#...who am I kidding this cat regularly jumps onto the back of the couch and the top of his cat tree in a single bound

[phoenixiancrystallist]

Month 11, day 30

More work shading Flick's wings tonight :)

And tomorrow I start moving stuff around in my bedroom so I can set up my new bed! :D I'm very excited 💜

[shutupandshipit]

Friends in a Storm - Oneshot

Summary:  At the end of it all, the sky was always bluest after a storm.

.....

Or where Izuku is afraid of storms and Katsuki isn't.

Pairing: Bakudeku

Rating: T (just for language mostly)

Author’s Note: So, I recently went through the first hurricane of my life. Our good old Cat 2 Hurricane Sally. I'm wasn’t too far from where the eye hit, and we got a fair bit of damage done to us, but nothing too severe. It was really interesting. I don't normally get anxious during storm (I actually really love them, they make me feel alive), but there was a moment when I was anxiously staring out the window and just had the thought, "This would be a lot nicer if I had someone's hand to hold." That feeling is what spurned the birth of this fic.

I hope you guys like it even though it's just a piddly little one-shot. If not, I'll enjoy it enough for all of us.

Katsuki jumped as thunder rolled over the dorms. Immediately following, something slammed into the side, rattling the entire building. The first thought that sprang to mind was that someone wandering around outside had gotten thrown into their dorm, which he dismissed as ridiculous.

Snarling, he stalked to the balcony door, but simply glared at it. He couldn't see through the glass at the moment anyway.

The sky had been dark and threatening to crack apart for days before the wind finally kicked up. It had been more than a decade since Musutafu had gotten hit with a typhoon, not such a strong one at least. The city wasn't really prepared even though they had seen it brewing on the horizon. The city got hit regularly from May to October by tropical depressions and storms, but a Category 2 typhoon? Not so much. Most of their parents hadn't been through such a strong storm before.

Massive flooding and minor building damage had been predicted with possible power and water outages.

That Monday, they'd returned from lunch and immediately been dismissed back to the dorms with a blunt, “If there's something you can't live without for the next three days, get it now. You won't be able to go anywhere by tonight.” Then Aizawa left to go help the other teachers prepare the rest of the buildings and faculty living quarters.

No matter their differences, when class 3-A needed to come together, they did. All together, they fortified the dorm windows and doors with steel plates Yaoyorozu made. Those with more strength based quirks or with strength applications (Katsuki, Izuku, Kirishima, Sato, Shouji, and Tokoyami with Dark Shadow) heaved around the plates in teams of two. Uraraka and Sero worked together to lift the plates to the upper story windows and leverage them in place. Mineta made himself useful by plugging up any possible holes around the plates and helping them stick better. The others with bodies and quirks less suited to manual labor booked it to the store to stock up on water, candles, snacks and food that didn't have to be cooked or only needed hot water. When they returned, everyone created a line to stack sand bags around the first floor just in case they were unlucky enough to get flooded.

By the time they were done, the rain had begun to fall and wind ripped harshly at their clothing. Dorm 3-A had been transformed into a literal fortress. Nothing would be able to knock it down.

Except maybe a Cat 2 typhoon.

Again, something slammed into the dorms, right into the steel plate over his balcony door. Storms didn't make Katsuki nervous normally, but anxiety pooled in his stomach from the simple fact that he couldn't see what was going on outside. And if he was anxious, he knew there was a specific nerd probably pissing himself at the moment.

Huffing, Katsuki stalked to his door. Izuku had never liked storms as a kid, and still didn't like them now. He had walked in on Izuku with a blanket over his head, sobbing as he tried to lose himself in hero videos more times than he cared to remember. And those had been with minor storms. Something like this...

Another crash jolted him into action.

Ripping opening his bedroom door, he stalked through the halls. He wasn't sleeping anyway. He'd originally retired to his room because the rest of the class had insisted on having a storm party in the common room and they were bound to be loud as fuck. He'd been tired, but there was no reason to avoid them when he wouldn't be able to sleep with a stomach full of snakes. Or with the now blooming worry over how Izuku was handling it.

When he got to the common room, he had to take a moment to survey the absolute disaster scene that the space had become. Blankets were strung up from wall to wall, creating forts over the couches and tables. The center of the common room had become a tent city in just a few hours. Candles sat on every available surface, some already lit in anticipation of the power going out, some waiting patiently for their time to burn. Bowls of popcorn and cans of soda littered the area. Multiple rounds of Rummy, Poker and simpler card games were going on all at once. The television fizzed static, a beacon over them all.

Crouching beside Kirishima with a scowl, he cut his eyes over his classmates looking for green curls. There were none. There wasn't even a lump of blankets large enough to plausibly be the nerd.

“Where's Deku?” he growled, and Kirishima jerked towards him in surprise.

“Man, I didn't even realize you were there.” He sighed, pressing a hand to his chest. It took him a moment of steadying breaths to register the question. “Oh, Mido? I don't know. Said he was going to study or something. Right, Mina?” He elbowed Mina to get her attention.

The most annoying game of telephone ensued until, from across the fort, Ochako called, “He said he wasn't feeling well so he went upstairs to rest.”

“Idiot,” Katsuki scoffed and stood again. No one called after him as he walked back towards the stairs -no fucking way he was getting stuck in the elevators if the power went out-.

Izuku had no right to call Katsuki stubborn when his prideful ass couldn't even admit that he was scared to his friends. Not that Katsuki had any room to talk, but Izuku liked to pretend they weren't similar just as much as Katsuki did.

As soon as he stopped in front of Izuku's door, the lights flickered. A quiet whimper sounded in the room, and Katsuki huffed a sigh.

