#1:1 would be 'getting the amount you bet on top of your bet'

[somecunttookmyurl]

ooh i have a question about betting odds actually because i never understood how you could have like 1:10 instead (bigger number on right) like. would that not mean you pay them money? why would anyone ever place a bet on odds like that?

great question! common source of confusion.

so with betting odds the first most important thing to remember is this: you always get your initial stake back if you win

the odds are then what you get back on top of that

if something is 10:1 that means for every £1 you bet, you will get £10 on top if it comes true. a £1 bet would therefore come back as £11 (your initial £1, + your £10 winnings)

if something is 1:10 then for every £10 you stake, you gain £1. so your hypothetical £1 stake comes back to you as £1.10. something 1:10 is so basically guaranteed to happen (there's a 90% chance it does, 10% chance it doesn't) that bookies aren't going to give you much of a prize for saying it will. similarly most people won't bother betting on it because getting an extra 10p simply isn't worth the effort it took to do it in the first place.

sometimes you get funky odds like 9:14 or 17:2 but they all work the same way. the left number is what money you get (on top of your initial stake) if you bet the number on the right. bet £14 and win? get an extra £9. bet £2 and win? get an extra £17

tldr odds 'the other way' don't mean you owe them money, it means your additional payout on top becomes fractional. 1:100 truly would not be worth it because you'd have to bet £100 to get a whole extra £1

[catiuskaa]

audio creak file.mp3 [1:07]

PAIRING! pervy?Chan x roomate!reader

SUMMARY: Chan struggles to make music, and you, his friend and roommate, try to help him when you can. Say, Chan also struggles to keep his cool whenever you’re near… what will you do to help him feel better?

WC: 3.2k

CW: convenient minsung because I say so, angsty(?) (reader is just kinda dense and Minho screams the truth to her), smut: mentions of soft dom!chan, mentions of panty stealing, Chan’s a pervy simp (he’s just soooo down bad), and I just really got carried away writing on my notes thinking about when Channie smiles hearing the creaks in heyday...

A/N: basically, if being inocent was a crime, i’d be imprisioned for tax evasion, lmao. kinda perv!chan thoughts to soothe the iching that the mosquito bites give. have fun!

[☆☆★☆☆]

He let out a frustrated groan, fingers digging into his curly locks in a sign of desperation. He had listened to every single audio sample Changbin had found. Twice. But no, nothing screamed “This is it” to his perfectionist self. And it was getting him fucking desperate.

He wasn’t wearing headphones because of the company he had been with not too long ago since Changbin and Han tried to help him —keyword: try—, and also knowing that you wouldn’t be home for a while meant that there was no one he could disturb, the sounds coming from his laptop not nearly loud enough to reach to the neighbours. He scrolled down the same folders again, wondering when you would be home in the back of his mind.

You and Chan had been roommates for a bunch of years now. You two had met at Han’s birthday party thanks to Minho, as he introduced you, one of the first people he had ever danced with and even won competitions with to the leader of the Korean boyband.

You clicked almost instantly, sharing anecdotes from each side of the industry. He, a famous idol, and you, a backup dancer for many groups in different companies.

It was unknown to both of you that Han and his cat-like soulmate had tried to matchmake you that day, as you just stayed like close friends. Minho laughed at Jisung as they both returned from your shared apartment the day you moved in, like two years after. Now that you’d split the rent, considering neither of you spent that much time home to pay a large amount, you paired up.

“At least they like each other, silly,” he mentioned, his tone of voice sounding soft, a smug smile on his face. He was so winning the bet.

“Nooo!” Han whined, much like a toddler would when toys were taken away. “Those two are meant to be, Hyung. They are literally each other’s type!”

“Well, I don’t think they’ve noticed,” he chuckled, thinking about what he would buy with the ten bucks Han would owe him. And Minho would’ve been right.

But then, the sex dreams started.

“Chan, I’m back!”

He blushed, quickly shoving those thoughts into a bottomless pit in his mind.

“How you doin’?” You grinned, your head popping inside his room, leaving your bag on your own, next to his, before coming back and leaning on the door frame.

Your wet hair made the top of your summer dress fabric somewhat sheer, his eyes trailing your figure before clearing his throat.

“I’m stuck,” he admitted, dimples on display as he smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. “I’ve been looking for a sample I thought existed, but maybe I just made it up in my head.”

“That does sound like shit,” you mentioned, leaning down just enough to rest your forearms on the back of his chair. He felt tiny droplets falling from your hair onto his shoulders and back, making goosebumps trail all over his body.

“But how… how was the… the swimming pool?” He quivered, trying to hide the flustered quiver in his voice. And failing, hoping you wouldn’t notice.

“It was good! It felt sooo nice.” You stretched, whining as you extended your arms, making a mess in Chan’s head, who struggled to hide it. “I’ll go get changed, and then I can help you. Sounds ok?”

“Yeah.” He leaned into your touch when you ruffled his hair, leaving his room.

He sighed as he rested on the back of the chair, arms thrown over his eyes, and swallowed dry. He felt like such a perv, his insides churning and turning whenever you were near, making him feel like a horny teenager.

It all started one night when he woke up in a sweat, hard-on nearly hurting underneath his boxers. Pictures of you still reeling in his mind, legs wide open for him, eyes pleading, begging for release.

Then, two nights after, dreaming about your body pressed on top of him as you straddled him, clenching on him, fighting for dominance in a sloppy kiss.

Later that week, you in that cute summer dress you bought with him, letting him fuck you and manhandle you in his car, the apartment too far, and your bodies too horny that the drive home felt impossible.

Seeing you every day with those thoughts in mind was difficult, sometimes having to escape your sight so you wouldn’t see him getting hard just by you doing the slightest things that weirdly turned him on.

“The one you dream about is back,” you teased, now wearing an oversized shirt and a towel over your shoulders. He gulped as he looked at you, not only for what you had said unknowingly but also because of your shirt, long enough to cover your thighs, giving the illusion that you were almost naked. In his room. Sitting crisscrossed. On his bed.

He felt blood on his cheeks and some running down, headed south. He giggled halfheartedly, the sentence ‘don’t get hard’ echoing in his head.

After playing the samples again, tricking himself into thinking he might have skipped one just so he would keep searching, he started getting frustrated again. But nuh-uh. Nothing.

“Ok, this is trash,” you blurted out.

With a smile on your face, before he could even ask you what was wrong, you grabbed his chair from behind, pushing him far from the computer, saving the files and then closed it with a slap.

“Break time, Mr Producer. We both need a coffee.” He snickered, shaking his head sideways as you both went to the kitchen.

“Can’t say no to that, can I?”

You laughed. “No. Too late, anyways.”

He started getting the milk from the fridge, pouring it on the mugs you handed him, and settling them in the microwave, a small smile on his features accenting his dimples.

“Audio sample related, can’t you just make your own?” You asked Chan, not entirely curious, question directed to find a solution for his issue rather than learning that piece of info.

“I mean, yeah, sure, but it’s simpler this way,” he shrugged, eyes confused about where to look, not daring to stare at you for too long. “If not, I just have to keep recording random stuff, hoping to find something that sounds like what I want.”

“Isn’t that easier? Not like it’s something you can brag about, but there’s a ton of creaking shit in this place,” you pointed out thoughtfully. “Like… that!”

In the blink of an eye, you crossed your way until you were directly in front of Chan, and you turned around, leaning on the counter before you as you opened and closed the cabinet's door on the wall.

“See? It creaks,” you said from above your shoulder.

But just when you stood back on your feet, you realised how close you were to each other. And it hadn’t helped that when you leaned towards the cabinet, your shirt had followed along with your body, letting Chan see your lack of pyjama pants, instead being welcomed by some cute cotton panties. Ones he knew well because, uhm… he uh… may have used them for a wrong purpose.

Yeah, fuck, he had come on those.

You hadn’t realised how little space had been between him and the counter and attributed that to your head, not knowing that Chan had unconsciously moved towards you, like metal to a magnet. You wiggled on your place, your personal space suddenly far away from you, caged in Chan’s presence. He stopped your tiny motion by gripping your waist, letting out a gasp, blushing. He turned you around so you wouldn’t feel his hardening cock on your upper thighs.

When you both locked eyes on the contrary, the tense atmosphere shot up, turning even thicker when he rested his arms on the counter, at your sides, thumbs casually stroking short lines on your waist.

No words were said as you got lost in his brown eyes, deep chocolate-coloured orbs, not needing any kind of golden or honey stripes on them as they drew you in, gorgeous eyes so raven that it was hard to distinguish where the iris was. Then, your eyes trailed off at his mouth, your breath hitched, rose-coloured plush lips so enticing. He licked them, and you swore you heard him swallow dry.

You pressed your body on him, getting closer and closer, and suddenly, he let out a small whimper. The sound made you shiver, heat pooling in your lower belly. He blushed furiously, not daring to move from his place. You could feel it, feel him.

The sound of your phone chiming in your room made you both aware of the situation —and position— you were in. You got shy, quickly letting him have his personal space back, both of you missing the other’s warmth on your skin as you blurted out something that sounded like “gotta go walk my fish” as you run to your room, slamming the door close, frowning as soon as you were alone.

“Fuck.” Both of you said at the same time, having the same thoughts.

“I fucked up.” Chan stared at the hot mugs on the counter, both waiting for someone who had run away.

[☆☆★☆☆]

“He’s just scared, girl,” Han said through the phone after letting you ramble and blurt about what had happened barely twenty minutes ago. “I promise, if you make him feel safe, like he won’t lose you, he’ll melt on your hands.”

"...I don't think so," you mumbled, picking on your nails.

"You called me because he got hard," he sighed, not bringing his statement to a conclusion just because it was so painfully obvious. "I know you're the only one who thinks otherwise."

You were about to reply with a snarky comment about how he should just 'stick simping about Minho' when you started to hear said man speaking to Jisung, and then with all the calm in the world, ignored him when he went straight to the phone.

"...Minho?"

"Leave my boyfriend alone and go fetch yours," he replied as you heard Han groan in the back. It was almost as if you could feel him deadpanning from the other side of the phone.

You frowned even if you had a smile on your features, not taking the comment completely seriously. "Ok, rude. What a meanie."

"Jokes aside." You heard him breathe in from the other side of the phone. Oh boy. "The interminable teasing and bickering between you and Chan were amusing at first, but it's getting very stale and surprise, fucker, you live together!" He paused, clicking his tongue. "So, why don't you two cut the bullshit and admit your sexual and non-sexual feelings for each other?"

"My what?!"

"This is getting old really quick, goddamnit." You could feel him getting worked up, not just because of his tone but because he kept ignoring Han, whose comments echoed at the back of the phone call.

But Minho was serious. He was not gonna get cockblocked for ten bucks. Not tonight.

"You're getting kinda off-base, buddy!"

"Oh, it's almost one o'clock, fucking spare me!" He grumbled, getting slightly angrier. "Yeah, I get it. It's Chan. He can be a dick sometimes because of his severe self-esteem issues and how he doesn't know how to communicate his feelings all that well. But I kinda think he reminds you about that other guy you dated in our dance team, who was an absolute son of a bitch, and we can agree that you deserve to be with someone who's not that complicated or whatever, but still, you can't get Chan out of your head, can you? Don't answer. We know it." He interrupted you, unable to speak as you were just getting bombarded with facts you didn't want to deal with.

"But you? I've known you for years, yet you're still being a dumbass. You're behaving like a baby who'd rather act tough than show her true feelings 'cause last time, you got hurt! Owie," he cooed, tone still angrily mocking. "And now you're just dancing around the other in this pathetic act you're tryna put up to hide your pent-up feelings, SO, AGAIN, for my sake, either deal with it and stop bitching my man about it, or get over with it already!"

"Minho, I-!" You turned silent as you heard a beeping sound coming from your phone.

He hung up.

You stared at the screen, eyes almost out of place, as you muted the device, letting it vibrate with the unread texts Jisung sent, apologising in every way he knew.

"A baby?" You muttered, the word almost sickening in your mouth. "I am not a baby!"

You laid back down on your bed, rolling on your sides, Minho's words echoing in your mind as you cursed under your breath. Almost unconsciously, you stood up, left your room and approached Chan's as if wanting to enter just to get his confirmation regarding his allegedly existing feelings for you.

He startled you when he closed his door, meeting you in the hallway, his eyes glued to yours as soon as he saw you.

"Oh. Hey." You mentioned awkwardly.

"Hey," he said, tensed-up shoulders visible due to the lack of sleeves on his shirt. "I just... uh..."

"I... wanted to say that, uh..."

"I am sorry if I... uh..."

"It's ok... I uh... don't... I mean... I know that you can't really uh... control... it?"

You could almost hear Minho's laugh in your mind.

"Right," he sighed. You smiled reassuringly, and he did the same in an uneasy stance.

"Right. I mean, for all I know, it could happen for whatever reason."

"I uh, kinda, I guess."

"But never mind. I uh... 'm glad we feel the same way."

You both smiled sheepishly and headed to your respective rooms.

Chan sighed, hurriedly getting back to bed, wishing to get weird ideas out of his mind, not bothering to check his computer again. He rolled in bed, hand anxiously travelling through his hair so frequently that it was starting to get greasy.

He frowned, passing his hands through his face, the scene in the kitchen crossing his mind again, his already weak excuse for not being so clearly attracted to you crumbling when he remembered the eagerness he thought he had seen in your eyes.

He stood up again and went to open the door just to go check, because what if he hadn't just made it up in his mind?

But then, he met you right in front of his room.

Before you could escape or come up with anything, he approached you and pecked your lips, feeling his heart skip ten beats when you pushed him away.

His eyes locked into yours, a sight of contentment leaving his lips as you grabbed his shirt and pulled him back in, smiling in the kiss. It heated very quickly, a sloppy kiss with all tongues and teeth, both fighting for dominance. You went to get the edge of his shirt, but instead, he gave you a light smack on your thighs, and you jumped, legs crossing around his waist, arms around his neck as he guided both of you into his room, closing the door with a kick.

The two of you breathed heavily, the air thick with anticipation and lust. He pinned you up against the closed door and kissed hard, feeling the heat rising as your bodies tightened against one another. Your tongues met, mingling in an intense way that drove you wild. You let out soft sounds of pleasure, suddenly changing sides, pulling him away just enough so you could have access to his neck, your teeth trailing from his jaw, trying to find a sensitive spot.

He whined, barely moving away, trying to calm himself down, the sudden blow of emotions too intense for him. He then panted, and you quickly went back to that spot you had found, nibbling on it. "What are we- fuck- what are we doing?"

You set a finger on his lips, your face going back to his. "Shhh. Let's just... enjoy it," you whispered, leaving a small chaste kiss at the corner of his lips, tempting him. You then flinched, moving away "Unless you don't want..."

He let out a groan, deep and enticing, hungrily going back to your mouth. You wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him back, your lips pressing firmly against his.

"No... I want you."

"And I want you too, Chris." You admitted, doe eyes trailing down to his lips, licking your own. "Now."

[☆☆★☆☆]

Your schedule had gotten filled up to the brim, chances of meeting Chan reserved for the ungodly hours of the night, which were used to get some well deserved sleep. Rehearsing over and over left your body exhausted, your mind clouded in the remaining work you had left, only the most sinful parts of it replaying the encounter that had happened barely three nights ago.

It was obvious that he was awake, the light in his room shining from underneath the door, knowning that he’d probably be working on his samples.

And he had tried, looking for one of the files he had recorded that delicious night. But something felt wrong. He frowned, looking at how long the audio was.

He played it before using it, at first just hearing random noises he was recording. Then he heard himself groaning, the sound of the bed sheets moving with his body, and then, after some loud steps, the door creaked open.

And those voices were you and him, that was no doubt. He blushed, the sound of the door slamming close getting his mind back to three nights ago.

“Ah, fuck, Chan!” You moaned through his headphones.

The bed creaked under both of you in rythmic beats, matching each thrust, your moans decorating the purple-lit room.

As both an idol and a producer, Chan had listened to many voices and samples for a long time, ears used to the constant stimulation, but the sound of your needy whines as he slowed down in hopes of not coming too soon made the task even more difficult.

“Don’t- ugh, fuck-,” he whined, hearing the heavy breathing through the recording. “Let me hear you, baby, please.”

