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endless-summer-soldier · 4 months

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something like that - part two [Steve Harrington x reader]

pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader

summary: after five long years, Steve can't get that special someone out of his mind. he can only hope that he'll run into her again when he visits Robin in Chicago

word count: 11.5k (sorry, may have gotten a little carried away with this one)

part one

March 10, 1989

Steve was zipping up his duffel when he heard the familiar honk of a car horn.

“HARRINGTON!” How he’d missed that voice. Steve collected his things and called goodbye to his roommates as he walked out of the shitty house. Eddie was leaning against his van with a warm smile on his face. “There he is…” Eddie said, imitating a proud father.

“How was the tour?” Steve asked. Eddie slid open one of the van doors and Steve tossed in his bag.

“We had a rocky start but the last few shows went off without a hitch. We’re finally getting into a rhythm and building up our fan base.” Eddie had moved to Cincinnati about a year ago to pursue music full time. His band had just completed a mini-tour, hitting Columbus, Detroit, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. They had a few nights off once they returned to Cincinnati and then they played a few shows in Indianapolis. While the rest of the band went home, Eddie headed for Bloomington to meet up with his high school friend.

“How’s school been?” Eddie asked, as he started up the van. Steve was in his senior year at Indiana University in Bloomington. While his father would’ve preferred he attended Notre Dame, he was relieved his only son decided to attend university. Steve wasn’t sure if college would be the right fit for him, but as soon as he walked onto the Bloomington campus, he knew he had made the right choice. Steve filled him in on how his semester was going and shared his excitement for graduation.

“Can you believe our girl’s turning 21?” The two were currently driving from Bloomington up to visit Robin at DePaul University in Chicago for her 21st birthday. They had a four hour car ride ahead of them and were scheduled to get to the city around 8PM. Robin hadn’t given them many details for the night other than hitting the bars and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Steve had been looking forward to this weekend for months, not just to be reunited with his two closest high school friends, but because he was hoping Y/N might be there. He hadn’t seen her or spoken to her since that night at the lake all those years ago. A part of him was always tempted to ask Robin how she was, but he never did, hoping to avoid her sass and knowing gaze. Even if she wasn’t there, it would still be a great weekend. He was grateful the three of them still kept in touch and that their friendship remained intact despite going their separate ways.

The boys didn’t miss a beat, catching up on the new and reminiscing on the old. Eddie pushed his van to its limits while Steve handled the navigation. They had made it about half way there when Eddie had to pull over for gas. Steve went into the gas station to use the restroom and grab a bag of chips. He also wanted to peruse their alcohol selection to see if there was anything gift-worthy for Robin. He looked through the sparse selection and wasn’t thrilled with his options, but ultimately decided it’d be better to show up with a shitty bottle of vodka than empty handed. He chose a frosted bottle with fake purple jewel on it that claimed to be a high-end Polish vodka. When he completed his errands, he walked out of the gas station to find Eddie finishing up at the pump.

“We’re making good time,” Steve stated as they headed back toward the highway. He checked his watch again and it seemed like they could make it into the city a little before eight. As soon as they merged onto the highway, Steve ate his words.

Eddie merely peered over to Steve and read his expression as you jinxed us. Steve tried to remain positive, thinking maybe it was just a minor fender bender that they were clearing out of the road.

It wasn’t. They crawled along the highway for about 45 minutes before Eddie lost his patience.

“I’m getting off at the next exit so you better find us another route.” Steve expected this would happen and had been marking some backroads that would ultimately lead them back to the highway, hopefully past the traffic buildup.

“I’m on it.” Eddie cut over to the right a little early and followed a few cars riding along the shoulder. They exited the highway and were surrounded by fields and farms. Steve told Eddie to keep driving until they saw some more road signs so that Steve could determine where they needed to go. They continued down the road but then the van started to wobble a bit. Steve looked at Eddie with panicked eyes and Eddie responded, “It’s fine, she does that all the time.” His tone wasn’t quite believable though. A few minutes later it happened again and Eddie announced he was going to pull over briefly. Steve held his forehead in his fingers, stressed about their current situation. It suddenly felt like fate was trying to keep him out of Chicago. He wasn’t giving up that easily.

Eddie got out of the van and circled the vehicle, inspecting it for signs of concern. Eddie knocked on Steve’s window, interrupting Steve’s desperate thoughts. Steve cranked down the window.