He and Izuku were what some would call friends now. Friends of a sort. Friends that sometimes did intimate things that 'just friends' weren't supposed to do. They still struggled every day with what had been happening between them for years. And they weren't the kind of friends who did the whole touchy feely comfort thing. Their form of comfort was argument, struggle, beating each other to a pulp. Still, Katsuki always found himself at Izuku's door when he knew the nerd was having a hard time, and vice versa. The only difference this time was that he couldn't just drag Izuku to the training fields for a sparring session.

Katsuki knocked lightly on the door so he wouldn't startle Izuku, but he heard a squeak anyway. “Deku, open the door.”

There was a scuffle from inside the room, and slowly, the door cracked for Izuku to peak out at him. Green eyes stared back, bloodshot and red rimmed. Nose just a cherry on his face. “Kacchan?”

“Let me in the room, nerd. You're just going to leave me out here?”

“N-no,” Izuku stammered before stepping back and opening the door enough for Katsuki to slip in. Rubbing at his arms through a hoodie that suspiciously looked like the one Katsuki thought he'd misplaced several weeks ago, he asked, “Do you need something?” He wouldn't lift his head, avoiding Katsuki's eyes as he shuffled back to his nest of a bed. The remnants of a cocoon was crumpled in the middle.

“No.” Katsuki leaned against Izuku's desk, watching as he clambered back onto his bed. “Came to check on you since you weren't downstairs.”

“I'm fine.” Mumbled absolutely unconvincingly under his breath.

“Sure you are, nerd. You're always peachy during a storm.” Overhead, the lights flickered as thunder rolled and the building shook. Off, on, off, on, off, on and off again. This time, they stayed off. A stifled whimper floated across the room towards Katsuki, only making his already clenching stomach clench harder. Rolling his eyes, he pushed away from the desk. “You're such a dirty liar, Deku.”

“Leave me alone, Kacchan,” Izuku sniffled.

Katsuki didn't move, but still said, “Fine. I'll just leave then.”

Thunder rolled. Wind howled. Something crashed against the steel plates outside on Deku's balcony, and then stayed to do it over and over again.

“Wait!” Deku shouted into the blackness around them. “I'm sorry. Don't leave. Please.”

Stepping to the bed, Katsuki sank a knee into the edge and grabbed the hand he could feel outstretched towards him. “I was only joking, dumbass, I'm not actually going anywhere. Chill.”

“How am I supposed to 'chill' when we could die tonight?” Izuku's breath was a rapid staccato of pants, fingers forming fists in the front of Katsuki's shirt. “Did you know that a typhoon is essentially just another name for a hurricane? They all do the same thing and are made the same way, but just develop in a different part of the world. They can dump more than twenty inches of rain. Storm serge can rise up to six feet. Not to mention the wind strength just for a Category 1. A Cat 2 can be upwards of-”

Katsuki gently placed his palm over Izuku's mouth, silencing him. He could see Izuku now, his eyes having adjusted to darkness. He could see the wideness of his eyes, whites more visible than usual and tears spilling over his lashes. An animal terrified. “Izuku,” he said sternly, but soft around the edges, “You're freaking out. You're going to pass out if you don't get your breathing under control. We're going to be fine. The dorms are made of pure concrete with a solid structure, and the typhoon isn't strong enough to even rip the roof off. Do you understand? This is just your fear talking. Are you going to let your fear control you?”

Prying Katsuki's fingers from his mouth, Izuku whispered, “Fear is a good thing. It keeps you alive.”

“Not right now. Fear is good in a battle. On the job as a hero. Right now, it's just driving you up a fucking wall.”

Katsuki equally was and wasn't expecting when Izuku pressed their mouths together. Izuku was breathless before the kiss, and he was only more breathless during the kiss as he tried to suck away Katsuki's breath instead. Their tongues moved slowly against each other, scorching hot and slick.

When Izuku pulled away again, he was still panting, but slower this time.

“What was that for?” Katsuki asked softly, carding his fingers through Izuku's messy curls with one hand and cupping the side of his neck with another. He'd been pulled further onto the bed while they kissed, and Izuku had found a home in his lap. He kissed several stray tears from Izuku's cheeks.

This was the intimate stuff Katsuki was talking about. The kisses. The softness of voices. Hands in hair and hands on skin. Falling into each other over and over again because they didn't know any better. Or maybe they did know better, and just didn't care to heed the warning.

“I needed to stop thinking.” Izuku's eyes were closed, his breathing slowing to something more normal. With legs on either side of Katsuki's waist, he cupped the hand on his neck with his own and leaned his forehead against Katsuki's collarbone. “And the only thing that makes me stop thinking better than fighting you is kissing you.”

“So you're just using me then, nerd?”

Izuku hummed a non-reply, leaning into Katsuki's warm hand.

“Well, that's fine.” Pressing his mouth into the top of Izuku's head, he whispered, “You can use me all you want, as much as you want. Anytime. Any place.”

“Pinky promise?”

“We're not five anymore. I'm not making a shitty pinky promise with you.”

Izuku laughed, and turned his lips back up for another kiss.

They fell into each other just like they always did, letting that all encompassing fire consume them from the inside out. Their classmates didn't understand them which was fine because they didn't understand themselves most of the time. They were the rise and fall of a stormy sea. The hungry flames of a forest fire. The raging winds and cutting rain of a typhoon.

But what people always forgot -and sometimes they forgot too- was that seas always calmed and rain dried up and wind slowed and fires ran out of kindling.

At the end of it all, the sky was always bluest after a storm.

…..

