#Big Wave 1984

[joeygallagher]

Big Wave ビッグ・ウェイブ (1984)

Dir. by Walter McConnelly 

Music by Tatsuro Yamashita

Featuring:  Mark Richards, Michael Ho, Tommy Carroll, Sam George, Rabbit Bartholomew, Peter Townend, Cheyne Horan, Willie Morris, Martin Potter, and more

[alfairb]

undefined

Shout, shout, let it all out These are the things I can do without Come on I'm talking to you Come on

[exciting]

I actively try to remember as little as possible from my neuroscience degree but one thing I DO remember is that research has suggested that your brain puts itself through a rinse cycle each night while you sleep to help with functioning or something idk but I guess what I’m saying is that in a literal sense, brain washing is actually a positive and necessary thing actually

[reckonslepoisson]

Big Wave, Tatsuro Yamashita (1984)

Thanks to its attachment to a surfing documentary and English-language lyrics, Big Wave is one of Tatsuro Yamashita’s best known and most popular works. I also think it’s one of his least interesting – especially if you’re already familiar with the rest of his material. Much of the work here consists of either previously-released singles or Beach Boys covers, all of which, while good, don’t make for a particularly memorable or essential album experience.

Pick: ‘The Theme From Big Wave’

[octoberautumnbox]

Yasss, time has come for more Yuri fics, looking forward to a Yuri ult stan :>

Thing with Yuri is, you can never know what to expect next. One moment she's a fluffy puppy cuddling with you then the next she's got you in her grip edging you all day. Just a crazy switch brat. Though that's why I fell hard for her

Enjoy

IZ*ONE/Soloist Jo Yuri & Male Reader

Word count: 2882

Categories/warnings: smut, alcohol, implied violence & blood, very slight dubcon, blowjob, handjob, breast play, cowgirl, kiss-and-fuck, only a little bit rough, okay maybe a tiny bit more rough. 

a/n: got way too into the setup im so sorry ill put a marker down there for the actual smut. also big thank you to @iznsfw for the pic ive been looking for this forever. lastly not proofread nor beta’d bc i still haven’t reached out to anyone seriously for writing tips and stuff yet aaaa

Everyone said Yuri was a good person: all sweet-looking, nice to everyone, takes a joke just as well as the next girl. Wouldn't hurt a fly even if she wanted to. There was something about her though; you couldn't place exactly what, but you were convinced nobody was that naturally sweet. Something was up with her.

It's a good thing then that she wasn't anyone particularly important. Jo Yuri was just another person that you'd never needed to talk to in the six months since class began. It was easy enough to ignore her, and ignore her you did. 

"You've been cooped up for way too long. Come on, 8 pm. Round of drinks on me if you show. Leave right after if you want. I swear. Just enjoy yourself." Your friend loomed over the table, blocking the light from your copy of 1984. Putting your palm on the top of his head, you closed your grip around a handful of his hair and pulled his head to where your book was sufficiently illuminated. "I'll think about it," you mutter before looking back to the yellowing paper. "Ryujin will be there too." Your friend occupied the seat next to you, rubbing his head where you grabbed. "And her friends. Isa, Minjeong, that cutie from ours you hate so fucking much," he says with a smirk, as if it was the checkmate that would make you drop everything and go. "Didn't take her to be into that type of thing," you say without looking up, "Ryujin, sure, but – what's her name? Yuri? – Feels like she just couldn't say no." He shrugs. "Maybe. What matters in the end is she'll be there, she's single, and she's got a hell of a rack." "Fucking perv. Anyway, I'll think about it." He smirks at you again. "Not because of Yuri, god dammit."

~~~

You shut your laptop and stretch. You rub your eyes for a good minute before wiping away the fatigue to find your clock striking 7. You stare at it, as if intimidating it to go faster and faster to past 8 pm so you wouldn't have to go. Defeatedly, and with regret already seeping into your mind, you get up from your chair and grab a towel. 

~~~

“Hey, long time no fucking see!” Ryujin swings her arm around your shoulders and spills half her drink onto the floor. “Hey, Ryu. Glad to see you're already half-shitfaced this early into the night.” “Fuck you. By the way, meet Isa,” she says as she drags you towards one of the booths. “We've met. Hi, Isa.” She waves and downs a shot of gin. “Who convinced you to come all the way out here?” Isa slams the shot glass onto the wooden table, nearly cracking it and probably denting the wood. “Ah, also shitfaced. I was just free, that's all. Nice to see you again.” She waves again before burying her face in her hands. You drop Ryujin onto an open space in the seats before heading for the bar.

“There he is! Fuck you, man. Stay a little!” Your friend turns around and yells, “Round of drinks on me!” The bar roars with cheers as you take a seat on one of the stools. “Glad you could make it, dude! It’s been forever! Hey, enjoy yourself. See any chicks you like? Maybe enjoy someone else too?” He wiggles his eyebrows at you obnoxiously. Thinking he’d be distracted within the next five seconds, you mutter to the bartender an order of a bottle of beer. Just then, you watch as your friend is approached by another guy, talked to a little, and then dragged off in a semi-drunk daze away to some other group. 

“Three margaritas, please.” You turn around to the stool on the other side of you. “Oh, you’re in my class, right? I don’t think I’ve introduced myself. I’m Yuri,” she says with the cutest smile you’ve ever seen. The bartender places her three drinks on the counter and pops the cap off your own before setting it in front of you as well. “Right, I like your top,” gesturing to a little chain by the neckline. “Do you need help carrying those, by any chance? Or are all three of them for you?” She chuckles shyly. “Would you mind giving me a hand bringing these over to the booth with Isa and Ryujin over there?” 

~~~

Your phone reads 11:00 pm. Ryujin’s face is practically glued to the table, and Isa continues mumbling into her palms about her teddy bears wondering why she hasn’t come home yet. Your friend is sitting next to and has his arm around Ryujin, and you can guess where his free hand is. Knowing you’ve drunk a few yourself, you get up and walk cautiously yet in no straight line towards the toilets. After doing your business, you wash your hands and leave. On the way out of the bathroom, you set your mind to wake up Ryujin and offer to see her and Isa home. 

As you make your way back to the booth, you find a pair of guys huddled by a corner. You see between them a familiar figure. In your daze you fight to recall why it’s something you can recall, and then it hits you. The glint of the chain on her neckline catches your eye and you walk over to them, for the second time regret seeping into your mind before anything even happens. You’re way too drunk, you think to yourself. Whatever happens next is a bad idea, but you steel your resolve that it has to happen.

“Oh, Oppa!” She turns both guys’ attention to you, and they start throwing you dirty looks. “Hey, come on. Everyone’s drunk, we’d better go.” You make for her wrist, but one of the guys pushes you back. You notice the other guy has his hand on her shoulder, keeping her against the wall. “Why don’t you look after your friends, and we’ll look after her?” “Don’t make me do this,” you quip as you take a step forward again. After hearing them chuckle, the alcohol takes over you, your vision flashes, and finally fades to red. The last thing you remember is swinging high and kicking low.

~~~

You slowly come to, raising your head from the headrest. A stinging pain and a cold touch on the corner of your mouth greet you as your vision stabilizes from quadruple, to triple, and to double, before settling your focus on a bottle of antiseptic solution on the coffee table in front of you. Immediately, you shut your eyes as tight as they can go, deciding wherever you are is too bright, and deciding that the pain on your temple and across your forehead has something to do with how hard you’re shutting your eyes. 

“You didn’t have to do that. I was just about to leave.” You hear pieces of ice clink against each other as the cold touch moves to your forehead. “Hi, Yuri. They didn't do much worse to you did they?” “No,” she says in a relieved tone, “you saved me. It was a lot to take in honestly, but they’re worse off than you are. Thank you.” The cold spot again moves to the corner of your mouth. 

You struggle your eyes open and find her right up in your face, inspecting what you think is a wound by your eyebrow. She notices you staring at her and she backs off quickly. “Sorry… That one looked pretty bad.” “Thanks for looking after me. Where are we?” You try to sit up, only to be forced back down by a number of painful spots all over your back and torso. “You fought them, they fought back,” she pushes you down firmly onto the sofa and brings the ice bag back onto your face, “you won. We got back to the booth, and you made me call a taxi. You carried Isa-unnie and Ryujin into the taxi,” she hands you a glass of water, which you begin sipping, “and I got the other oppa. We dropped off Isa-unnie, then your friend. You wouldn’t tell me where to drop you off,” she takes the empty glass, “so I had no choice but to bring you here. Ryujin is upstairs in her room.” 