Chan tried to pause the recording, a flustered mess, but instead accidentally unplugged his headphones, the sound of creaks and moans filling his room once again.

He paused it, mortified. Where you home? Fuck, he didn’t want you to think he was recording you in secret.

He turned around slowly when the door creaked open.

“What's going on here?” You walked in with an oversized top on, the cut of the sleeves made so that your body could be seen through the sides of the tank top.

“I-i uh…”

“Don’t have too much fun without me.”

“Chan? Are you listening?” Changbin questioned, frowning.

“Uh?”

He remembered that he wasn’t inside his room, like the night before, your thighs straddling his, but in the studio, showing his friends the audio he had put together. He couldn’t help but smile and get lost in his thoughts when certain creaks came out.

“We like it,” Han repeated. “We can get to writting lyrics soon enough.”

Chan’s phone chimed next to him, his eyes trailing it with no thoughts to it.

Let’s have fun again tonight.

He bit his lip, turning his phone off.

“I’ll call it Heyday,” he mentioned to his friends, renaming the new audio file.

He’d keep the other one a secret.

[☆☆★☆☆]

[hard hours]

~Kats, who came up with this idea on the beach and has had it stuck in her head since day one.

[lyney-s-bitch]

how about headcanons about some of the genshin boys‘ reaction to you squirting? I’d like to see diluc, tartaglia, kazuha, cyno, xiao, tighnari, alhaitham and scaramouche ;)

hello luv~

I will split my Genshin writing debut (aka this request) into two parts due to the amount of characters, so enjoy pt. 1 for now!!

EDIT: pt. 2 is up!!

————————————————————————

Genshin boys reacting to you squirting for the first time (nsfw) || pt.1

Diluc

• mans is dumbfounded (and kinda in awe)

• he looks up at you and blinks a few times, parts of his face covered in splatters of your slick

• "Well.. That’s new" he remarks, still processing what just happened while absentmindedly swiping his thumb across his bottom lip

• and you can bet your ass he’s going to make an effort to recall and memorize exactly what he did to get you there

• might even ask you what it was that you especially liked this time (he’ll wait until you’ve calmed down from your high before interrogating you though, he’s not a monster)

• and once he deems you ready for more, he will put his new hypothesis to the test right away bc he definitely wants you to do it again

• he’s a clean man and generally prefers not to get too messy, but in this case he doesn’t mind putting in some extra work for the cleanup after

—————

Childe/Tartaglia

• this man did it on purpose, 1000%

• not surprised in the slightest, but visibly elated at the fact that he finally got his sweet, innocent (on the outside at least-) girlie to squirt for him

• yes, he had been working towards it ever since you first started getting intimate with each other

• he’s an ambitious guy, training and practicing to get better at everything he does, and sex with his girlie is no different

• he can be a huge jerk, both in the streets and in the sheets, but in the end your pleasure and enjoyment is definitely top priority

• and what will he do now that he’s achieved this goal? why of course he’ll keep adding onto it to keep maximizing your pleasure

• meaning overstimulation all the way baby, now even more than usual

• he always enjoys your whining and begging, even more so when you’re crying because everything is just too much

• but he will always just shush you with a smile, kissing away your tears and cooing "I know baby, I know… but you’ll need to bear with it for just a while longer, yeah? Do it for me angel"

—————

Tighnari

• "Oh? I didn’t know females could do that too. You must’ve enjoyed yourself a lot just now, darling" the man with the fox ears purrs, visibly fascinated

• he assumes you didn’t know you could do that either, else you surely would’ve told him before, right?

• meaning he’ll have to find out himself how to please you in a way that gets you this ecstatic again

• like Diluc, he’ll inquire what it was that you particularly enjoyed

• he’s more… detailed with his inquisitions though, and very prone to experiment

• he’ll be trying out variations of "methods" and techniques on you, curious to explore the various reactions he is able to draw from you

• and yes, he does take notes. actual notes.

• so congrats, you just managed to become the Forest Watcher Academic’s #1 test subject and are in for a LOT of fun (and work😭😭👋🏼)

—————

Kazuha

• "Mmm such a good girl for me.. You did so well my love"

• a very humble man, not smug about being the source of your immense pleasure (ofc he’s still somewhat proud tho)

• will thoroughly lick you clean and then scoop you up into his lap to pull you into a deep kiss, letting you taste yourself on his sinful tongue (quite the generous gesture, seeing as he himself loves the taste of you so much)

• will try to get you to squirt for him again in the future, but doesn’t make it his main goal

• he prefers to just enjoy the moment and the emotional intimacy between the two of you, a "goal" such as this would only sully the act for him

• he’s an extremely attentive lover in general, picking up on every little reaction you offer him upon his touch, so you will enjoy yourself to the fullest every time, whether you squirt or not

• on a side note: if you were to specifically ask him to make you squirt again, he will. he now definitely knows how, and who is he to deny his love the pleasure she wishes for?

[ladykailitha]

Can Anybody See Me? Part 3

Holy hell, guys. Seriously, I love you all. And just seeing the sheer amount of LOVE this story is getting makes me so happy.

Tag list of 50 has now been filled. Any other requests for tagging will be denied. I’m sorry.

Edit: Also if you saw the title as something else? No, no you didn’t. And any reblogs you see with anyone instead of anybody are a figment of your imagination. (*thuds head on laptop* I have the title right on here...in my file *wails*)

Part 1 Part 2

*

Eddie was wrong. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, he was wrong and that was uncomfortable. On the other it meant that whatever was going on with Steve he didn’t care about his reputation anymore and that was always a good thing.

He had walked out of the school doors to the parking lot after school to see a Steve Harrington leaning against his van, just like yesterday.

“Harrington,” Eddie said, “this is a surprise.”

Steve ducked his head. “If you don’t want me to be here, I can leave.”

Eddie held up his hands. “Whoa, whoa there. I didn’t say that. I’m just surprised you took me up on the offer is all. Last time I checked your lot doesn’t throw in with mine.”

Steve’s shoulders sagged. “It does now. Now that I don’t have anyone else.”

Eddie’s eyes widened and he cocked his head. “I thought you and Nancy Wheeler were hot and heavy.”

The very idea of the two of them made him gag. Hetros. Freaking insane, man.

“We broke up on Halloween,” Steve murmured.

Eddie blinked. He had been at that party. To sell, of course, he hadn’t been invited. Had even seen Wheeler storm off, but he really hadn’t thought much about it.

“What bridges haven’t you burned?” he asked in all seriousness.

“My kids,” Steve said. “I’d do anything for them.”

“Okay, that’s going to have to take some explanation,” Eddie said, shoving his hands in his back pockets.

Steve looked around the van and gulped. “Can we take this somewhere else?”

Eddie looked over and saw Nancy and some other guy being all cutesy. “Yeah. Come on, hop in. I’ll bring back later to pick up your car when the lot’s no longer crawling with people who want to do you in.”

Steve sighed in relief, his body fulling relaxing for the first time since Eddie started this journey. He moved around to the other side of the van and got in once Eddie unlocked the door.

“Where to, my liege?” Eddie asked with a grin.

“Is the quarry okay?” Steve asked shyly.

Eddie’s grin softened to a smile. “Sure thing, pretty boy.” He started the van and pulled out on to the open road, leaving behind the messy turmoil that was high school.

They made it out to quarry and Eddie climbed up on the top of his van. Steve looked up at him in amazement.

“Uh, how am I supposed to get up there?” Steve asked.

Eddie leaned over the side and held out his hand. “Grab hold.”

Steve looked at it a moment and then back up at Eddie. He looked into those doe brown eyes and sighed. He planted one foot against the side of the van and then took Eddie’s hand.

And was promptly vaulted to the top of the van.

“Holy shit!” Steve said once he was settled next to Eddie. “You’re strong.”

Eddie laughed. “It comes from all the lugging equipment around for my band. And helping out with stage crew.”

“Wow, you have a band?” Steve asked.

Eddie nodded. “Corroded Coffin. It’s a metal band, we play at the Hideout every week.”

Steve bit his lip. “I don’t know much about metal. I tend to go for alt rock bands like Oingo Boingo, Depeche Mode, REM, Tears for Fears...I bet that was a load of gibberish for you.”

Eddie shook his head. “I’m familiar with a couple of them,” he admitted. “Not my thing. But I would have pegged you for a pop vibe.”

Steve scoffed. “I have some taste, man.”

Eddie laughed. “I’d beg to differ, but sure. You do you, dude.”

Steve bumped Eddie’s shoulder. “Go on, then. Impress me with your metal bands, since mine are such shit.”

“My favorite is Metalica,” Eddie said, bumping Steve back. “But I like Mercyful Fate, Dio, Poison.”

Steve wrinkled his nose. “And I thought my bands had weird names.”

“What the hell is a Depeche Mode anyway?” Eddie fired back.

“What is a Metalica?” Steve replied.

Eddie opened his mouth, but no sound came out. “All right, you got me there.”

“I was talking to Mrs Hall today about my schedule,” Steve said, drawing his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on them. “I have to drop basketball and baseball. It’s too late to drop swimming, but I talked to Coach Burton and he said I should be cleared for competition I just have to see the swimming board’s doctor for final confirmation.”

“So suddenly you have two classes opened up?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah, my last two,” Steve mumbled into his knees. He lifted his head with a sigh. “She won’t let me just drop them and not pick up new classes even though the semester half way through.”

“So you thought about what to fill those slots with?”

“She gave me a list of options,” Steve grumbled and dug the paper out of his pocket. He handed it to Eddie.

Eddie looked over the options. “Debate, would double as extra English credit...” he mumbled reading what Mrs Hall had wrote. “Can’t see you doing that one, if I’m honest.”

Steve shook his head. “Me either. I know it’s not just arguing. But I know they can get heated. I don’t need complete strangers yelling at me when I get that enough at home.”

Eddie nodded. “Choir. Can you sing?”

Steve blushed. “Yeah, actually. But I’ve never wanted to join the choir.”

Eddie frowned. “Why not?”

Steve cleared his throat and looked away. “My vocal coach said that I don’t blend well and am very loud.”

Eddie bumped into Steve’s shoulder. “Soloist only, then?”

Steve nodded.

“Sounds like you’d be great at metal singing,” he continued. “Very loud and very in your face.”

Steve laughed. “Whatever you say, man. But no, choir is out.”

Eddie looked back at the list. “Machine work?”

Steve shook his head. “My dad would kill me.”

“Too blue collar for your dad?” he asked. Steve nodded. “I gotcha.”

“Stage crew,” Eddie continued.

Steve sighed. “I thought about that one, but like with the machine work it’s too ‘blue collar’ for my dad. Plus with my concussion, I’m pretty sure either option would be out.”

Eddie cocked his head and clicked his tongue. “Fair enough.” He looked over the list. “Pottery?”

Steve laughed. “Sure, why not? That’s one.”

Eddie nodded. He mentally crossed out all the classes that were seventh period, focusing only on the class that were eighth.

“Hmm...” he murmured pursing his lips. “Looks like what you’ve got left is geology and drama.”

Steve reared his head back. “What the hell is geology?”

Eddie shook his head. “I have no idea, but it’s obviously a science-y thing.”

Steve let out a bitter laugh. “I guess it’s pottery and drama.” He buried his face in his knees again. “I know my reputation is already in tatters but fuck those kids in those classes are going to tear me to pieces.”

Eddie blinked. The mystery that was Steve Harrington was like following a rabbit down a hole, and coming up to Wonderland. “You’re more concerned that they’re going to make fun of you then you are of your old friends making fun of you?”

Steve lifted his head. “Well sure. I know Tommy and them are going to make fun of me even if I stayed on both teams. That’s a given. They’ve got King Billy to follow now and they’re gonna get vicious with it. But no, the real problem comes from the art geeks coming for me because I have invaded their space.”

Eddie almost brought up the drawing class Steve was already in, but wisely kept his mouth shut. He shrugged. “So tell them truth. Tell them you had course correct because of a concussion. Be honest and defer to them in all things.”

“I’m also going to be the only senior in those classes, man,” Steve groused.

Eddie cocked his head. “Yeah, probably. But what else have you got?”

Steve’s shoulders slumped. “Nothing.”

They lapsed into silence. Just sitting there for awhile looking out over the quarry.

After some time, Eddie bumped Steve’s shoulder again. “So you want to tell me about ‘your kids’?”

Steve frowned.

“Burned bridges, people who haven’t given up on Steve Harrington?” Eddie prompted.

Steve lit up. “Oh yeah. Sorry, man, it’s just the...” he pointed to his face. Eddie nodded. “I still don’t know how I got roped into dealing with these assholes, but yeah. There are six of them now. Started with Dustin Henderson. Smart kid, smarter than most adults I know. Then it expanded to his friends, which includes the little brothers of my ex and her new boyfriend, Jonathan Byers, and of course Lucas Sinclair. And then I picked up El or Jane. I’m not sure which one she prefers, most people call her El though. And then there’s Max.”

“Five boys and a girl?” Eddie asked, his face twisting awkwardly. “Congrats?”

Steve laughed. “Max is short for Maxine. But don’t you dare call her that.”

Eddie blinked. “Max Mayfield? As in Billy Hargrove’s step-sister?”

Steve tilted his head back. “Yeah...but I don’t think I could separate her from the group now if I tried. And besides, she’d kick my ass.”

“You are an enigma wrapped in a mystery, man,” Eddie said.

Steve looked over at him. “You don’t know the half of it.”

Part 4 Part 5 Part 6  Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13  Part 14  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17 Part 18  Part 19  Part 20  Part 21

Tag List: @evix-syne666 @renaissan-vvitch @deadlydodos @scarletzgo @messrs-weasley @kodaik97 @thedragonsaunt @butterflysandpeppermint @gregre369 @nelotegreitic @sundead @artiststarme @fandemonium-takes-its-toll @thing-a-ling @anaibis @garden-of-gay @matchingbatbites @spectrum-spectre @winterbuckwild @steve-the-hairrington @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lifeisnotsobadonceyoustopcaring @babyblender @cursedfoxteeth @novelnovella @throwbackthrowaway @strangersteddierthings @shrimply-a-menace @emly03

[chantillylace111]

•°•Hot Girl Tips•°•

Hydrogen peroxide removes period stains

Rubbing alcohol and/or hand sanitizer removes nail polish

The amount of water you need to drink= your weight÷2, then that number÷8 so for example 100÷2=50÷8=6.25 so if you weigh 100 pounds you would need at least six 8oz glasses of water per day

Sugar wax>>> here's a recipe: 1 cup of white sugar, 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup of lemon juice (lime works too) combine the ingredients in a saucepan and let them boil until golden brown. The easiest way to test the wax is to have a small bowl of ice water and drop a little bit of the wax into it. When the wax is ready, you'll be able to roll it into a soft ball and it will keep its shape. When this consistency is reached, put it in a glass jar (make sure the jar isn't cold otherwise it will crack) and let it cool off for at least an hour. Once cool, apply it in the opposite direction of hair growth and wax awayyyy

Diy cuticle oil: olive oil and vitamin E oil. You could add a drop or two of essential oil if you want. The amount of oil you need depends on your container so for mine it was a tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of vitamin E.

Diy dry shampoo: 3 parts cornstarch and 1 part baking soda.

Healthy drink to ease bloating and get in your vitamins and minerals: 1/2 cucumber, a few sticks of celery, kale or another dark green of your choice, lemon juice, turmeric (a little goes a long way) and ginger. Fresh is best but any ginger you have will work. Fill the blender to the max line with water, and blend until liquid. You can strain it if you want, but you don't have to. It doesn't taste great, but in the long run it is worth ittt

Smelling good is such a wonderful thing for so many reasons. First, pick a scent. Or at the very least a top 3 like I have: vanilla, Dior Blooming Bouquet, and Sol De Janeiro '68. I also use the classic scent from Soap and Glory (rose and bergamot). The first and most important thing is to find a good deodorant. Which one works for you depends on your body chemistry, but dove is always a safe bet :). Next, find a good shower routine. Having all of your shower products smell similar will keep the scent lasting longer. And, of course, shower at least every other day. Washing your hair is different bc your hair washing routine depends on your hair type. And of course you must find a body lotion that matches your other shower products.

Last and final tip for today: keep your nails and hands healthy and pretty by moisturizing your hands with hand cream. I like this one by Burts bees, this one from Eucerin, and this one from Dior (pricey I know but it's w o r t h itt).