Katsuki hadn't expected them to fall asleep, all tangled up in each other, with the typhoon outside and what he would later come to find out was a piece of the gutter slapping against the steel plate. So, he definitely wasn't expecting to wake up to shuffling footsteps and weak candle light and giggling whispers.

With an arm over his eyes, he couldn't tell how many of his and Izuku's dumbass friends were in the room, but he knew it was too many. Just one of them would have been too many.

“Get the fuck out,” he growled lowly.

“Don't be like that, Kacchan,” Kaminari whispered jovially, “We just wanted to come check on you.”

“Well, you've done that. Now get the fuck out. Don't you have something better to do?”

“No, the storm is still going, power is still out and we got bored of games. You and Izuku weren't back, so we figured this would be a good alternative.” Mina's voice was chipper and far too loud for the bundle sleeping on Katsuki's arm.

He moved his arm just barely out of the way to glare at the assembled group; Kirishima, Mina, Sero, Kaminari, Shinsou, Jirou, Yaoyorozu, Ochako, Iida and lastly Todoroki. Half the fucking class was currently standing in Izuku's room like a bunch of dodos with a death wish.

Suddenly, Katsuki was very aware of his state of undress, and thankful Izuku hadn't hogged all of the sheets like he normally would. “Well, it was a terrible alternative. Find something else to go do before I blast every single one of you out into that storm to get thrown around.”

“Like a roller coaster. Sounds like fun,” Kirishima said, shit-eating grin plastered to his face. When Katsuki groaned, he laughed. Best friend that he was, he turned to herd the others out. “Okay, I think that's enough. Let them sleep or whatever it was they were doing. Who has whiteboard markers? Let's go play tic-tac-toe on the fridge.”

“We will absolutely not-”

Kirishima closed the door, silencing both the bereft groans of their classmates and Iida's reprimand.

Breath fluttered across the side of Katsuki's neck, closer than before, and he startled.

“Thanks for staying with me,” Izuku mumbled into his skin, closing the small distance between them. His eyes were still closed, voice soft with sleep. “You didn't have to. Storms are easier with another person though. I don't think they were meant to be gone through alone. Does that make sense?”

“Absolutely not.” Katsuki was lying, and Izuku knew as he huffed out a laugh.

“Can we go on a hike after this is done? The sky is always bluer after a storm.”

A butterfly fluttered against Katsuki's breastbone, just the lightest brush of wings, at his thoughts in Izuku's mouth. He hummed, an agreement to both the question and statement, and pulled Izuku flush against his body.

[drunklander]

Drunj!Der Yells About Outlander

Thoughts on Ep. 405

MURTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH

The end.

Y’all I haven’t fangirled about an episode of Outlander this much since season fucking one. And can I just say, I fucking missed this feeling. I missed this feeling so fucking much. Comparing this episode to the ones with all of the book dialogue awkwardly crammed in makes me really hope they start throwing the book out the window more and more, and instead just do whatever they want in order to tell a good story.

AND I JUST FUCKING LOVE MURTAGH OK!

PETITION TO LET CLAIRE HAVE FRIENDS WHO DON’T MURDER PEOPLE/GET MURDERED!

Just the mutual respect between Claire and Adawehi gives me the warm fuzzies.

Adawehi: “She is here. No, not in your heart, woman. I mean actually here. Like physically here. Yes, I know you find it comforting to think your daughter is always with you in your heart, but I’m telling you, she can also literally be with you, like in your house.” Claire: “Yeah, it’s really too bad I had to leave her, but at least she’s here in my memories...” Adawehi: “You’re killing me, lady.”

JOKING ASIDE ADAWEHI DESERVED BETTER AND I LOVE HER AND MUELLER IS THE WORST.

Gerhard, not Robert.

I love the white sow with my whole heart.

LOOKIT THESE DOMESTIC FRASERS WORRYING ABOUT HATS AND JERKY.

I’m laughing at Jamie so hard for thinking that Scots are just going to jump at the chance for free land...that ties them to the English government. Like bro, some of the Scots in North Carolina actually give a shit about what the English did to Scotland. And don’t immediately get in bed with them, (especially when it’s common knowledge that they cheat and steal from people) and become the sort of people they fought against.

It’s like Jamie and Claire were like hmmm, our only two options are to move to Boston where we’ll be right in the middle of the revolution or become the colonizing/occupying force we fought against in Scotland. And the rest of the Scots are like nah, bro.

OH HEY JAMIE, WHY YA TAKIN’ THAT CANDLESTICK?! TO GET A RING MADE PERHAPS??? *fangirling intensifies*

“I love bacon.” Same, Young Ian. So much same.

Lady Boner for Frontier!Beauchamp.

Oooh, we’re doing Jamie’s visions are we?

I really do appreciate them doing damage control after last season including Jamie thinking of Bree this season. And I love how ever since Claire came back to Jamie, Bree is still a constant presence in her life. And she continues to live with the cost of her choice to return to Jamie.

Y’all Claire lost her parents. She left Uncle Lamb when she got married. She lost Frank woohoo! when she went through the stones. She lost Jamie after Culloden. And she lost Bree when she went back to Jamie. She’s never really had all of the people who are important to her with her all at the same time. AND IN A COUPLE OF EPISODES SHE WILL AND I CANNOT FUCKING WAIT! I SHIP CLAIRE AND HAPPINESS AND SHE WON’T FULLY HAVE THAT UNTIL HER WHOLE FAMILY IS TOGETHER AND GUYS I HAVE FEELINGS.

Nice hat, Roger MacSeedot.

