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exorcxqsm · 10 months ago

Text

The price of desire.

ᯓWord Count: 4,4k

ᯓ tags - WARNINGS: mdni, reader isn’t the lnds!mc, explicit sexual content, alterations to the main story, toxic relationship, dr/y humping, t/easing, (lowkey) o/rgasm control, b/egging, f!receiving oral, p in v, unprotected sex, breath play, sensory play, spanking, mention of breeding!kink (toxic if you squint really hard), creampies, dom!sylus, use of pet names (kitten, sweetie), violence, mentions of blood and injuries.

ᯓnotes: This is my first published work here, it took me some time to write but I believe I’m content with how it came out. At first, the idea was to keep it a part one which is connected to an event of the series. Ending this part, I can think of some ways this can go, but I’d still want your opinion:) If you want to see more of this, please go ahead and ask. Any reblogs and likes will be appreciated.

You were a dangerous woman, a fact well-known throughout the N109 Zone. As the assistant to one of the most feared men in the underworld, your reputation was built on the edge of a knife.

But today, the real danger sat directly across from you at the table—your boss's most formidable and deadly rival: Sylus.

His silver-white hair fell messily over his forehead, creating a disheveled yet intentional look that only added to his unsettling charisma. A smirk played on his lips, while his crimson eyes held an unreadable intensity, as he sat on the table with his henchmen on each side of him. Luke and Kieran.

You had done your research, uncovering every scrap of information about the three men before you. It was a challenge, of course; the leader of the most notorious illegal organization in the N109 Zone wasn’t one to divulge valuable intel easily. Yet you had pieced together enough to know the depths of Sylus's ruthlessness.

You were certain of one thing: Sylus would not hesitate to sacrifice anyone—including his own men—if it suited his purpose. The black-red tendrils of his mist would mercilessly end the person and he wouldn’t blink an eye while his lethal capability, capable of extinguishing a life in an instant, would take over.

The only individuals he seemed to protect were Luke and Kieran, his unwavering henchmen, whose loyalty was both a strength and a potential weakness in this deadly game.

Everyone claimed that the twins were somewhat adopted by him—a complex relationship in which he protected and provided for them in exchange for their loyalty and services.

If you were being honest with yourself, you found yourself drawn to the twins. They exuded a carefree spirit that brought an element of fun, even in the context of business. You often wished you could shed your own uptight demeanor and embrace life as they did.

Your thoughts were abruptly pulled back to the present when one of Sylus’s men dropped two large armory boxes onto the table that separated your group from his. As the man opened the boxes, a collection of modified and illegal firearms was revealed, each piece looking as lethal as the man who had crafted them.

Dante, your boss, rose from his chair beside you to inspect the guns. After all, that was the purpose of this meeting—a trade, a business transaction between two men who despised each other's very existence, yet could not deny that, in times of crisis, their respective resources could prove invaluable to one another.

Dante provided the protocores, and Sylus expertly modified them. When Dante requested his part of the deal, the modified protocores were returned to him in the form of firearms capable of ending a life in less than the blink of an eye.

“Resourceful as always, Mr. Sylus,” your boss mused, but Sylus’s gaze was locked onto yours, seemingly ignoring Dante entirely.

“Oh, Dante,” he said, the man’s name dripping with disdain, “my little black heart is shattered into pieces. One would think you’d have learned by now not to question my methods or my work.”

You rolled your eyes at the silver-haired menace, your heels clicking against the carpet in a rhythm of impatience. You were growing weary of this standoff. Dante needed to state the agreed price and move on already.

“Set the price.”

Sylus’s smirk widened at Dante’s request, his eyes now fully focused on him. He seemed to stall deliberately, taking slow, measured steps around the room. His imposing aura filled the space, the coat draped over his broad shoulders swaying slightly with each movement. Finally, he came to a halt by the table, gripping its edge with both hands and leaning forward.

“Such a pretty kitten you have with you, hm?” he taunted.

Your gaze turned icy as Dante’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Are you referring to Miss Y/N?”

Sylus tilted his head to the side, his crimson eyes locking onto you once more, studying you with an intensity that made you uneasy. “You’re a foolish man, Dante.”

“What the hell did you just say?”

You exhaled through your nose, frustrated by your boss’s inability to keep his pride in check when it came to Sylus. This man ran an entire organization yet seemed unable to handle a little provocation.

“I said…” Sylus drawled, relishing the moment, “you’re a foolish man. Only someone with the brain capacity of a goldfish would keep a pretty kitten like her uncollared.”

You shot up from your seat faster than lightning, leaning dangerously close to Sylus, your hand itching to grab one of the weapons from the boxes in front of you.

“You should watch your mouth when speaking to a lady, Mr. Sylus,” you seethed, your voice low but fierce. “Only a man with the brain capacity of a goldfish would disrespect a woman for no apparent reason.”

Sylus chuckled at your retort, a wide grin spreading across his sharp features, revealing his teeth.

“Feisty,” he mouthed, a smirk playing on his lips, meant only for you to see.

Just then, Dante stepped up behind you, and you almost forgot he was there until his hand landed firmly on your behind, giving it a squeeze. Your hand was so close to the gun that it took all your willpower not to reach for it.

Sylus's expression shifted, the amusement fading as his brows furrowed, re-centering on his forehead.

“Set. Your. Price,” Dante reiterated, his body uncomfortably close to yours.

You had served as his assistant for far too many years, becoming accustomed to his unpredictable behavior. Yet, deep down, he knew you wouldn’t dare act against him with all his guards surrounding him.

You were a capable assassin, more than capable of matching his malevolence, but you were just one woman up against his entire army. He was well aware of your skills, which is precisely why he always kept a close contingent of guards present during your meetings in his office. You were his most valuable asset, yet he was frightened of what you could do if pushed too far.

Despite this knowledge, he often seemed to forget the extent of your capabilities, choosing instead to provoke Sylus.

“Her.”

“No.” Your response was immediate, your tone firm. He couldn’t be serious.

Dante’s chest shook with laughter beside you, his golden teeth glinting in the light.

“She’s off the table, I’m afraid,” he added, a mischievous glint in his eye.

“Very well, then.” Sylus retracted from the table and rose to his full height, a shadow looming over both you and your boss. “So is the deal. Have a good one, Mr. Dante.”

Your shoulders relaxed for only a brief moment, but before you could even blink, you found yourself lifted off your feet and thrown over the table like a ragdoll.

Fucking bastard.

Of course, the deal was too important for him to let it slip away. Sylus knew exactly what he was doing when he pulled this stunt.

“Don’t even think about it,” you spat, your voice harsh and defiant. “I am your right hand; your business will crumble without me!”

Sylus seemed to revel in the chaos, leaning casually against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. As his black-red mist began to swirl around the room, it coalesced around your body, lifting you off the table and bringing you effortlessly to his side.

Your struggles were utterly futile. No power could match his evol.

“Bastard!” you yelled, directing your fury at your boss.

Dante let out a deep sigh, visibly irritated but choosing to remain silent. His organization was already on the brink of collapse, a fact known only to you—and apparently Sylus too. That was the reason he had recently struck a deal with Onychinus; only their resources could possibly uplift him now—if anyone could, that is.

“Always a pleasure doing business with you, Dante.”

The plush sofa of his dimly lit living room felt uncomfortably rough against your bare thighs as you took in your surroundings. Your revealing dress had ridden up significantly due to the twins’ rough handling as they placed you there, while their boss prowled around the sofa like a predator circling its prey.

The record player in the corner emitted a classical melody that only heightened the unnerving atmosphere, each note echoing with an eerie elegance.

“So uptight,” Sylus whispered in your ear, causing you to jump as his breath brushed against your skin. You hadn’t even noticed when he had gotten so close. “My, my… and so jumpy, aren’t we, kitten? Just try not to scratch my ceiling.”

You turned to glare at him, and if looks could kill, he would have been slain by the fire in your eyes. Nevertheless, you managed to keep your voice steady. “Why am I here?”

He didn’t bother to meet your gaze as he sank into his enormous cushioned chair across from you. A black-and-red mist began to swirl around your body once more, and before you could react, it lifted you off the couch and positioned you right on his lap, straddling him.

“What the hell?”

His hand shot up, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear. “Shh, just keep your claws sheathed for a moment.”

You could feel your patience wearing thin. “Why. am I. here?”

Sylus's jaw tightened slightly, and if you weren’t intently observing his every expression, you might have missed it. “Because, kitten, Dante and I had a transaction.”

“Isn’t your typical price protocores when dealing with my boss?”

“Typically…” Sylus’s gaze was fixed on your face as an eerie silence enveloped the room.

Before you could process his words, his hand snaked around your throat, pulling you closer. His eyes locked onto your lips, a predatory glint flickering within them.

“What are you doing…” you whispered, your body tensing in instinctive response.

“Show me, kitten.”

“What?”

Sylus chuckled softly, a mocking sound that sent shivers down your spine. “I know you’re a smart kitten; don’t play dumb with me. It won’t help you.”

Of course, you understood what he was implying, but how did he know?

“I have no idea what you want,” you replied, your voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

His hand tightened around your throat, making it increasingly difficult to breathe. Then you noticed it—the red glow of his eye—and you realized what he was doing. “Show me.”

Ironically, he was now in control of your actions, even though he sought the opposite.

You slowly removed your glove, compelled by the white-haired man in front of you. Your bare hand pressed firmly against his chest, and in an instant, his heartbeat ceased.

Your breath hitched in your throat.

You stared at his face, dumbfounded, as the glow in his eye faded and his complexion turned an ashen pale. Before you could comprehend what was happening, a low chuckle echoed through the dimly lit room.

Sylus’s chuckle. He was alive. Wait, what the hell?

His laughter grew more vibrant with each passing second as he took in your horrified expression. You shot your hand out again, daring to touch him, but he caught your wrist, tossing it aside with ease.

“Ravishing…” he breathed, his eyes darkening to a richer shade.

You watched him for a moment, trying to make sense of everything that had unfolded in the past few hours, until suddenly, everything clicked into place.

You gasped.

“You fucking bastard!” you shouted, fury igniting in your voice. “Is this why you didn’t take the protocores? Is this why you asked for me?”

Sylus’s arrogant smirk returned, dominating his features. “He wasn’t aware of the precious possession he had in his own house, sweetie. But I am.”

“You are… sick.” The expression on his face darkened, and something twisted in your gut, though you wished it was anything but excitement at his subtle praise. “You will not control me. I belong to no one.”

“Oh, kitten, I’m not trying to control you. This is just… a deal.” His eyebrows shot up, his face tilting slightly to the side as if he found your defiance amusing. “Isn’t business what you excel at? Or do you want me to believe it was Dante who called the shots?”

Your own expression faltered, but your body began to relax atop his, a fact he noted with a small, apprehensive smile that curled at his lips. “Are you trying to extract intel from me?”

He rolled his eyes at your tactics, a playful smirk on his face. “You are so gullible, kitten.”

He leaned in impossibly close, your breath catching in your throat and a shiver coursing through you as your body responded to his proximity. This was all so wrong.

“He didn’t value you nearly enough, sweetie,” Sylus whispered against your pulse, his warm breath sending a jolt through you. “But I can.” His teeth grazed your throat, and as your mouth opened, no sound dared to escape your lips.

“I…” You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. “I have no idea what—”

In one swift movement, you found yourself perched on the edge of the chair, Sylus looming over you like a consuming inferno. Your chests were nearly touching, and his eyes held a dangerous allure as he stared directly into your own. “I believe you do.”

His hand drifted from beside your head, descending to your collarbone as his fingertips caressed the delicate skin with a featherlight touch. “You can end someone with just a touch…” he whispered against your neck, and you had to fight against the electric shivers coursing through your body. “I am the only person you can’t kill, even if you tried, kitten.”

Your mind was slowly turning to mush as his hand roamed over the sensitive swell of your breasts, his lips planting tender kisses against your throat. “Don’t you see where I’m going with this? We’re meant for each other. Kindred spirits.”

“You’re insane,” you wanted to accuse him, but your voice came out breathless, betraying your mounting desire. A soft grunt escaped his lips, a sound that only fueled the tension between you.

“If I’m insane, what does that say about you, sweetie?” He began kissing his way down from your neck to your collarbone, his gaze locking onto yours with an intensity that made your heart race. “I can smell your arousal from up here.”

You gasped at his bold accusation, your body jerking in response, but it only heightened the sensation as your clothed core pressed against his torso. You tensed, and his lips curled into a dangerous smirk. “So insatiable…”

“This is so wrong…”

“I’ve never been a righteous man.”

You leaned back instinctively, your hands reaching out as if to find comfort around his neck, but he halted your movement just before contact.

In your hazy state, you noticed him licking his lips, his gaze searching the floor for something—your glove.

“As much as I can’t think of another way to go, I’d prefer to be fully conscious when your pretty cunt is all over my mouth.”

“You’re… outrageous,” your voice faltered, betraying the rush of emotions coursing through you. Your body reacted in ways that contradicted your words.

“Do you prefer gentle, kitten?” Sylus asked, his fingers teasingly tugging at the neckline of your dress, unveiling your flushed skin. His tongue flicked over your right nipple, while his other hand caressed the neglected one. “Would you rather I whisper sweet nothings and cherish you gently?”

His tone dripped with playful mockery, and you arched your back, responding instinctively to his touch and taunting words.

“Would you like me to take it slow? To tell you how beautiful you are?” he teased, his laughter rumbling softly in the air.

Your resolve crumbled as he nipped at your sensitive bud, his hand expertly working the other. “No!” you moaned, your gloved fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him closer, caught in the intoxicating desire in the air.

He growled against your chest, his body pressing forcefully against your legs as they parted to accommodate him. He felt a thrill of compliance wash over you, nearly tempting him to follow through on his suggestion to take it easy.

“More,” you demanded, your fingers tugging insistently at his head, guiding him downward to where your dress had pooled around your waist, leaving your red lace panties tantalizingly exposed.

Sylus grinned at your eagerness, his gaze lingering on your clothed cunt. “God, kitten…” he grunted, pressing his nose against the damp spot on your panties, a rush of heat flooding your cheeks as a thrill of shame coursed through you. “Did you wear my favorite color on purpose?”

His voice dropped to a husky whisper. “Or did you wear it for him?”

You could only whimper in response, arching your body desperately to bring his face where you craved it most. Instead, a sharp sting greeted your cunt, your eyes widening as a gasp of surprise escaped your lips.

He slapped your pussy again, his expression darkening into a scowl. “Answer me, kitten. Did you get all dolled up for him?”

You clenched around nothing, the possessiveness in his tone igniting a deeper need within you. “No,” you whimpered softly. “It wasn’t for him.”

In an instant, he tore your panties away, his mouth descending on your cunt, his tongue skillfully lapping at your folds. “Good girl. Good fucking girl.”

Your fingers clawed at his shoulder, sounds of pleasure escaping you uncontrollably as he toyed with your sensitive clit. “Such a sweet pussy,” he grunted against your core, sending shivers through your body. You slid down the chair, his face pressed firmly against you, your lower body lifted almost into the air. His strong arms wrapped around your thighs, hoisting your legs over his shoulders as he devoured you.

“Say my name, kitten.”

You felt yourself teetering on the edge, already giving him too much. “N-no.”

His teeth grazed your clit, sending waves of pleasure and frustration coursing through you as he slid one finger against your entrance, teasingly. “No?”

“No.” Your voice trembled, betraying the mix of emotions swelling within you as you neared your release with each stroke of his tongue, yet your stubbornness held firm.

“Very well, then.” In an instant, his mouth was gone, leaving you feeling cold and exposed as he stood to his full height.

“What…?”

Sylus leaned over you again, delivering a sharp slap to the side of your breasts that made you squirm and gasp. “This is my zone. My side of the board. Here, you either play by my rules and win, or you go against me and lose.” His voice was low and commanding as his hand reached down again, sliding two fingers inside you, curling them to find your sweet spot. “What will it be, kitten?”

By this point, your entire body felt like it belonged to someone else. “Please…” Your voice was laced with desperation, the plea spilling from your lips, unrecognizable even to you.

“Please what? Just say it, sweetie,” he urged, a teasing glint in his eyes.

His fingers quickened their pace, and your legs trembled under the mounting pleasure, each mewl that escaped your lips a symphony to his ears. “So—Oh my god… S-so close.”

The moment he sensed your walls beginning to clench around his fingers, a satisfied smile crept across his face, and you returned it through a haze of bliss—until you felt him start to withdraw.

Your hand shot out, wrapping around his wrist with a desperate grip, pulling him back toward you. “Sylus!” you cried, your stomach twisting in knots as sweet release threatened to crash over you.

“Sylus, yes, oh my god, yes…” You were barely coherent, the words tumbling from your mouth, but Sylus grunted, his pants taut against his rock-hard cock.

“That’s it… That’s it, sweetie, I know. Drench my fingers; they’re all yours.” He moved with an urgency that took your breath away, thrusting deeply inside you, sending shivers through your entire body as you rode the wave of your climax.

You panted, your chest rising and falling heavily. As the haze began to lift, your mouth fell open in awe, watching Sylus suckle on his fingers, his eyes glowing with satisfaction as he savored your essence.

A fresh wave of slickness coated your folds, and Sylus cursed under his breath as he stood, taking you with him. You instinctively wrapped your legs around his waist, your bare, wet cunt smearing against the fabric of his pants, leaving a tantalizing mess.

The coarse material of his attire heightened your senses, making your body arch in his arms as you ground your hips down, chasing that blissful friction.

“So eager…” he whispered in your ear, his breath hot against your skin before he nipped at your earlobe. “And so fucking wet.” He strode toward his desk just a few feet away, easing you onto your feet. “I’m going to devour you.”

In one swift motion, your belly pressed against the polished surface of his mahogany desk, your body bent over, your ass perfectly positioned for him. He didn’t allow you a moment to breathe before two sharp slaps landed on your cheeks, your body jolting forward in response.

Your moans filled the air, driving him wild, and the way your back arched instinctively shattered any semblance of his control.

You heard the unmistakable sound of his zipper, and a thrill raced through you as his cock was freed from its confines, teasingly brushing against your entrance.

Turning your head over your shoulder, your eyes fell on him, and a rush of desire coursed through you. He was enormous, his veins prominent and pulsing, the tip glistening with precum that trickled down, landing directly on your cunt.

“Sylus…” You brought his attention back to you, and the look on your face made his brows knot slightly in concern.

“What’s the matter, sweetie?” he asked, his voice thick with lust yet surprisingly calm. “Do you want me to stop?”

You placed your hand lightly against his abdomen, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath your fingertips, and shook your head. “No, it’s just…” Your cheeks flushed a deep crimson, almost mirroring the color of his eyes. “It’s not going to fit.”

Sylus paused, momentarily dumbfounded, before releasing the breath he had been holding along with a low chuckle. “We’re going to make it fit, kitten.”

Skepticism flickered in your eyes, and he noticed.

“Do you trust me?”

“No.” You answered honestly. He had been your rival until now, and you couldn’t fully grasp how your dynamic had shifted to this moment, you bent over his desk, spread and exposed.

He grinned, shaking his head in amusement. “You shouldn’t.”

In one powerful thrust, he was inside you, and your eyes rolled back in your head as pleasure surged through your body, overwhelming your senses.