You sit up more comfortably. “Thanks, Yuri. I owe you one.” You check the time, and find it’s 2:00 am. “Sorry for intruding so late. I should go–” “You’re…” she interrupts. “You're in no condition to go home alone. Spend the night. Please?” She looks at you with a pair of puppy dog eyes and flashes a heart with her hands to you. “I… Thank you.” You lay back onto the sofa, the fatigue you didn’t know you had overwhelming you into oblivion.

~~~

(smut starts here)

You open your eyes slowly, taking advantage of the darkness.The first thing you notice are the closed pink curtains, and next is the fluffy scent of baby powder and fresh shampoo. You continue trying to get your bearings, and an immense wave of pleasure shoots up your spine. You look down and see Yuri licking your dick up and down, savoring each stroke of her tongue and letting her spit cover every inch. 

You place a hand on her nape, and she looks up at you. “Oh, good morning. Am I doing this right, Oppa?” She takes another long drag of her tongue from the base to your tip, causing you to moan lightly. “I’w thake that ash a yesh,” she mumbles as she places the head of your cock onto her tongue. “Yuri, what are you…” She takes half your length into her mouth and hollows out her cheeks to suck you off. She releases your dick with a pop, “I feel like I haven’t thanked you enough for last night. Call it even?” She smiles as innocently as can be, and then takes your cock into her mouth again. “Please tell me if you feel uncomfortable, I’ll stop if you want…” “Keep going, baby.” She blushes at the sudden use of her pet name, but returns to her work of thanking you much more profusely than you ever imagined. 

As she continues sucking you off, you snake your hand towards her nightgown and onto her left breast. You ease back into the bed and fondle her through the smooth fabric, earning her own little moans vibrating through her throat and onto your shaft. She lets go of your cock once again, and pulls the straps of her gown off her shoulders. She pulls the smooth dress down, exposing a cute and perky pair of breasts. “Please ogle me a lot, Oppa…” She grabs your shaft again with one hand and makes long and slow strokes up and down your entire length. With her other hand, she takes yours and places it onto her left breast. “Just enjoy… Just enjoy me.” 

“Jack me off faster, baby,” you command her, and she moans slightly at the name again. She goes faster and her grip grows just a bit tighter. She maintains eye contact with you as best as she can despite you pinching her hardening pink nipples, drawing her to close her eyes and let her head lull back. You motion for her to use her mouth again and she obeys immediately, bending over to your dick and granting you easier reach to fondle her other breast. You pay special attention to how she likes her nipples played with, tracing circles along her areolas before taking her nubs between your index finger and thumb to squeeze and tug. In return, she grows a bit more careless with her blowjob, letting her mouth leak more and more saliva, as well as taking in more and more of your length before finally hitting the back of her throat. You accidentally tug on her boobs a bit harder, causing her to moan onto the tip of your dick. You start feeling guilty when she starts sliding your cock out of her mouth, but as you get ready to apologize she lifts up the bottom hem of her nightgown, showing you her clean shaven pussy. She gathers her whole gown into one bunch by her waist before pulling it over her head to leave herself completely naked for you. 

“Please tell me you like me, Oppa…” She pleads slowly and carefully, while bringing your hands to her chest once again. You relish on the warmth and softness of her breasts that you only realize she’s already straddled you and has started stroking your cock again. “Tell me… I want to hear you say it, please.” “You’re so,” she gives you one rapid stroke, “fucking,” she moans as you fondle her more roughly, “hot,” she forces herself to look straight into your eyes again, “Jo Yuri.” She speeds up her handjob, finding it harder and harder to maintain her eye contact in favor of shutting her eyes and letting the pleasure overtake her. “I’m close.” She strokes you rapidly, noticing how your legs are starting to shake, her gaze growing more intense, her squeezing you tighter, your moans getting louder, your grip on her boobs getting rougher and rougher and rougher, until–

She lets go just as you’re about to cum, “Oppa… did you cum?” “Not yet, baby, why’d you stop?” You groan disappointedly at her. “I’m sorry… It’s just… you have to enjoy me more.” She brings her soaked pussy above your cock and rubs the tip all over her lower lips, smearing your precum and her slick together on her hot cunt. You groan again, and she gets the message. Bit by bit, she sinks herself down onto your dick, relishing in the sensation of a huge and girthy cock filling her up. You accidentally squeeze her soft tits too hard again, and with an apologetic harsh tug on both her nipples downward, she abruptly slams herself down onto your waist, taking in your cock to the hilt. You feel every inch of your dick being squeezed by her pussy and soaked with her love juices, and at the end of it you feel your tip prod against what must be her cervix. 

“Never got my toy this deep into me before. Do you like it, Oppa? Does my slutty little fuckhole make you feel good?” She grins evilly at you as she leans forward for a kiss. You barely process her amazingly naughty words before she starts riding you, lifting herself up until only your tip remains in her, before slamming herself down again, taking your entire length into herself. You relish how her cunt clenches around you so lovingly, how tight she is that there’s no way this doesn’t hurt her, how loud she moans while you feel your cock quickly entering and exiting her pussy. 

She plants her elbows on either side of your head and cradles your face right in front of her bouncing chest. You take her right nipple into your mouth and she moans all the more loudly, rides you all the more violently. Your right hand grabs her left breast, fondling it the way that drives her crazy, and your last free hand gripping her ass as a hold to guide her up and down your cock. “Yuri,” you mumble with her nipple between your teeth, “I’m close again…” She rides you harder and you find it more difficult holding it in. You pray she lets you cum this time, calling upon a God you once knew, but also you pray that she lets you pull out first. Or not. As long as you cum. 

You begin sucking more harshly, and she responds by riding you faster; she grinds on your dick and drags your cock over every inch of her warm, wet walls. Her moans grow louder, more desperate, aching for her own release as well. Your grip on her ass tightens too, so much so that her cheeks spill out between your fingers as you pull her closer and pump into her as deep as you humanly can. 

You must’ve hit every last one of her good spots. A scream tears through her throat as she lifts herself off of you. Her cum sprays all over your waist, your cock, her bedsheets, and she even has the indecency to rub her clit all throughout, causing more and more of her cum to spray everywhere. You watch her through her climax, admiring the way her thighs jiggle with every jerk of her hips, the way her nipples stand erect on top of her bouncing boobs, the way her face contorts with an ungodly amount of pleasure she’s never experienced in her life. She falls forward, pressing her still-leaking cunt on your dick, and her breasts onto your chest as she heaves deep breaths through what should be a now-bruised throat. In a raspy yet sweet voice, she asks, “Was it good, Oppa? Did you like the feeling of pounding your horny pleasure girl’s tight little cunt?” She snuggles into your neck and plants little kisses along your jawline. “I haven’t cum yet, baby…” you admit quietly and out of breath. “Oh? That’s fine, Oppa. It just means you can enjoy me more.”

a/n: whoa that was way longer than I ever thought I could write at this point. all of that just this afternoon and only in response to the ask lol. this wasnt in my WIPs tbh and it was just a random BFH that accidentally took me... five hours to write? again im glad how it turned out thanks for reading all this youre awesome

[mustainegf]

we need 84 james in absolute shambles while he is railing the life out of you, I talking incoherent mumbling about how gorgeous you are, praising you on how good your taking it, and you are just crying from ecstasy, and eating up every praise he is giving you, begging for it harder. And the after care being amazing.

thx ily

PASSIONATE STUFFF UBFHDHHDHE I LOVE IT

James would be such a loving mess during sex

𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐄 ¹⁹⁸⁴

The soft hum of an old record playing in the background furnished a softly lit, small bedroom with a slow ballad that accompanied our sex.

It was 1984, and James was on the verge of something big, Metallica was doing something other people weren’t. But right now, none of that mattered. All that mattered currently, was his breath on my neck, and cock stretching me.

He was intense, always had been, but there was a difference in the way he touched me, looked at me with those piercing blue eyes tonight.

His hands gripped into my hips as he moved above me, and I could see how desperately horny he was.

"You're so fucking gorgeous," he muttered, his voice all rough. The words spilled out in an incoherent rush, woven with more love than I’d ever felt. "God, you're so beautiful. I can't—I can't get enough of you."

His praise, his need for me, it all was too much, and I found myself clinging to him, needing to be closer, to feel every inch of him.

"James," I gasped, my voice shaking as I arched into him, my nails raking across the hot skin of his back. "Please, don't stop. Please."

He drew in a broken breath and he bent down, taking my lips. "You're taking me so good," he muttered against my mouth, his voice shaking with emotion. "So good. I love the way you feel. The way you— the way you take me… so proud."

He thrust harder and deeper, and I cried out with the power of the joining. The tears spilled over, streaking down my cheeks, but I didn't care. All I could think of was him, the way he made me feel like I was the only person in the world.

"Harder," I begged, my voice choked with sobs of pleasure. "Please, James, harder."

His movements became more frantic, desperate. "I love you," he whispered, his voice thick. "I love you so much. You're everything…Everything."

I could feel the edge of a sob in his voice, the rawness. It made my heart ache with love as I wrapped my legs around his waist, tugging him deeper.

"I love you too," I whispered back, my voice trembling. "I love you so much, James."

He buried his face in the crook of my neck, his breath hot melting my skin. "You're perfect," he murmured, his voice muffled but still full of that desperate need. "So perfect. I can't—I can't believe you're mine."

It was the way he said it, with such disbelief, that made my heart swell. I reached up, cradling his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. His eyes were wide and glassy, tears of his own threatening to spill over.

"You're mine too," I whispered, my voice shaking. "Always."

He kissed me again, so deep, so hungry, and we were gasping for breath. "I need you," he confessed, his voice shaking with emotion. "I need you so bad. I can't—I can't keep quiet. I just…”

His words kinda dissolved into a series of whimpers and moans as he kept moving inside of me, his tulip rubbing up on my g spot with every move. I could feel him trembling, his body shaking.

"You're so good," he murmured, barely loud enough for words to be intelligible. "So.fucking good… I can't—I can't handle it. You're perfect."

I sobbed, his praise too heavy, his words wrapping around me like a blanket, warm and too much to stand. "Please, James," I begged, voice breaking. "Don't stop. Please."

He groaned, his grip on my hips tightening, his body buried deeper inside of me. "I won't stop," he promised, shaking. "I’ll never stop. Youre mine. All mine.”

The way he said it, with that possessiveness, sent a wave of pleasure crashing over me. My body tensed, and the coil of desire was tightening with each desperate thrust from him.

"I'm close," I gasped, hardly audible. "So close."

He let out a choked sob. "Me too," he whimpered, cracking with emotion. "I can't—I'm gonna—“

My scream was torn from me, the force of my climax that turned me breathless and shaking. James followed moments later, a broken moan escaping his lips as buckled and shot cum deep inside my walls, his body collapsing against mine.

We lay there, our bodies heaving. James buried his face in my hair, his breath was hot against my skin.

"You're perfect," he whispered back, thick with emotion. "So fucking perfect."

I smiled. "So are you, Jamie," I whispered back tender. "So are you."

He pulled back, his eyes, intense blue on mine, he was the most handsome man I’d seen.

"I love you," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I love you so much, baby."

I reached up, cupping his face in my hands, and drew him down for yet another kiss. "I love you, too," I whispered against his lips. "Always."

[phonographica]

Tatsuro Yamashita – Big Wave (1984)

[theunderestimator-3]

The Underestimator Mixtapes - Post Punk Dancefloor

Two hours of mostly-'80s post punk, new wave & funk/disco/jazz-related sounds guaranteed to spin you round like a record.

Available for online streaming on Mixcloud:

https://www.mixcloud.com/the-underestimator/the-underestimator-mixtapes-post-punk-dancefloor/

Download as separate mp3 tracks in a zip file on Mediafire or Mega:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/en6l3od3e3mci8x/THE+UNDERESTIMATOR+MIXTAPES+-+POST+PUNK+DANCEFLOOR.zip/file

[Don’t be alarmed if you are denied access: In case you get the error message “Permission Denied” prompting you to download a copyrighted song via Amazon or sth, you should be aware that this is a Mediafire trick to discourage you from downloading when the uploaded file includes copyrighted material, so they can appear legit in the eyes of the copyright holders. If you close the tab and try a couple of times or more, the link will eventually appear (don’t refresh the mediafire page, it doesn’t work that way, just open the link from the underestimator post to a new tab, then close it and re-open it in a new tab a couple of times or more).]

or

https://mega.nz/file/PuwCSBwJ#m4Ywwi9aRyvsiYZhIPB7YQBaUFrYYl_yJ4CSwFd46X8

Download some more playlists posted on The Underestimator Mixtapes series, here.

Lost In Music (Sister Sledge cover) – The Fall (1993)

Adolescent Sex – Japan (1978)

Heart Of Song – Josef K (1981)

Do The Du (Casse) – A Certain Ratio (1980)

We Got Soul - Big Boys (1982)

Shoot You Down – APB (1981)

Tear You Apart – She Wants Revenge (2005)

OBCT –Sleaford Mods (2020)

Heart & Soul - Joy Division (1980)

Optimo – Liquid Liquid (1983)

Same Beat – Marine (1982)

(secret track)

UFO – ESG (1981)

Wipeout Beat – Alan Vega (1983)

Nerve – Shriekback (1984)

Funky Stuff (Kool & The Gang cover) – Lizzy Mercier Descloux (1982)

The Comb – The Waitresses (1978)

You Fascinate Me – The Offs (1980)

Crosseyed & Painless – Talking Heads (1980)

Overpowered By Funk – The Clash (1982)

Black Arabs – Black Arabs (1979)

You’Re My Kind Of Climate – Rig Rig & Panic (1982)

Black Leather - Nightmares In Wax (1985)

Love Song – Simple Minds (1981)

Bostich – Yello (1981)

Der Mussolini – DAF (1981)

Some Aspects – Chain Of Command (1983)

The Night Watch – The Bellewether Syndicate (2012)

50:50 – Sad Lovers & Giants (1984)

I Found That Essence Rare – Gang Of Four (1979)

Super – NEU! (1973)

(Cover photo: dancing in the early-'80s at Duke’s in Austin, Texas, by Ben Desoto).

[ladykailitha]

Never Hold Back Your Step... Part 1

Here is it is. Book 2 of The Boy With a Bat and I'm posting it on the anniversary of the first chapter of "Can Anybody See Me?" I couldn't pass up the opportunity do so, you know? If you haven't read that yet, I would recommend it.

This one starts up almost immediately after the last one ended. And I do have four chapters written.

This story will go through to the end of season 3.

@mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @emly03

***

The weather started to warm and the Harringtons were away for longer and longer stretches of time. So to say that Steve was happy would be an understatement.

He used that open period to do his homework so that he had more time to practice his swimming. It was inevitable that Eddie would cotton on to the glaringly obvious gap in Steve’s swim practice. As in despite having a large pool of his own, Steve would practice at the school or on the weekends at the community center.

At first the excuse of it being too cold to swim in the outdoor pool, that fell away to the warmer weather. Thankfully it was the last meet of the season, and the team had gotten to state.

Steve hadn’t even bothered to tell his parents that the swim team had a chance at nationals. That they had been that good. Nope. He told Wayne Munson and Claudia Henderson though. Those were the adults he really wanted to see there. Not Clint and Marilyn Harrington. Of course Joyce and Hopper were told, too. But Claudia had become more like his mother and Wayne, the father figure he had always wanted.