“I found the problem,” Eddie said.

“How bad is it?”

“It’s a flat tire.”

“Please tell me you have a spare.”

“Harrington, how irresponsible do you think I am?” Steve didn’t answer him and Eddie added, “Yes I have a spare. And I’ve changed a tire before.”

Steve climbed out of the van as Eddie opened the doors for the back, collecting his tools.

“Do you need help with anything?” Steve asked his friend. Eddie genuinely seemed to know what he was doing and Steve didn’t know that he would be of much assistance.

“Nah, I’ve got it.”

Steve peered off in the distance and saw a strip mall about a half a mile away.

“I’m going to walk down there and see if I can find a phone to call Robin. Just let her know we’re on our way but maybe a little delayed.

“Great idea, I knew I kept you around for a reason.” Steve shook his head at his friend, grabbed the maps from the front seat, and then headed down the road toward his destination. Maybe if he met a helpful local they could give them a good route to take. He hoped that by the time he returned, the car would have a new tire and they would be back on the road.

The walk didn’t take him too long and it gave him an opportunity to clear his head. He walked into a small grocery store and was greeted immediately. He let the motherly cashier know his predicament and she was more than happy to help. First he called Robin and the call went to voicemail. He left her a quick message letting her know they were running late and would meet them out at the bar. He just asked that they leave a spare key for them to be able to get into her apartment and drop their stuff off. Once he finished the call, the cashier, who’s name he learned was Cindy, gave him a good back road route that would lead them back to the highway when they got closer to Illinois. He thanked her graciously and walked back to Eddie and the van.

True to his word, Eddie changed the tire and was packing up the van, ready to get going.

“You did that quick,” Steve commented.

Eddie shrugged, “I basically grew up in a mechanic shop. I learned how to change a tire when I was five.”

“Impressive.”

“Did you get a hold of Robin?”

“Left a message on her machine. I told her to leave us a spare key and we’d meet up with them later. Annnnd a very nice lady in the grocery store gave me directions so I know where we need to go.”

“So efficient. We’ll be back on track in no time.” The two piled into the car and, once again, headed north to Chicago.

The duo did make up some time by opting to ignore some speed limits, but they still ended up more than fashionably late. They pulled up to Robin’s address, a row home in Lincoln Park. Eddie let Steve out of the car with the bags while he circled the block in search of free overnight street parking. Steve located the hide-a-key in a potted plant near the front porch and opened the door, dropping the bags by the front steps. He wandered around the house and into the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of tap water that he promptly chugged. There was a piece of notebook paper pinned to the fridge with a magnet that read, “Lily’s Bar, Lincoln and Altgeld St - meet us there!” Robin was always a great communicator.

Steve dug through his backpack looking for a fresh shirt that didn’t smell like Eddie’s van. He put on a printed button up and threw on his oversized denim jacket, needing an extra layer from the crisp March air. Eddie barrelled in a minute or two later, ready to party. Steve locked the door behind him and returned the key to its rightful hiding spot.

Steve checked his map to figure out the general direction of their destination and found it wasn’t too far, he guessed a seven minute walk.

“You nervous?” Eddie asked him.

“Well I wasn’t…” Steve commented, remembering the potential upcoming encounter he was about to have.

“Did you ask Robin if she was coming?”

Steve shook his head, “Didn’t want to be disappointed if she wasn’t. Figured I’d keep that little sliver of hope alive.”

“I’m sure she’ll be there. She’s Robin’s cousin and one of her best friends.”

“I don’t even know if she still lives around here. She could be at school in California or something.”

Eddie gave his friend a look, “We’ll find out soon enough. No sense worrying about it now.” As if Steve hadn’t been worrying about it the whole drive up. It was the build up that was getting to him. This big dramatic scene that had played out in his head. They had a moment together one night almost five years ago, and Steve hadn’t stopped thinking about her since. Tonight things would be different. In a perfect world, they would still have a strong connection and would be drawn to each other immediately. In a more realistic world, things would be awkward and they would never see each other again. Either way, it would give him closure and he could hopefully move on from this fantasy.