“Fuck!” you cried out, but there was no pain—he seemed to know exactly how to plunge into you.

“Shit… You’re so tight,” Sylus growled, his hips slapping against yours as he took you roughly, driving deep against the surface of his desk. “It would’ve hurt more if I’d taken it slow, sweetie.”

It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to speak, but even if he could, you wouldn’t have heard him. Your mind was consumed with the exquisite fullness of his cock filling you completely.

Your eyes crossed as he continued to thrust in and out, your lips parted in a silent gasp, drool escaping the corner of your mouth and trickling down to the polished surface of his desk.

“Cock-hungry little whore,” he grunted, folding his body over yours to penetrate you even deeper. “And you claim you hate me.”

“I d-do,” you managed to moan, your legs trembling from the intensity of the sensations.

“You hate me, yet your sweet cunt is squeezing my cock like it’s her lover.”

Your mewls and whimpers grew louder with each thrust, your head spinning from the overwhelming pleasure. “Sylus…” you moaned his name, urging him onward toward his own release.

“What is it, sweetie?”

“I-I’m… s’close. So so close.” Tears were welling up in your eyes, and Sylus moaned deeply behind you as he felt your cunt squeezing him, clenching around him like he belonged there. Because he did.

His hand shot up, wrapping around your throat as he kept pounding you from behind, his whole desk shaking from the force of his thrusts. You were sure a bruise would form on your abdomen where it made contact with the wood.

Your eyes rolled as he applied more pressure, making it difficult for you to breathe. “Such a pretty kitten…” He moaned in your ear. “And now she’s collared. As she should be.”

Your orgasm broke through you with a new force, the tears escaping your eyes and your cries lulling Sylus to fall on his own release right after you.

“Fuck.” He moaned, his teeth clamping down on your shoulder. Rope after rope of cum filled your cunt, his thighs shaking slightly from behind you as he emptied himself inside you.

You were so overstimulated and sensitive by your encounter when Sylus caught his dripping cum from your thighs and pushed it right back in.

Your legs threatened to give out, your mind clouding the moment he began to fill you with his seed once more. “Such a pretty cunt, used and bred by me,” Sylus murmured, his voice low and possessive. “What will your boss say when my kids are running around his base, huh?”

You weren’t even aware of how or when it happened, but suddenly you were moaning his name, sweet and desperate, as you drenched him once again. This time, the force of your release was blinding, your vision fading to a brilliant white.

Confused, you turned to see Sylus, his abdomen glistening with your essence, his fingers slick and dripping as he stared at you with a manic edge in his eyes.

“Oh my God…” Heat rushed to your cheeks as the realization of what you had just done washed over you. “I’m sorry… Sylus, I’m—”

Before you could finish, his hand pressed firmly against your lower back, forcing you back into position as you tried to shrink away from his gaze. “Kitten…” His voice was taut, barely contained. “We’re not leaving this room until you do this again.”

1K notes · View notes

runninriot · 2 months ago

Text

Caramel

for @vecnuthy 💜

also written as fill for the @steddiebingo prompt: alternate first meeting

rated: T | wc: 1.903 | tags: best friends eddie & jeff, pre steddie, (chaotic) flirting, Eddie Munson has a crush, confident Steve Harrington, sexual innuendo, Scoops Ahoy, no upside down au | also on ao3

Eddie is going to kill Jeff.

He'll make it slow and painful and even that won't rectify the betrayal.

“Oh, come on! I've been listening to you whine about your stupid crush forever now, and I'm sick of it. So, do something about it while we're here.”

He does not whine, just to be clear. If anything, he's simply stating the tragic facts of hopeless love and never-to-be requited feelings.

Excuse him for thinking his best friend would actually support him and offer some consolation in these trying times. But no, Jeff's being a dick. Using Eddie's misery for his own amusement by dragging him in here.

They were about to grab lunch, but then Jeff pulled him through the doors of Scoops Ahoy without so much as a warning, under the pretence of a sudden craving for ice cream.

Eddie would've much rather stepped through the gates of hell than set foot in here but he couldn't fight it, not without catching other people's attention. And that's the least of what he wanted, having eyes on him. Especially those hazel ones, dark bright and warm, with green and gold speckles whenever the light hits them right.

“I'm so going to murder you,” Eddie grits through his teeth, trying his best not to alert the group of girls standing in front of them. He feels hot from- anger, but Jeff has the audacity to laugh.

“I mean it, man. You can't force me to-”

“Welcome to Scoops, what can I get ya?”

Fuck.

He hadn’t even noticed they were next in line but it’s definitely too late now to run and hide. Eddie's heart stops for a moment but contrary to the silent prayer he sends to no one in particular, he doesn't drop dead.

Instead, he's tripping all over his own tongue, swallowing nothing because his mouth's suddenly so fucking dry.

“I, uh, we, uh-”

Jesus H. Christ.

He's never been known for being very cool. Or a smooth talker for that matter. Especially when it comes to- well. Doesn't matter. He's obviously not going to try to flirt with the guy that's been haunting his every waking hour and his dreams ever since he started working in the record store across from Scoops. But making a fool of himself wasn't really the plan either.

“I'll have the triple choc. Oh, and add one scoop of strawberry cheesecake, please." Jeff's palm comes down on his shoulder, patting him appreciatively. "My friend Eddie here is being generous today."

If he turned to look at him, he could see the shit-eating grin on his friend’s face, but all Eddie can do is stare at the pretty-smiling guy in front of him.

Steve, the name tag says.

Steve, wearing his stupid hat and his stupid uniform with the stupid red neckerchief hanging from the far too revealing collar that offers a dangerously delicious glimpse at the brush of dark hair peaking out from the low-cut neckline.

And speaking of neck- fuck!

In all the times Eddie stole secret glances at the man in question, he’s never been this close to him, always just yearning from a distance. But now that they’re standing merely a few inches away from each other, there’s no chance of missing the beauty spots scattered across his neck and face. So close, Eddie can count them individually, wants to remember each of their placements so he can dream about mapping them out with his fingertips, and maybe name them like stars.

“So, Eddie,” someone says and it's then he realises he’s been caught staring. “Now that your friend's all set, what can I do to make you happy?”

Eddie’s heart does a weird little flip at his words, feels blood rushing into his face, hot-red bashfulness creeping into his cheeks and ears. He could swear he saw the other man wink at him. Could swear the way he said his name had a special kind of tone to it. But that doesn’t mean shit, right? He's probably just charming to all the customers, perfectly selling his happy little sailor act. And it's working, is the worst part. Makes Eddie blush even more than he already had, standing there absently twirling a strand of hair around his finger like an idiot, god.

Brain to Eddie! Asking permission to reboot.

“I, uh, I’m not sure.”

Heaven help him. This is embarrassing.

“Want me to help you decide?”

Eddie is sure Jeff will tease him later for swallowing his tongue, but making up words is hard with your brain on overdrive. So he nods dumbly, eyes wide like those of a deer staring into the headlights of a truck – surely looking as stupid as he feels.

“Hmm, let's see.”

Steve places both hands on top of the counter and leans forward, deliberately letting his eyes rake over Eddie in a way that makes him break out in cold sweat, giving him the horny-shivers. Making him feel like he's caught in a suffocating heatwave, all heavy-breathing and sweating just from having Steve's eyes on him.

"You don't seem like the vanilla kind of guy. Maybe something a little more... fruity?"

Eddie's pretty sure he's stopped breathing, feels dizzy and disoriented, can focus on nothing but Steve's lips forming words he must be imagining.

He nods again, doesn’t really know what he’s agreeing to because his brain is on complete shutdown now, incapable of processing any of the words he’s heard.

“What about this?”

Before he realises what’s happening, he feels the smooth surface of a plastic spoon pushing against his bottom lip. Gently, almost as if asking for permission – not going further than that, just waiting for him to take what he’s being offered.

Eddie’s eyes fall shut when he wraps his lips around the spoonful of ice cream, savouring the tangy-fresh flavour of lemon or lime, he’s not sure.

When he opens his eyes again, he catches Steve looking at his lips, licking his own like he is the one that’s been offered a taste. Like maybe he’d want a taste. Of ice cream. Of Eddie’s lips?

“Did you like that?”

Like?

Huh.

What a weird way to describe this earth-shattering experience.

Like doesn’t even come close to what Eddie feels right now. It’s overwhelming, heart stopping, mind-blowing.

It’s-

Oh, wait.

Steve’s not talking about-

Oh, God.

“Yeah, I- I like it. The, uh, the ice cream,” Eddie stutters, feels hot all over from the embarrassment of letting himself get lost in an illusion of Steve flirting with him. Of Steve asking if Eddie liked being spoon-fed by the man of his dreams.

Fuck!

How he is able to come back from whatever insane idea had possessed him, will forever remain a mystery to him, but he finds his voice despite everything, straightens himself to bring some much needed distance between him and the other man.

“A little too sour for my taste, though.”

Steve scrunches his nose, and it’s as dorky as it is adorable, which- doesn’t help at all to stop Eddie’s heart from drumming a happy-sappy beat at the sight, makes his stomach swoop the way it does on a roller coaster drop.

“Should’ve guessed a guy like you likes it sweet.”

Sweet like Steve’s smile.

Sweet like Eddie imagines Steve’s lips must taste like.

Sweet like the kisses he’d place onto every inch of Steve’s caramel skin, if ever given the chance.

“Caramel!” Steve exclaims like he’s just heard Eddie’s thoughts aloud, “That’s your flavour.”

Without asking if he’s right, Steve takes his scooper out from the pouch hanging from his hip, twirls it around in his hand – show-off! – and drags it through the tub of creamy goodness to his left.

Eddie doesn’t protest, can’t take his eyes off the large, veiny hand wrapped around the metal spoon. The hand he’d give everything to see wrapped around something else. It's not his fault; he’s not in control of his thoughts. Can’t stop his dirty mind from filing every single movement of Steve’s working hands for later use because if that is all he’ll ever get, he might as well enjoy it to the fullest.

“Try it. I know you’ll love it.”

Steve offers him the cone topped with a giant scoop of the toffee treat, looking at him expectantly with his brows raised high and a teasing glint in his eyes.

And you see, Eddie would never claim he’s the smartest person he knows. He’s definitely a dreamer and bad at reading social cues sometimes, but despite all that, there is just no way he’s imagining this.

Steve is flirting with him.

Has been flirting with him all this time.

Maybe it’s time to give something back.

Eddie brings the ice cream closer to his mouth and starts to lick. Draws it out by turning the cone in his hand, twirls his tongue around once, twice, in a way he hopes doesn’t make him look like a lapping dog, but comes off as seductive as it feels.

Rich caramel bursts on his taste buds and Eddie moans a little louder than necessary around the melting mouthful of flavour. It must sound obscene to the ears of any innocent bystander but he doesn’t care. Puts on a show for Steve who hasn’t taken his eyes off him the entire time.

“Mmm, fuck! That’s so good,” Eddie groans, watching Steve’s Adam’s apple bob when he swallows roughly at his words. “You really know how to satisfy your customers.”

Eddie isn't the best at flirting, he can admit that. But somehow Steve doesn't seem to mind, smiles even wider now that Eddie gave him something to work with.

“Yeah?” Steve asks as he leans closer, elbows propped up on the counter that separates them, chin resting on his hands. Looking up at him through his long lashes, his hazel eyes suddenly darker than Eddie remembers them. “Love to hear that. Wanna know what else I know?”

His question throws Eddie off, because it’s not quite how he expected the other man to continue their little game. But it’s too late to turn back from what he started, and he’s curious, so he nods and waits for Steve to continue.

“I know that you’ve been looking me up and down every day for the past three weeks from your little music store over there.” He points over Eddie’s shoulder to the glass front revealing an open view to the other side of the passage way between Scoops and the equally visible interior of the store.

Eddie gulps, feels caught, but Steve doesn’t give him a chance to come up with an excuse.

“I know that you take your lunch break every day at the same time and I know that it lasts for another-“ he turns to look at the clock on the wall before locking eyes with Eddie again, “25 minutes. Mine starts in 5.”

Eddie will kiss Jeff on the mouth. Or, you know, maybe not – depending on whether this goes the way he thinks, hopes, Steve’s very unsubtle invitation might imply.

But he’ll thank him one way or another, for dragging him in here.

For being the best friend a stupid man with a stupid crush can have.

And if the caramel ice cream goes to waste, melting away in a soggy cone, forgotten on top of the staff’s bathroom sink- it doesn’t really matter.

Because Steve’s lips taste even sweeter.

#pre steddie #steddie fic #alternate first meeting #steddiebingo2025

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a-d-nox · 6 months ago

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mc persona chart observations (part one)

@yoursaintvalentine i don't really get what happened to your ask it wouldn't let me type and answer it - so i am just going to tag you! hope you enjoy!!

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💼 1h gemini (3°, 15°, 27°) and/or mercury people excel at expressing themselves, whether through writing, speaking, etc. their wit and humor often make them seem "engaging" to others.

💼 1h gemini (3°, 15°, 27°) and/or mercury people often struggle with indecisiveness when it comes to committing to a single career path.

💼 1h gemini (3°, 15°, 27°) and/or mercury people come across as articulate, clever, and approachable in their professional or public life. communication is one of their most valuable tools for building their career and public reputation.

💼 1h gemini (3°, 15°, 27°) and/or mercury people are excellent at networking, solving problems, and thriving in complex working environments.

💼 1h gemini (3°, 15°, 27°) and/or mercury people excel in roles that require persuasion, teaching, and/or public speaking. their ideas often have a significant impact on their career. they naturally gravitate toward professions that involve communication, media, marketing, and/or education.

💼 1h scorpio (8°, 20°) and/or pluto people draw others to them, even if they’re not overtly seeking attention. its usually because of their aura of emotional intensity and general vibe of knowing all.

💼 1h scorpio (8°, 20°) and/or pluto people have the air of a natural leader, so people are likely to approach them as though they are in charge even when they are not. however, during a crises they are highly adaptable and resilient - they are the best choice for leading a group.

💼 1h scorpio (8°, 20°) and/or pluto people are deeply committed to their ambitions; when they set their mind on a goal, they pursue it with focus and resilience. obstacles only serve to fuel their determination - they achieve what they set out to do.

💼 1h scorpio (8°, 20°) and/or pluto people have difficulty trusting others or delegating responsibilities in professional settings.

💼 1h ruler in 1h often indicates others seeing them as a natural leader who is comfortable being in the spotlight.

💼 1h ruler in 1h indicates taking initiative in life. challenges are met head-on; they prefer to carve their own path rather than follow others.

💼 1h ruler in 11h people often like to be part of a group / surrounded by like-minded individuals. they may not be as productive alone as they are when around others.

💼 1h ruler in 11h people may naturally take on a leadership or prominent role in group settings. they often feel a sense of responsibility to organize / inspire collective efforts.

💼 1h ruler in 11h people's success often comes through collaboration, networking, and/or connecting with people who share their vision.

💼 aries (1°, 13°, 25°) mercury people's confidence is a strength, though they might occasionally speak without thinking things through, leading to misunderstandings and/or conflicts.

💼 aries (1°, 13°, 25°) mercury people's careers might involve starting something from scratch, whether it’s a business, initiative, and/or creative endeavor.

💼 aries (1°, 13°, 25°) mercury people are quick wits with sharp communication skills making them a formidable presence in professional debates/discussions. they make good defensive lawyers and/or politicians.

💼 sagittarius (9°, 21°) mercury people pursue careers or roles where they can continually learn and share knowledge. teaching, writing, public speaking, and/or mentoring are natural fits.

💼 sagittarius (9°, 21°) mercury people might struggle with sticking to one career path; they crave variety, exploration, and freedom. which often leads to frequent shifts or expansions in their professional life.

💼 sagittarius (9°, 21°) mercury people often spread themselves too thin because they pursue "too many" interests.

💼 mercury-pluto aspects often indicate their communication style being compelling and often holds a certain intensity that draws people in. they speak with authority - others are likely to feel that their words carry weight, even if when they don’t say much.

💼 people with mercury-pluto aspects are natural investigators, researchers, and/or strategists.

💼 mercury-pluto people have the uncanny ability to perceive the underlying motivations / hidden truths in situations; they are adept at reading people and understanding what’s really going on beneath the surface. they make great psychologists.

💼 asc positively aspecting nn people have the ability to attract people and opportunities that support their growth.

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#astrology #astro community #astro placements #astro chart #natal chart #astrology tumblr #persona chart #astro notes #astrology chart #astrology readings #astrology signs #astro #astro observations #astroblr #mc persona chart #mc #mc astrology

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staybabblingbaby · 10 months ago

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Best Friend Protocol #9 (Bet part)

[Caution: These are not full fics, or even full parts of fics for some, these are part of my writing progress archive!]

Concept: You're Felix's childhood friend, and you and he have been planning a visit to see him for his birthday for what feels like years now. Unfortunately, SKZ is a very busy group, and the week-long vacation you'd planned for doesn't seem possible. Until Felix decides to ask his bandmates a favor...

Word Count: All images, so N/A. Unless someone wants to make these accessible but I don't really know how.

Notes: I'm back! Did you miss me? I feel like it's been ages since I posted any writing but it's only been a few weeks ^^;; @thatgirlangelb gave me this idea, so everyone say thank you <<<333 You'll be seeing that phrase a lot coming up lol. Love you my beautiful daughter <3 I actually like this one quite a bit. Seungmin is my favorite little shit i love him so much <3 Can I tell y'all a weird story? Don't judge me ok? This chapter got written bc of Banana Pie. I've been so stressed out lately I couldn't bring myself to even open my app. But my roommate accidentally ordered 3 bunches of bananas (she wanted 3 individual bananas) and they were going bad so I stole them and stress baked 2 full sized pies and 3 mini ones. It took 6 hours. I felt so much better afterwards. Anyways this one is Bet Part, but in my heart it's Pie Part. I will have to dedicate a chapter in the future to Felix baking Pie w Reader abt it.

Warnings: She/Her Reader.

Leave me comments or questions or anything! Love hearing from folks

Additional Note: I'm always taking interaction requests. Just fyi

Masterlist | Prev Part | Next Part

Worm List! ( (づ￣ ³￣)づ) @thatgirlangelb @hyeon-yi , @missvanjii, @velvetmoonlght, @hanniemylovelyquokka , @vegetablesarefuntables, @scribblesnsketches05, @kkamismom12, @alexateurmom, @baribaaari,

If your blog is in Red its bc Tumblr won't let me tag you! It looks fine when I edit it and then it doesn't like me anymore when it posts T^T

Perma Tag List: the lovely @mbioooo0000 <3

#BFPSMAU #skz fake texts #skz x reader #stray kids fanfic #stray kids x reader #skz fanfic #w.i.p fic #skz fic #w.i.p #baby writes #stray kids fake texts #smau #skz smau #stray kids smau #fake texts

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sugurugetoshairbrush · 6 months ago

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playing match-maker with professor!gojo satoru [prev]

Dr. Gojo Satoru added Prof. Shoko Ieiri to Cupids <3

Dr. Gojo Satoru: Sho where are you taking your lunch today? You: Eat with us in Gojo’s lab!

