs and lifted you off the ground. You wrapped your legs around his hips, your hands holding tightly to his shoulders as he spun the two of you in a circle.

You kissed him deeply as he held you. Your back hit a wall suddenly as Eddie kissed you back. "What'd ya think?" He asked breathlessly when he broke the kiss.

"You're a rockstar, baby." You beamed. "I'm so fucking proud of you." He kissed you once more before releasing his grip on your thighs, allowing your feet to hit the floor. "Can we leave? Or you gotta stay the whole time?"

"We can leave," he answered as he linked his fingers with yours. "Gotta help pack up first."

As soon as the heavy back door of the venue closed behind you Eddie pulled his cigarettes from the front pocket of his jeans. You watched as he placed one between his pillowy lips and lit it. He allowed the lit cigarette to dangle from his lips as he bent over to help Bill lift an amp into the back of the van.

It didn't take long for the guys to load up all their gear. Clearly the weeks of practice had paid off. Eddie left his heavy black guitar case propped against the side of the van, insisting he take it with him rather than trust his best friends with it. Once everything was loaded up he bid farewell to the guys as he grabbed the guitar case and his uncle's old leather bag.

"Ready?" He asked. There was no need for the question and he knew that, as he didn't even wait for your answer before leading you away from the rest of his band.

"Born ready, my love." You answered, falling into step beside him.

When you checked in at the hotel Eddie demanded he take a shower before he would touch you. "Trust me, this is for your benefit, sweetheart." He giggled as he closed the bathroom door behind him.

His leather bag was set next to the door. It was half zipped from where he'd sloppily pulled out a clean pair of boxers and a pair of black sweatpants. You barely glanced at it, not really paying it any mind. Until a flash of bright color caught your eye against the black of his clothes.

You stood from the bed and picked up the bag, placing it on a table. You slowly unzipped the bag. Your eyes grew wide as the item that had caught your eye came into view. It was your shirt. The shirt from the very bad super crappy day that you'd torn your house apart trying to find.

You pulled the shirt free from the bag. The bright, colorful stripes that ran across the chest so familiar. You had so many questions running through your mind as you held it. You heard the running water cut off, followed shortly by the bathroom door opening behind you.

"Feels good to be clean," Eddie giggled as you turned on your heels to face him. You still held the shirt in both hands, your eyebrows furrowed. Your lips parted to speak, but you lost your words. You didn't even know where to start.

Eddie's face bore the same look it had the night the two of you had gotten caught getting high at Starcourt when you were in highschool. He reached one hand toward you, his mouth opening as if to offer an explanation. Instead he simply shrugged as a sheepish smile came across his lips.

"Why do you have my shirt?" You finally asked.

"I took it." He answered plainly.

"You took it?"

"Yeah," he shrugged again. He took a few steps away from the bathroom, steam following him as he walked to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I've been looking for this for two weeks!" You cried as you shook the shirt in his direction.

"I didn't know that was the shirt!" He defended.

"Why'd you take it!" You weren't mad, though the volume of your voice might suggest otherwise. "This is one of my favorite shirts, Eddie!"

"That's why I took it!"

You sighed. Your hand that held your shirt fell to your side while the other ran through your hair. "You took my favorite shirt… Because it's my favorite shirt?" You asked as you pinched the bridge of your nose. "That doesn't make sense."

You opened your eyes to look at him when a chuckle fell from his smiling lips. "Made sense in the moment, babe," he said. "I just wanted to have a piece of you with me. I had it on my amp on stage every night. It's my new good luck charm."

Your demeanor softed at his confession. You knew that he'd missed you, but only now were you beginning to understand how much. You sat down beside him on the bed and reached one hand up to cup his cheek in your palm. His persona of confidence and control melted away as you slowly moved your hand to rake your fingernails through the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Missed you, rockstar," you whispered.

Eddie closed his eyes and leaned into your touch. "You have no idea how much I missed you," he mumbled. You gently pulled him towards you, your lips touching his softly. The kiss was sweet, but needy as he opened his mouth, his tongue trailing your bottom lip lightly.

You moved to lie on your back, Eddie following to hover above you. His lips never left yours while he held his weight on his forearms on either side of your head.

"So glad you're here, babe," he mumbled into your neck before he began peppering wet, desperate open mouthed kisses to your jaw and neck.

"Me, too," you sighed. "Wish we were home, though."

He pulled away from you, lusty smirk on his lips. "There's no fuckin' way I can wait till tomorrow." He growled.

"Do you have any idea how many people have probably done it in this bed?" You asked with a giggle.

"Oh, no, sweetheart," he breathed, bring his lips to the curve of your ear. "I promise you this bed has never seen anything like this." You shivered beneath him as his hot breath fanned over your skin.

"Promise?"

