#Cold Air Intake System

[coldintakepro]

Choosing the Best Cold Air Intake for Your Car's Fuel Efficiency

A growing number of drivers are looking for methods to increase their car’s fuel economy due to rising gasoline prices and growing environmental concerns. Upgrading to a cold air intake is one practical approach (CAI). This straightforward yet effective improvement can improve your car’s performance and reduce your fuel costs. This post will discuss cold air intakes (CAIs), how they improve fuel…

[vividracing]

New Post has been published on https://www.vividracing.com/blog/should-you-really-be-buying-a-cold-air-intake/

Should You Really Be Buying A Cold Air Intake?

In the pursuit of enhancing a vehicle’s performance, two factors reign supreme for me: cost-effectiveness and ease of installation. Among various modifications, the cold air intake system emerges as a standout choice, offering a blend of tangible gains and hassle-free installation—a combination that aligns with my automotive priorities.

Advantages of Cold Air Intake

The foremost advantage of a cold air intake lies in its ability to deliver a notable power increase with relative simplicity. In certain applications, these systems can grant an additional 20 horsepower without necessitating a tune. Furthermore, with a tune, the performance gains can be even more substantial. It’s an efficiency boost for the engine that doesn’t demand a labyrinth of complicated alterations.

Click Here to Buy Cold Air Intakes from the Best Brands Now!

Are Cold Air Intake Easy to Install?

Simplicity is the hallmark of the cold air intake installation process. I vividly recall the ease with which I replaced the stock airbox on my vehicle. Within minutes, the old assembly was dislodged, and fitting the cold air intake necessitated nothing more than securing it in place with a handful of screws. This straightforward upgrade doesn’t require specialized mechanical expertise or an exhaustive amount of time—its installation is a testament to its user-friendly design.

Cold Air Intake Downsides

However, to delve into the complete picture, there are potential downsides that warrant acknowledgment.

Occasionally, the altered airflow dynamics with a cold air intake might trigger issues with the mass airflow sensor, causing it to grapple with a higher volume of air than its original design accounted for. Though it’s a concern, it’s a challenge that can often be mitigated through tuning or recalibration.

Additionally, opting for a cold air intake could potentially lead to the voiding of warranty on newer vehicles. While it’s a consequential consideration, the allure of amplified power often supersedes this drawback, prompting enthusiasts to trade warranty coverage for heightened performance.

In essence, the cold air intake stands as a pragmatic and relatively straightforward modification, providing a tangible enhancement in engine performance. It’s a calculated balance between efficiency gains and potential challenges, offering an accessible pathway to augment a vehicle’s capabilities.

[ethanlmiller]

The Ultimate Guide to Auto Tuning and Vehicle Customization in North Arlington, NJ

In the ever-evolving world of automotive enhancement, North Arlington, New Jersey has emerged as a hub for car enthusiasts seeking to transform their vehicles into personalized masterpieces. Whether you're looking to boost performance, enhance aesthetics, or upgrade functionality, the demand for Auto Tuning and Modifications in North Arlington, NJ continues to grow as drivers seek to make their vehicles truly unique.

Understanding Auto Tuning and Modifications

Auto tuning and modifications represent a comprehensive approach to vehicle enhancement that goes far beyond simple cosmetic changes. It's an art form that combines technical expertise with creative vision to unlock your vehicle's full potential. From engine performance upgrades to sophisticated electronic enhancements, the world of automotive customization offers endless possibilities for those willing to explore.

The foundation of any successful modification project lies in understanding your vehicle's current capabilities and identifying areas for improvement. Professional tuning involves careful analysis of engine parameters, exhaust systems, suspension components, and electronic control units to optimize performance while maintaining reliability. This scientific approach ensures that every modification serves a purpose and contributes to the overall enhancement of your driving experience.

Modern vehicles are equipped with sophisticated computer systems that control everything from fuel injection timing to transmission shift points. Professional tuners use specialized diagnostic equipment and software to access these systems, allowing for precise adjustments that can dramatically improve horsepower, torque delivery, and fuel efficiency. The key is finding experienced professionals who understand the intricacies of your specific make and model.

The Convenience of Mobile Auto Tuning Services

The traditional model of automotive modification required car owners to visit specialized shops, often leaving their vehicles for days or weeks while work was completed. However, the industry has evolved to meet the changing needs of busy professionals and car enthusiasts who value convenience without compromising quality.

When searching for "Auto Tuning and Modifications near me," many North Arlington residents are discovering the benefits of mobile service providers who bring expertise directly to their location. This innovative approach eliminates the inconvenience of scheduling shop visits, arranging alternative transportation, and working around limited business hours.

Mobile tuning services offer the same high-quality workmanship as traditional shops while providing unprecedented flexibility. Whether you're at home, at work, or anywhere in between, professional technicians can perform a wide range of modifications and upgrades using portable equipment and specialized tools. This approach is particularly valuable for busy professionals who cannot afford to be without their vehicles for extended periods.

The mobile service model also allows for more personalized attention and consultation. Technicians can spend time discussing your specific goals, examining your vehicle in familiar surroundings, and providing detailed explanations of recommended modifications. This one-on-one interaction often results in better outcomes and higher customer satisfaction.

Finding the Best Auto Tuning Services

The search for Best Auto Tuning Services in North Arlington, NJ requires careful consideration of several factors that distinguish exceptional providers from average ones. Experience and expertise top the list, as automotive modification requires deep understanding of mechanical systems, electronic components, and the complex interactions between various vehicle subsystems.

Reputable tuning services invest heavily in ongoing education and training to stay current with rapidly evolving automotive technology. They maintain relationships with parts manufacturers, attend industry conferences, and continuously update their knowledge base to provide cutting-edge solutions. This commitment to professional development translates directly into better results for customers.

Quality equipment and tools represent another crucial differentiator. Professional-grade diagnostic equipment, precision measurement tools, and specialized software are essential for accurate tu

[techdriveplay]

The 5 Most Affordable Car Upgrades

When boosting your vehicle’s performance, focusing on horsepower (HP) can make a huge difference in how your car drives. Luckily, the 5 most affordable car upgrades that increase HP are not only budget-friendly but also highly effective in unlocking your car’s potential. From improving airflow to enhancing engine efficiency, these upgrades can give you that extra burst of power without a hefty…

[ranticore]

struck by the urge to draw Patches again but also work out how much of a Megasphinx sp. general silhouette is just aerodynamic contour scales (wings shrunk to save canvas space)

the 3rd pair of legs emerge from the thorax. my mild pet peeve when ppl design insects that walk upright/on the rear legs (not anthros but actual speculative designs) is leg attachment.. for these guys i put in elongated coxa proximal to the femur which adds an extra swivel to the leg so the 'knee' (joint between femur and tibia) can point forward for bipedalism and backward for hexapod movement. 'upright' is not a normal stance for them (they prefer hexapod stance) but sometimes you have to hold onto stuff in your hands and walk at the same time. the abdomen dragging on the ground is not actually an issue, it is really flexible and curled aloft when walking upright

also made it more obvious that the maxillary palps point up and form the 'nose'. chemoreception is handled by the antenna (in Sphingidae, males do not possess feathery antennae) and, in males, setae at the tip of the abdomen. the scales are somewhat stiff to the touch, they feel a bit like hair that has been gelled into place. they are convergent with contour feathers and extremely light, adding almost nothing to the body weight while working well to manage heat and make a streamlined shape. although Megasphinx sp. are not warm-blooded, they need a high core temperature to operate their wing muscles. if it's cold out, they'll sit around doing the equivalent of revving their muscles with their wings in neutral gear, producing enough warmth to allow flight. if it's too hot out, the scales can open up to allow air to reach the back of the thorax

the scales do partially cover the spiracles, which are used for gas exchange, but this does not affect breathing on Thera. Megasphinx sp. has a negative-pressure respiratory system unlike the passive air intake of other Sphingids and small insects, and can actively inhale. This is a necessity due to their large size but also because if they wanna go to Earth, the oxygen % in the air is far lower than what they would expect at home, and without strong breathing abilities they can become hypoxic. Flight is impossible on Earth for this reason and Theran visitors are known to trim or clip off scales occluding the spiracles in the belief that it might help the persistent feeling of breathlessness

[manikas-whims]

LADS men when you start dating someone, who later on mistreats you

got this idea and wanted to get it out of my system ♡

ZAYNE

❄️ He isn't thrilled by the revelation at all but he won't say it outright because its not his place to tell you who to date or not.

❄️ However, his dislike does show with the way his brows knit together, the flare of his nostrils with every sharp intake of breath or how his lips turn down just slightest every time you bring up this person’s name.

❄️ Every single praise for this person will arouse a sense of self-doubt in him. After all, it's better you date someone like them. Their evol will never put you in danger like Zayne's can. And they would never skip meetings due to their schedule. (Ofc if you could hear his thoughts, you'd immediately shun them from Zayne's mind.)

❄️ If this person ever hurts you emotionally or physically, then best believe he'll freeze hell itself if he has to in order to track this person down.

“How dare you do this to Y/N!?” Zayne’s voice is harsh, cold radiating off his arms in dangerous yet controlled wisps.

And it takes you hugging him from behind, your head resting on his back, tears from your eyes soaking into the fabric of his coat, to stop him.

“Zayne, stop. You don't need to hurt yourself.” You mumble into the fabric of his coat, your arms slipping down to entwine your fingers with his chilling ones. You can already see the hint of a fresh scar developing on the back of his hand, and you won't be able to live with yourself if you see him getting hurt because of you dating a horrible person.

The prickly sensation begins dissipating from his hands and despite the scars, the softness returns into his skin. He turns around, drawing you into a hug with one arm. You can still see his chest rising and falling due to how much he'd been exerting himself.

“Fine.” He lets out a deep breath and finally flashes you the rare warm smile he only keeps for you. “Let’s go.”

And the two of you leave together.

XAVIER

⭐ Not that you're supposed to stay in this “will they? won't they?” situationship with your apartment neighbor forever but Xavier is just so jealous. His eyes darken, and his mood becomes sullen at the mere mention of this person.

⭐ Every time you try praising them, Xavier is going to interrupt and nitpick on how "they're always late on dates", "don't even check up on you at work", "give off a shady vibe",...the more he shit-talks about this person, the more ridiculous his words get.

⭐ He definitely gets a little touchy. After all, seeing you with someone else makes him feel as if he isn't as close to you. He makes sure this person sees his hand casually around your waist. And petty as it may seem, he's also deliberately gonna leave his hoodie and his other stuff at your place to remind you of himself.

⭐ If this person ever hurts you emotionally or physically, then no amount of prayers will spare this person to see the light of another day.

Xavier happens to see this person trying to approach you once more outside the apartment complex with words that barely sound like an apology. Swift as ever, he steps in front of you.

“You got some nerve showing up here after what you did to Y/N.” He says to them, an edge in his usually gentle voice.

He is as silent and deadly as you've seen him in the throes of battle, cutting down the Wanderers without a hint of mercy in his strikes. And you gulp down the tension in the air.

You know what he's capable of. You can't let him unleash the power of his evol simply because of your ex-partner maltreating you.

You bring your hand out and place it upon his heart, just like you'd done on your first encounter with him. Only this time it's not to resonate your evol with his but to push him back.

You force a smile on your face despite the messy state of your emotions. “Xav, let's grab a bite. I'm craving hotpot.”

His eyes are unflinching, and for a moment you wonder if even the bait of some tasty meat will fail to lure him. But then, a moment later he scoffs at the person and looks down at you, his gaze softening as he does so. “Alright. If that’s what you want.”

He wraps his fingers around your hand– the same one that's still resting upon his chest– and pulls you along.

RAFAYEL

🌊 He's jealous but even more than that, he's disappointed in your choice. You can do way better than this. Actually, in his opinion, you are way out of this person's league, and deserve nothing but perfection when it comes to a partner.

🌊 He's quite vocal about his dislike, openly saying how suspicious he finds this person and how if you wanna indulge in wasting your precious time, you'd rather waste it on him.

🌊 He complains how you've changed. How you don't hang-out with him as much and pay less visits to his studio. Seeing you with someone else makes the ache in his heart more agonizing than ever. Rafayel wonders what you see in them? Do they cherish you more than him?

🌊 If this person ever hurts you emotionally or physically, then he won't hesitate from raising the tides of the Whitesand Bay in order to drown them.

You frantically chase after Rafayel as he corners this person. You've never seen this magnitude of fury in his beautiful eyes.

Rafayel grabs them by the front of their shirt, his voice scalding as he smirks in annoyance, “So you've finally shown your true colors to Y/N, huh?”

You can feel the temperature rising just a little, the atmosphere around feeling a lot warmer than before. Your nose catches the whiff of something burning and you realize there's smoke emanating from that person's collar.

It's scary.

Seeing someone who holds even a paintbrush so tenderly act like this. And no, you're not afraid of him for you know Rafayel will never hurt you. You're afraid for this person. You're afraid of what Rafayel is capable of becoming if you let him go on like this.

Cautiously, you wrap your hand around his wrist and free this person from his hold. The fabric of their shirt appears to be slightly charred but there's no harm done otherwise.

“Come on, Rafayel, ” You tug his wrist to pull him to you. “We shouldn't bother with the likes of them.”

He fixes his gaze on the person one last time. “Count yourself lucky Y/N is here! Or else..”

He pries his hand out of your grasp and pats your head. His smile returns, as does the warmth in his eyes and he puts an arm around your waist. “So, where are we going?”

SYLUS VERSION [HERE]

» MASTERLIST «

[hellfire--cult]

Edit of Eddie: Sofiiel

Stripper!Eddie x Shy!Fem!Reader

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 (end)

WC: 22.4k (please take your time while reading this)

⚠️ +18 MDNI, Stripper!Eddie, nervousness, fluff, self doubt, flirting, soft touches, mentions of vomit, drinking, skin on skin contact, kissing, kissing with tongue, pining, sexual tension, smut, a lot of it (i won't spoil it)

Plot: You thought you were cursed with your shyness, but after one embarrassing night, you decide it's time to change, and you believe someone might be able to help with that.

Summary: You realize what you're feeling for Eddie, and your relationship finally shifts, as you finally let go. You finally let yourself go.

A/N: This chapter... took it's time... Its long, but IT'S WORTH IT I PROMISE. I hope you all take your time to read it, and enjoy it. I enjoyed writing it so and I hope the feelings I tried to put into words can be felt through the screen.

You can always support me by hitting the reblog button with tags, and I always enjoy reading your comments!

Taglist is closed - Follow me for updates and put notifications on!

PART 6

You felt like you were floating on air.

Your limbs were completely relaxed, your muscles felt as if they were gelatin on your body, and you were warm. Slowly gaining back your consciousness as you stirred slightly in bed, groaning as you stretched your arm forward, over the comforters that were hugging your body tightly, providing you with their heat. 

Slowly, your senses started coming back, touch first, feeling the soft texture of the comforter, hugging it tightly against you. But then, your sense of smell came back, picking up a sweet scent. A sweet yet manly scent. And that’s when your hearing came back, soft snores that were very close to you, extremely. So your eyes shot open.

And your sense of sight came back.

Eddie’s face was facing yours, but he was still asleep, comforter over his body as well and your heart and breathing stopped. The tension came back to your muscles in an instant, as you felt your stomach begin to contract in itself, and your fingertips became cold from the nervousness, from the overwhelming realization of what happened yesterday.

Oh god, yesterday.

He caressed you, and you let him. He kissed you, and you let him. He touched you, and you let him. He made you feel good, and you let him. You let your friend touch you. You let a friend touch you in a way that only happens intimately, only because you were curious. You took a sharp intake of breath to forbid yourself from screaming as nausea invaded your stomach.

You needed to get out. How can you face him? How can you possibly face him after he– Your head began to spiral, maniacally. Your legs shifted and your eyes widened when you felt your wetness still there, having not changed or cleaned yourself from what happened last night. Another wave of embarrassment washed over you remembering you fell asleep on him. 

You didn’t even return the favor.

You felt your body heat up at the thought because you didn’t even know if you should have. He did it by his own accord, didn’t he? He just wanted to help you, that’s it, that was it. But, oh god, you moaned. You let your voice out, he heard you moan, without any restraint and– Your blood immediately left your system as you kept remembering the night before.

You moaned his name. 

You had to immediately leave. Your body and your heart cannot take it. You ruined it, everything is ruined, there is no turning back from this. There is no way you can see him eye to eye any longer, because friends don’t do this. No matter how much you are burning at the moment, you can’t take a friend’s help as an advantage. You are despicable, you are horrible, and there’s no way Eddie would forgive you for it.

You looked at Eddie’s face again and you stopped your movements and thoughts. You focused on his steady breaths as soft snores came out from his mouth, which was just partially open. His eyelashes are long, and some strands of his hair were on his face. You could feel your heart pounding in your chest again as you stared at him. His arm was draped over his head, and you could see the tattoos all over his skin. 

Your hand unconsciously reached out and your fingertips touched his bicep, finding the part of the tattoo sleeve where a dragon lays. You were entranced by his art as you looked all over it, mentally taking screenshots of every single trace. You looked back at his face and your hand immediately shifted towards him, your nails gracing his cheek, gently, and you took one of the strands of his hair out of his face.

You felt your face heat up watching him. You won’t deny, ever, that he is gorgeous, probably the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen, and not once in your life you thought you would be able to touch someone like him in this way. Not even in your wildest dreams. Yet, it was so easy with him, talking to him, touching him, even kissing him. 

Your fingertips suddenly went to his bottom lip, softly gracing it with your index finger, feeling his hot breath hitting your skin, and you licked your lips not really noticing your movements. You just felt like touching him, and the burning started happening once more. Why was it happening? Why is the heat there? 

But your brain was not cooperating with your body right now. There was a growing need as your fingertip felt the plushness of his lip, a need to taste him again, a need to get closer again, get his arms around you, tightly, holding you and feel yourself tremble against him once more. You wanted more. It seems that’s the only word that is persistent in your head when you’re with Eddie.

More. More. More.

Why wasn’t it enough? Why wasn’t it ever enough? What more can you want? He is your friend, what else could be there that you wanted? And why just him? Why didn’t you feel this heat with Steve or Billy? Why didn’t you feel it with Austin? Why haven’t you been feeling it for every man you crossed paths with since you met Eddie? You had talked to men, be it at the grocery shop, or at a cafe, men working there, or simply greeting you. 

But it’s only with Eddie that you feel this unbearable heat, these flames that just spread like wildfire everytime he touches you, even with just a brush of hands. You can’t remember a time you felt this way for someone else, this hunger that you can’t satiate no matter how much you wait for it to go away.

Your eyes darted downwards, where his pelvic area would be and you gulped heavily as you remembered the night before again. You felt him, and you had enjoyed rubbing yourself on him, even if he didn’t know you were doing it consciously. Your breath picked up as you felt an impulse in your chest, wanting it to move your hand, wanting to explore. Not just his lips, but his shoulders, his bare chest, his back, his legs, and then–

You felt a sharp small pain in your fingertip, making you wince, completely taking you out of your trance and thoughts, out of the cloud that was in your mind, and your eyes darted up again as your hand moved away by instinct only to see brown eyes staring right back at you, and your blood drained once again, as the heat immediately was dampened with a cold bucket of ice water.

“Was I drooling or something?” He questioned with a hoarse morning voice that instantly went to your belly, knotting it up, and your hairs stood on end, embarrassment filling your chest and your brain immediately triggered the flight mode. You immediately threw the comforter off your body, moving away from him, and sitting up quickly. 

Your breathing quickened as you shot up from the bed, only for your limbs to feel like jelly, and you tumbled slightly, Eddie’s eyes widening as he saw the panic setting in your body. He really wished he was the first one to wake up today, because he knew you would probably have a lot of thoughts in your head, just racing uncontrollably. He sat up as you started stammering in your words, looking for your jacket, not realizing in your haze of a panic that it was downstairs.

“I-I should– I should go! I– what– yesterday–” Eddie got up from the bed, wearing the same clothes as last night. After you fell asleep on him, he had moved you so he could lay you on his bed, pulling the comforter over you. He had thought of dressing himself for sleep, but he was afraid you would feel even weirder with him having changed into comfortable clothes when you didn’t have the chance. 

He opted to go to the bathroom real quick to wash his hands and relieve himself, to then come back to his room and then he nestled inside of the bed as well, seeing you sleeping peacefully next to him, and just like you did to him this morning, he had traced your face with his fingers, softly and gently, remembering every twitch your face did.