Eddie had avoided the swim meets for the most part. Not because he didn’t want to support Steve. He did. The problem was the *ahem* uniform for the boys’ swim team. It consisted of one cap, one pair of goggles and the tiniest Speedo known to man. Or at least known to Eddie. He could barely handle his boyfriend in the booty shorts the basketball team wore, the Speedo was just too much for his poor developed teenaged brain.

But through begging, bribing, and blow jobs, Eddie was at that meet.

Thankfully he wasn’t sandwiched between Uncle Wayne and Claudia Henderson. Nope, Marty and Janice had come, too. The rest of them couldn’t get out of their classes to come but they all told Steve they were rooting for him.

Steve walked out in the green Speedo (being the ‘away’ team) cap. The white framed goggles perched on his head. He spoke briefly to coaches Hall and Hastings. And then turned to wave at the enthusiastic crowd. Claudia had gotten Dustin excused from school and Nancy and Jonathan were there as members of the school news paper.

All in all not a bad turnout for the boy who thought that 1985 was going to be as bad as 1984 had been. He thought he was going to end the year with no girlfriend, no friends, and no future. But that all changed with Eddie Munson deciding he was worth having. First as a friend and then as a boyfriend.

The boyfriend thing was still being kept on the down low as they were still in high school and Steve’s dad was just too big of a wild card to tell people that might get word back to him. Steve felt bad. Because it meant that Dustin and the other kids didn’t know about him and Eddie. Well...he was pretty sure Max had figured it out and maybe El, too. But everyone else was told that they were strictly bros.

A lie Eddie was surprisingly okay with. The last thing he wanted was Steve to get another concussion and if Billy and his gang scented blood in the water before, it would be a literal blood bath if Steve was even hinted at being in a relationship with another boy. Tommy and Billy could taunt all they wanted as long as there wasn’t any proof, they were fine.

It made Steve itch. But even he knew better than to scratch it.

He took a deep breath and stepped up to the starting block. He got in position and lowered his goggles. Out of the corners of his eyes he could see the other competitors look at each other, sizing each other up. But Steve was focused. He put his head down and took a deep breath. He loved the butterfly stroke. It worked his shoulders in a way that helped round out his strengths.

The whistle blew and they were off. Distantly he could hear people screaming his name and cheering him on every time he broke the water. He smiled and doubled his efforts. He touched the pad and the whistle blew. He then looked around at his competitors and saw to his satisfaction that he had definitely finished first.

Steve could hear Dustin freaking out in the stands. He pulled the goggles off his eyes and placed them on his head. He wiped the water out of his face and he looked to the stands.

Wayne was asking Claudia a question and she was explaining it animatedly. Steve grinned. He pulled himself out of the water and listened to the judges give the times. It was no record by any means, but it was much faster than his peers.

He stood up and Coach Hall raised his hand up. All his team members came up to him and cheering excitedly. Even the ones that he had beaten.

Steve sat on the sidelines and waited for the relay to start. That was his final event. He was first, followed by two other boys, Lyle and Nick, and then Ezra. Steve and Ezra were the teams two fastest swimmers and bookended the relay team.

Finally they were up. He looked up at the stands again. The most important people in Steve’s life were up there cheering him on. He got into position and pulled his goggles down. He zipped through the water like an otter and was soon tapping out for the next swimmer. He quickly got out of the way and was shocked to see that other team wasn’t even close. As each boy popped out of the water and looked at how far they were in front of the other team, they would start to jump up and down excitedly.

Soon it was the three of them waiting for Ezra to finish. There was no doubt they won. The question was whether or not they had beat the state record. Ezra tapped the board and hopped out of the water.

They waited in silence as the other team finished their run and got out of the pool. The judge must have had a flare for the dramatic as he read the other team’s time first. Steve and his team wrapped their arms around each other as they waited for the time.

Finally it was read.

“A new state record!” the judge called out.

Steve and his team started screaming and cheering.

“And thereby qualify for the regionals that will be held in Chicago this year in two weeks!” the judge continued.

They made it!

Steve looked up at the stands and the entire section that held the Hawkins fans were on their feet. Even Eddie had been lost in the sea of fans screaming their lungs out.

*

After he had showered and got the chlorine out of his hair, he walked out to all his friends waiting for him. They were holding up signs and cheering. Even Nancy and Jonathan were waiting for him.

“Steve, that was amazing, man,” Jonathan said. He snapped a a couple of pictures that left Steve blinking from the flash.

Nancy hugged him and then straightened out her skirt. She cleared her throat and said as professionally as possible, “Weekly Streak, as co-captain of the team, how does it feel making regionals for the first time in the school’s history?”

“Me and Ezra Wincott are both proud of how well our players did,” Steve said after shaking his head a little. “We’re disappointed that no one in the individual events made it, but grateful that we made it to state. It was an honor to compete.”

“Will the school be raising the money for the team to go?” Nancy asked.

Steve covered his wince with a half smile. This was a hotly contested subject between them about where school funds went. She thought that more money should go to arts like theater and the newspaper, of course.

“I wouldn’t know,” he said and pursed his lips. He licked a stripe over his upper lip and Eddie winced.

Eddie wondered if Nancy was familiar with Steve’s tell that he was seriously annoyed. Judging from her expression, probably not.

“It’s up to the administration where the funds go,” Steve said, dryly. “However, if it will help Lyle or Nick have the chance to go, I’m sure my parents would be willing to pay for me to go regardless of the school’s ability to fund the trip.”

Nancy and Eddie both scoffed, but they didn’t say anything.

“Any word on elections for next years captain or captains?” Nancy asked.

“We’ll be holding them after nationals,” Steve said. “Coaches Higgins and Hall have opted to continue with the co-captains as they have in the past few years.”

“Are you disappointed that none of the girls made it to state?” Nancy asked.

Eddie and Steve exchanged a glance over her head of exasperation. “Co-captains Laura Gilbert and Denise Portman led the girls to a great season. It was unfortunate that they went against better teams. The hope next year is that they are getting six new members next year that will freshen up the team.”

“And how many boys will be joining the team next year?”

Steve crossed his arms and licked his upper lip again, and it sent a not nice shiver down Eddie’s spine. He could tell that he was getting upset with Nancy’s questions.

“Not as many,” Steve said, knowing that was exactly why she asked. She was gloating that the girls were getting more players next year. “Only four. Which considering we’re losing six this year is quite the blow.”

“Just one last question,” Nancy said a sneer on her face. “Who are you celebrating with tonight?”

Everyone went dead silent. Steve wasn’t sure if she was being obtuse or if she was trying to out him, but it wasn’t appropriate by any stretch of the imagination.

“Friends and family,” Steve said with a sinister smile.

Nancy turned of the recorder and stuck it in her pocket. Both Eddie and Steve opened their mouths to protest, but Jonathan beat them to it.

“What the fuck was with that last question?” he growled as he packed away his camera.

Nancy rolled her eyes. “The school’s student editor is one of Tommy’s ilk and wanted me to ask it off all the people I interviewed, but especially Steve.”

“You do realize that only seven people in the whole school read the school newspaper, right?” Eddie asked. “Like everyone I know tosses it the second it gets handed to them.”

Nancy rolled her eyes. “Well maybe you guys should. It’s not just sports you know. The debate team also made it to state. The drama club got invited to perform at the drama conference with ‘Yours, Yours, Yours’ and a dozen other things that you would know if you read the only paper in town that cared about that sort of thing.”

Steve and Eddie looked at Marty and Janice and then back at Nancy.

“You do realize that that last example was a piss poor one right?” Steve asked, waving his hand to include Eddie, Janice and Marty. “We were all part of the play in some way. Of course we knew about the invite.”

Nancy rolled her eyes. “Okay, so that was a bad example. But you know what I mean.”

“It’s not the end of the world, Nance,” Dustin said. “You’re destined for greatness at some big name paper.”

Nancy blushed. “Thanks!”

Eddie smiled. “Come on, sweetheart. Uncle Wayne and I have celebration plans for you, big boy.”

Steve grinned. “Is Wayne going to barbecue like he’d been teasing all winter?”

Wayne laughed. “Not quite warm enough for that yet. I promise, once it is, I’ll blow your god damn mind.”

Steve laughed.

“No,” Claudia said with a smile. “We’re going for milk shakes at the diner. Best celebration there is.”

Steve high-fived Dustin.

****

Part 2 Part 3 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

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @gregre369 @artiststarme ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @danili666 @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @vecnuthy @irregular-child @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @anne-bennett-cosplayer @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon @counting-dollars-counting-stars @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @dragonmama76 @scheodingers-muppet @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual

[the-hottest-band-tournament]

Round 5 of The Hottest 80s Band Tournament

Duran Duran

Defeated opponents: Starship, Nine Inch Nails, Bauhaus, De La Soul

Formed in: 1979

Genres: Pop rock, synth-pop, new wave, new pop, dance-rock, post-disco

Lineup: Simon Le Bon- vocals

Nick Rhodes- keyboards

John Taylor- bass

Andy Taylor- guitar

Roger Taylor- drums

Albums from the 80s: 

Duran Duran (1981)

Rio (1982)

Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983)

Notorious (1986)

Big Thing (1988)

Propaganda: You can't do a hottest 80s band tournament without The Fab Five. They set off fashion trends. They made your Mom (or possibly your grandma if you're real young) swoon. They led the way into the video era. They were Princess Di's favorite band. They got really overexposed, botched a performance at Live Aid and then imploded before coming back as a trio but the classic line-up, the one that brought us Rio and Girls on Film and Hungry Like the Wolf were these five guys. This is Duran Duran and I love them.

Queen

Defeated opponents: Green Day, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Psychedelic Furs

Formed in: 1970

Genres: rock, glam-rock, hard rock, pop-rock, pop, disco

Lineup: Freddie Mercury- vocals 

Brian May- guitar 

John Deacon- bass 

Roger Taylor- drums 

Albums from the 80s: 

The Game (1980)

Hot Space (1982)

Flash Gordon (1982, movie soundtrack)

The Works (1984)

A Kind Of Magic (1986)

The Miracle (1989)

Propaganda: “HAVE YOU SEEEEN THEMMMM???? these men never lost their looks as they aged. smoking hot 20 somethings to smoking hot 40 somethings. in their own words, "we was glam" and "we were all stunning". all four had impeccable style choices 99% of the time, from leather jackets and wraps to monochrome to undone blazers and ties to brightly coloured /everything/. Deacon changed his hair style every few years and even in just tshirts and booty shorts, never missed. Roger had a sleazy mullet and sunglasses for what felt like forever, hot Persian dad, did not miss. Brian forgot how to fully button shirts. bell bottoms. same hair for 50 years. no misses. even after Freddie got sick and started wearing makeup and had to grow a beard to cover up, MAN NEVER FUCKIN MISSED. he was beautiful to the day he died. and thats not even touching on the leather daddy look from the early 80s.king shit. we love wrinkles and laugh lines in this gd house. if they don't sweep I’m blowing this whole website up we was glam”

“a few years back i was obsessed with these guys and i would find it hard to not have a crush on all of them. in the 80s especially Brian was GORGEOUS.. BEAUTIFUL”

Visual propaganda for Queen:

[munson-blurbs]

@corrodedcoffinfest Day 19: In the Garage

Word Count: 732/Rating: G/Pairing: None/CW: Principal Higgins is an ass, anxiety about being accepted, divergent from FoI/Tags: Eddie Munson, Gareth, Jeff, Grant, Principal Higgins, Corroded Coffin

Divider credit to @silkholland

November 1984

“On my count.” Eddie slings his guitar over his shoulder and adjusts the strap. He turns to his other bandmates, all of whom nod in acknowledgment. “Two, three—”

“Mr. Munson!”

Eddie looks at the band room door when he hears Principal Higgins bellow out his name. A smirk slowly stretches across his face. “We were actually looking for four.”

Higgins sighs, trying his best to ignore the snarky remark. “Mr. Munson,” he repeats, “I’m going to have to ask you and your buddies to leave.”

“Ooh, no can do, Higgsy-Poo. We’ve got a big gig this weekend,” Eddie says, not making eye contact as he strums a few random chords. “Gotta practice, y’know?”

“That was an order, Mr. Munson; not a suggestion.” Principal Higgins points his forefinger at Eddie. “You have two minutes to pack up your stuff, or you’ve earned yourself another suspension.” 

Eddie rolls his eyes but concedes, flipping off his principal once the older man has his back turned. “Fuckin’ asshole,” he mutters, hoisting the guitar up and over his head and placing it back in its case.

“Now what?” Grant asks.

And isn’t that the million-dollar question.

Eddie’s place is obviously out; the trailer barely holds him and Wayne, let alone three other men and a drum set. Same goes for the tiny apartment Grant shares with his mom. Jeff’s grandma is still convinced that heavy metal is used to summon Satan. Which leaves…

“We can use the garage at my house.” Gareth speaks up from behind his drums. The freshman is the newest member of the band, and also the quietest. “I don’t think my parents will mind.”

Jeff raises his eyebrows. “Y’sure about that, freshie? Doesn’t your mom keep a rosary in her car?”

Gareth shakes his head, curls bouncing. “Nah, that was my grandma’s car. She was just borrowing it while hers was in the shop.”

“I dunno, man.” Grant gnaws on his lower lip. “Your parents look like Ward and June.”

Jeff snorts. “Does that make him Wally? Or the Beav?”

“Shut up!” Eddie launches his guitar pick at Jeff’s head. Grant was right–Gareth’s folks seemed a bit too straightlaced to tolerate Corroded Coffin’s music. But with Higgins now barring them from using the school’s practice room, they’re out of options.

“All right,” he says finally, rubbing his nose with his palm. “We’ll give it a shot. But if your parents call the cops, I’m lighting your hair on fire.”

Gareth nods. “Noted.”

The freshman’s words are insufficient for calming Eddie’s nerves. All he could picture as he drives up to the Emerson house is Gareth’s parents taking one look at his torn jeans and wild hair and dismissing him. Chastising him for being a “bad influence” on their son. Which, chances are, he is. But that’s besides the point. 

The garage door is open; Jeff and Grant are already inside warming up. Gareth waves at Eddie, and the man and woman next to him smile. 

“You must be Eddie,” the man says, sticking out a hand for him to shake. “Mark Emerson. Gareth’s dad. And this is my wife, Christine.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Eddie says warily. “You’re, uh, really okay with us playing here?”

Mark laughs. “You kidding? This is the first time I haven’t had to yell at Gare to clean out the garage.”

“Dad.” Gareth mumbles through gritted teeth, clearly embarrassed. 

“We like all kinds of music,” Christine Emerson says simply. “Metal, rock, country, jazz…” She trails off, cocking her head. “Your last name is ‘Munson,’ right?”

Here we go. A pit forms in Eddie’s stomach. The Munson name has bitten him in the ass once again. What’ll it be this time—his dad’s reputation, or his own?

“Y-Yeah.”

Gareth’s mom grins and turns towards her husband. “He must be Wayne’s nephew! The guy who helped me when I had a flat tire.” 