You felt his smile against the goosebumps on your neck. His teeth grazed lightly against your collar bone.

"Promise," he answered, his voice muffled against your skin. "Gonna show ya how much I've missed you, darling."

~~~~~

I wrote this in August and have been sitting on it since. Idk if it's good or not, as I'm not a god judge. Like I said, I've become extremely critical of my own work over the last year. Either way, I hope you all enjoyed this!! I know I had fun writing this last year 🥰 Feedback is always appreciated!!

[hoes4dylanobrien]

Mitch *again cuz I'm in love w him*, bodyguard, angst + fluff, New York, female in early twenties

OKK more than 500 but it is what it is

Love the bodyguard!mitch idea, ty so much anon!! hopefully u like

You tried not to look at him, but at some point during the gentle and at times violent rocking motions of the subway ride from uptown to lower Manhattan your gaze drifted over to his hulking figure. He stood a few seats down from you, leaned against the interior wall somewhat obscured by a group of teenagers laughing amongst themselves and trading phones. He pretended to find great interest in one of the ads printed across the opposite wall, giving you the perfect angle of his strong facial features, only softened by his sloping, slightly upturned nose, and wispy dark locks. His almond-shaped brown eyes shifted to you just as you turned away, but you knew he had caught you staring.

"You don't have to follow me every step of the way, you know," you said after you two had gotten off at Canal street, headed to Chinatown. He'd been a few steps behind you, but you halted suddenly, letting him catch up. His jaw tensed. "You think I enjoy being a glorified babysitter? Newsflash, I don't. But the pay is good. If I knew I'd be dealing with such a spoiled princess I would've thought twice."

"Then go," you blurted angrily, mostly out of hurt. "Give me a few hours to myself, I promise not to tell Daddy. You'll still earn your money and we'll both get a much needed break. How about that?"

He opened and shut his mouth, swallowing any initial objection. He looked to be considering your offer. "Fine," he muttered. "I'll be waiting back at Spring stre-"

"No need. I can find my way back home, thanks," you snapped. And with that, you turned on your heel, focusing more on getting away than on where you were going; all the while, feeling a burning gaze on your retreating back.

Not even fifteen minutes later you were starting to regret your decision. You'd planned to go to a restaurant recommended to you by a friend, and after that, your favorite hidden gem of a bookstore. Unfortunately, your phone had died, and you didn't remember the way. It also didnt help that you were, admittedly, directionally challenged. And usually, Mitch remembered where to go for the two of you, so you hadn't ever bothered to memorize the directions (you would never admit he was right, though.) After getting turned around enough times, you realized you were far beyond the main road and didn't recognize where you were in the slightest, or how to get back. It had also, in great cosmic justice, began to rain hard.

“Great, just great!”

As you began to give up hope, a car idled at a slow pace behind you. At first you ignored it, but when it became clear it was following you, you started to get nervous and walk at a faster pace. 

The driver’s window lowered. “Y/n, get in the car,” a familiar low tone ordered. You stilled, but continued walking. 

“Come on, y/n, don’t be stupid,” Mitch growled, impatient. “It’s freezing and I know you dont know where the hell you’re going. Just do us both a favor and get in the damn car!” 

“No!” You yelled, feeling a sudden burst of anger returning even as a slight chill wracked your body. 

“Why the hell not?” 

“Because. I’m a spoiled princess, remember? I don’t listen.” 

“Y/n,” he paused, and you knew without looking back that he was gazing upward as if channeling patience from a higher power, as he often did around you. “I’m sorry OK? I shouldn’t have said those things to you. You don’t deserve it.” 

You slowed your pace, eventually stopping. “Then why’d you say it?”

“You know why, y/n. I get in moods and sometimes... sometimes take it out on other people.” 

“So I’m not spoiled and annoying?” 

He let out a dry laugh. “No, you’re not. Well, not most of the time, anyway,” he teased, making you turn to him with a raised brow. 

“Everyone’s a little annoying, including me. I’m usually worse.” 

“No, you’re not. You’re fun to be around, most of the time,” you teased back. “You make me laugh and you’re actually honest with me,” you said seriously, “I’ve never had that in a friend before.” It was true. Most of your friends were either superficial or after your parents money. 

Mitch watched you with an undecipherable expression on his face. “Get in the car, y/n,” he repeated, still in an authoritative tone but softer. “Please?” 

You did as he asked this time, sitting up front instead of in the backseat as you normally would have. He pulled onto the road. “Where are we going?” You asked as you saw the sign and its accompanying exit for ‘uptown’ pass by. “Thought we’d try that new place,” Mitch replied, citing the one you endeavored to go to earlier. “And then to the bookstore,” you added in question. 

He answered with a rare smile.  

[tastyykpop]

[ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅɪᴅɴᴛ ᴋɪʟʟ ʜɪᴍ]

Pairings: mafia boss!jaehyun x reader

♡𝑠𝑚𝑢𝑡♡