Prof . Getou Suguru emphasized your message

Prof. Shoko Ieiri: …why? Dr. Gojo Satoru: colleague bonding time! Prof. Shoko Ieiri: what’s the catch? You: Why does there have to be a catch T-T Prof. Getou Suguru: Join us, and we’ll accompany you to that meditation class taught by the cute brunette you’ve been drooling over.

Dr. Gojo Satoru laughed at a message

Prof. Shoko Ieiri: yeah alright

Shoko appears in the doorway of Gojo’s lab shortly after agreeing to join. Her white lab coat flutters as she strides in, a fitted blue shirt tucked into black pin-striped slacks. She plops her brown bag onto the table beside you, tossing her long brown hair over her shoulder, and extracts a sandwich and an apple.

Across from you, Gojo sits perched at his desk, leaning back with his legs crossed atop the surface. His usual smug determination is evident, highlighted by his untouched strawberry cheesecake yogurt. His white turtleneck peeks above the collar of his lab coat, accentuating the icy hue of his hair and brows.

Unfortunately, spending so much time with Gojo means you are beginning to mirror him in subtle (and sometimes regrettable) ways. Today’s shared wavelength is your matching outfits—both of you in white turtlenecks and brown straight-leg slacks. Though, judging by the label on his, the price tags aren’t even close.

Getou, seated on a stool to your other side, shakes his salad container, the silver hem of his cardigan shimmering under the fluorescent light. A stray strand of hair falls across his face, and he tucks it behind his ear before turning to Shoko, who silently munches on her sandwich.

“So,” Getou begins, smirking, “we’re just going to ignore how quickly the promise of getting near your little hippie crush convinced you?”

Gojo snickers and Shoko shoots Getou a glare.

“She’s not a hippie,” Shoko retorts, wiping her mouth. “Meditation is a holistic approach with spiritual and health benefits. What do you guys even want from me? Gojo, you don’t eat lunch on campus—ever. The café staff down the road probably know you better than your students.”

You chime in. “Important business, Shoko. Gojo and I are working on a project requiring the intellectual brilliance of like-minded individuals.”

Getou nods solemnly. Shoko laughs.

“Thank god you entertain him,” she says. “Back when my pre-med lab was next to his, he wouldn’t stop dragging me into his ridiculous schemes. You’ve saved me countless headaches.”

Gojo grabs a stress ball from his desk and lobs it at her. Shoko deflects it with her elbow, the ball bouncing to the floor.

“You’re so mean,” Gojo pouts. “Anyway, you’re here to confirm my theory that first-years Itadori Yuji and Kugisaki Nobara are the ideal match.”

Shoko groans. “Of course I am. Let me guess—you two,” she points at you and Getou, “think Itadori and Fushiguro Megumi are a better match.”

You nod eagerly.

“Well,” she sighs, leaning back, “considering Gojo’s total lack of social awareness, I’d normally side with you two. But…Gojo, are you positive that you can concretely back your theory?”

Gojo stands, pacing dramatically. “Is an atom that’s lost its electron considered positive?”

“I think you’re saying yes?” you guess.

“Exactly!” Gojo snaps his fingers, grinning triumphantly.

Shoko, ever the pragmatist, pulls out her phone. “Fine. This semester, I’m teaching those three in Health & Wellness. Let me show you something.”

She scrolls through her phone and finally finds a video. “Yuji and Nobara worked together on a group project. Watch this.”

00:03 =⬤--------------------------- 01:17

⇆ㅤ ◁ㅤ❚❚ㅤ▷ㅤ ↻

[The video begins, revealing Yuji and Nobara squeezed together in the frame, their smiles radiant. Nobara playfully elbows Yuji, whose eyes widen in mock shock before he starts speaking.]

Yuji: “Hello, Sensei! Nobara and I finished the group assignment together and decided to try something totally out of our comfort zone. Actually, it’s something we’ve joked about before because it sounded ridiculous.”

[He stifles a laugh, running a hand through his pink hair, the short strands standing on end.]

Yuji: “We went to a local teaching farm and did… goat yoga. We’ve seen the posters on campus forever, so we thought, why not? It was a blast! The goats were fun, and hanging out with Nobara was great too!”

Nobara: “Yeah! Honestly, I was kind of nervous at first. It’s not easy convincing a goat to climb on your back during yoga poses. But once they did, their little hooves felt like a mini massage. Here—look!”

[She lifts a photo into the frame, holding it close to the camera. The image comes into focus: Yuji in a shaky downward dog pose on a yoga mat, Nobara beside him coaxing a tiny goat onto his back with a piece of hay. Nobara bursts out laughing and shakes the photo.]

Nobara: “Haha! Right after this, the goat climbed off Yuji and—get this—it started peeing. Like, it barely missed his pants! He’s so lucky he didn’t get soaked.”

[Yuji yelps, shoving her shoulder while Nobara doubles over, her laughter echoing. Grinning through his embarrassment, Yuji snatches the camera, bringing it close to his face.]

Yuji: “Okay, Sensei, I’m cutting this off. Nobara’s having way too much fun at my expense. But yeah, aside from that one… incident, it was really fun. I’d totally do it again!”

[His hand covers the lens, and the screen fades to black.]

01:17 =================⬤ 01:17

⇆ㅤ ◁ㅤ❚❚ㅤ▷ㅤ ↻

Shoko lowers her phone, pressing it to her lips as if lost in thought.

“Sorry, you two. After watching that again, I’m siding with Gojo on this. Look at them—they’re glowing. If someone made me laugh and smile like that, I’d be completely done for.”

Getou scoffs, muttering something about how that explains why Shoko’s “so giggly after meditation.”

You shush him, trying to keep things light.

“Alright, that makes it 2-3. But you know who else teaches those three? Professor Haibara. We have to ask him.”

Before long, Haibara Yu strolls into Gojo’s lab, looking as disheveled as ever. His charcoal slacks are slightly wrinkled, his pale pink shirt untucked, and his silver glasses sit crooked on his nose.

“You called—Oh! Everyone’s here! Hi!” he exclaims, spreading his arms wide in greeting.

Getou, ever efficient, disposes of his salad container and slings an arm over Haibara’s shoulder.

“Hey, Yu. Quick question: as their professor, do you think Yuji and Megumi would make a good match?”

Haibara blinks, caught off guard. “As in… romantically?”

When Getou nods, Haibara rubs the back of his neck, thinking.

“Well, they’re in my History of the Samurai class, and let me tell you, they’re my most enthusiastic students. On the first day, I asked what everyone already knew about samurai. Yuji and Megumi practically bolted to the board and started writing a list of skills they’ve practiced together.”

He grabs a marker and writes neatly on the whiteboard:

Samurai Fighting Basics – Megumi & Yuji

• Iaido: Drawing & Sheathing Iaitō • Kenjutsu: Bokken Stances & Striking • Kendo: Shinai Quick Attacks

“They even demonstrated some techniques right there in class,” Haibara says with a grin, his thick bangs falling into his eyes. “It’s obvious they’re close and share so many interests. Honestly, I ship it!”

The room erupts into chaos as everyone starts debating further. The argument rages on until Gojo’s next class begins trickling in, scattering the group with reluctant promises to continue later.

During your own lesson, as your students take turns popcorn-reading poetry, your phone buzzes in your pocket.

Dr. Gojo Satoru: Hey, I just remembered. We’re facilitating that student union meeting today. We can totally ask the upperclassmen for their opinions!

You sigh, typing back a quick response.

You: Fine. Get back to teaching, Gojo.

When you woke up this morning, you definitely didn’t expect to be holed up in an empty classroom, grilling the Student Union’s elite members one by one about your matchmaking drama. Yet here you are, derailing their bi-weekly brainstorming session for fund allocation. To justify your antics, you and Gojo promised them unwavering financial support—if they gave you honest answers.

First up is Vice-President Okkotsu Yuta, his usual warm demeanor making him an ideal candidate for candid feedback. Sitting across from him, you can’t help but notice how he smiles sheepishly, like he’s trying to soften whatever he’s about to say.

“This probably won’t help much,” Yuta begins, rubbing the back of his neck, “but I’m ninety percent sure Maki likes Nobara. I mean, I can really see it, so I propose… NobaMaki.”

You and Gojo exchange a look, equally unimpressed. Without a word, you call in the next person.

Secretary Inumaki Toge is next. Sassy and loyal, he takes his seat across from you with a raised brow, clearly amused by the situation. After you explain the debate, he listens intently before lifting his hands to sign his response.

“I don’t know about Megumi and Yuji,” Toge signs carefully, his fingers precise, “but if you’re suggesting Nobara and Maki, I’ve got news: I’ve heard Maki and Yuta are actually a thing.”

You freeze mid-follow-up, fumbling for the signs to convey “suggest” and “imply.” Gojo swoops in, translating seamlessly. Of course, he’s fluent—he picked up sign language quickly after the two of you agreed to learn for Toge’s sake.

“Well,” you mutter, leaning back in your chair. “That cleared up absolutely nothing.”

Finally, you summon President Zenin Maki. Confident and direct, she strides in with her arms crossed, rectangular glasses reflecting the fluorescent lights. Her thick lashes peek over the frames as she narrows her eyes at you.

“What now?” she snaps, cutting right to the chase. “Me and Yuta? Seriously? Look, you didn’t hear this from me, but since we’re dragging Yuta into this—Toge likes him. So there’s that.”

Maki turns on her heel and marches out, her ponytail swishing with every sharp step.

Gojo groans dramatically and leans his head on your shoulder, the soft tips of his snowy-white hair brushing your cheek.

“This is just getting more ridiculous,” he says, voice muffled against your arm. “Everyone’s in love with someone else. What the fuck?”

Your phone buzzes in your pocket. Careful not to disturb Gojo, who’s still sulking on your shoulder, you retrieve it.

Prof. Nanami Kento Can you return my projector tomorrow morning? I need it for my lesson. Thank you kindly. Also, I hear you and Gojo are still sniffing around where you don’t belong. Just a word of advice: being messy usually leads to more mess. Good luck cleaning it all up.

You sigh, sliding your phone back into your pocket. Nanami’s right, of course. But does that mean you’ll stop? Absolutely not.

insp by @r4yz-4u's comment !

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merrybloomwrites · 2 months ago

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When The Wolves Come Out (Chapter 4)

Story Summary: When Y/N gets hired to play drums for One Direction, the last thing she expects is to find herself as part of their pack. Especially since it seems that they don’t want her there. Only time will tell if they’ll accept her, or if the omega will have to deal with rejection from the others.

Chapter Summary: A hometown show for Y/N means seeing her old packmates. This leads to tension between her and her current bandmates.

Previous Chapters: one , two , three

Word Count: 1.9k

Tags/CW: omega verse, omega reader, alpha Harry, alpha Zayn, alpha Louis, beta Niall, beta Liam, poly, Jonas Brothers, touch deprivation, scenting

AN: Shoutout to the anon who messaged me about chapter 4 today because they single handedly motivated me to finish this!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With just one week left until you’re back home for a show, you tell yourself repeatedly that you’re fine. You can make it there, get the touch you need, and no one will have to know.

But hiding touch starvation isn’t easy. Even though they try to keep their distance from you as much as possible, you know that the others are suspicious.

You’ve been increasingly lethargic, dizzy, and cold. You always choose long sleeves, even in the balmiest South American cities. You’re often found in little corners backstage so you can squeeze in a power nap before shows.

One day it’s Louis who finds you. He helps you stand, and your skin practically burns when his hand touches yours. After months of nothing, this little moment of contact is like a shock to your system. And based on his concerned look, Louis definitely noticed this as well.

All of the clothes that Kevin and Joe had given you have lost their scent. On a particularly bad day, you can’t stop yourself from sneaking one of Harry’s bandanas, a t-shirt of Zayn’s, and one of Louis’ tank tops. You hide from the others and hold these stolen items close to your face, deeply breathing in the alpha scents. It soothes your omega just enough to stop the shaking for a while.

You’ve never been able to be close enough to them long enough individually to pick out each of their specific scents, but you know that blended together they make the most delicious smell. You find yourself daydreaming about them scenting you so that you can carry the wonderful aroma around with you.

But then Liam calls out for you, saying it’s time to go, and you’re shaken out of your thoughts. You make it through that night’s show, and the next one, and finally, the last one in South America.

A few days later you fly up to Toronto for a couple of concerts and then the day comes that you land in Newark. You never thought you’d be happy to see this airport, but today you’re so happy to be home you could almost kiss the disgusting ground.

It’s late, and you’re all quickly ushered to the hotel to get some sleep before doing shows the next day. You despise being in a hotel when you’re only a short drive to your house, but despite your best efforts, you’re not permitted to separate from the group.

The next day begins like any show day, and by mid afternoon you’re hanging backstage after sound check. The touch depri is spiking again, your entire body is shaking, and it feels like ants are crawling along your skin. More than once, black dots swim in your vision. You start to get nervous that you might go into an omega drop.

You’re once again curled in a corner when Niall finds you.

“Some friends are here to see you,” he says, not waiting to see if you follow before he turns and walks back down the hallway. Slowly, so that you won’t get too dizzy, you stand and start walking in that direction as well.

Suddenly, arms surround you, and your vision almost completely blacks out. You’re overwhelmed by touch and alpha pheromones, and there’s a moment of panic before you finally realize it’s Joe. A moment later Nick and Kevin hug you as well, and you nearly cry tears of joy to be surrounded by your old pack.

“I missed you guys,” you manage to squeak out.

“We missed you too, kid,” Joe replies.

“C’mon, let’s go sit,” Kevin says, and the four of you head to one of the nearby rooms. It’s clearly a storage area, but amongst the chaos are a comfy sofa and matching chair.

Nick takes the chair, leaving Joe and Kevin to sit on either side of you on the couch.

“So, tell us how tour’s been!” Joe says excitedly.

“It's good! Love the music, and we’ve seen some pretty cool places,” you answer.

“And how have you been?” Nick asks.

“I’ve been good!” You reply, but clearly they don't buy that.

“Omega,” Kevin says, and it feels so nice to be addressed this way after so long. “Please tell us the truth. You don’t look okay. I’m worried.”

It’s overwhelming to be so seen, to be so cared for. But you know you can’t hide anything from them so you reply, “It’s been tough touring without a pack.”

“I thought that One Direction was a pack,” Nick says. “That you would be a part of that.”

“Apparently that was the plan. But they’re not open to anyone joining them,” you reply.

“Isn’t the backing band in the pack?” Joe asks.

“No, it’s just the five of them. And they don’t want anyone else. But Simon wants me in with them so I share a bus with them,” you explain.

“If you’re on a bus with alphas, wouldn’t their scents help your omega?” Nick asks.

“Not if they’ve rejected her,” Kevin replies. He then turns to you and adds, “If they’ve rejected you, then I’m pretty certain you’re starting to deal with touch deprivation. Fair to say?”

“Yeah. That’s fair,” you answer quietly.

“What assholes,” Joe suddenly exclaims.

“They’re not assholes,” you defend. “They’re just protective of their pack.”

“They should be protective of the omega in their care,” he retorts. You can’t exactly fight that. As much as you hate that you need others to survive, any good alpha would know what to do to make sure omegas are healthy. And the boys haven’t done that.

Before you can think of it too deeply, the door opens and in walk your parents, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Jonas. For the next hour you’re surrounded by your family, and things feel normal, just like they used to. The time together flies and too soon you have to finish getting ready for the show.

Nick and all the parents head to their seats, but Kevin and Joe stay back.

“How quickly after the show do you need to be back on the bus?” Kevin asks.

“We have to be on it by midnight, so we normally have a bit over an hour.”

“Ok. That’s enough time. Meet us back here after and we’ll scent you. Hopefully we can keep any touch depri at bay for a while,” Joe says.

“If that’s okay with you,” Kevin adds, and Joe nods in agreement.

“I’d like that. The symptoms are starting to get bad, it will be nice to get rid of them,” you reply.

With a plan in place, the two of them each give you a hug and then you part ways.

It’s a great concert, and you love getting to perform at home. But once it’s over you’re rushing back to that room, excited to get physical touch for the first time in months.

You beat Kevin and Joe there by a few minutes, but before long they’re joining you. The three of you once again settle on the couch, and for the next hour you go back and forth getting cuddles from them. It hurts to say goodbye, but at least your touch levels are topped up and you feel better than you have in a while.

You’re the last one back on the bus, and you find the boys hanging in the lounge area. Months of them pushing you away has made you used to them ignoring you, so the last thing you expect is having their full attention on you.

“Why do you smell like that?” Louis immediately asks.

“Excuse me?” You reply.

“Why do you smell like other alphas?” Zayn questions.

“Why do you care?” You retort.

“We care if you’re rolling around with other alphas,” Harry says. “Could be dangerous.”

“Okay, first of all, since when do you care about my safety? Second of all, I was not rolling around with strange alphas, and even if I was it would be none of your business,” you say, now getting annoyed.

“If you weren’t with an alpha, then why do you smell like it?” Niall asks.

“Because my former packmates immediately noticed that I was slipping into touch deprivation, so they gave me the touch and scenting that I needed to prevent a drop. Simon was right, you guys have shit instincts.”

You look at the boys, their expressions ranging from angry to ashamed. You’re too tired to deal with whatever this is, and honestly you’re angry yourself. Finally you’d gotten the touch you needed. Finally you’re feeling better. And now they’ve gone and ruined what should’ve been a good night.

Without another word you storm off to your bunk and go to sleep, missing the conversation that continues in the lounge.

“Can’t believe she came back stinking of other alphas,” Louis states.

Sensing that their pack alpha is filled with a mix of emotions, Liam slides closer and leans into his side to offer some physical comfort.

“What if she’s right?” Zayn asks quietly. “What if we really don’t have good instincts.”

“An omega who lives with us went into touch deprivation without us noticing,” Harry says. “Of course she’s right. How could we not notice?”

“Well, it’s not like you asked to have an omega,” Niall says, trying to reassure Harry.

“It doesn’t matter. I was raised to care about all omegas, and I’ve been so stubborn, and that caused Y/N to suffer.”

“We’ve all been stubborn,” Zayn says.

“Can I say something?” Liam asks.

“Of course, Li,” Louis replies.

“Why are we still pushing back so hard? I mean, I like Y/N. She’s talented. She’s smart. Funny, kind, cute. Aside from pride, why can’t we include her?”

“Because I promised you all that it would always be the five of us. That’s what we’ve always wanted,” Louis answers.

“But what if we change our minds?” Harry asks. “I think Liam’s right. Honestly, I don’t have a problem with her. I like her.”

“I do too,” Zayn adds. “And it’s been kind of nice having an omega here. She balances things out.”

“Niall, what do you think?” Louis asks.

“I mean, yea she’s nice and all. But our pack is just the five of us. After that meeting with Simon you all said that wouldn’t change, and now you’re trying to change things? Maybe I can get on board but I don’t know if I’m ready yet.”

“I agree with Niall,” Louis says. “I can’t just suddenly switch my way of thinking. For months I’ve been ensuring that our pack remains the way it was because I was under the impression that’s what you all wanted. It’s going to take more than one conversation for me to be okay with this.”

“We understand that Lou,” Harry says. “We’re not asking you to totally change your mind right away.”

“I just need some time,” he says. “Listen, it’s late and we have another show tomorrow. Let’s all sleep on this, alright?”