That's it! Tysm

[milksuu]

Hii! This is my first time sending a request haha! Well, could you Heartsteel Aphelios with Reader who’s a hardcore Gamer?

(I mean, like ungodly amounts of hours on a multitude of games. Always hitting new high scores. And the classic, eyebags from lack of sleep.)

⌜heartsteel!aphelios x fem!reader⌟ ╰ ❝ YOU CAN'T WIN A GIRLFRIEND IN A 1 V 1 ! ❞

❥ prompt: Aphelios thought there wasn't a single soul in the entire universe stupid enough to challenge him to a 1v1. But apparently, the 'God of Gaming' thought to use their last brain cell to bet their final testament. Little did you know, you'd fall from grace, then forced to play in some idols sick twisted game of pay-back. ❥ content/warnings: enemies to lovers vibe, affectionate bullying, name calling, teasing, fake relationship, fluff (?), 100% emotional dmg ( + crit. bonus on reader)

░꒱♡‿ִ₊˚→ 'GOD OF GAMING'....that's what they call you. An immortal being born to play and dominate the realm of video games in all facets. Sleep's inevitably for the weak and uncommitted. It's a mark of honor to wield dark, heavy under bags beneath your eyes, so long as it meant keeping your rightful place on the throne.

Even in the realm of FPS, no one dares contest your dominance on top of the leaderboard. It's impossible for anyone who even thinks to get more than three hours of daily sleep. Until this night, at the deathly hour of 3 A.M on a Tuesday, an unknown player sweeps in announced. First round on top was a newby flook. You were busy taking a few breaks in game to sip on your energy drink. Second time, the damn bastard is kill stealing from even your weakest team mates. Third time he makes top of the leaderboards...now that's a personal attack on your reputation.

It's not long till various social tweets race like wildfire across all media platforms. Nothing more than constant jabs and reminders of how fickle your place is in this revolving door of a world. It makes you crinkle your fifth can of gamer fuel. There's only one way to respond to this usurper trying to contest your territory.

░꒱♡‿ִ₊˚→ APHELIOS sits back in his chair, tapping a finger on his desk. He narrows his eyes against a blaring screen. Who even was this? He had no clue. All he can recall is playing some random game out of boredom, then a monsoon of social tweets pestering him and some other guy who likes gaming. Maybe a little too much, he suspects.

He does his own social media rummaging, scuffing at his findings. You practically live inside your room, dedicating your whole life to playing video games. Apparently, it's your entire livelihood. He doesn't envy you one bit; pity is the better word that comes to mind. Your entire aesthetic is wearing an oversized hoodie that covers everything (probably your man boobs), and even your face. Except for your eyes. Holy hell, those eyebags were heavier than Sett's banana hammock on a hot summer's day.

Lazily, he opens up his calendar; checking event dates, rehearsal dates, fan meet dates. Tomorrow's his only free day for the week. Luckily for you, that's the one day you demanded from him. And of course some holed-up undesirable would ask another guy to challenge him at a internet cafe. No big deal. He'd set aside a few minutes to put you in your place. Then, completely forget about your entire existence the next day.

Aphelios accepts the challenge and locks in the date. When the day of divine retribution comes, he shows up twenty-minutes before hand. He purposely waits in front of the internet cafe you chose. Only to enjoy the sight of watching some idiot (you) sweating in a hoodie, barely able to catch your breath before you stood at his feet. Oddly enough, something different turns the corner. Eye-catching, even.

"Hey. Looks like you didn't chicken out on me," you comment, brushing away your done up hair from your shoulder. "Guess I'll give you kudos for that."

Aphelios does a double-take, trying to process the image of you online to what's standing in front of him. From his perspective, you look every bit of a model that just stepped out of a photo shoot. Where did those bags go? Man boobs? No, girl boobs? Was being reversed cat-fished a thing?

(Imagine the power of a whole eight hours of sleep and wardrobe change)

You quirk a brow at his silent, mile-long stare. "Um, yeah. Let's make this quick. I have plans to go shopping after this. So I want to get this over with so I can get on with my day. Sound good to you?"

Before he can respond, you brush pass him, slipping through the doors behind. Blinking away his sense of whiplash, Aphelios follows. It's not surprising to find a group of fans swarming and buzzing around the entire place. He's still stun-locked by your unexpected appearance. Observing as you go about in graceful fashion, greeting and hugging those in support of you.

"How about we make a deal before we start," you approach him again, placing your hands hotly on your hips. "I win, and you announce on all your social media platforms that I'm the better player. And your terms?"

Aphelios pauses. He made a hasty assumption. Thinking you were some guy living like a wall rat inside his own apartment. The slight margin of error has his lips curling in the most sadistic fashion. This was going to work out much more in his favor. And there's no intention of letting you off so easily. Being an attractive girl was never a default for mercy. He pulled out his cell, and typed the following:

If I win, you have to be my girlfriend for a month.

░꒱♡‿ִ₊˚→ YOU READ the words out loud, and the whole atmosphere cuts to silence. Your mouth trembles, before you burst with laughter as does the rest of the room. Clutching your cramping stomach, you swat the air in frantic motions. "Y-You can't be serious," you say with attempts to catch your breath. "You think you're going to win? That's so funny. How embarrassing for you. To think you'd even have a single chance to date me." Calming your breaths, you send him one final death glare and spit out the word. "Delusional."

Walking to take your seat, you ignore his unfaltering gaze trailing you. There's a glint in his eyes that tells you he's enjoying whatever hamster wheel is spinning inside his head. You need to add the poor hamster is obviously sick, forced into labour and probably part of a lab experiment.

When the match starts, no one feels the need to invest too much into the game. You were, after all, the 'God of Gaming'. It wasn't going to be a fair match to begin with. Until the game ends before anyone can blink twice; especially you.

The rule to win the round was simple; land the first headshot. Needles to say, you didn't.

Your eyes widen against the screen. Your death screen pops, and your lifeless body collapses. Adding unnecessary amounts of salt in the wound, your scumbag of an opponent crouches over your head. Repeatedly. Your trembling vision shifts away, past your monitor to the opposite side. Slowly, Aphelios leans casually into view, a cocky eyebrow cinched high into his forehead.

You grit your teeth, hand tightening into fists that would mark the inside of you palms. Pestering whispers and scandalous talk rise and echo around you. There's no way to escape the shame. You bow your head in defeat. What else can you do? There wasn't any use in fighting. You have to save whatever drop of class and honor you have left. Anything out of pocket, and your whole reputation could crumble. You push yourself away from the desk, pacing to meet your bastard of an opponent on the other side.

"Good...good game," your voice strangles to leave your tight lips. You try hard not to ruin your face with a scowl. Especially when Aphelios stands pretty damn tall, staring down at you like a child that just had good a spanking. Taking out his phone, he shows you some text:

Sure. Guess you would call it a good game. And now that you're my girlfriend, it's only reasonable to go on a date with me. As my reward and all. Those were the terms. Right?

The blood inside your veins boil. You want nothing more than to slap that phone out of his hands, and crush it beneath your heels. You reserve to grinding your teeth. Aphelios merely smiles through a devilish crinkle in his blood moon eyes. And it's now dawning on you; he's made a full-proof plan to make you suffer.

From what I know, girlfriend's hold onto their boyfriends hands. And also call them 'babe' as a loving pet name. Right?

You want to scream at the top of your lungs right now. Holding your breath, you withhold it from your surrounding scrutiny. When he reaches out his hand, you take it tensely. He chuckles when your manicured nails dig aggressively into the skin of his hand.

It’s cute how badly my girlfriend wants to hold my hand. I’d be careful, though. The harder she squeezes, the more I kind of like it.

You gulp and loosen your grip. Honestly, where the hell does he get off saying stuff like that so casually? How humiliating. And it was just the start of your month of impending doom.

Like any ‘proper’ date, he drags you to one of his usual spots in town for a meal. It's odd to witness him take the lead so naturally; as if you really were his damn girlfriend. When he offers to order and pay for the both of you, you almost hesitate. However, you weren't going to turn down a free meal. Even if it came from your current worst enemy.

“Oh. Um…then I’ll have the burger. No pickles.” Aphelios sends you a yard long stare, and you know he's siphoning you for more. You blush, turning a cheek. “Please, b-babe?”

You can tell he leers underneath his mask, like a cat whose gotten his cream. He leaves you briefly, before returning and setting a tray of food in front of you. For a moment, you stare at the hamburger with warranted skepticism. You raise your pair of squinting eyes at Aphelios, whose already pulled down his mask to quietly enjoy his meal. After a beat, you lower your restraints, and slowly take a bite. You immediately stiffen and gag, spitting up into a napkin. There's definitely pickles—loads of them.

Aphelios almost chokes on his own laugher at your award winning expression of disgust. He slides his phone across the table:

Oh. Sorry. I thought you said extra pickles. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Freaking bastard! Before you can smack his phone off the table, he snatches it back to the safety of his pocket. With a growl, you slough off the heaps and slices of fermented food. You're able to de-pickle the patty, but there's little joy in eating something with the faint essence of the nastiest condiment.

And after a not-so-enjoyable lunch, he takes you to a nearby pâtisserie for dessert. While waiting, and you have a half a mind to run out. Or call the local circus so they can come get their evil clown back. You're terrified to see what he's planning to bring you. And when he does, your mouth instantly waters. You stare down at a cute, decorative dessert parfait. It looks perfect with no hidden pickles (don't put it past him though). Your eyes glisten at the extravagant layers of yogurt, fruit compote, and whipped cream. Not to mention, the glazed whole strawberries on top, glittering with snow powder sugar. Giddy with excitement, you almost forget the silent devil sitting next to you. Before you can take the first bite, Aphelios intercepts your hand, brings it to his lips, and claims it for himself.

There's only one spoon, you know. And like any good girlfriend, it only makes sense to hand feed her boyfriend. Down to the very. last. bite.

There's a twitch in your face. You really want to dump the whole dessert pile onto his head. Unfortunately, that would be a major insult to the parfait. Exhaling your fury through your nostrils, you belly the desire to murder him with a plastic spoon. Grumbling, you perform your embarrassing 'girlfriend' duty. Nearing the end of this round of torture, he smiles—all at your expense, of course.

Wow. Am I full. Thanks for that. I'm actually feeling kind of generous from all your devoted attention. Tell you what. I'll let you have the last bite.

"Yeah, right," you snort. "Like I would ever share the same spoon with you, let alone anything you've touched on this Earth—hmph!" Before you can finish your berating monologue, Aphelios flips your hand around and slips the spoon inside your mouth.

ㅉㅉ You shouldn't talk with your mouth full. Silly. You might choke. And I rather not have that on my conscious.

You whine, trying to swallow your way through a verbal tantrum. Who knew it'd be so difficult to argue with delicious yogurt in your mouth? Still, reality settles shortly after the sweetness melts from your tongue. A certain thought springs a bitter aftertaste. For all intents and purposes, you both just shared an indirect kiss.

You smack the spoon on the table, feeling your face heat up. Yet, he's just sitting there, sly with composure. Not bothered by any of it—this sick 'fake dating' sims game. It wasn't fair. Nothing about this was fair! How many times did you have such an experience through your dating visual novel games? Too many to count. Yet, despite all those perfect moments with your various 2-D boyfriends, this fake 3-D imposter, just ruined the whole trope experience for you. There was no way you could replay those scenes and not think about your suffering today. You would damn this man to Hell again, but obviously, he enjoys vacationing there.

It was funny when you thought your gruelling date would conclude after dessert. Aphelios made sure to think of various, and random places to drag you to for no good reason. He's perfecting the art of physically and mentally exhausting you. Stroll in the park? He may or may not have put a caterpillar on your head. Watch you freak out about it, and then relish in having you beg him to help you. Lovely time window shopping at an outdoor mall? He makes sure to slip away and watch you panic trying to find him in the mass of busy bodies. Before you know where your head's at, you blink up against lit downtown buildings, store fronts and street lights.

Well, today's been fun. Just one last thing to make this date perfect. Something my girlfriend will definitely love.

An all too knowing smile creases his mask again. Taking your hand, he leads you away to the next destination in mind. With your eyes half-lidded with fatigue and feet already beaten to a pulp by your heels, you force yourself to stop caring. Like everything else, you'll just go along with it and pray it's over soon.

⌜LUV-U ♡ HOTEL⌟

Your mouth drops at the sight of a pink and flickering neon sign a few steps away. Did he really just drag you to a Love Hotel!? You swallow hard. Nevermind, you did care. You cared a lot! "This has to be a joke, right? You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to let you take me inside—"

You're cut short as you're tugged forward. Nearing the entrance, your heart pounds louder than the surrounding nightlife. Your thoughts are racing. And watching another couple walk out looking rather satisfied with their stay doesn't help your emotions at all. That is, until he casually leads you past the hotel and around the corner, where there's vending machine against the wall. He releases his hold and gestures to it.

What are you talking about? Take you inside where? And no. There's no joke about this being the best vending machine in town for canned coffee. ㅎ_ㅎ

You stare with dumbfounded horror as he purchases two cans, and places one in your stiff hands. You look down at your coffee and contemplate just about everything up till this point. How big of a mistake it was to meet someone like him. Worse yet, be at his mercy over a stupid bet you set in place...and actually lost. How did your life turn out this way? Regret and humiliation well up as tears against your eyes. You pinch your bottom lip between your teeth. With the last of your dignity on the line; you'd rather die at this point than cry in front of him.

░꒱♡‿ִ₊˚→ APHELIOS lowers his drink from his lips, watching you from the side of his lashes. Looks like you were at your limit. Maybe he went a little too far. But every bit of his ego wants to rationalize it was well deserved. A pestering knot tightens like a fist at the base of his sternum. It bothers him enough to turn his neutral expression into a frown. His gaze catches your trembling legs, and traces them all the way down to your heels. His eyes widen by a margin; it's insane to think you hadn't complained about your feet hours ago. Looks like that knot wasn't going away anytime soon.

He tosses away your cans and raises his phone:

Take off your heels.

"What?" You're at a complete loss for words. Was he now going to force you to walk barefoot on the gross streets? You shake your head. "No way. Forget it. If you want me to take them off so bad, then do it yourself—Jerk!"

Aphelios flutters his eyelids in annoyance. More so that, for a split moment, he found himself not entirely hating the insult used against him. Forgetting the stupid interruption of his brain, he bends down and starts unlacing your straps. "H-Hey, wait a second you freaking weirdo. I didn't actually mean it literally."

It doesn't take much effort to hoist you onto his back, wrap your arms around his neck, and press your thighs snug against his waist. He anticipates a spit fire reaction. To his surprise, you simply huff and puff out your cheeks, muttering another possible insult. Honestly, he was sure you would've taken this opportunity to choke him out in a headlock. (He would've done it, but glad you didn't).

With a final adjustment, he hands you his cell phone, open with the map application. It seems it takes you a moment to realize he wants you to put your address so that he can dump you back wherever you live.

"You really plan on carrying me all the way to my house?" He can't see your expression, but by delivery alone, he can hear the blush in your cheeks. After a few taps and a mutter, he gets his phone back. "You better delete my address later. Or your new name's going be 'Stalker'."

Aphelios can't help but scuff. Like he would waste any more of his free time on inflating your already big head. He wonders how you even manage to fit your head through any shirt holes.

For a short while, you don't speak. As he walks through more quieter neighborhood streets, he feels your body condense further into his back.

"Mm, you know, for a being a cold jerk...somehow, you feel super warm," you breathe sleepily against his earlobe.

After a mumble or two, you commit to a terribly sleepy idea. Closing your eyes, you place your lips against his neck. Lingering, your mouth is soft and warm against his skin. Slightly sticky from whatever lip gloss you still have left. After the longest moment of his life, you abandon your spot. But he can feel your sleep drunk smile from how close your lips still are.

"Heh, there..I already kissed you, so...now you can't make me do it later....jerk."

When you finally doze off with light breathes and snores, Aphelios comes to a complete halt. It takes a moment to process. Then, without his consent, his neutral complexion flushes bright pink. The spot where you kissed him feels like it's burning a hole straight through him, down to his thumping pulse. He exhales a hot and heavy breath. It's warm enough to puff in the night air. With a shake of his head, he finds his walking pace, continuing towards your apartment.