Warnings: dom!jaehyun, brat!reader, yandere themes, orgasm denial, slight edging (like really slight), thigh slapping, ropes, vibrator, punishment kinda, creampie, unprotected sex (stay safe 🙏)

The glass in Jaehyuns hand shattered as he saw another man approach you. He was beyond pissed. Mostly at you honestly. You were basically letting it happen because to you, this was all fun and games.

It shouldn't be though.

Jaehyun was a dangerous man. Someone you really shouldn't be around and someone who had a lot of power, over anything and everyone. Most people were terrified of him and only idiots would dare to speak out of line. And if they were lucky, maybe, just maybe they'd make it out alive.

It all happened when you came to this bar for a good drink and a slight buzz. But here, there was always someone hitting on you. This someone happened to be Jaehyun. It was the first time you met him too. Unfortunately, like the idiot you were (and still are), you talked back to him. It wasnt because you were trying to be rude, but instead you were fed up with the way he was acting towards you. The small brushes on the shoulder and the hand on your knee was getting on your nerves. But what really annoyed you were his comments. Not realising who he was and the power he had, you got angry and gave him back handed comments.

You only stopped when you felt a sting to your thigh.

Luckily for you it was only a slap. Not a knife or a bullet. Jaehyun was never this gentle.

Everytime after that, you would still come back to the bar, in your usual seating and Jaehyun would always be there. He even remembered your favorite drink after the first few nights. How sweet. But now, he was seated away from you with a group of men, watching your every move since he couldnt be with you at the moment.

"Baby that dress looks so pretty on you." The guy sitting next to you commented. His tongue swiping over his lips to coat them in his own saliva.

"Hmm thanks." You smiled, knowing that an angry Jaehyun was watching you like a hawk from across the bar.

The man's hand began to slither up your thigh, dragging his hand up and down. It was nothing like Jaehyuns rough, yet loving hands.

"I want to get to know you more." You turned your head to face the man and raised an eyebrow. "Come home with me."

"Sorry, but I'm gonna have to say no." You took a quick swig of your drink and smiled.

"Come on baby. It'll be worth your time." The man took your hands into his and brought them to his lips.

Jaehyun was going to kill someone today.

"Im sorry," you pulled your hand away, giggling, "but I said no." The man was still relentless, grabbing your hand and placing it on his bulge. Your eyes lit up and you searched around the room to see if anyone was seeing what was going on, stopping on your boyfriend's cold eyes.

Jaehyun got up from his seat, walking towards you. Your hand pulled away like lightning. A groan coming from the man next to you. Panic filled your body as you knew someone was going to get killed, or injured.

An angry Jaehyun is not a good Jaehyun. Especially if someone touched his girlfriend. And he let that go too far.

"Whats my pretty girl doing?" Jaehyun pulled your hair to the side and lightly kissed your neck. It was odd hearing such a soft voice come out of Jaehyun, yet you could feel how pissed he was.

"I-i was just talking..." His hands grabbed your waist, digging his nails deep into your side. Jaehyun wasnt an idiot, but you tried.

"And who the fuck are you?" The man asked. You actually forgot he was still there. But he wasn't going to be for long, Jaehyun ripped out a gun and pointed it at the man before making sure the safety was off.

"The real question is who are you?"

"I-i..." the man stuttered, obviously threatened by the weapon in your boyfriends hand.

"I dont like waiting." Jaehyun cocked the gun.

"I-im no one s-sir my apologies." The man walked away as quickly as he could from the both of you. Jaehyun snickering at how pathetic he was.

"Im gonna killed him for touching you."

"No, you wont. You can't always hurt someone who talks or touches me."

"Dont talk back to me, im not in the mood." You got up from the bar stool and walked with Jaehyun to his car. A very expensive one at that.

"I dont care if your in the mood stop acting like a bitch." Your sparky comment took all of Jaehyuns power to not bend you over and spank you in public.

"Get in the car Y/N."

"No." Crossing your arms over your chest, you turned and walked away. That set Jaehyun off.

You were suddenly in the backseat of his car, your face pushed against the seat and your ass in the air. The dress you were wearing was barely covering anything anymore.

"Listen here you pathetic little slut," he whisped in your ear, "if i tell you to get in the fucking car you listen, understand?"

You tried to get out of the grip he had on you, but it was no use. It just earned you a smack.

"Stop moving and answer me."

"Yes." A sigh left your mouth as he let go of you and walked to the drivers seat, starting the car. Leaving you in the back flustered.

"Come on pretty girl you can take it."  Jaehyun was currently fucking you with a vibrator. The vibrations sending you over the edge as he kept moving it in and out at a slow pace. You grabbed his arm and dug your nails deep into him, hoping that he'd stop punishing you and fuck you for real.

"P-please.." You begged as you squirmed on the bed from all the edging he was doing.

Jaehyun ignored you and picked up his pace. The room was filled with a mix or screaming, moaning, and wet sounds, just how he likes it.