“Yes, alpha,” Liam replies, pressing a kiss to the other man’s neck to soothe him and show that no one is upset with his decision.

Listening to their alpha, the boys all head to bed, but none of them fall asleep right away. They’re too busy thinking about this new development. But one by one they all eventually drift off.

Louis is the last one awake, his mind racing with thoughts of the conversation they’d had. And if he has to get up and check that you’re sleeping safe and sound before he can finally fall asleep too, nobody has to know.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AN: Thanks for reading! Looks like things might be starting to shift!!

#harry styles x reader #one direction fanfiction #one direction x reader #louis tomlinson x reader #niall horan x reader #liam payne x reader #zayn malik x reader #omegaverse #alpha beta omega

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suplicyy · 8 months ago

Text

Let The World Burn

Touya Todoroki/Dabi x Reader

— Summary: He would do anything to convince you to to join the League of Villains.

— Tags/Genre: Gn!Reader

Blood is spread across your shoes and across the floor, and the murder weapon is in your hand; gripping it tightly, almost as if it would disappear if you let it go. Your overcoat protects you from the freezing air circulating in the dark alley you were in now, but for a brief moment, you could feel the air behind you changing temperature slightly. Just that was enough to realize that you were no longer alone at that moment, excluding the corpse that now couldn't denounce your actions.

"How long do you intend to watch me from afar? I know you're there."

Footsteps can be heard from afar, slowly approaching you; and that suddenly stops, but even without looking in the direction of the individual, you can feel bad intentions towards you.

"Calm down, no need to be defensive... I have no intention of reporting you, I came to you with another purpose in mind."

You finally turn to look at the individual's appearance. He is a tall man with black hair, and even though his body is covered with something you can't identify – dead skin perhaps – he has a youthful appearance.

"Well then, I think you better go back where you came from, I don't want to hear things of someone I've never seen in my life." you respond coldly to the guy, looking away from him to grab a handkerchief from your pocket, turning to clean the blood-stained blade in your hands.

A brief mocking laugh escapes his lips, watching you from afar. "You may not know who I am... but I know you very well." his tall figure begins to approach you, and stops again just a few meters away, still watching you intently.

"[Last name] [Name], 26 years, works as an intern at a large company, and also as a hired killer at night."

The moment the man divulged his information to you, you felt yourself go cold, but you tried to maintain your composure. You turned back to face him, who was already looking at you with a smug smile on his face.

"I also have other information like your address and stuff like that... but it would take forever to tell you everything I know about y-"

He wasn't even able to finish speaking as your blade was already threateningly pressed against his neck. Your body acted on its own, moving involuntarily to defend yourself.

"Who are you."

Even with the threat, the man remained unmoved, and grabbed the weapon with his own hand, causing his palm to bleed from the force of the grip.

"Dabi. You've probably heard of the League of Villains, yeah?" your gaze narrows at him, but as you digest the information you just received, you pull the sharp object out of his throat, clearing it again. "Maybe it's better for you to stay on our side... or are you still going to be a mere doormat for your coworkers?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." You huff in annoyance, a sign that you weren't enjoying Dabi's company now that you realized who he was. "And besides, I don't give a shit about who you are and your group of losers." you say disdainfully, looking at the corpse at your feet.

You walk past Dabi, who watches you head towards the exit of the alley. "Don't look for me anymore, I have no intention of meeting you again, Dabi."

He watches your figure grow smaller and smaller as you move further away from him. He laughs smugly "I don't think that's possible." Dabi speaks loud enough for you to hear, turning to see the the bloody man lying on the ground.

"So...who are you?" He says in an ironic tone, bending down to search the man for informations, stopping when he grabs something that was in his pants pocket.

Pulling a card from the corpse's pockets, he reads the contents of the card, and on it is engraved the name of your company. "Huh, interesting..." satisfied with what he found, the man leaves the place, abandoning the dead man in the dark alley.

"Did you hear that Mr. Kyojuro is dead??" "What!? No way..." "Yeah... I heard he was found in an alley near here, and his belly was completely open, there was blood everywhere!" "Oh my, that's disgusting! You don't need to tell me all the details."

You watch your coworkers gossiping in the cafeteria, next to the coffee maker, the strong smell of coffee could be felt throughout the office. A stack of papers is in your hands, almost ready to be handed over to your manager.

"[Last name]! I want the papers on my desk now!!"

You hear your manager scream from inside of his office, leaving you with a knot in your stomach, but you try to ignore that feeling as much as possible and go towards the other side of the office.

The women inside the coffee shop watch you from afar, with one of them contorting her face in disgust. "Ugh, that weirdo again, seriously, what was going through the boss's head to hire them?"

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if the police said they was the one who killed poor Mr. Kiyojuro, he loved following her around like a stray dog..." the other girl adds mockingly.

"Don't say such things... or you might be the next one dead!" another girl, a little younger than the others adds to the conversation, which makes the other womans laugh.

You immediately run to your superior's office, and before entering the room, you breathe in and out slowly, in an attempt to calm yourself down. A little nervous, you look at the door, and reach out to knock on it.

You knock on the office door, indicating your arrival. And when you hear your superior say "come in" in an irritated voice, you immediately open the door, entering the room.

"Excuse me sir... I brought all the paperwork you asked me for." you say in a low voice, already preparing yourself mentally, knowing that you would receive another scolding.

He approaches you, aggressively snatching the papers from your hands. His eyes quickly scan the document, reading its content superficially. The man’s eyebrows furrow in disapproval, throwing all the paperwork you’ve worked hard to produce onto the floor.

"This is a mess, go back to your cabin and see if you can write something better, although I highly doubt that this will happen." with arrogance in his tone of voice, the man turns around, returning to his table while gesturing with his hand, indicating for you to leave the place.

"But sir, I did it exactly the way you asked and-"

"Keep your complaints to yourself, I don't care about anything you tell me."

Feeling the hatred bubbling inside you, you leave the office in a hurry, heading towards the bathroom with your head down, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to come out of your anger.

Entering the bathroom, you enter the first stall you see, and slam the door shut, the sound of the door slamming echoing through the empty room. You bury your face in your hands, and involuntarily, you snort in annoyance, the sound being muffled by your hands.

Since you arrived at this company, as someone who is quiet and reserved, you have been the target of criticism and insults for no reason at all, mainly from your coworkers, and sometimes from some superiors, even though they try not to show their contempt for you.

But you've reached your limit. Your cup of patience has overflowed so much that you needed to put an end to someone, even though you weren't paid for this murder, it gave you more relief than a few bucks at the end of the month.

And you can't help but think about doing the same thing to everyone else from this filthy place.

But you need to keep your true identity an absolute secret, a slip like that would definitely land you straight in jail. And after your encounter with Dabi, what you need most now is to be cautious.

After a few minutes of thinking, you leave the cabin and go straight to the sink to turn on the tap, letting the ice water collect in your hand, and rubbing it in your face, trying to cool your head a little.

Your previous encounter with Dabi flashes through your thoughts. You click your tongue in disapproval, trying to forget what happened. "Bullshit..." You dry your face with the sleeve of your shirt, and head towards the bathroom exit, ready to review more documents.

You leave your work exhausted, wanting nothing more than to go to bed and sleep. Your eyes inspected the screen of the cell phone, and the time was 6:30pm. Even though you made a supposed mistake, you were able to leave work 30 minutes early.

Since everyone in your department would have a little party for celebrate the conquer of one of their goals. A party you weren't the least bit interested in going to, and even if you did, no one would appreciate your presence there.

You tried not to think too much about it, so you continued to go your own way.

But a loud explosion behind you made you stop almost immediately. Before turning to see what had happened, you could see the reflection of blue flames in the window of a store next to you. And that's when you realized where all this commotion was coming from.

You turned around quickly, to find yourself facing nothing more and nothing less than the entire company where you work being totally destroyed, the building slowly being reduced to ashes, while the flames intensified more and more.

You couldn't react, at that moment it was as if your legs were stuck to the ground, unable to move due the fear. But the fear turns to horror when you see a figure slowly walking out of the building.

The mysterious person slowly walks towards you, as if all those flames were nothing to them.

"Did you like my gift? I made it just for you."

You immediately recognize the man's voice, and for some reason, you feel relieved, but you don't let your guard down.

"Huh, what now? Is your little boss so desperate for me that he made you do this?" you say coldly to Dabi, who lets out a laught, almost in mockery.

"Do you really think i would waste my precious time talking to you that night, and burn all those bastards, because that loser told me to do it?" Dabi was now standing in front of you, looking intently at you. You could smell a burning smell coming from him, and looking at his body, you could tell it was coming from all the skin stitched together across his body.

"Uh... yes?" You cross your arms and raise an eyebrow at him mockingly.

"You're funny [Name]." He says as he steps closer to you, standing just a few inches away.

Dabi then takes your hands, one of them he places on his shoulder, and the other he grabs with his hand while he places his other on your waist.

"H-Hey, let me go!! You stink..." "How mean... you shouldn't talk to people like that."

He says, feigning sadness, but then grin at you. And he starts guiding you from one side to the other, almost as if you two were dancing.

"Y'know... Now that I've made it a point to get you fired, why don't you reconsider my offer?" "Why do you want me there?"

"Things would get more interesting, you are interesting." He says without going into details, but you feel like he has a bigger reason for it, however you decide to remain quiet.

You look at him curiously, and then look away, your expression becoming enigmatic. After thinking for a few minutes, you look at him again, who has been looking at you since the moment he pulled you to dance.

"After what happened to the building, I think everyone will suspect me... so maybe it's not a bad idea for me to join your stupid little group."

A mocking smile breaks across his face, and he pulls you closer, his grip on your waist tightening.

"Heh, you won't regret it."

You watch him, and then look away, seeing the building surrounded by blue flames. The place you hated the most, the people you hated the most, being reduced to ashes, just the way you always imagined.

That brought you a strange sense of relief, but you were a little worried about what would come next. After accepting Dabi's offer, you couldn't run after it, it was all or nothing.

You enter the room, and see Dabi relaxing on the couch, with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Did you see it?" He says turning his head to look at you.

"How could I not? That video you made is everywhere now. It's starting to get annoying..."

He looks at you with an unreadable expression, but soon after he lets out a laugh, almost childish, at what you said. Dabi settles back on the couch, getting up to sit on it, and patting the free spot next to him, indicating for you to sit with him.

Placing your hand behind your neck in embarrassment, you walk over to him and sit down next to him. You turn to the side and see Dabi staring at the ceiling, as if he was thinking.

"He's not dead." When he says these words in a low tone, you tilt your head in confusion, but willing to hear what he has to say.

"But I'm sure he'll sink deeper and deeper as the days go by...." he says, mocking Endeavor's situation, which had his worst exposed to everyone.

"Next time, he won't be breathing anymore, I'll make sure of that." As much as you swore not to get attached to all of this, don't get attached to him, your chest sinks at his words, knowing what will happen the next time they see each other.

"Yeah..." you say looking at the ceiling too.

A silence settles over the place, but somehow, your thoughts are the same.

Endeavor won't be the only one to fall in the next time.

— A/N: First, two things:

1. I think this was the BIGGEST fanfic I've written in my life...

2. And this is the first time I've written something like this, so I don't know if it's one of my best works. 💀

However, I found it really fun to write something different from the usual, but I won't always bring that kind of thing here, since I usually write more cute and romantic things.🥹

Btw, my birthday was on the 23rd!! My age is starting to get serious, which is making me a little worried about what will come next, but at the same time I'm happy that I can still be with those I love, including you guys, who always support me here!!💖💞💕

Also, look at my birthday cake!!!! I love ALNST so much, but it also brings me so much pain.....🥲

#boku no hero academia #bnha #my hero academia #mha #dabi #mha dabi #dabi x reader #touya todoroki #mha touya #touya todoroki x reader #mha x gn!reader #bnha x reader #mha x reader

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everlastingday · 3 months ago

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traffic light game

thank you @heartstringsduet for creating and tagging me in this, it's such a fun game! and thank you @annoyingcloudearthquake, @lemonlyman-dotcom, @reyesstrand, @nisbanisba, and @emsprovisions for the tags 💜

Rules: Talk about something creative you're working on of any kind. 🚦 Green: What is it about, what excited you about it, what sparked the idea? Orange: Slow down and share something from it: a photo, a few words, some more background info etc. Red: What is the roadblock currently? What is one thing that is a necessary evil in making it?

green

taking this opportunity to talk about a wip i haven't actively worked on for a while now, but is in many ways my ultimate passion project, the tarlos dark academia au! i think i've been working on this one on and off for almost a year now (lol 🤡), but it's definitely the biggest in scope of all my fics. the basic premise is that carlos goes to this mysterious academy for mages because iris went there previously, but never came out, and nobody is investigating her disappearance, so he decides to take matters into his own hands.

i don't know how relevant this will be for anyone here, but some of the magical/school elements are borrowed from my favourite video game franchise, fire emblem (which fun fact, is actually the fandom i probably read most fics from, even though i don't write for it!). the school layout in particular is the school/monastery layout from the game, fire emblem three houses. no characters or direct references to the game, just little tidbits of lore and setting that hopefully you'll be able to pick up on if you've played the game(s)!

orange

From the other side of the hall, the door clicks open, and the low chatter around the room quickly dissipates as the new students enter the main hall of the Valentia Institute for the first time. By TK’s estimation, there’s probably around 60 new students this year. As he scans the group, his eyes immediately are drawn to one particular individual. TK thinks he’s never seen anyone as beautiful as the man standing near the back of the incoming class. He’s tall — probably a couple of inches taller than TK — with tan skin and cropped, dark brown hair that hints at some beautiful curls once it grows out. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t notice how his arms and chest completely filled out the olive green t-shirt he was wearing, but what really mesmerized him were the stranger’s brown eyes. Warm, soulful, brown eyes that he thinks he could stare into all day if he’d let him. A sharp nudge to his side quickly brings him back to reality. “TK,” Nancy hisses, “stop drooling.”

red

aside from the general roadblock of life that's making writing in general a struggle, this one's been on the backburner because i decided i didn't like one of the main reveals/plot points, and going back and reworking what i've already written just feels so daunting. and sometimes i just hate my own writing, so having to read so many of my own words makes me die a little on the inside 🥲 but i do love this project, so hopefully i can get over it and finish it one day!

open tag + no pressure tagging: @henrygrass, @carlossreaders, @carlos-in-glasses, @tellmegoodbye, @welcometololaland, @paperstorm, @bonheur-cafe, @whatsintheboxmh, @pimento-playing-hopscotch

#traffic light game #tag games #tarlos dark academia au

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krakenbait · 2 months ago

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bragging rights bracket update #1

dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to honor the memory of the 2024-25 new jersey devils. they performed valiantly, but ultimately succumbed to their injuries in the wake of hurricane carolina.

oh who am i kidding, you're not here for me to eulogize my team's season, they did exactly what i expected them to do. i'm just mad the devils are the first team out, frankly... but the first elimination does mean y'all get treated to the first roast post of this year's brag-cket!

*news alert noise* what's this? oh, it appears since i started drafting this update this morning, we've had another two more eliminations! the washington capitals finished off the montreal canadiens, meaning the metro will come down to caps vs. canes. should be a good time... well, for some of you. and then as i was writing the revised update the florida panthers called game on the battle of florida, which means i gotta add in some more busted bracket gifs.

commentary under the cut. this is the biggest brag-cket yet with 27 participants, so bear with me. and if i don't have your bracket labeled correctly, just let me know so i can tag or otherwise identify whose is whose.

33 points

djoker's bracket - i initially fully forgot to give you commentary because the standings kept changing. and i'm consciously ignoring that you picked the stars to win out.

jt's kombucha tap ( @assistantcaptainmitchmarner) - does tavares' amulet protect against first round exits?

26 points

here we go again :| ( @morganfrost) - 🎵 i kinda wanna be more than friends, so take it easy on me i'm afraid you're never satisfied 🎵

ki's confusion - i'd say you don't seem very confused (don't worry, this won't last)

23 points

define insanity ( @tavaresfucker) - doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. the life of a leafs fan.

20 points

abeja's bracket - the avs server traditionally does well in the standings, probably the best performing group overall. will it stick?

i want this. yes -

you sure about that bud?

Baracket ( @donnorcewar) - have you tried playing pickleball

builthebobder's bracket ( @builthebobder) - it's sweeping the nation!

andreisvechnikov's bracket ( @andreisvechnikov) - *in the tune of those self-deprecating british football/soccer chant videos* WE DIDN'T GET SWEPT, WE DIDN'T GET SWEPT! HOW SHIT MUST YOU BE, WE DIDN'T GET SWEPT

13 points

nat 2 serious ( @natashastarkk)

you're now tied for the dubious brag-cket record for the earliest bust. we've had a lot of first round busts, but i don't think we've ever had a bust with the first elimination (because although three teams are now out, the devils were the first).

Blasphemy! Heresy! ( @circle--of--confusion)

oh how the mighty fall! from last year's winner to one of the first ones out!

deepest desire - getting those usually comes with a pretty steep cost. be wary of strange individuals if the canes keep going

MLE's bracket - you clearly don't believe in the president's trophy curse

Do It for Stromer (guessing this one is @stromesquad unless you're the other dylan strome bracket) - dylan strome is still in it! oh and so are all the other dudes in washington

Infinite Jets - i can't even be mean yet your bracket name is fantastic

ottawa state of mind ( @arsonandhockey) - one perfect series and two... very much not. things could still go very wrong for you yet!

10 points

witchmarner (kait, idk your tumblr if you want me to tag you) - you seem to have a lot of faith in canada, or at least its hockey teams.

the mcstrome agenda - the narrative of a washington-edmonton final would be so good, but unlikely that the hockeys cooperate.

NewJerseyNate's bracket - i'm beginning to question your judgement.

so that's a nope - nope.

one lost bruins fan ( @patron-saint-of-boston-hockey) - considering your east is already toast, i'd say you're quite lost.

several "hey"s later (me) - this is par for the course.

0 points

carpe_history's bracket - you're the lone person in the pool to pick the wild to win it all. wonder why that is...

brackeT, t stylez ( @imperatorrrrr) - this is just unfortunate.

#bragging rights bracket challenge #brag-cket updates #scp25

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gorogues · 6 months ago

Note

I’m getting bored of saying hi and hello so salutations my fellow Tumblr user!

Now you know how I keep writing ‘The Rogues’ with a capital ‘T’ right? I’ve since then been getting more and more confused about if the title should have it or not, since I’ve seen a bunch of people, including you, not include the capital at all. But like, to me it would make more sense for the ‘t’ to be a capital, because when you talk or think about the group as a whole, it’s THE Rogues and not just ‘Rogues’ like how you would probably refer to one individual from the group. (Would calling any of the guys a ‘Rogue’ makes sense? Like for example: “Hey, there’s a Rogue over there!” Have any characters actually referred to any of them like that? Because I haven’t read any comics that include a sentence like that. Unless I’m remembering wrong that is, or it feels weird to me because I know of a Marvel character that’s costume name is Rogue)

Maybe I’m just thinking too hard about this, but to me, it really does feel like when someone is referring to one member it’s ‘a Rogue’, but when someone is referring to few of the members or the whole group it should be ‘The Rogues’.