He refuses to let you sway him with whatever tricks and flirts you have up your sleeve. He wasn't a swoonful idiot like most. And Aphelios knows he has a whole month worth of you still left. He'd make sure you always knew who you were dealing with. And by the end of it all, he'd make sure you'd never be able to get him off your mind.

A brewing smirk lifts one corner of his lips. This game was going to be more fun than he expected. And just like every other game, he would ultimately win.

Too bad for you, he mused to himself.

an;; ahhh thank you all for all your sweet messages i've been receiving through my hiatus. really appreciate it. trying to get back in the swing of things of answering anon. reqs. and working on my cleaning lady fic as well.

ngl, i swear, i hc so hard the phel can be such a sadistic/vengful bitch hell bent ruining anyone's life. like hes so unbothered by things and keeps to himself, that the minute you try to test him in that department, yeah no, you're officially on his shit list for life. how sweet how my man can hold grudge. <3

[ugh-yoongi]

Hi! For the Valentine’s Day drabble I was thinking there’s an office Valentine’s Day party and namjoon and y/n are both single but somehow they end up hooking up in a broom closet. 😭😭

boy oh boy was i glad to get an excuse to write some namjoon porn after this whirlwind of a day! mr. shows up to the office 15 minutes late with starbucks a giant ass hickey on his neck thinking his coworkers wouldn't notice....... hoe behavior.

this is rushed bc i've had brainworms since yoongi's tour announcement, my bad! unedited again bc we die like men.

pairing: namjoon x f. reader

genre: pwp, crack/humor, office au

rating: explicit. minors dni.

warnings: swearing, catboy yoongi agenda, taehyung is a menace, mentions of drug use (weed), reader wears a dress and is a bit of a brat, one (1) spank, fingering, protected sex in an office closet.

wordcount: 1.2k

not taking anymore drabble requests, but feel free to come yell at me about how unhinged this week has been in bts world

(The party had been Taehyung’s idea.

A nice way to break up the afternoon, he’d said, because it wasn’t like Q1 was already slow as it was; wasn’t like you spent most of your workday typing gibberish into empty Word documents to appear busy. Point is: there was no soulless office monotony to break up, Seokjin just hadn’t felt like arguing, so he’d signed off on the Valentine’s Day party without even reading Taehyung’s harebrained proposal.)

“There’s a chocolate fountain in the cafeteria,” Yoongi says, voice bordering on stunned disbelief as he drops into his cubicle next to yours. “It has edible glitter in it.”

“Yeah,” you retort, because there certainly is a chocolate fountain with edible glitter in it in the cafeteria and Seokjin had signed off on it without sparing a second to think. “Taehyung’s idea.”

Yoongi scoffs. “Were the heart-shaped bath bombs his idea too?”

“Haven’t seen those. Where’d he put them?”

“In the toilets. He’s gonna ruin the plumbing. Seokjin’s gonna throw a fucking fit, and we’re accounting, so he’s gonna make it our problem.” Yoongi groans. Plonks his head down on his desk. “I bet he’s gonna cut the Cat Fridays budget to cover the cost.”

“Oh no,” you intone, “not Cat Fridays.”

Yoongi picks his head up only to glare at you. “Fuck off. Some of us need the stress relief.”

“So grow up and smoke weed like an adult, Yoongi.”

“I have asthma, you fucking prick—”

Yoongi’s tirade—which you’re sure was going to be effective and logical and would not, at all, devolve into baseless name-calling—is interrupted by Taehyung, who appears behind you out of nowhere and sprinkles confetti over your and Yoongi’s desks. “Surprise! Party time!”

“Taehyung, I swear to fuck—”

But then Taehyung’s gone, the copious amounts of heart-shaped confetti the only proof he’d been there at all. Your desk neighbor looks murderous, but the lure of the chocolate fountain is strong, especially when there’s little tea cakes, too, so it’s not really a surprise that he nearly bulldozes you into the wall to get there first.

It’s not that you hate Valentine’s Day. You don’t even dislike it, because you actually like those chalky conversation hearts so everyone offloads them onto you, it’s just a little hard to focus when Kim Namjoon strolls in wearing a silk shirt with the top button undone. It’s doubly hard to focus when Jeongguk zeroes in on him immediately, and goes, “What is that?”

You pretend not to hear it, because they can’t suspect you if you don’t react, and a reaction is exactly what Jeongguk is looking for.

“What is what,” Namjoon replies, sounding as nonplussed as ever. You’d buy it, if you didn’t know him as well as you do, but because you do, you know it’s a farce. Any second now he’s going to crack. Sooner, if anyone presses him on it.

You hear someone click their tongue. Maybe Jeongguk, but you aren’t turning around to check. You can already feel how warm your cheeks are; there’s no way you’d be able to hide it.

“That thing on your neck.” Oh, god, that’s Jimin’s voice.

Namjoon chuckles. Acts like this entire conversation is beneath him, and that’s definitely doing something for you. Definitely has you squeezing your thighs together as you stand next to the stupid chocolate fountain, trying to eavesdrop over the mechanical whirring. “I got hurt at the gym last night.”

“The gym,” Jimin repeats, and it’s clear he doesn’t buy it. “And what were you doing at the gym that resulted in a neck injury? You just said the other day you haven’t been working out much.”

“CrossFit.”

“Wait, I’m confused. Were you doing CrossFit or were you at the gym?”

“He was doing CrossFit at the gym. He just said that—”

“No he wasn’t,” Jeongguk argues. “That’s like saying you were doing gym at the gym, it doesn’t make sense—”

You roll your lips to keep from laughing. Look up at seemingly the perfect time, because Namjoon’s already looking at you, gaze all but saying, see what you did? And, yeah, you do—you can see it loud and clear, all the way from the other side of the room, because that dark bruise on his neck is courtesy of you. Roughly three days old, given in the dark of his bedroom after company drinks on Friday.

So you tamper your embarrassment. Shrug a little. Dip a strawberry into Taehyung’s ridiculous chocolate fountain with the edible glitter and stare as you bring it to your mouth, wrap your lips around it. Jimin and Jeongguk are still arguing, and Namjoon is just watching, corners of his mouth quirked up infinitesimally.

Then he gestures to the hallway.

Mouths meet me there.

And you know what that means.

It’s frenzied and hurried from the start. Namjoon’s everywhere and nowhere at once—skimming, pinching, grabbing at every inch of skin he can get his hands on before they disappear, move onto someplace else. “This is gonna have to be quick,” he says, already breathless, and you can’t help but roll your eyes.

“No shit.”

That earns you a smack on the ass. “Keep this out of the way,” he says, pushing your dress up and over your hips. “See, this is the reason I told you no marks.”

There’s a riposte on the tip of your tongue, something obvious like you weren’t complaining when I was giving it to you, and Namjoon must know this because he pulls your underwear to the side and sinks two fingers into your cunt. Embarrassing, how seamless the slide is; how there’s no friction, just his large fingers pressing insistently on your g-spot.

He groans. Aborts the sound halfway so he doesn’t get the two of you caught. “Love how you’re always so wet for me.”

“Not you,” you retort. “Got really excited about the chocolate fountain.” You can’t see him, considering he’s got you bent over at the waist, but you know he’s rolling his eyes.

“I shouldn’t fuck you at all, since you wanna be a brat.”

“Yeah, I think HR would be inclined to agree—”

He cuts you off with another swat to your ass. Stops touching you only as long as it takes to roll on a condom, and then he’s pressing inside. It’s all heat: Namjoon rolling his hips at a steady pace, careful to be quiet; his fingers immediately moving to rub at your clit, because this definitely has to be quick; him whispering pure filth in that deep voice of his.

You’re teetering on the edge of the quickest orgasm of all time when your blurt out, “Is Yoongi allergic to cats?”

Namjoon just groans again. Pure annoyance. Plays along. Says, “I don’t know, why?”

“Be-because he said he can’t—fuck—smoke weed because he ha-has asthma, but he’s really—oh fuck, I’m gonna come—really scared Seokjin’s gonna—fuuuuuuck—gonna get rid of Cat Fridays.”

Namjoon thrusts harder, reaches deeper. “Will you just shut up and come? Who cares about Yoongi right now—”

Then, because both Yoongi and the universe hate you, there’s a knock on the door. “Really weird you two are in there talking about me while you’re fucking.”

And Namjoon must have some kind of voyeurism kink he hasn’t told you about, because he moans low and spills into the condom.

[nonokoko-is-daydreaming]

Post-graduation hcs part 1

I have been thinking about what might await the boys once they graduate, realistically speaking. I'm tempted to do another hc series similar but them as parents or with a s/o or something 🙈. Sorry, some are shorter than others. Hope you like them:

🌹 Riddle

He moved in an apartment with Trey and Chenya temporarily until he has enough savings to live on his own, alternatively moves in with his s/o, if he has one, ideally after graduation. He had been preparing for an independent life away from home post-overblot without telling his parents and when the moment arrives there's probably a big fight between them, especially when Mrs Rosehearts discover he won't study to become a magical doctor like she planned.

In his birthday vignette he shows interest in studying law, so I think he would be a judge. To me it's canon because it's a reference of how the Queen of Hearts was the judge in Wonderland trials.

Riddle disappointed his parents —more like infuriated Mrs Rosehearts— and had multiple arguments with his mom about what his future but he no longer cares what she says. He might like to continue being in contact if they come to terms he's free to do whatever he wants with his life; most likely only his father accepts this. #DisneyletRiddlehaveatleastoneredeemedparentchallenge

Riddle will need time to heal and accept this rupture is the best for him, but he'll still look at the past and mourn for the childhood and family he never had. He likes his job but sometimes he feels beyond exhausted after certain cases. Praying he gets the growth spurt or self confidence on his height he deserves 🙏

♠ Deuce

Deuce had one goal already in mind since his early freshman days, being a police officer, and by his determination you can bet he worked on it until the dream became a reality. Needless to say mama spade is super proud of her boy.

Oh the delinquent angsty teenager becoming a police. The irony. The amount of comments and stories his mom will share with his friends when they come to their hometown. They're not letting it live down.

Trey mentioned in chapter 5 that the best mages from fire and policemen are recruited by an international organization called Arcane Response Unit, which if I remember correctly it's the one that responds in OB cases when they aren't extremely dangerous. I find it sweet imagining Riddle and him keep seeing each other due their jobs.

❤ Ace

I'm sorry I have no idea which career he could be interested in (╥﹏╥) Maybe when we know his unique magic and more about him I'll write something else. But you know that joke shop the Weasley twins had where they sold magic artifacts and miscellaneous stuff?? Yeah, that could suit him. I believe he could have more ambition than just owning a shop though...idk

After graduation I can see Ace, Deuce, Grim and MC choosing to share an apartment while studying their major studies, if MC is still in TWST of course. Main trouble gang now as roommates, imagine the chaos.

♣ Trey

If he's roommates with Chenya and Riddle, they split chores: he's in charge of the cooking most of the time. He's also the one who keeps most contact with Heartslabyul classmates due his popularity as the "dad friend", but his closest relationships aside from Riddle are with Cater and Adeuce. Often reminds them via message to rest and gets upset if he finds out they have been slacking on a healthy lifestyle after moving away from home.

Either chooses to run his family bakery after his parents retire or becomes a chef in some restaurant. I imagine Azul would be interested in keeping Trey close or tries to hire him for his restaurant business.

♦ Cater

Your Cay-Cay keeps being fire on Magicam! ✧⁺ /hj

Just like Ace I believe Cater tried to make the most out of his school life, so planning from the start what he exactly was going to do wasn't in his top priorities. He knew he still wanted to have time for social media, and despite some minor existential crisis about his future he was realistically listing his abilities and cons in his search for okay-ish jobs.

Eventually he set up for working on social media management or marketing: him being able to read the room + being updated with the latest trends and internet language + meme culture + his obsession liking of Magicam + knowledge to make great pics to post = Best job for him!

In spite of the time being a publicist for brands and influencers take he still updates his Magicam account. Not exactly a worldwide star but I can see him having around +500K overtime and even hitting the million there or in his twst youtube channel. Because of his job and hobby he still cross path with Vil sometimes.

About his family... Just like Riddle I see him looking forward to move in #ASAP, but Cater kept in contact with his family because their relationship still could still be fixed. Therapy may be needed to further explore and heal his family issues and roots of his depression but eventually he's better, if anything still a bit salty with his sisters (don't get me wrong everyone here should go but Cater is in the list or easier to convince) Extra good sis points if they are the ones who talk with Cay-Cay about going to therapy and agree to go with him if asked <3

🦁 Leona

For a moment I wrongly thought "This man is filthy rich, I 100% can see him not doing anything with all the money he has if he feels like it." before the realisation that contradicts his character smacked me in the face. Seeing how he denied the idea of losing without a fight in the tournament I think he'll try to exit his title as being only the second born and make a name for himself.

Given he's a respected leader in his dorm and how he can put in work his leadership skills when the moment requires it Leona would want to be involved in his kingdom management.

Leona has a tattoo that resembles Scar's, and I think that was a symbol of the royal guard, so maybe he'd become royal guard captain. Something like an ambassador or related to military or diplomatic relationships, representing the royal family and travelling for politic reasons.

Knowing Leona he'd be keep ignoring his depression until others talk him out of that procrastinating attitude and force convince him to search help, most likely his s/o or Farena's wife scolding, since it seems he'd do what they tell him even if it's grudgingly. Cheka probably goes to RSA and by then any ill feelings towards his nephew are gone, although he'll always act like he annoys him.

🍩 Ruggie

In Ruggie SSR dorm card is shown Ruggie is fluent at Animal Linguistics. With his participation at the Animal Linguistics Speech Contest I'm positive he could find a job about it, perhaps work alongside Leona as the royal family interpreter.

Regardless of which career he chooses he'll make some good cash and after receiving paychecks he'll spoil his grandma and give small treats to his neighbours by buying a lot of food and making occasional meals for everybody when he visits.

🐺 Jack

Unless he marries somebody whose homeland is different I picture him living in his hometown tending to his cactus. He has a nice house, big enough to raise some kids, and space enough to grew his plants. Man has simple needs and he is content with it.

Definitely the most likely who ends up having a spouse out of all the students, closely followed by Epel and Rook imo.

At first I was blank about his career but thanks to a user on Reddit I agree with them that Jack could be a personal coach or some sort of athletic instructor, for instance ski/snowboard teacher since he likes it. Or a professional athlete.

🐙 Azul

Azul invests in the market and hit big numbers earlier than anybody else. Technically he doesn't need to work anymore or worry about making an income but he still runs a restaurant, expanding his empire as the owner of high quality restaurants both in land and sea. Chains like Applebee's are shit under his foot in comparison lol

Still trying to keep in contact with his dear classmates who he spent so many wonderful days Definitely not because he could use having the Asim new family leader or the royal captain or a honourable judge like Riddle or the STYX leader nono-

🐬 Jade & Floyd 🦈

The ones who mop the floor with Azul's competition

They are still by Azul's side, but they continue in their family business behind the scenes. Probably meet Riddle in the courtyard. Not because they are careless to leave traces behind mind you, Floyd just felt like squeezing some annoying dude and the law is being unfunny and charging him for aggression. Jade is never caught on the things his twin is accused of, but Riddle has the feeling he's never too far from the fights.

Each time the case is closed or paid with community services. Azul pays the penalty fees and the octotrio always act oh so casually about it while getting in Riddle's nerves. Poor golfishie thought he'd see the last of them after ending NRC and now he's near a mental breakdown when he reads "Leech" in his next trial file. Said trials must be a sight to behold, which is why Jade goes whenever he's not busy, amused.

👑 Vil

The octatrio preferably lives on land for different reasons: Floyd has an expensive and varied shoe collection he can't wear underwater, Jade happily built a greenhouse for his terrariums, and Azul has houses both in land and sea to supervise his restaurants and going on vacation when he feels like it.

Despite their shared shady business is likely the twins do secondary jobs to entertain themselves: Floyd keeps starting projects and dropping them once he gets bored, from modelling to participate in monster truck events. Jade studied economics and is in charge of the financial administrations of the business, but is member of a mountain lovers forum and its most active and enthusiastic user.