He pulled you in for a rough kiss, teeth clashing with each other. The rougher he was, the more passionate he was with you.

"Im gonna cum." You moaned out, pulling away from the deep kiss, having enough of all the toying from the man above you.

"No youre not." He ripped the toy out of you, ruining your orgasm.

"Aw look at that baby, guess you won't cum again for another month."

You glared at the man as he sat there with a playful smirk before he moved on top of you, leaning down to bite and suck on your neck, leaving purple and blue marks on your skin as a whine left your lips. You wanted more, but knowing Jaehyun you probably weren't going to get it until he was satisfied enough. But you knew he was going to give up sooner or later. The boner brushing against your thigh was not going to go unnoticed by you.

"Stop...teasing..." You tried saying as Jaehyun moved back up to kiss you again.

"Why should i?" He looked up with an eyebrow raised, "You werent exactly the nicest to me. So why should I be nice to you?"

You frowned at the older man ready to talk back again, but the sudden cold hand cupping your hot entrance stopped you. The lower half of your body was almost grinding on his hand for more friction. Jaehyun noticed and smirked at your attempts to get off.

Smack.

"Dont even try that." He kept the same agonizing smirk on his face, giving him a more sadistic look than before. Your movement stopped with a pout and you watched Jaehyun take his hand away from your core.

"Then ill just do it myself." You pretty much just pushed Jaehyun away from you and attempted to please yourself, but you knew damn well it wasn't nearly as good as Jaehyun himself.

"Look at the pretty girl trying to act all tough." Jaehyun cooed at you, taking your hand away from your core and pinning your hands above your head. "Have i not been punishing you good enough? Is that why your acting even more bratty than usual?"

"No," you shook your head at your boyfriend, "its the fact you going to kill someone just because they touched me."

"Well i have a newsflash for you princess," Jaehyun leaned closer to your ear and whispered, "theyre already dead."

"Y-youre insane Jaehyun..."

"But thats why you love me." You watched as Jaehyun got off of you, moving to find something in the very large closet you both shared. When he turned back, you expected another toy he was going to tease you with, but no. He had ropes in his hand as he walked towards you with the same sadistic smirk that you hated yet loved.

He tied you up effortlessly, only giving him a few hard times but that only ended with a few smacks to your thigh.

Jaehyun stood back looking at your naked figure, a small blush painted your cheeks as you felt small under his gaze. Yes, Jaehyun was rather proud of what he was looking at. The beautiful hickeys and bite marks that littered your thighs, neck, and chest. The red hand prints on your thighs wrapping around to your ass. And the crescent shapes in your hips from his nails digging into your skin. He loved all of it.

You could hear the sound of clothes dropping to the floor, but didnt bother turning your head, too embarrassed to look at him now that you felt more exposed with the ropes holding your wrists to the bed post.

"Spread your legs for me princess." The sound of Jaehyuns voice brought you back to reality. You looked at him, his eyes staring into yours waiting for you to do as you were told. But did you didnt move. Just adding more fuel to his anger. "I said spread your fucking legs." He growled. You did so a bit too slowly for his liking and it only ended up with him forcefully spreading them himself.

A quiet gasp left your lips watching as he began to slowly grind into you, making you feel his bare cock against your pussy. Your sighs and moans filled the room, jaehyun watched closely, taking in every whine and movement you made. He pulled back and you waited for him to continue grinding but no, he was inside you without warning, not giving you anytime to adjust.

Jaehyuns fast pace shook the bed and your wrists were chaffing against the ropes. Moans erupted from your throat from the pain and pleasure Jaehyun was giving you.

"Fuck, Jaehyun...."

Jaehyun moved his hand from your hips up to your throat giving it a tight squeeze, "Such a dirty mouth." His hips snapped forward making your eyes roll to the back of your head and more cuss words were choked out. Earning a disappointed head shake from your boyfriend.

The lewd sounds of your bodies filled the room as he continued fucking you into oblivion. If someone walked in, they would be sure to have the image of you being fucked by Jaehyun with his fingers in your mouth and hand wrapped around your throat all while being tied up, stuck in their head for a few months.

"You love being a brat huh?" Jaehyun started whilst making eye contact, "Cause you know you'll be fucked like the pathetic slut you are. Am i right princess?"

He took his fingers out of your mouth to let you speak, "Y-yes." You moaned out. A quiet chuckle rang through your ears.

"Needy little brat..." His pace was faster yet sloppy and you knew he was close. The bed rocked and the sound of skin against skin filled your ears. Jaehyuns grip on your throat not planning on letting go as you struggled for breath.

"Jaehyun....p-please I'm gonna-"

"If you even dare cum ill beat your ass." That changed your thoughts about even bothering to let go, knowing he wasn't playing around.