Relief floods Eddie’s chest. “Sounds like my uncle.”

“Seems like a good guy. Always looking out for people.” Mark smiles. “Gareth told us how you asked him to sit with you at lunch. Looks like the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.”

“Dad!”

With a chuckle, Eddie takes his guitar out of its case. “Let’s see if you still like me after the neighbors complain about the noise.” He adjusts the microphone to his mouth. “All right, guys. On my count—two, three, four!”

[ijustwanttoreadfanfiction]

Blue Crush

Billy Hargrove x AFAB! Reader

Reader: Nearly dies surfing. Billy: LOL do a flip.

The choke hold Blue Crush still has on me, if you haven't watched it, please do, but also know the only relevance it has to this story is surfing. In honour of Blue Crush, reader does have the surname Chadwick, I hope that doesn't throw anyone. Apologies to any actual surfers out there, I can barely swim 20 metres, and I didn't really fancy reaching out to my ex (who was a surfer) for notes. The vast majority of terms are courtesy of Surf's Up. 🌊

Warnings: Explicit language, explicit descriptions of sex, vaginal fingering, p in v sex, the smallest slightest smidgen of anal play, soft! Billy, rough! Billy.

_______________________________________________

Huntington Beach, California - August 1984.

It’s a beautiful day, the sky a perfect light cobalt blue, completely cloudless, only a gentle breeze and blissfully warm sunshine.

Your bare toes sink into the soft golden sand as you make your way across the beach, surfboard held firmly to your side, enjoying the heat of the sun on your skin. 

“Hey Chadwick, quit posing, we've got some waves to ride girlie!” Your friend Danny hails you from further up the beach, you flip him the bed with a laugh, hoisting your board up and running the rest of the way.

“How’s it looking out there?” You say, pulling your top over your head, a new bikini on display.

“Fucking clean, Hargrove has already carved up a couple of sets.” Danny says, pointing to the back of your friend Billy, who is bobbing up and down on his board a few meters out. You push down your shorts, tying your hair up into a hair ponytail, practically vibrating with excitement; the waves calling you.

“Race ya!” You shout to Danny, laughing as you sprint to the shore, wasting no time in paddling out, duck diving under the breaking waves, relishing being out in the water.

“Look who finally decided to show up.” Billy calls to you, broad smirk on his face, sat astride his board looking perfect as usual.

“What’s the matter, you miss me or something?” You ask playfully.

“Always babe.” He says, you splash water at him to hide your blush.

 Danny was right, the waves are clean, set after perfect set. The three of you, taking it, mostly, in turns, Billy sometimes pulling you onto his board to purposely bomb into a wave. 

“Big set! Fucking huge set! Look at that!” Danny shouts pointing at the rolling waves heading your way.

“I’m taking it.” You say with determination, already paddling.

“You sure Chadwick, that’s gonna be one hell of a peak.” Billy warns, looking at the incoming wall of water. 

You don’t answer, catching the lip, and dropping in with an exhilarated yell. It’s just as the barrel starts to curl you realize it’s a massive close out, both sides of the tube collapsing in. “Shit.” You breath out, before sucking in a massive breath, the heavy weight of the wave breaking directly over your head, smashing down on you. You feel yourself being pulled by the undertow, your leash dragging you with your board, 30 seconds that’s all, just hold your breath for 30 seconds you tell yourself. The surface comes into view, your head emerging with a gasp, you hear a vague shout turning to see another huge wave breaking, you duck dive again grabbing the rails. The water pummels you as though you’re in a washer, you feel your ankle get tugged harshly, knowing your board has just snapped in two. The panic starts to set in, lungs burning, ears popping, something grips you around the middle and you rocket to the surface once more.

“Atta girl! I got you.” Billy pants, hoisting you onto his board, you cough furiously sucking down air. “Let’s get you in.” He says roughly, paddling with you towards the shore.

You drop heavily onto your back in the sand, still breathing hard, heart hammering, slightly dizzy, ankle bleeding from where your leash strap cut in. 

“You alright?” Billy asks worriedly, dropping beside you, visually checking for other injuries.

“I’m good.” You croak, throat sore from the saltwater.

“I told you not to go for it Chadwick!” He says hotly.

“I didn’t know it was gonna collapse like that” You say defensively, sitting up, feeling your back spasm. 

“You should’ve ditched!” He shouts. “You could've been killed!” His eyes are burning with anger and something else, fear?

“I’m fine.” You spit, standing up so quickly your head spins, of course Billy catches you before you can faceplant the sand, his warm arms tight around your back.

“Easy, easy.” He says, you press your hands to his still damp chest steadying yourself, you can feel his heart pounding almost as fast as yours. “You gotta be careful babe, I can’t - I’m not gonna be there every time.” He murmurs softly, pushing a strand of loose hair behind your ear.

You all but melt into his touch, moving to wrap your arms around him, your face buried in his neck.

“Thanks for getting me out, Hargrove.” You mumble against his skin.

_______________________________________________

The sun is just starting to sink below the horizon, the beach mostly quiet aside from a few stragglers, waves lapping gently against the shore, almost lulling you to sleep. You’re sitting between Billy’s legs, back to his chest, his sweatshirt covering your upper body. He had only let you surf baby waves for the rest of the afternoon, and you were glad of it, muscles aching from your wipe-out.

“Alright you two, I’m gonna jet.” Danny says hauling his board out of the sand, casting a knowing smile at you both.

“Have a good night man.”

“See ya Danny.”

“You wanna make a move?” Billy asks you quietly, moving your salt waved hair off your shoulder, placing a small kiss on your lightly tanned skin. You smile at the affectionate gesture, most people mistook you for boyfriend and girlfriend, but you’ve always been this way with each other; neither of you getting much love at home. You often wonder why Billy has never asked you to be his girlfriend, or why you have never asked him to be your boyfriend (it is 1984 after all, not 1884). You guess part of you is worried about ruining your friendship, but the other part is just plain scared to explore your feelings for him.

“Yeah I guess we should go.” You say a little reluctantly, the evening was so perfect, the weather, the view, the person. You get up, brushing the sand from your legs with a big stretch, noticing the way Billy eyes your exposed navel as the jumper rides up.

“...Or we could get some burgers, chill out in the car for a bit?” He suggests, which you answer with a vigorous nod, grinning from ear to ear.

  You’re both perched atop the bonnet of Billy’s Camaro, laughing as he recounts the story of when Danny knocked three teeth out trying to impress a girl. 

“It was the way he was trying to pick them back up from the sand without her noticing!” Billy laughs around a mouthful of fries.

“He was whistling like that fucking Gopher from Winnie The Pooh for a month.” You giggle, tears streaming down your face, sides hurting. Your laughter dies down slowly, Billy still intermittently chuckling, you look at him, the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles.

“I’m gonna miss this.” You say softly, sadness creeping into your voice.

“Babe, we agreed we weren’t going to talk about it.” Billy huffs, dropping his new handful of fries back into the container in exasperation. 

“No, you said you didn’t want to talk about it, I never agreed.” You mutter pedantically. “We have to talk about it, you’re moving to the other side of the country Billy!”

“Yeah I know I am, so stop fucking reminding me about it!” He snaps. 

You glare at him hoisting yourself off the bonnet, and throwing yourself in the back seat of the car, slamming the door for good measure.

“Did you seriously just throw a hissy fit by getting into my car?” He calls and you can hear the teasing tone of his voice.

“Piss off.” You grumble petulantly, kicking the front passenger seat for good measure with your bare foot, knowing the print would irritate him. The car rocks a little as he also gets off the bonnet, climbing in next to you with a heavy sigh.

"Hey."

"Hey."

“I’m sorry for shouting, Chadwick.” 

“I’m sorry for making you shout, Hargrove.” You mumble back with a small smile, he grabs you, bringing you in close and pretending to give you a noogie. You give his arm an immature lick in response, which sets you both into a mock wrestle, Billy successfully pining you in the cramped back seat, both breathing heavily. 

Without giving it much thought, you reach up and bring his lips to yours, you feel his neck tighten for the smallest second before he is on you kissing you with an intensity that has you gasping into his mouth.

Your nose is filled with the heady scent of salt, sunscreen and Aramis, it’s pure Billy and it makes your head spin, his hands grip your hips whilst you tangle yours in his curly hair.

“Fucking hell babe, where has this come from?” He asks in a low gravelly voice that has your thighs clenching. 

“Figured might as well shoot my shot, seeing as you won’t be around much longer.” You say breathlessly. Rather than respond, Billy kisses you hard again, teeth nipping at your bottom lip, tugging on the hem of his sweatshirt which still covers your body. 

“Off, now.” He commands roughly, sitting back to give you space, you haul the clothing over your head, slipping your bikini top off with it, nipples pebbling instantly. You see Billy’s eyes darken, strong hands gripping you tight pulling you over to straddle his lap, grinding you down onto his hard length, your skimpy bikini bottoms and his boardshorts are the only things separating you.

“Do you really want this?” Billy asks you, his chest heaving, hands running up and down your back. You nod, leaning in for another kiss but he pulls back. “Say it, say you want it.”

“I want this. Want you.” You whisper, tongue licking up his neck, tasting the salt, skin still warm from the sun.

He growls, pulling the tie-string on your bikini bottoms, balling up the fabric and tossing it into the front of the car, his fingers running roughly through your slick folds.

“Fuck, you’re so soft and wet.” He groans, latching his mouth on your breast, sucking hard on the nipple drawing a yelp from you.

“Billy.” You moan, feeling two of his fingers sink into your tight heat.

“Ride my fingers surfer girl.” He grins boyishly, landing a slap to your ass. “C’mon, give me a show.” You use his shoulders for leverage, fucking down onto his fingers, pussy working around the scissoring digits. “That’s it, babe. You’re so fucking tight, how am I gonna stuff my cock in there huh?” 

You’re a whimpering mess already, head rolled back, undulating on his hand, feeling your stomach tighten. 

“Ah! Billy I’m gonna - what the fuck Hargrove?” You hiss furiously, Billy having withdrawn his fingers at the last second.

“If you’re gonna cum, it’s going to be on my cock, understand?” He says hotly, yanking his shorts down, he spits into his hand fucking his fist, plundering your mouth with his tongue again. 

“Billy, please.” You plead softly, cunt feeling empty and deprived of release. 

He angles the thick head at your opening, the spit barely easing the sting as your pussy struggles with his size.

“Oh holy shit!” You whine, nails and teeth biting into his skin.

“Come on babe, you talk a big game, I know you can take it.” He huffs through gritted teeth, hands on your hips making you sink lower, taking inch after inch. You reach down and circle your clit with shaking fingers, feeling impossibly full. “That’s it, good girl, all the way down.” Billy coaxes, balls finally flush to your ass.

You’re both still for a moment, your legs quivering, pussy clamping tight around the welcome intrusion, Billy breathing hotly against your skin. You groan in unison when you start to move, sinful wet slaps filling the car, windows fogging with the force of your efforts. Billy holds you tight around your middle, hips piston his cock harder and deeper with each thrust, you’re wetter than you’ve ever been before, you can feel it gathering on his pubic hair, sliding down your ass. 

“So good, fuck!” You yelp, tits bouncing, body shaking, fingers playing with your swollen clit.

Billy grabs a handful of your ass, working you thoroughly over his dick, a single fingertip circling your tightest hole barely pressing in but it’s enough to send you hurtling over the edge.

“Fuck your cunt is so tight!” Billy growls, head thrown back against the headrest, cock pulsing deep within you, riding his orgasm out with deep spearing thrusts.

You’re both breathing heavily, tongues sliding together messily, little whimpers still escaping you, Billy’s fingers working knots out of your shoulders.

“When is it you’re moving away again Hargrove?” You ask quietly.

“October,” He asks shortly “why?”

“Good, so we can do this more than once.” You say with a teasing smile.

“I like the way you think Chadwick.” He grins.

_______________________________________________

Tagged: @bettyfrommars @rebelfell

[boogiewrites]

Hindsight's Always 19/84 - Pt 1

Single Dad Eddie / Reader AU

You left Hawkins in 1984. You had no intentions of ever coming back. But life had other plans. You grew sick of the fake people and conversations, the classism and nauseating academic personalities of your past life. You craved life with its highs and lows, its triumphs and heartbreak over the beige monotony of white-collar progress. Now divorced and happy to be, you move back home. You run into an old friend, Eddie Munson. He was a memory that had haunted you for years. You haven't been the only one whose life has changed drastically. He's working two jobs and taking care of his son alone. You came back to Hawkins to find a new path, but you're faced with your younger self instead. Will you finally give her the answers she's always needed? Are you brave enough to say the things you couldn't before you left? With the growing connection between two broken adults, it looks like you never should've left.

You know what they say, Hindsight's always 20/20.

You walked down the stairs from your apartment onto the street. The sunset painted the town in nostalgia. Muted colors like looking back into your memories surrounded you. It all felt different and somehow exactly the same. You’d been back for about a month now. But with the exception of holidays, you haven't spent any time in Hawkins for over a decade. You didn’t even go to your 10-year high school reunion. You’d had no expectations of coming back here. Certainly not without an exit date firmly scheduled prior. But life is funny that way. You never expect to get divorced when you get married. You never expect to quit what once was your dream job. You never expect to move back to your hometown in some potentially pathetic, you hadn't decided yet, attempt to find yourself. Along with a lot of other lessons you were finally learning, expecting the unexpected was one being driven into your life hard.

So when you wandered the towns Main Street and saw the old record store you hadn't expected, but maybe you should have, the man standing behind the counter to be the boy who helped form most of those happy memories you’d come back home to revisit.

“We close in like 5 minutes. I can check you out if you know what you want but at 9 you’re getting kicked out.” He didn’t look up from the book of numbers he was staring at on the checkout desk.

“Oh shit. I didn’t look at your hours on the door. Sorry. I’ll leave.” You rush out, not even looking at the guy, his hair hiding his face as he leaned on the counter. You’d barely taken in the familiar space before feeling like a burden.

But then you hear your name called to your back as your hand sits on the door handle. That voice. You hadn’t heard your name said like that in so long. Not just from him but in a way that made it sound like someone was genuinely happy to see you.

“Eddie?” It leaves your slightly parted lips before you even verify the owner of the now much deeper, voice. It’s still cracked and popped when you heard it last. A young man with his training wheels freshly off was now grown before you. He looked so different. And just like the town… somehow exactly the same.

“Holy shit it is you!” his face lit up, it was a wonderful sight. Eddie was always a big emoter, being absolute shit at hiding how he felt on his face. And right now he was happy to see you. Your face was a bit more hesitant, only for the heavy smack of memories you were drowning in as you shared a silent smile, eyes very boldly meeting one another's.

“It’s me.” you held out your hands in a jazzy presentation of yourself that made him laugh.

“What are you doing here? Oh shit, is everyone okay?” His face went from curious to concerned in a flash.