Vil had already planned his career since a child. However, he continued to expand his horizons: actor, super model, movie director, guionist, activist for lgbt rights and other causes, maybe helping Crewel to make a new fashion collection for upcoming seasons...you know, he takes Barbie's motto seriously. Probably loves being a director because he can envision and lead a movie while being on screen. He's Barbie because he can be everything he decides to be except being more popular than Neige

He keeps in contact with several classmates, including Rook, Epel, occasionally Cater etc. He has an online shop that sells products made by himself, except collabs he makes with other brands like Azul's moisturiser. Don't worry Floyd is okay, they found other merman to use :)

🏹 Rook

✨ Le chasseur de tes cauchemars ✨

Leona and company keep feeling observed, he has many people terrified. If hunter isn't his job then it must be related to beauty, but because he sees beauty in everything I'm not sure. Perhaps he has the same job as whatever his family worked to get all those villas but maybe they are just rich and inherited that CMON DISNEY TELL ME IF HIS FAM HAS A SHADY BUSINESS ALREADY! ARE THEY COPS?? WTF I NEED INFO

If he doesn't follow his family footsteps he could enjoy working as a photographer, capturing the inner beauty of the world both as a naturalist photographer and a fashion one. Hunting and stalking are his hobbies.

One of those who has higher chancer to get married at some point I think, but it's a bit tricky. He sure loves many things but something about it tells me in the present time he thinks he still has so many beautiful things and people to meet that he cannot imagine committing to somebody for the rest of his life yet?? Unless that person was fine he would marvel and compliment and stalk anyone he's around...

Open to having a longtime and stable relationship but it would make more sense if he waits until later in his life to get married in my opinion, realistically speaking at least. But be could also jump straight to marriage if his love for his s/o is that big, if his s/o is Neige, Vil or someone he adores as much as them.

🍎 Epel

Another student who had his future somewhat well thought out since he was a freshman.

Not long after graduation he studies a major degree and works in his family farm, trying to improve the Harveston farmers laboral conditions by implementing innovative methods to grow apples more resistant to cold temperatures...First he has to convince the skeptic elderly that technology and science can mesh together with tradition just fine. (This idea is from what he says in the Harveston event)

As weird as it sounds I can see Epel gaining more muscle after all those years working out. I'm divided between him growing taller or being ripped but continue being the shortest of the first year gang lol

[drunes]

ACADIA. A dark academia, gallery wall character template.

CLICK HERE TO GET LINK

FREE to copy and use for any OC your heart desires. Feel free to add and adjust as wanted.

All character images and text are customizable. Along with some other bits and bobs (Picture frames around character images)

Fonts used: Marck Script, Caveat

Character pictures: Lance Reis via Unsplash

Please use the following instructions to change character photos. Using other methods are liable to alter other aspects of the template.

To change character photo/ bits and bobs:

1. Double click on border of the page you wish to change. This will open the drawing tool.

2. Click on image you would like to change.

3. Click the “More” (three dots) button on the top right.

4. Click “Replace image”.

5. Upload picture of choice.

6. Click “Select”.

7. Review your change. Alter if necessary.

8. Click “Save and Close”.

Notes on text

-   Changing fonts/font sizes may cause changes to tables. Use caution and remember the undo button!-   Amounts of text which increase the size of a table may alter the template. If you run out of space, adding further text elsewhere and linking to it may be your best bet.

Happy RPing!

[heartss4val]

𝐞𝐝𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐞 𝐡𝐜'𝐬

summary. headcanons of your relationship with edmund pevensie before dating. (fem reader)

— straight up fluff, nothing else. PART 1/2

— Caspian introducing you to him as a friend, and Edmund being absolutely awestruck by everything about you so much so that he forgets to even tell you his name. He is visibly blushing and stuttering, unable to meet your eyes.

— Him slowly becoming more comfortable with physical touch, but ONLY if it's coming from you. But once he gets comfortable, he's always trying to find an excuse to be closer to you.

— "Accidental" hand touches (which are totally on purpose) when both of you are reaching for the same book. Then getting flustered and immediately pulling away before reaching for the same book once more and brushing hands AGAIN.

— Reciting Shakespearean quotes to each other. You two can have a whole conversation with just quotes from Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, or even A Midsummer Night’s Dream. But the quotes just keep getting more and more suggestive until you're both just absentmindedly flirting with each other without even realizing it because it just seems so natural.

— Him teaching you how to play chess, which ends up being a mistake once you two have your first chess game. Because he just ends up staring at your concentrated face, thinking you're the most beautiful thing he's ever laid his eyes upon. So he just absolutely FUMBLES. Putting his king in danger, not taking your free bishops, trading off his queen, etc. But he's okay with it because it just means he'll get to see your face light up once you realize you're winning.

— Eye contact across a crowded room. His eyes just naturally gravitate towards the most alluring thing in the room.. which happens to be you. And exchanging smiles once you realize he's staring at you. The amount of hours he's spent admiring you from afar.. he can't keep count.

— If you happen to be shorter than him, every single insecurity about his height VANISHES. The height difference ends up being a great source of enjoyment for him. He's never really the tallest in the room, so he gets some sort of pride and confidence from the height difference, even if you're only an inch shorter than him. Either way, the teasing will be astronomical.

— Him finding a way to touch you one way or the other. Picking a petal out of your hair, comparing hand sizes, or sharing an umbrella. He'll make an excuse like, "My hands are so cold, feel them." but he doesn't pull his hand away.

— Hang out's that start to feel more and more like dates. Because what kind of "best friends" lie their head in the other's lap while reading, or cuddle in the library, or give each other "TOTALLY PLATONIC AND FRIENDLY" kisses on the nose and cheeks?

— His siblings noticing that he smiles a LOT more often around you. Like he's full on blushing and fidgeting.. a blind man could tell that he likes you. Peter always finds a way to tease him about it.

— Lucy being his wingwoman because YES.

— Susan, Lucy, and Peter making bets on the two of you. Like who's going to confess first, who will initiate the first kiss, and even who will propose first. Mind you, these bets were all placed BEFORE the two of you started dating.

— Him not even realizing that he's gushing about you. Like you're all he ever talks about. Always managing to bring you into a conversation. Like, "oh, Y/N would love that." or "Y/N loves that story too. She has an impeccable taste in books, doesn't she?" He makes it wayyy to obvious..

— Unsent letters. UNSENT LETTERS. Hear me out. Him just pouring out his feelings for you, and everything he loves about you, and describing every minuscule detail about your appearance, and writing a list of your favorite things. And he laminates them and everything, writes your name on the top of the letter as if he's going to give it to you, but he never does. So his stack of letters about you, and only you, are always growing on a never-ending pile on his desk.

— Star-gazing to clear your minds, with one of his arms wrapped around your shoulder. Except his eyes aren't looking at the stars, they're trained on you, thinking about how beautiful you look in the pale moonlight.

∙ a/n woop woop! first post! hope u enjoyed it. not sure when the next update will arrive, but summer break is soon sooo?? ill probably write again once finals are over AUGH.

∙ okk, au revoir! val tuning out.

[regulusrules]

New to your blog, I was wondering if you have a Merlin fic rec list that's just your favorites. I unfortunately missed the Merlin fandom back when the show was airing so I always feel like I'm just missing the greatest stuff from other people

Hello friend! Welcome to my humble abode of a blog (which resembles more of a Merlin waste disposal). Like you, I missed the show when it was airing, but honestly when you stay as long in this fandom as I have, you will constantly be exposed to wonderful creative energies that give their all. It's a timeless fandom, one of the very few, and no matter when you enter it you will always feel fulfilled. :)

So, favourite fics! Gosh, how can I fit 2K+ bookmarks in one ask. When it comes to this fandom, I admit: I have no life. I've read a real huge number of fics throughout the years, but sometimes it's inevitable for fics to get lost in a sea of bookmarks. So to make things easier, I'll write you some canon fics that immediately come to my mind for how unforgettable they were.

No order; each one has its own chamber in my heart.

Short fic recs (1K-50K)

1. Our broken pieces by @aramblingjay. 10K, T, Canon Era, Hurt/Comfort.

Am I purposefully putting this one on top this time so that everyone who stumbles across this ask could check it out? Yes. Yes I am. Is it my personal mission for the fandom to give this fic the love and kudos it deserves? You bet it's a big overbearing yes. And yes I want you to cry and feel your heart twist with agony because of how beautiful it is. My eyes never shed tears for a fic before this one, and never will after it. There is something in the way the author broke Arthur that just resonated in my innards. And the way Merlin was there for him, not a placebo "I'm here" but there, in all actuality, doing so with every fiber of his love, made it something else. I like to believe that this fic was crafted so perfectly in a parallel universe, and sent to us as a blessing we never knew we needed.

2. Beauty in the Ashes of Our Lives by Fulgance. 21K, T, Canon AU, Magic Reveal.

This is probably the umpteenth time for me to recommend this fic, but I won't stop. I can't stop. This fic ruined me so slowly, and healed me even slower. All my Merlin friends do not believe why this would be one of my favourite fics of all time with what Arthur did, but honestly, it's the fact that the writer wrote it so convincingly that makes me crumble internally. It isn't easy to write angry Arthur, and it's even harder to write him grief-stricken, but here, the author blended both elements so perfectly. It's impossible to forget this fic. It's worth your every second.

3. Linger On Your Pale Blue Eyes by supercalvin. 18K, T, Canon Era, Touch-Starved.

Will this fic linger in your heart? It sure as hell never leaves mine. Every once in a while, I have to go back to this fic and read it like a morning paper. Some fics sustain you.. this is definitely one of them. Most of @supercalvin's fics are of sustaining material. They are made with such depth and broad understanding to the characters that you should take notes. There's this one line that everytime I cross this fic I instantly remember and I go to the nearest pillow to just AAA a little bit. When you reach it, I'm sure you'll recognise it, and I'll be waiting for you to come AAA with me.

4. Dower the Stars by RurouniHime. 40K, E, Golden Age, Pining Arthur, BAMF Merlin.

I don't think anything levels the levels of intimacy in this fic. It is one of the best Arthur characterizations I've ever read. His boundless love and pining for Merlin— oh my heart. Also, the world building and amount of research that must have been done for this fic is astounding. I was this close from following the author's footsteps and, idk, writing an entire research paper about Arthurian lore or something. The moment I read it I immediately wanted to contact the author and just tell them WHY ARE YOU BLESSING US WITH ALL THIS INSTEAD OF PUBLISHING IT?? It was amazing. I reread it a month ago for the third (fourth?) time and found myself gasping and aweing as if I never read it before. It keeps being an experience every time, one so worthwhile.

5. from hearth and ashes, we’re reborn by @remuscariad. 5K, G, Canon AU, Magic Reveal, Hurt/Comfort.

Earthshatteringly-poetic isn't a made-up word powerful enough to describe the beauty of prose here. There are fics that you open and immediately know that you're sold: this was one of them. Its summary alone dropped my jaw down to my neighbour's floor. The dialogue is so meticulously crafted it feels like reading a piece from a past era. Genuinely beautiful.

6. Half of my soul by marvelxpendragon. 2K, G, Post-Canon AU, King Arthur/Court Sorcerer Merlin.

This fic is half of my soul, as the poets say. So what if I reject the canonic ending and resort to pain myself with fics like this instead? I sometimes feel we, as a fandom, try to up the angst of the finale so that we forget how painful it was by bringing even MORE pain. But it's pain that I delight in, because it's pain that MAKES SENSE. Yes give me MCD but with a freaking beautiful life like the one this author gave us. Make me believe it was all worth something. Make me believe they lived.

7. whisper to the flame by @missfaber. 16K, E, Canon AU, Wounded Arthur, Hurt/Comfort.

*clears throat* *prepares for a mental scream*TELL ME HOW YOU LIGHT YOUR FIRESSSSS *clears throat once more and pretends I'm okay*

So, as the author wrote, this is indeed a love letter to the two characters we love more than anything. More than anything, I loved the fact that the author gave Arthur agency to think and act and be a king, even when he was still a prince. Even in most fics where Arthur already knows, this isn't common. So whenever I find a fic that has Smart!Arthur and a lovesick one at that, I would vouch my life and soul for it. Also Protective!Knights is the best thing in the world, ok? I would die for this discourse for real.

8. As a Sea Shell by bathilda bagshot (wellthengameover). 12K, T, Canon AU, Slow Burn.

Okay, so this fic is only bookmarked "Agony until 7 AM", and with that, a rush of drowning memories always come crushing my soul. I lost sleep and SANITY over this fic. I was thrown from a cliff and kept hanging in the air without a respite until the very END. I read it a couple weeks after the finale and it broke me even FURTHER. I was promised growing old together, and it was a big LIE. And yet I love it so, so dearly.

Honourary biased mention:

9. My heart is readily yours by yours truly. 11K, T, Canon AU, Protective Arthur, Hurt/Comfort.

Sometimes I don't believe I had it in me to write this. Like.. what, dearest self, the hell were you thinking. With tyismso, I somehow balanced fluff and angst— a solid magic reveal fic. But this one? I only knew ✨pain✨

.. and I don't regret a thing.

[Long fic recs]

[veliseraptor]

twenty questions for fic writers

tagged by @feralkwe - thank you! I feel like I've done this before but if I have it's been a minute so

1. How many works do you have on AO3? across pseuds I have 1,010 works. with my "current" one I'm at 607. that is more or less my entire oeuvre, though there's a fair number of short fics on tumblr I haven't gotten around to crossposting though I'd ostensibly like to at some point. eventually. maybe.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 4,873,723. aYIKES. but hey closing in on 5 million! wonder when I'll hit that. I bet I would if I posted my unfinished wips for the mcu tbh

3. What fandoms do you write for? ever or currently? the list of fandoms I have written at least one fic for (not counting ones where the one fic was a crossover) is [deep breath] the mcu, the untamed/mdzs, supernatural, the silmarillion, a song of ice and fire, black jewels trilogy, wheel of time, doctrine of labyrinths, death note, the caliban leandros series, avatar the last airbender, kinnporsche, doctor who, buffy the vampire slayer/angel, gentleman bastard sequence, marvel comics, harry potter, temeraire, good omens, code geass, realm of the elderlings, greek mythology, dragon age, sandman, dexter, lymond chronicles, the firekeeper saga, lucifer (the tv series), crimson peak, kushiel's legacy, the x men movies, chronicles of narnia, twilight, and a couple other small book fandoms.

i used to be a lot more multifandom than i am now in terms of what i wrote for, and have been writing fic for which is how this happened.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? Not my favorite fics, for the most part. They are:

Life in Reverse (MCU)

With Absolute Splendor (The Untamed)

some good mistakes (The Untamed)

half a league onward (MCU)

The Villain Wrangler (MCU)

5. Do you respond to comments? I do not. I feel bad about it, but (a) I don't know what to say, (b) I feel unbearably self-conscious/self-important trying and (c) I already have too much I'm trying to do in my limited time/too many obligations I have placed upon myself to add another one that will just stress me out. Again, I have all kinds of guilt about this, though, which probably kind of defeats the (c) purpose of not doing it.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Almost certainly Mercy, though it's possible I could dig up others; that's the literal murder-suicide one, though, and I'm pretty sure I've only written one of those. I've written a lot where one character dies but another survives and has to live with the grief, which is arguably worse? but I still think Mercy wins. once there was a way to get back home might give it a run for its money, though.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I've actually written a fair amount of fic with happy endings! just mostly they have to suffer to get there. but trying to think of fic with a straight happy ending...I feel like I wrote some fairly fluffy fic in Black Jewels Trilogy fandom that I don't want to link to because I don't think it's very good. Maybe Life in Reverse, honestly? That's a fic where I tied up most things and resolved them in a pretty happy way.

Oh, or actually With Absolute Splendor might qualify.

8. Do you get hate on fics? I have in the past! Not a lot, but it happens every so often. Usually I just delete it, tbh; it doesn't feel worth leaving it there and I'm certainly not going to respond to it.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Sure do, primarily for pairings that are dysfunctional in one way or another, and for the most part I want the sex to say something about the inner life/psychology of the characters I'm writing. truly plotless smut does happen but I find it weirdly difficult. I have to do so much pre-justification work for my smut, at least in my head if not on page.

a lot of what I write at least has a little bit of kink or D/s flavor to it even if it's not explicitly written as such (and a lot of it is at least a little explicitly written as such). I also like to write about power dynamics (in sex) and sex that's sublimating some other emotion or desire, if that latter makes sense.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I used to, but not anymore, and I probably won't; I don't know why, but I'm just generally not a crossover fan these days. But I did write a Lord of the Rings/Cthulhu Mythos Morgoth/Cthulhu fic back in the day. No, I'm not going to link it, you can find it if you really want.