They approached a bar with wood paneling, tall dark windows, and a hanging black sign that displayed an outline of a shaggy haired woman. It was a dive bar with character and live music was flowing out the open door. Steve and Eddie handed their IDs to the bouncer and easily walked into the bar, in need of a few brews. They beelined it to the bartender and Eddie flashed his winning smile and was quickly greeted. He nudged Steve, “What do you want?”

“Budweiser,” Steve said absentmindedly, skimming the bar for his old friend and her very beautiful cousin. It was loud with the live music and packed considering it was a Saturday night, which put Steve into stimulation overload.

As Eddie flirted away with the bartender he added, “Hey, do you happen to recall serving a round of shots to a group celebrating a 21st birthday?”

“Oh yeah.”

“They still here?” he followed up.

“I think they went upstairs to try and get a table.”

“Thank you darling. Much appreciated,” Eddie left a few extra dollars on the bar to show his appreciation.

“Laying it on a little thick there,” Steve murmured.

Eddie shrugged, “It’s the Munson Method. I recently developed it and found that if you butter up the bartenders early on in the night, they remember you, thus serving you quicker, and often providing more potent mixed drinks.”

“I’ll have to remember that one,” Steve chuckled, still skimming the crowd for a familiar face.

“C’mon lover boy,” Eddie said, taking the lead after recognizing the look on his friend’s face. Eddie headed toward the corner and up the stairs, where the sound of live music was replaced with the loud chatter of college students. The second floor was mostly tables, all of which were currently full and covered in beer bottles. There was a small bar along one wall where people were collecting cans of beer and plastic cups full of mixed drinks.

A flash of pink caught Steve’s eye and he turned toward the corner to find Robin, sitting pretty in a hot pink feather boa and a plastic tiara.

“Found her,” Steve said, pointing toward the crowded corner. There were a lot of people surrounding her and Steve quickly looked for Y/N, but found himself disappointed with every glance. He didn’t see her. His heart would’ve skipped a beat if he even thought he saw her. Yet here he was, happy to see his friend but missing the butterflies in his stomach.

Eddie and Steve walked over to the table and Robin’s eyes lit up when she saw them.

“MY BOYS!” she screeched when she saw them approaching her. She jumped from her hair to put her arms around their necks in a squished group hug.

She let them go and turned back to the group, “Friends, these are my boys.” Then she sat back in her chair and continued sipping on what looked like a Long Island Iced Tea.

“I’m Eddie, this is Steve.”

“I see you’ve been taking good care of her,” Steve joked, referring to Robin’s inebriation.

The group shifted to make space for them at the table and provided a dozen different names that Steve wouldn’t remember.

Steve let out a deep breath, admitting defeat that his potential soulmate wasn’t here. He chugged the rest of his beer and went to the bar to get another. He would cope with alcohol. It was a bad plan, but it was what he needed tonight.

He stood at the crowded bar and looked for an opening to make eye contact with the bartender. There was a girl in a purple fringed jacket who was on the shorter side currently ordering and Steve slid in behind her, hoping he could order once the bartender filled her order. He saw the bartender pouring a line of layered shots which she then slid towards the girl. There were probably eight shots and he almost considered offering her help. But then she impressively bunched all the shooters together and grasped them in her talons, focusing on her grip before she took a deep breath and picked them all up. She turned quickly and ran full force into Steve, somehow only dropping one of the shots. He reached out instinctively and placed his hands around hers to stabilize the glasses. She looked up at him and Steve could’ve died right there. It was Y/N.

“Hi,” she breathed, her expression softening from frustration to shock.

“Hi,” he responded.

“You probably don’t remember me. I’m-”

“Of course I remember you,” Steve smiled. “Can I give you a hand?”

“Um yeah, can you take some of these back to the table and I’ll grab a few more?”

“You got it.” Steve took six of the shot glasses and left her with one, as she turned back to the bar to order again. He placed them in the middle of the table and Eddie said, “Aw Steve, you shouldn’t have.”

“We have more coming,” Steve announced, so that people knew to wait before taking the shots.

“We?” Eddie asked, looking up at Steve. He merely shrugged and walked back to the bar, Eddie’s eyes following him. When he saw Steve sidle up next to a petite brunette, he had it all figured out.

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered to himself with a smile.

Steve returned to Y/N’s side as she collected the remaining shot glasses. She ordered a replacement for the one she dropped, as well as two extra shot glasses for himself and Eddie.