Just as you felt like holding it in wasnt enough, Jaehyun was already one step ahead and came inside you, riding out his orgasm with a low groan.

Jaehyun pulled out, removing the ropes from your wrists. They were as red as your thighs and they stung too the touch. Jaehyun, being the nice man he is, even though he was still slighlty mad, took the time to give you after care, applying a cream to your wrists and butt just so the redness would calm down and cleaned up the cum dripping down your thighs.

After all that he laid beside you, embracing you in his arms and kissing the top of your head. "My pretty girl." He muttered against your hair before the both of you drifted off to sleep. Although you were still angry that you couldnt cum.

[headstrongblake]

@thewholecrew: rev & nick. | all american universe

nick shook his head with amusement moving through him. enhanced was one way of looking at rev and their... abilities? natural form? at this point, nick wasn't sure what to call it, but, in time, he was sure he'd figure it out. rev's a fuckin' werewolf...and as the shock was beginning to clear from his mind, it just sounded extraordinary. & if the playful sound of rev's voice was any indication, nick already could tell that this form of rev....it's the one they'd rather be more often.

rev's speed is just another incredible feature that if nick blinked, he was sure he would have missed the way rev raced past him, gently nipping at his arm. "hey hey, cut it out," nick snickered, running his hand through his hair as he glanced up at rev as they nudged him. instinctively, nick reached for rev, scratching back along their ear without fear of being knocked to the ground like he would've if he'd reached for rev any other time. "you guess?" his brows raised with an incredulous upon his face, "i dunno if you think this is a walk in the park for anyone but, newsflash, you're a goddamn storybook legend," he couldn't keep the amusement and how impressed he was by this whole ordeal from his tone as rev circled around to the front of him.

"you're fuckin' on, rev," nick challenged to rev's playful tease, his grin widening on his face as, for the first time all week, the world didn't feel so suffocating. so terrible while they all waited for octavia to wake up. "'sides, you said it yourself, i held my own pretty good considering you're a bloody wolf." the whole sentence feels foreign, but it only causes more questions, busying his mind with this instead.

"all right, question time...anyone else know about you?" he asked, brows knitting together with curiosity. did rev's closest friend's know? clearly not octavia, not with the way rev's ears had pinned back when nick had teasingly mentioned what octavia would do if she knew. "shit..." nick's eyes widened, his hand moving from his hair to his beard, rubbing along it as different moments from the year played in his mind. "is this..." nick gestured toward rev in their giant wold form, "is this how you butchered through those bastards that took the girls and grant without a scratch?" if that were the case...nick wondered how he could get bellamy to stay at the hospital with octavia instead of insisting on being there while nick and rev went after chase's buddy.

@headstrongblake: rev & nick. / verse: all american.

     they were pleased when nick moved his arms from his lap to rest their big wolfy head in their place, eyes having closed a peaceful moment before nick mentioned octavia, if octavia ever found out and their head snapped up to look at him, ears flattening with a sneer at that even as nick raised his hands in surrender and promised against it. rev then snorted, ears no longer flat but still back in mild annoyance. that was until he mentioned how competitive the two were and there was clear smugness on rev’s face at that, their chin lifting and teal eyes gleaming with amusement.

not a cheater, they argued with another snort, just…. enhanced is all. it was voiced playfully though because they knew being enhanced was cheating against everyone else who clearly didn’t have the abilities they did. it was why they were such a sore loser because they didn’t lose often, but rev wasn’t going to mention that. in fact they thought they had done amazing with fighting, especially against grant and nick. sure, rev wouldn’t say they lost either match but they took a good hit or two, was taken by surprise a couple times. in all honesty thoough, they were just happy to fight.

     rev gave a wolfy grin when nick shoved them back playfully after they tackled him off the log, racing around while nick rose from his spot and dusted himself off. rev would be laughing if they were in human form watching nick try to imitate their stance. not a cheater! they continued to diasgree despite the laughter in their tone and the playful snort, paws thumping as they danced side to side happily. they zipped past him again, gently nipping at his arm in a light-hearted manner as they did before trotting back around to stand beside him. no promises, they mused with a gentle nudge of their nose to his shoulder, head tilted as their tongue fell out the side of their mouth.

but alright fine, i guess that was to be expected.. their voice sounded playfully exasperated as they very obviously appeared miffed. they stood tall then when nick mentioned not having to worry about them, head shaking as another short breath escaped through their nose, like i always told you, they pointed out proudly before a brow rose at the mention of fighting more. sure there was a bit of annoyance thinking that the only reason for it was because nick knew rev was far more capable to take a hit for very obvious reasons now, but overall rev was pleased. you sure old man? don’t want to knock you over again and you break a hip, they teased, nudging his chest with their big head and wolfy grumble.