Last night does feel like a lucid dream to him, and he really cannot believe you had let him touch you like that. He couldn’t believe you had let him touch you in a way he’s been craving for a month now. At first he tried to dismiss it, but now he really can’t deny that everything with you is different, so different. He was changing too, not that you knew about it, nobody knew this change in him.

Now, he knew that a line had been crossed, and that you realize that too, and you’re freaking out about it. He doesn’t want the relationship to be different, but he feared that maybe it was too straightforward to do that to you last night. But he just needed to touch you, he absolutely needed to, and he can’t lie to himself and say he doesn’t want more, because hell, he wants so much more.

But right now,

“Angel, look at me.” He rushed to your side as you kept your gaze down, your panicked eyes trying to look anywhere but him. You shouldn’t have let last night happen, because what if he felt obliged to do that with you? What if he pitied you so badly that he felt like doing it? You can’t bear that embarrassment, not with Eddie.

“I-I’m sorry– I’m your friend and–” You stutter out, feeling the air in your lungs slowly fading as you feel your heart beating in your throat. How were you going to look at him? What does this all mean? Friends don’t do the thing you did yesterday, did they? Your head is a mess, and you just want to run away. 

“Yes, you’re my friend, and sweetheart, yesterday was–” He clenched his eyes tightly, the words in his mouth stinging like a thousand needles on it. “I wanted to let you know that there is nothing wrong with you. You can feel good with someone.”

He was in front of you now as you stood in the middle of his bedroom, still staring at the ground, blinking at his words. Did he read your mind yesterday? How easy are you to read? But what you are failing to notice is that it’s just Eddie the one who can read you like this. He loves that fact. Just as he knows how you’re feeling right now, knowing you need reassurance that everything is okay, even if inside of him there was a storm, wanting to yell that he wanted to actually touch you. He wanted to feel you, hear you, hold you and kiss you, all of it. 

“I– Is…” The lump in your throat made you sound so little, so weak, but you had to make sure, because losing Eddie felt like losing a part of yourself now. The thought felt like a punch to the gut, and you didn’t want it to happen, but how does everything go back to how it was?

“Darling, breathe.” His arms were reaching out to you but not touching you, which you didn’t know if you appreciated or not. Your body was burning with anticipation, but anticipation for what? What exactly were you anticipating? Your head doesn’t know, but when you see his hands, the memory of last night comes back again, but not in a way that makes you want to run away. It is rather making you want to lean closer, let him touch you, graze his skin on yours.

You took a few deep breaths, closing your eyes as you put your palms over your face, completely ashamed for what had transpired last night, but you also felt guilty. Guilty for liking it. Guilty for not regretting it. Guilty for desiring. Guilty for wanting more. Why does this hunger and this fire not satiate? Why is it lingering there? Why doesn’t it go away?

But Eddie didn’t seem like he wanted to run away. He wasn’t kicking you out, and in fact he wanted to talk to you, which made your brain slow down, even for a second, trying to register that he wasn’t going anywhere, and that he didn’t want you to go away either.

“I… Eddie– Yesterday–” 

“It’s okay, look at me…” Could you even do that? Your stomach was twirling, almost in nausea as you even imagined the look in his eyes. Suddenly, you felt your wrists being grabbed, gently, very carefully, and it made you jump slightly. The skin where he was touching was burning, but your heart was so grateful for it, and everything became steady, after feeling like the room was spinning on its axis.

He gulped nervously, taking a step closer to you. The only thing in his mind right now, is for you to be okay. He only wants you to be okay, and for you to be able to look at him. He needed you to look at him again, his heart was aching for it, and his gut was contracting in itself each second you didn’t look up. 

So, he was greedy again, guiding you to slowly pull your hands down, uncovering your face, and he cursed at himself for wanting to pull you in, wanting to hold you in his arms but he has to be patient. He wants you, but he has to do it right. You’re not just anybody. 

Not anymore.

“Look at me Angel… It’s just me.” Your bottom lip shook slightly out of nervousness, but you complied, slowly driving your eyes up. First on his black shirt, then his collar and neck, to then finally land on his brown eyes which were looking at you intensely, with worry, same as yours. You had expected your body to flinch away, to run away even more so than before, but it did the entire opposite. Your body relaxed, your gut turned but it was not nauseating as before, and your brain went blank as he gazed down at you. 

You got lost in his eyes, trying to find the regret of what happened last night, trying to find the slight bit of discomfort, but there was none. There was just reassurance, looking at you like he always did, talking to you like he always did, and that made your body lose some of its tension, Eddie noticing it instantly.

“I– I don’t want everything to be weird– I really don’t want to…” Your eyes were teary now, making Eddie’s heart clench as his grip on your wrists tightened slightly from the emotions he was feeling at seeing you like this. His lips curved up in a soft smile, and he shook his head once.

“It isn’t going to be weird… I wanted to show you that there was nothing wrong with you, and I just– I just wanted to help you learn about yourself, help you trust in your body and sensations.” He wanted to chop his tongue off. He helped you, yes, but he wanted to tell you that he liked it too, even if untouched, he loved it, and if you asked, he would do it again. 

“I–” You felt yourself heat up as embarrassment and shame invaded your mind. “I didn’t… I didn’t do…” You gazed down again, not wanting to look at his face. You didn’t even reciprocate anything to him, you just fell asleep right on his shoulder after he made you feel so blissful, after he made you see stars, after he made you tremble for the first time in the hands of someone else.

Eddie’s heart soared as he listened to you, as he saw that you cared, that you indeed thought about him and how he was feeling. He didn’t even expect you to think about giving something back to him, and his body relaxed as he melted towards you, one of his hands letting go of your wrist to slowly rise up towards your cheek. You didn’t even flinch, but you actually pressed your face slightly onto his fingers, at his touch.

“I didn’t expect it. I didn’t want anything back Angel… I was just caring for you last night, okay?” He did want, but he wasn’t going to say that to you. At least not now, because that is not what you needed. Yet, in your head, there was a question that fell at the tip of your tongue at his words. You looked up at him, locking eyes with him again,  but your mouth didn’t open to voice out what you wanted to ask.

Did he not want anything back because he really didn’t expect it from you, or because he didn’t actually want YOU to give anything back to him?

The thought made your skin grow goosebumps, mind whirling at the thought of some type of rejection. Why did you feel like that? Why did you feel like he just said something hurtful to you? Why did you suddenly feel unwanted? Undesired? 

“And… And us? Does this… make everything–” His palm was now resting on your cheek as he stared down at you, the smile still on his lips, very small, subtle, but yet so emotional and caring, that it made your heart jump at the sight.

“It doesn’t make it awkward… I promise… Which reminds me–” He put his hand down and your other wrist was let go of, making you almost sigh at the loss of contact, wanting to gravitate towards him again. “I don’t think our private dances from yesterday should go unpaid, and as I recall, you make the best fucking pancakes ever, and I’m dying for a chocolate chip one.” 

The tension left your shoulders as he talked, a small smile spreading on your lips, watching him straight up with his arms over his chest. You copied his stance, squinting up at him in defiance which made him raise his eyebrows up, hiding behind some of his messy fringe.

“I believe I never actually ASKED for those dances. You guys were very greedy for just one dollar.” You say and he glared down at you before shooting his arm up, poking you on the side, causing you to flinch and giggle, the butterflies exploding in your stomach, and again, they were not on the nauseating side.

“You make some pancakes or…” You raised a questioning eyebrow at his words.

“Or?”

“I’ll start saying mistaken facts about Harry Potter. Like, for example, Harry Potter and the prisoner of alcatraz was a masterpiece.” You winced at the mistaken title, but you knew he was doing it on purpose. He had let you rant talking about Harry Potter for one whole evening through a video call. He just started asking questions to you, and you didn’t even know that he did that just to hear you talk.

He loved hearing you talk when you were excited, when you were confident in the topic, when you were passionate and loving about it, but he also loved the fact that you cared for his interests too. So one day was Harry Potter, and the next day was Dungeons and Dragons. He had explained to you as easily as possible but you were learning pretty quickly and you retained information like a champ. 

And as he liked to hear you talk, you liked to hear him.

“Okay, I’ll make the pancakes, so shut up.” You say to him with a shake of your head and he grinned widely at you, knowing he got away with what he wanted, which weren’t the pancakes. He got you to loosen up again, and when you turned around to open the door, a sigh of relief escaped his lips, soft and you weren’t able to hear it. 

You tiptoed out of the room, followed by Eddie and you immediately heard the loud snoring from the living room. You giggled while looking back at him and he was just smiling, shaking his head. You walked down the stairs, as quietly as you could, and you saw Robin, now looking up, splayed on the floor over the fluffy carpet as Steve used her tummy as a pillow, in the position of a starfish. 

You covered your mouth as you approached them, trying to hold in the laughter. Eddie was next to you after a second, having retrieved his phone from the kitchen counter, and he pulled up the camera to take a picture of the two people on the floor. He was going to keep this and show his brother, because the little shit idolized Steve for a reason, and he never knew why.

He wanted to break that enchantment.

“I bet they’ll wake up at the smell of food.” You whisper and he smirks, shaking his head.

“Steve needs a bucket of ice water to wake up from a hangover.” You grinned and turned your head to look at him, biting your bottom lip. Eddie had to hold back from swallowing, the blood rushing south immediately.

“Wanna bet?”

“A dollar.” He put his hand inside his front pocket and took out the wrinkled dollar you stuffed in there last night. The memory came back like a flash, making you flush all over as the butterflies turned into hungry wolves.

“Deal.” You immediately turned around, trying to hide away from him, but he had already seen your reaction. His chest puffed with hope as he followed you towards the kitchen, and he was next to you in a second, helping you get everything for the pancakes. 

Then, the scene turned quite domestic, and normal. Way too normal, and easy, as if it were a puzzle just putting itself together in a perfect match. You beat the eggs, he preheated the pan, he poured the flour in, then mixed for you to start making your batch of pancakes, sprinkling the chocolate chips on top. 

“You had to put the chocolate chips inside the batter.” Eddie growled as you shook your head at his whine. You flipped your pancake and looked to your side and up at him.

“Last time I prepared them like this and you didn’t complain.” You say to him, and you remember that afternoon almost everyday. You came with Robin because Steve invited her over, and said that if you wanted to join, that it was okay. You didn’t have any other plans, and the thought of probably seeing Eddie urged you to come over. 

Twenty minutes after your arrival, Eddie and Billy stumbled inside the apartment, groaning as they complained they hadn’t eaten anything for the past 3 hours, and dancing was not helping them. So Robin, sweet Robin, thought it was a great idea to tell them that you prepared killer pancakes.

You cooked 22 pancakes that afternoon.

“It’s because I didn’t see you making them. I was showering and getting myself pretty and presentable.” He says with a teasing smile on his face and you shake your head, putting one of the last pancakes on the plate. 

“Steve, get the fuck up, I smell pancakes.” You grinned widely at Robin’s voice, looking back over your shoulder, Eddie following your motion, putting his fist over his mouth to hold in his laughter as Robin pushed Steve off her and the poor man groaned almost in pain as he sat up. His hair was completely messed up, and Robin’s wasn’t far behind. They had two bird’s nests on their heads.

“Morning.” Eddie says and you look at him, putting your hand out. He raised an eyebrow up at you.

“Pay up.” You say and he scoffs, shaking his head at you.

“I don’t think so. Robin woke up, then made Steve wake– Oh.” You smirked up at him and he bit his bottom lip, yet a smile was on his face as he looked down at you. He definitely felt the change. The bantering before was light hearted, but now, there was this hidden elastic band that was stretching out, slowly, further and further.

“Exactly.” You drifted your eyes towards his lips, just for a second, and then back at his eyes. You were feeling it still, that pooling heat at the bottom of your belly, trying to tell you something which you weren’t sure of. He put his hand into his front pocket again, and slapped the bill on top of your hand. 

“This seems rigged, sweetheart.” He whispered towards you as he put his face closer to yours, glaring at you in a playful manner. Something took over you, something that snapped in your gut, in your mind, a sense of confidence that you never felt before, leaning towards him as well, your face closer to his.

His eyes went wide as you got closer, the tension suddenly rising in between the both of you, not expecting you to mimic his movements at all, but his heartbeat was on his ears, his throat going dry as your breath mixed with his, and he felt the palms on his hands sweating, almost heavily.

“I just outsmarted you.” You leaned back, putting batter onto the pan again, looking as if you hadn’t just turned Eddie into a mess, his mind reeling at how close you got by your own accord, his blood burning into his veins as he kept staring at you, completely dazed. 

Did you even know you did that?

“I need a fucking Advil, or something to end my suffering.” You hear Steve grumpily say with a huff. Eddie snapped out, looking over at his friend, who was now sitting on the couch with an arm over his eyes, probably to avoid the intense light from pouring through his eyelids. He sighed, passing behind you but his greediness got the best of him, and he decided to test the waters.

He put his hands in the small of your back and hips, gently, to push you forward so he could walk between you and the counter, even if he had enough space to do so, but he just needed to touch you. You stiffened slightly, shivers being sent to the tip of your toes, a wave of flames engulfing your entire body as he passed behind you.

And you didn’t see it, but a smirk formed on his lips as he walked away from you.

You took a sharp intake of breath, looking at his broad back, going into the bathroom to probably look for some Advil at Steve’s request. You knew your breath had quickened and that your heart was tugging at your chest, trying to move you towards him, but your thoughts were cut off by Robin who rested her chin onto your right shoulder, looking down at the pan.

“It’s burning.” Your eyes widened, looking at the pancake and flipping it over quickly, and Robin had been right. It was almost black on the other side. You groaned as you heard some steps coming down the stairs. 

“Morning.” You heard Billy say, Robin lifting her head up to look at him, giving him a nod and hoarse ‘morning’ only for her eyes to turn at Eddie’s return and hearing the pill bottle in his hand and a glass of water on the other. He walked towards Steve and Robin followed right behind, trying to snatch the pill bottle from Eddie.

You tipped the last pancake onto the plate, grimacing at it with disgust at the failure as Billy stood next to you, getting hold of it, taking a rough bite making your eyes widen at him.

“Billy, it’s hot!” You say to him with worried eyes and he blows the smoke out up at the ceiling. He swallowed after three bites and shook his head with a wince.

“I just needed food, my stomach is a fucking mess.” You sighed, turning off the heat and putting all the utensils you used in the sink to wash. You grabbed the sponge as you began cleaning, Billy still next to you as he kept eating the burnt pancake. “At least I don’t have a headache like those two.”

You turned your head to see Eddie sighing heavily as he rubbed Steve’s back while sitting next to him, Robin slumped on the arm chair, staring at the ceiling, and Eddie probably trying to make him swallow his vomit, making you wince in disgust again and turn your attention back to the dishes. If Steve barfed, you didn’t really want to see it.

“That’s what you all get for drinking too much.” You say to Billy, which made him chuckle, finishing the pancake that was in his hands. 

“Did you have fun last night?”

You almost dropped the bowl onto the sink at the words that came out of his mouth. Your body went stiff, feeling a cold sweat all over, as your belly turned with nervousness and embarrassment. Did he know? Did he hear? 

“I– Uh…”

“I mean, did you forget about your awful date? You were laughing so I assumed you did.” You gave a sigh out of relief, returning to clean the bowl in your hand. He was talking generally, making your shoulders lose the stiffness once more.

“Yeah, I had fun. Thank you.” You gave him a smile as he took the last piece of pancake into his mouth, and nodded at you, grabbing the plate with a stack of those delicious chocolate chip pancakes you made, heading over towards the group. 

You continued cleaning the utensils which weren’t a lot, to then dry your hands, walking towards them, catching Eddie as he stuffed his face with the third pancake in a row. Steve was looking at him with disgust but Billy was trying to coarse a piece into his mouth. Robin was pitifully eating one, groaning at each bite. 

You grabbed one of your pancakes, and even if the space between the armrest and him was little, you walked towards it, sitting in between. Eddie scooched a little bit, fighting back the grin that wanted to spread on his lips. You, once again, came to him. He bumped his knee against yours as he munched on his pancake, and you reciprocated, bumping it back. 

You giggled as Steve kept trying to push Billy’s pancake away, and the blonde finally gave up, eating the pancake himself, flipping Steve off as he walked to get some water for himself in the kitchen. You finished your breakfast and looked at Robin who was still groaning, her hangover taking all over her body and you sighed.

“We should go. Robin might vomit all over if we stay here a minute longer.” You say, trying to not let your voice sound desperate to stay. Desperate to be here a little bit longer. Desperate to stay with him, just one more minute. You look at Eddie and he sighs, giving you a nod.

“Yeah, Stevie here is not looking good either… Seriously, what did you guys drink last night? Poison?”

“Definitely.” Steve says and he regrets it the minute he does, because opening his mouth made the breath intake swirl in his stomach, and he immediately shot up from his place, rushing towards the bathroom to finally hurl everything out of his system. Eddie, Billy and you shared a look and then at Robin.

“Please, take me home.” Robin says and you nod, getting up from the couch and heading over to put on your heels, and your jacket. Eddie got up as well, holding in a breath at the sight of your legs in the morning light that's shining through the blinds. 

Legs that trembled under his touch last night.

“Come on Robs.” You walked over to her, both of your purses on one hand while the other stretched towards her. She groaned but grabbed it either way and you pulled her up, and she almost knocked you over as she stumbled forward. Eddie was behind you in a heartbeat, pressing his front on your back, as you pushed Robin on steady feet.

“Whoa, the last thing I need is a trip to the hospital today.” You hear him say behind you, and his hands were pressing on your arms, holding you, and your belly wanted to scream, tell him to keep holding you, or yell at him to move his hands, to satiate the hunger.

More.

You pulled away from him when you saw Robin almost falling again and you rushed to her side, pulling her arm over your shoulder. All the heat was gone in an instant as worry flashed in your face, Steve’s vomiting echoing in the room and you felt Robin’s body tense as she gagged and you gasped, looking at Eddie alarmingly.

“We need to go, I will babysit Robin all day.” You say to him and he nods, rushing towards the door to hold it open for you.

“I’ll push the button for the lobby, go before she paints the walls green Angel.” You give him a nod as Robin lurches forward, another gag rushing through her body and you winced, walking towards the door. The ache in your belly reappeared as you looked at him again. Your lips were tingling, and you cursed the fact that you had to hold Robin up because you just wanted to hug him goodbye, or kiss his cheek. 

“I’ll– I’ll talk to you later, okay?” You say but don’t move from your place, almost as if waiting for something. His features softened as he gulped a nervous lump in his throat, leaning down to press a kiss on your forehead, very fast, soft, yet burning as if he lingered there for a while.

“Yeah, I’ll talk to you later sweetheart.” You were stuck to the ground, your heart not wanting to move as you looked at him, and the only thing that made you return to your senses, was Robin’s gagging once more. You groaned as you walked out and headed towards the elevator, which was gladly already at your floor. 

Eddie gave you a small wave and you returned it with a smile, finally disappearing into the elevator, the doors closing as Eddie closed the one of his apartment. He heard Steve again, and he wondered how much more he had in his stomach, because it felt never ending.

With a sigh, he walked towards the fridge, getting the water out to fill a glass for himself, and one for Steve. Billy was eating a pancake next to him, his hip resting against the counter, and Eddie froze, putting the water bottle on the counter, his head slowly turning to look at Billy.

“Weren’t you sleeping on the couch last night?” Billy nodded and then shrugged, looking at the pancake in his hand.

“Got up in the middle of the night, wanted to sleep on my bed.” His blue eyes finally looked up at Eddie’s, a pair of shocked brown orbs staring at his friend’s face as if he were a ghost. Billy smirked, taking a bite out of his pancake again, grabbing the glass of water for Steve, walking behind Eddie to head to the toilet, but not before he whispered into his ear the same question he asked you before.

“Did you have fun last night?”

You took off your work headphones, finally finishing the meeting and work for the day. You sighed heavily, looking up at the ceiling. It had been some heavy days of work, but gladly you had asked for two days off, one being tomorrow, Thursday, and then Friday, giving you an extended weekend.

You stood up from your chair, turning the laptop off, shutting the top, and finally taking a deep breath. You smiled as you walked towards your kitchen, getting a glass and your bottle of wine. It was already opened, so you just took the cork off and poured yourself until it was halfway full. 