“Oh yeah, the family’s fine.” you finally stepped forward and dismissed his concern with a wave of your hand. “I moved back.” he could see the way your jaw tensed when you said it. Last he’d heard you were married and working some white-collar job and doing just fine. He certainly hadn’t expected you to walk into his shop on a random Tuesday. He wanted to ask a hundred questions that had all poured into his brain but withheld.

“How long have you been back?” he got away with looking at your hands, checking for a wedding band as they ran through your hair nervously. There wasn’t one. That gave him plenty of answers to sate his intrusive tendencies. Little did he know you’d already looked at his ring finger to see the same.

“A few weeks. Not long. Just got settled into the apartment on 3rd street. Pure luck it opened up when I was looking.”

“An apartment?” he had a playful smile as he quirked his brow. “Would’ve pinned you for a house sorta girl.”

“Needed a change.” you wrinkled your nose, vague answers meant you weren’t ready to talk about it. Which he understood.

“I heard they re-did those recently.”

“Yeah, it’s way nicer than I expected. Overlooks the park which is very cute. And is a hell of a lot cheaper than my mortgage was.” a genuine smile graced your face, and the sense of relief wasn’t missed by him in your voice.

“Tell me about it.” he groaned and slapped the open book in front of him.

“Oh, doing the books?” you leaned forward curiously, intimately familiar with the layout of the paper before him. “Wait. Why are you doing the accounting?” you didn’t hide the confusion on your face as you looked back up at a smirking Eddie. His hair was the same save for the lack of bangs, a change with the times. He had a past 5 o clock shadow and light circles under his eyes. You knew you also had signs of wear and age on your face.

“Because I own the place?” he tilted his head to the side and chuckled. “You don’t have to look SO surprised.” he then broke into a laugh.

“Sorry! I just. Wow.” you shook your head.

“Give me a little credit. I’ve grown up since you last knew me.” a playful defensiveness was apparent in his shaking curls as he challenged your slack jaw at the news.

“I’m sure you have. Sorry. I didn’t mean to -”

“Shut up. I’m fucking with you.” the deepness of his voice bloomed out of a laughing chest. “I do own it but I agree I didn’t scream responsible business owner at 18.” he grinned. “I started working here shortly after you left and ten years later Mr. Orison wanted to retire and well…” he motioned to the room then let his arms slap to his sides.

“Good for you. Seriously. Running a business is fucking hard. People don’t realize it.”

“Yeah neither did I when I bought it.” he bent over and ran his hand through his hair, elbows to the countertop.

“I used to crunch numbers all day for a living so I get it. I’ll leave you to it. It’s past 9 anyway, I think you’re supposed to kick me out.” you smiled brightly, and you felt the strain in your cheeks. It’d been a long, long time since you’d smiled so big.

“You get to be an exception to the rule. You can wander around if you want. I don’t care.”

“No, no. I know you need to focus. I’ll get out of your hair.” you take a few steps back. “I could come back when you aren’t busy?” you offered, a raise of one shoulder to your chin.

“Yeah! Yes.” he cleared his throat and nodded enthusiastically, spooling out some blank receipt paper. “Since you’re back-back we should catch up.” he dabbed the pen to his tongue to get it to work, and a few shakes and grunts later he was writing his number down. “And I don’t mean in that fake reunion - oh my god let’s get coffee sometime kinda way.” he looked up, hang dancing over his papers as a fuller face than you recalled smiled at you.

“Glad we’re on the same page. I need some friends. Not gonna lie.” you chuckle nervously and give a purposely strained smile.

“Lucky for you, we are built-in friends.” he holds out the paper as you step back toward him.

“Good,” you say softly, ripping part of the paper and writing down your own information. “You’re busier than me right now so feel free to call me whenever and we can go not get coffee.” you joke and he accepts it heartily.

“You drink?”

“Not as well as I used to.” you laugh.

“That’sthefuckintruth.” he grumbled. “I’ll hit you up and we’ll go to the old Hideout. We’ll be two old schmo’s reminiscing just like the people we used to make fun of.”

“Sounds perfect.” the relief of something casual and easy flooded you. There was no pretentious pretext, no formalwear to buy, or people to schmooze. Beers, a dive bar, and an old friend sounded close to heaven after the way you’d spent the last decade. “See ya soon.” you wiggle your fingers in a wave before Eddie watches you walk down the street and out of sight, locking the door behind you.

“Well, shit.” he didn’t have to hide his smile now, chuckling to himself, rubbing his face as he walked back to the counter. “She’s back.” he talked to himself, no one else was around, and being alone was a rarity for him these days. He gathered up his books and looked at the mirror in the hall on the way to the back office. “And single,” he said to his reflection before looking over it and frowning at the sight. He looked fucking tired. In all fairness he was. “And you’re a struggling single dad with two jobs.” he sighed and looked away from the mirror. A reality check he needed was cashed to himself. He wasn’t exactly relationship material at the moment with barely any time for himself let alone dating someone. You were used to money and the city and some fancy-pants professor was your ex-husband. What’s a small-town mechanic with a sob story, a kid, and a treading water business going to offer you? He groaned, his annoyance clear on his face as he plopped into the old creaky leather chair. Little did he know, that craving a slice of real life, something raw and passionate, full of imperfections was exactly why you’d left your husband and old life behind. He had more to offer than old romantic nostalgia. He just didn’t know it yet.

Eddie arrived at the trailer he was pleased to call home. A double wide with a room for him and his son and for Wayne when he wanted to stay over. He didn’t live far from his uncle and he didn’t want to be away from him, truth be told. He’d landscaped the place, out in the field away from the clusters of other trailers, a little fence, and a bricked-in foundation. He was proud of what he’d been able to create for his little family.

Eddie was happy to admit now that the calling from his kid as soon as he noticed him walking into the door made every bit of worry fade away for a few minutes.

“Daddy!” a very active toddler ran and stumbled toward him, falling and ignoring the failure to get swept up in his dad's arms.

“Hey little man!” he tossed him into the air, a favorite pastime of his since he was tiny. “I see we had spaghetti for dinner.” Eddie laughed, grabbing a noddle from his shirt and eating it noisily to make him laugh.

“He’s as stubborn as you.” Wayne chuckled, a grunt as he raised from the couch. “Refused anything else. Remember when you’d only eat pickles and ranch with butter noodles for dinner for a while?”

“It’s still good.” Eddie grinned, shifting the kid to his hip.

“Your taste has always been questionable.” Wayne teased. It was always with love.

“It’s a point of pride.” Eddie smiled and shoved a fork into the pot of noodles left on the stove.

“We were about to get settled for bed. Someone had a long nap today and messed up his routine.”

“Did not!” a very adamant and incorrect claim came from the small version of Eddie.

“Terrible two’s.” Wayne glared and wagged his finger as he hunched toward the kid before grabbing his side to tickle him and make him scream.

“How about we go play sea monster?” Eddie suggested, the kid's eyes lighting up.

“YEAH!” his little fists clenched.

“You handle the bath I’ll clean up.” Wayne pats his adopted son’s arm.

Eddie was elbow-deep in bubbles, soap in his mouth, and water in his eyes as his boy thrashed in the water. A rouge rubber dinosaur bonked Eddie in the head.

“Asteroid!” he shouted, slapping Eddie with a wet ball in the face before slapping his hands into the water full of floating dinosaurs.

“I thought we were playing sea monsters?” Eddie asked, a washcloth rubbing behind his son's ears.

“Monster rock! Gahhh!” the little gremlin growled and slapped the ball down again.

“Ya know what? Fair.” Eddie nodded, a resigned purse of his lips as he scrubbed away at his slippery like an eel, arms. “You remember this one’s name?” he picked up a plastic dinosaur.

“Robert!” Eddie bent his head down and laughed, soaping the boy's hair into a little mohawk.

“He’s called a T Rex. Remember their science names?”

“Robert! Ahhh!” he slapped the toy out of Edie’s hand as he kept laughing. He was a bit biased but he thought his kid could be the funniest person to ever exist. He was aware that him having his DNA did make the chances of them having a similar sense of humor high but… he could make Eddie laugh harder than anyone else.

“So we’re choosing chaos over learning tonight.” Eddie nodded, accepting that his attempts to be a good dad who taught his kid things at every available opportunity were going to fall onto bubble covered ears tonight.

“Chay ossssss” he made a grumpy face, doing his attempts at a metal scream, having heard the word growled many times in Eddie’s music choices.

“Oh, it’s gonna be that kinda night, huh?” Eddie perked up. “You wanna sing Metallica?” He asked, soaked hands slapping out a beat on the side of the tub.

“BUM BUM BUM!” he banged his little head, mimicking his father.

“Sanitarium!” Eddie had never held back with his music and his little man. He seemed to love it.

“Leave me be!” he clapped.

“Sanitarium!”

“LEAVE ME ‘LONE!” his little chin jutted up as he declared it to the ceiling with the rage only a small child could deliver.

Sure Eddie’s parenting wasn’t exactly orthodox. But then again who in their right mind would’ve expected it to be?

After a very messy round of monsters in the tub, rubber toys are everywhere, and towels and washcloths are strewn and slapped to the plastic walls of the shower tub. Bubbles floated and faded, clumps in Eddie’s hair. He wrangled his son into his pajamas, reading him to sleep with Lord of the Rings, doing the voices, and living his DM memories in his performance. Soon he was sound asleep, worn out and content. Eddie dimmed the light, ruffling the dark soft curls that resembled his own before a kiss on his baby lotion-smelling cheek.

He came into the kitchen with a loud yawn, stretching before hitting the fridge for a beer.

“He had a good day today.” Wayne nodded, sitting at the kitchen table.

“Good.” Eddie sighed with a sip.

“How about my other baby? What day did he have?” Wayne smirked, sipping his mug of coffee.

“You’ll never guess who’s back in town.” Eddie shoved a fork full of leftover spaghetti in his mouth that Wayne had set out for him.

“Rude to leave me hangin’.”

“Remember that girl I used to run around with back in high school?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Seriously? You didn’t need any other information?” Eddie laughed, mouth full of spaghetti.

“No offense son, but you weren’t exactly surrounded by girls back then.”

“Harsh.” Eddie grinned. “But true.” he nodded. “She’s back in town.” he muffled out in bites.

“Her folks okay? I always liked ‘em I’d hate to hear something bad happened to ‘em.”

“That’s what I asked her.” Eddie smiled, being made more aware of Wayne’s influence on him every day since his son was born. “She said her family’s fine.”

“Oh, you talked to her?” Wayne said impressed.

“Walked right into the shop.” Eddie held out a hand in a surprised shrug.

“She married who? A teacher?”

“Professor of English.” Eddie rolled his eyes. “But!” Eddie’s eyes lit up in a way Wayne hadn’t seen in a long while. “She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.”

“So you looked, huh?”

“I’m no homewrecker.” Wayne’s shoulder shook with a laugh at Eddie’s defensiveness.

“Since when?” he smirked.

“She didn’t say anything. Just said she moved back. But we swapped numbers and she wants to catch up.”

“Well, that couldn’t have gone any better for you could it?” Wayne said supportively. He’d always liked you. You were a bit wild, sure, but so was Edddie and he knew he was still a good kid.

“I mean it could have.” Eddie gave a little snicker and his cheeks turned a bit pink as Wayne snorted and threw a napkin at him.

“What’d she think of you? Business owner, two jobs, a kid. Big difference from when she knew you last.”

“She was surprised by the business. But that’s all I shared.”

“Ed…” Wayne chastised him.

“I know. I’ll tell her, obviously, I just didn’t wanna do that thing I do where I start talking and don’t stop. And next thing I know I’ve told her too much and she’s backing away.”

“Did she have any kids?”

“Don’t know. She didn’t say anything either. I don’t remember hearing that she did.” Eddie shrugged, shoveling the rest of the food into his mouth, bowl tilted up.

“Odd for a woman her age to not have a kid.” Wayne’s brow creased.

“C’mon Wayne. You’re more progressive than that.” Eddie grumbled.

“You know I’m all for people making their own choices, but she was married for a long time. Call me curious.”

“I’ll tell you everything when I talk to her.”

“When’s that gonna be?”

“When can you babysit again?” He smirked.

You were surprised but pleasantly that it took Eddie only two days to call you. You suppose he wasn’t lying about wanting to be friends again. Why wouldn’t he? You were thick as thieves in your teens. You got on like a house fire when you were together. You were hoping that you hadn’t changed so much that he’d find you boring now. You were still in the midst of figuring out who you actually were and how much beige you had unwillingly absorbed from your previous life path. Eddie was still spunky and lively with his alternative clothes and hair, free flow of swears as sentence enhancers without care behind it, and a heart that seemed to still be pinned to his sleeve. You envied that. You hoped it rubbed off on you.

You wore an outfit your ex-husband would hate out to the bar that evening. You’d been making a habit of doing things he hated. It was your new favorite pastime.

So it meant that much more when Edie greeted you with his full attention, pulling out a chair and giving you a charming smile that people took classes to learn how to do in the city. While he was naturally gifted and wholesome and genuine.

“Hopefully it’s okay for me to say this. If not- feel free to twist my ear- but you look really pretty tonight.” It was the wholesome version of what he was thinking. The maxi skirt was made out of some flimsy material that his fingertips itched to touch. It had some Asian-inspired dragons on the bottom, and a tank top matching the color of the trim of the skirt was paired with it. Some chunky sandals that made you almost as tall as him were hidden under the skirt. Little maroon-painted toes peeped out as you sat. He noticed they match your nails and lipstick. You hadn’t been so put together when you were younger. Jeans, the same beat-up sneakers, and a t-shirt were the rotation of choice. You never presented as particularly feminine, not like this anyway. He thought you looked great, but it made him wonder what else had changed.

“Thanks. I really liked this outfit.” Your smile was soft and sweet as you accepted his chivalry of pushing your chair in.

“The dragons are badass.” He gave an approving nod as he sat across from you.

“They’re really trendy right now.”

“Trendy?” He smirked.

“There’s currently an uptick of Asian-inspired ornamental detail right in teen fashion design. related to the rise in popularity of Japanese influence in youth counter-culture.” Eddie blinked a bit befuddled at the sentence that came out of your mouth. You could see it in his very readable face. You’d lost him. You wore the same look around your ex’s colleagues as they discussed the literature of old white men like it was written by God. you’d always been lost and you hated that you’d just done the same to Eddie. “Sorry.” You wrinkle your nose, frowning and Eddie leans in to give you an apologetic look. “We’re gonna be friends right?” Not the smoothest starting point but it’s what came out.

“Uhm. Yeah? I hoped so.” His eyes squinted, uncertain.

“Then I’ll start with being as transparent as possible with you.” You splayed your hands out on the tabletop. “I’m used to talking to people that demand that you constantly impress them with intelligence. It’s awful and I fucking hated it.” Eddie cracked a smile as he watched your face start to give over to emotion. “It’s a habit to say things in a way that’s unnecessary and academic sounding instead of talking like a normal person. I’m trying to break the habit. So sorry if I sound like I have my head up my ass when I talk sometimes.” Eddie was still for a moment, meeting your tired eyes before laughing.

“You did sound very smart.” He consoled you.

“Thank you. I hate sounding elitist. you don’t need to know how to cite references to be smart.”

“I don’t even know what that means.” He gave you a cheesy grin.