“I’m gonna get a drink, do you want something?” he whispered into her ear as she collected the shot glasses.

“Yes, could you get me between the sheets?” Steve’s heart dropped into his stomach and his eyebrows rose.

“What was that?” Steve asked, not believing what he had just heard.

Y/N blushed, “The drink. Between the Sheets.”

“Oh. Ohhh, yes I will get it.”

“You didn’t think I was coming onto you this early in the night, did you?” she flirted with a glimmer in her eyes.

“A boy can dream, can’t he,” Steve added, sending her a smile back. She held his gaze for a moment then took the remaining shots back to the table, leaving him at the bar. He ordered her drink and a rum and coke and returned to the table.

He walked the drink over to where Y/N was sitting and considered lingering for a moment but decided to play it cool. He placed the drink in front of her and she turned around quickly to thank him. She looked like she wanted to say more but then Robin was tugging at her sleeves, pulling her into her conversation to settle an argument.

Steve gave her the signal to go ahead and stated, “We’ll catch up later.” She gave him an enthusiastic nod and then turned over to Robin.

He returned to his seat next to Eddie and tried not to make eye contact, ignoring Eddie’s knowing eyes.

“Someone looks happy,” he commented.

“Shut up,” he said, nudging his friend.

“Is this moment everything you hoped it would be?” Eddie teased.

“I’ll report back at the end of the night.”

“Fair enough.”

Before they could continue their conversation, Y/N stood up and called for their attention. She held up her shot glass and signaled for everyone else to do the same. She gave a toast to Robin, but Steve didn’t hear a word she said. This was the first time he had gotten a proper look at her and she looked as good as ever. She was in a purple fringe jacket with a black corset top and black jeans. Her hair was straighter, but teased with side bangs that framed her face. But her smile was just as infectious as it had always been. He watched her, laughing with Robin, and longed to hear that beautiful sound again. He had to figure out a way to get her alone.

After a few more drinks (and a couple rounds of shots) Steve had loosened up and had a plan in place. The live band was still playing downstairs and he felt it was time to move the party to the main event. He enlisted Eddie’s help and Eddie ran over to Robin and took her hand, pulling her from her chair. He wasn’t sure what Eddie said to her, but he saw Robin’s eyes go wide and she called to the group and said, “Guys, there’s dancing downstairs!!”

The table all stood up and followed Robin and Eddie. Steve hung behind, letting everyone else go before him. Y/N walked over and stood next to him, watching the others head downstairs.

“Dancing, really? Was this your idea?” she accused.

He shrugged, “I may have made a suggestion.”

“I’m glad you guys made it. I heard you had some car trouble.”

“Yeah, hit some traffic then got a flat. But we weren’t gonna let that stop us from celebrating Robin’s special day.”

“I know she’s wasted right now, but she’s so grateful you guys made it. All she could talk about all week was how excited she was to see her hometown friends.”

“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

“How’ve you been Steve?”

“Doing pretty well. Finishing up my last semester and getting ready to graduate, which is crazy.”

“Where’d you end up?”

“Indiana. What about you?”

“Northwestern. Didn’t have it in my heart to leave Chicago just yet. How do you like Bloomington?”

“It’s been great. Very different from the Hawkins small town life, but still feels…I don’t know, comfortable?”

“That’s great! I’m so happy for you. And what-”

“Y/N! Come dance!!” Robin had barrelled back up the stairs and interrupted their conversation by pulling Y/N’s arm. She looked back apologetically at Steve and he gave her a smile, following their lead. He figured if he couldn’t talk to Y/N he could at least try to dance with her.

It was packed on the dance floor as college kids were flocking to the band. Steve imagined this is what it was like at the shows Eddie played. The girls were dancing with each other and some of Robin’s other friends and Steve found a spot with Eddie.

Steve waited for his moment and when Robin spun Y/N around and she landed a few feet in front of him, he slid in and put a gentle hand on her hip. She turned her head around casually to scope out who was touching her, and she eased when she realized it was Steve. She found his free hand and held it in hers, leaning back into him a little more. Then she spun into him so that she was facing him and moved her hands on his shoulders. They were in a slow dancing position but they were moving at pace with the upbeat music. He could feel the tension building between them and all he wanted was to taste her lips again.

He was pulled from his thoughts when the frontman of the band made an announcement.