Austin talked to you this afternoon, asking for a second date. You didn’t even hesitate when you declined it politely. It was hard to do so, asking Robin for advice on how to do it, but being honest was the best option. You told him you just didn’t feel it that way, and he kindly understood or that’s what you could read from the texts on the work chat.

If he was mad, he didn’t show it.

You took a sip out of your glass as your phone vibrated and you looked down at it to see Eddie sending you a direct message on Instagram. Probably a meme. You smiled slightly at it, but then it immediately fell and you took a large sip out of your glass this time, as you felt the knots in your belly turning at his message, but there was also some sort of frustration behind it.

At first you didn’t know why you felt it. Sunday he had messaged you about his lunch and what he was going to wear for work that night. Monday, he video called you to tell you that he bought a new expansion for his DnD game, while he wore a tight turtleneck. Tuesday, he was excitedly telling you about his uncle Wayne coming to visit soon, and how Eddie wants you to meet him. And now, today, he’s been sending you memes all day, as if nothing ever happened between you two.

And that was what was driving you insane.

You had almost ripped your brain cells trying to figure out what was happening or why you felt this way, wanting to tell Robin but for some reason you just wanted to keep this to yourself. This is a very confusing feeling, not knowing what is happening, and much less towards a friend.

But you also wondered why Eddie had been so nonchalant about all of this, about everything, and you couldn’t help but want that shift that you felt on Sunday morning. The soft touches that weren’t always there, the small playful bantering, and the closeness. God, the closeness. You shivered every time you remembered his skin on yours, his lips on yours, on your neck, which you noticed as soon as you left Robin at her apartment that you had a few marks on there, very subtle, but still there. 

They were now gone, and you found yourself mourning those marks. Did he want to mark you again? Would he touch you again? Kiss you again? Make you feel good again? And even so, you didn’t feel embarrassed or nervous about that situation anymore, because it was replaced with an anxious feeling, with a feeling of anticipation, with a feeling of ‘What will happen next? Will there be a next time like this?’.

And after your night with Eddie, you found the burning even more unbearable than before, and electric shocks were added into it too. You tried, you really tried to make yourself feel good just like he showed you, but every time you closed your eyes, the memory of his fingers came back, as well as the kissing on your neck, and not even a vibrator could compare. 

Your thoughts were cut off when your phone started vibrating wildly, and you looked over to see Eddie calling you through video. Butterflies exploded in your belly, nervousness filling you up and you cursed at yourself for not putting on a single gram of make up today. You glanced at your reflection in your toaster, wincing as you fixed your hair a bit, putting some strands in front of your face. It was all you could do.

You grabbed your phone and slid on the screen to answer Eddie’s call. His head popped up, his curls tight on a bun on top of his head and you could only see from the bridge of his nose, and up, as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down onto the camera, making you snort, looking away from the screen. You heard him laugh as he pulled the phone away from him, showing his entire face to you.

“Hello there Angel.” You heard his voice and your eyes immediately found his through the communication device, seeking him out again as your pet name was said.

“Hi Eddie. What are you doing?” You asked and he shrugged, giving you an offended fake look.

“I can’t call my favorite girl in the whole world just cause I feel like it?” His favorite girl in the world. His girl. You knew you blushed at those words, giving a huff as you looked towards the glass on your counter and distract yourself from the aching heat that was already beginning to spread. You held onto the glass and took a sip of it, putting it down to look back at him.

“I bet you could have texted me about it.” You didn’t deny his advance at you. In fact, you didn’t deny any of the advances he did on you this week. Showing you what he was going to wear for the night at the club? Putting on a tight turtleneck that would surely show off his pecs to you? Tell you he wanted you to meet his Uncle? He knew it was selfish, and he knew it was risky, but you had actually shown reciprocation that made him smile in victory. You were very brief with his work clothes selection, making small ‘hms’ and ‘that’s good’ as if you were not liking what you were seeing. You complimented him on his black turtleneck, telling him it looked great on him and that he should wear it more often. And then, you told him you couldn’t wait to meet his uncle, so that’s why today, Eddie, has reached a boiling point.

“I thought a call would be quicker, sorry for interrupting your lonely drinking session.” He jokingly replied to you which made you roll your eyes. He licked his lips as he took a deep breath in, his throat closing in on him as he looked at the screen. He stripped for a living, almost completely naked, and talking to you made him more nervous than he’d ever been before.

“Right, so, what is it? I got a glass of wine and some Kirby to play.” You say to him, and his chest warmed at the thought of you, just playing on your switch, while he played on his, both on the couch. He would be resting against the back of the couch while you rested your head on his lap, showing him your accomplishments on your game. And that thought, that small little image in his head, made him finally talk.

“I got the day off tomorrow as well actually.” You raised your head to look at him again, and Eddie sucked in another breath, feeling the palm holding the phone tensing and sweating up, but he can try to play it cool. He always did. “So, I was wondering if you wanted to go to that bar near your apartment, I am missing how they prepare the Negroni there–” 

“Yes.”

Silence. Both of you were stunned at how quick you responded. You didn’t even process it, you didn’t even think about it, you didn’t even hesitate. Your whole body had a sudden cold sweat, and you almost dropped to the floor in embarrassment but Eddie finally recovered himself, straightening up as if you hadn’t just accepted going out on a date with him so casually. Well, he didn’t tell you it was a date, but he kind of hoped it was.

“Okay then! Someone’s excited to keep drinking it seems.” He had to lighten up the mood, he had to make you laugh again, lose the tension on your shoulders, and that he did. You giggled through your burning cheeks, your heart beating into your ears, but happiness was replacing your embarrassment, followed by excitement. Was it a date? Or was this just two friends getting together to have a drink? Or maybe you weren’t even going to be alone, maybe he invites Billy if he has his day off or something.

“I just– I don’t have plans for tomorrow, okay?” You say to him hiding your face behind the big glass of wine, and he couldn’t help but smile at you, dimples and all, making your stomach explode with so many things that you couldn’t even name them all. 

“Okay, alright, fine. I’ll just park near your apartment and we can go walking from there.” Your heart soared at that. Austin had told you to simply meet him there, when Eddie wasn’t, not only picking you up, but offered to go walking, and you hoped that it was because he wanted to spend more time with you. And you were right.

“Alright. Can I go play Kirby now?” You needed to hang up, you needed to yell, you needed to jump around with excitement, not being able to contain yourself for much longer. He was feeling the burning sensation on his face now too, so he clenched his other hand on the bed, tightly to hold his emotions in.

“Go play your stupid Kirby, I’ll see you tomorrow Angel.” You gave him a nod, putting your glass down to be able to send him a soft smile, and his eyes almost bulged out of his sockets when you bit your bottom lip, very subtly.

“See you tomorrow Eds.” You hung up and Eddie was staring blankly at the screen. You had accepted his invitation, rapidly, no doubt there, sure you were embarrassed and he could see it, but it meant… God, it meant you were letting go. A wide smile spread on his lips, teeth showing as he threw the phone on his bed, his arms raising towards the ceiling as he plopped backwards, falling onto his mattress with a laugh.

You weren’t far behind on his excitement, putting the phone on the counter before you did small little jumps in the same place you stood, a wide grin spreading on your cheeks. You weren’t this excited when Austin asked you out, and even if you didn’t know if Eddie meant it that way, you realized that if it was indeed a date, you didn’t mind. 

You didn’t mind. Oh my god… You didn’t mind.

Realization hits you like a brick to the face. It couldn’t be that, could it? He is your friend, someone who helped you all along this journey to find yourself, it’s impossible to feel– feel this for someone you consider a friend right? Well not impossible, but it shouldn’t happen, because he obviously doesn’t see you like that. He is just inviting you out to a bar to drink with his friend.

You were just excited to see Eddie, nothing more. But the anticipation was there again. What were you anticipating to happen? Your feelings were not cooperating with what your brain knows, so you cannot even describe what was going on inside of you. When did this shift happen with Eddie? This didn’t happen before, did it? You can’t remember now, because the present was just blurring everything from the past month.

You grabbed your glass of wine again, taking another sip, and the heat was all over your body again. You were going insane not knowing what was happening to you, and that leads you to stomp towards your living room, and take your Switch out of its charging dock, and plopping onto your couch, the glass on the coffee table.

You just needed to distract yourself. Eddie is a friend, and you are going to the bar as friends.

You walked out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped around your body, with a shocked expression on your face. 

You just wanted to be tidy, that’s all, feel clean. So, you shaved again, even if you shaved last week, you did it again. But it was all to feel clean, you liked that soothing feeling, your smooth legs and everywhere else. You looked at your full length mirror, scanning your body and the back of your legs if they were properly shaved. It isn’t the first time you shaved when seeing Eddie, but it is the first time you shaved your private parts. 

You shook your head, trying not to think too much about it, as well as the building heat in your belly. You double tapped your phone that was on your night table to look at the time. 5 PM. You had time, okay. You walked over to your closet and opened the underwear drawer, looking through your panties and bras to finally land on something you hadn’t opened yet.

The black laced lingerie set.

Why were you even considering it? Why were you even thinking about putting that on? It was Eddie, just Eddie… Sweet Eddie. You can’t put that on, because it wasn’t what this was. It wasn’t that at all. You grabbed your white set, the cotton pair and you sighed heavily with a nod, pushing the drawer closed. 

You stepped away to throw the set onto the bed but you stopped midway. You looked towards the drawer again. There was something inside of you that was tugging you towards it again, your mind wanting to go against it, but it felt as if it were an impulse, not being able to control it. 

Why can't you control it? You’ve always been able to control your feelings, so what was this? Why is it always frustratingly there? Why doesn’t it ever go away and why is it always there with Eddie? Your body moved to the drawer again, taking the black lace set out and immediately throwing your towel away, stepping onto the thong first, which you almost never used, and then putting on the bra, with embroidery stitched onto it, the edges of it a nice thin lace that stuck to your skin.

You walked towards the mirror again to stare at yourself, the burning sensation returning to your body as a thought appeared in your head. Your eyes widened, slowly, walking towards your reflection to touch the crystal with your fingertips.

You wanted him to see it.

You didn’t think of wearing this set with Austin, and in fact you were saving it for a serious relationship, when you had spent months building the trust and the confidence between one another… Yet, with Eddie you already had all of that. It was always there. It had always been there, and you realized at this very moment, just what was happening.

It had occurred to you many times, that the feeling inside of you was something you never felt before. Something Eddie mentioned that night, and that you didn’t know how to describe it to him. Something that shouldn't happen with friends, and you knew that, that’s why you had been denying it all along, because admitting it would only lead to pain.

You were attracted to Eddie. Painfully so.

Oh fuck… You sat on the bed, looking towards the floor as the butterflies exploded in your belly, your heart beating into your ears, a buzzing noise filling your brain as you tried to think, tried to put your feelings back together, but all you could think about was him. His touch, his scent, his eyes, his lips, his voice, his tattoos, and–

You wanted to see more. So much more. 

You weren’t hiding yourself at the thought of seeing more, not like you did before, not like the nervous and anxious panicked self you were before, because the difference from those times is that you weren’t sure of what you wanted. You weren’t sure if you could do some stuff. You weren’t sure if you would look nice. You weren’t sure if he would enjoy himself with you…

But you remembered that night, and you couldn’t help but hope, wish that he in fact felt the same way, the same attraction you felt for him. You covered your face as flames invaded your cheeks and towards your ears. You were desperate, and it was the first time you were experiencing it. You wanted him to the point of not being sure if you could control yourself with him. Not anymore.

What are you going to do now with this realization? You want his friendship yet you don’t. You want this to not be a date, yet you want it to. You aren’t anticipating anything, yet you are. And there it was, the anticipation of wanting him to do something. The need for him to not act like nothing happened last weekend. The need for him to show you he wants you as much as you want him.

But what if your mind is creating this idealization of him that is not true? What if he doesn’t really want you? What if it is just your brain creating that fantasy that he does just so you could feel good about yourself? It can happen, right? But, fuck, he was hard that night, but men get hard with everything and anything, and you knew that much. 

“Oh god…” You took a few deep breaths in, feeling your chest just palpitating and you were sure you were going into a cardiac arrest. You got up from the bed and shook your hands as you paced back and forth in your room, breathing deeply and exhaling, trying to calm your nerves as they started settling in your body.

Stop thinking. Stop thinking. Stop thinking.

He even taught you this. You think too much, you dwell too much on the infinite possibilities on how something might go, when the only thing you have to do is let yourself go, just like you did that night with him, as well as when you let him kiss you almost a month ago. 

You looked at yourself in the mirror again, stopping on your tracks. Just act like you normally do, don’t let it show, but it was impossible. What if he put an innocent hand on the small of your back just like he did when you were cooking pancakes? That touch, that simple and soft touch almost made you lose your mind. How can you possibly do this? How are you going to act now that you know? Should you tell Robin? No, there’s no time, she doesn’t even know you and Eddie kissed, she would absolutely flip and you need to get ready.

The weather was still warm but chilly when the wind blew, so laid out on the bed was a nice long sleeved black dress that reached your mid thigh, there was no cleavage, but your collarbones showed on the collar of it. It was a casual dress, but it wasn’t. You groaned now that you realize you had been anticipating everything about going out with Eddie tonight. 

The shaving, the dress, the lingerie, the excitement of him inviting you to a bar, the perfume you were going to use, the makeup you were going to do on yourself, the hairstyle you looked a tutorial for, the accessories you were going to use and the small heels you were going to wear. Was it all too much? What if he is casual, in some jeans and a band T-Shirt and you make him feel bad about it?

Okay, maybe change the heels for some sneakers and don’t overdo the makeup. You can do that, you have to be more casual. What if he sees through you? What if he thinks you got attracted to him right after he touched you? Will he think you are delusional? That just because he kissed you and touched you meant he wanted more with you? 

What did more mean?

You jumped on the spot when your alarm rang, making your eyes go wide. You had set the alarm to go off at 5:30 PM and you realized you had been walking all around and thinking for half an hour. Precious time you needed to get ready. You rushed to your vanity desk to start pulling out everything you needed for your makeup and hair. 

The time went on as you got ready, your nervousness building more and more as each minute passed. You were nervous, but it was a good nervous, as well as excited but terrified. You slid on your sneakers and looked at yourself in the mirror again. Your hair was down, but neat, a little bit styled, more than usual, but not overdoing it. Your makeup was kept simple, neutral eyeshadows with a tinge of black, with your eyeliner and mascara. Your lips were a natural red tone, a lip tint. 

You looked at your phone and it marked it was 6:42 PM. Your hands started sweating as you began to pace around the room again. It was almost time, and you were trying to regulate your breathing. This wasn’t a stranger, it was Eddie, but the turn of your belly was way worse than any other time you were with another man. 

Just act normal. Like always. It’s just a night out, with your friend, no funny business. But fuck, if there is no funny business, why did you get dressed like this? Your phone vibrated and you rushed towards it to see Eddie’s message. 

‘Arrived a little early 😅’

A smile spread on your lips, long gone was the fear you felt seconds ago, replaced by adrenaline as you sprayed more perfume on the back of your ears, grabbing onto your purse and sliding the phone inside as well as the small tube of gloss just in case you want to reapply. 

You grabbed your keys and rushed out of your house, locking after you left and you slipped into the elevator as fast as you could, pressing onto the bottom floor quickly until the doors closed. You looked at yourself in the mirrors of the wall of the elevator and fixed your hair again, giving one small nod as you waited for the doors to open again. Once they did, you walked out and out of the glass doors of the lobby, you could already see him.

Shit.

He was wearing that tight turtleneck black t-shirt you saw on him the other day, his black leather jacket on top, ripped black jeans, with his handcuff belt on his waist. He was looking to the side as he rested on the street lamp waiting for you. His hair was up in a bun, small strands falling around his face, and you felt your knees wobble slightly. 

He dressed up, in the same manner you did.

You gulped and punched the nervous lumps down your throat, walking towards the door and finally opening it. His head immediately snapped at the sound, and he had a smile on his face, ready to greet you, only for his breath to be knocked out of his lungs as if someone had kicked him on his chest cavity. 

He was absolutely stunned as he scanned your outfit, and he was sure that you were trying to kill him. He didn’t expect you to put on a dress for him, and he didn’t expect you to come out as quickly as you did. He also didn’t expect the perfume you were using, and he just was not prepared to see you like this. You were always beautiful, but now that you made yourself look good for this outing with him had his heart in his throat.

Do you even realize what you do to him or are you completely unaware of it? 

“Hi Eds!” Your cheery voice broke him out of his trance, finally feeling a cold sweat invade his feet, all blood leaving them to rush north, making him curse inwardly at himself. 

“Hey Angel.” He leaned away from the lamp post, and your heart soared when he reached out to you to pull you into a hug, face planting on his chest. You were afraid he could feel your heart against him, but you could definitely hear his. It was rather quick for its normal pace, but you guessed that maybe he walked to get to your door, having parked around the corner or something. 

Your arms wrapped around his waist and god he wanted to push you into your complex again, just go to your apartment and spend alone time with you instead of going into a bar with other people. But that would be too dangerous, being alone with you was not good for his own heart, nor his body, not when he had already heard you, tasted you, touched you.

He pulled away from you after taking a deep breath from your perfume, keeping his arm around your shoulders as he guided you to start walking the three blocks towards the bar. He was more nervous than he thought he’d be, but he had to stay calm, try to not show you how his hands were slightly trembling with the need to pull you into a kiss, or an even deeper hug.

You didn’t expect the arm to rest there, setting your body on fire as you started taking the first steps towards the bar. Your voice for some reason was caught in your throat as you looked at the floor. Talk to him, say something, anything at all. You raised your head up to ask him about this day off but your eyes caught onto the dark clouds that were coming from the distance.

“Eds, do I go get my umbrella? Just in case.” You say while pointing at said clouds. He looked over and indeed saw them, but he shrugged with a shake of his head. 

“Nah, it didn’t say it was going to rain. I bet it will just go around or it will be very little rain, we’ll be fine.” He says as if he were a meteorologist and you rolled your eyes at him, still staring at the clouds as you both walked.

“So those big black clouds it’s just a sprinkle of rain. That’s what you’re trying to tell me.” You say to him and he looks at you with a wide smile to his face, his arm falling from your shoulder, and your chest contracted in itself, missing the touch and the pressure that it had created. 

“I am an expert with weather. If you take a sniff, there’s no rain smell! It’s common sense sweetheart.” 

And that’s how you both arrived at the bar, bantering at Eddie’s poor sense of instinct but you still trusted him with not going back for an umbrella. It was the same bar you met Austin at, and when you both entered Eddie guided you to a similar booth, letting you both sit next to each other instead of in front of one another. 

You gulped and took a deep breath in as you slid into the booth, him sitting right next to you. This… This looked like a date, didn’t it? It had to be, but he didn’t say it was, so maybe it isn’t, but you want it to be. Should you ask? But it’s too early, maybe ask that at the very end just in case you make everything awkward between the two of you. Maybe you’re just–

“You’re thinking again.” He says and you look to your side and at him, a nervous heat engulfing you from being caught red handed. You had to think of something, anything at all.

“It was just a very stressful three days at work. Had to leave everything completely tidy for these two days I’ll be gone.” It was actually the truth, you weren’t lying, but you did lie about this being the thing you were thinking about, and you felt slightly guilty about that.

“Wow, they really can’t go without you sweetheart.” You shrugged at that as the waitress came over to get your order which was a rum and coke for Eddie and a beer for you, with a side of fries. 

“Yeah, I also had a nervous attack yesterday.” You didn’t even register what you said until it was out of your mouth. He raised an eyebrow at you, worry displayed on his face as he put a hand on your shoulder, making you look at him.

“Nervous? What happened?” Your eyes widened slightly and you cleared your throat, looking down at the table again, biting your bottom lip nervously. There it was again. You do not want to tell Eddie about another man. How stupid you were before for not realizing this. 

“I uh– Austin asked to go on a second date.” You began and he immediately tensed up, his stomach dropping as his shoulders fell slightly. “But I panicked because I didn’t know how to say no… So I called Robin completely crazy, and she– You wanna know what she fucking suggested?” You turned to look at him and his mood immediately lifted up as he heard you rejected the other man. For a second there he thought you had said yes.

“What did she suggest?” He says, putting his elbow on the table, his head resting on his hand as he looks at you. 