“Perfect. You’re exactly who I wanna talk to then.” You reached out to touch his hand before withdrawing it. “I should’ve said yes, dragons are badass. Having them on a skirt makes me feel cool.” You chuckled and tucked your hair behind your ear nervously.

“You still into that stuff? Fantasy? Dragons and Knights and Damsels?”

“I’ve always liked the aesthetic. I haven’t read much since I left here.”

“That’s a shame. You used to read all the time. I still do.”

“I started to hate it after I married someone who did nothing but read. And base their entire existence on it. Sucks all the fun out of it. He was very good at doing that with anything.”

“So… ex… husband then?” He boldly asked, motioning a finger to your naked ring finger.

“Very much ex. Excommunicated I wish.” You smiled. “Exterminated. Expelled. Ex…plodded.” You laughed.

“That what brought you back here?”

“Is it that obvious? I’m just some cliche of a woman now. Coming back home to find herself after leaving a bad man.” You put the back of your hand to your forehead playfully.

“Nothing wrong with leaving a bad relationship.”

“Thanks.” You say quietly. “So now you know I left my old life and moved back here. What’s your story?”

“I’ve been up to plenty.” He turned to laugh nervously. “You started with the biggest thing so-“ he grunted and shifted to pull his wallet out of his back pocket. “Here’s my biggest thing.” He pulled out a photo and handed it to you. It was a photo of Eddie holding a baby. “That’s my little Teddy bear.” He smiled proudly. Your hand shot out to grab his forearm.

“Ohmygod… you have a baby??” Your face lit up and relief washed over him in a chill. “Look at him! Babies usually look like little potatoes but he’s so fucking cute Eddie.” You whined, holding the photo in both hands as if you were cradling it.

“I know I’m biased but I think he’s the cutest baby to ever exist.” he took great pleasure in the fact that Teddy was part him. His sweet dimpled smile made that obvious.

“He could be. A front-runner for sure. He looks like he fell right out of your ass.” You laughed and touched the photo lightly. “I bet mom hates that, huh? All that work and he comes out looking just like you.”

You saw his demeanor shift, the brightness fading ever so slightly. You’d said something wrong.

“She’s not really uh-around.” His eyes wandered the tabletop for a moment.

“Oh sorry. My big mouth.” You wince and hand him back the photo.

“No, no. It’s just… I don’t ever talk about it since it’s a small town and everyone knows already. It’s a real fuckin buzzkill but it’s just facts and you shared with me so I’ll share with you.”

“You don’t have to if-“

“No, it’s fine. Me and Teddy are doing great now. She just uh- she had a heart defect that no one knew about and having Teddy well… it gave out on her.”

“Holy shit.” You let slip out on accident. “Sorry I don’t mean to be so crude about it I’m just surprised. I mean that’s… the worst.”

“We were together but not like-“ his nose twitched and he got the feeling he was about to overshare.

“I’ll answer any question you have if you want. But you don’t have to share with me unless you want to.” It was a heartfelt offer he appreciated.

“I do. We wanted to catch up so this is getting you up to speed.” He shrugged. “It’s been years ago now. Teddy wasn’t planned, we weren’t together when she got pregnant. But she wanted a baby and you know me, I wasn’t going to not be there for the kid after the upbringing I had so I did the right thing and proposed but she didn’t want to get married until after the baby but… yeah. So it could be a lot worse I guess? Is that bad to say? Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve talked about it. “He shook his head and laughed awkwardly. “Teddy’s none the wiser. I named him Theodore because that’s what she wanted to name him. So Theodore is his middle name and I went with what I wanted, which was Ronald. Well, I wanted Ronnie but Wayne wouldn’t have me naming the kid a nickname. So his official name is Ronald Theodore Munson. But Teddy ended up being what stuck. He’s an affectionate little guy. Also a lot of hair like his parents.” he added with a sad chuckle.”He’ll probably get tired of it when he grows up and go by Ronnie, I figure.” You were gazing at him with a soft smile, seeing him talk about his kid.

“Eddie and Teddy. It’s too cute.” You sighed out, a short-lived giggle making Eddie’s cheeks flush for some reason. “Please tell me you named him Ronnie after THE Ronnie James Dio.”

“Yeah.” He admitted and looked away before you burst out laughing and reaching out again for his arm. He really liked that you touched him so much. It made him feel a weird hopefulness that didn’t exactly have a target goal he was willing to admit yet.

“God that’s perfect. I love that. No sarcasm. It’s fantastic. A+ name choice. Highly approve.” You gave him a small clap. “I think you should name your kids something fun and interesting. I love that you did that.”

“You have any kids?”

“Nope.” You shook your head. “I never tried. Never wanted to with Chris.”

“So that’s the wet blankets name.” He smirked.

“Yes, it is. And a perfect description.” You commended him. “He’d be a terrible dad. I didn’t want a kid that looked like or acted like him.”

“If you don’t mind me asking. If you hated this guy so much why’d you marry him in the first place?” You gave him an out-of-place smile, grateful for real questions.

“Honestly? He was safe.” You shrug and sigh. “He had a plan and was smart and good with money. Well connected, good family, all that horse shit.” Your eyes shot to Eddie as he let out a chuckle. “I partied my first year and almost flunked out, realized I had to actually try to do well in college. I was having your standard identity crisis and met him. He seemed like he had his shit together. So I hitched myself to that wagon and rode it all the way to a degree and a life I didn’t really want.”

“So that’s why you never came back.”

“Yeah. I was being indoctrinated by WASP’s.” You grumbled. “Made me hate this place and look down on it. Which isn’t right at all. This place is more real than anything they have in their gated communities.”

“So money really can’t buy you happiness?” He lightened the conversation.

“Turns out it’s true. But man it helps.” You laughed. “I was able to deny how unhappy I was for years because of money. But it only lasted so long.”

“What made you finally leave?”

“It wasn’t really one thing that did it. It’s whatever the last straw happened to be. And… it’s stupid.” You looked down and huffed out a laugh.

“It’s you, I know it’s not stupid.” The earnestness in his words made you look away for a moment before a nervous smile appeared.

“He made fun of a book I bought.” you admitted with a monotone delivery.

“Not normally grounds for divorce but a dick move.” A playful judgment was in his nod as he side eyed you. “So he made fun of it but what was the actual reason?”

“You’re still perceptive.” You give him the same smirk.

“A blessing and a curse.” He put a hand to his chest.

“It was one of those cheesy romance novels. A bodice ripper. The guy with the long hair in the wind on the cover and his shirts half open and the woman has fainted in his arms and they’re on a mountain top or some shit.” Eddie laughed and nodded. “I wanted something to enjoy. Have a good time reading it and maybe get a little thrill or something in the meantime. And so we’re in bed and he’s got his notebook and whatever he’s reading and he notices I have a book, which was different and he asks me what it is and I tell him and he does this little face I hate where he’s pretending to be interested like he’s in a fucking infomercial all ‘hmmm interesting yes’” You rub your chin and nod exaggeratedly and it makes Eddie laugh. “Who’s the author? He asked, I tell him. What else have they written? I don’t know. ‘You picked up a random book and bought it?’ Yeah, it looked fun. And he LAUGHS. And this man doesn’t laugh. He asks if any of their work would’ve had articles written about it by his peers and I just snapped.”

“He was doing that shit on purpose.” Eddie poked a finger at the worn tabletop.

“Thank you!” You slapped the table.“He’s got all these stupid questions and I just wanted to hit him over the head with the book. The next morning I went to my lawyer.”

“You work fast.” Eddie sputtered out, surprised.

“I realized that was going to be every interaction for the rest of my life with him when I showed interest in something that wasn’t up to his standard. And I fucking had it. I was done.”

“Good for you.” He says back and raised a hand to the bartender. “I’m buying you a drink on behalf of real readers everywhere.”

“Thanks.” You smile and settle into your seat, calming yourself back down. The wound was still very fresh.

“The fact that you said you went to your lawyer has thrown me for a fuckin loop though.” He grinned. “Never thought I’d hear something like that coming from you. Unless it was for a DUI or something.” He teased.

“When you make money you realize the work that goes into keeping it and turning it into more money and that means lawyers and banks and reps and accountants and specialists and brokers and-“ you groan.

“What the hell kind of work did you do?”

“White collar business. Numbers. Money.” You nod. “The only good thing that came from that relationship was I learned how rich people use their money and I protected myself. Everything was kept separate and since he only had a part-time professor gig since he was on a never-ending quest for more degrees his folks paid some of the bills.”

“Oh god, a trust fund baby? Really?” He cringed. “You knew better than that.”

“I know I know.” You roll your eyes. “But you also understand how scary the world is when you don’t have money. And just a taste was enough to make me sell out. I’m not proud of it. But I’m proud of where I am now.” You sat up straighter. “In a small studio apartment in my hometown. Unemployed, single, and totally fucking winging it.”

Two long necks appear at the table and he raises a toast.

“Here’s to totally fucking winging it.” You happily clinked your bottles together. “Ever since Teddy came earth side and my tentative plans went all to hell with becoming a dad I feel like totally winging it is an understatement.” He sighs. “I worked at the record store forever then suddenly I owned it. I’ve got a loan and very little business knowledge and a new baby and I’m a future spouse short on support and income. And now I’m working days at the body shop in town and holding my breath.”

“I’m not gonna lie that’s a lot.” you gave him a sympathetic pout. “For anyone. Do you need like- help or anything? I mean I did help people run businesses in a past life.”

“Honey, you do not deserve to be dragged into my bullshit circus of a life.” the way he spoke reminded you so much of Wayne.

“Maybe I wanna be?” You shrugged and let the offer hang in the air. “I mean I don’t have a job, you’d be doing me a favor. I can look over your stuff and give you some advice and if you like it you can put me on retainer.”

“I don’t think I could afford you.” He smirked at the underlying double meaning to which your snorted at.

“Friends and family discount.” You nodded. “Or I can just… I don’t know… you need someone to watch Teddy?”

“You’d do that?” He seemed genuinely surprised and it shocked you.

“Yeah. Childcare is ridiculously expensive. I could cut a day or two off a week for you. Use him for ransom so you have to hang with me again?”

His face lit up and he wiped his smiling mouth with the back of his hand after taking another drink.

“Or just ask like a normal person.” He snorted.

“Sounds boring.” You muttered before taking a sip and sending him into another laugh.

“You sure you wanna get mixed up with me? You just got back, you’re dealing with your own stuff I don’t wanna add to it.” He offered you a chance to withdraw. You weren’t interested.

“I’ll come clean, Eddie.” You began and took a deep breath after a deeper swig of beer. “Coming back here, I had a few hopes. And being able to reconnect with you was one of those to be perfectly honest. It’s this new thing I’m trying.” He gave you a crooked smile, a dimple deepening in his cheek that lured your gaze to it. “And the fact that you’re willing and want anything to do with me after I left is more than I could hope for. I came back here to be around real people with real lives. I would love to help you with your business too. I’ll do it for free, I don’t give a shit. Because you’re a real person with consequences for your actions. Not some numbered entity of an LLC bought off a drunk golf game bet.” You took a deep breath and saw his face warm and open, shoulders a little slouched. “So short version- yes. I want to be involved in your bullshit.“

“Good.” A simple answer with a complicated proposition. “I want to be involved with your bullshit too.”

You’d been to six different businesses today. Your feet were tired, having not been accustomed to being in heels all day for months. Your suit felt stiff despite how much you knew the fabric cost. You’d found a few leads but mostly the role of bookkeeper was locked down by someone who should’ve already retired. Change was vital to business survival and these people didn’t seem to care if their taxes had been done the same way for the last 20 years. Small towns, man.

A whistle breaks your grumpy demeanor you weren’t trying to hide anymore since exiting the back office of the noisy Chuck E. Cheese. You blinked, head snapping to the sound of sucking teeth before seeing the playful lit up face of Eddie as the source.

“Sorry sugar, thought you were someone else. You’re clearly a business lady, my mistake.” he wheezed and coughed with his laugh, splayed out in a red vinyl chair among the scattered groupings of parents and kids.

“Fuck off.” you laughed, hissing it at him quietly to not become the witch in a witch hunt the barking of the word fuck in a place like Chuck E. Cheese would surely start. He pulls out the empty chair next to him and slaps the cushion.

“Take a load off fancy business pants.” he grinned deep, smile lines siking farther into his face than they used to. “Your feet have got to be killing you in those shoes. Christ, woman. What are you wearing those torture devices for?”

“Old habit.” you groan, wrinkling your nose as you plop down, crossing your leg over your knee toward him.

“Why are you in a kid’s pizza place in a suit?”

“Been going around cold calling about work today.”

“Old school.” he nodded in approval. “Any luck?”

“Some bites. Nothing concrete. Franchises like this have to get everything approved by corporate before they can even move around where the napkin holders are let alone hire someone.”

“Sounds like a ring of hell to me.” he muttered, leaning in toward you, his face facing the play area.

“Are you here with Teddy or out hunting for single moms?” you snort.

“I can do both.” he laughed, your chests moving the jabs at each other. “I was actually out hoping to bag a lady who can make me look even more like a deadbeat dad than I already do by simply sitting next to me.” he looked you up and down to sell the joke before you understood he was talking about you. “You look like you’re here to supervise a custody visit, man. What is this?” he tugged at the collar of your suit jacket.

“It’s call professionalism.” you sat up and wobbled your head. “But it is overkill in Hawkins.” you sighed and took off the suit jacket, hanging it and your purse on the back of the chair. “I look like I gather “protection” money.” you go ahead and roast yourself. “Do I look less like a narc?” you ask, fluffing your hair and in a button-up shirt with no stuffy jacket with a single button undone. “That better?” you slouched back into the chair, hands crossed on your stomach.

“Depends on the connotations of what you’re applying the word better to.” He didn’t look at you when he said it but the smirk was audible in his voice. Your head is noticeably tilted as you lean in toward him, shifting in the seat.

“You’re gonna give me war flashbacks to fundraising dinners talking like that.” you chuckled, looking out to the smattering of kids, seeing if you could pick out which was his. There wasn’t one screaming or chewing through the ropes so that theory was out. “Although they weren’t nearly as flirty as you, you scamp.” you snorted and watch his grin beam across his stubbled face.

“My main outlet for flirting is with women at the shop,” he admitted, turning his head back toward you. “And don’t get me wrong, it’s fun. A bit awkward with how heavy they’re willing to lay it on, man. You’d be shocked at the people that have offered to pay in other ways.” he wiggled his brows.

“You get rid of me and suddenly you’re swimming in p-” you stop yourself and look around with wide eyes, remembering where you are as Eddie cackles loudly and slaps your leg. “I’m not used to being around family-friendly environments.” you purposely wince and watch his laugh take over his entire demeanor. People turned to look at him but he still didn’t care. It was comforting to know that hadn’t changed.

“I’m no pro at it myself. Don’t worry. When we’re not in public you won’t have to hold your tongue so much. The first time Teddy swore I almost hyperventilated I laughed so hard.”