The Scarlet Pimpernel/Black Jewels Trilogy might be objectively weirder but it was because of an RP and therefore feels more reasonable to me.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? I had forgotten about it until just now, but yes, actually. Including one that actually got reposted on AO3, which takes a particular kind of guts that's not the same as reposting on Wattpad or the like, imo. (I've also had fic scraped off AO3 and reposted on other sites.) The person took it down when I called them out on it.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? I have been fortunate enough to have a number of fics translated into a few languages! I was curious which ones so I went and looked, and it looks like I've had fic translated into Russian, Chinese, and Japanese.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? I've started co-writing a fic but never finished one.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship? Might have to give this one to xuexiao, though there's a lot of room in my heart for many ships! that's just one that hit an incredible number of my favorite things squarely on the head several times, leaving me concussed and helpless. It's so much, you guys.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? There's a number of my MCU wips that I look at and am like "yeah what I have of this is good actually, too bad I'll almost certainly never finish it", among which is Dead Superheroes Walking, the fic about everyone who died in Infinity War being trapped inside the Soul Stone and having to work together to fix the ensnappening from the inside. I have about 3/4 of it written if not more and the remaining quarter will probably remain unfinished. It was Wanda POV and a lot about Wanda and Loki bonding.

another one is the one where Hela decides instead of fighting Odin to strategically back down and plan to overthrow him later, and therefore is around while Loki and Thor are growing up. I really liked what I had of this one, and really enjoyed writing Hela's POV, but again. don't think I'm going to end up finishing it.

I have a whole folder called "MCU Salvage" that's basically my MCU wips that I parsed out because I was like "these are pretty good actually, maybe someday I'll have the motivation to return to them", which is probably delusional but, well. one never knows.

16. What are your writing strengths? I think I'm pretty good at dialogue - I love to write characters having conversations, probably to a fault - and, when it comes to fanfiction, characterization.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Worldbuilding for sure is one. I hate it, I don't think I'm very good at it. also description - I feel like I lean heavily on dialogue in fic and tend to go light on descriptive language. this is probably partly because I'm not a very imagery-focused reader, so I don't think a lot about creating a "visual" with my writing, but also because I just don't like doing it as much as I like writing about internal thought processes and interpersonal verbal exchanges.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I almost certainly would not do it, as someone who is monolingual and has zero confidence in my ability to do it right in a way that wouldn't read absolutely awfully. The one exception to this is in Lymond fic, and that's because the canon did it first, so it is fully justifiable for me to have this guy spout off in five languages in one fic. Otherwise...not since I tried writing a fake Phantom of the Opera fic mocking bad Phantom of the Opera fics.

19. First fandom you wrote for? I always say Wheel of Time because that's the first fandom of my heart but technically I wrote a crack Harry Potter fic before I wrote for Wheel of Time. But in my heart it was Wheel of Time. That was certainly my first fandom in any meaningful sense of the word.

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written? This question is my nemesis. My favorite fic I've ever written changes at least once a month. I have a series for this on AO3 that I'm going to link to as a lazy answer to this question even though that's sort of 50 of my favorite fics, so sue me, I've written a lot of things over the years and I actually do like a fair number of them, even if you have to make me say so.

tagging uhhhh @highladyluck, @curiosity-killed, @ameliarating, @gloriousmonsters, i'm not sure how many people i'm supposed to tag for this but if you want to do it, go ahead?

[powdermelonkeg]

Tears of the Kingdom: The Final Analysis

Part 1

Everyone buckle up, this is going to be a long one.

The new trailer dropped this morning, giving us a LOT of content to look forward to—everything is in its final state. The cutscenes, the models, the plot, the voice lines.

We're at the end. Any more surprises will need to be in-game.

Our intro shot. Nothing we haven't seen before, to start, save for maybe that strange block over on the sky island to the left.

Hazarding a guess, I'd say that this is a piece to be used in an Ultrahand construct. It doesn't look to be a typical building, at least.

We get past the clouds and see Hyrule's horizon, and we get a feel for just how high these things are.

Look, down there. THAT is Farosh, at the peak of its flight.

The isles are so high up that it'd take an insane amount of glitching to get there without using Recall.

On top of that, we have multiple tiers of height. Hyrule is INCREDIBLY vertical this time around.

We're then given a shot of the sky isles up close. Again, nothing too notable, but-

The construct fighting this Chuchu does imply that they're here to protect the isles, rather than just be enemies. Despite their hostility, it isn't due to any sort of malice corruption, like the Guardians.

One of the working constructs from the gameplay teaser is chopping at a tree, backing this theory up; they're here to work on something, and the attacking ones are their protectors.

Next, we have Link diving down past the biggest building in all of this. This is the one from previous trailers that's been mostly obscured by clouds; given the amount of isles surrounding it, I'm willing to bet that it's a central hub of sorts.

The world has curvature, which is a nice touch—we might be able to see what the land looks like beyond Hyrule if we get up high enough.

Goddess cube? It doesn't look like it's resting on anything.

This thing interests me most in this shot, though; it's got the same kind of spiral we've seen coming off of the Sheikah shrines, but this is definitely NOT that. If anything, it looks like it's generating the spiral.

Then we have the lower part of the structure, with what looks like an altar and landing pad.

Moving past it, we see the ground.

Red circles of malice, though we haven't had a chance to see them up close yet.

More Zonai glyphs on the ground

But most importantly, a very distinct lake.

That lake is at the southernmost point of Hyrule Field, meaning that Link's skydive here is likely right above the center of it.

Then we get our logo drop.

As well as probably the biggest glyph to date.

However, unlike almost every other one we've seen, we know what this is.

See the crest at the peak of it, the way the figure hunches over, the big circle that could be an eye?

That's a Lizalfos.

Why are the glyphs monsters? Is it indicative of a challenge? An outbreak?

Link flies on

And we see the glowing spire. It's got four distinct spotlight sort-of things. It's in a similar spot to the Lake Tower, map-wise, so it might be a corrupted Sheikah tower despite its silhouette.

Link runs through a grassy field. We can also place this one:

A river separates a forest

There's a bridge

And an island

That's the southeastern edge of Hyrule Field. Specifically, that island is where Magda (aka Flowerblight) gets upset if you trample her flowers on the way to Hila Rao shrine.

However, this disqualifies this thing from being a Sheikah tower. The closest tower is the Dueling Peaks tower, and that's in the water further south—which would be further to the right than the screen shows. The only thing in the area this thing is placed in Breath of the Wild is a Korok.

Also, what is this??? It looks like a portal, or something you would fly your Loftwing through in Skyward Sword. It doesn't SEEM to have magic in it, but that might just mean it's inactive.

And I'll have to make this a multi-parter because I've hit my first image limit. I'll edit this with a link to the next part once it's posted.

Edit: Part 2!

[lucy90712]

Part 2 of the Gavin parade story please!!!

Part 1

WC: 2.4k

You: hi this is y/n you gave me your number during the parade earlier thank you for the compliment by the way

How cringe I can't believe that's the first message I sent but it's too late to do anything now I'll just have to deal with it and hope that if he replies he doesn't think I'm weird. Oh god what if he never replies and I look like an idiot for thinking that the Pablo Gavi would ever actually want to talk to me. I bet the whole team is laughing about the fact that I actually text him. I don't think I can ever step foot in the camp nou ever again. Just as I was spiralling my phone dinged so I scrambled to the other end of the sofa where I'd left it only to see that one of my best friends had text me asking about today. As I was about to put my phone back down another notification came through this time it was actually from Pablo. 

Gavi: wow I'm surprised you actually text me sorry if that was weird I just had to find a way to talk to you 

You: no it wasn't weird at all it surprised me but it was a nice surprise 

Gavi: good I assume you are a Barca fan so would you like to come to our next home game I would love to meet your properly