“She suggested that I tell him I am actually an undercover agent, trying to look into company secrets and that I was just using him.” Eddie snorted, followed by a chuckle and shaking his head while you giggled at Robin’s stupid suggestions, telling him one by one, making the laughter increase between you two, until Eddie’s laughter ceased but he kept a smile to his face.

“And what did you actually tell him?” He asked and you were just staring at him. He was absolutely beautiful, and your heart was trying to tug you into him, grab his face and pull him towards you, kiss him, wrap your arms around him. You sighed and shrugged at him.

“That I just felt like it was more of a friendship thing than something more.” At that Eddie’s heart soared, and the question was at the tip of the tongue. Did you feel that with him too? God, he really wanted to know. The waitress finally came back with your order and Eddie straightened up, thanking her as she placed the drinks and the food on the table.

You immediately launched to take a fry into your mouth and Eddie smiled as he watched you. Before, you would have waited until he got the first bite, because you didn’t want to seem desperate for food, and you were very tidy with it too. You took fries with your fork before, and now you’re dipping in with your hands. 

He was just hoping you were like this with him. Just him.

The two of you fell into your natural talk, even if nervous, even if anxious, it was always so easy to talk. So easy, that you were already on your second drink, asking him if his uncle was coming soon or not.

“Actually, yeah, maybe in a week. I am so fucking excited, it’s been way too long since I’ve last seen him, Claudia and the little shit.” He says with a laugh as he takes another sip of his rum and coke. You giggled at how he referred to his little brother, but you knew he cared deeply for him, still calling him three times a week to know how he is, and sometimes to help Dustin write a campaign of his own. “Still want you to meet him.”

You blushed at that, but you felt yourself growing excited at the thought of meeting part of his family, and that he wants you to. He really wants to introduce you to his Uncle, his father figure. His eyes were on you, body fully turned to face you, your own in the same manner. You smiled up at him, moving your head in a small nod.

“Can’t wait to meet him.” 

His arm was over the backrest of the booth, his hand resting right next to you. Your eyes locked with his and that need for him to wrap his arm around you came back. His fingers finally softly touched your shoulder, slow small circles being drawn with the tip of them and you shivered, feeling the goosebumps go all over your body at this small bit of touch from him.

Eddie’s eyes almost widened when he saw something different in the way you were looking at him. Did you even know what you were doing? Looking at him with your pupils a little bit wider than they were before, your fingers on the glass fidgeting, as if trying to do something with them but not having the strength to do it. Oh, everything changed. It definitely changed.

He moved one inch, just one towards you, but his cell phone started vibrating non stop, making him curse under his breath, pulling his arm away from the backrest to face the phone on the table. You didn’t realize that you weren’t breathing, releasing the air that was jailed up in your lungs. You almost reached for him. You almost leaned in, just out of impulse, out of craving. What have you become? 

“Fucking christ.” He swipes the phone screen to reject the call and that makes you snap out and look at him with a confused look in your face.

“Who was it?”

“The little–” The phone began vibrating again, and Eddie groaned while throwing his head back, grabbing his phone and answering the video call. 

“Eddie, what the fuck! This is important and you haven’t been answering my texts!” You hear the other voice say and you look at the screen, seeing it was Dustin, Eddie’s brother. He raised his head to look at the camera with an angry look on his face and his little brother simply rolled his eyes at him. “What are you doing so important you can’t answer me?”

“Does it look and sound like I’m home, you fucker?” You giggled, covering your mouth with your hand to stifle it but Dustin heard it, a smirk appearing in his face.

“Are you on a date?” 

Oh that made Eddie blush, and your giggle ceased again. The thing you both didn’t ask or say, and now you wondered what Eddie was going to say. You gulped, looking up at him and his eyes were already on you. You were waiting for him to answer, you were giving him the option of letting this evening be a friendly one, or something more. 

His heart was on his ears as he felt his gut turning with nervousness, but now, he felt hopeful that this feeling was not one sided. If you let him choose, it’s because you wondered if he had asked you out as a friend or not. He opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by Dustin, who gasped, making Eddie’s head turn back to him.

“Is it her?” Dustin suddenly says your name and your eyes widen slightly, while Eddie blushes with a roll of his eyes, followed by a nod of his head. “I wanna meet her!”

“What, no! I’m–” 

“I just wanna ask her what house she is in!” And that caught your attention, making you sit up straight and snatch Eddie’s phone out of his hand. He groaned again, a little bit pissed that Dustin completely ruined the moment, and now he was butting in, on the date he didn’t say it was, but it definitely was.

“Hi! I’m Dustin!” 

“Little shit.” Eddie corrects and again puts his elbow on the table, looking your way as he rests his head on his hand. 

“Eddie told me you like Harry Potter!” Dustin says and you smile into the camera, widely as heat fills your cheeks. Eddie talked about you. He talked about you to his family.

“Yes! I am a potterhead, full fledged.” You say to the curly headed boy in front of you, and Eddie knew he had become non existent at this point, but seeing you smile widely while talking to his brother was making his heart beat faster and yearn for you even more than before. 

“I am too! I mean, I am a fan of all nerdy things, but Harry Potter is one of my top 3!” He says with a smile which was super contagious to you, making you smile at him. “Okay so, I am a Hufflepuff, and my Patronus is a dog!” He says and your eyes widen at him, your mouth falling into a surprised one.

“Me too! I am a proud Hufflepuff, but my Patronus is actually a Hippogriff.” Dustin’s eyes widened.

“No fucking way! That one is fucking difficult to get!” Eddie was smiling as he heard you talk, completely entranced by you, excitedly moving your free hand as you talked to Dustin. He wondered if you would be this care free with Wayne and Claudia. God, he really wants to introduce you to them, and the thought scared him before, but seeing you right now he is simply growing impatient for it to happen already.

He used this time to go to the bathroom and relieve himself, looking at himself in the mirror, taking a deep breath in to calm his nerves. God, what is happening right now? You were talking normally, he knew that, but there was something else. It was as if you were expecting something, watching him, and you even scooted closer to him. He wasn’t going to complain, but… Should he make a move? Should he first talk to you? 

He chuckles at himself, feeling like a complete hypocrite. He always talks to you about letting go, to stop thinking, to stop dwelling on things in your mind and here he was. But the difference was that he was risking so much if he decided on making the move. But weren’t the signs there? You waited for his answer if this was a date or not! So why is he hesitating so much?

He walks out of the bathroom, walking back towards the booth and he sees a smile line of people outside the bar, waiting to enter. He knew you two were going to get kicked out soon, and he groaned at the thought, sitting in the booth, sliding next to you again as you giggled at Dustin, Eddie’s heart warming again.

“Yeah, but I can’t ever beat him at Mario Kart. He sucks at everything else, but Mario Kart is a fucking pro isn’t he?” You tilted your head at that, and Eddie’s eyes widened at his brother, already cursing him as Dustin kept talking. “Yeah, he told me you couldn’t beat him either.”

Your mouth fell open in surprise, looking at Eddie with complete shock in your face. His eyes were panicked as he looked at you, an innocent small smile appearing in his lips and you bit your bottom lip with your eyebrows raised up and nodded at him, only to snap back at Dustin.

“So he told you he beat me? Cause I don’t remember it like that at all!” Dustin’s face fell, his turn to tilt his head in confusion and Eddie’s arm immediately wrapped around your shoulders, pushing you into him with his hand covering your mouth, rather harshly in order to shut you up as he snatched the phone out of your hands, putting his face on the camera again as your screams and mumbles were muffled into his palm.

“Okay, Dustin, talk to you tomorrow, if this is about the campaign we’ll talk later!” 

“What did she mean–” Eddie hung up before Dustin could finish and he dropped the phone on the table with an exasperated sigh. You were wriggling in his grasp and he took the hand off your mouth but his arm was still holding you close. He looked down at you with a frown to his face as you laughed, your hands pressing onto his thigh for support.

“He beats me at every game, he is not going to let me live it down if he knows YOU beat me at Mario Kart!” You were still giggling as you looked up at him.

“But I did beat you at Mario Kart!” You now noticed how close his face was to yours, his arm still holding you close, with his hand now on your shoulder. Your whole body is turned, which was rather uncomfortable, but you didn’t care. You were just inches from touching his lips again, and the burning in your belly ignited, first like a spark, and it was expanding into flames, all over. 

“Yeah… You did… But he doesn’t need to know Angel… Let’s keep that secret between us, okay?” His voice lowered, talking to you, privately, intimately and that made your legs clench slightly, already knowing why you were always fidgety with him. Why you were always uncomfortable in that area of yours. 

You were aroused.

It was just you two in the bar right now, that’s how it felt like. No one around you. No clients, no waitresses, no barman, no cook… There was no one. You just needed him to close the distance, you were begging him with your eyes to close the distance between you two, but he wasn’t doing anything. Why isn’t he doing anything? You were growing desperate now, and you knew it, but what do you have to do for his lips to be on yours again?

“Can I handle your check?” Eddie wanted to curse at whoever was playing a joke on him from above. Probably his fucking father or something. He sighed as he pulled away from you, looking at the waitress before him. He nodded and you felt as if your breathing had picked up a pace now, feeling your heart hammering in your chest, as you sat straight once more.

You were… Irritated. Why isn’t he kissing you? He’s done it before, why isn’t he doing anything? Maybe he doesn’t want to? But he didn’t say it wasn’t a date, because if it weren’t then he should have said a simple no. You were too into your head that you didn’t notice Eddie paying the waitress until he tapped your shoulder. 

“They are basically kicking us out.” He gave you a small smile and you looked at him, still with a lost look in your eyes and nodded, grabbing your things and getting out of the booth with him. You wanted to glare at the people that were in line, because thanks to them they had to start to clear up tables to fill them in. 

“You didn’t even let me pay half…” You pouted at him as he walked next to you, but your steps were slow, not wanting the night to end. You didn’t realize that you’ve been sitting there with him for two hours, time passing by way too quickly for your liking. 

“Next time is on you.” He says with a smile and your heart jumps at that, making you smile towards the floor trying to hide how flushed you just got. Next time. There will be a next time with just the two of you. You looked up at him, both of you still walking.

“Maybe next time you can help Dustin before so he doesn’t have to interrupt.” You said to him and he was baffled by your answer. You saw Dustin as an interruption when he was close to you. His heart hammered in his chest, and none of you were paying attention to the small concrete boulder on the ground, and when you stepped on it, you tumbled to the side, flailing your arms everywhere.

“Shit!” He grabbed your arms, pulling you into him to steady you as your heart felt like exploding. You felt your world tilting when you stepped on that, giving you a complete heart attack. His chest rumbled with laughter and you looked up at him with a frown and pout in your face.

“Don’t laugh at me! I didn’t see it!” You were embarrassed at your display, but seeing him laugh was making you want to get on the tip of your toes, and plant a kiss on him. God, you want to kiss him, really bad.

“I’m sorry, you just moved your arms everywhere and it was funny.” His laugh slowed down as his head turned to look at you and there was that look on your face again. You were blinking slowly at him, and his blood began rushing south because it almost looked as if you wanted to eat him alive. 

Just like he wanted to do to you.

“Eds…?” You were dazed, eyes hazed while staring up at him and your mind was turning into gelatin, coherent thoughts no longer processing in your head, and your palms were splayed on his chest, and you just wanted to rise them up, glide them on his torso and to the back of his head.

“Yes, Angel?” His voice was low, your frame still in his arms as you two stood in the street, and he really was trying to keep himself under control here, but when you were looking at him like that… The only thought that was processed was… Fuck it. 

But you flinched, your eyes blinking rapidly as you touched your cheek with your index finger, water covering it. You frowned at it and Eddie was about to ask what happened when he himself felt something on his cheek. He unhooked one arm from you to wipe his face, noticing the drop of water on his hand, and as soon as you both looked up, the sky decided it was time for a waterfall to happen. 

The drops were heavy, soaking you both in the lapse of five seconds and you pulled away from Eddie with a squeal, followed by a glare towards him and he was taking off his jacket in a hurry, cursing under his breath to then flop it on your head to cover you from any more rain.

“I TOLD YOU SO!” You yelled at him and he grabbed your hand to start running towards your complex, and he couldn’t help but roar with laughter as he ran. You wanted to murder him and he was laughing at the situation. The streets had puddles already from how heavy was raining as thunder roared in the sky above you both.

“JUST RUN!” He yelled back through his laughter and you couldn’t help but laugh with him as you kept running under the rain, Eddie’s jacket over your head, keeping the rain out of your hair and face. Many people were running from the sudden downpour, some cursing, some laughing, and then some just accepted their fate and walked under the rain.

You two were just running like crazy, laughing hysterically as his hand squeezed yours, your sneakers already full of puddle water which was making you wince in disgust and made you keep whining at him, telling him off that you were right and that you should have gone inside for an umbrella. You took the keys out of your purse desperately as you both reached the complex and he let your hand go.

“Well, Angel, I should–”

“Nope, you’re getting inside and we’re gonna dry ourselves before we catch a fucking cold!” You yelled at him and he wasn’t going to say no, following you inside the lobby as you opened your door. You both rushed to the elevator as you kept laughing at how stupid Eddie had been about the weather. 

In the elevator you took the jacket off your head and he grabbed it, trying to shake the water off it and you covered your face to then slap his arm to make him stop. He was laughing at the reflection of the two of you and you noticed that your makeup was running, making you gasp in embarrassment and fix it with your index fingers.

The doors opened at your floor and you grabbed his hand to walk the two of you out of the elevator, rushing towards the warmth of your apartment, your heart beating loudly in your chest, as you opened the door to finally head inside. Eddie closed the door behind him and you motioned for him to take off his boots as you took off your water filled sneakers.

“God, okay, I am not a weatherman, okay? I can make mistakes.” He says with a chuckle, taking off his boots and his socks that were completely drenched. You put your sneakers and socks aside as you looked at him. 

“You said you were an expert–” 

“Experts can make mistakes sweetheart.” He says to you with a smile, that dimpled smile that made your knees buckle. You studied him, his hair was stuck to his forehead and cheeks, some curls were wet bouncing off, but his bun was still in place. You felt your breathing picking up a pace again, and it wasn’t because of the running. His chest was going up and down, his shirt now completely stuck to his body, letting your eyes roam all over him, and the flames never extinguished. Even when you were running towards here you still felt them, in the hold of his hand, in his laughter, in that moment between the two of you.

You didn’t even turn on the lights of the apartment, but the streetlamps of the street were bright enough to bring some light into the place, and thunder every now and then flashed through the windows. He ran a hand over his face to take off the excess water, and even if you were drenched from head to toe, you were burning. You were really burning as if you had the worst fever ever.

Your consciousness was drifting away again, your body wanting to move as your belly and your need yelled at you. He hadn’t made a move on you all night. He didn’t kiss you, he had touched you but he did go farther than that. The anticipation of him doing something, the anticipation of fully crossing the line, the anticipation of something happening tonight. That’s what you were waiting for, but you were irritated already because of how desperate you were for him.

You want him.

You desire him.

You need him.

“Angel, we should get some towels.” He was oblivious to you, not realizing the desperate look on your face, the fast pace of your breathing, the twitching of your hands, and just because he was looking all over at himself and how incredibly drenched he got from some rain in just a minute. 

Your body was trembling almost as you stared at him, your belly burning as you felt the heat right at your core. This, you never felt this before. This intense feeling of wanting someone, of craving someone, of wanting to touch them in every possible way. The thought of that scared you before, but now, you would do anything to see him in the light, bare before you, and you wanted to make him feel good, in the same way he made you feel that night. 

Stop thinking.

Stop waiting. 

Let go.

Let fucking go.

Eddie looked up only for his eyes to widen when he felt both of your hands reach up to his face, cradling him, and he didn’t even notice you had walked closer to him at all. He stared down at you, seeing that look again in your face as you pulled him down towards you, and you tipped toed upwards.

And you kissed him.

It was soft, yet with pressure, and he was in complete shock, his eyes still wide as you kissed him, in a long peck, your lips not moving, yet he could feel the desire in the kiss, because he could feel how hot your hands were, despite the heavy cold rain that poured on the two of you. You made the move on him. You kissed him. Out of your own accord, no help required, no favor asked. 

Your hands trembled as you slowly pulled away, breathing heavily and taking a step back to scan his face. Your body was shaking slightly, not because of the wet clothes on you, but because you wanted to simply jump on him. This new feeling inside of you was making you feel like an animal, and you didn’t know how to control it, not anymore. 

He was still looking at you with surprise in his face, his chest increasing its movement as his breathing picked up, and locked eyes with yours. The tension in the air was palpable, and the room grew hotter, and hotter as you two scanned one another. You didn’t think, you let go with him. 

Fuck it.

He dropped the wet leather jacket to the floor with a thud, and gave a heavy step towards you, one hand flying towards your waist, wrapping his arm around you while he took the other towards the back of your head, pulling you towards him. You sighed of relief as your arms immediately wrapped around him as his lips clashed desperately against yours.

This kiss was different. It was needy, rough, and it was already burning your lips as you both moved with one another, your fingernails digging into his back as you pressed your body against his, feeling his hand grip onto the small of your back. His fingers went into your wet hair, pulling you deeper into his kiss.

There was no room for thoughts, no room for being conscious of what was going on. You just need this fire to be over, you need it extinguished, but it only grew its flame. You need more, so for the first time, you licked his bottom lip, wanting to feel more of him. He groaned into the kiss, his chest exploding at the thought of you making all the moves today.

You wanted him, you were experiencing desire for the first time ever, and he now understood. You were letting go, letting your instincts take over, letting your body move for you, and you were being consumed by those flames you were annoyed of for the past weeks. 

He moved the both of you, your hips slamming against the counter behind you as your tongue danced with his, heavy breaths mixing with one another’s, his hands wanting to roam all over your body but there was still some control in him, even if it was a very thin line. So he kept his hands where he originally put them, while your fingernails were scratching on his scalp, wanting him closer onto your body, feeling his hip against yours and you couldn’t help but whine at the need for more, his blood rushing south in a fast pace as he heard that coming from you.

You had to have more, it’s not enough. God, it’s just not enough. He groaned into your mouth when one of your hands slid down from his head to grab onto his bicep, harshly and without breaking the kiss you pushed yourselves off the counter. You want to take what you desire, want to lose yourself in the feeling so you start taking steps, small steps, guiding him with you, your lips still attached as if your lives depended on it. 

He was hesitant to follow you, wanting to pull away to ask if this is what you really wanted, but he didn’t want you to think he didn’t want this. It’s the only thing that’s been in his mind ever since he kissed you back at his apartment, maybe even before that. So the fact that you are the one, guiding him into your bedroom, was making that small control he had in himself slowly begin to snap.

The back of your knees hit the edge of your bed, and the kiss only broke for a second as you fell back, body hitting the mattress below you with a soft huff as you tried to get your breathing back to normal, to get oxygen into your brain so you could think, but Eddie was close behind you, following you as he got on top of you, each knee on the side of your thighs, right on the edge of the mattress, as he leaned down hungrily to take your lips again with his.

You moaned softly into the kiss, making him groan as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders again to pull him close. He wrapped one arm around you, going in between your body and the mattress to lift you slightly up so he can guide you up into the middle of the bed, your legs no longer dangling at the edge and he crawled with you in the movement, trying to never leave your lips.

You were both breathing heavily into each other, tongues mixing in a wild dance, battling for the prize, but it was still not enough. He was hovering over you, not pressing his body against you, and you needed that. You arched your back upwards, looking for him, not knowing yourself for a second there but you were just desperate for him, you needed him, terribly. 

He felt your chest hit his and he groaned into the kiss, but he had to be first, and foremost, the good friend you met at that coffee shop. The good friend you trusted from the beginning to help you. The good friend you could be yourself with no matter what. So he slowly, painfully, broke the kiss, his lips still hovering over yours as he spoke, eyes searching for yours.

“Angel… Are you–” And you finally locked eyes with his, and he almost died right then and there. All your features and the wide dilated pupils in your eyes made all of his doubts wash away. 

“E-Eds– I–” He knew that if you talked you would think and your mind would start working in search of words, so he immediately clashed his lips on yours again. He was so selfish, but he wasn’t going to miss this chance of you letting go with him. For whatever this evening takes you both, he wasn’t going to miss the chance of experiencing it. 