Miss Baird: “I can see she broke your heart.” Me: *recaps the last couple episodes* Miss Baird: “Actually, she’s better off without you. You’re kind of the worst. Good day to you MacSeedot. I SAID GOOD DAY.

Just noticed that this pic that was tweeted about Wilmington is actually Woolam’s Creek. Lulz.

Ok is this lady flirting with Jamie only supposed to be setting up him telling Bree that he’s a married man? Or else, like, what’s the point? We know Jamie’s not going to cheat on Claire? If this is supposed to be like the Mme Jeanne fake out then hard pass, show.

“That’s a very impressive offer. But you see, the English fucked up our country. Our families. Our lives. And now they cheat and steal from us here, all the way across an ocean. Rent or no rent, I still have my principles.”

“Did six farmers just refuse the offer of land given without charge?”  “There’s no sense in it. Except that it makes them obliged to the English and, you know, as Scots we sort of don’t like them very much. So really I have no clue why they’d turn me down.”

Yo, I fucking love this change, tbh. Jamie’s a dumbass, but I’ve thought that about show!Jamie for a minute now so... Bahahaha. Bro. Rock on, farmers.

“Savages! They steal our water for their horses!” Y’all Mueller is the literal worst. But him being fucking awful, doesn’t mean Jamie and Claire are off the hook for also being fucking colonizers.

But seriously. Gerhard. You are a fucking monster.

“They have no reason to set foot on MY land!” Fuck ALL the way off, bruh.

Claire’s like “Please! I know they’re the literal worst and you’re literally just watering your horses on your own damn land, but please change your behavior to accommodate a racist af colonizer!” Which like, good on her for trying to deescalate the situation, but putting it on the wronged party to change to accommodate the white aggressor still isn’t a good look.

“Water belongs to no one.” Y’all this show claims not to be political, but making this conflict about water is relevant as fuck to the present. (For those who don’t click through to what I link, that’s a profile of the Standing Rock water protectors.)

This episode is really doing a lot to try to frame the Frasers as “good” colonizers. (Look! They make friends with their Cherokee neighbors whose land they’ve stolen! They’re trying to learn the Cherokee language! They respect the knowledge of Adawehi! They know Cherokee customs!) And the Muellers as “bad” colonizers. (This is our land! They shouldn’t be here! Fuck what they’re actually doing, I think they’re cursing us and therefore must murder their witch!) But show, let’s be real. Just like the “benevolent slave owner” is bullshit, the “good” colonizer is also bullshit.

Gerhard Mueller is an unforgivable piece of shit, but that doesn’t mean the Frasers are in the right.

Rollo the body guard is adorable and I 100% want a blooper reel of just him fucking up and Balfe being like OMFG DOG.

Claire tiredly flopping onto the bed is A FUCKING MOOD.

Y’all the Leoch music as Claire does the homestead chores gives me so many feelings. It meant she was starting to feel at home in Jamie’s time and is now signifying her being at home in the place they built together AND I JUST WANT MY BABY TO BE HAPPY OK.

For real though, I fucking love the white sow.

White Sow/Clarence 2020

Claire nudging Rollo out of her food is relatable af. *side eyes my cat*

Claire’s “good morning, ladies!” to the goats is my fucking everything. Also, pretty sure one of the goats is named Persephone and the person who posted this just didn’t know how to spell that. High five for animal name twins! I should get my cat a goat friend...

Claire drinking and being like oh this is gross and then drinking more anyway is also A Mood.

“’Tis my land after all.” Jamie says it in relation to the English. Mueller says it in relation to the Cherokee. Again trying to show a difference between the two, but *looks directly into the camera.*

MURTAGH MOTHERFUCKING FITZGIBBONS FRASER Y’ALL

Lol, I love that in the closed captions, Murtagh’s lines are noted as “Smith” before he turns around. Like we don’t recognized that crotchety voice.

Y’ALL I AM SO FUCKING HAPPY THAT MURTAGH IS BACK.

Oh look, rando flirty woman is back. *hums Say No to This to self*

OMG THE LOOK ON MURTAGH’S FACE WHEN HE HEARS JAMIE’S VOICE IS LIKE THE SAME FACE THAT JAMIE MADE WHEN HE HEARD CLAIRE’S IN THE PRINT SHOP AND I AM SO FULL OF FEELINGS YOU GUYS

YES, HUG IT OUT, GUYS! *JOINS IN THE GROUP HUG FROM MY COUCH* I’M JUST SO HAPPY.

"I’m sorry. Citronella died. They got measles, but at least there were no mosquitoes.”

Gerhard Mueller is totally the sort of person who would shoot up a mosque or synagogue because of some bullshit, racist 4chan conspiracy theory. Entitled white men haven’t evolved at all in the last 200 years...

Yas, Claire, work that gun...

(gif source)

The way Jamie’s face lights up when Murtagh says he can do a bit of silversmithing though.

Y’ALL MURTAGH IS TOTALLY GONNA MAKE CLAIRE’S NEW RING AND THAT ANON I GOT TOTALLY CALLED IT AND I AM 1000% HERE FOR IT OMG YAAAS, SHOW, YAAAS.

Murtagh’s face when he thinks Jamie remarried is amazing. And Jamie sending Young Ian away when Murtagh asks if he married again is hilarious because like “Dude, please don’t blow up my spot about Laoghaire when I haven’t been able to fanboy with my godfather about my time traveling wife yet. And I need to fanboy about my time traveling wife with her literal #1 fan.”

*waits impatiently for Murtagh’s reaction to the Laoghaire marriage news*

For real, his reaction to that is going to be fucking aaaaaaaAAAHMAZINGGGG.