[astralshipper]

WAIT WHAT??? In that Gif he'd actually broken his arm??? Astra I'm not surprised you know this but god thats wild 2 read - Tricks

OH YES ABSOLUTELY!! Beginning of season 10, sam wasn’t supposed to have a sprained elbow or whatever they said it was in,,, Paper Moon I think?? yeah absolutely not. Jared actually fucked up his arm before they started filming (or during, i don’t remember exactly) and they had to rewrite a lot of the start of the season.

The fight between him and demon!dean, for example, was meant to be hand to hand, serious combat style. It was supposed to be a REAL super violent fight, but Jared literally Could Not do that and they had to rewrite the whole thing. They ended up liking it better the way it turned out, luckily. A lot of fans said it felt anticlimactic and jared was like okay but what the FUCK was I supposed to do abt that and tbh,,, I liked how it went down, felt creepier and more on the edge of your seat kinda deal.

Since you’ve opened up my infodump time, I’m gonna add that, Jared also broke his hand while filming the third episode of season 2. He didn’t get it checked out, though, until they had already started filming the fourth episode, so he had to film the rest of the episode without a cast and couldn’t get a cast put on until they were starting episode five. That’s why sam says “I think she broke my hand” after the fight in ep 4, as a throwaway line to explain why he was wearing a cast in the next episodes. That was just Jared thinking he could do his own stunts (newsflash: he could Not)

[mechanicoyote]

"Nah, I don't expect any gratitude. Mostly because I know expectin' any from anyone in this pit is an exercise in futility, let alone some fatcat from a silver tower like you." Johnny said, his words of distain spoken with the kind of factual ease of someone saying the sky was blue.

Johnny then scoffed, "Don't be so fuckin' dramatic- believe me, the last thing anyone interested in ya is gonna focus on is your screen width. You look fine." Johnny said, and to his credit, he did mean it.

The guy was an annoying pissant, but he was a handsome annoying pissant.

Made him more annoying, in a way.

The idea to call someone to take him home was met with a scoff, and the even more inane idea of taking him back to Vee Tower himself earned the television-headed sinner a look like he'd just said the most stupid thing in the world.

"Um, newsflash daddio: I have no idea who to call to come get you. Ya think I just happen to have ya Vee buddies phone numbers on speed dial or somethin'? And as for taking ya home myself? Yeah, I'd like to not be immediately ripped apart because ya porn pal thinks I had somethin' to do with ya getting mugged. So thanks, but no thanks." The coyote sinner said, before taking out a pack of smokes and lighting up.

He tried not to smoke in the main house, but his workshop wasn't so lucky. He took a deep drag from the smoke, before blowing it from his nose.

"You're at Fitz Fixit's. My mechanic studio." Johnny said simply, before motioning around them. He then smirked at the question of his identity.

"Name's Johnny. Johnny Fitz. No need to introduce yaself back though- everyone and their mother knows who you are, daddyio." Johnny said, before clicking his tongue.

"Look, you aren't gonna make it far in this rain. And I'm not leaving again before morning. So, you can use my phone to call someone to come pick ya up, start walking and see how far you get on foot, or stay the night here." Johnny took another drag, glancing towards the door that connected his garage studio to his house.

"I got a couch inside you can crash on if you need to. And because I'm jus' such a nice guy, I won't even charge ya to use it." Johnny said, a note of teasing in his voice.

Because hey, he could have a sense of humor about all this, even in the other was being bitchy.

"Figure out what ya want to do. I stayed up later to make sure you wouldn't freak out when you came to, and some of us got work in the morning." Johnny said, reaching up to rub his eye tiredly.

He sidestepped Vox and began walking towards the door, wanting to get to bed. Poor Rippa would be ready to get some shut eye, and he hated to keep his little girl waiting.

Johnny was in the middle of carefully inspecting a cut piece of wiring when a sound like a computer error straight from the underbelly of Hell filled his workshop (which, really, wasn't terribly far off from what it was.) Johnny glanced over at his shoulder, seeing that his guest was wide away and clearly NOT doing well. His screen was flashing on and off, like some kind of seizure inducing nightmare, and he was obviously not having an easy time walking with the new weight on his shoulders. It was sort of funny, watching the taller sinner struggle to get off the ground. Johnny knew he wasn't the biggest asshole in Hell, but he also know he could be a real bastard when he wanted to. So he allowed himself a smirk at the other's inconvenience. He was a rich CEO- he could take being on the recieving end of some mockery. He'd never had gotten as big as he had by being overly sensitive, right? It was only when the other started reaching for him, that Johnny's smirk