And there’s also this whole thing I’ve seen where people tag the guys with or without the word ‘the’ at the beginning. Like I’ve seen people tag James and Axel with either ‘Trickster’ or ‘The Trickster’ (and in my opinion, I’m more inclined to agree to tag both of them as the latter instead of the former). I’ve seen once or a few times where Hartley was tagged as ‘The Pied Piper’, and I’ve even seen Mark and Sam (or it could be Evan, I’m not entirely sure) tagged with a ‘the’ in the front as well. Of course Roscoe is tagged like that, but with nearly everyone else it’s either with or without the extra word.

I’m sorry for sending you paragraphs nearly every time I ask you something, and I can’t promise at all that I’ll stop 😅

Hello!

I think it's a judgment call to capitalize or use lower case for 'the Rogues', though I'm no English major and don't know how grammatically sound one option is over another. Comics often aren't much help, because the lettering is often in all caps..!

I've just now looked at my collection of Flash volume 2 solicits, and they're erratic about when 'the' is capitalized; sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't. But more often than not, it isn't capitalized.

There are indeed multiple instances in which 'Rogue' is used in a singular form, and I've included a few below, all from different writers. The story which introduced Replicant is even titled "Twenty-First Century Rogue", so there's a lot of precedent to use it in the singular.

I tag James and Axel with 'the Trickster' (there's that lower case 'the' again :> ), and I don't for Mirror Master, Weather Wizard, etc, even though you'll sometimes see them referred to as "the Mirror Master", "the Weather Wizard", "the Golden Glider", and "the Pied Piper" as you mentioned. It was a judgment call, mostly because "the Trickster" and "the Top" are used a lot more frequently than "the Rainbow Raider" et al. Occasionally Tumblr changes my tags and capitalizes 'the' when I know I left it in lower case, so maybe the site agrees with you :> (and sometimes it changes all capitals to lower case, especially in older posts)

(Another factor is that I created these tags nearly 15 years ago 😩 when I was pretty much just shitposting on this site, so I probably would have done things differently had I planned to keep a semi-serious long-term blog)

I write somewhat more formally when creating posts for Speed Force, and there I'm in the habit of writing "the Flash" when I'm talking about Wally or Barry and "The Flash" when talking about the title of the book. I don't know if that's grammatically correct, but it's what feels right to me to distinguish between the character(s) and the book itself.

#Captain Cold #Heat Wave #Weather Wizard #Captain Boomerang #Golden Glider #Mirror Master #Evan #the Top #Dr Alchemy #the Flash #words

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mjonthetrack · 3 months ago

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bl 12

Despite her better judgement Soleil

accepted a girls gathering between Trin and

some of the bloodlines aunties and more

ironically Joe’s mom to lunch. When she arrived

his mom took her picture before posting it to

her Facebook and Instagram tagging the

woman. Soleil wasn’t paying enough attention

to why these women wanted to entertain her

to lunch but Trinity was a friendly face and she

at beside the woman talking about work mostly.

When the waiter came and offered her the

wine of the day she quickly declined still

hungover from the day before instead ordering

Sprite and asking for cherry flavoring to be

added.

“Ooh that sounds like fun I’ll have one of

those two please,” Patricia cheerfully quipped

as did a few of the other aunties. “Matter of

fact cancel my mimosa I want one of those,”

Trinity hummed in acknowledgment. Soleil

scrunched her brows but brushed it off when

the women all commented on what good

taste she had. “So dear, Trinity told me you

have been commentating for the company, how

have you enjoyed it thus far?” Patricia

leaned forward politely wanting to focus on the

woman’s responses. “Honestly it’s very different

from playing ball or any sport I have been apart

of and even though my sister is a wrestler I

never got into it much but I have gained a new

respect for the craft and athleticism that goes

into the company,” Soleil honestly responded

taking a sip of her drink humming at the

flavoring happily dancing on her tongue.

Patricia was more than welcoming to the

woman and was very kind offering her home

as a place to stay while the woman visited

Florida. When Soleil tried to refuse politely

Trinity clued her in at how stubbornly persistent

the older woman could be to save the trouble.

Soleil found herself hesitantly accepting the

offer much to the aunties happiness who

spent most of the lunch gushing over how

talented Soleil was and how beautiful she

was. Even the elder women commented on

how she was so fit and healthy, perfectly ready

to be a mom, which made Soleil choke Trinity

laughed telling her own stories of how her time

around these women were when she first was

introduced. Though she appreciated their

friendly and light banter Soleil reminded the

table she was just a work colleague to Joseph,

which cues the women’s whispers but Patricia

pasted on a friendly gaze,”of course dear, it’s

just so nice that my son has such a well rounded

individual around to put him in his place when

he goes to far.” Soleil snorted at that avoiding

a smart comment when the food arrived.

When the food and drinks were done, the

group were shuffled briefly to private suvs,

having their own security thanks to the family

connection to the company. Trinity sat beside

the woman in the suv so the pair could be

alone for the drive to the nail salon,”look I

know that man is a fuck up when it comes to

words and he thinks with his dick most of

the time and I say this as a coworker and

someone who’s seen him outside of the ring,

Leati is a good man, but I get why you’re angry

with him so I don’t fault the cold shoulder.” Soleil quirked a brow hearing the name it was

a first and yet she liked how it sounded, better

than Roman Reigns in her opinion. “Listen T

I appreciate the insight but I have no intent on

getting with the man, last night as I’m sure

you are aware judging by how these women

have me in their sights especially his mom, I

was high and drunk, I acted on brief inebriated

lust I promise that won’t happen again.” Soleil

looked at the notifications of her photo on

Joseph’s moms socials going viral on numerous

sites she groaned,” looks like you’re apart of

this family now girl,” Trinity laughed.

When the women got their nails done

the conversation shifted to fun light hearted

gossip and the aunties wanting insight to

the male sports figures they thought were cute

from Soleil’s experience. Trinity added her own

to cents on how her husband was the most

handsome out of them all to Mrs.Fatu’s approval

happily chiming in on how her son was happy

with her and she was so grateful for having her

as a daughter in law. Patricia took the moment

to casually throw out,” I wish my son would

settle down with someone like you Soleil, you’re

such a driven and powerful woman he needs

someone to push him to be better like that.”

Soleil grimaced at the thought of having that

giants kids breaking her insides for nine months

then uttered,” well hopefully she finds him then,

I’m happy being single honestly, no stress and

no fragile manhoods to dance around.” Trinity

snapped a photo of them all together with

Patricia and Soleil candidly laughing about

some story she was sharing and posted it to

her Instagram. The post instantly blew up with

mentions of the wrestlers connection to the

woman and others saying how nice his mom

was. Others tagged Roman and commented

conspiracies that the pair were secretly engaged

and that the bit on the show was real rage from

an angry fiancé. Soleil only responded to it

thanking the women for inviting her and for

the much deserved girl time.

Joe couldn’t help but to laugh at how his

cousins had been clowning him for the events

the day before. They’d teased him for fucking

up breakfast and scaring her off but the man

want angry this time they’d successfully

distracted him from his head. “Yo on the real

though you suck at cooking Uce,” Sefa muttered

as the men laughed sitting at the family home

having grilled out talking about sports and

their lives. Joe rolled his eyes,” yeah and like

you’re any better let’s not forget who trashed

last years Thanksgiving turkey.” That made the

twins and Jacob burst out laughing as Sefa

flipped them off muttering under his breath. Jonathan swiped open his phone when he

got a notification his wife posted and he raised

a brow. Jacob seeing the twins interest whipped

his phone out and set his beer down pinching

the image in to enlarge it,”oh shit.” Jey glanced

over at his cousins screen and let out a laugh in

disbelief,”that woman hates every girl you bring

around and yet she’s kee keeing over nails with

your coworker.” “Damn Uce she cool with your

moms and not you that’s cold,” Sefa laughed

triggering the others to follow. Joe’s brows

shot up and he immediately went to Instagram

where his notifications had blown up with fan

tags and people commenting on their supposed

connection.

His eyes widened comically as his

mouth parted in shock, his moms never liked

any woman casual or otherwise near her son,

notably out of the family’s matriarchal side she

was ruthless with her sharp tongue. Yet sat

beside her smiling harder in a paused laugh

sat Soleil in a group picture Trinity had taken

with his mom sat beside her. His heart

thrummed at the thought of her fitting in

so well with his family and imagining what

it would be like to be on the receiving end of

a beautiful smile like that. Joe immediately

shot a text to his mom stating not to push

the woman, they weren’t dating and they

already weren’t on good terms no thanks to

him. His mom quickly responded for him to

mind his business and let her work her own

magic which made him groan rubbing his face

in his hands as his cousins read the text

laughing at him,”yo your moms playing

wingman is crazy work,” Jonathan grinned only

after texting Trin on what was going down on

their side.

Trinity put her phone up smiling at the

updates Jonathan offered, she played it

off as Soleil was telling the group about her

times in the Olympics. Trinity took a few off

guard photos and sent them to Joe’s phone

to which she smirked when he accidentally liked

and unlike the texts almost as instantly as he

got them,’thirsty much?’ she’d responded and

laughed when the man sent a middle finger

emoji and then left her on read. Soleil raised

a brow seeing the woman in her own world,”you

alright T?” Trinity grinned brightly,”yeah girl

I’m fine Jimmy was just asking me what I was

feeling for dinner tonight.” Patricia hummed

gently patting the woman’s arm,” that reminds

me we are doing dinner at mine tonight can you

help us with meal prep?” Soleil shrugged,” I

don’t see why not it’s the least I can do for

you opening your home to me.” To Soleil’s

ignorance Trinity and Patricia high fived under

the nail drying table.

#wwe fanfiction #fanfic #the usos #romance #fanfiction #angst #fantasy #black oc #x black oc #x black fem reader #x black reader #roman reigns fic #roman reigns #roman reigns fanfiction #roman reigns x reader #roman reigns x oc

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skeedelvee · 7 months ago

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Carry On Countdown Day 6 - Truth/Dare

For this year's COC I've decided to put together daily fic rec lists! Let me know if you find any new favorite reads from these <3

For todays prompt I've gone with fics that either have truth or dare in them or other teenage games like spin the bottle, seven minutes in heaven, etc.

It has been a long couple days, so I'm going to save doing any individual review blurbs, but just know that these are all fantastic and highly recommend them all <3

Seven Minutes by @captain-aralias and @facewithoutheart

Rated M, 6,725 words

It’s the last (unsanctioned) party before Watford days are gone for good, and there’s a lot to celebrate. Simon Snow fought the Big Battle against the real villain, not Baz. In fact, Baz barely had to lift a finger. It’s like he wasn’t even there… Simon’s been ignoring him ever since. Which is fine. All Baz has to do is get through one more night.

3 AM by an orphaned account

Rated T, 3,548 words

Snow taps on his chin like he’s thinking, but with how much of a show he’s making of it, I feel like he already knows what he’s going to ask me to do. Probably something embarrassing that he can hold over my head for a while. Something he can tease me about when we’re having one of our petty squabbles. “Give me a hickey.” Oh.

Out Of The Cold by @facewithoutheart

Rated T, 1,757 words

What if Baz befriended Simon when the crucible cast them together?

Dare by @mostlymaudlin

Rated T, 3,755 words

“Simon,” Gareth says, schooling his face into a somber expression. “I dare you to snog Baz.” - Simon Snow knows that Truth or Dare never ends well.

Reunions, Regrets, Reconciliations by Lakewitch

Rated E, 18,792 words

It's been eight years since Watford, and, evidently, someone in their class has organised a reunion of sorts—a camping trip to the lake. But Simon is very busy these days; he's got a bakery to run, and it's wedding season after all. Penny all but begs for him to go, and Simon's right-hand, Chancelle, assures him the shop will be just fine without him for a long weekend. So, with some uncertainty, Simon gets in the car with Penny and Shepard, and travels to the countryside, towards all the people he hasn't seen since that final year at Watford.

Don't Hate The Player, Hate The Game by @annabellelux

Rated E, 10,308 words

A game of Truth or Dare gets out of hand when Penny casts "Don't Hate The Player, Hate The Game" on the group, forcing them to tell the truth and carry out dares. Baz isn't quite sure how he's getting out of this one without spilling any of his many secrets, and Simon doesn't even know his secret.

Merlin, May I? by @vkelleyart

Rated T, 7,476 words

When Simon Snow gets roped into a game of 'Merlin May I' against Baz Pitch, what starts off as a competition between mages for the most dangerous request ends up precipitating an unexpected collision of hearts.

If you have any recs that fit the prompt that I've missed, feel free to leave them in the comments! There's plenty of gaps in my reading so there's a good chance I may not have read it

Also I've had a hard time finding if some people are here on Tumblr, so if you know someone who hasn't been tagged, feel free to leave that in the comments as well <3

@carryon-countdown

#coc 2024 #carry on countdown 2024 #skeedelvee #fic recs #carry on rainbow rowell #snowbaz

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hippiegoth97 · 10 months ago

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Into the Fire: An Eddie Munson x Reader Story Pt. 22

Collage by me :)

Master List

Part 21

Tag List: @keikoraven @ar-jupiter @alcielo1438 @cairro-xx @stolen-in-moonlight

@micheledawn1975 @janiejenn @rafescurtainbangz @melodymunson @spacedoutdaydreamer

@veemoon @sariahs-stuff @feral-pumpkin-energy @comeonatmebruh @munsoneightysixx

@morgthemagpie @josephquinnsfreckles @jenniquinn @usergeta @cometzombie

@spookybabey @daggerdaggerkitten @nina6708 @sanctumdemunson @yourdailymemedelivery

@person-005 @slowandsteddie @gri959 @elegantkoalapaper @letitgoandletlive

@loserboysandlithium @costellation-hunter @leelei1980 @h-ness1944 @pretendthisnameisclever

@ohmeg @stalactitekilla @hellfirenacht @birdysaturne @oneforthemunny

@prettyboyeddiemunson @eddievanmunson @msgexymunson @rattkween86 @violetpixiedust

@bimbobaggins69 @angel-munson @eldermayfield @munsonsbtch @babygorewhore

@mediocredreams @xxbimbobunnyxx @taintedcigs @ali-r3n

Content Warning 18+ Only, Minors DNI: swearing, mentions of sexual harassment, light smut/teasing, alcohol use, light angst, anxiety, stage-fright

Word Count: 10.5k

divider by @strangergraphics

Part 22: Shake the Disease

Saturday, June 24th, 1989

The rest of Tommy's first week at The Hawk goes as well as one can expect. He's thankfully paired with Jamie every day to spare you and Eddie from having to deal with him directly. Although you pity Jamie for having to put up with his shitty attitude and careless behavior. Despite Mr. Biggs doing everything in his power to keep Tommy away from you, the jerk has still managed to find plenty of ways to get on your nerves. He makes little comments to you in passing, perpetually smirking through it all. He takes every opportunity to brush his shoulder against yours, or put his hands on your waist to move you out of his way. He also calls you little pet names, like 'sweet thing' and 'babygirl'. It's seriously nauseating, but you don't even bother to respond.

Eddie has offered to kick his ass for you multiple times, but you just tell him it's fine. Tommy's an idiot, and there's no way you're putting your jobs at risk over petty bullshit. If it comes down to it, you'll handle Tommy yourself. But you figure that the best course of action is to ignore him, give no reaction to his 'advances', if you can even call them that. He'll get bored soon enough, and inevitably move on to hitting on young female patrons instead. He'll need to get his dick wet sometime, and he's obviously not going to wait around for you forever. You're sure of it.

Tonight, though, is a pretty special night. You're going to Saturday karaoke at the Hideaway with your friends. It's kind of a 'triple-date', if you will. You and Eddie, obviously, Robin and Steve (platonically), and Nancy is tagging along with Jonathan who's come to town for a couple of weeks. You're very excited to spend some time with people your own age, you don't really get to do this very often. Most of Hellfire is Dustin's age or younger, and it's kind of a mixed bag at the theater. And beyond that, you've got...your mother. You don't have anything against these particular groups or individuals, but you aren't necessarily going to make them your drinking buddies, either.

"C'mon, angel. We're running late." Eddie says from behind you, watching as you're tediously applying mascara in your bedroom mirror.

"Since when do you care about punctuality, Eds?" You ask with a laugh, putting the mascara wand back into its tube. You drop it into the little bowl on your vanity, using your hands to fluff up your hair a bit. You've put in some extra effort into your appearance tonight. As it's already been said, you don't get out much. You inspect yourself closely in your reflection, checking for any imperfections. Your makeup is flawless, not a hair out of place. You smooth down your black leather miniskirt, and adjust your breasts through the Iron Maiden t-shirt you stole from Eddie's closet. You've got it pulled tight against your torso, having tied off the slack into a simple knot at your side.

"Oh, I definitely don't. But you do." He replies with a smirk, getting off your bed to wrap his arms around your waist. Your hands go to rest over his, and you smile at one another in the mirror. "You're absolutely gorgeous tonight, by the way. My favorite shirt has never looked better." He says lowly, planting a featherlight kiss on your neck.

"You don't think it's too much? For karaoke, I mean?" You ask, completely unsure if you've overdone it or not. You honestly don't know, but you're terrified of going into the local bar and looking like you're in the wrong place.

"No, sweetheart. You've got the perfect balance of dolled-up and casual, I promise. Either way, you're gonna be the hottest girl in the entire place." Eddie's words make you melt, he always knows exactly what to say.

Your cheeks go rosy, and you bite your lip to hold back a giggle. "Okay, good. And thank you. You're quite dashing yourself, love." You repay the compliment, your eyes scanning over what you can see of his body at this angle. To be fair, Eddie always wears tight jeans with rips in the knees and band shirts that fit his lightly toned torso so fucking perfectly. But what can you say? His style is effortless, and the way he carries himself definitely adds to the appeal. If you didn't have to be at the Hideaway in fifteen minutes, you'd strip him down and have your way with him right now.

"Oh, please. This old thing?" Eddie chuckles, looking down at himself to see what you mean.

"Don't play dumb with me, Eddie. You know you're hot stuff. Or do I not say it enough?" You ask teasingly, turning your head back to look in his eyes.

"You say it plenty, Y/N." He presses a small peck to your lips, before backing away to head for the door. "Now, come on! Let's go get drunk and sing off-key to overplayed songs!" He says excitedly, walking ahead of you into the hallway.

"Jesus, Eds! Wait up!" You call after him, snatching your purse off the dresser as you run after him.

"Well, hurry up then, slowpoke!" He retorts, whipping around to face you as he continues to move towards the front door. He's smiling like an idiot, it seems he's also very happy to hang out with people his own age for once. You chase after him, quickly gaining speed. He continues running with his back to where he's heading, taunting you to catch him. It doesn't take much to catch up to him, he's mostly messing with you. You tackle him onto the carpet of the living room, pinning him down by straddling his lap. Eddie grunts at the impact, and his hands automatically go to your waist. Mom and Dustin just happen to be sitting on the couch as you do so, and you tumbling onto the floor takes them by surprise.

"Jesus christ, sugarpuff! What are you two getting up to now?" Mom asks in a startled tone.

"Oh, sorry. We were just playing around." You reply, quickly getting off of Eddie's lap and fixing your skirt. Eddie joins you, adjusting his hair a little. You'd forgotten they were home, they're both really quiet most of the time.