Y’ALL I WANT A CEBRF FANDOM WAR BETWEEN MURTAGH AND YOUNG IAN OVER WHO STANS CLAIRE MORE. “I regularly put my hands in other people’s body cavities for her!” “I’ve been stanning her for twice as long as you’ve been alive, laddie!”

THE CLAIRE ELIZABETH BEAUCHAMP FAN CLUB’S FOUNDING MEMBER IS BACK AND YOUNG IAN BETTER RECOGNIZE.

LOOK AT HIS FACE WHEN JAMIE SAYS THAT CLAIRE CAME BACK! AND HE FUCKING *KNOWS* WHAT THAT MEANS! HE FUCKING PRAYED FOR HER AND HER BABY FOR YEARS AND TO KNOW SHE’S SAFE AND BACK WITH JAMIE AND HIS SHIP REALLY IS ENDGAME AND I’M JUST SO FULL OF HAPPINESS.

Da!Jamie bragging about his kid is endearing afffffffff.

*again side eyes how she was treated in ep. 306*

Ok, but I love that Murtagh doesn’t just like up and change his whole life to rejoin Jamie. It’s been a long time. He has his life. He loves Jame and he loves Claire, but just like they had changed, so has Murtz.

“We’ve had trouble finding tenants.” “Yeah, no shit. Come, Jamie, let me school you.”

Murtagh in a kilt and bonnet while Jamie is in breeks and a tricorn. Murtagh rousing the Scots against the thievery of the English and Jamie trying to get them to become indebted to the English. Which one is truly keeping the spirit of Scotland alive in North Carolina?

I’d bet money that the piece of tartan Murtagh has pinned over his heart is the same piece he’s had with him since Ardsmuir.

Mueller can fuck all the way off with his “we deserve to live because we believe in God” crap.

It *is* their land you fucking piece of shit.

The scene with Mueller when he brings Claire Adawehi’s scalp got me so fucking heated because there are so many white men in this country today who share the same/very similar beliefs to him in regards to various minority groups or people they see as “Other.” Fuck each and every one of those men.

Claire’s funeral for Adawehi is very moving though.

#AdawehiDeservedBetter

You brought this on yourself, Herr Mueller. Good riddance.

But Frau Mueller, yet another woman who is the collateral damage of the shitty actions of men.

Rollo is the least intimidating guard dog ever.

HE REMEMBERS HER SONG AND IT’S LIKE THEIR LITTLE INSIDE JOKE AND HE DOES HIS LITTLE DANCE AND HER FACE AND HIS FACE AND GUYS I AM SO FULL OF FEELINGS AND I LOVE THE TWO OF THEM SO MUCH AND GUYS I AM SO EXCITED FOR MURTAGH TO BE AGGRESSIVELY #TEAMCLAIRE WHEN HE FINDS OUT ABOUT LAOGHAIRE AND FOR HIM TO MEET BREE AND EVEN FOR HIM TO MEET WILLIE AND GUYS THEY SAVED MURTAGH AND I LOVE MURTAGH AND YOU DID A GOOD THING, SHOW.

Ok the letter that Bree left for Roger makes him look even worse for going after her tbh. Like he wasn’t supposed to see it for a year and it was like clearly an “open if I’m dead” thing so like he knows she clearly is intending to come back. But instead of listening to her, he off and does what he thinks is right instead. Which means he’s learned *nothing* since the proposal. Fuck that guy.

Roger really is Frank. He wants a marriage like Frank and Claire had pre-stones. Where it's all about him and what he wants to do and the wife is just along to support him in that endeavor. *gestures at episode 101* Between reading the books again and watching this season, Roger really is the worst and I don't think the show will do anything that comes close to redeeming him since *gestures at how they wrote Jamie last season* so at this point I ship Bree with her damn self. She doesn't need a man to live her fullest life. Especially one like fucking Roger.

Bree is too good for Roger and this is the hill I will die on.

But y’all! Bree’s gonna get to be with her mom again! And meet Jamie! And look hot af in period clothes! AND MEET MURTAGH!

*focuses aggressively on that instead of Rape and Rogergate*

GUYS MURTAGH IS BACK!!!!!!!!!

[edgy-fluffball]

Hawkins, 2000 - Chapter Two

Chapter Two is online on Ao3

The cat woke him up. Fews jumped onto his stomach and curled up on top of his blanket.

‘Morning, monster’, Steve patted her and sighed.

The sun shone through the window onto the couch he still lay on. One of his legs dangled to the ground, wrapped in a blanket. He could only imagine the state of his hair but couldn’t care less. Fews still purred into his chest, clawing lazily at his shirt.

‘Ouch, Fews, can you stop that please? You can still stay there, just pull in the claws,’ he hummed quietly, stroking her soft fur and melting into the sofa’s form, ‘yes, that’s better, good girl. Do you enjoy that? Do you like my belly rubs? Yes, Fews, I know I give good ones – do you think I should give some to Dustin? Do you think that it would make him forget about the stuff he wants me to do while I’m here?’

‘Please do not give me belly rubs.’

Steve grinned up to where Dustin leaned in the door frame, looking down on him with a shock in his eyes that filled him with a sudden joy. Dustin’s hardly hidden disgust was the best thing about his morning, and it hadn’t even started completely.

‘Morning dickhead,’ he said with the widest smile he could muster, ‘don’t worry, Fews keeps me occupied to the fullest. She is the only girl that matters.’

‘Sweettalker! Breakfast is about ready. But for real, man, put a shirt on. I don’t want my Mum fainting in the kitchen because you show too much skin.’