His arm was still wrapped underneath you, so he kneeled up, making you sit up while the kiss never broke between the two of you. He pulled away once more, looking into your eyes to see if there were signs of regret, of panic, of uncertainty, but in your eyes the only thing you could see was him. Just him. The eye contact never broke, as his hands slowly started heading to the back of your dress, finding the zipper at the top of it.

You were both almost panting now as you stared at one another, and when he didn’t see you move away, when he didn’t see you look away, and when he didn’t see your gaze change on him, he held onto the zipper and began pulling it down, slowly. Your body shivered as your belly turned with an anxious feeling you didn’t know how to really describe, but it wasn’t bad, it was the complete opposite of it. You wanted him to take your dress off, and it made you nervous, you knew it by the way your hands trembled, but you still wanted him to take it off, let him touch your bare skin, skin that was burning you almost agonizingly at each soft teasing touch.

Once the zipper was down, and you still haven’t stopped him, he sucked a deep breath in to calm his heart as he grabbed onto the collar of the dress, and started pulling it down. He was going to save your breasts for the final show, first helping you get out of the long sleeves, which was hard to do because of how wet the fabric was, sticking onto your skin.

You took this time to glance at his arms, wanting to bite onto them, wanting him to wrap them around you again as he slowly took the top of your dress off. Fear finally struck you as he pulled the top part down to finally see you in your bra. Your body flushed, feeling bare before him, yet you still looked up to look at his reaction, and his eyes were almost wide, completely clouded at your sight.

When he pulled that part of cloth down, he didn’t expect you to have something like that underneath. That black lace fit you as if it was made specifically for you, and you… You picked that for him. You had chosen to wear this underneath that dress of yours, all night, while talking to him. He cursed under his breath when he felt his bulge twitch in his pants, wanting to break free. 

He grabbed the back of your neck, and leaned down towards your face, making your eyelids drop as his breath hit your face. He gave your lips a small peck, yet longing as he slowly pushed you down onto the bed once again. He pulled away from the kiss as he hovered on top of you, both elbows holding himself up to not crush you, fighting his hips upwards so you wouldn’t feel his hard on against your thigh. 

His lips found your cheek bone, and you sighed with almost relief, closing your eyes as his lips went further down, going towards your neck, leaving soft breathy kisses all over the skin. He gave a soft tentative nip on your skin, making you jerk upwards, your chest hitting his as he groaned against you.

“You’re so beautiful… God, you’re so fucking beautiful Angel…” You gasped as you held onto his biceps, swallowing the words he just said to you. His lips went even more south, kissing onto your collarbone and the flames just expanded with that. If he kept going you were sure you would combust from the intense burning that was all over your body. His kisses kept going, kissing all over your torso until he reached the top of your breasts. He looked up at you with a lost look in his eyes and you looked down at him, breathing heavily as you gave him a nod. 

“Please…” You begged, almost whined, and he didn’t have to be told twice. He dipped his hand behind your back, and you lifted slightly so he could get access to the hook of your bra. He expertly snapped it open with one movement, and you dropped onto the mattress again. He could feel the heat that was radiating off your body, how flushed you were.

Your mind started moving its gears again when you felt him pull the first strap down. What if he didn’t like them? What if they are too bland? Too boring? Maybe little more than what he normally is used to? Not perfect and perky? What if he–

A kiss on your cheek stopped your mind from reeling any further, and you looked at Eddie who had a lust filled look in his features as he breathed a little heavily over you. He now decided to let you know how bad you had him in the palm of your hand, how incredibly turned on he was with you underneath him, so he pressed his hip against your thigh. Your eyes widened when you felt the bulge hitting on your skin, and your control left your mind once more.

“You’re perfect… So fucking perfect.” He whispered to you as he took the other strap down and your body relaxed as he took the constricting device off your body, the breeze hitting your wet skin, making your nipples stand up at it. Reality hit you, now being conscious that Eddie was seeing you half naked right now. You were going to start talking but his lips hungrily found yours again.

He took one glance, just one glance at your breasts and he was gone. He needed to feel you, he desperately needed you now, his heart tugging on him so intensely that he believes he is going to die on the spot. He threw the bra away, not caring where it landed as his hand pressed onto your waist, to let you know he was there. You breathed softly against his lips as his fingertips started trailing up on your body.

Your eyes widened when you felt his cold hand come in contact with your left nipple, sensitivity shooting a shockwave through your body, making your arch your back towards his touch. His tongue was in your mouth, swallowing your soft moan, making him hold a groan back as he greedily rubbed himself on your thigh once, to get some friction.

His index finger started circling your nipple, perking it up even more, and you couldn’t help but pull away from the kiss to throw your head back onto the pillow, a low moan escaping your lips. You never felt this when someone touched your breasts, but you felt this a hundred times more, even more than when you touch yourself there. Eddie was basically doing magic on you right now. 

He was panting as he looked at your blissed out face, and he pinched your nipple once, gently to see you jerk up, another moan escaping you and he licked his lips as he hungrily stared down at you. He used your exposed neck, planting a kiss there, and then on the other side as his thumb and index finger kept pinching you, rolling your nipple in between his digits. 

He was too hungry for you, trailing his kisses back down towards your collarbone, and you were too distracted into the bliss of his fingers, that you didn’t notice his kisses at the top of your right breast, kissing now all around the mound, and he looked at you one last time before he placed his mouth onto your nipple. 

Your eyes snapped open at the feeling, looking down at him and your core burnt with the sight of him, groaning, almost moaning against your skin, enjoying every lick and bite he did to you. Your hands were gripping his shoulders, tightly as moans ripped from your mouth and your back arched at him.

Your taste was something he was never going to forget in his life, nor get tired of. He was in pure bliss as he gave you this pleasure you never experienced, and he hoped he was going to be the only one to give that to you. He sucked on your lip to then let go with a pop, letting his tongue flick onto the nub a couple of times, making you shiver under his touch, your eyes closed as your head was to the side, enjoying his ministrations.

He dragged his tongue to the center of your breasts to then land a kiss there. He then began trailing more kisses, going downwards and your breathing hitched when he grabbed onto the lower part of your dress. He gave you a look as he sat up, letting you choose again if he continued or not. Your answer, even if nervous, even if thoughts wanted to go off in your brain, your instincts and your body didn’t let it. Your hips raised up from the bed and he sucked in a sharp intake of breath as he began pulling the dress off you. 

He dropped it somewhere in the room and he had a perfect view of your body now. You were almost naked, on your bed, giving yourself to him in a way he didn’t think was possible. His chest was going up and down rapidly, fingertips trembling. He wanted to devour you, take you, make you his, and ruin you, absolutely ruin you for anybody else. Ruin you to the point you wouldn’t be able to forget about him. Ruin you with the intent of branding himself on your skin and mind. 

No one can have you, but him.

Your body burnt at his gaze, and you were about to cover yourself out of embarrassment and he shook his head at you, running his hands on your thighs.

“I am admiring you Angel… You– You don’t know what you’re doing to me.” You didn’t expect to hear that from him, but as your gaze looked downwards you could see how big the bulge underneath his pants were. You didn’t even touch him, and yet he was there, turned on by just touching you. 

He leaned down again, crawling a little bit downwards as he placed a kiss on your stomach, and then at your waist. You covered your mouth as his kisses started going beyond the elastic band of your thong, kissing over your thigh, and then moving onto the other one. His fingers moved upwards and grabbed onto the edge of your thong.

Your eyes widened and you flinched away from him, fear striking you suddenly as the nerves took over you. He looked up at you to see if you were regretting it, if you wanted to stop, but your eyes were simply confused, nervous, and doubtful. He licked his lips as he kneeled up again, to lean over you so he could gaze at your eyes more closely.

“Do you want me to stop?” Did you? You definitely didn’t, but he was going to see you there, he was going to be able to see it. Last time he couldn’t and just touched you, but now he wanted to be face to face with your center. Yet, as you looked up at him, you could see some desperation in his eyes, almost a plea, a beg. You shook your head slowly at him and he gave you a small smile. “Trust me…”

You nodded gently at him, and he looked down again to hook his finger at the band of your thong. He sat back and lifted your legs so he could slowly slide it away from you. Your eyes clenched together and before you could move and hide yourself by clenching your legs shut, he placed himself in between them, your knees hitting his hips. 

He crawled down again, looking down at your center like a starved man. He couldn’t just dive in, even if he were as hungry as ever, he couldn’t. You were nervous, and he knew that, so he looked up at you and saw your eyes just looking everywhere at the ceiling. 

“Eds— I– No one has ever…–” And he knew what you meant, so he started his kissing again, trying to soothe your tensed up legs, bending your knees slightly as he kissed the top of your thighs first, soft kisses and tender bites to let your relax, to tell you in his own way that he is going to take care of you, that he is not there to judge you, and that you didn’t make him do anything. He is doing it out of his pure greediness, his own selfishness, his own hunger and his own fire. 

“I’ll make you feel good love… It’s just me.” Those last words always relaxed you, always made your nerves slip away even if slightly, because he was right. It was just him. And you were glad it was always him, you were happy it was just him, you were excited that it was only him. His lips were now in your left inner thigh, kissing you gently, longingly, moving towards your center, and then repeating the actions on the right inner thigh, making you tremble with anticipation, your core clenching on nothing as you waited for what he could do to you.

And then he took a deep breath in, taking your scent in, seeing how wet you already were for him, and finally pressed a kiss over your clit, a gentle one, but it was enough to make you jerk at the sensation, your hands gripping onto the sheets below you. Your eyes were wide at this new sensation, and your belly turned from finally getting something to numb the burning ache. His arms were now under your thighs, and his hands gripped your hips to keep you in place as he finally gave in to his hunger and dove in.

A moan escaped your lips when he licked all along your slit, flicking your nub at the end, and repeating the motion again. Your mind turned into mush as he pressed himself into your center, licking and tasting you. You could feel his tongue flicking on your clit, and he started doing a motion you didn’t think it was possible to do with tongue. Your moans escalated as he moved his head up and down on you, gathering your slick as he groaned at the taste, the tip of his tongue sliding in between your folds repeatedly to feel your walls clenching on nothing.

He couldn’t believe how sweet you tasted. He could spend a lifetime here in between your legs if he could, if you’d let him, just taking orgasm after orgasm from you, never satiating his hunger for you. He was listening to your moans, to your panting as your back arched upwards and then it fell back down on the mattress. Your hips sway slightly against him. 

He then pressed his face against your center, nose against your clit as his tongue went inside of you and your eyes widened as stars filled your eyes. You could feel him move inside of you, and it was different from his fingers, but still made you moan even louder than before as your belly was building up that tension, slowly, that needed to break.

“Ed-Eddie–” Oh god, his name is on your lips again. He pulled his mouth away from you to flick your clit with the tip of it. His arm let go of your thigh, to bring it in between your legs. He sucked on your clit, your back arching as he coated his fingers in your wetness, first pushing his middle finger in.

A whimper came out of your lips at the feeling of your clit being stimulated as he plunged inside. The room was definitely on fire right now, the heat of it all being too harsh, but yet feeling so good. This is what you wanted. You didn’t want it extinguished, you wanted it to burn you alive. His finger started thrusting in and out of you as he kept stimulating your clit with his tongue and mouth.

He looked up and he almost came in his pants at the sight. You were moaning with no restraints, some ‘god’ and ‘fuck’ came out here and there, and he couldn’t help but rub himself against the mattress for some friction, because he was going to explode if he didn’t. His eyes looked at your hand on the mattress, so with his other hand, he let go of your thigh to guide towards your hand, getting hold of it.

Your eyes opened and looked down at him. His eyes closed as he guided your hand to his head, dropping his own to wrap around your thigh again as he pulled you into him once more. You were seeing him devouring you, his finger still going in and out of you as your body rocked slightly against him. Your hand immediately closed onto the top of his head, nails going into his curls, a groan being pushed inside your center as you did so.

The elastic band was slowly growing wider and wider, ready to snap in your belly, as your body heated up at the orgasm that was building inside of you. He felt the clenching of your walls around his middle finger, so he decided to help even more with his index finger, now both fingers stretching out as he pumped them in and out. His mouth never leaves your sensitive and throbbing nub.

Your eyes widened again, your hand pulling his head into you and then your other hand found itself into his curls as well, your belly now burning as he kept eating you as if your substance was the elixir of the gods. And for Eddie, it definitely was. He was still rubbing himself against the mattress as he felt your walls clenching around his fingers and your body twitched several times.

“I– I– Eddie, I’m gonna–” You were stammering in your words, not being able to think straight at all as he kept mouthing at you, fingering you, even faster than before, curling his fingers inside of you so that he could hit that spongy part within you, that part no one but him has ever touched before. 

He groaned in approval and moved his head up and down on you to move his tongue even faster, and he felt you moving your hips against him, trying to reach your climax and help him get to it faster. The coil finally snapped and your back arched all the way up as your walls clenched onto his fingers, tightly, and he could barely move them from how tight you were, groaning onto your clit as his eyes looked up to see you like this for him.

You were moaning his name, loudly, your hands still on his hair, gripping onto it as he helped you ride your orgasm out, tasting your fluids on his tongue. He slowly felt your walls unclench on his fingers, and he could take them out of you, but before he would completely detach himself from you, he licked a wide stripe of your slit to collect your juices, groaning in delight at the taste as you flinched away from the over sensitivity.

You were panting heavily, looking at the ceiling with half lidded eyes, and you thought the flames would be gone, that after that they would simply fade away… But they didn’t… And as you saw him crawling back up, his face over yours again, your slick being wiped off by his wrist, and that made you tremble slightly once again. 

So, have you got the guts?

“We can stop here… There is no need to keep going if you don’t want to.” You looked up at him, searching to see if he wanted to stop, if he wanted to really end the night here, unlike yourself. You didn’t want to stop, you needed more, you wanted more, this wasn’t enough, because you wanted to make him feel good too, but overall… You wanted to feel him. 

Your hands reached up to grab onto the hem of his shirt, and he immediately realized what you wanted. He sat back, and throwing his hand over his head, he grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it off in one swift move. You slowly sat up, your breathing still heavy from the orgasm that exploded in you a minute ago, but for the first time, you could see him. 

Tattoos lingered all over his body, a few patches of uncovered skin were there, but now you found yourself amazed by all the tattoos you had to trace. These new markings you wanted to mentally take a screenshot of to always remember them. Your hands lifted up, your mind filled with desire and lust, as you finally touched his abdominal area, making him throw his head back in a circle, a groan being restrained in his throat. 

Been wondering if your heart's still open, and if so, I wanna know what time it shuts.

He’s been touched like this before, but this is the first time he felt cared for, as if you were making sure to touch every little piece of skin that there was so that he knew you desired him as much as he desired you. Remember every small part of you, every little twitch, every marking, every mole, freckle… 

Your hands traveled upwards towards his pecs, running your hands over them and Eddie’s eyes widened when he felt your lips kiss over his belly button. He couldn’t wait anymore. He really couldn’t. He grabbed your shoulders and gently pulled you off him, so he could grab the back of your head, pulling it back so he could dive in and press a deep kiss on your lips.

You moaned into it, your hands still on his body as you ran your fingertips all over his waist, making his skin grow in goosebumps. With his free hand, he guided it towards his belt, the clinking of the buckle opening catching your attention, pulling away from him with a gasp. You were looking at how he took the leather strap off him, throwing it to the side, a clank being heard from the metal hitting the floor. 

Simmer down and pucker up

He licked his lips in anticipation as he tried to keep his breathing under control, but fuck, he never felt this way when having sex before, and he was afraid of fucking it up. His eyes widened though, when he felt your trembling fingers touching the button of his jeans. He gulped audibly as he looked down at you, pulling the button off and then slowly gliding the zipper down, just like he did with the zipper of your dress.

He stood up from the bed, right next to you to be able to take his pants off, which were a still wet mess, and you just stared at him, standing in your room in his boxers only. Your eyes widened at the prominent bulge that were covered by the black fabric, and you felt your mouth salivate, for the first time in your life, while looking at someone’s hard on. It didn’t happen with the men you dated before, but with Eddie, everything was just pure craving, pure desire, pure and absolute want. 

And you weren’t shying away from it.

He saw how you were watching him and he took a step closer to you so you could make the final move on him, the one that will determine how the rest of the night is going to go. You looked up at him, and the only person you saw was Eddie… Your sweet Eddie… And your hands moved by themselves as they grabbed onto the hem of his boxers, slowly dragging them down until you could finally see him, in all of his glory. It was large, and you really don’t remember enough to compare it to your exes, but this one, you knew you would remember. Before, you would have died to have complete darkness in the room, so you didn’t have to see them, but as the thunder struck against the sky and illuminated the room through the windows, it was like a camera flash to you, taking pictures of him, scanning him all over.

And you wanted him, you really wanted him.

You looked up at him, and he immediately knew what you were trying to tell him, with just one look into your eyes. He leaned down to grab onto your jaw with his thumb and index finger, leaning down to press a soft kiss on your lips. You moaned against the touch and he groaned as his dick twitched, not being able to handle the anticipation any longer. He pulled away from the kiss to mumble against your lips.

I'm sorry to interrupt, it's just I'm constantly on the cusp of trying to kiss you.

“Condoms are in my jacket–” You couldn’t afford the seconds it took for him to go get his jacket, so you opened the drawer on your night table to show him the box of condoms you had there. He raised an eyebrow at it and then directed it at you. Nervousness broke into your body as you looked down. 

“I-I bought them after we– you started giving me advice…” He smirked at you and then grabbed onto the box, closing the drawer. An unopened box of condoms. He opened the pack and took a foil out, and then pushed you to lay back down onto the bed as he kneeled in between your legs again. Your breathing picked up again as you saw him rip the foil off with his teeth, taking the latex out of the package.

I don't know if you feel the same as I do.

He threw the rest somewhere on the floor, and you watched as he slowly rolled the condom on his shaft, your center clenching at nothing as he groaned at the friction of finally being able to touch himself. If he was this sensitive with just rolling the condom on himself, he was sure he wasn’t going to last with you. Your legs were bent and spread, him coming closer to you to finally cover your body with his, his elbows keeping him up in order to not crush you.

He leaned down to take your lips in his again, this time softer, tenderly, and your eyes closed into the feeling, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. Your lips moved with one another’s, feeling your heart beating into your throat as you lost yourself into his tongue, but then your eyes widened when you felt him line himself up against you. 

He groaned into the kiss when he felt his tip going in, just his tip, and he was already moaning at the feeling of it. This was definitely different from any other times he had sex. This wasn’t just that, it was way more, because he felt his whole body being run over by electricity and fire included. 

But we could be together... if you wanted to.

“Angel, you need to relax– Relax for me…” You didn’t notice how tense you were until he pulled away from you to tell you that. Your eyes locked with his and he was looking down at you with care, with so much care and worry that you sighed, feeling your heart warm at his thought, and your muscles relaxed on him. One of his elbows was keeping him up, while his other hand was pressed on your waist to have some leverage on reality.

He looked down to where you two were beginning to connect as he sunk further, holding in a groan in his throat again, closing his eyes at the feeling, and your mouth fell into a voiceless gasp, staring at the ceiling. It felt good, yet it was a big stretch, but god it felt good. It was painfully good. You could feel him going deeper, each second that passed, your hands all over his back, nails scratching onto his skin.

He leaned down into your exposed neck to make him think of something else as he pulled back slightly, to then thrust into you again, this time further, letting a choked moan escape your lips. He kissed your skin, as he groaned into it, feeling your chest heaving up and down from the intense pleasure you were starting to feel. 

Do I wanna know, if this feeling flows both ways?

“Pl–Please Eddie–” He raised his head to look down at you, to look into your eyes when he finally made the final push, and he bottomed out inside of you, a gasp escaping your lips as a groan escaped his.

“Fuck…” He couldn’t help but curse at the extreme feeling he was experiencing with you. You were full of him, and you loved it, god you were loving it. Your heartbeat against your chest as your legs raised up against his hips to feel him even more into you. He looked at your eyes again and you nodded slowly, not wanting to wait any longer, the room already becoming hell from how hot it was, and he sucked a deep breath in as he threw his hips back, and slowly thrusted back inside of you.

Moans filled the room, volume increasing at each slow thrust of his, a pace that was driving him insane, but when looking down at your face, he knew you were loving. He leaned down to kiss your cheek as he kept moving his hips against yours, your hands gripping the back of his head as he moaned into your skin, his muscles flexing at the intensity of it all. 