"Oh, I see." She giggles. "Aren't you supposed to be at karaoke with your friends?" She asks, her eyes flicking to your outfit. You're certainly dressed up, and she thinks you look very pretty.

"Yeah, we were just heading out. Somebody just likes to tease." You reply while playfully elbowing Eddie in the ribs to emphasize your point.

"Ouch! Play nice!" Eddie exclaims in faux offense.

"Oh. Well, have fun, you two." She smiles, she's very happy to see you get out there for once. You've been spending a lot of time in your room with Eddie, or at his trailer. Mom knows how important it is to go out on actual dates and socialize with other people. She was getting a little worried that you've become a bit of a shut-in like her, with Eddie or work as your only real connections to the outside world. She'd made the mistake of adopting this same lifestyle when she married George, and now she feels too socially stunted to try and make friends. She talks to some of the other mothers sometimes, but it never really leads anywhere. But with you and Dustin all grown up now, she realizes she needs to build those relationships to keep herself sane. Maybe she'll invite the Wheelers and Sinclairs over for dinner some night.

"We will, Claudia. And don't worry, I'll make sure Y/N gets home safe." Eddie says, leading you to the door to get your shoes on. You slip some converse on your stockinged feet, and he puts on his usual Reeboks.

"I appreciate it, Eddie." Mom replies, nodding in gratitude. You're just about to walk out the door, when Dustin jogs after you.

"Y/N, wait!" He shouts, stopping you in your tracks with the door wide open.

"What's up, Dusty?" You ask, turning to look at him.

"I was wondering if I could...uh, take the car tonight?" He asks nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why?" You raise your eyebrow at him.

"Well, I-I've...kinda...got a-a date tonight." He stutters. "And I have to pick her up in an hour." He adds on in a rush, hoping you'll say yes.

"A date, huh? Who with?" You ask quietly, looking behind Dustin to see Mom glancing at your little huddle curiously.

"Elise Grayson, she was in my AP History class. She's really pretty, and smart." Dustin blushes bright red as he describes this girl, shuffling his feet awkwardly while his stomach fills with butterflies.

"Oh, I see. Does Mom know?" You question with a smirk, you know damn well Dustin wouldn't tell her about this so quickly. It sounds relatively new, and it's just cruel to get her hopes up if it doesn't work out.

"No way. And I'd like to keep it that way. It's our first date, and I dunno if it'll even go anywhere. Now, can I please take the car?" He pleads with you, hoping you understand how important this is.

"Okay, okay. Stop giving me the puppy eyes. Have fun, okay? And don't forget to fill up the tank afterwards." You hand over the keys, and Dustin does a little happy dance. Mom's eyebrows knit, wondering what the hell that's about.

"Go get her, tiger. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do." Eddie says, giving Dustin a playful punch in the arm. He pauses, reconsidering his words. "On second thought, don't do anything I would do, either." He chuckles, making you laugh as well.

"That's some choice advice there, Eddie. I think I'll stick to asking Steve for dating tips." Dustin replies sarcastically, though his words make Eddie's face drop slightly.

"Whatever, man. I'm the one with a smokin' hot girlfriend, and Harrington has nada as of late. But we'd better be on our way. We wouldn't wanna miss out on a drunken rendition of "Don't Stop Believin'"." Eddie retorts, putting his arm around your shoulder. You resume your journey outside, and he turns his head to shout one last thing. "Have fun on your date, Henderson!" He calls out, making Dustin's jaw drop.

"What? A date?" Mom pipes up excitedly, and Eddie hurries you both down the driveway to escape the chaos he's just unleashed. You're both laughing the whole way, sliding into your seats and watching Dustin slam the front door shut with Mom hot on his tail. She's no doubt bombarding him with questions about Elise, and possibly attempting to give him the 'sex talk'.

"You're so evil sometimes, Eds!" You say through a cackle, your face turning red from laughing so hard. It's kinda nice to have Mom doting on Dustin instead of you for once.

"The little shit brought it on himself! She was probably gonna find out anyway when he comes home with hickies all over his neck." Eddie snickers, putting the van into gear to head to the bar.

"How do you know he's going to get that far?" You ask curiously, your laughter subsiding.

"Uh, hello? If he's taking King Steve's advice, he's at least getting into make-out territory. It really depends on the girl. Who knows, maybe he'll get lucky!" He nudges you as he rolls down the driveway and gets into the right lane.

"I suppose you're right. I hope he'll be smart about it, at least. Mom will have a cow if that girl ends up pregnant." You reply, your nose scrunching at the thought of talking about your brother's intimate business. "Let's stop talking about this. It's making me nauseous."

"Of course, sweetheart. We can let Steve handle the gory details." Eddie says, his voice stained with jealousy. You decide to let him be on the subject, for now. You don't really understand this unspoken rivalry between him and Steve. You suppose it's because Harrington has always been the 'popular' guy, and Eddie has unfortunately existed as the exact opposite. Not only that, but Dustin does bring up Steve an awful lot. He really looks up to him, and it must be a hit to Eddie's ego to hear his little buddy gushing about some other guy. You wonder if Steve feels the same whenever he hears about Eddie, it's definitely a possibility.

When Eddie pulls into the parking lot of the Hideaway, you notice it's actually pretty busy. Most of the spots are full, with a decent amount of people filing in and out of the door. "Shit, I don't think I've ever seen this place so packed before." You say nervously, counting the cars to estimate just how many people you'll potentially have to sing in front of tonight. The prospect of doing so around Eddie is daunting enough to you, let alone a hypothetical crowd of strangers. All those eyes on you, just waiting for you to mess up. Maybe this is a bad idea.

Eddie glances over at you as he squeezes into a parking spot, finding fear and anxiety painted wildly across your face. "What's the matter, angel?" He asks, wondering why you seem so concerned with how many drunken idiots are here tonight.

"I'm just a little nervous...I guess." You reply meekly, looking away from him as he studies your expression. He kills the engine once he's parked properly, turning to you.

"You don't have to sing, Y/N. You know that, right?" He asks, taking hold of your hands to keep you from picking at your fingers. You face him finally, nodding your head. "It would be quite a shame, though. You've got a beautiful voice, princess." He says sweetly, making you smile.

"I know you think that, Eds. It doesn't mean anyone in there will." You nudge your head towards the bar. Your smile falls at the thought, you can't help picturing every worst-case scenario. Booing, food and drinks being thrown at you, every humiliating thing you can possibly imagine.

"Why does it matter what they think?" He questions, wondering why you suddenly care about anyone's opinion.

"I don't know." You grumble, shrugging your shoulders. You're growing rather frustrated with yourself for overthinking things again. It's been a while since you've done this, and it's certainly not a welcome feeling.

"Sweetheart, bar karaoke isn't about talent. I can guarantee every last asshole in there is going to be way off-key, and get the timing all messed up, maybe even sing the wrong words. It's not nearly as serious as you think it is. It's just something to do for fun, okay?" Eddie kindly explains, trying to put you at ease. He understands your apprehension. Serious or not, performing in front of people can be terrifying. Especially for someone like you, who doubts themselves and gets in their head too much. He hopes a couple drinks will help you to loosen up a little, he would love to hear you sing for him. He enjoys it immensely when you sing along with him to the radio or his mixtapes, you always know all the words to every song. And the way you smile the whole time makes his heart fill with joy and admiration, it's become one of his favorite things about you.

"Okay. Sorry, I'm just psyching myself out." You sigh, kicking yourself for backsliding into old habits.

"It's fine. You haven't done that in a while, I figured you were due sometime." He quips in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Right." You smile weakly, fighting the overwhelming urge to fall even further into the pit you've dug for yourself. You shake your head to push it all away, you just want to have a good time tonight. You take a deep breath, exhaling shakily. "Okay. Let's go. I'm sure the others are waiting for us." You say shortly, taking your hands out of Eddie's grasp and turning to hop out of the van.

"Sure thing, angel." Eddie holds back a sigh. He's worried about you, he feels like you're hiding again. He hates it when you do that, he's shown you so many times that you don't need to. But what's the alternative? You both sit in the van all night and dissect your insecurities for the millionth time? You fall into a fit of tears while he strokes your hair and tells you everything will be okay? He knows you don't want to do that, that for once you just want to be 'normal'. You're a grown woman, and you can afford to step out of your comfort zone every once in a while. He doesn't need to baby you, especially when you're clearly asking him not to tonight.

You land on your feet in the sticky night air, waiting for Eddie to come around the van to join you. He takes your hand, and you both exchange an uneasy smile. Neither of you know how this is gonna go, but you'll work through it together if shit hits the fan. You walk inside the bar, right in the middle of a redneck performing a rather slurred version of "God Bless the USA" with his hand over his heart. An emcee sits in the corner with the sign-up sheet, and you see Steve and the others waving you over to their booth to your left. You point Eddie in their direction, and you quickly make your way over.

"There you guys are! We were worried you got distracted." Robin says cheekily, wagging her eyebrows at you.

"A little, but not in the way you think." You reply to Robin, before looking over at Eddie. "You wanna go to the bar and get our drinks, Eds?"

His eyes meet yours, softening a little as you've already relaxed at finding familiar faces. "Anything for you, love. Jack and Coke alright?" He asks with a grin.

"Mm, yes, please." You reply, leaning in to give him a kiss before sending him on his way. You slide into the booth once Eddie leaves you, sitting beside Robin. Steve is sat across from her, with Nancy and Jonathan boxing him in. "So, have we missed out on you guys going on already?"

"Nope, I think Steve is up soon, though." Robin answers.

"Okay, great. And I'm sorry we're late, I spent a little more time getting ready than I'd expected." You say apologetically, looking down at yourself as you speak.

"It's no big, we haven't been here long." Steve assures you, giving you a kind glance.

"So, what have you guys been up to?" You ask to break the ice..

"Oh, you know us, busy as ever at Family Video." Robin replies jokingly. Steve nods in agreement, taking a sip of his beer.

"God, do you two do anything besides work?" You giggle, drawing laughs from the others.

"Nope! Not a thing!" Robin chirps, slurping down a bit of her cocktail through the tiny straw in her glass.

"Ugh, who would've thought that I of all people would end up a single loser?" Steve says, mostly joking, though his tone is slightly bitter.

"Oh, don't feel too bad, Stevie. I'm stuck in that same boat with you." Robin reaches across the table to pat his hand.

"What about you, Nance? How's life at the Hawkins Post? I hear you're practically running the show over there." You change the subject as Steve has become visibly uncomfortable. You wish you had someone to set him up with, you hate to see him so lonely and miserable. He's a great guy, truly. Any woman would be lucky to have him.

"Oh, I don't know about that..." Nancy replies humbly, stirring her drink in a nonchalant manner.

"There's no need to be so modest, Nance. And you're absolutely right, Y/N. She's the Assistant Editor, working her way to becoming the youngest Editor in Chief in Hawkins Post history." Jonathan gushes on his girlfriend's behalf, giving her a warm smooch on the cheek.

"That's great! I'm very happy for you, Nancy. You work so hard, you totally deserve it." You speak sweetly.

"So, what about you and Eddie?" Jonathan asks, giving you a turn.

"Oh, um, we've been working at the Hawk. It's going really well, except..." You pause, not wanting to be a downer on the evening.

"Except, what? Is it Eddie? Did he do something? I'll kick his ass for you if you want-" Robin starts, gearing up for one of her rants.

"No, no. Nothing like that." You cut her off, shaking your head. "No, me and Eddie are fantastic. But, uh, Tommy Hagan started working at the theater this past Monday." You finish, earning small gasps from everyone else at the table.

"Oh, shit. How's that going?" Steve asks, knowing exactly how much of an ass Tommy is.

"Not great. We...used to go out, so, it's been pretty awful." You say shamefully, bowing your head.

"Oh my god, when!?" Robin exclaims, and the others murmur to coax you into telling them.

"The summer of '86, it was fucking terrible. I had to tell Eddie all about that when Tommy started his first day by being a total jerk. I guess his dad has connections to our boss, so he can't get fired no matter what he does. He keeps...touching me, and calling me pet names. It's sickening, honestly." Your stomach turns as you hear Tommy's voice calling you 'sweet thing' inside your head.

"Does Eddie know about this?" Steve asks, quickly becoming pissed off on your behalf.

"Yeah. He's offered to kick Tommy's ass a few times. But then we'd both be out of a job, and we need the money if we're gonna move in together in a couple months." You pause again, realizing how messed up this all sounds when you say it out loud. You laugh lightly, trying to shrug it off. "But, you know Tommy. He'll get bored at some point and find some other poor girl to bother. I hope so, anyway. Otherwise, I'll kick his sorry ass."

"You'll kick who's ass?" Eddie asks as he returns to the table with your drinks. He slides in beside you, handing you your beverage.

"Tommy's. I was just telling them about our new coworker and his pervy behavior." You reply, taking a large gulp of your drink.

"Oh, right. I fuckin' hate that little creep. I wish Biggs would at least write him up for harassing you." Eddie says angrily, taking a swig from his own glass.

"He isn't even being written up for that? What the fuck?" Robin asks in shock.

"Nope. Because 'dear old daddy' would hear about it and ruin the theater's business." You reply, regretting bringing this up at all.

"That's awful, Y/N. I'm so sorry. Is there anything we can do?" Nancy asks, wishing she could fix this problem for you. No one should have to put up with harassment like this, especially not from a spoiled brat like Tommy Hagan.

"Not really. Unless you wanna write an exposé on Jack Hagan blackmailing the Hawk into keeping his shitty offspring on the payroll." You suggest it as an ugly joke, not meaning it seriously.

"I mean...it would make an interesting story." She says curiously, the wheels turning in her head at the prospect.

"Nancy, no! I was totally joking!" You shake your head, waving your hand to discourage her. "All that would do is get you fired, and put a whole bunch of others in jeopardy of losing their jobs.But, I appreciate the enthusiasm."

"Any time, Y/N. I'm always ready to help out a friend." She says kindly.

"That goes for all of us. If you need anything, we're here for you guys." Steve adds, already coming up with ways to get Hagan off your back.

"Thanks, Harrington. It means a lot." Eddie says with a grateful nod, taking another gulp of his drink. He was hoping Tommy wouldn't come up tonight, he hates wasting a single ounce of brainpower on that little weasel.

In only five days, Tommy's managed to make your workplace a living hell. Everyone absolutely hates him, and he won't stop bugging you, trying to 'win' you back. Eddie finds himself seething with anger during every shift now, watching like a hawk whenever he can to see if Tommy tries to make another move on you. It makes his blood boil to see you so visibly uncomfortable, how you helplessly ignore Hagan at every turn. Eddie wants you to stand up for yourself, to kick and scream and claw the fucker's eyes out, and he can tell you want it, too. But it won't do any good, it'll cost you both your place of employment. And you constantly insist that eventually Tommy will move on, becoming bored of his cruel games. He really, really hopes you're right. He's positive that neither of you can take much more of this.

"Alright, next up to the stage is Steve, singing "Take On Me"!" You hear the emcee speak into the microphone.

"Well, that's me. I still don't understand how I agreed to go first." Steve says, begrudgingly scooting out of the booth once Nancy and Jonathan let him out.

"Because you're basically our leader, dingus. Now get up there and sing your little heart out!" Robin retorts, shooing him away.

"Fuck, this is gonna be bad." Steve groans quietly, heading towards the stage. He steps onto the little platform, the wood creaking under his sneakers. Scattered claps can be heard around the bar as the emcee gives Harrington the mic. Robin whoops for him, and you all watch as he clears his throat, waiting for the music to kick on. The opening notes begin to play, and Steve stares at the little screen in front of him to know when to start. He braces himself, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. He opens his mouth, stuttering the first couple words out. "W-we're talking away, I don't know what I'm to say." His voice comes out quiet, his eyes scanning the room to see who's watching.

"Jesus, he's gonna choke." Eddie states, grimacing slightly at Steve's clumsy start.

"Fuck that." Robin scoffs, climbing clumsily over you and Eddie to stand in Steve's eyeline. She almost knocks your drinks over in the process, hopping onto the floor a moment later. "You got this, Stevie! Come on!" She shouts, drawing a few pairs of eyes to her. Steve smiles at her, nodding as he gains some confidence.

"I'll say it anyway. Today is another day to find you shyin' away. Oh, I'll be comin' for your love, okay." Steve continues to sing, raising in volume and hitting most of the right notes. He ignores the sour tones he utters, focusing on his best friend cheering him on. He fully commits to the chorus, gripping the microphone with certainty. "Take on me...take me on. I'll be gone, in a day or two..." His voice cracks on the end of the final note, making you giggle. You cover your mouth to hide it, Harrington is trying his best.

"Hey now, be nice." Eddie says in your ear, keeping his own chuckles at bay by biting his lip.

"Sorry, I'm trying, I promise." You clear your throat, giving an affirming nod to Steve when he glances curiously at you. You reach for your drink again, taking a large gulp from it. "He's actually doing pretty well." You observe, leaning into Eddie a bit as you watch your friend perform. Steve only gets better as the song goes on, his smile growing wider by the second. He's having the time of his life up there, and you feel a little jealous. Maybe you will sing tonight...maybe.

"Alright! Let's give it up for Steve!" The emcee says once Steve gives the mic back. Cheers and applause erupt from the other patrons, and Steve almost bows, before deciding against it. He steps down from the makeshift stage, working his way back over to your booth. "Next up is Alice and Jonah, dueting "You're the One That I Want"!" The emcee calls out, and you see a rather tipsy couple making their way to the front of the room.

"That was great, Harrington. Rocky start, but you kinda kicked ass up there." Eddie compliments Steve as he slides back into his spot. He's breathing a little heavy, surely coming down from his rush of nerves.

"Thanks, Munson. That means a lot, coming from you." Steve snarks, chugging down his beer to cool off.

"Any time." Eddie snickers, looking at you a moment later. "Change your mind yet?" He asks.

"I dunno...maybe. It does look pretty fun." You reply shyly, brushing some hair out of your face.

"Ugh, you're killin' me, sweetheart. I really wanna hear you sing." Eddie groans. He nuzzles his face into your neck, speaking lowly while planting light kisses on your throat. "Please, angel? For me? Your voice is so beautiful, and sexy." The tone of his voice instantly melts you, his breath fanning over your skin to accompany his borderline needy words. You'll do anything he wants at this rate, it's impossible to say no to him when he pulls out his charms.

"Fine. You're lucky that flattery works with me." You giggle, gently pushing him away to save the others from having to watch Eddie's seductive display. He sits up straight, grinning like a mad cat.

"Good, cuz I already signed you up when I was getting our drinks." He says, polishing off his drink. His words make your jaw drop, and you smack his chest playfully.

"You sneaky fucker!" You laugh, despite your annoyance with him signing you up without your knowledge. "What song did you put me down for?" You ask curiously.

"You'll just have to wait and find out." Eddie replies in a sing-song voice, he's loving this just a little too much. You glare at him, and he rolls his eyes. "I promise it's one that you know. One of your favorites, actually."

"Okay, good." You nod, glad you aren't going into this entirely blind.

"Well, I'm empty. Anyone else need a refill?" Eddie asks, shaking the ice in his glass as there's no booze left in it.