You: I would love that thank you so much 

~~~~~~~~~~

I always get stressed a few hours before a Barca game especially when I'm going to the game but this time I barely slept as I can't stop thinking about the fact that I'm actually going to properly meet Pablo. I'm really excited as we have been talking over text and have FaceTimed a few times just to get to know each other a bit more and he's the sweetest person but him being so nice coupled with the fact that he's so attractive has meant I've developed a slight crush on him. This is a problem as although he called me beautiful in the message he wrote I feel like he just wants to be friends I mean he has other things to focus on he doesn't need a girlfriend right now let alone one who has her own set of problems to deal with. Our friendship so far has been great and he's a lovely person to talk to so I don't want to ruin that by giving away how I feel and making him feel uncomfortable. 

Thankfully I don't have work today so I have been able to spend the day worrying about this evening without having to worry about work too. Having nothing to do has meant that I have spent far too long deciding on what to wear to the game. I couldn't decide whether to wear a Barcelona jersey or normal clothes as I want to support my team but I don't want to look like an idiot in front of Pablo. In the end I found a good compromise and put on a normal outfit and then put a jersey on over the top as that way I can change if I need to. Then I spent way too much time deciding whether I should put on some makeup and do my hair which ended up with me having a small bit of makeup on and fixing my hair slightly but not going all out. 

When it was time for me to leave I grabbed my phone and my bag and walked to the bus stop as I don't have a car. Taking the bus can be a nightmare on game days but I have worked out a goody system where I get off a few stops earlier and then walk the last part of the journey as it's often quicker due to the amount of traffic. This evening the bus was busier than usual so I had to stand but I didn't mind as I had headphones in and I could look out the window as I zoned out. There was so many people wearing Barcelona jerseys on the streets and many of them had Pablo's name on the back. Seeing all of those fans made it really sink in that in just a few hours I'm going to meet the golden boy of the city which is probably what all of those people dream of doing. Thinking about it that way somehow made me less nervous as I have the opportunity to do something that so many people will never do so I have to make the most of it and not think about how it could all go wrong. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

The game was so amazing, the last home game of the season is always special but this time it felt even more special as the team finally got the trophy. As if things couldn't get any better Pablo scored the last goal at the camp nou as we know it which is really special. With it being such a special match the team celebrated for a bit longer so I waited in the stands with all the fans until I got a text from Pablo telling me to come down to meet him along with where to go as I don't know how to find the locker rooms. As I made my way down there my hands were shaking slightly as I'm so nervous but I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down and put a smile on my face. 

I headed down the corridor and stood outside the locker room ready to text Pablo to tell him I was there but before I could he saw stood in front of me smiling. His smile was so contagious and instantly made me feel completely comfortable around him which I didn't expect. He was quick to bring me into a warm hug which had my stomach filling with butterflies and my cheeks heating up but I tried my best to hide that from Pablo. I felt so at home in his arms it was like we had known each other for years and hadn't just met a few seconds ago I can't believe anyone hates him as he's just the nicest guy. Eventually we both pulled away and he kept smiling at me as he moved to stand an acceptable distance away from me. 

"It's so nice to finally meet you honestly I still can't believe you text me after the parade" Pablo said 

"Sometimes you have to do something spontaneous in life and I'm definitely glad I did" I said 

"I'm glad you did too as now I get to see your beautiful face up close" he flirted 

"Oh um thank you" I replied stumbling over my words and blushing 

As we were talking more of the team left the locker room so he introduced me to them in between our conversations and all of them were super lovely too. Pablo and I stood in the corridor for probably close to an hour just talking to each other before someone asked us to get going so we had to leave but we still kept talking as we walked. 

"Do you have any plans for the rest of the evening?" Pablo asked 

"No I don't" I replied 

"Would you like to come back to my place then?" He asked 

"I would love to" I said 

Once I said yes Pablo got all nervous all of a sudden which made me nervous that I'd done something wrong. He was also mumbling something under his breath which I couldn't hear but I assumed he was talking to himself so I just kept following him thinking that this is something he must do quite a lot as I wouldn't know otherwise. When we made it to the door to the car park he held the door open for me and then I continued to walk with him towards his car. At some point we just stopped walking and he looked at me which really made my heart race as I had no idea what was happening.

"Are you ok?" I asked 

"Is this a date or are we just hanging out as friends?" Pablo asked 

"I um I don't know I'd like it to be a date" I said 

"Then it's a date" he said 

This time as we walked he grabbed hold of my hand which had my heart beating even faster than it was before if that was even possible. He then opened the door to his car for me before going round to get in the drivers side. Luckily by this point it was dark outside and Pablo went out the back exit so no one noticed that I was in the car with him as I was a bit worried about what would happen if we were seen together. Once we were on the road Pablo and I started talking again and this time we were flirting a bit more now that we had established that there must be some feelings there as we are calling this a date. It hasn't really sunk in until we were flirting that I was on a date with Pablo I mean that's what I was dreaming of happening and here we are. The fact that Pablo must actually like me really gave me a lot of confidence to be a bit braver than I would've been earlier. 

The drive to Pablo's place wasn't long and when we arrived he again opened my car door me and then held his front door open to allow me in first like the gentleman he is. He gave me a quick tour of his place before asking if I was allergic to anything so he could make dinner for the both of us. I felt bad that after a long match he was making dinner for me instead of getting to relax but when I tried to help he wouldn't let me so I just sat on the countertop and watched him cook. He was surprisingly good at cooking at no point did I feel like he was going to set the kitchen on fire which I think is pretty good plus he cooked everything for long enough so I wasn't going to die either. 

Once the food was ready he finally allowed me to help as he got me to dish up while he set the table. I should've realised that he was just distracting me as when I went out to the table he had set up candles and made it all romantic. Pablo is really full of surprises as I didn't see him being the type to do something like this but I'm not complaining as it's nice to be treated so well as all of my last dates have been real assholes. We ate dinner quietly but afterwards we went and sat down on the sofa together to play fifa as we both like to play. 

Pablo is a lot better than me at fifa and a lot more competitive so he won every game but I didn't mind as I was having fun and Pablo was enjoying winning. After I lost for the fifth time in a row Pablo seemed to feel bad as he definitely let me win the next game as I could see the smile on his face as he kept giving me the ball and allowing me to score. Once I had won the game he turned the game off and then came back down to sit next to me trying to subtly put his arm around my shoulder but subtlety isn't something he's good at so to make things less awkward I leant my head against his shoulder. He then started playing with my hair very gently which made me smile as I have always liked people playing with my hair. 

We sat in silence for a few minutes before we both looked at each other at the same time. There was a lot of tension between us, if anyone else were to walk in the room it would probably knock them out. Neither of us were quite brave enough to make the first move as once we do we can't go back and we haven't exactly known each other for very long so I'm definitely nervous and I can't imagine how Pablo feels. Just as I was thinking about what could happen if we kissed Pablo began to lean down towards me and pressed his lips to mine. For a few seconds I was taken aback but once my brain caught up with what was happening I kissed him right back. We both pulled away eventually but this time I was brave enough to kiss him again and this time it was much more enjoyable as I was much less nervous. 

After coming down from the excitement of what just happened Pablo turned on the tv so we could half watch some tv while telling stories from our childhood so we could get to know each other on a deeper level. I was enjoying myself but it was getting late and I have work in the morning so sadly I had to leave plus I wanted to make the last bus so I wouldn't have to walk home. 

"Thank you for tonight I've had the best time but I really should head home" I said grabbing my phone from the table 

"Wait did you drive to the stadium as I can drop you back there" he offered 

"No I got the bus but it's fine the last bus leaves soon so I can get that back home" I said 

"Thats not happening I'll drop you home I can't let you go home alone" he said 

"Thank you" I said 

Pablo grabbed his car keys and we got back in his car and I didn't even need to give him my address as he already knows where I live which made it a simple journey. When we arrived he walked up to my apartment with me where we had to say goodbye to each other. Pablo couldn't let me go without brining me in for a hug and kissing me one last time. 

"So what do you say to a second date?" He asked 

"I would love that" I said 

"Great I'll text you tomorrow" he said before leaving 

Once I was finally alone everything that happened today finally sunk in and all I could do was laugh because it just seems so ridiculous but I did actually just go on a date with the Pablo Gavi. Sometimes life is crazy and doesn’t go the way you think it will but tonight I learnt that that’s not always a bad thing. 

[rebel-walnut]

Let's Do The Time Warp Again

Steddie Season 3 time travel fic, Part 7

Ao3, Pt. 1, Pt.2, Pt.3, Pt.4, Pt.5, Pt.6

“Harrington! I’m gonna need a hazmat suit and some paper towel in here!” Steve hears Eddie call from the living room. He doesn’t remember leaving any sort of mess in there, but who knows what Eddie managed to accomplish during his thirty seconds of unsupervised time in Steve’s house. He shakes his head a little and waits for the popcorn to finish in the microwave, the steady trickle of pops easing his nerves away slightly from their conversation. The microwave blares a triumphant beep and Steve snatches the bag out of the microwave and shakes it into a bowl, the usual amount of unpopped kernels laying shamefully on top despite Steve’s belligerent use of the popcorn setting. Whatever. He grabs a roll of paper towel from under the sink and tucks it under his arm to bring both into the living room. 

“I don’t know what you could have possibly done to need a hazmat suit, but I did manage to get your paper towel-” Steve rounds the doorway of the living room to see Eddie crumpled on the ground, his limbs convulsing and flexing in a way that seems inhuman. Steve has never seen or had a seizure before but by the way Eddie’s body is shaking and shuddering, Steve would bet this is it. The bowl and paper towel drop to the ground and kernels scatter across the floor in time to the jittering of Eddie’s limbs, Steve wasting no time to throw himself to his knees in front of Eddie and grab the sides of his face. He wills Eddie to meet his eyes somehow and snap out of it with a gentle shake. Nothing. 

"Eddie!" He shrieks, voice crackling and raw. Eddie's eyes are rolled up into the back of his skull, the once red veins of his sclera turning into a muddy brown and then fading farther into black. Eddie's fingers rattle against the floor and Steve grabs the hand nearest him and entwines their fingers. Eddie’s skin is frostbitten and pale, the tips of his fingers darkening and staining his fingernails black. The veins in his hands carry the same unnatural muddy darkness that Steve saw in his eyes, his left hand still sputtering against some sort of blackness spilling over the floor.

Steve lets his eyes focus on the black puddle for a second, seeing the way it moves like snakes instead of water, rolling over itself and leaving behind a sickly trail of bluish-black in its wake. They're attached to Eddie's left hand still, the substance seemingly sucking itself under Eddie's fingernails and into his skin. They twist and writhe into rotting vines of slime and black, crawling towards Eddie with every movement. It's a terribly familiar sensation that sends a shot of venom down Steve's spine. 

Steve moves to grab Eddie by the waist and drag him away from the goo, the tendrils wrapped around his hand ripping apart with a sick squelch. Steve drags him into the kitchen to get farther away from what he now knows is clearly upside down goo, Eddie still convulsing and quivering against Steve's hands. He props Eddie up to lean against the base of the island, his head rattling back every so often against the wood as he shakes. The sound makes Steve nauseous. He continues to call Eddie's name, but there's no response that Steve can see. He grabs Eddie's hands again only to find them even colder now, his veins a stark black against the fading colour of his skin. Steve tries to rub some warmth back into them, but still nothing.

His breaths are ragged as Steve tries to form some sort of his plan despite every chance of a thought being cut off by panic. He was never supposed to be the planner. He's not the one who figures out how to save people. He's just the one who drags them out of hell when it's already too late, and dammit if he's not going to try and do it again for Eddie. He forces his fractions of thoughts to fucking do something, and vaguely remembers '84 and Joyce burning the upside down out of Will with a sweat lodge. Fine. 

Steve works quickly to compartmentalize his oncoming panic attack before grabbing the now cracked popcorn bowl from the edge of the living room and returning to the kitchen to scoop Eddie up and tuck him against Steve's chest. He takes the stairs two at a time with Eddie's arms still flinching against him and all but throws him into the bathtub in Steve's ensuite, cranking the faucet as hot as it goes. He doesn't think it'll be hot enough to burn, but it's a chance that has to be taken. With Eddie semi-safely in the tub, Steve bursts back into his room to snatch his cassette player off his desk and scrounge under his bed for the walkie-talkie Dustin had bestowed upon him in '84.

Eddie is still convulsing against the porcelain of the tub which at this point Steve is honestly glad to see as a sign of life, the water bubbling up to his hips and steaming up the mirror. Steve throws the player and the walkie onto the tile, slamming the play button and letting Journey flood the bathroom as Steve Perry belts Any Way You Want It. Steve's just glad he didn't have a pop tape in there, hopefully if this is Vecna, Eddie can at least find some solace in rock'n'roll (even if it’s a little pop-y). He cranks the volume dial all the way up as he scrambles for the walkie and yanks the antenna out.

"Code red! I repeat, code fucking red, I need help now. It’s Eddie, I need El-" Steve cuts himself off with a squeak as Eddie's head slams against the back of the tub with a crack, the rest of his body shaking with violent shudders. Steve lets the walkie drop and dives towards him, catching his head and giving it a gentle yet slightly frantic shake. "Eddie, please," Steve pulls down the edge of his eyelid but the veins in his eyes have only gotten darker, seemingly darker than black and pulsing with every twitch. Eddie's shaking violently, rings clacking against the porcelain and his neck still snapping back no matter how tight Steve holds the sides of his head. Steve's own shakiness is no match for Eddie's, but he feels on the edge of collapsing as he struggles to keep Eddie from shaking apart at the bone. 

Eddie's hands are at least warmer to the touch now thanks to the scalding water. Steve lifts one out of the water as it convulses against his skin, keeping one hand behind Eddie's head at all times. Unlike his eyes, the veins in Eddie's hand have faded back into a dark gray and his fingertips are leaving light trails of darkness in the water. Steve checks the other hand and finds the same. "Fuck yes, you son of a bitch, just hold on a little longer," Steve grips the hair at the nape of Eddie's neck a little harder and tries to cushion another violent crack of Eddie's head into the wall. 

Steve fumbles for the popcorn bowl behind him and drags it under the faucet for a few seconds before throwing the water over Eddie's face. He tries to detach himself and just focus on the task as he possibly waterboards the person he's doomed in time with, willing his hands to still and get through it, but each time Eddie's head snaps against his hand or his rings crash against the tub Steve feels his knees give out just a little more and his breath catch in his throat. He keeps throwing bowl after bowl of near-boiling water over Eddie's face, his voice growing raw with Eddie's name. The panic rings in his ears and blocks out the sound of Departure running through its songs mixed with the crackling of the walkie and what he thinks could be voices, but he can't focus enough to tell. 

The water is sloshing around Eddie's shoulders now, mere inches from the lip of the tub. Steve pours another bowl over Eddie's head and watches his curls straighten slightly to cling to his forehead and the jut of his jaw. His cheeks are finally starting to flush pink, and Steve's hands shake as he brushes the hair away from his face. Eddie's convulsing ramps up into more of a vibration, his spine shooting rigid and straight as his hands rattle rapidly in the water. Steve jerks to hold Eddie's head above water as it pools over the edge and soaks Steve's shorts. He doesn't even register the heat.

"Eddie, come on-" Steve chokes, his voice coming out strangled and distorted as his fingertips press into Eddie's cheeks. The water is dark and sludgy now which Steve is choosing to take as a good sign, regardless of whether it is or not. His own shaking is creating a sick sort of polyrhythm with Eddie's shaking, a wretched mirror of panic between them. Steve's crying between shrieks of panic, Eddie's convulsing growing more rapid and violent by the second. Steve's only semblance of hope lies in the fact that Eddie's skin has a bit of his usual golden tone to it and his veins seem to be lightening at least a little. Between strangled shouts of Eddie's name, Steve uses a shaky thumb to pull at the edge of Eddie's eyelid again. He holds his breath as he reveals the veins in his eyes are starting to lighten as well. They're still a muddy gray and not as light as the veins in his hands, but they're not pulsing anymore. Steve manages to spring back into action mode despite barely being able to feel his body through the buzz of panic, pouring another bowl of water over Eddie's head. 

Eddie gives a whole body jerk as the water hits his face, every part of him making a horrifying clack against the tub that deafens Steve. Eddie's still vibrating at a terrifyingly unnatural pace, but it's alternated but violent jerks as Steve pours more water over his head. The blood vessels in Eddie's eyes slowly fade back into a semi-normal colour, but it does nothing to stop the convulsing of his body.

"Please, Eddie, wake up please," Steve's voice comes out shattered as he pours more water, still cradling Eddie's head with one hand. Eddie's convulsing picks up the pace again after two more bowls of water, his head snapping violently side to side and thrashing backwards. His limbs slow as his head continues to thrash against Steve's hands, his arms still shaking but only slightly. Hope and fear tangle in Steve's chest.

The slap of water against the tile replaces the sound of Eddie's limbs convulsing as the water pours endlessly over the side and stains everything a hopeful shade of black. Steve is screaming Eddie's name into the space between them as he digs his thumbs into Eddie's cheeks, his head shaking and trembling with otherworldly force. A sludge of black starts to pour from Eddie's lips, staining his skin a heavy blue and mixing with the already black water. Steve wipes and smudges the darkness from Eddie's mouth, a continuous circle as more of the goo rips itself from Eddie's mouth. it dissipates as it touches the water and leaves a thick trail in its wake, Steve trying to wipe all of it away with tears and screams.

As suddenly as it started, the convulsing stops with a scream cut short at the tip of Steve’s tongue. The black from Eddie’s lips stops. He lies still in the tub, his hair floating around him in a halo of curls that blend into the tainted water, everything a solemn shade of black. An archangel sort of darkness. 

Steve cranks the water off and brings his hand back to Eddie's face. "Eddie?" His voice is hushed and gritty, barely breathing the words across Eddie's cheeks. His hands tremble as he finds Eddie's pulse point on his neck. His heartbeat is a muffled drum, weak and lost but there nonetheless. Steve lets himself take a deep breath for the first time as he watches the faint rise and fall of Eddie's chest. He slides his hands down to under Eddie's shoulder to drag him out of the overflowing tub, praying he doesn't need CPR but running through the steps in his head anyways.

"C'mon Eddie, just open those eyes," His words sit heavy and quiet in the air as he lifts Eddie back to a sitting position and slides his fingers up to check his pulse again. The faint thrums are few and far between and Steve feels the panic rising in his chest again, hands still trembling from before. Come on. Wake up. His pulse stays low and quiet.

The drum beat kicks alive under Steve's fingers, a sudden gasp of air coming to life between them as Eddie thrashes out of the water, hands frantic and searching while they smack across the tiled walls. Eddie’s hands fly to his neck where Steve’s fingers are still pressed over his pulse, and Steve can feel the pounding change in rhythm as he grips onto Steve's arms. His hands are warm against Steve's skin. Their breaths shudder in tandem as Steve pulls Eddie closer to his chest. 

"You fucking asshole, I thought you were dead," Steve chokes out a cry on the last syllable and buries his head in the crook of Eddie's neck. Eddie's hands flit across Steve's skin with a residual tremor, each fingertip pressing and searching across Steve's back. 

"Fuck, me too," Eddie hooks his chin over Steve's shoulder, both their hands fisted in eachothers soaked shirts. Their warm tears are lost among already damp cheeks and Steve can only hear the ringing behind his ears and Eddie's pulse under his fingers. They stay tangled until both their heart rates even out, the ripples of water with Eddie's movement trilling in the background. Eddie's breaths tickle the hair curling around Steve's ear.