Steve groaned, lifted Fews off his chest and set her down before grabbing his jumper from the arm rest and pulling it over his head. He followed Dustin on bare feet, yawning because the long drive still took its toll.

‘Oh sweetie, here you go, a nice warm cup of coffee to get you started,’ Mrs. Henderson pressed a hot cup into his hand and motioned towards the table, sit down and eat something, who knows when you’ll get something the next time, hm?’

‘Tonight, Mum,’ Dustin interrupted, ‘we meet all the other’s tonight at the diner.’

‘Did you arrange for that, Dusty?’

‘Yes, Mum. I can operate a telephone, pick it up and call my friends. I’ll just drag Steve along if he resists. Will you resist?’ he turned his head to look at Steve.

‘Do I have another option?’ Steve buttered a piece of toast and slid onto the kitchen bench.

‘Would you look at this,’ Mrs. Henderson smiled softly, her eyes watering dangerously, ‘my two beautiful boys, sitting here –‘

‘– having breakfast, Mum,’ Dustin sighed.

‘Who would’ve thought I would have you here at this age still, I mean – thirty-four and twenty-eight! And my little Dusty at Harvard, Steve in New York City. You wouldn’t believe how proud I am, of both of you, of course. Oh Steve, don’t you think it might be a good idea if you came over to Hawkins more regularly. You would always find a roof over your head and people to feed you.’

‘Thank you, Mrs. Henderson, but –‘

‘How often, Steven?’

‘I’m sorry, Claudia, but I don’t think I will. This reunion is pretty much the only exception to the rule,’ Steve finished his coffee and smiled, eyelid starting to twitch again.

Mrs. Henderson sighed, but didn’t say a thing in response. Steve was almost convinced it had to do with Dustin motioning something in her general direction behind his back.

‘So what do you guys have planned for today?’

Dustin started to elaborate on different options they had, as far as Steve followed the conversation. He got another cup of coffee and looked out of the kitchen window. The sun shone down on the earth cellar just outside. He still heard the metal doors slam shut after all the years.

‘Come on, Steve, we should get going,’ Dustin pushed his chair back and got up.

He pulled a cap over his curls and his leather jacket on. Steve followed him with an apologetic glance sideways. Fews followed him as he stepped into his shoes.

‘Are you sure about the jacket, it’s June!’

Dustin rolled his eyes at him, ‘I’m almost thirty, I can pick my own clothes.’

‘I’m almost thirty-five and I still struggle to pick the right coat just by judging the brightness outside.’

‘Yah, that’s because you’re Steve. You are the walking mess,’ Dustin grinned, ‘now come on, they expect us!’

‘You said tonight,’ Steve yelled after Dustin, ‘what about tonight?’

Mrs. Henderson waved after them, standing in the door with a dish towel in the other hand, as Steve jumped into his car. He turned onto the road, driving towards the town centre.

‘We’re we headed?’ he glanced to the side where Dustin lounged back in his seat, ‘You need to tell me, Dustin, I don’t know what you planned with the party. Good-for-nothing dipshit!’

‘No need to insult people,’ Dustin sighed and returned his attention to the road, ‘go to Benny’s.’

‘But that place closed –‘

‘Reopened under new ownership. It’s really good, Mum and me go there whenever I’m home. It’s no longer just a burger joint, they serve a whole range of cool foods now.’

‘No locals then,’ Steve set the turning signal.

‘Hey, do you think we could pick some people up?’

‘Dustin!’

‘Just Joyce and her boyfriend. Will has to work until later and Jonathan and Nancy have to get to the joint from the school.’

‘It’s not graduation today, is it?’ Steve took another turn, ‘And did you say boyfriend?’

‘Uhm, yes it is. Down Grant, Steve, don’t you remember the proper way to get to the Byers’?

They drove down the road, past Mirkwood, that godforsaken shortcut, and towards the dirt track that led up to the secluded property. There was only one car in the front, a police jeep that Steve knew too well.

‘Do you by any chance mean Hop when you say boyfriend? Oh please tell me they got their act together!’

‘They did,’ Dustin smiled carefully, ‘they grew closer after they had to sort out the whole mess. They became a unit after that, then Lonnie came back to harass Jonathan into leaving Hawkins because he had talked about NYU fifteen years ago. Hopper decked him.’

‘Of course he did. Does he know we pick them up?’

‘He asked me to, Steve. When will you finally understand that all of us still stand behind you? You can try whatever you want, in the end you will have to accept that one of us is taking an interest in you.’

Steve stopped the car, ‘Go on then, get them. I’ll wait here for you.’

Dustin walked up to the door, knocked and took a step back, waiting. He could see him sway on his feet from the car, Steve wondered for a brief moment if he was nervous. Then he realized that he projected his own worries. He had to force himself to steady his breathing. His knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel too tight by the time Hopper and Joyce came towards the car.

Steve felt both hot and cold. He had managed to ignore that Hopper was going on sixty. The police chief still looked on the verge of being fit, but his hair was greyer and a bit thinner than Steve remembered. He held Joyce’s hand in his and looked out onto the car with a frown. Dustin, now a few steps ahead, seemed to talk nonstop.

Ere Steve knew, he had gotten out of the car, closed the distance between them, and lunged himself at Joyce to hug her. He felt her arms close around his shoulders, one hand patting at his hair whilst holding him close.

‘Hello kid,’ Hopper nodded, ‘good to have you back.’

‘Hop,’ Steve fought the urge to bury his face in the crook of his neck and breathe in, ‘good to see you, too. God, I really missed you guys apparently.’