fell. He looked at Vox's outstretched claws, then took a step forward to meet the mogul partway. A hand- lean and dotted with tiny scars and nails tipped with sharp black claws- grabbed Vox by the wrist. Johnny pulled Vox closer, narrowing his steel blue eyes at the aggitated Overlord. "What I did was save your unlife." Johnny said, his voice slow and deliberate. "So how about ya take a breath and get your bearings real quick, before you fall down and crack your head open again. The floors are concrete, Vox. And I only have the one monitor laying around." Johnny said, giving the man's wrist a squeeze before letting it go and walking back to the table. "Now that you're up, you probably wanna know how you got here, right?" Johnny asked, not looking at Vox anymore as he turned his attention back to the broken head on the table. "I found ya knocked out on the ground a mile or 2 from here. I was gonna just steal ya wallet and leave, but someone beat me to it." Johnny said, before pointing to the window on the other side of the garage. Acid rain still fell outside, hissing as it hit the ground. "Saw the weather forcast earlier, and I felt like it's be pretty scummy to leave ya to melt in the rain. So, I brought ya back." Johnny was picking pieces of broken glass and fried components from Vox's head with a pair of longnose pliers, setting each piece in a small tray on the table he used to work on. Not unlike a mortuary worker, picking pieces of broken bone or teeth from the caved in skull of a cadaver. "This monitor was pretty rough, so I fished an old one out of the closet and put it on you in the mean time. Figured maybe I could patch this one up and we could swap ya back later, but seems like that isn't happening. Some important parts are just completely shot, and it'd take more money than it's worth it get it even somewhat functional again." Johnny pulled his hands back, placing a hand on the table and leaning on it as he finally returned his gaze back to Vox. "Ya know, the way you work is actually pretty killer diller. I always wondered how some of your partially inorganic sorts worked." Johnny said, offering a sharp toothed grin that was both charming and just a little unsettling. "So yeah- thanks for makin' my night more interesting. But now that you're awake, I guess we should find a way to get your glitterati ass back home."

[lassitude]

Been a minute...

I have to vent, and there doesn't seem to be an adequate space for doing it at this moment. Twitter is a fucking flaming wreck, and I don't like to tell my family or friends about work shit, but that's what this is about. Work Shit.

Normally I feel pretty able to shrug off the drama, to absorb the bullshit, but today was really something else. In case no one else has noticed, it's two days before Thanksgiving. When you work in a restaurant, that's like saying it's two days before The Purge. Rather, The Purge is happening currently, and gird your fucking loins, because we're in it and the only way out is fucking through. You've just got to grin and bear it. There is no other way.

So I was doing it. Grinning, bearing it, even when this entitled asshole didn't like how long it took me to take his order despite having a full ass section with twenty other people besides himself and his date. Newsflash, sir: IT'S BUSY. YOU AREN'T THE ONLY ONE HERE. Your app hasn't hit the table yet, so I can't even send the order you're so desperate to give me. Your incredibly special selection of the fucking grilled chicken, you absolute motherfucking redneck ass savage. It's your date's birthday! Spend some money, cheapskate! And he had the audacity to mumble some harried "Jesus Christ" like he'd been waiting twenty seven years for service. He had a drink and bread. His app had yet to hit the table. No need for that bullshit, sir. But I did it. Grin. Bear it. Even through the lousy $10 on $82 and his barely legible scrawl on the receipt of "Very Poor Service." Well, you had a very poor attitude, and I can't help it if everyone in this stupid fucking city decided to eat at the same time tonight. Your food was correct. You drinks were correct. Everything was timed properly. Anything other than that was completely out of my control, you fucking imbecile.

I had several lovely tables who told me how wonderful and delightful I was, that they noticed how hard I was working, how I was spinning like a top trying to get everyone what they needed. I just asked my floor manager for ONE greet. I'd just been quadruple sat--four different four tops. It's very doable IF three of them weren't at the first-come, first-served tables where you have to bring menus, plates, and silverware on top of everything else. So I asked the floor manager to greet my fourth table in five minutes: drinks, bread, take an order.

She couldn't do it. She slurred her words when she told me their drinks, so I asked her if she was drunk, and that seemed to set her off for some reason. Probably because she was. I could smell it on her breath. If it wasn't alcohol, it was something else for sure. She rings the drinks in wrong as she tells me what the actual drinks are. Twenty minutes later I go to the table and ask them if they're ready for food.

"We're just waiting on our appetizer."