You needed more, more, more, you couldn’t stop chanting that word in your head, so your hips started moving, going against his rhythm to fasten the pace, to make him go deeper into you, because your belly was screaming for more, your heart was tugging for more, your body needed more of him, more of Eddie.

Sad to see you go, was sorta hoping that you'd stay.

“You don’t know– You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this… To have you like this– fuck.” He moaned into your ear and you whimpered at the words, tears prickling in your eyes as he caught your message and his pace quickened, now the slapping of skin being louder, causing your body to flush all over, and you wanted to tell him the same, you wanted to express to him that you wanted him, that you took some time to realize it, but it had always been there.

He pulled away from your skin to put both hands at the side of your head, staring down at you, as his hips started snapping against yours, the feeling of him inside of you deeper than before, the force of his thrusts sending you into a crazed state, into a place in your mind where you didn’t know who you were, or where you were at.

Your legs wrapped around his waist and he moaned a curse when he felt you pushing him into yourself, your nails scratching onto his arms now, your mouth open with moans coming out of it, eyes closed and lost in the pleasure. He gulped heavily as he looked down at your body, taking mental pictures of how you bounced, of how you moved, of how your body twitched and yearned for him. 

Baby, we both know… That the nights were mainly made for saying things that you can't say tomorrow day.

“Eddie– Eddie, god–” You moaned loud, your senses all filled with him, your body marked by him, your insides being full of him, each hard thrust, every change of pace, every moan you heard from him. You couldn’t have enough, and your belly was already coiling again with that elastic band, wanting to break loose. 

He was breathing heavily, sweat now prickling on his skin instead of the water rain from before. He felt himself getting close, how could he not? He had rubbed himself on you, on the mattress, and pleasuring you was almost enough to make him finish right then and there. He stopped his movements to wrap his arms around you, lifting your upper body off the mattress, as he sat back, making you sit on him in a straddling position.

“Ed-Eds, I don’t know, this position–” You breathed heavily as your mind tried to think again but he shook his head, holding onto your hips as he kissed your neck softly, mumbling onto your skin.

“I’ll guide you, I’ll help you—” And he started guiding you up and down on him, slowly, as your hands clenched on his shoulders, your mouth falling agape at how deeper he was than before. You never changed positions, and this was very new to you, but your embarrassment was completely overshadowed by the incredible lust you were feeling, by the desire of wanting to keep making him feel good. 

Crawling back to you. Ever thought of calling when you've had a few? 'Cause I always do.

You followed his guidance, your hips moving up and down, almost bouncing on him, his thighs clenching at the feeling as his moans filled the room. His arms were wrapped around you, pulling you flushed into his own body. He just wanted you close, closer, wanting to feel your skin on his as you both tried to near your climax. Your hand creeped up onto his hair, and just like that first night you saw each other, you grabbed his ponytail, with no guidance, and pulled his hair off the bun he had, letting his curls fall down onto his shoulders. He smiled up at you, shaking his head as you leaned down to capture his lips with your own, licking onto his bottom lip as you kept your pace on him.

Your walls started clenching on him, and he knew he was going to lose it. He pulled away from you and then he leaned down to take a nipple of yours into his mouth, sucking on it, and that made you throw your head back with a loud moan escaping your lips, the coil in your belly about to break, about to make you see stars once more. Your nails were digging into his skin, and you needed more friction, you needed more.

“Eddie– Eddie–” You asked for him, you asked for help, and he nodded, pulling away from your chest to look up at you. He pushed your hips down, not letting you go up again, and started motioning you to go forward and back, rubbing yourself on him. Your eyes widened when you felt this new feeling. This position was letting you rub your spongy part on him, your g-spot, repeatedly, and that was making your mind lose complete control of your body.

Your hips started grinding against his, faster, and faster, trying to reach that climax, and he was almost whining underneath you, trying to hold in his own orgasm to be able to feel you around him first. He needed to feel you clench around him, he needed it. Your upper body was thrown back slightly as one hand was gripped onto his shoulder and the other on his arm that was still holding you.

“Fuck, Angel–” You looked like a goddess to him right now, using him for your own pleasure, grinding faster and faster until he felt your tense up, the elastic band in your belly breaking again, your vision going completely white as your walls clenched tightly around him, a new type of climax, one that would not compare to anything else in your entire life.

Maybe I'm too busy being yours to fall for somebody new, now, I've thought it through.

“Eddie–!” You screamed his name and he was moaning as he felt your walls sucking him in and he couldn’t hold it in anymore, your name falling off his lips in a chant, in a prayer as his own body stiffened, and he finally released himself inside of the condom, his heart exploding inside his chest as you both rode your orgasms with one another.

Heavy pants were heard all over the room, and Eddie held you up as your body felt a little wobbly from everything you just experienced. Your mind was almost gone, drifting away, slowly, your eyes heavy but there is so much you want to say, so much you want to do, but the fire was gone. For the first time, the fire was gone for a while.

“Angel–” He breathed out, and he felt you clench on him again, making him curse. “Don’t do that… Sweetheart, let’s get cleaned up…” He really didn’t want to move, but he knew you two were completely soaked in sweat, in rain, and that you needed to clean yourself. He helped you off him, pulling out of you earning a whimper from your part at the loss of him. 

He got up from the bed and he noticed the hazy look in your eyes. You were drained, he knew that, so he guided you into the bathroom for you to clean yourself up as he took the wet comforter off your bed for the two of you to lay on dry sheets at least. His heart was wildly beating in his chest, taking the condom off him and tying it up. He looked at the tissues that were on the other night table, grabbing some to put the condom inside to hide it in a ball of paper, before cleaning himself with some tissues. 

He heard the toilet flush, and he looked at the door to see you walking inside in still a dizzy state, and opening the sheets to finally get inside. He smiled at you, knowing how much energy was just drained from you. He pulled the sheets open to move towards you. You were looking at him, trying to keep your eyes open to talk to him, but only one thing came out.

“I want to kiss you…” He felt his whole body relax at that, leaning down to place a soft kiss on your lips. You gave a sigh out of relief as you immediately fell asleep. His heart was in his throat as he looked down at you, breathing evenly now, and he took a deep breath in as he laid down on the bed himself, and he looked at you again.

He never cuddled after sex. Cuddling after sex meant you cared for the other person, so he never felt the need to do such a thing, but now… He needs to keep you close. He needs to keep you with him at all times. He needs you to be in his arms at every time possible, because he can’t ever let go of you again. No, he can’t let you go.

He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close to him as you mumbled something in your sleep, finally making you rest on top of his chest as he stared up at the ceiling. His heart was exploding, he knew that, but he wanted you. He really wanted you. He had wanted you for the past month. He got you, and it wasn’t enough, and he knew it wasn’t going to be enough. 

With a smile to his face, he closed his eyes, succumbing to sleep, knowing that tomorrow everything will change between the two of you, and there was no escaping it, no way of avoiding it. Now, it was time to face it all, and Eddie was going head first because for you… Everything was worth it when it came to you.

Do you want me crawling back to you?

End of part 6

A/N: So... yeah. Here you saw the reason why this fic is called Do I wanna know... and if it wasn't specific enough, it is indeed Eddie's feelings towards Reader.

I hope you liked this chapter, i hope you stayed far enough and always reblog your artists!

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[shiani25]

Prompt : Starscream needs his beauty sleep, and his mate Megatron is being a nuisance by ruining it. On purpose I'm sure! So why does something feels wrong?

Starscream had never been a heavy sleeper, but ever since he and Megatron started sharing a berth, he found himself waking up far too often for his liking. At first, he blamed it on minor inconveniences—Megatron’s frame was large and radiated far too much heat, or maybe the way their cycles of recharge didn’t always align. But soon, he realized the real problem: Megatron kept waking him up.

It wasn’t intentional, of course—at least, that’s what Megatron claimed. But Starscream wasn’t convinced. Every night, just as he was slipping into a deep and well-deserved recharge, Megatron would suddenly shift, his frame jerking as if startled. Or worse, he would vent—hard and uneven, like a machine running too hot. It was infuriating.

"You do realize I need my beauty sleep, don’t you?" Starscream snapped one evening, after being woken for the third time that week. He sat up, optics blazing with irritation. "This isn’t the battlefield, Megatron. You don’t need to be this dramatic in recharge!"

Megatron, who had just startled awake again, turned his helm to him. His optics were dim, unreadable. "I didn’t mean to wake you," he rumbled, voice hoarse from lack of proper rest.

Starscream scoffed. "Oh, please. You toss, you turn, you vent like a malfunctioning air system! If you’re trying to make me as miserable as possible, then congratulations, you’re succeeding!"

For a moment, Megatron simply stared at him. Then, without another word, he got up.

Starscream watched, arms crossed, waiting for some retort. Some sarcastic quip, some challenge. But none came. Megatron simply stood there for a second, looking… tired. Then he turned and left their shared quarters.

Starscream huffed. "Fine! See if I care!" He threw himself back onto the berth, relishing in the sudden silence. Finally, some peace. No more sudden jerks, no more irritating ventilation.

But as the days dragged on, recharge refused to come.

The berth was cold. Too big. Too empty.

Starscream tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position, but no matter how he curled his wings or adjusted his frame, it didn’t feel right. He should have felt triumphant—Megatron was the one being banished this time!—but instead, all he felt was an unfamiliar ache in his spark.

With a frustrated growl, Starscream got up.

Megatron wasn’t in the throne room. Starscream knew where he had gone before he even started searching.

Sure enough, he found him in his office, slumped in his chair, deep in recharge. His frame was tense, his optics flickering faintly beneath their shutters. A deep frown creased his faceplates, and even in sleep, he looked… exhausted. Worn.

Starscream hesitated in the doorway. His first instinct was to storm in and wake Megatron up—drag him back to their berth and force him to stop being an aft about this. But before he could make a move, Megatron shifted, a low noise escaping him.

Then he twitched.

Starscream’s wings twitched in response. He had seen this before. The uneven ventilation, the way Megatron’s frame shuddered as if trying to escape something unseen. And then, Megatron made a sound.

It wasn’t a word, barely even a whisper. But it was pained.

Realization struck like a lightning bolt.

The restless movements. The sudden waking. The hard venting.

Megatron hadn’t been doing it to bother him.

Megatron had been having nightmares.

And instead of telling his own mate, instead of reaching out, he had left, choosing to suffer alone just so Starscream could sleep peacefully.

A heavy weight settled in Starscream’s spark.

Slowly, he stepped closer. He reached out, hesitated, then finally placed a servo on Megatron’s shoulder. It was meant to be a light touch, just something to ground him—but Megatron startled awake instantly, a sharp intake of air rattling through his vents.

His optics flickered, unfocused, before finally landing on Starscream. His entire frame went rigid. "Starscream?" His voice was rough.

"You—" Starscream’s voice caught in his throat. He tried again, forcing himself to sound irritated. "You idiot," he muttered, but there was no real venom in it. He gestured vaguely at Megatron’s frame. "All this time, you were having nightmares, and you didn’t tell me?"

Megatron ex-vented, rubbing a servo down his faceplates. "It wasn’t your concern."

"Not my—" Starscream’s wings flared. "You left our berth because of this!"

"You need your rest," Megatron said simply. "It wasn’t fair to keep waking you."

Something in Starscream cracked at that.

"You fragger," he whispered, his voice unusually quiet. "You absolute fragger."

Megatron blinked.

"You’re my mate," Starscream continued, his voice gaining volume.

"Of course it’s my concern! Do you—do you actually think I care more about my recharge than you?!?!"

Megatron frowned slightly. "You always—"

"Yes, yes, I complain about my beauty sleep, but Primus, Megatron, I would never want you to suffer like this alone!"

Silence stretched between them.

Then, finally, Megatron looked away. "...I didn't want to burden you."

Starscream’s spark clenched painfully. He sighed, running a servo down his own face before dragging it down Megatron’s arm, gripping tightly.

"Come back to berth," he said, softer this time.

Megatron hesitated.

Starscream huffed. "If you don’t, I’ll throw a tantrum loud enough to keep the entire ship awake."

That got a small, tired chuckle out of Megatron. "...Very well."

Starscream pulled him up, and Megatron allowed it.

That night, when they lay back on their berth, Megatron still twitched. He still vented, still shifted uneasily. But this time, Starscream didn’t snap at him.

Instead, he reached out, draping a wing over Megatron’s frame, pulling him closer.

And slowly, the movements eased. Slowly Megatron's frame relaxed and night was a bit more bearable.

[akazzzaa]

Kokushibo with a asthmatic! reader they can't run very far or do much exercise. they'd risk their lungs starting to hurt, or god forbid a asthma attack that really restrict breathing, tighten their chest and start coughing & wheezing. trust me, it was not fun when this happened to me. i literally thought i was going to die when i really needed my inhaler. (not sure what inhalers looked like during that time, tho)

I'm sorry you have to experience this! I never had so I hope I wrote it right. 'English physician and astronomer John Mudge created the first inhaler in 1778.' So they did exist, but I cannot find any information about them being around in Japan, for this reason, I wrote about Kokushibo helping with breathing exercises. I think this is fitting for him, too, as he uses breathing styles/exercises. But I have no idea if using breathing exercises helps with asthma attacks, If I'm wrong, I'm really sorry

The forest air was damp, cold against your skin, but that wasn't what was making you shiver. You had been walking for hours, trying to keep pace with Kokushibo, but the exertion was beginning to wear on you. Your lungs, always a delicate system, were tightening, the sharp ache spreading across your chest.

You tried to ignore it, tried to push through it, but your breath was becoming increasingly erratic, your vision blurring. Your body begged for oxygen, and the pressure in your chest kept building, threatening to take you down. Each gasp seemed to make it worse, and your legs felt like they were made of lead as you staggered to a stop.

You bent over slightly, clutching your chest in a vain attempt to steady yourself. The familiar feeling of suffocation was creeping in, and panic stirred in your gut. Your fingers trembled as you tried to take a deep breath, but it only made your chest tighten further.

Kokushibo, who had been walking ahead, paused without a sound. He turned his head slowly, his sharp eyes taking in your struggle. His expression, as usual, was unreadable, but the hint of concern in his gaze was impossible to miss.

He stepped toward you, his movements smooth and deliberate. There was something almost eerie about how silently he approached, as if he were a predator sizing up its prey. Yet, his focus was entirely on you now.

"You're struggling to breathe," he observed.

You opened your mouth to respond, but only a shallow, desperate breath came out. You couldn't form words, your body consumed by the need for air.

Kokushibo’s gaze softened, just for a moment, before he reached out and placed his hand gently on your shoulder. His touch was cool but grounding, anchoring you in the moment.

"Calm your breath," he instructed, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "Focus on your lungs. Inhale deeply. Slowly. Let the air fill your chest without force."

You struggled to focus, your mind foggy and panicked, but Kokushibo was already guiding you.

"Breathe in, slowly," he commanded, his voice a steady rhythm. "Fill your lungs, but do not force it. Feel the air enter and settle."

You followed his instructions, though it felt impossible. Your lungs burned with each shallow intake of air. But slowly, the tightness in your chest began to ease, a small shift as you concentrated on his words. His calmness was almost infectious, and with each passing second, you found yourself regaining control.

"Exhale," Kokushibo continued, his voice unwavering, "Slowly. Let the breath leave without resistance. Don't fight it."

You breathed out, feeling the tension in your chest loosen as you did. It wasn’t easy, but with Kokushibo’s guidance, you felt a subtle, steadying calm begin to settle over you.

"Focus on the rhythm," he added, his voice like the deep, patient sound of a steady drum. "Breathe in, breathe out. Control it. You must make your body obey."

It was strange—this calm, patient approach. You hadn’t expected Kokushibo, of all people, to be the one to guide you through a breathing exercise. But there was something in his voice, something unyielding, that made you listen. It wasn’t gentle, but it was steady and commanding.

Slowly, your breathing began to return to something more manageable. The tightness in your chest started to loosen, and the suffocating feeling faded into the background. You still felt weak, but the panic had faded, replaced by the clarity that Kokushibo’s presence provided.

He didn’t move away, his hand still lightly resting on your shoulder, his dark eyes fixed on you.

"Better?" he asked, though his tone carried no judgment, just a quiet observation.

You nodded, still catching your breath but grateful for his quiet persistence.

"Yes, thank you," you managed, the words strained but sincere.

Kokushibo’s gaze softened again, and for a brief moment, you could see the faintest hint of something in his eyes. Perhaps it was approval—or maybe just recognition of the strength it took for you to control your breathing.

"You must learn to control your body in this way. Your weakness will not serve you in the long run."

His words were harsh, but you knew there was truth in them. Kokushibo wasn't one to sugarcoat things, but there was no doubt that his method had worked. His approach—calm, direct, and almost clinical—had helped you regain control when you thought you might collapse.

As the last of your panic subsided, you stood up straighter, feeling the strength in your legs return.

You weren't sure if Kokushibo fully understood the struggle of asthma—he likely didn’t—but his cold precision, his focus on control, was something you could rely on in moments like these.

He stepped back, his piercing gaze scanning the forest once more as if nothing had happened.

"We continue," he said simply.

You nodded, steadying yourself as you fell in step beside him. The air was still crisp and cool, but now, with Kokushibo's guidance, you felt more capable of handling whatever came next.

[hspdiesel]

Banks 41855-D Ram-Air Cold-Air Intake System, Dry Filter

Transform your GMC & SUV gas engine with the Banks 41855-D Ram-Air Cold Air Intake System featuring a dry filter. Enhance throttle response and efficiency. Buy now!

[querytheauthor]

Do you ever think of you and Stanley as celestial figures?

Like the sun and the moon, or the planets and the stars? You described Bill as a black hole once, what would that make you and Stanley? Maybe even Dipper and Mabel?

Hm. That is a wonderfully intriguing question! I'm not sure I've entirely processed what my thoughts on this would be, so this will be fun to delve into. Do not interpret any of this metaphorically—I am not a poet, and I am not attempting to be. These are simply my thoughts on the matter.

Stanley reminds me of the Earth. Not in a motherly, nurturing way as some might describe, but in the way that it is resourceful. Full of life, even. The surface of the Earth is inherently cold, but, of course, once you get closer to its core, you encounter nearly scorching warmth—warmth that mimics the sun, warmth that keeps Earth's natural magnetic field functioning. Some may call this a plain choice, but I detest the notion. If you think the Earth is plain, I ask you this: would an alien from another world think that a planet, bustling with life and hope and knowledge, growing and producing miracles every single day, is plain? Boring? It all depends on perspective whether it's liked, but, objectively, the Earth is one of the most useful and miraculous planets out there.

Anywho, as for my great-niece, Mabel, I'm sure that it may seem obvious that her assignment is in relation to a star, but it is a bit more complicated than that. From my point of view, I see her as a supernova. For those who are not aware, a supernova is the result of a supermassive star reaching the end of its lifespan. Now, technically, you could view the explosion of a star as a "death" of some kind. The end of a life; but, arguably and on the contrary, I would consider it a rebirth. A supernova, the rebirth of a star, is a force that brings massive amounts of energy and light to the galaxy around it—quite literally brightening up the worlds nearby for several light years—which certainly sounds like a certain somebody. Supernovae also release elements like oxygen and rubidium into the air, which are essential for lifeforms to intake.

Furthermore, I would categorize Dipper as a dwarf planet in this fictional, imaginative world where we all take forms of celestial bodies. Many dwarf planets, although often overlooked due to their size, are not much different from their larger planet peers. They share similar traits, such as the presence of moons paired with some of them, as well as the (possible but likely, in my opinion) existence of lifeforms on the planets with less harsh atmospheres. Additionally, they are incredibly helpful when it comes to exploring both the history and the present state of the solar system—after all, the study of Pluto's orbit was what led to the discovery of orbital migration in the bigger planets we are more familiar with. They arguably also have the more interesting names.

Finally, for myself, I would consider myself to be an asteroid—specifically 4 Vesta. Vesta is a unique asteroid. It's the second largest body in the main asteroid belt, which nearly led to it being classified as a dwarf planet, but it never achieved the title. Its structure is similar to the one of Earth's, with both a crust, mantle, and warm core. This is because it formed much earlier, pre-dating the birth of the solar system that we know and love. Although it contains the greatest amount of brightness observed on any rocky body in the entire system, it contains both light and dark material, along with impressively large craters. These craters are a result of many collisions and crashes with other objects—one of which, titled the Rheasilvia crater, was responsible for it losing 1% of its mass.