Joyce stroked his hair, holding him back at an arm’s length, and studying his face, ‘You look well, a grown man. Oh, what am I talking about, you look amazing, sweetie!’

Steve allowed himself to feel home for a moment, because whatever he had tried to erase from his mind over ten long years didn’t hold back anymore. Joyce felt warm and soft, her softly shaking hands tracing his face reminded him of late nights spent worrying over each other and so many more. It was a sentiment that felt oddly familiar and strange at the same time.

‘Okay, hugs and kisses, we know the drill. Can we go now? There are more people than just you two who haven’t seen Steve in ages,’ Dustin looked incredibly pleased with himself when Steve swatted at him to get him back into the car.

Joyce refused to let go of his hand, which lead to Hopper squeezing into the backseat with Dustin because Steve still drove. He could hear them discuss a matter of utmost importance that no one else should hear about – which meant that both Joyce and Steve tried their best to converse about anything else with raised voices, drowning out their secret council.

‘Who reopened Benny’s?’ Steve turned back onto the main road, glancing at Joyce.

‘Nice couple. They moved there. He is a chef, she is a great manager – it works, and Hawkins has a new place for people to hang out at. I hear the boys get together whenever all of them are in time. Nancy and Jonathan go there after school, have coffee before they go home and…live their lives, I guess.’

‘They aren’t married yet?’ Steve surprised himself how un-scary the mere thought was to him.

‘No, you would have been the first one to get invited. Although – I think Jonathan might have an idea. About the upcoming future. I didn’t tell you anything, if it comes up.’

‘Of course not, Joyce,’ Steve turned into the parking lot in front of the diner that had been Benny’s Burgers. The new board above the entrance announced that Nova’s Food Corner sold the best food for miles. Steve looked around curiously. Whatever had happened to the place, he liked it. The seats in the cosy booths in front of dark wooden walls were coated with red leather, making it seem like diner furniture had been moved into a restaurant.

‘How does it work?’ Steve shook his head and followed Dustin towards the biggest booth in the back, ‘This shouldn’t work, especially not in Hawkins. A place this innovative seems more likely somewhere in California or NYC –‘

‘Hey guys! Oh my God, you really got Steve to come – I thought you were joking or just unshakably optimistic!’

Steve felt himself being pulled into a bone crushing hug, executed by a young girl. It took him a moment to recognize her, but in the end, her ginger hair gave her away.

‘Hi Max, it’s great to see you again. How are you? You have to tell me everything, okay?’ he hugged her back, grinning at the energetic flick of her hair that seemingly hadn’t changed ever since she graduated.

‘To be honest, I am surprised. We didn’t expect Dustin to succeed, you had just been gone for too long – which makes it all the better that you really are here!’

They sat down in the booth where Lucas waited for them, high-fiving Dustin before patting Steve on the back, ‘Man, to see you back here is really something. The likelihood was down to one-digit numbers, when he called saying that you would actually come back we felt like having a party!’

The door opened again, Steve turned around and felt the smile creep over his face. The newcomers were dressed too nice to have just come in to join them. The first young man was lanky, tall enough to almost hit the door frame. He looked a bit sour, like someone who had been forced to wear a suit all morning without feeling comfortable. There was a woman following him who was frantically looking for something in her handbag. Steve smiled to himself. He would still recognize her anyway. Jonathan followed after Nancy, talking to another young woman, Steve didn’t even want to think about who it was.

‘Steve! You really are here,’ Jane pushed past Nancy and Mike, who was left to stare after her as she crossed the room with a few steps before throwing herself at Steve, ‘I had to promise the guys not to check in on you. It nearly killed me.’

‘You seem pretty alive to me,’ Steve joked and held her at an arm’s length, ‘You look perfectly radiant. Good for you!’

Jane rolled her eyes and showed him her blinding smile before joining Hopper and Joyce in the booth. Mike joined her after a quick hug for Steve. The last ones to greet him were Nancy and Jonathan, both dressed sharp enough to make an impression.

‘Well, aren’t you looking good,’ Steve grinned at Nancy, ‘honestly, did you age at all? You still look no day older than –‘

‘Don’t over-do it,’ she interrupted him quickly.

‘- twenty. Hey, that is reasonable!’

‘You’re an idiot, Steve Harrington!’

They sat down just as a waitress came over to them to take their orders. It seemed like all the others had established their personal favourites already, Steve went with what Dustin was having before leaning back and looking around.

‘I have to say, I missed this.’

‘You could have had it at any time. Only thing keeping you from it –‘ Lucas interrupted him, most likely because Max’s foot had hit him in the shin.

Steve cleared his throat and examined the centrepiece on the table closer, ‘So – graduation day?’

‘Yes, finally,’ Jonathan smiled and nodded, ‘Nance and I could tell everybody just wanted to leave.’

‘It was Holly’s graduation as well, so Mike and Jane had to join,’ Nancy explained, mentioning something that had Steve’s jaw hit the floor.

‘Holly?’

‘She’s clever,’ Mike chipped in, ‘I know, she wasn’t even ten when you left, but she wanted no big party anyway and allowed us to come here for lunch, and maybe dinner. Depends on how long she can stand Mum and Dad on her own.’

‘Wow, little Holly graduating would be the last thing I thought about,’ Steve scratched the back of his head, ‘I have missed pretty much everything, haven’t I?’

His dinner companions exchanged knowing looks. Dustin put a hand on Steve’s forearm, prompting him to look at him.

‘You know about me. A doctorate attempting to compile every science into one research field because I couldn’t decide which one to focus on,’ he sounded serious, his lisp hardly audible, ‘and you know we’ll tell you whatever you want to know. Ask away, ten years are a long time and there are a few things that changed.’