"I'll take one, just another beer." Steve pipes up, holding up his empty glass.

"No problem, dude. Y/N?" He looks at you again, noticing you're almost out as well.

"Uh, sure. Thanks, love." He nods once you accept his offer, getting up to head to the bar. Your eyes stay on him, following his backside until he disappears around the corner where you can't see him anymore. Your gaze returns to the table, and you're met with four pairs of eyes staring at you. "What?" You question, raising an eyebrow.

"You guys are still so smitten with each other. I hate to say it, but I'm totally jealous." Nancy says, almost in disbelief.

"Oh, the neck thing? That's just something he does. He's very affectionate, it's like a second language to him." You say simply, not thinking much of it. Of course, you appreciate everything Eddie does for you, he's seriously the most loving boyfriend you've ever had. But you've always assumed that this is ideally what all romantic relationships should be like.

"Okay, now I'm jealous!" Robin chimes in, making you laugh.

"I don't know, I guess I'm...used to it? That's not to say I take it for granted. I feel so damn lucky to have him. But...shouldn't everyone be this way when they're in love?" You ask, turning the question back onto them.

"I mean, yeah, most are at first. But it usually cools down a bit after the first couple months." Jonathan answers, which causes a confused look to spread across your face.

"So...are we doing it wrong?" You press on, genuinely finding it hard to understand what they mean.

"No, no. Of course not. What you and Eddie have is very special, and we're happy for you." Robin says kindly.

"So...what, then?" You continue, still not getting it.

"Nothing. We're just surprised." Nancy adds, and your face hardens. What the hell does that mean? Do they think you and Eddie will fizzle out, or even break up once the touchy stuff tones down? "Not in a bad way, Y/N. I think you might be reading into what we're saying too much. We're glad you two are happy together. That's all." She insists, and you let out a deep exhale. You feel silly for speculating the idea that they're somehow expecting you to self-destruct or something. They're your friends, and they're obviously rooting for you.

"Shit, sorry. You're right, I'm being silly." You chuckle dryly. "I don't mean to be so analytical. I'm just nervous as all hell for my turn up there." You nudge your head towards the stage.

"It's not silly, Y/N. We could've...expressed our envy a little better. And it can be a bit scary up there at first. Steve is a prime example of that. But it's all in good fun, and we'll cheer you on the whole way." Nancy reassures you, reaching across the table to put her hand over yours. The others nod in agreement, murmuring quiet support of Nancy's statements.

"Thanks, guys. I'll try to get out of my own head for the rest of the night." You paste on a small smile, already putting this conversation in your mental box of memories marked 'moments to cringe at before bed every night'. You slurp down the rest of your beverage, looking to see if Eddie's coming back with your second one soon. There's no sign of his mop of unruly curls, and you're becoming even more uneasy. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." You excuse yourself from the group, scurrying your way between the crowded booths and tables to find the restroom.

You can feel the beginnings of a spiral brewing, and you need a minute to breathe. You push open the swinging door, finding both stalls are empty. Good, you can have some peace and quiet. You hide yourself away in one of the stalls, flicking the lock to secure your space. You take some deep breaths, trying your hardest to hold it together. You feel like a total idiot for blowing something so innocent out of proportion in a matter of seconds. You really have no idea why you jumped to such a negative conclusion. You failed miserably in trusting your friends, so how can they trust you at all? A growing sense of dread spreads through you like a harsh chill, the notion that you've severely fucked things up. What has gotten into me?

You hear the bathroom door swing open again. Shit, I just want to be alone. "Y/N?" A familiar, raspy female voice says to you. Robin.

"What is it?" You ask as politely as you can, fidgeting with your hands as you're sitting on the toilet.

"Are you alright? You practically ran from the table to get in here." She speaks softly, working her way over to your stall.

"I'm fine. I just need a minute." You reply shakily, hoping she'll go away. You don't want to be a bother, you don't want to spoil the evening. You'll be fine if you can just get your heartrate to slow down.

"You don't have to lie, or hide yourself away, Y/N. We're your friends, and we've all been through stuff." She starts, pausing to let you respond. You don't, opting for silence for the sake of keeping yourself together. "Look, I know a thing or two about spending half your waking hours inside your own mind. Overthinking everything, dissecting every interaction, holding onto every single awkward moment to kick yourself for later." She speaks emphatically, pacing back and forth across the sticky tile floor. You can see her Converse-clad feet moving left and right, left and right while she talks. "Am I getting warm, here?" She asks, needing to know you're actually listening. She cares for you very much, and she can see that you both have a lot in common with this particular mindset.

"Try burning hot." You push the words out.

"Right! So, I also know that it doesn't pay to keep it all bottled up inside. I mean, you've seen how hyperactive I get!" You can't currently see it, but you know she's making wild gestures with her hands to get her point across. "And I used to be all alone in it, but I'm not anymore. I've got Steve, and the others, and now you. It's important to rely on your friends, Y/N." Robin hops up to sit on the sink counter, her voice becoming more quiet now. "I promise you haven't made anyone dislike you, or done the wrong thing. In case you haven't noticed, every last one of us is just as freakish and awkward as you. We're all just waiting for you to come watch Nancy and Jonathan take their turn to sing "Islands In the Stream"." She ends with a light laugh, drawing one from you as well. Of course those two would pick the most cliché song in existence.

You contemplate her words for a moment, taking your time to really absorb them. She's absolutely right, neither her nor the others have given you the impression that you're 'too much'. They really like you, and you like them too. You just need to chill the hell out, and stop taking everything so seriously. You stand up from your spot, opening the stall to face Robin. She jumps down from her perch, and pulls you into a warm hug. You return it with the same amount of strength, taking a deep breath. You catch a whiff of her perfume, light and floral, which you find very soothing. "Thank you, Robin. You really get me, in a way most people can't." You speak softly.

"Takes a spaz to know a spaz." She quips, making you laugh again. "Come on, let's get back to the table. I'm sure Eddie's getting lonely." She says suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows again.

"Oooooh, yeah. I'm sure he's worrying himself to death, too." You giggle, going to the door to rejoin civilization. You follow behind Robin, weaving between the aisles again until you reach your designated spot.

"There you are, princess. I've missed you." Eddie says sweetly, standing up to let you and Robin slide into the booth. His eyes lock onto yours, silently asking you if you're alright. You just smile and nod, feeling a million times better than you did a few minutes ago. He seems satisfied with your wordless answer, taking his spot to seal you in. He puts his hand on your thigh, and you lay your head against his shoulder. It's good to be back where you belong, with your man, and your friends.

"Everything alright?" Steve asks, earning a light smack from Robin. "Ow! What the hell?" His face scrunches in annoyance, he doesn't know what he said that was worthy of a slap.

"Everything's fine, dingus. I took care of it. Girl talk is the best medicine." Robin smirks, reaching for her mostly melted cocktail.

"Isn't it supposed to be laughter?" Jonathan asks.

"Shit, I thought it was sex!" Eddie chimes in, which brings the whole table down into a hearty laugh.

A little while later, it's Nancy and Jonathan's turn. They go up to the stage together, Jonathan's hand resting on the small of Nancy's back on their journey. And sure enough, their song of choice is the infamous Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers duet. Jonathan holds the mic for the both of them, and Nancy leans in real close to sing her portion of the words when the time comes. They look at one another frequently, smiling and making cutesy eyes at each other. They sure are ones to talk about 'cooling down', they've been together for as long as you can remember.

You're surprised that Jonathan hasn't proposed yet, they're definitely in it for the long haul. Just as the thought passes your mind, and the song comes to a close, Jonathan starts to get down on one knee. "Holy shit." You gasp. Did you accidentally will this into existence? The bar falls completely silent, a couple hundred eyes staring at the pair of them still occupying the stage once the music has stopped. Jonathan addresses the audience while reaching into his pocket.

"Sorry to delay the karaoke, everyone. But I've got a very important question to ask Nancy, and I can't think of a better time to do it." He says with a nervous smile, and scattered laughs drift around the room. He gazes up at Nancy, who's standing above him in total disbelief. Her eyes are blown wide, and she's smiling just as brightly as the man before her. "Nance, you have got to be the most amazing woman I've ever known. You're smart, and ambitious, and you make every single day so much brighter. We've been together for a long time, and I can't picture myself with anyone else for as long as I live." His voice breaks slightly as tears build within his eyes. He uses his free hand to open the little box he'd pulled from his pocket. He presents the ring to Nancy, the diamond catching the light to make it sparkle. "Nancy Wheeler, will you marry me?" He asks, his breath stuttering as he waits for her to answer.

"Yes!" Nancy shouts immediately, and Jonathan stands up to lunge into a gleeful embrace with her. Their lips meet, tears of joy streaming down their faces. Their arms wrap around one another, bringing them even closer together. The entire bar erupts into raucous cheers and applause, you and your friends included. You all get up out of the booth, standing to wait and give them hugs when they return to the table. You look at Eddie, finding him gazing at you lovingly. You return the sentiment, taking his hand in yours. You're so happy for Nancy and Jonathan, and you can't help picturing what this kind of moment will be like for you and Eddie. You hope it'll be even half as romantic as this, though Eddie will surely go all out for you.

The noise dies down as the newly engaged couple returns to your group. You take turns giving the both of them a warm hug, before taking your seats again. "Congrats to the happy couple! Everyone here at the Hideaway wishes you both all the happiness in the world." The emcee says kindly into the mic. "Alright, moving on, let's get Kevin up here to sing "Crazy Train"!"

"Congrats, you two! I gotta say, I didn't see that one coming. At least not tonight." You say to the lovebirds across from you. Nancy is staring at the gorgeous rock that now sits on her ring finger, and Jonathan is holding her close to him while his arms wrap around her waist.

"Thanks, Y/N. Fuck! I'm so happy!" Nancy squeals, giving Jonathan another hasty kiss.

"It's really great, guys. I was wondering when Byers would finally bite the bullet." Steve adds, trying his best to sound genuinely happy for them. He is, truly. But it would be a lie to say it doesn't sting a little bit. There was a time where he could've seen himself marrying Nancy, but that ship has long since sailed. It's for the best, really. They aren't good for each other romantically, they're much better off as friends.

"No need to be so jealous, Stevie. Your perfect match will come soon enough." Robin says, patting his hand as it rests casually on the table.

"I'm not jealous." Steve tries to deflect, but Robin isn't buying it. "I mean...not really. It would be nice to at least have some progress on finding 'the one', though. Meaningless sex and hollow relationships are a real drag after a while." He laments, sulking into his corner of the booth.

"I promise she's out there, Harrington. I think you're trying too hard. I could help you out if you want." Eddie interjects, smirking slightly at the thought of assisting King Steve in finding a meaningful relationship.

"I'm good, thanks. You managed to get one girlfriend in how many years of trying? And you hit her with your van, dude. That's hardly an achievement." Steve retorts bitterly. This draws a collective gasp from the table, all of you in shock at him being so unkind. Your chest twinges with a mix of emotions at his words. Anger, hurt, embarrassment. Is that how he really feels about you and Eddie being together? Do the others feel the same way, too?

"Steve!" Nancy shouts in anger, smacking him hard across the chest. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" She asks with her brows furrowed.

He doesn't say anything, averting his eyes from your upset faces. He knows he took things too far, and he regrets it entirely. He's just sick of being some kind of joke when it comes to dating. He never hears the end of it. It's like his 'thing' now that he can't get a serious girlfriend to save his life. "I'm sorry, I一" He sighs. "I didn't mean that. I'm just tired of being ridiculed for being single. That's all." He grumbles, reaching for his beer.

"I'm sorry, man. We'll lay off, alright?" Eddie offers, realizing his frequent razzing on Harrington hasn't been very nice.

"Thank you, I appreciate that. And you and Y/N are really great together. I know you didn't 'hit her with your van', not on purpose." Steve replies, eyes flicking to your unhappy face. "Y/N, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"You're damn right you shouldn't have. Jesus, and I thought I was the one making an ass out of myself." You scoff, shaking your head. Steve isn't sure what else to say. He knows he crossed a line, and he doesn't blame you for being upset. His eyes stay on you, begging for forgiveness. You let out a sigh, rolling your eyes. "It's fine, Steve. I'm used to the criticisms about our relationship at this point." You state flatly, forcing an unbothered smile.

"Okay." Steve nods awkwardly, deciding to shut up for a while.

Eddie's arm wraps around your shoulder, pulling you closer into him. You lean in instinctively, finding comfort in his warmth. The scent of tobacco and his cologne wafts to your nose, calming you down a bit. You let out a light sigh and burrow further into him until it's Robin's turn to take the stage. Her tune of choice is Kate Bush's "Hounds of Love", which is a perfect song for her. Her performance is absolutely mesmerizing. She pulls out the signature Bush dance moves as she croons into the mic, enchanting the room like a gorgeous woodland creature. Robin's voice is so delicate, and equally as powerful in delivering the angst-filled lyrics. You have no idea how you're gonna follow her powerhouse performance, or if you should even bother to try.

"Jesus, Rob! That was fuckin' amazing!" Steve exclaims once Robin returns to the group.

"Thank you, Stevie. It's a lot of fun up there." Robin blushes slightly at Steve's words. She doesn't think much of her voice, so it's nice to hear a compliment or two about it.

Eddie had signed you and himself up to sing a bit late in the game, so you won't have your turns until near the end of the night. In the meantime, you engage in friendly conversation with the others, downing some more drinks over the next few hours. You're having a great time, getting a little drunk along the way. Eddie's pacing himself carefully since he's the one driving you home.

Your loosening inhibitions cause you to cling even harder to Eddie than you were before. You make subtle touches on him under the table, and he gladly gives you a few himself. Your kisses last far longer than usual, with him having to gently push you away before they turn into heavy make-out sessions. You're giggling a lot more, and whispering filthy things in his ear. You're not at the sloppy stage just yet, but Eddie realizes you're almost at the tipping point. He gets you a glass of water to dilute the alcohol coursing through your system, which you begrudgingly drink for his benefit.

"You just need to slow down a little, sweetheart. We don't want you falling on your ass, do we?" He says quietly in your ear while you sip away at the bland liquid he's presented to you. You miss the stinging sweetness of the drinks he kept bringing you earlier, and you don't want to lose this amazing feeling you've got going on right now. You're so...happy, and you can't get enough of Eddie.

"Ugh, I never took you for a buzzkill, Eds." You whine as quietly as you can, not wanting to draw attention to yourself.

"I'm not, Y/N. I just know how embarrassed you can get. I'm trying to help you." He speaks calmly to ensure you won't think he's getting annoyed with you.

"You're too sweet, baby. Always lookin' out for me." You sigh blissfully, slurring your words. You keep drinking your water, and a couple large baskets of warm, crispy fries arrive at the table for everyone to share.

"Of course, angel. You hungry?" He asks, reaching forward to pluck one of the French fries from the basket in front of you. He brings it up to your lips, and you lock eyes with him as you open your mouth to accept the salty potato into it.

You chew slowly, still holding his gaze as you swallow. "Starving." You say simply, licking some stray salt from your lips.

"Fuck." Eddie mutters under his breath. The way you're looking at him right now makes his cock ache inside his jeans. You're like a wild animal waiting to pounce on him when the time is right.

You break your lustful stare, giggling again now that you've got him right where you want him. Desperate to have you in any way he can, once you're alone, that is. You reach for a small handful of fries, munching them down as you pretend you're not extremely horny right now. Your eyes flick to him again. You find him sitting with his jaw clenched as he holds himself back from ripping your clothes off and fucking you right here in this booth. "Something wrong, love?" You ask knowingly, a dangerous smile plastered across your face.

"All good, babydoll." He clears his throat, shifting with all the subtlety he can muster to adjust himself. You giggle again, thoroughly enjoying how wound up you've made him.

"Ugh, get a room!" Steve snarks from across the table.

"Sorry, we'll behave. One of us happens to turn into a major nympho when she's drunk." Eddie replies, nudging your shoulder with his own. Your cheeks burn bright red at his words, but you know he's just playing around.

"Sounds like you're a very lucky man, Eddie." Nancy interjects with a friendly smile.

"Damn right. Luckiest man in the whole wide world." Eddie says lovingly, taking hold of your hand. He presses a kiss to your cheek, earning a couple 'Aw's' from Nancy and Robin.

"Okay, everyone. It looks like we're slowly reaching the end of karaoke night." The emcee says into the mic, and there's scattered sounds of disappointment spread throughout the bar. "I know, I know. But we'll be on again next Saturday, don't you worry. So, our next performer is Eddie, who's gonna sing "My Kinda Lover"."

"Ooh, your turn, Eds." You coo to your boyfriend, giving him a kiss on the lips for good luck. "Knock 'em dead, my love."

"Don't mind if I do." He grins, hopping out of the booth. He practically skips to the stage, extremely eager to perform for you. You scoot down to his spot, not wanting to miss a single second of this. He jumps onto the platform, taking the microphone in his hands. "Y/N, this one's for you. I love you, princess." He says into the mic, his big brown eyes staring you down.

"Fuck." You mumble, inhaling sharply at his intense gaze. The song begins to play, and Eddie taps his foot along with the strums of guitar. He opens his plush lips, and the lyrics begin to flow beautifully from them.

"You got me runnin', baby. You give me somethin' way beyond revenue." He starts, hitting every note perfectly. You absolutely love his voice, he's like a goddamn rockstar. And to have him singing just for you, it's something you hold very dear to your heart. "You put the magic in me, I feel the magic when we...do what we do." He gives you a wink, sending a familiar flare between your legs. The other instruments join the guitar, preparing for the first chorus. "And, oh, I can't be without you for too long. You're my situation. You're my kinda lover, my kinda lover, my kinda lover..." Eddie continues to sing, putting every ounce of himself into it.

"Damn, Y/N. He's got some serious pipes." Robin observes in awe. She knows he used to have a band and everything, but this shit is next level. You just nod, still mesmerized by your love crooning to you. His foot stomps on the wooden stage to match the loud beats that lead into the next verse.

"You keep me all together, you take me out whenever I'm lettin' down. You got the motions, baby. I got the notion, maybe, I'll stick around. Because, oh, I can never doubt you for too long. I can't see no reason, you're my kinda lover..." His energy only grows as the song goes on, which makes the entire bar feel totally electric. Everyone is digging the hell out of Eddie's showmanship, and he's eating up every last morsel of it.

"He sure knows how to work a crowd." Jonathan observes, finding himself rather impressed.

The song speeds up a bit, which only dials Eddie up to eleven. "When I come 'round, I never get down. I fly across the floor. I can see you comin' on me, and I can't ask for more." He falls to his knees, as if he's performing for a packed stadium as opposed to a shitty Indiana watering hole. The crowd whoops at his antics, fueling his fire. His eyes haven't left you this entire time, a roaring flame burning inside them just for you. "Rock me, sock me, baby you got me ridin' to the end. Rake me, shake me, baby you take me, turn me on again!"

"Holy shit." You whimper, which thankfully no one takes notice of. You can feel a flood of arousal spread between your thighs, and you want nothing more than to run up there and jump his bones.