These are surface-level comparisons, and astronomy was never my main focus, so forgive me if these weren't the answers you were expecting.

[vividracing]

New Post has been published on https://www.vividracing.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-ultimate-hks-jdm-toyota-gr-supra/

Everything You Need To Know About The Ultimate HKS JDM Toyota GR Supra!

At Vivid Racing we have the privilege of building and experiencing some wild cars. Some are built for style, while many are built to try and produce the most power within a restrictive and rather small budget. For this blog, we had the pleasure of diving head-first into HKS’s Toyota GR Supra on our home turf. The way that sounds doesn’t seem to give it much justice. This isn’t any ol’ A90 spec’d with a laundry list of aftermarket bolt-ons. This MKV GR Supra was tastefully built to showcase HKS’s full MK5 Supra portfolio at the 2020 SEMA Show and Tokyo Auto Salon. For a legendary Japanese company like HKS, this build isn’t something that was to be taken lightly. They need to make an interruption and that is what they set out to do when building this car.

If you aren’t familiar with HKS Co. Ltd, they are an aftermarket automotive company based in Fujinomiya, Japan. The company specializes in creating high-performance parts designed for Japanese-made vehicles. HKS stands for Hasegawa, Kitagawa, Sigma. The brand was founded in 1973 by Hiroyuki Hasegawa, who used to work with Yamaha Motor Company, along with his partner Goichi Kitagawa and was financed by Sigma Automotive. The initials of the three were used to create the HKS brand. In today’s world, HKS is considered one of the gold standards for creating some of the highest quality aftermarket performance parts for Japanese Domestic Market vehicles.

The company has its humble beginnings in a small shed at the foot of Mount Fuji, catering to gasoline-powered engines used for farming. In 1974, they were the first company to introduce a turbocharger for commercial vehicles, and it was a hit, especially for those Japanese tuners who wanted more out of their vehicles. Today, HKS has become the brand everyone knows about when it comes to performance adders and has expanded its reach worldwide

This Toyota GR Supra features some brilliant products such as the HKS Premium Body Kit, HKS FRP GT Wing, HKS Edition Bride Racing Seats, HKS Cold Air Intake Kit, HKS Hipermax S Coilovers with Full Canceller Kit, HKS Super Turbo Muffler Exhaust System, SQV4 Blow Off Valve Kit, and much, much more.

1. Exhaust System

Made to perfectly fit the Toyota Supra GR 2019-2021, this muffler has the same pipe diameter as the Dual Muffler, 31014-KT001, that was previously released. Available in our shop for just $2,963.45, this system was manufactured using the latest HKS technology. For those who are equipped with a catless downpipe and want to suppress the exhaust sound, this is the perfect product for them as this muffler was designed to control the sound and keep the volume low.

Features:

Inspection-Ready, Noise Regulation-Compliant Muffler

OEM Exhaust Valve Compatible

Fully Adjustable

The slitted inner side improves sound silencing

Titanium Gradation Tail

Balanced-size tail tips for bumper cut-outs

2. Cold Air Intake System

We recommend this cold air intake system for owners of Toyota GR Supra 2020. Available in our shop for $1,328.95, this is a high-efficiency air system developed for high-performance street and track vehicles. When you install this system you are guaranteed to have an improvement in air induction due to HKS inner funnel design, which smoothly guides forced air flow which results in increased horsepower, torque, and engine response. The system has a 2-layer air filter element which is focused on maximizing airflow for performance, yet still keeping harmful particles from the engine.

Features:

Employing the same carefully crafted carbon material with beautiful twill texture used at HKS Dry Carbon Racing Suction.

Approx. 500g of weight reduction. (Stock: 3.1kg, HKS: 2.6kg)

3. Oil Filler Cap

  Made to fit the BMW Z4 2021+, and Toyota Supra 2022+ perfectly, this is another HKS product that we recommend as your next upgrade. This machined aluminum cap is yours to grab for an affordable price of $98, ready to be attached to the filler cap with double-sided tape and giving the engine bay a solid and luxurious look.

Features:

The aluminum cap cover for the BMW B-series gasoline engine fits over the plastic oil filler cap.

Easy installation by simply attaching with double-sided tape.

Material: Aluminum Alloy (Duralumin)

Color: Anodized Red

4. Blow-Off Valve

Made to fit the Toyota Supra GR 2020+, this $1,079.95 HKS blow-off valve will have your Supra making all sorts of good noises, not to mention the performance improvements. HKS is known for making some of the best-forced induction components on the market, HKS did not miss that mark when it comes to this blow-off valve.

Features:

Constructed from High-Quality Materials

Get that distinct BOV sounds everyone loves

5. Suspension

For the best performance in suspension, we recommend these $3,300 HKS coilovers. Designed for great driving performance and a comfortable ride, this coilover is the best choice for street, sport, and comfort in driving. It will help to achieve ideal traction in any condition for excellent driving performance. Made to perfectly fit the Toyota GR Supra 2019+, this coilover will revolutionize your vehicle’s handling, performance, and traction, since it was manufactured by utilizing the technological capabilities cultivated over the past 9 years since the launch of MAX IV SP.

Features:

Super Response Fluid (Exclusive newly developed Oil) – Improved damper oil quality and viscosity.

Improves characteristics of Damping force, achieving great handling performance. Suppresses temperature change caused by heat

Low Vibration Spring (Exclusive high-strength Spring) – Manufactured with 210k grade high-strength wire rods. Adopted to shorten wire length and reduce weight and Improves Steering response.

Upper Spring Retainer (Exclusive for HIPERMAX R) – Allow the damping axis and spring load lines to align coaxially. Reducing friction and Smoother damping.

6. Suspension Error Canceler

This HKS Suspension Error Canceler (SEC) for Toyota Supra GR 2020+ is available in our shop for just $373.95. This Suspension Error Canceler (SEC) stops the suspension system problem error code from being displayed when using aftermarket dampeners/coilover suspensions.

Features:

GR supra (RZ(DB42)/SZ-R(DB22) stock shock absorber electronically controlled.

The vehicle detects an error when the electronically controlled stock shock absorber is removed and displays an error message in the meter panel and control display (the graphic below)

Suspension Error Canceler (SEC) is able to work even after upgrading the shock absorber. Use this kit in combination when replacing coilovers.

7. Body Kit

Full Body Kit and GT Wing

  This is the first of the original aero kits created by HKS, and it is available in our shop for just $9,500.95. Developed from HKS’s involvement in motorsports which provided data and knowledge utilized in manufacturing new products, this wide-body kit gives your Toyota GR Supra that aggressive, sporty look that turns heads.

Features:

This kit is made from glass-fiber-reinforced plastic. (Black gel coat finish on the surface)

The bodyline inherits successive race cars.

Fenders and rear canards that take into account the effect of rectification to the rear of the vehicle will stabilize running.

Rear downforce can be secured by installing a GT wing.

This product is designed to obtain an optimal downforce by performing CFD analysis to take into account aerodynamics

HKS has been pursuing durability and downforce in the ultra-high-speed range by conducting tests on high-speed circuits.

Kit Includes:

Front Lip

Rear Fender R/L

Front Fender R/L

Rear Duck-tail

Side Sill R/L

Rear Canard R/L

FRP GT Wing Rear Spoiler w/ stands and brackets etc.

FRP GT Wing

The HKS FRP GT Wing Toyota Supra A90 GR 2020-2023 is available in our shop for just $3,800.95. Made from the data collected from HKS’s continued involvement in motorsports, this wing significantly alters the appearance and aerodynamics of the Toyota Supra A90 GR, by increasing the surface area of your car which allows for additional downforce compared to other rear spoilers on the market.

Features:

Material: Fiber Reinforced Plastics

Including Stand+ Blacket+License plate cover

Secured rear downforce

This product is designed to obtain an optimal downforce by performing CFD analysis to take into account aerodynamics

HKS has been pursuing durability and downforce in the ultra-high-speed range by conducting tests on high-speed circuits.

Body Kit

If you prefer a body kit without the wing, make sure you grab this $6,650.95 body kit from HKS. This body kit is created as the first of the original aero kits by HKS by utilizing aerodynamics feedback from the experience gained through past HKS time attack machines, such as “CT230R”, “TRB-03” and “TRB-04”.

Features:

This kit is made from glass-fiber-reinforced plastic.(Black gel coat finish on the surface)

The bodyline inherits successive race cars.

Fenders and rear canards that take into account the effect of rectification to the rear of the vehicle will stabilize running.

Rear downforce can be secured by installing a GT wing.

This product is designed to obtain an optimal downforce by performing CFD analysis to take into account aerodynamics

HKS has been pursuing durability and downforce in the ultra-high-speed range by conducting tests on high-speed circuits.

Kit Includes:

Front Lip

Rear Fender R/L

Front Fender R/L

Rear Duck-tail

Side Sill R/L

Rear Canard R/L

[corpseri]

ᝰ.ᐟ serenity | 011.5

⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ novel: twtptflob/roxana

⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ databank: here

⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ word count: 1.2k

⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ tags: @evaxmisu, @00hellohello00, @welpthisisboring, @hsrvl264, @flyingpansaurus, @semi-wife, @elvinapandra

◄ PREVIOUS CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ►

two nights ago:

after you fell asleep in dion’s arms, he carefully loosened his hold on you, ensuring that your head rested comfortably against the pillow. his touch was light, almost hesitant, as if lingering for a moment longer than necessary. then, with practiced silence, he slipped away from the bed, his movements precise and deliberate.

he cast a final glance at your sleeping form, expression unreadable, before turning toward the door. the room remained undisturbed as he left, closing the door softly behind him. the moment he stepped into the hallway, his demeanor shifted — his posture straightened, his pace steady but urgent. the warmth he had displayed in the bedroom dissipated, replaced by something far colder.

his destination was clear.

the punishment room.

the halls were dimly lit, long shadows stretching against the walls like twisted, watching figures. the air was heavy with the lingering scent of dried blood and metal, a familiar mixture in this house. dion paid no attention to it. his mind was focused on one thing: fontaine.

when he arrived, he did not pause at the door. he pushed it open, the weight of the steel creaking under his touch, and stepped inside. the room was as he expected — dark, cold, and reeking of suffering. but it wasn’t the room he was interested in.

it was the man inside the cell.

fontaime hung from chains wrapped around his wrists, suspended from the ceiling like some broken marionette. his feet barely scraped against the floor, his body sagging under his own weight. his once—pristine clothes were now torn and stained with blood, dark patches of dried crimson soaking through the fabric. his face was swollen, bruises blooming along his cheekbones and jawline. but what caught dion’s attention the most was his eye — or rather, what remained of it.

his left eye socket was a mess of blackened veins, an indication of the poison that had seeped into his system. agriches were taught to build resistance to poison, but this one had pushed fontaine past his limits. the right eye, though still intact, was clouded with pain and exhaustion. even so, it flickered open at the sudden chill that swept through the room.

fontaine stirred, a sharp intake of breath filling the silence. he blinked sluggishly before his gaze landed on dion. recognition flashed in his remaining eye, followed by something else — something bitter.

“why are you here?” fontaine rasped, his voice hoarse, cracked from dehydration and suffering.

dion did not respond immediately. he only stared, his expression unreadable. fontaine let out a dry, humorless chuckle that turned into a cough. blood dribbled from his lips, staining his chin. “didn’t think you cared enough to face me yourself.”

still, dion said nothing. he stepped forward, the sound of his boots clicking against the stone floor echoing through the chamber. he stopped in front of the cell, gripping the steel bars with both hands. fontaine watched, his expression twisting from amusement to disbelief as dion pulled.

the bars groaned under the pressure. fontaine’s breath hitched when, with unnatural strength, dion wrenched them apart. metal screeched as it bent and snapped, shards clattering to the ground. the gap was wide enough for dion to step through, and he did so without hesitation.

fontaine’s fingers twitched. despite the pain, his instincts screamed at him to move, to run, to fight. but he couldn’t. he was bound, weakened, trapped. the moment dion’s figure cast a shadow over him, fontaine knew — this wasn’t a visit.

this was an execution.

dion’s sword gleamed under the dim light, the blade’s edge kissing the skin of fontaine’s throat. fontaine swallowed, feeling the cold bite of steel against his pulse.

“wait,” fontaine started, voice strained. “you—” he inhaled sharply, trying to steady himself. “you don’t even need to do this, right?” he asked, completely avoiding the real reason he was locked up in a cell.

dion remained still, the only movement coming from his fingers tightening around the sword hilt.

“you want to become the head of the house?” fontaine continued, trying to keep his voice level, “then you can have it. i don’t want it. i never did.” his breath shuddered. “i never had the desire to become head to begin with.”

dion’s gaze was cold, calculating. fontaine knew his younger half—brother well enough to recognize that this was not an offer dion would consider. but he had no other choice.

fontaine forced a weak smile. “on the contrary, i think you are the one who deserves to be the leader!” he exhaled a shaky breath, desperation creeping into his voice. “and if you want, i’ll leave agriche and live a new life as if i was dead.”

dion’s lips parted, and for the first time since entering the room, he spoke. “you think i want the title?” his voice was quiet, but it carried a weight that sent a chill down fontaine’s spine. “you don’t understand anything.”

fontaine flinched as the sword pressed harder, a thin line of blood beading at his throat. he gritted his teeth. “then what do you want?”

dion tilted his head slightly. “i'm considering gouging that eye of yours,” he responded, seemingly ignoring his question.

a shudder ran through fontaine’s body. he stiffened, his fingers curling into fists despite the chains restricting him. “dion,” he said, his voice lower, steadier, “you don’t have to—!”

dion’s silence was answer enough.

the silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating. dion sighed as if disappointed, then adjusted his grip on the sword. fontaine’s heart pounded. he had known this would happen. he had known that dion was capable of this, yet facing it now, he found himself unprepared.

the blade glided, cutting through skin and muscle, severing vision and light. fontaine screamed.

it was raw, guttural, the kind of sound that scraped against the walls and lingered in the air even after it faded. blood dripped from the fresh wound, spilling down his cheek, staining his already ruined clothes. his body convulsed in pain, muscles tensing and spasming against the chains.

dion watched, expression calm, as fontaine writhed. the agony in fontaine’s breath, the trembling in his limbs — it was all expected.

it was deserved.

fontaine’s remaining senses were hazy with pain, but he still registered dion stepping back. he tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t form. the world around him was slipping into darkness, his consciousness teetering on the edge of collapse. he gasped, barely clinging to consciousness. his body sagged in the chains, life draining from him in slow, unrelenting waves. his lips parted, but no words came.

dion did not hesitate.

with one swift motion, he plunged the blade into fontaine’s chest, straight through his heart. blood splattered around him due to the force of the blow, staining dion’s clothes and his cheek with his half—brother’s blood.

fontaine’s body jerked, a final, broken breath escaping his lips. his remaining eye widened as if in disbelief before the light within it faded completely. his head slumped forward, lifeless, blood dripping in slow rivulets onto the stone below.

dion pulled the sword free, watching as fontaine’s body stilled.

for a moment, there was only silence.

then, without a second glance, dion wiped the blade clean and turned away, stepping over the growing pool of crimson as he exited the room. the door shut behind him, sealing the darkness inside.

fontaine agriche was no more.

[hmgt-writes]

Beneath the Mask

Chapter 2: Between Blood and Steel

<AO3> <Prev> <Next>

Content Warning: This chapter contains themes of torture and emotional distress. Reader discretion is advised.

Outside, Ghost's blood boiled at the sound of your pained cries, each one twisting a knife deeper into his chest. Every broken sob and sharp breath intake ignited a fire beneath his skin that threatened to consume him. He could do nothing but stand there, helpless, as the sounds of your torment seeped through the steel door that separated you. It made his head pound and his chest ache. He had been through hell before—seen more than his fair share of suffering—but this? This was different. This was you.

Every muscle in his body was taut, stretched thin like a wire ready to snap. The ache in his clenched jaw spread to his chest, burning like a lit fuse inching toward detonation. He was barely holding himself together. The fact that you were fighting—holding on despite everything—was both admirable and maddening. He could hear it in your voice, the way you refused to break despite the agony. It should have given him strength, but it made his restraint all the harder to maintain. He couldn't bear it. Not the sound of your suffering. Not again. Not like this.

For a moment, a memory flickered unbidden in his mind—your smile—soft and unguarded—when he'd told one of his rare, bone-dry jokes. The sound of your laugh had been low and unrestrained, cutting through the darkness in a way he hadn't thought possible. He hadn't realized, until now, how much he'd been holding onto that moment. But now, all he could hear were your cries—jagged and broken, tearing through him like glass. The thought of you like that twisted the knife deeper until fury roared in his chest. They weren't just hurting you. They were trying to destroy that light—and he wouldn't let them.

The urge to act clawed at him with every passing second. He longed to storm in, to tear the door off its hinges and rip them apart with his bare hands if he had to. He could picture it in vivid detail: the look of shock on their faces as he tore through them like a force of nature. It would be brutal, bloody, and deeply satisfying. But he couldn't act on it—not yet. He had to be wise. He had to wait. But the waiting was killing him, a slow torture that gnawed at the frayed edges of his patience.

Ghost pressed his cheek against the cold, unyielding surface of the wall, the chill biting into his skin as though it could somehow tether him, anchor him against the storm brewing inside. He was a statue from the outside—silent, still, a wall of deadly composure. But beneath the surface, Ghost burned. His pulse thundered in his ears, drowning out the faint hum of the hallway lights. His chest felt like it might splinter under the crushing weight of his rage, every breath shallow and jagged, a hard-fought battle between fury and control.

The muscles in his neck seized, a painful tension radiating down his shoulders like iron bands pulling taut, but he ignored it. His vision felt sharper, narrowed as if the adrenaline flooding his system had honed the world to a razor's edge. His mind raced, images spinning in relentless, punishing circles—scenarios drenched in blood and violence, each one darker than the last. He could see it all too clearly: the door splintering under his force, his blade slicing through the air, their fear as they realized too late what was coming for them.

His blood roared, pounding in time with the barely contained wrath coiling through every fiber of his body. His muscles were wound tight, ready to snap, a predator poised to strike. His chest rose and fell in trembling, shallow breaths, each one a reminder of the restraint he clung to by sheer will alone. The leather of his gloves creaked under the strain of his clenched fists, his knuckles screaming against the pressure. Still, he remained motionless, forcing himself to hold his ground even as his instincts begged him to act, destroy, and end this.

It wasn't discipline that held him still—it was the razor-thin promise of control. And even that was slipping. His body screamed for release, his every nerve on fire, his fury clawing to break free. Ghost was still, but every breath was a war, every second a battle he was barely winning.

Every fiber of his being screamed to act. Boots scraped against the floor inside. A muffled voice cut through the thick, suffocating air. Your choked breaths twisted the knife in his gut. His fingers curled tighter around the hilt of the knife at his side, the leather of his glove creaking with the strain. The weight of the blade against his palm was the only thing keeping him tethered. It grounded him, an anchor against the storm raging in his mind. Every sound from the room sent a visceral heat surging through his veins, every second of your torment fraying the edges of his control.

Ghost forced himself to focus, to turn his rage into something useful. The shuffle of boots inside the room told him there were at least two guards, maybe three. He'd counted their steps earlier, tracking their movements with the precision of a predator stalking prey. The door was heavily reinforced, but the rusted and uneven hinges wouldn't hold against a proper breach. He filed it all away, storing the details like ammunition, ready to fire when Price gave the word.

The silence in the hallway roared, suffocating and absolute. His breath thundered in his ears; each inhale sharp and shallow, each exhale trembling with suppressed fury. His thoughts spiraled, frustration grinding against discipline like steel against stone. He couldn't think of anything but you—your voice, your pain, the image of you bound and helpless on the other side of that door. It haunted him, spurred him on, and made him want to act.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to force himself back into focus. But it wasn't enough. Every instinct screamed at him to move. Every second dragged, stretching endlessly. Then, out of nowhere—a faint crackle in his earpiece sliced through the stillness like a lifeline. 

Ghost froze, his breath catching in his throat. For a moment, he thought he'd imagined that his mind, frayed and spiraling with rage, had conjured the sound out of desperation. But then it came again, unmistakable this time: a low, measured voice cutting through the tension like a scalpel.

"Ghost, report. What's the sitrep?"

Price's steady tone should have been a relief, but it only stoked the fire beneath Ghost's skin. His jaw clenched tighter, the fury coursing through him barely contained.