“Speaking of, where is he? Can I meet him?” Eddie turned to find your eyes bright, brows high and hopeful. “Or maybe not. Is that too soon? I should ask permission first, right? I don’t know how kids work, sorry.” Again, that now deep, gravelly laugh gritted out, the years of cigarettes still in his throat as he pat and rubbed your shoulder.

“You remind me of me when I first got him home. What do I do with this thing?” he mimicked fear and holding a baby awkwardly. “He needs to take a break and get a drink anyway.” he sat up, cracking his back and groaning. “Teddy Monster?” He shouted hands clasped to his mouth, startling the other restaurantgoers.

A small screechy roar is heard, a section of ball pit busting up into the air and a curly mop-haired little cherub-faced cutie pie flopped over the barrier with a cackle much like his dad’s. He rolled out onto the foam playmat-covered floor and stumbled a bit before finding his footing and booking it toward Eddie who was running at him full speed, hunched over, hands clawed both growling at each other. He yanked him up as he lept at him fearlessly, tossing him in the air, before pretending to eat his stomach, holding him sideways, raspberrying his tummy before so easily tossing him into one arm and plopping him down on his knee at the table.

You took in the funniest little gasp of air when you realized you hadn’t breathed the entire time you’d watched him. Gulping and regaining your senses, shocked at yourself. Your eyes dilated at the sight of Eddie with his kid. Oh god, your inner voice groaned. Was the biological clock thing actually real? Was this what that was? Did you just ovulate at the sight of your high school crush simply playing with his kid? Should you be ashamed? Because you sure didn’t feel ashamed.

“Get a drink, bud.” Eddie brought the plastic cup to Teddys grabbing hands. “You having fun?” he kissed his impossibly soft curls, slightly damp from sweat.

“Mnfg- yuh- mmffpptt” he spluttered trying to answer and gulp at the same time, he gained a chuckle from you and both the dark-eyed boys turned to look at you in unison.

“Hi!” he said with a wet face and a smile that looked so much like his father's it made your chest hurt.

“This is Daddy’s friend.” Eddie put his hand on your shoulder as he introduced you.

“Hi Miss.” he nodded and waved with one hand, the other still grasping the cup Eddie was balancing for him.

“He calls all the ladies at the daycare Miss.” Eddie explained.

“So polite.” You couldn’t help how you cooed at him. Eddie noticed. “I’m excited to meet you Teddy. Maybe me and you can be friends like me and your daddy are?” With wide eyes, he nodded in agreement.

“He’s super friendly. Never met a stranger. Didn’t get it from me.”

“Dad.” He gasped, raising his t-shirt to wipe his face. A habit he surely picked up from Eddie. “Can she play?”

“Ask her.” He chuckled, smoothing down his waves.

“Wanna play?” He perked up, leaning to put his hands on your knee.

“I absolutely do!” You couldn’t figure out how Eddie ever said no to that face. You reached down to slip off your shoes and a smile Eddie purposely held back on started to grow. “You like the ball pit? It’s my favorite.”

“Me too!” He clapped his hand together and started wriggling out of Eddie’s hold. You pulled your hair back again and gave Eddie a nod. “I’m gonna hurt myself so don’t make fun of me.” You said quietly before standing.

“I’d never.” He put his hand to his chest defensively.

“Come ON!” Teddy’s squatted form growls like a professional metal frontman as he stood waiting for you to catch up.

Eddie sat back, leg bent over his other, hands laced together to fit behind his head. He watched you get tugged mercilessly by his son into the ball pit in a suit that probably cost so much Teddy couldn’t even fathom a number that high yet. You looked expensive but it was clear you were priceless. You slid headfirst into the concerningly sticky ball pit. You were caught up in the cutest kid you’d ever seems energy and found yourself forgetting you hadn’t played in 20-something years and you’d be feeling the ache tomorrow. Eddie couldn’t take his eyes off you, getting jumped on by Teddy, mashed into the pit, and pelted and screamed at. Other kids joined in, happy an adult was getting on their level. Eddie was known to crawl around the tubes on the play area from time to time but got dirty looks from the other parents. Aware that his own reputation now affected someone besides himself he’d pulled back on the public displays of feral behavior.

As he watched he let himself hope for a moment. Seeing a best-case scenario play out in front of him, his worries that you’d be averted in some way from him because he had a kid we’re floating away, replaced with a shameful optimism it could be a pro instead of a con. He’d be a blatant liar to himself if he tried to say as soon as he saw you walk into his shop the thought of being with you again hasn’t popped into his head. However, sex at 17 is a lot less complicated than sex in your 30s, at least for him. Eddie had big feelings. Especially when It came to you. He had a kid and jobs and a life he’d worked so hard to create that bringing someone in without immense forethought wasn’t something he was willing to do. Sure he’d banged his way through some women in Hawkins to pass the time but he had no intentions of being with you physically unless that also came with the emotions attached. There was no you for him without emotion attached. And watching you with the most important piece of his life, slotting into their dynamic with ease made him let out a deep sigh. With the worry of you approving of being in his life in any capacity in relation to Teddy aside. It let the gates open for many other far deeper running concerns.

You had a good run, laughing as you hopped out of the ball pit and stumbled falling flat on your ass, the kids all pointing and laughing. A very sweet little girl came over to help you up but you were also too busy laughing at the situation. Your cheeks hurt from smiling, your knees ached from crawling along the bottom of the pit after a very rambunctious Teddy who really seemed to like hiding and popping out at you as you stalked him through the large rectangle space. Your muscle was awake with freshly pumped blood, cheeks rosy, and hair a mess, half out of its scrunchie as you tugged the rest out before dramatically collapsing into the chair next to Eddie.

“How?” You panted out, still smiling.

“How what?”

“Two things.” You hold up your fingers and steal a drink from his cup. “One, you must be in incredible shape to play with him like that. That’s crazy. And two-“ you took another drink, finishing it off and meeting Eddie’s brightly amused face. “We need to isolate what gives them that level of energy and sell it.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Eddie chuckled, half muttered and reminding you of his uncle. “A real answer, I don’t keep up.” He admitted willingly. “A true but more boastful answer is work keeps me in better shape than I’d be in otherwise. So that helps. And he slowly got bigger so it’s not like I could throw him around overnight. I’m figuring out what that dad strength people talk about is.”

“Man I’d like some of that if it made my arms look like that.” You blurted out the specific compliment without much thought, happy on endorphins from exercise. You and Eddie were always playful and flirty but you didn’t know where the line was between you now. Or where the line even was within yourself. Did you want to flirt with him? I mean really purposely flirt with bitten lips and side eyes and hushed tones? Because there were levels to this now. It wasn’t heh I like your Metallica shirt let’s make out in the back of your van about it anymore. You kinda wish it was though. Man, you had some good times in the back of his van.

“Oh you bought a ticket I see.” He said with no notion he was joking, rolling up one of his sleeves.

“What?” You blurted out with no flirt to be found in your scrunched face.

“To the gun show?” He asked as if you were stupid as he flexed and you groaned and threw your head back. You were split between two moments in time for a second. You were two obnoxious teens in the diner being loud and completely oblivious that anyone else was around again. He cackled and you slugged his defined arm. More tattoos than you left him with covered the planes that shifted as he ran his hand through his still unruly waves. You felt young again. There were more seen and unseen scars now, permanent tiredness under your eyes, more wrinkles, and less graceful bodies but something felt youthful about being around him. And Teddy now. There was some addictive spark they lit in you. They were the sort of people your ex and his lot would’ve mercilessly insulted and looked down on. And they were exactly the sort of people who seemed to be able to remind you that yes, you could feel happy and have fun. You weren’t broken. There was nothing wrong with you. You simply hadn’t been in the right place with the right people. And now- somehow in Hawkins- a place you’d been so dead set on leaving forever turned out to be that place. Maybe it wasn’t so much the where but the who.

“I can’t even insult you now by saying you tell dad jokes. Any joke you tell is a dad joke now!”

“Oh no she’s figured out my superpower!” He laughed and raised his hands like a cartoon villain.

“Oh no! He’s too powerful!” You coward back in your chair with raised hands as if to block a magic spell cast. He shoved your thigh and almost made you fall out of the chair which only made you laugh harder together. it felt right. You both knew it. It was almost malleable in the air between you as you sighed and wheezed coming down from the interaction. You were so caught up in the moment, cheeks flush and boldly gazing at each other, wondering which questionable thing to say aloud next you didn’t even see Teddy also noticing the chemistry.

“Is she your best friend?” Teddy asked with a tilted head, as calm as you’d ever seen him gazing up at your dad in a similar way that you were. “Cause me ‘n Wes. We do that.” Such an astute observation for the little man. He was observant and clever just like his dad.

“I’m not your best friend?” Eddie pouted and reached down to bring him into his lap.

“Duh.” His little eyes rolled and you held in a snort at the display of attitude. “At daycare dad!”

“Oh of course.” Eddie relented to his miniatures putting him in his place. “You’re my best friend, Ted, you know that.” He kissed his cheek and the kid pushed him away, making you grin.

“More than one bes friend.” He held his dad's stubble-covered cheeks and spoke to him as if explaining something to well… a child.

“You can have more than one best friend?” Eddie raised his brows.

“Yes!” Teddy said annoyed. “Tell dad.” he looked over at you with his demands and you wanted to do whatever he asked.

“You can have more than one best friend.” You gave him the same attitude his son was and he chuckled, his cheeks mushed by tiny hands.

“No!” A slap to his thighs. “Tell dad you’re bes friends!”

“Oh sh-nap.” You muttered in surprise. “You’re my best friend Eddie.” You said with no hesitation. And honestly… it was the truth.

“You’re my best friend too.” You held eye contact for a moment before Teddy moved his dad's face back to face him.

“Good job!” He pat his cheek and you wanted to puke it was so cute. “Love you!” He chirped and planted a kiss on his face.

“Love you too.” You knew I’d you could feel the truth in his words that Teddy could too. “Are you about ready to go?”

“Aw, man.” He slouched and pouted and you swear it sounded just like Eddie used to.

“We don’t have to go yet. Do you need to go potty or want more pizza?”

“No.” He shook his head hard. “Gonna play.” He stuck his little Tongue out in concentration as he dismounted Eddie’s long legs and went back at it.

“Have fun.” Eddie shrugged as he was left without so much as a second glance. “He’s getting so good at talking now it blows my mind. He’s so smart.”

“Of course he is.” Your tone clearly told him to not say what he was about to. “I’ve heard reading to them helps a lot. And I’d bet you do plenty of that.”

“Yeah.” A closed-mouth smile grew from his pride. “Almost every night.”

“He’s yours of course he’s going to be the smartest little gremlin. He looks just like you, he might as well act that way too.”

“He acts like Wayne sometimes and it’s hilarious. Old man stuck in a baby’s body.”

“You act like Wayne sometimes too.”

“Shit, don’t I know it. More now than ever.”

“I’d you’re gonna act like someone he is definitely one of the better choices.” Eddie nodded in agreement. “How is he by the way?”

“Still kickin’. He retired. He’s still in the park, not far from us. He watches him a lot. Too much. He’s taking away all his retirement but he insists it’s better he watch him than leave him at daycare.”

“Grandpa Wayne.” You smiled contently and watched the kids for a moment. “He’s always had papaw energy.”

“He oozes papaw energy.” Eddie chuckled.

“The offers still open to watch your hellspawn by the way.” You smirked. “Give Wayne a much-deserved day off from time to time. I could pick him up if driving him over is out of the way. I’d like to see Wayne actually.”

“He’d love to see you.” Eddie gave you a soft smile.

“Really?”

“He asked me 50 questions when I told him you were back.” He paused and glanced away for a moment. “He always liked you, you know.”

“I always liked him.” You added supportively. “I got you out of your room and out of his hair of course he liked me.”

“We spent plenty of time in my room when he wasn’t home.” It almost came out as a murmur, he didn’t dedicate himself to letting the small reminder of your past put into the current timeline. He’d toed past the line of friendly Flirting and had brought a slice of nostalgia into the conversation that hadn’t been breached yet. It had to happen eventually. You couldn’t act like you hadn’t spent a chunk of your time inside each other in the past. But saying hey remember how we used to fuck had seemed a bit heavy-handed.

He watched you huff out a laugh, almost embarrassed as you looked down and smiled, mouth opening and closing to figure out your response. Weighing what was appropriate and what would be best for two old friends with heavy lore.

“Yeah.” Your lips twitch and you let out a giggle he’s never heard before. You missed how soft his face got when he watched you hide your face. “Yes, we did.” A slight blush filled your cheeks as you smiled.

“Do you remember… back then?” His voice was quiet, soft as if tip towing around it might make it feel less in your chest. He held his arms crossed over his front like it might shield him from the consequences of his question.

“I do.” Your voice also fell to an almost whisper, unlike you both to be subtle or timid with one another. A smile that tightened your lips, almost a purse appeared, eyes still not meeting his that was far too forward for you to meet just yet. “Do you?” you asked with a jutted-out chin. You weren’t really trying to hide the way his stare made you uncomfortable. You were too busy trying to analyze why it was. His soft laugh answered you before he did with his words. Oh yeah. He remembered.

“Oh! Hey!” you heard feet head your way and were startled. Eddie cleared his throat and shifted in his chair, the tension of the moment broken. “What was your last name again? They couldn’t find you in the database?”

“Oh right.” You said to the person you’d spoken with in the office. “Recently divorced. Might not be updated yet.” You explained and handed them two business cards. “Here’s both versions.” Eddie side eyed the worker, unnoticed a bit miffed she’d brought up your ex. Way to totally kill the mood.

“Thanks! You’ll hear from me soon.” They said rather convincingly.

“Let me see one of those.” He asked with a nod and a wiggle of his fingers.

“You want one?” You gave him a kind smile and handed him a lovely embossed rectangle. He smiled softly, crow's feet deepening at the edges of his eyes, just visible past the fluff of waves.

“It’s got your name on it.”

“No shit. It’s a business card.” You whispered and he snorted out a laugh.

“I mean your real name.” He said with conviction. “You changed it fast.”

“Not legally yet but I wanted to separate myself from his name as fast as possible.”

“I like this version better.” He said with a nod, flicking the card. “I’d hire this lady, I wouldn’t hire the other.”

“Does that mean I’m gonna get all up in your books?” You grin and nudge his foot with yours, still bare.

“Do you have to put it that way?” He snorted out a laugh.

“Yes! I get unrestricted access to Eddie Munson.” You pinched his knee and he kicked you in response. “I’ll need bank statements and your monthly, and yearly records as far back as you’ve got them and your tax returns.” He could see the excitement in your eyes.

“I take it back you’re way too into this.” He pushed your chair away with his boot and you scoot it back again with a playful back and forth.

“I’m in my element, man. And I’m dealing with you, not some rich asshole!” You both giggled as you quickly lowered your voice and hunched over from the looks thrown your way.

“We aren’t meeting here next time you’re gonna get me banned from Charles Pizzaria. Fine Italian Dining.” He pinched his fingers together and did a horrifying attempt at an Italian accent.

“God you still suck at that.”