Eddie slowly gets up as the song returns to its original tempo, breathing heavily while reciting the words. "You got my motor racin', I find my thoughts embracin' your every move. And I wanna set you reelin', I wanna make you feel the way that I do." He huffs, giving you a sexy smile as he nears the end of the tune. "And, oh, I've been thinkin' 'bout you for so long. And I don't wanna lose you. You're my kinda lover, my kinda lover, my kinda lover..." Eddie repeats the chorus as the instrumental fades out, picking the perfect place to stop. He lowers the mic, taking deep gulps of air with a satisfied grin. He's really missed performing, it's been far longer than he'd like since the last time he did it. Maybe he should try pursuing music again, he can't even remember the last time he picked up a guitar.

The entire bar cheers, most of the patrons getting out of their chairs to give a standing ovation. He does a dramatic little bow, and gives the mic back to the emcee. He jogs back to you, snatching you into his arms. You hop up to wrap your legs around his waist, holding tight to his shoulders. He smashes his lips to yours, slipping his tongue into your mouth. A bit of the sweat from his face transfers onto you, but you don't care. "Well, that's gonna be a tough act to follow. And this next one is our final performance of the night. Can we please have Y/N come to the stage? "Kiss Me Deadly" is waitin' for you."

You pull away from kiss at the announcement of the song Eddie picked for you. "Eddie, you cannot be serious! I can't sing that after the awesome shit you just did!" You speak frantically, freaking out at the idea of going right after your own boyfriend who knocked everyone's socks off.

"Oh, please, that was nothing! I saved the best for last, sweetheart." He says, squeezing your thighs while he's holding you up.

"That was far from 'nothing'. But I guess it's only fair that I take a turn since everyone else did." You climb down from his embrace, smoothing your skirt. You look at everyone at your table, feeling your nerves beginning to take over. "Prepare to witness a total disaster." You joke, though you're not sure it's exactly a lie.

"Oh, Y/N. You're gonna be great. Now, get your cute little ass up there!" Robin encourages you.

"Okay." You nod uneasily. You turn to face the path to the stage, forcing your feet to move one in front of the other. You feel like you're moving in slow motion, until you hit the edge of the little platform with your ankles. You almost trip and fall onto it, but you stop yourself to step up instead. You take a deep breath, rotating to face the onlookers. Your heart skips a beat when you see just how many people are in here. Fuck, I can't do this. Your eyes drift over to Eddie, who's still standing in the walkway. He notices your unease, offering a supportive nod.

"Here ya go, honey. You ready?" The emcee asks as he hands you the mic. You take it with a shaking hand, just narrowly avoiding dropping it onto the floor. You shake your head 'yes', and prepare to start the song quickly. There's really no intro to this tune, which you mentally curse Eddie for.

You wait for the emcee to point to you for the cue to begin, your breath catching a couple times as you anticipate it too early. After what feels like an eternity, his finger extends to tell you it's time. You blurt the words out, managing to keep your voice from trembling. "I went to a party last Saturday night. I didn't get laid, I got in a fight, uh-huh. It ain't no big thing." Your heart drops once you realize you actually got the first couple lines out. You look at Eddie again just before the next one comes, finding a proud smile on his face. Your nerves begin to melt away, and you grip the mic with both hands to ground yourself. "Late for my job, and the traffic was bad. Had to borrow ten bucks from my old man, uh-huh. It ain't no big thing."

"Woo!" Eddie cheers from his spot, egging you on. The tempo picks up as the instruments kick in, prompting you to lightly jump about on the stage in a complimentary way to the music.

"I went to a party last Saturday night. I told you that story would be alright, uh-huh. It ain't no big thing." You transition into cute little kicks as you head into the pre-chorus, smiling all the way as you hit every note just right. Eddie was right, this was a fucking fantastic idea. "But I know what I like, I know I like dancing with you. And I know what you like, I know you like dancing with me. Oh, yeah." You completely let go at this point, fully embracing the spirit of singing in front of drunken strangers. "Kiss Me once! Kiss me twice! Come on, pretty baby, kiss me deadly!"

You work the crowd just like Eddie did, dazzling them with your talent and flair. Smiles and claps on beat are awarded to you as you go along, and you notice the rest of your friends have joined Eddie in watching your spectacle. You feel like you're high, on an entirely new drug you've never indulged in before. You're still scared shitless, while simultaneously riding a wave of utter elation. The whole bar is focused on you, and for once in your life, you actually like it. The only attention that truly matters, though, is Eddie's. He knew you could do this, he always believes in you. Your heart is so full of joy and love in this moment, it's like you're in a movie. You don't want this to end, it's all too insane.

You keep the mood light and fun the whole way through the remainder of the tune, slowly coming to a stop when the song fades out. You're sweating a little by the end of it, and your lungs feel like they're on fire from singing so strongly. You effortlessly toss the mic back to the emcee, running like the wind back to Eddie. You don't jump into his arms again, but your lips still crash onto his with all the force you've got. The applause and cheers you receive from the other patrons are even louder than what they gave Eddie, and most of them turn to watch as you sloppily kiss him like your life depends on it.

"Now, that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you do karaoke!" The emcee says, bringing about another round of applause for you. "Take a bow, sweetheart. You're definitely our star of the evening." The man says to you, and you separate yourself from Eddie to face your temporary admirers. You bow just as goofily as your love did, almost falling over when you stand upright again. Eddie catches you, chuckling lowly at just how much you're shaking. You're coming down from the rush of performing, trembling like a leaf when it all sinks in. You sang, in front of people. Holy fucking shit.

"I gotcha, princess. How about we get you home, and I can make you sing a much different song." He says in your ear, and you can just barely feel his erection poking into your ass.

"I would love nothing more, Eds." You reply, still catching your breath. You back into him a little, drawing a stunted groan from his lips. You smirk at the sound. "Let's go home, baby."

To be continued...

#fanfiction #hippiegoth97 #smut #stranger things #eddie munson #hawkins #1980s #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x henderson!reader #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x you

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loveroftoomanyfandoms · 1 year ago

Text

Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, Chapter 4

Pairing: Platonic Steven Grant x Reader (for now)

Rating: T

Word count: ~2600

Story Summary: Steven meets a beautiful woman in the Egyptian exhibit at the British Museum...

...Too bad she's his new boss.

Tags/Warnings: Canon Divergent since Steven still works for the British Museum post-canon, No Jake Lockley, developing friendship

A/N: Here we are with the next chapter! As always, please let me know if you want to be tagged in this or any of my other stories!

“...And that concludes our tour,” Steven said to his final tour group of the day. “Please don't forget to check out our shops and café, located right here on the ground floor, and remember that memberships are available for purchase and help support the museum.”

He waited until the group had disbursed before heading back to his office to collect his messenger bag, also grabbing his umbrella as a rumble of thunder sounded overhead.

“Heading out?” Ruby, one of the tour guides, said as Steven passed through the Programming staff area.

Steven nodded. “You’re on tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah, I'll be in tomorrow, but if it's okay with you I need to switch my Thursday shift. I have an exam on Friday morning that I need to prepare for.”

Steven made a mental note. “That ought to be fine. Just let me know who you wind up switching shifts with.”

“Okay, have a good evening.”

“You too.”

Steven headed out of the museum, surprised to see Dr. Y/L/N standing under the entryway and peering out at the rain. “Afternoon, ma’am.”

Dr. Y/L/N turned and smiled at him. “Hi. Headed home?”

Steven nodded. “Are you waiting for someone?”

“Oh, no.” Dr. Y/L/N gestured out towards the rain. “I'm just waiting for it to stop raining so I can go ahead and walk home. I didn't bring my umbrella today and don’t really want to have to take a cab since I live nearby.”

“Oh.” Steven held his umbrella up. “Well I’ve got mine, so I can walk you home if you’d like. Plenty of room under here for the both of us.”

Dr. Y/L/N hesitated. “It’s very kind of you to offer, but I’d hate to make you have to go out of your way. I’m sure Gus is waiting for you.”

Steven shook his head. “Gus’ll be fine. I left the telly on for him so he’d be entertained while I was at work.”

He grinned as Dr. Y/L/N let out a light laugh. “Such a good fish dad,” she joked. “Are you sure you don't mind?”

Steven nodded. “Absolutely.”

“Then in that case, I accept. I really appreciate it.”

“It's not a problem.” Steven opened his umbrella and raised it above his head, the light scent of Dr. Y/L/N’s perfume filling his nose as she joined him underneath it.

He took a deep breath. “Right, then. Lead the way.”

They headed down the steps together, the gentle sound of the rain falling adding to the rhythm of their steps.

“So, how are you?” Steven asked. “I haven’t seen you around much the past few days.”

Much to his relief, Dr. Y/L/N really was open to collaboration and had so far been a very hands-on and communicative director. She had implemented weekly meetings consisting of all of the heads of department so each section could share their progress on various projects and she would frequently check in with each department individually to make sure everything was running smoothly and to see if anyone needed help with anything while still giving the museum staff more than enough autonomy to where (as far as Steven knew) no one never felt like she was micromanaging.

“Oh gosh, I’ve been crazy busy,” Dr. Y/L/N replied. “Just in the past 3 days I’ve had a 4-hour-long conference call with all of the UK’s museum directors, a bunch of interviews and other publicity stuff regarding the new permanent exhibits, plus I had to prepare the annual statistics report to present at the board meeting tomorrow afternoon -- which reminds me, the number of paid tours and new museum memberships have both gone up exponentially for the third month in a row.”

Steven nodded. He was proud of all the hard work the Programming staff had put in since he had taken over the Visitor Engagement Specialist role. “The Programming staff is pretty great.”

“You’re pretty great.”

Steven’s face heated as he looked over at Dr. Y/L/N, who was looking back at him with a slightly nervous look on her face.

She cleared her throat and looked away. “I mean, if it wasn't for you revamping the tours and coming up with the idea for a membership drive I really don't think we'd have seen the slightest difference in numbers. You've proven yourself to be a wonderful team leader.”

Steven's face heated at the praise. “Thank you, ma'am.”

Dr. Y/L/N bit her lip. “Hey, um, since you’re not in a hurry, can I buy you a cup of coffee as a thank-you for walking me home? There’s a coffee shop nearby that I sometimes stop at on my way to work.”

Steven couldn't help but smile, pleased to have an excuse to spend even a few extra minutes with Dr. Y/L/N. “I, er, I don't actually drink coffee, but I’d love to have a cup of tea with you.”

Dr. Y/L/N nodded, a smile spreading on her own face. “Oh, right, okay. Well great! It's right this way.”

They headed down the street to a small café, where they paused together under the shop's awning while Steven shook his umbrella out so it wouldn't drip all over the shop’s floor.

He opened the door for Dr. Y/L/N. “After you.”

“Thank you.” Dr. Y/L/N led him inside and over to the counter.

“Afternoon,” the barista, a dark-haired man who appeared to be in his early twenties and whose name tag read Michael , greeted them. “What can I get started for ya?”

Dr. Y/L/N gave her coffee order.

Michael nodded as he tapped at his computer screen. “And for you, sir?”

Steven eyed the tea selection. “Er, yeah, can I get a cup of Earl Grey, please?”

Michael tapped at his screen some more. “Anything else?”

Dr. Y/L/N nodded. “Mmm, can I also please get a scone?”

Michael nodded. “Of course ma'am.”

Dr. Y/L/N turned to Steven. “Steven, you want a pastry or something?”

Steven briefly studied the display of baked goods. Tea was the cheapest thing on the menu, and Dr. Y/L/N had offered… A small snack wouldn't hurt. “Maybe a chocolate croissant?”

Michael tapped at his screen once again. “Okay… And a name for the order?”

Dr. Y/L/N pulled her wallet out of her purse. “Y/F/N.”

Michael tapped at his screen a few more times. “That’ll be £11.43.”

Dr. Y/L/N swiped her credit card through the card reader and signed the receipt.

“I'll have that out for you straightaway,” Michael said as he moved over towards the coffee machine.

“Thank you.” Dr. Y/L/N turned back to Steven. “Want to go sit while we wait?”

Steven nodded. “Sure.”

They headed over to a table for two tucked away in a cozy corner of the café.

Steven looked around as they sat. The walls were lined with bookshelves containing a mishmash of novels, non-fiction books, and various knick-knacks.

Reminds me of my flat. “This is quite an interesting little place,” he said. Do you come here often?”

Dr. Y/L/N nodded. “Usually a couple times a week. I’ll order ahead whenever I don't have time to make coffee before work, or if I’m feeling indulgent or have an extra busy day ahead and need an extra caffeine boost I'll stop in and pick something up. This is the first time I've been able to stay and drink my coffee here though.”

Steven nodded. He did recall seeing Dr. Y/L/N walking around with a takeout cup on occasion instead of her usual travel mug. “Ah, okay. I'm glad you invited me to join you, then.”

“I'm glad you accepted.” Dr. Y/L/N shrugged. “It's the least I could do after you were kind enough to go out of your way and offer to walk me home.”

Steven shook his head. “It’s really nothing, ma'am. I actually quite enjoy your company.” Moreso than you probably realize.

A small smile graced Dr. Y/L/N’s features. “That’s very kind of you to say. I enjoy your company as well.”

She bit her lip. “You know, actually, if you're not busy this weekend there's a –”

“–Y/N!”

Dr. Y/L/N startled slightly and looked over towards the counter, visibly relaxing as Michael set their tea and coffee down. “ Oh . Oh, our drinks are ready.”

Steven stood. “I'll go get them.”

Dr. Y/L/N nodded. “Okay, thanks.”

Steven walked over to the counter as Michael set a plate of pastries down as well.

“Here you are, mate,” Michael said. “Enjoy.”

Steven nodded. “Cheers.”

He managed to carefully carry everything back to the table and set Dr. Y/L/N’s coffee down in front of her. “Here you are, ma'am.”

Dr. Y/L/N smiled up at Steven as he set the plate of pastries down as well. “Thank you so much, Steven.”

Steven set his tea down and sat. “So what were you saying before our items were ready?”

Dr. Y/L/N shook her head. “Oh, it was nothing.”

She took a careful sip of her coffee. “But I would be remiss if I didn't ask you how you've been this week. Anything fun and exciting going on in the world of Steven?”

Steven shook his head as he added a small teaspoon of sugar to his tea and stirred it in. “Just researching the provenance of the new vases we got in the other day while in between tours. Christina said she wanted to include them in our special display of Austrian art that's opening next month.”

Dr. Y/L/N nodded. “Ah, wonderful. Have you found anything so far?”

“Actually, yes, it's quite intriguing.” Steven took a sip of his tea. “It appears that at least one of the vases was made for a member of the Austrian royal family back in the 1700s before it was eventually given to a loyal subject as a wedding gift and passed down through several generations, but then it was taken in a raid by the Germans during World War II and somehow wound up in the hands of a French army general, who gifted it to an American soldier as -- ironically -- a wedding present.”

Dr. Y/L/N looked riveted. “Oh, wow. That is rather intriguing.”

“It made its way through several generations of that family until it was discovered that it had been stolen all those years ago, so it was then returned to the rightful owner,” Steven continued, “who donated it to the collection so that everyone could enjoy it. It's because of its illustrious history that Christina and I were thinking it should be the centerpiece of the exhibit.”

Dr. Y/L/N nodded. “Yes, you're absolutely right. That piece should definitely be the focus. Do we have anything else to display along with it, like letters or photos of the families, anything of that sort?”

Steven shook his head. “We discovered a few photos of the two families each holding the vase while we were researching, but unfortunately there isn't much else.”

“That's okay.” Dr. Y/L/N took another sip of her coffee. “Everything else is good? How's the new guide working out?”

“He’s doing well so far.” Steven took a bite of his croissant, chewing and swallowing before continuing. “The fact that he has prior experience as a tour guide definitely was a plus -- he didn't need much training and seems to be catching on pretty quickly.”

“Excellent. I'm glad to hear that.” Dr. Y/L/N paused. “If you don't mind me asking, what kind of tea is that? It smells good.”

“Earl Grey,” Steven replied. “Have you ever tried it?”

Dr. Y/L/N shook her head. “No, I've only ever had regular tea.”

Steven bit back a smile. “‘Regular’ tea?”

Dr. Y/L/N nodded. “Yeah, you know… just tea at restaurants and stuff.”

“Ah, gotcha. So basically just plain black tea, then.”

“Mmhmm.” Dr. Y/L/N took another sip of her coffee. “Sweetened, of course, but yeah. So what's the difference between Earl Grey and regular black tea?”

Steven took a sip before answering. “Earl Grey has bergamot in it, which gives it sort of a citrusy flavor.”

Dr. Y/L/N’s eyebrows raised slightly. “Oh, that sounds interesting. I might have to try it one day. Any others you recommend?”

Steven nodded. “There's also Lady Grey, which has lemon and orange in addition to bergamot, and if you want to try something really interesting you should try chai, which has all sorts of spices, like cinnamon, and star anise, and cardamom, and it literally means ‘tea’ so if you ever go somewhere and order chai tea you're ordering ‘tea tea’ .”

Dr. Y/L/N let out a light laugh. “I'll have to remember that.”

Steven and Dr. Y/L/N continued to chat, occasionally pausing to take a sip of their beverages or a bite of their pastries.

“Ready to go?” Dr. Y/L/N asked after they had both finished.

Steven nodded. He knew Dr. Y/L/N had had a long day and was probably ready to get home so she could rest. “Yes, if you are as well.”

They stood and cleared their table, then thanked Michael as they headed out of the door.

“Oh, it's stopped raining,” Dr. Y/L/N noted as they stepped outside. “I'm sure you want to get home since you no longer have to keep me dry, so I'll see you tomorrow?”

Steven shrugged in what he hoped appeared to be a casual manner. “I walked you this far, so the gentlemanly thing to do would be to walk you the rest of the way, right? If that's alright with you, of course.”

Dr. Y/L/N smiled softly. “You really are, aren't you? A gentleman, I mean.”

Steven’s face heated. None of the dreams he'd had about Dr. Y/L/N over the past several months he had known her could exactly be described as gentlemanly , but it wasn't like he could control his subconscious, was it?

He glanced down at the ground before making eye contact with her once again. “I try to be.”

Dr. Y/L/N grinned. “Well for what it's worth, I would choose you over the bear.”

Steven huffed out a laugh. “I appreciate that, ma'am.”

“Shall we continue on, then?”

They continued down the street, continuing to chat amiably as they walked.

Eventually Dr. Y/L/N stopped in front of a small apartment building. “Well, this is me. Thanks so much for walking me home, Steven. I sincerely appreciate it.”

Steven shook his head. “The pleasure was all mine, ma'am. I'd be happy to walk you home any time.”

Dr. Y/L/N nodded with a smile. “I might take you up on that soon, then. I enjoyed our time together today.”

“I did too.”

Dr. Y/L/N hesitated a moment, then shook her head slightly. “I'll see you tomorrow, Steven.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Steven waited until Dr. Y/L/N had unlocked the door and headed inside before turning and heading back towards his bus stop. He had already been struggling with fighting his feelings for Dr. Y/L/N, but the kindness with which she treated him and the way she genuinely seemed to enjoy his company made him struggle even harder.

He shook his head. He'd never have a chance at a romantic relationship with her, but maybe they could at least be friends.

#lotmf writes #ELTSDiM Masterlist #steven grant x fem!reader #steven grant x female reader #steven grant x f!reader #steven grant x reader #steven grant & reader

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