"Oh, let me make sure she rang it in." I look. There's nothing in there other than the martinis. "Let me see if it's in the kitchen." I hurriedly ring it in and tell the kitchen I need it on the fly--that our motherfucking ONLY MANAGER ON THE FLOOR fucked up taking ONE order. Worse yet, she's nowhere to be found. All night long, nowhere to be found. I'm getting my ass fucking handed to me, and she's nowhere to be found. It's ridiculous. I've said it many times tonight: this isn't a fucking restaurant, it's a fucking sideshow. It's a fucking circus.

Cue the fucking drama. She starts ranting about how I won't have to deal with her much longer, so I snap back, "Please be professional. We are at work. Be professional." And that sends her into the "I FUCKING QUIT" spiral. She takes off the restaurant keys, starts laying them out on one of the dining room tables. Even one of my tables noticed she was hardly working--thanks for the $30 on $100, guys--and spent nearly an hour straight just standing in one spot, looking like a fucking moron while I ran around like a chicken with its head off.

Now, I understand why my fellow employees are so infatuated with this particular floor manager. She has a fun personality, she understands what it means to be a server since she was one for many years before making the absurd decision to take a pay cut and become a manager. She cuts us breaks when we get fucked by cash tables. She also enabled another server, and one of my friends, to be drunk at work on multiple occasions. He finally got fired two weeks ago, but not by her. Because--and this is just my working theory--they go out into the parking lot and shoot mini bottles after volume. It makes her a fucking nightmare for me when I have to do office duties with her as the closing manager. I mean a literal fucking nightmare of miscounted money--counted as she speaks aloud every single dollar in like a strangely accented voice. She was doing the same thing tonight, talking loudly and with bravado, as if I haven't seen the same act every single fucking time she's drunk or high while I'm supposed to be handling money and sensitive data.

So she's on her bullshit tonight, and what does she do as she storms outside and tries to leave in her car? She blames me. Says I've already called the GM and ratted her out, that she'd pass a breathalyzer, etc etc. Why was she ranting like that if she wasn't drunk? Why was she talking SHIT about me to other servers? Why did another server, who I considered previously my friend, bark at me like I was a child for asking why our closing manager couldn't complete her closing duties? "BECAUSE SHE'S ON THE PHONE WITH HER BOSS!"

I know, dear. I'm the one that fucking texted him. This isn't some fucking high school drama club; this is a BUSINESS. We are here conducting BUSINESS. She is not my fucking friend; she's supposed to be my fucking BOSS. And your boss, too, honey. If you see her as a friend first, then you fucked up, not me. This is why there isn't supposed to be any fucking fraternization between managers and employees, to avoid this exact fucking situation. If I was drunk at work, I would expect to be fired. If I fuck up badly at work, I expect to be written up. I don't throw temper tantrums and threaten to quit and expect anyone to give a single flying fuck about my decision. I am a battery powering a food-slinging machine, and so the fuck is she. So the fuck are all of us, so WHYYYYYY are they treating this like something more than it is? Because they'd rather have her than our two other idiot managers? One doesn't seem to give a fuck, and the other has piss poor menu knowledge and an even shittier attitude.

It's the blind leading the blind. It's like when the kids fuck around when a substitute teacher is on, except the substitute is there ALL THE TIME now. And it's just fuck around forever. Make money, fuck around. It's s fucking toxic, and I want to quit, but I broke $300 tonight. In five hours. I have a mortgage. I have health insurance. I can't just upend my job because I had a bad, dramatic day. But apparently she can. It's fucking ridiculous.

I should be the fucking boss. But I say this knowing they could never pay me enough. Maybe for 80k a year starting, with built-in raises each year. But no one would work for me. I'd fire everyone, or everyone would hate me.

But maybe I only think that way since it's been years since I've had a true hardass for a boss. Someone who holds standards and holds people accountable. We need rules. Rules stop us from devolving into fucking savages who smoke, drink, and fuck at work. We don't have any rules anymore, or at least we don't after volume.

I don't even know what I hope to accomplish with this rant. It's not like I didn't already tell my husband all of this shit on our commute home. I just CAN'T do this shit again tomorrow, though it's looking like that's the only option moving forward. All I know for sure is that she doesn't work tomorrow, so at least I don't have to interact with her. Though I will have to interact with her butt-sucking fan club, including the girl who barked at me for asking why our manager couldn't do her fucking job.

JESUS FUCK, what a fucking mess. This place used to be a point of pride. Now it's a fucking laughing stock. I honestly hope they just fucking accept her resignation. And she can suck my fucking dick for trying to blame me for her shortcomings. IT'S NOT MY FUCKING FAULT that you can't come to work sober. It's not my fucking fault that you hate your fucking job. It's not my fucking fault that I ALONE HOLD YOUR ASS ACCOUNTABLE. I follow the fucking rules for a reason. This is how I make money to finance my fucking life. This isn't some playground for me to showcase my vices.

Ugh, I'm so fucking MAD.