“You suck.” He bit back and kicked your chair. Another flicker of a time jump, both snorting and laughing in his van, high as hell, shoving each other with insults thrown that never had any malicious intention.

“You wish.” Your 17-year-old self came out of the woodwork. You’d said it so many times in response to his poorly thought-out jab. It’s always ended in more shoves, which led to rolling around and wrestling which led to Eddie on top of you which led to a cocky remark which led to… you could guess. Your ears ran hot at the memory. “I guess I shouldn’t say that to someone I’m working for.” You let yourself snort and shake with a laugh.

“Extremely unprofessional.” He tsked.

“You gonna leave me a bad review?”

“Horrible.” he smirked.

“Can I earn a good review or have I ruined my chances?”

“Make me a millionaire and I’ll consider it.”

“I mean I know a guy. Recently divorced. Millionaire family. He would suck Hemmingway’s dick for SURE so I mean you might stand a chance.” you both sputter out a laugh.

“Oh, tell me more.” Eddie crossed his legs and put his hand to his chin.

“He only has three topics of conversation, you know, like a pull-string doll. He’s only had sex in two positions so you know - consistency right? And he does whatever his parents tell him to!”

“Who would leave a catch like that?” Eddie wiped the beginnings of a tear from his eye.

“Some dumb bitch.” you leaned in and whispered, sending you into another shared laugh.

“I don’t know I think she’s really smart. Whoever she is. Especially for leaving him.” his eyes were sincere, but the smile still weighed heavily on the spectrum of giving you shit about marrying such a douche.

“She’s made a handful of good decisions in her life.” you nodded, a more thoughtful smile falling into place. “More as of late. Maybe she’s getting less dumb.” you shrugged.

“I don’t know.” he shared the same subtle shoulder movement. “I think she made a few good decisions in the past.” A lump in your throat grew and you quickly swallowed it down.

“Yeah?” you tucked your hair behind your ear and felt so hopelessly obvious. “Maybe…one… or two.” Your words sunk to nearly a mumble. You looked the same to him in these fleeting moments he got under your skin, in your head. He knew it was selfish to want to hear it from you that you remembered who you two used to be. Especially so soon. But the memories were still so strongly imprinted on him that he had to know if you’d thought of him as often as he’d thought of you over the years.

“That’s a short list. Must’ve been something really important.” he leaned in so subtly, slowly, smoothly. His elbows to his knees, long fingers, still in rings just like he was still 17, laced together. You stuttered like a fool under his gaze. His eyes were even prettier than you’d recalled. Molten chocolate, honey, and caramel. Just as sinfully tempting and potentially bad for you as the sweets. Your lashes felt heavy and obvious as you slowly blinked, licking your lips, finding yourself as short on words now as you ever had been when he directed his attention solely on you.

As children always have, Teddy decides that now is the best time to get his foot caught in a rope net, interrupting the precious moment. A squawk and scream, unsure if it was pain or amusement carried across the brightly colored space.

“Oh, Jesus Christ.” Eddie muttered as you both bolted toward the little monkey hanging upside down.

The brief scare had triggered his neediness, refusing to be looked at or held by anyone but his dad after he slipped his ankle out of the soft braided thread. Eddie prayed no one cared that Teddy was attached to his front as he drove home. A little snore and blub from time to time as Eddie kept his large hand on the child’s back, rubbing it soothingly as he drove.

“C’mon Teddy Bear.” a name he used when he was feeling particularly soft for the wild little creature he’d helped create. A small grunt of disapproval was released as he was lifted and brought into the dark house. Eddie didn’t bother turning on the overhead light, a lamp would suffice. “You wanna wake up? Get ready for bed? We could do a bubble bath? You want a story?” he offered things to the smushed face with barely open eyes adamantly shaking his head, refusing to lift his head from Eddie’s chest. “You want daddy to hold you and you sleep on me?”

“Yeah.” the first nod of the nap. With a resigned sigh Eddie managed to kick his boots off and get his jeans on the floor, left in unevenly slouched socks, boxers, and a t-shirt. He switched on the radio, a quit afterthought as he took Teddy’s ensemble off piece by piece, having purposely chosen every piece. With a new set of matching jammies, a dinosaur print that he’d nearly had a meltdown over when he saw them in the store. Eddie set his notebook and the book he was currently reading on the nightstand. He sank into the small bed, propping himself up with the pillows, setting an alarm on the clock radio just in case. Teddy still clutched to his chest, already back asleep. A lazy hand pat to the beat of a fading song on his butt, the other with Eddie’s fingers in his mop of curls, mouth, and nose nestled into the nest and taking a deep inhale. His eyes looked out the window, the sky was navy, a calm sky, and a slight sway to his shoulders, not purposely, as he rocked Teddy back and forth.

“And next we have a hit from the year 1984. She just came out with another album but this one from her 1983 release of She’s So Unusual is still one of her biggest hits. This one brings back some great memories for me, maybe it will to other listeners out there tonight. Here’s Cyndi Lauper with, Time and Time.” the typical radio announcer's voice echoed in the small room with the slightly crooked wallpaper Eddie had hung himself. He let out a sigh, not needing to hide it from anyone, the back of his head against the headboard covered in stickers and markers. The year 1984 haunted him for plenty of reasons. The first time he failed senior year. The main one on his mind tonight was that it was the year you’d left Hawkins. You’d said you’d hated the school dance fodder songs as much as he did. Which couldn’t have been true because neither of you actually did. He thought Cyndi Lauper was weird and hot. Much like you were. The song was catchy, heartfelt, and now a nostalgia bomb of memories. You in a second-hand prom dress, dancing with him. You both swore you hated it. Again. Not true. The way you’d looked at each other was proof of that. The way you’d scrapped together enough money for a dress was even more proof. You were just as soft and terrified as he was. A smile crosses his face, feeling a warmth in his chest at the thought of the full-cheeked and big-haired you in your youth. Flashes of smiles, of fights, and long nights running away from your lives together. The memories had kept him company often through the years. He’d thought about you a lot. Wondering if you were okay. If you’d felt the same way he had. He’d go back and kick his own ass for not telling you how he felt before you left if he could. But those thoughts, that anger was pointless now. Learning to live with the choices you make when you didn’t know any better was something Eddie had to quickly learn to accept. His smile deepened at the prospect of knowing you now. Of getting that second chance of closure. It was a messy can of worms to want to open. Sometimes memories were viewed with rose-colored glasses and weren’t as they truly were at the time. But bless Eddie’s soft heart he couldn’t help himself. He’d never been one for making smart decisions.

PART 2

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[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

Anxious Mo-Fo • Theatre Is The Life Of You • Viet Nam • Cohesion • It's Expected I'm Gone • #1 Hit Song • Two Beads At The End • Do You Want New Wave Or Do You Want The Truth? • Don't Look Now • Shit From An Old Notebook • Nature Without Man • One Reporter's Opinion • Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing • Maybe Partying Will Help • Toadies • Retreat • The Big Foist • God Bows To Math • Corona* • The Glory Of Man • Take 5, D. • My Heart And The Real World • History Lesson - Part II • You Need The Glory • The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts • Mr. Robot's Holy Orders • West Germany • The Politics Of Time • Themselves • Please Don't Be Gentle With Me • Nothing Indeed • No Exchange • There Ain't Shit On TV Tonight • This Ain't No Picnic • Spillage • Untitled Song For Latin America • Jesus And Tequila • June 16th • Storm In My House • Martin's Story • Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love • Doctor Wu • Little Man With A Gun In His Hand • The World According To Nouns • Love Dance

*Used as the theme for Jackass.

Spotify ♪ YouTube

[mustainegf]

i neeeed young parents reader x james, maybe 1984-85 ?

I hope I understood this correctly!! I’m such a sucker for cute stuff like this, and 80s dad James?? Oh my godddd

In 1985, James and I were 23 years old, living life with the reckless abandon of youth.

James was riding the wave of Metallica's rising fame, and I was swept along in the chaos and excitement of it all.

Everything seemed perfect the way it was, until we found out I was pregnant. That news stopped us both in our tracks.

I remember the day I told James. He was tuning his guitar, his brow furrowed in concentration. When I told him, he just stared at me, his hands frozen on the strings.

There was a long silence, then he let out a breath and said, "Well, looks like we're gonna be parents." His voice was calm, but I could see the fear in his eyes.

We were both terrified, but there was no question, we were going to keep this baby.

By the time our daughter was born in 1986, everything had changed.

Metallica was on the cusp of releasing ‘Master of Puppets’, and James was busier than ever.

Despite the demands of his career, he was determined to be a good father.

When he was home, he was entirely devoted to our little girl.

James was adorable with her. He was this big, rough around the edges rock star, but when he held her, he was so gentle.

I would watch him trying to figure out how to change her diaper, his fingers fumbling with the tabs, and I couldn't help but laugh.

He'd grumble about how "diapers are more complicated than guitar," but he always managed to get it right in the end.

There were nights when she'd cry for hours, and James would get up, scoop her into his arms, and pace the floor, whispering lullabies in his gravelly voice.

Those moments made me fall in love with him all over again.

He was clumsy and inexperienced, but his heart was in it. He was head over heels for our daughter.

Being young parents was hard to say the least. We had so much to learn and so many adjustments to make.

James's schedule was unpredictable, and there were times when he had to leave for weeks on end.

Those were the hardest times, feeling like I was doing it all alone. But he always called, always checked in, and when he came home, he'd bring all his love back to us.

One evening, after a particularly long tour, James came home exhausted but beaming. He scooped our daughter up, twirling her around, her giggles filling the room.

She had just started to recognize him, her eyes lighting up whenever he walked in.

Seeing them together, seeing how much he adored her, made all the struggles worth it.

James wasn't perfect. He made mistakes, and there were times when his temper would flare, or he'd be too tired to help as much as he wanted. And same with me, we were sad too young to be parents, but we did it with pride.

But he was trying, and that meant everything. He was present, he was loving, and he was learning.

In those early days, amidst the chaos and the sleepless nights, we built something together. James would often say that our daughter was the best thing that ever happened to him, and I couldn't agree more.

She completed us, gave us a purpose.

The memory of the day our daughter was born is drawn vividly in my mind, as if it happened just yesterday.

Labor had been long and exhausting, and by the time I finally held our daughter in my arms, I was completely spent.

But when I looked at her tiny, perfect face, everything else faded away. She was here. She was ours.

When the nurse finally handed our daughter to James, I saw a transformation in him that I would never forget.

He took her so carefully, as if she were made of the most fragile glass, and for a moment, he just stared at her, his breath catching in his throat.

His hands, usually so confident and sure, trembled slightly as he cradled her close to his chest.

"Hi, babygirl," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm your daddy."

His eyes were bright with unshed tears. I saw him fight to keep his composure, to be strong, but the tears welled up anyway, spilling over and trailing down his cheeks.

It was a rare sight from James.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured, his voice breaking. "I promise I'll always protect you."

Our daughter, swaddled tightly in a soft blanket, let out a small, contented sigh, and it seemed to break whatever last bit of worry James had.

He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, his tears falling onto her blanket.

I reached out, placing a hand on his arm, feeling the tremor that ran through him. "She's perfect, isn't she?" I whispered.

James nodded, unable to speak for a moment.

James couldn't seem to take his eyes off her, and I watched as he traced a finger lightly over her tiny hand, her delicate fingers curling around his. It was as if he was memorizing every detail.

"I can't believe she's real," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "She's so small...and I'm so scared I'll mess her up."

I squeezed his arm, offering what reassurance I could. "We'll figure it out. You're already doing great."

Many months later, Our apartment in San Francisco was modest, but it was ours. The walls were adorned with posters of Metallica and other bands, a reflection of James's world and our love of music.

The living room was a mishmash of instruments, baby toys, and scattered laundry.

It was late afternoon, and James was home after a week on the road.

He was determined to feed our daughter her dinner, giving me a chance to sit back and relax for a moment.

I sat on the couch, my legs curled under me, watching the scene unfold with amusement.

James had our daughter in her high chair, a small bowl of mashed peas in one hand and a bright yellow spoon in the other.

His eyebrows were drawn together in concentration, his tongue poking out slightly as he tried to scoop up the right amount of food.

Our daughter, with her chubby cheeks and bright eyes, was all smiles, clearly delighted to have her daddy home.

"Alright, little lady," James said in his gravelly voice, "here comes the airplane."

He made a buzzing noise, moving the spoon toward her mouth. But just as he got close, our daughter batted the spoon away with a giggle, sending peas flying.

James's face fell, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Nice try, Daddy," I teased.

James shot me a mock glare. "You're not helping, you know."

I shrugged, unable to wipe the grin off my face. "You're doing great, rock star."

He rolled his eyes, but there was a smile tugging at his lips.

He scooped up more peas and tried again, this time managing to get a little bit into her mouth before she clamped her lips shut and turned her head, giggling and squealing.

"Oh, come on, kid," he said, trying to keep his frustration at bay. "You gotta eat something."

Our daughter had other plans.

She grabbed the spoon with her tiny hands and promptly dropped it on the floor, squealing with delight.

James let out a sigh, bending down to pick it up, only for it to be batted away again as soon as he held it up.

"You're killing me, kid," he muttered, though there was a shine in his eye.

I could see the love and patience in him, even as he struggled with something as simple as feeding her.

It was moments like this that reminded me why I fell in love with him. Despite the scary rock star exterior, James was tender and caring. The sweetest man I’d ever known.

I got up from the couch and walked over to them, picking up the spoon and wiping it clean. "Let me show you a trick," I said, taking a small spoonful of peas and gently holding it up to our daughter's lips.

She opened her mouth obediently, and I slipped the spoon in, her eyes lighting up.

James watched, shaking his head in mock defeat. "I swear, she's got it out for me."

I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "She just likes making you work for it. You're doing great, James. She loves you."

He smiled, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close. "I love you too, you know."

Our daughter made a happy noise, flapping her hands as if to say she loved us too.

We were young and often unsure of what we were doing, but we had each other, and that was enough.

James leaned down, planting a kiss on our daughter's forehead. "Alright, little lady, let's try this again."

With determination, he picked up the spoon and attempted another round of feeding. This time, he was more successful, managing to get a few more bites in before the inevitable mess ensued.