"It was all black in there, man. Just like that freaky fuckin' dream," Eddie moves a twitching hand up from Steve's shoulder to the back of his neck, the other still wrapped around Steve's wrist where his fingers lay over Eddie's pulse point. "I thought I could hear you yelling, or maybe music or voices, but those vines had me again and I couldn't move-" His voice breaks and Eddie drops his chin to muffle a sob in Steve's neck. It echoes across Steve's skin, and it's all instinct at this point to cup his hands around Eddie's face and pull him closer over the lip of the tub. He lifts Eddie’s face to meet his gaze, gently swiping the mixture of tears and murky water from Eddie’s cheeks and pulls a little to knock their foreheads together.

“You’re out now, that’s all that matters. Everything else can come later, but you’re here,” He barely has to whisper the words with their breaths so close to each other for it to reach Eddie. Eddie’s breaths are still shaky, but it’s an alive sort of shake that brings Steve comfort instead of the dread of clacking knuckles against porcelain. Steve feels the aliveness of it against his skin with every trembling breath. 

The floor of Steve’s bathroom is soaked from the overflow of the tub with sludgy trails carving paths along the tiles -and he’s pretty sure some of it’s leaked into the carpet of his room, which is probably a biohazard and will be an absolute bitch to get out- but with both he and Eddie conscious and breathing he couldn’t give a shit. 

What he could  give a shit about however, is the garbled static coming from behind him. He pulls away from Eddie to turn around and tries not to miss the newfound warmth, instead finding the walkie lying in the wake of the overflowing tub and streaked with muck. Slightly behind it and knocked to the side is the forgotten boombox, likely also waterlogged given the lack of Journey filling the bathroom.

“Fuck-” Steve slides across the tile and over to the walkie, further staining his work shorts in the process and shakes the excess water off the walkie. It gives a muffled shriek as Steve smacks the side but does nothing to clarify the sound. Against probably better judgment, he jams his finger into the button on the side. “Hello? Dustin? Can anyone hear me? Hello?”

“Steve, as much as I love listening to you yell at a broken walkie talkie, I feel like verbally and physically abusing it isn’t going to do much,” Eddie says while Steve continues to call into the walkie and smack at the device. Steve huffs before clicking the button a couple more times and gingerly setting it on the sink counter. He doesn’t bother with the speaker, just unclicks the journey tape from its slot, shakes it off, and sets it next to the walkie. Eddie lets out a small laugh from the tub. “You were gonna bring me back to life with Journey?!” 

Steve feels some of the tension lift from his shoulders at Eddie’s more steady voice. “It was either that or Wham, would you have preferred George Michael? Or would ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ have been too on the nose?” Eddie’s bark of laughter rings off the walls.

“Making jokes already, Stevie? Guess we’ve got that in common,” Eddie goes to lift himself out of the tub with only a slight tremor in his hands, shaking the rest of the water off his arms once he’s standing. Steve yanks a towel off the rack and passes it to Eddie, Eddie immediately throwing it over his head to scrunch out the gritty water. “For real though, I assumed all your players came locked and loaded with ‘Songs From the Big Chair,’” Eddie’s voice is muffled from under the towel, but it’s not enough to hide his words.

“What business do you have knowing a Tears for Fears album? And a new one at that, it’s barely been out long enough in this year for me to have one copy let alone, like, three,” Steve lets the amused shock shine through his voice and he hears the smile in Eddie’s laugh even from under the towel. Eddie loops the towel around his neck after squeezing out his shirt and fiddles with the hem as he talks. 

“I’m a man of mystery, Harrington,” He quirks a sideways smirk at Steve and pulls one side of the towel to slide off his neck. “And I worked at a record store in the months following its release and had to stack endless amounts of them. But make no mistake,” Eddie chucks the towel in Steve’s direction, the edge of it catching Steve across the face as Eddie steps out of the tub and tracks more water over the floor. “Tell anyone I know the name of a Tears for Fears album, and every tape you own gets it,” They grin at each other for a second, the ridiculousness of the moment crowding the anxiety that was buzzing in the air a minute ago. Eddie’s hair drips onto the puddles on the tile despite just being dried, a steady rhythm easing away the residual ringing in Steve’s ears. 

Eddie’s swaying into Steve’s space just the same as Steve’s swaying into Eddie’s, their mortal peril briefly forgotten in the way that Eddie’s face is flushed with warmth again. There’s still a smudge of dark just in front of his ear. Steve glances down at it and is almost surprised when he brings his hand up to brush it away. He keeps his touch gentle, just ghosting the surface of Eddie’s skin as the grime is replaced by the warm rose of Eddie’s blush. Steve trails his finger back and tucks a loose curl behind Eddie’s ear, stopping to notice the way Eddie’s eyes flutter shut for a fraction of a second. Steve’s hand is the most still it’s been all day.

“-teve!- I’m com- Is-?-El! And-” They startle apart at the sound of the walkie spurring to life- or at least at the sound of it making a clear noise every three seconds. Eddie clears his throat and toes at his wet socks as Steve pulls his hand back and reaches for the walkie. 

“Dustin? Can you hear us? Eddie’s awake now but we still need to talk to El,” He waits for the crackling on the other side to spring back to life, feeling the buzzing return to his skin. Eddie’s alternating between staring a hole into the towel on the floor between them and flitting back up to Steve’s eyes. 

“-ere soon- way- nd Max- ddie?- ing out- ver,” The walkie fizzles again as Dustin cuts out. ‘Max?’ Steve mouths at Eddie, whose brows are furrowed in a likely similar expression to Steve’s. The walkie garbles for another second in what might have been Dustin or might have just been static, but he’s heard enough between cut outs to get the jist.

“I’ll leave the door unlocked, let yourself in when you get here,” Steve hopes he’s not cutting out too much on their end, but he has at least a little faith in Dustin’s ability to get the general idea. He places the walkie back on the counter and motions for Eddie to follow as he steps from puddled tile to soaked carpet. He cringes at the squelch, Eddie making a dramatic gag as he steps over into Steve’s room. 

“You’re gonna have to burn all of this flooring, or honestly just move at this point,” Eddie’s got his arms and his fingers squirming as he makes it over the last of the soaked carpet, shaking his hands out in a shiver. “That’s gotta be the worst thing I’ve ever felt and I’m pretty sure I almost died yesterday,” Steve tries to laugh around the nerves flooding his skin as he pulls open the closet door that squeaks in the same way it does a year from now. He pulls a couple pairs of sweatpants and a Van Halen shirt for Eddie that Tommy H. had gotten him in ‘81 that he thinks he’s only worn once, plus a faded light blue tee for himself. He throws the clothes at Eddie and gets him in the face as retaliation for the towel.

“I know it’s not Dio or that Ozzy guy, but Van Halen’s the closest I got to metal,” Eddie stares at the shirt in his hands and quirks a smile at Steve, thumbing the fabric across the print.

“Here I was thinking I’d be getting a Tears for Fears shirt with all that talk earlier,” He sets the clothes down on Steve’s desk next to him and starts pulling at his soaked shirt. “Or maybe you just save luxuries of that manor for the ladies,” Steve laughs as he turns to pull at his own soaked clothes, the thick polyester of the sailor costume tugging at his skin. He feels his cheeks flush and tells himself it’s from the thickness of the fabric suffocating him. 

“Pretty sure that’s one of maybe two graphic tees I own,” Steve says as he pulls on the dry shirt, reveling in the softness of cotton blends untainted by upside down fuckery. “Not sure if you realized I’m more of a polo guy, but who could’ve seen that coming,” Eddie snorts from behind him.

“I’m sure whole empires would gawk at the preppy lengths you go to in order to look like every suburban girl’s wet dream, Stevie,” Steve chokes on Eddie’s words and has nothing to blame the rising heat in his face on this time, nearly tripping on the cuff of his sweats as he yanks them up. 

“Oh please, I’m pretty sure the polos are not drawing people in. Robin has data to prove it, and even more in ‘86,” Steve tucks his hands in his pockets and fiddles with the threads on the seam as he waits for Eddie to change. He hears Eddie’s huff of laughter between the shuffling of clothes.

“Every highschool rumor says otherwise, not that I’m usually one for gossip. More of a fan of finding proof for myself,” Eddie comes around from behind Steve, squeezing his shoulder as he passes. His slightly damp hair is leaving imprints of black in the dark gray of the fabric, the shirt hanging slightly looser off his shoulders than it would on Steve. The sweats are cinched at the hips, and Eddie’s tucked the corner of the tee into the waistband. It’s a look so different from the two outfits Steve’s seen him in that he has to take a moment to recognize Eddie again. Even with the tattoos and his usual rings still adorning his fingers to compliment the guitar pick hanging from his neck, he still looks softer. More mundane than his usual otherworldly aura, but in a way that makes Steve want to see more. 

There’s a bang from downstairs that echoes up the hall, both Steve and Eddie snapping their heads to the door to Steve’s room. They move to the top of the stairs to see the front door still rattling from being slammed open into the wall, Dustin staring frantically at it with El and Max standing farther back in the doorway. Steve melts at the sight of them, El with her hair in frizzed out curls just above her shoulders and wrapped in a flannel that he assumes is Hopper’s, Max with her usual wild hair that’s curled up at the ends from the summer humidity. She’s got her usual determined set to her face, chin turned up and eyes squinted, ready for a fight. 

Steve feels his knees give out and catches himself with one hand on the banister. There’s an arm that’s snaked around his waist and he looks to see Eddie staring ahead at Max, face broken in two. She looks younger- they all do- but Max still looks like a child, as she rightfully should. She’s still got her signature sneer in place, but her shoulders aren’t hunched so high around her neck. There’s lightness in the way she moves farther into the house, and it’s confidence with every stride. It’s not any sort of difference that someone from the outside would notice, but it’s the fullness in the space she lets herself take up that gets Steve. It’s someone who hasn’t yet been struck by all encompassing grief and guilt. 

“Steve! What’s going on?” Dustin’s voice is shrill and carries all the way up. Eddie’s hand slips off Steve’s waist as he stands, and he tries not to shake as he slowly makes his way down the stairs. 

“Everyone’s okay for now. Eddie was in some sort of trance, almost like a seizure. I used heat to get it out but it was definitely from the upside down,” Eddie stays paused at the top of the stairs and simply nods at Steve’s words. A drop of water falls from his hair onto the banister and Eddie follows it with his eyes. “We both had a dream- we were in this dark space and then there was the vines, and some sort of voice-”

“Was it the Mindflayer? Or your Vecna?” Dustin’s starting his standard rapid fire question procedure, Max and El in quiet contemplation behind him. El nudges Max, the two sharing a look before El nods and turns back to face Steve. Steve eyes them and tunes back into Dustin’s rambling.

“I’m not sure, If it’s all controlled by Vecna then I guess it doesn’t really matter which one it was, right?” Dustin gives a comical shrug.

“Oh! Well if this big life threatening thing just doesn’t matter then who cares who it’s coming from! Right, Steve?-” El cuts Dustin off with a shove and pushes her way in front of him. Eddie’s creeped down a few more steps, but is still hanging back with a faraway expression glued on his face as he stares at the kids. 

“I have felt it,” El starts, Dustin quieting at her voice. “This morning, something had changed. I did not know what for sure, but something bigger is here,” Her solemn nod feels like a death sentence, but Steve keeps his expression stoney. “Dustin told me you are not from here, you are from next year. You are not my Steve,” She looks at him in the same way that a doctor would, all cold examining stares at harsh angles. “But you came here and brought something worse with you, and I fear it is connected to you. I think, you have become like Will.”

Steve remembers Will’s possession in ‘84- and tries to force down the thought- but he remembers how closely it mirrors the ‘seizure’ Eddie just had. He looks over at Eddie, his eyes now turned down towards the floor and his arms wrapped around his middle. Steve tries not to choke on his breath. “What can we do?” El nods at Max again.

“Dustin says there is another gate. We have to send you back through, or else whatever you brought back will destroy us. I will need time to learn how to open it back to your time, but I believe it is possible,” Dustin is fidgeting behind El and keeps shooting worried glances between her and Steve. “I did not realize it was you who had caused it, or else I would have found you sooner.”

“Yeah, we were already gonna be at the mall and everything because of fucking Michael-”

“Language.”

“-Freaking Michael, but then El felt the change and passed out, and well, that’s not really the right time for a shopping spree,” Max shrugs as if all of this is very nonchalant news for everyone, the kind of thing she goes through every tuesday. It’s such a Max thing to do that Steve almost sobs. “And then you called, and then Dustin called, and now we’re back in the shit-show.”

“What did I just say about language,” Steve saves a small smile for her regardless, but can’t help his hands finding their way to his hips. “And anyways, you were going to be at the mall today? We could’ve figured this out sooner- Shit- I had my days wrong, I thought you guys showed up tomorrow,” Steve mentally runs through his timeline, but after a year it’s hard to pick out exactly what else he could have also gotten wrong. Max mouths ‘language’ at him, and he lightly cuffs her on the back of the head. “I’m an adult, I get to say it,” Steve doesn’t miss the sideways smile Max tries to suppress. “Really though, shit, we could’ve maybe avoided Eddie’s ‘episode’ if I had known something was off when you two didn’t show up.”

“Where did it happen?” Dustin butts back into the conversation, causing Eddie to perk up at his voice.

“Living room. I was cleaning up Harrington’s possibly eons old beer when it attacked me, and…” Eddie heaves out a trembling breath and runs a hand through his tangling hair as everyone turns to look at him. “Well, then I was back in the void. Then awake in Steve’s scalding bathtub,” El squints at him then turns heel and heads through the door to the living room. The popcorn is still scattered across the floor, the beer can laying nearly untouched by the foot of the couch. Also untouched is the floor around it, no sign of the blackened hell-goo that was previously drenching the wood. Steve eyes the can.

“That beer was from today, too,” Eddie furrows his brow at Steve, El crouching down with Dustin to inspect the can. “I opened it right before I passed out, forgot all about it,” Eddie’s eyes flick between the can and Steve, then between Max and Dustin.

“So your spooky vine dream got infused into the can?” Max says as she purposefully steps on the array of popcorn kernels surrounding her. “And then he touched it,” Crunch. “Got possessed,” Crunch. “And now it’s gone?” Crunch, crunch, crunch. Steve kicks her toe away from stepping on another kernel, Max scowling and stepping on two more anyways. 

“Well, maybe not gone, I mean, could still be in them, right?” Dustin’s words chill Steve’s blood, and he looks in time to see the colour fade from Eddie’s face as well. Eddie stares holes into the side of the can and fists his hands tighter across the Van Halen logo. 

“Fucking awesome,” Eddie whispers between them. El turns to face him, her eyes tracking his face in the same examining way that she did to Steve, settling on his eyes as she scrunches her nose.

“There is another thing,” El says, looking at no one but Eddie. “I searched for the thing you brought with you in my space, but I only found parts. I did not find Steve until later,” She glances towards Steve and takes a short breath. “But there were pieces of you everywhere.”

“Pieces? What do you mean, pieces?” Eddie’s digging his nails into his shirt, into his skin, and Steve sees the same panicked look he found in the boathouse. He reaches out to grab Eddie’s wrist, pulling his hand from its death grip around the fabric, and lets him cling to Steve’s hand instead.

“Like an echo. This thing is tied to you more than it is to Steve, and it is trying to pull you into the space completely,” Eddie’s pulse jumps in his palm, and Steve can hear his ragged breaths. “You were not supposed to be here.”

Eddie scoffs. “Well yeah, neither was Steve. We’re a whole year behind,” El grimaces and stares through Eddie. “No. You are not supposed to be here. You are not supposed to be alive.”

_______

TAG LIST (reply to be added): @estrellami-1 @melodymeddler @songbird-garden @gregre369 @croatoan-like-its-hot @messrs-weasley @bestwifehaver @mediguro @goodolefashionedloverboi @huniiibee @rhyswritesreadsandcries @i-have-three-feelings @mightbeasleep @grtwdsmwhr @hirikka @starlight-archer @clumsiluni @celestialrebel1 @quarble @woolley-socks

[cozy-mp3]

two halloween drabbles (for you, as a treat)

ellie x female!reader + abby x gn!reader

one: ellie fully embraces her costume

two: you and abby have differing opinions on candy

word count: 400(ish) & 600(ish) words

warnings: all fluff no smut, suggestions of sex(?), biting, kissing, reader likes candy corn because i like candy corn and what is this acc if not self indulgent, i also like licorice tho the girls that get it get it, not proofread bc i wrote this on a whim while watching a streamer play re7

(1) fangs - ellie x reader

“ellie, please stop,” you groan, shaking your shoulders to try and detach your girlfriend from your back, “you’re gonna make me fuck up this eyeliner,” you whine as she wraps herself around you tighter, her arms a band snug beneath your breasts and her face pressed against the curve of your neck. she makes a considering little hum before she replies, not letting go of you but shifting her lips from your skin.

“no, i like biting you,” she hums, meeting your eyes in the bathroom mirror and giving you a grin that shows all her teeth, her natural kanines covered by prosthetic vampire fangs. they’re blunt so it doesn’t hurt when she presses them to the skin of your neck again, her lips brushing against you in a way that makes you want to squirm and arch against her. and you’d like to, you would love to in fact, but you’d promised dina you’d drag ellie to at least one halloween party this year and you weren’t planning on letting her down.

“ellie, please,” you complain again, moving your eyeliner away from your face when the jostling you’re doing in an attempt to remove her gets a little too lively.

“you taste so good though, baby,” she tells you as she presses kisses up the length of your neck, her fake fangs brushing over the spot where your pulse flutters beneath your skin.

“you’re not a real vampire, els, you can’t taste shit,” you laugh, finally relenting and leaning back into her touch. she hums happily and pushes you up against the counter, letting her hands drift down to your hips as she bites down again gently.

“sure, but if i could i bet you’d taste amazing,” she responds easily, her tongue running lightly over the indents her fangs have left on your skin.

“well, you’re not gonna find out right now because we’re going to that party,” you say, sticking the cap back on your eyeliner and turning in her arms so you can look at her face. she’s pouting and the fangs are digging into her bottom lip in a way that looks uncomfortable, so you use your thumb to ease her lip from between her teeth, “i’ll let you bite me as much as you want later,” you add, just because you melt like butter when she’s giving you eyes like that, “deal?,” you ask, leaning back far enough that you can shake hands between your bodies.

“ok, deal,” she agrees, leaning forward and kissing the corner of your mouth.

(2) the problem with candy corn - abby x reader

“i can’t believe you like that shit,” abby says, wrinkling her nose at the bag of candy corn you’re holding as you approach. she’s left a spot for you on the couch and you slip into it easily, tucking yourself against her side and leaning against her heavily.

“i don’t say anything about your bad taste in candy, leave me alone,” you huff, giving her an exaggerated frown and handing her her bad of black liquorice, “don’t act like you’re any better than me,” you add as she reaches for the tv remote to begin what you’re certain will be at least thirty minutes of flipping through netflix to decide on a movie. 

“at least i like adult candy,” she grumbles, dropping an absentminded kiss to the top of your head when you press yourself into her chest and rest your head beneath her chin, “candy corn is for kids, no adult needs that amount of sugar,” she continues as you pull a blanket up and over the two of you, you notice she’s wearing socks with pumpkins on them as you reach down and have to kiss her jaw to avoid calling her cute.

“liquorice isn’t for adults, abigail,  it’s for senior citizens,” you reply as you open your bag of candy, reaching in to begin eating though your movement is prevented by abby grabbing your wrist. you make a frustrated sound and shift so you can look up at her, your chin resting on the valley between her breasts and your candy crushed between your bodies, “what was that for?,” you ask, raising a brow at her expectantly.

“i can’t kiss you after you’ve eaten that,” she explains, leaning down so her forehead is resting against yours, she looks completely serious even though what she’s saying is about as silly as she ever gets, “i’ve got a quota i’ve got to fill and you’re not allowed any of that until i’ve filled it,” she tells you, using her hand that isn’t occupied to pinch your hip when you roll your eyes at her.

“you’re ridiculous,” you smile, though you oblige her easily and lean up to meet her lips when she gives you a hopeful look. you let out a happy sigh when she cups your jaw, her calloused thumb strokes your skin and you allow yourself to relax against her completely, hooking one of your legs over her hip.

“it’s not ridiculous,” she mumbles against your spit slick lips, her face serious when she leans away to look at you. she runs her same thumb over your swollen lips and smiles when you nip at her, running her second hand down your back and playing with the elastic of your pajama pants, “you’re so sweet already, if i kiss you after you’ve eaten that i’ll get cavities,” she says, though she quickly pulls a face not dissimilar to the face she made at the sight of the bag of candy corn and her cheeks tinge red when you laugh.

“cheesy doesn’t work for you, abs,” you chuckle and she hums in agreement, her cheeks still warm with her embarrassment. you shift until you’re laying on her more comfortably and as her arm wraps around your shoulders you lean up to kiss her again, not moving your lips from hers until any tension in her body eased and she’s able to give you a content smile when you pull away, “can i eat my candy now?,” you ask and it’s impossible not to smile at her exasperated expression. 

“yeah, sweetheart, go ahead” she smiles, leaning down to kiss you one last time before she reaches over towards the coffee table to find the tv remote again.