‘Nancy and Jonathan haven’t come to see us in a few weeks because of the preparations for the reunion,’ Mike began, ‘they are just here because it’s you.’

‘That’s not true,’ Nancy nudged her brother in the side, ‘Mike and El have been discussing having children.’

Someone spluttered their drink. Steve looked around and couldn’t hide a grin.

‘Well, judging from Hop’s horrified look I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know,’ he leaned back, ‘you telling each other’s secrets is actually entertaining. So what is there to say about Max and Lucas? What has been going on in California?’

‘We’ve opened a restaurant,’ Max took Lucas’ hand and looked at him, ‘we are doing good business, and sometimes we can take a few days off because we have staff to take care of everything.’

‘Just like this week,’ Lucas completed, ‘it works perfectly.’

‘What did I miss, has Steve really shown up or has Dustin sent us on a wild goose hunt?’

Steve looked up just to blink at the young man leaning down between Joyce and Hopper. His dark eyes glinted, he looked healthier and happier than Steve had ever seen him.

‘Will?’ he asked and got up to hug him close, ‘how are you? What are you up to these days?’

‘I’m a nurse, that’s why I’m late – shifts.’

‘Don’t believe him,’ Mike interrupted, ‘we might not have found out who his mystery girlfriend is, but there is someone! Definitely, and we are going to find out. The party is together for a whole week, that is enough time for us to accomplish anything!’

‘Guys, I don’t –‘

‘Don’t deny it,’ Dustin slammed his fist on the table, ‘there is something an we’ll find it out.’

‘Max –‘ Will looked to her, maybe to find help, but Max just grinned and shrugged.

‘So, what about you? Are you happy in New York?’ Nancy had everyone’s attention back on Steve with her question.

‘Yes, is it like on Friends?’ Max leant forward, a sparkle in her eyes.

‘Of course it is,’ Steve deadpanned, ‘Except more realistic. I work long hours without having a lot of people around. My father would be proud of the way I retreat in my office without showing my face to even my co-workers.’

He laughed it off, took a sip of his drink and leaned back. There were still a few eyes on him, Hopper frowned so dark that he half expected a deep-cutting question next. Joyce, next to him, seemed worried as well, and at least three of the kids were whispering to each other. He caught Dustin’s eyes who tried an uplifting smile, but had to fail. Steve could imagine what they all thought, it was a topic they should avoid if they wanted to continue to have a pleasant conversation, he knew it and there was no way the others didn’t.

It was the arrival of their food that allowed them to start on different conversations. Dustin had told him what the others were doing whenever he visited him in New York, but hearing about shiftwork from Will, troubled kids coming in for help in Indianapolis from Jane and the time a co-worker had almost electrocuted himself from Mike made him feel like he was part of the group again.

Nancy and Jonathan told him about everything that had changed around the school, including the new gym, ‘Now we have PVC floor. They chugged out the old wooden floor coating and renovated it completely.’

‘There are plans to have a reunion tournament,’ Jonathan reached out to get the salt shaker from the middle of the table, ‘wouldn’t you be interested in joining in?’

‘I haven’t played basketball in fifteen years, I wouldn’t be able –‘

‘Neither have your teammates,’ Nancy smiled at him and took his hand over the table, ‘you wouldn’t believe what some of them look like today. Most of them are still here and I see them down at the shop almost every other day. You aged well, they didn’t.’

‘Thank you,’ Steve frowned, ‘I try.’

‘They have a gym in the office,’ Dustin chipped in, ‘Steve is there all the time, I bet.’

‘It was a mistake to allow you to come to work with me that one day, right?’

Dustin huffed and crossed his arms, ‘You said it was boring anyway because no one cares about what you do. I was only reasonable in helping you out one day to keep you from dying of boredom.’

‘Yes, sure you did,’ Steve could still feel Hoppers judging gaze burning into the side of his neck.

Joyce ordered them all ice cream for desert, proving the thesis that some things would never change, no matter how old they got. Their eyes lit up when the cups were carried over towards them, everyone got a colourful array of flavours set in front of them. Steve looked round as the others started to dig in. He couldn’t bring himself to see anything but the six kids he had driven around so many times he couldn’t tell how often exactly.

What had started out with him being hijacked by Dustin, had turned into a taxi service for whoever’s mother couldn’t take them where they needed to be. He had driven Dustin around to his friends’ houses whenever Mrs. Henderson didn’t feel comfortable with her Dusty cycling through the night, he had taken Mike to Hopper’s cabin for him to visit Jane, and he had taken on the taxi duty for Will as well once Jonathan stayed at the Wheeler’s with Nancy. Even Max had been in need of his service a few times in order to get home on time when she had snuck out without her brother noticing.

He had experienced all sorts of trouble in his old Beemer, including Mike’s insecurity about his relationship with Jane, Lucas’ ever-growing crush on Max, and Dustin’s fear of ending up alone. It had him kept involved in their lives, even when there were no monsters to hunt.

It all had turned sour.

‘Ten years are a hell of a time,’ Hopper stared at him and for a moment Steve thought he might know, ‘we shouldn’t overwhelm you with what has been going on here, we have a whole week, after all!’

Steve felt his shoulders relax again, the voice in his head calmed down again. Of course Hopper didn’t know, none of them did.

‘Ten years,’ he said instead, willing his voice to remain calm, ‘it seems crazy once you think about it.’

‘Especially since you didn’t tell anyone why you left,’ Hopper leaned in, just slightly, but it was enough for Joyce to grab his arm.

‘I think we all know why Steve left and needed a break from Hawkins.’