"Price," Ghost growled, the single syllable rough and venomous, his voice fraying at the edges. His breaths came sharp and shallow as he forced the words out, each one cutting like broken glass. "They've got Angel. They're torturin' her."

He stopped, the sentence hanging in the air, heavy and bitter. Saying it aloud made it real—sharpened the blade twisting in his chest. His teeth ground together, the sharp edge of rage tearing against the threads of his restraint. He breathed, his following words forced through a throat tight with fury.

"I can't wait. She's runnin' outta time."

The pause that followed was unbearable. Price's silence wasn't hesitation—it was calculation, a painstaking measure of risks and options Ghost had no patience for. He knew that silence well, but now it felt like a goddamned knife. Every second stretched thin, each one an insult to the agony bleeding through the steel door.

"Right, got it," Price said at last, his voice sharp and calm, though the urgency beneath it was unmistakable. "Hold your ground. Soap and Gaz are en route—sixty seconds out. We breach together. Stay put—she's countin' on you."

"Sixty seconds is too bloody much," Ghost snapped, his voice low and biting, a razor's edge of frustration. Faint noises from the room filtered into his ears—murmured voices, a scrape of boots, your labored breaths. Each sound gnawed at his resolve, unraveling the control he barely held onto.

"She ain't got sixty seconds."

His eyes locked on the door as though sheer force of will could make time move faster. But sixty seconds felt like a lifetime. His mind churned with images he couldn't shake—of them standing over you, cruel and leering, blood on their hands. Another scrape of a boot inside sent adrenaline surging through him, his muscles locking tight. Every sound became a countdown, each second a step closer to something he couldn't bear to imagine.

His gloved hand flexed involuntarily around the hilt of his knife, the leather creaking under the pressure. The urge to act clawed at him, relentless and feral, like a beast straining against a cage. Thirty seconds, maybe less. His chest was tight, each shallow breath trembling with the effort of holding himself still.

"I know," Price replied, his tone firm and deliberate, calm with an edge of steel. "But if you go in now, they'll use her against you—or worse. Wait for the signal. We'll get her out."

Ghost exhaled sharply, the sound ragged and shaking with barely contained fury. Price's logic scraped against his instincts like nails on steel. He knew the captain was right—knew the risks were too high. But knowing didn't stop the fire raging inside him. He pressed his forehead against the cold steel of the door, the thin barrier separating him from you. It felt like a wall he couldn't break, a reminder of his helplessness.

The knife in his gloved hand creaked softly as his grip tightened, knuckles straining against the leather. "I'll wait for your signal," he bit out, his voice low and venomous. The promise beneath his words was ice-cold and deadly. "But if they put one more bloody finger on her—"

"They won't," Price cut in, his voice steady as an anchor. "Hold tight. We're comin' for both of you."

The line went dead, leaving Ghost with oppressive quiet and faint sounds bleeding through the door. He tuned into them automatically, his ears catching every detail like a predator stalking prey. Your pained exhales were shallow and ragged. The shuffle of boots across the concrete floor felt deliberate and taunting. Low voices hummed, cruel and indistinct, but the tone was unmistakable—malice, calculated and intentional.

Each sound drove the knife deeper into his chest, twisting cruelly. Every exhale you fought for, every scrape of their boots pushed his rage closer to the surface. His breath hitched as he strained to hear more as if knowing exactly what was happening would make him feel less powerless. It didn't. It only made the fury sharper.

He clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding as he pressed his forehead harder against the steel door. The cold bit into his skin, but it wasn't enough to drown out the fire roaring inside him. His breaths came heavier, matching the pounding of his pulse. He wanted to act. He needed to. But all he could do was wait—and listen.

And then, faint but unmistakable, he heard you: "I trust you."

The words crushed and strengthened him simultaneously. He pressed his forehead harder against the steel, his breath trembling. For a moment, he felt like the world had stopped, all the noise and chaos around him fading into nothing. You trusted him. Even now, amid all this, you believed in him. For half a breath, doubt crept in, cold and unwelcome. What if I'm too late, eh? The thought gripped him, jagged and cruel, threatening to crack the resolve he clung to like armor. But Ghost crushed it beneath the weight of his fury. He couldn't afford doubt. Not now. Not when you needed him. You trusted him, which was the only thing holding him together. He inhaled deeply, steadying the fire in his chest. Failure wasn't an option. Not this time.

He rolled his shoulders back, shedding the weight pressing down on him, his body taut like a bowstring pulled to its breaking point. His voice, low and hoarse, cut through the silence like a promise: "Hold on, Angel. Yer never alone."

The knife's hilt pressed into his palm, grounding him as the world beyond the door churned. The muffled voices rose and fell, sharp enough to dig into his brain. Time stretched unbearably thin, every second dragging like an eternity.

His ears caught the faint scrape of a boot—closer this time. A voice spoke, too low to make out the words, but it sent fresh adrenaline coursing through him. He could picture it all too vividly: the men standing over you, their sneers, their cruelty. His fingers twitched the knife, an extension of his fury.

"When that door opens," he whispered, his voice a low growl, "it won't be me, they see. It'll be vengeance."

They wouldn't have time to scream. They wouldn't even have time to understand. Ghost imagined the look in their eyes—fear, confusion, too little, too late. The air would choke on their blood, and the ground would remember their cowardice. When it was over, there wouldn't be enough of them left to haunt his nightmares.

The cold steel beneath his fingers did little to temper the heat of his rage. His mind churned through possibilities, plans, and every conceivable way to end this nightmare. When the time came, the men inside wouldn't leave alive. He would make them pay. For every scream. Every cry. Every second of your pain.

This wasn't the first time Ghost had walked this road. He'd been here before—too many times. He'd seen what happened when he wasn't fast enough when the mission demanded patience, and patience became a death sentence. He'd learned to live with the ghosts of his failures, but they pressed against his skin like old scars. And now, he felt them all over again. He clenched his jaw, shoving the memories aside. This time would be different. This time, he wouldn't be too late. He wouldn't let them win.

Sixty seconds had never felt so excruciatingly long. But Ghost held on. And so would you.

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

1969 Shelby Mustang GT500 Fastback

1969 was, effectively, the final year for the Shelby Mustang. By now assembly had shifted in Michigan from California where it was contracted out to A.O. Smith Corporation. Smith, an established Motor City contractor, had brought a level of serious manufacturing skill, supplier management, procedure and standards never seen at Shelby’s facility where LAX met the vibrant (and sometimes extreme) subculture of Venice, California.

Now largely designed and specified by Ford staffers, the 1969 Shelby Mustang was drastically different visually from the standard Mustangs, with a completely different nose and grille, a wide rectangular opening with blacked out grille flanked by 7” headlights and with Shelby’s characteristic driving lights now smaller rectangular pieces below the attractive, but largely ineffective, bumper. The special Shelby hood had five ducts, three NACA-style surface ducts replaced the complicated but entertaining shaker hoods of years gone by to supply cold air directly to the engine air intake and two extractors at the back of the hood relieving underhood pressure and exhausting heated air in front of the windshield.

A surface duct behind the headlights and a scoop behind the door and in front of the rear wheel arch that was ducted to the rear brakes continued the performance theme. The rear panel was completely different from the Mustang, housing a set of 1965 Thunderbird sequential taillights with the rear license plate placed between them and including a small ducktail spoiler. The area under the bumper where standard Mustangs carried their license plate contained two rectangular outlets for the Shelby’s dual exhaust system. Standard wheels were unique 5-spoke Mag Stars with alloy centers and chrome steel rims.

Under the hood lay the 428 Cobra Jet which had powered the ’68 Shelby GT500KR. Both Ford and Shelby recognized the superiority of the high performance CJ and made it the standard engine for 1969’s Shelby Mustangs. 

At the end of the 1969 model year 789 Shelby Mustangs were in-process at A.O. Smith. They were visually updated with black hood stripes and a chin spoiler and given new VINs. Otherwise the 1970s were exactly the same as the ‘69s making these two years essentially identical examples of the end of the Shelby Mustang series which had begun only a scant six years before.

Avidly sought by collectors and obsessively documented by the Shelby American Automobile Club, most Shelby Mustangs are well known and have well known histories. Occasionally, however, a example appears which has been out of sight for years. Even more rarely it turns out to have been little used and continuously maintained by a thoughtful and caring single owner for nearly forty years.

The Black Jade 1969 Shelby Mustang GT500 Sportsroof fastback offered here is one of those rare and highly desirable cars. It was delivered new to Ford’s dealer in Yokohama, Japan, Marubeni Motors K.K., and was sold thereafter to its first, and only, owner in Japan. It has been repainted in the original color once but is otherwise completely original, as delivered and has only 84,941km on its metric-calibrated export speedometer (52,779 miles.) Its sympathetic maintenance and care shows throughout in its clean, straight, rust-free condition.

Power of course comes from the 428 cubic inch Cobra Jet Ram Air V-8 engine which Ford and Shelby conservatively rated at 335 horsepower at 5,200rpm and a gut-wrenching 440 lb-ft torque at 3,400rpm. It puts the power through Ford’s highly regarded C-6 automatic transmission and Traction-Lok differential with high speed 3.00:1 gearing that takes full advantage of the CJ engine’s torque. In addition to the highly desirable drivetrain specification it is loaded with options including the Visibility Group, Goodyear white letter tires, Sport Deck folding rear seat, power front disc brakes, power steering, tilt steering column, Selectaire air conditioning, AM/8-track stereo radio, tinted glass, deluxe belts, tachometer and trip odometer.

It is finished in one of the Shelby Mustang’s most attractive colors, Black Jade. The interior and high back buckets seats are upholstered in black Clarion Knit/Corinthian vinyl that complements with Black Jade exterior.

It returned to the U.S. in 2006 but has never been titled by its current owner so it remains a one-owner car. Its absolutely clear history, one-owner provenance, highly original condition with known mileage and extensive options list are attributes shared by few Shelby Mustangs of this age. This is a rare opportunity for an astute collector to acquire a particularly significant, unmolested Shelby Mustang from the last, and most highly developed, series.

1969 Shelby Mustang GT500 Fastback

Powered by a 428ci V8 engine mated to a C6 automatic transmission, this beauty includes the original #Shelby owner card, a copy of the Shelby work order and Window Sticker.

1969 Shelby Mustang GT500 Fastback

1969 Shelby Mustang GT500 Fastback

[salty-dracon]

i can't be the only one left.

!! HEAVY SPOILERS FOR HSR 3.0 !!

genre: angst (?), sfw, entirely platonic/familial.

content warnings: angst. complicated feelings. some mentions of food. march basically catches a cold for most of it. no reader insert but i got both of the baseballers in there

summary: after watching his friends disappear one by one, sunday grapples with the feeling of being the only one left.

AN: when 3.0 came out i was very sick with the flu, so if you're wondering why march is written like that, now you know. + i am very proud of "it's like that electron thing".

---

It's been three system hours.

The lights dance in the air around Amphoreus like an infinite aurora. Its loops swing this way and that, while the planet sits, a stationary force, at the center of it all.

It's fascinating.

Sunday could live a lifetime on his home planet and never meet everyone, whether they came from his own world or others. And here was another planet. If there were more people on the planet, there were even more people to meet- or never meet. How many more planets were out there? How many more civilizations? How many people like him wondered about people from worlds beyond their own?

It's been three system hours. Why haven't they contacted us?

He supported March's ailing body as they gazed out the window, watching the detached train car surrender itself to the pull of gravity, falling into the little black dot. Then, he helped her back to bed.

"Mr. Yang, how long should it be before they make contact?" he asked.

"Hmm, about an hour, give or take," was the reply. "It could take longer. Just sit tight. They'll contact us soon."

Three hours. Three hours. Three hours.

"Are you worried about them?"

He glanced up. A familiar violet-clad woman was sitting on the couch, sipping tea.

He questioned how to reply to her. "Of course I'm worried!" he wanted to say. However, if this conversation were a game of poker, he'd practically be showing the opponent his hand- and he knew better than to do that in front of Ms. Black Swan. Yet there was also no need to tell a white lie to spare her feelings. She would not care for deception.

"I'm just wondering if they will really be alright," he finally said. "Erudition. Remembrance. And one other Path unknown even to you." He continued to watch the auroras dance. "One can't help but worry for one's companions."

"Thank you for being honest with me." She stood up and walked away. "I'll ask Himeko for a status report. I doubt we'll have cause to worry much longer."

---

Six hours.

"Ms. March, may I come in?"

"Come in."

A weaker-sounding voice than he anticipated. He opened the door, finding the tired-eyed girl smiling back at him. She'd cocooned her blankets around her body to keep herself warm.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not much better."

"It's almost time for dinner. Shall I prepare you something?" He wracked his brain for ideas on what to make. Soup was good for a sick patient, right? And Welt said fluid intake was important. "Tomato soup and fresh bread? Shall I get you some water as well? Do you need a fever pill? I can bring you another blanket."

"Don't worry." March shook her head. "Hey, how are the twins and Dan Heng? Have they texted you yet?"

"No, not yet." Sunday checked his phone for good measure. "They still haven't contacted us."

"Maybe I should do their dailies while they're out." March turned her head. "Yeah, might as well. Hey, give me their tablets, they're on the computer table."

"The tablets? As in, more than one?"

"Yeah, the two identical ones."

"They bought identical tablets?"

"Yeah, it's inconvenient."

No point in questioning it.

Sunday waited, sitting on March's chair while she fiddled around with the tablets. He faced the wall, away from her.

I can always tell.

He wasn't looking at her, but he was good at reading people.

It's not magic. It's just observation. It's as simple as knowing that two is less than three.

Ms. March, you're not getting better.

---

Eight hours since they left. Nothing. Still nothing.

He had convinced March to eat dinner before she fell asleep.

Robin was never that stubborn when she was sick. Food always tasted like nothing to her when she had a cold, making it hard for her to eat. She never really wanted to. But she would eat anyway, after a long lecture from Mr. Gopher Wood about how the body needs energy to recuperate from illness. He'd done the same, following his instruction. Surely a human(?) body like March's was not that different from a Halovian body in that respect. He'd even checked in with Mr. Yang about it. And he'd also prepared a cup of herbal tea as an accompaniment, if only to cheer her up.

March hummed with delight when she sipped her first few drops of warm soup. But she ate slowly. He insisted on making sure she finished every last drop until she scolded him, and then he left. When he came back an hour later, her tray was sitting by her bed, and her eyes were drifting shut.

"Was that enough food?" he asked. "Do you want more tea?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Of course I'm going to worry, Ms. March."

"Hey, did they text you?"

He shook his head. "I've heard nothing."

March's face fell. "I was hoping they'd text you back soon."

He tried sending a text, in view of March. Are you okay?

The message failed to send.

"That's a bummer." March sighed. "I'm going to go to sleep now, okay? See you in the morning."

"Good night, Ms. March."

On the way out, he bumped into Mr. Yang.

"Still nothing." Mr. Yang crossed his arms. "This sort of thing has happened before, as I'm sure you're aware. The Nameless are resilient, and we shouldn't assume the worst just because we aren't able to contact each other." He paused. "That being said, these are extenuating circumstances, and if we aren't contacted by morning, system time, I'm considering making a trip to visit someone who can help. Would you be willing to come with me?"

"Of course!"

His reasons for joining the trip were threefold. First, as a companion to the Nameless, it was customary to show excitement when traveling to unseen places. Second, he could use the distraction from his anxiety regarding March. And third, he desperately felt it- an aching need within his body- to do something to help out.

---

Eighteen hours since Dan Heng and the twins landed on Amphoreus.

Sunday knew. He'd been counting the hours.

The little golden notes flitted around his head as he tried to focus on getting some rest. As he drifted in and out of sleep, they drifted in and out of existence.

What if they don't come back?

He shook his head. They would. They had survived much more terrifying things than this. The twins were unstoppable, their determination unshakeable. Dan Heng was also a force of nature in his own right.

It was funny.

A pair of twins housing a seed of disaster, which hopped between them both at lightning speed. "It's like that electron thing," they'd say, pointing at each other. He was never really sure if they were joking.

There was the reincarnation of a powerful being with a form of semi-immortality, cursed by a crime from his past life and forced on the run. He slept on the floor of a library. It was the happiest he'd ever felt.

And the mysterious, ice-wielding girl who hid something dark. He'd seen it. He could not speak of it. Whatever it was felt like cosmic needles stitching his mouth shut.

Then there was the black hole-wielding man from a world beyond his own. A world beyond worlds. And the stargazing engineer, who repaired this cosmic craft and now served as its master, the newest author of its journey.

Such strange, unordinary people, and they still all ate dinner together. Still annoyed each other with hastily-adopted pets and dad jokes and loud pop music over speakers. Still laughed together, still cried together. Still fell asleep in a pile on the couch after binge-watching old movies.

What would happen to that happy family if one of them didn't come back? If three of them didn't come back?

Do I want to think about it?

He was ready when Welt opened the door. He was ready two hours ago.

He'd checked on March. She hadn't woken, hadn't stirred. She breathed- he checked and double-checked to make sure her chest rose and fell. He held her hand. It was cold and clammy. He wondered if he should give her another blanket. He considered shifting her body, lying her on her back. Maybe he should pour her some water?

And they still hadn't texted. March wouldn't wake up, and they still hadn't texted.

"Himeko and I will take care of March," Black Swan said. "You and Mr. Yang should go to find your answers."

---

Twenty-one hours now. The strange woman in the witch hat watches him curiously.

"What... do you mean?" Sunday's voice breaks as he tries to comprehend Himeko's words.

"Her body froze over. It's her Six-Phased Ice, that's all I can tell. She's alive, she's breathing. I spilled a tray on the floor, Pom-Pom and I are cleaning it up now, and I'm having Black Swan monitor her condition. I can't tell when she was last awake. Did you get anything from Herta? Can we contact the twins and Dan Heng?"

"She's working on it," Mr. Yang says. "We need a plan of action first. Panicking about the situation won't help."

"I have to go back to March." Sunday puts down his phone. "You told me, when you found her, she was frozen over. This could be the product of a subconscious reaction to the planet or some other force. We need to do something."

"Is it okay if I let him return to the Express? He's clearly worried about Ms. March, and I'd hate to keep him here." Welt asks the woman he was consulting. After receiving the assent from Herta, Sunday leaves the space station.

---

Twenty-two hours.

She won't wake up.

The ice is growing thicker by the minute. It's crawling up her arms. She won't stir. Her eyes are still locked in slumber, like the princess trapped in the glass coffin.

Wake up, Ms. March.

What was in your head that did this to you?

Wake up, Ms. March. Who ever heard of a strong, brave girl like you meeting an end where she was frozen over in her sleep? She'll melt, and he'll watch, hoping the stare is enough to deter the ice from freezing over again. She'll wake up, complain about it, grumble about it, and laugh about it. Everything will be okay. It has to be. She'll scold the others, tell them to never bring it up again. She'll cry in private, quietly hoping someone is nearby to comfort her. And other than that, it will be fine.

He is reluctant to leave her side again and again. But he has to distract himself. He runs to the kitchen and prepares two cups of herbal tea. He settles himself in her computer chair, sipping one cup while the other sits nearby.

Smell is the strongest sense in the human body. She'll smell the tea and wake up. Maybe it would work. He doubted it. but maybe it would make him feel better. If he didn't feel like he was doing something to help, he would go mad.

Twenty-three hours.

The ice nips at his skin, and he's heard nothing from them yet.

His phone hasn't buzzed. He keeps it close to him, hoping against hope that it will.

He knows them. The phone will buzz. He'll race to check the group chat. Dan Heng will give a matter-of-fact status report. "We're OK. Ran into issues with the train car 22 system hours ago. Currently repairing."

Then, the twins will send two funny follow-up texts, one after the other. "We'll be stuck here for a while. Can someone finish my dailies for me?" and "Tell Pom-Pom to airdrop us some snacks". And finally, "Amphoreus is the coolest planet ever. You guys should have come with us."

And he'll breathe a sigh of relief and wonder why he ever worried.

They're strong and resilient. Nothing could break their spirits. The twins will come home laughing, and Dan Heng will retreat to a quiet place to bandage his wounds before returning to the group. March's body will melt once they warp away to the next planet, and she will join them all in celebration. We'll be together again.

Wake up, Miss March. Come home safe, you three.

Wake up. Come home.

Please.

After all you have been through, I can't be the only one left.