“Alright, we’re gonna switch it up a little here and invite a friend up to the stage. Munson, get up here.” The crowd cheered, particularly the birthday crew, as Eddie clambered up to the stage. The frontman took off his guitar and passed it to Eddie, who strummed a few test chords. Eddie walked over to the drummer and bass player and they nodded their heads together before the drummer counted them in. The former frontman took a spot next to the bass player as Eddie took position center stage.

The song started with some aggressive, repetitive guitar chords that Eddie hit hard. Then eventually the kick drum came in, holding a steady beat.

Then Eddie started to sing, “When I get to the bottom, I go back to the top of the slide. I get to the top and I go for a ride. I get to the bottom and I see you again. I see you again.”

The crowd went wild at the Motley Crue cover and Eddie’s vocals were throaty and intense.

“Do you, don’t you want me to love you. I’m coming down fast but I’m miles above you. Oh tell me, tell me, tell me, come on tell me the answer. You may be a lover but you ain’t no dancer.”

A flock of coeds had made their way through the crowd and were now salivating at Eddie’s feet and he was loving every minute of it.

“He’s really good!” Y/N nearly yelled into his ear. Steve hadn’t seen Eddie play in a while, and he had to give it to him. The guy knew how to work a crowd.

“Helter skelter, helter skelter, helter skelter…”

The song continued and included a killer guitar solo that Eddie absolutely crushed. When they finished the song, the crowd went wild, screaming and cheering as they drew out the final notes. Eddie gave a thank you to the crowd and high fived the other band members. The front man came back up to the mic and said, “We’re gonna take a quick break and then we’ll be back with some more tunes for you.” The crowd sighed in disappointment and then quickly flocked to the bar for another round of drinks.

“Should we go find him?” Steve asked, wanting to give his friend a clap on the back. Y/N agreed and they moved towards the side of the stage, hoping they could intercept Eddie before his newfound fan-club.

They heard him before they saw him. He was buzzing off the natural adrenaline high and was speaking his praises to the band. When he saw Steve and Y/N waiting for him, he said his goodbyes and approached them.

“Where’d you learn to play like that?” Y/N cooed.

“That is all self taught baby!”

“You were incredible!”

“Seriously man, you killed it out there. One of these days you’re gonna be selling out arenas all over the country.”

Eddie put his hands together in a prayer position to show his gratitude.

“So how do you know those guys?” Y/N asked.

Eddie shrugged, “I shared a joint with them somewhere in Ohio. They’re on the college circuit too. I recognized them and gave them a wave when we walked in, but I never expected them to call me up like that.”

“I think you’ve got some fans looking for you back there,” Steve said, signaling over his shoulder.

“Well it’d be rude to keep them waiting, right?” He smiled. Steve gave his pal a pat on the shoulder and watched him walk off.

“You want another drink?” Steve offered, hoping he could keep Y/N to himself.

“Yeah, definitely.” They wove their way through the crowded bar and Steve ordered them a few cocktails as he tried to shield her from the bustling crowd. He picked up the drinks and paid his tab, then led the way out of the crowd. He found a spot along the wall with a ledge where they could rest their drinks. He held his plastic cup up to hers and they cheers-ed, taking quick sips of their beverages.

“So are you liking Northwestern?” he asked, hoping to pick up the conversation where they left off.

“Loving it. It’s north of the city, so it's a little quieter but I can come back into the city easily enough to visit family and friends.”

“Best of both worlds. What are you studying?”

“Psychology.”

“Tell me you’re going to school to be a therapist.”

She shrugged, “It’s possible.”

Steve beamed at her. “You are going to be so great at that.”

“I’m still coming to terms with it. It feels weird to follow in your parents footsteps, you know? Like is this something I actually want to do or is it just all I know.”

“Well, I wouldn’t know anything about that. But I genuinely think you have a talent for it. You’re so easy to talk to and I can tell you actually, like, listen to what I’m saying.”

“Oh yeah? As opposed to all the other girls you spend time with,” she teased.

“You’d be surprised. Half the time I think girls only talk to me because they like my hair.”

“It is really nice hair,” she added.

“Thank you, but there’s more to me than the hair.”

“The handsome good looks?” she teased.

He blushed, “Well I don’t know about that.”

“I do. You’ve got a lot going for you. The girl you're dating right now is a lucky lady.”

“Oh, no. I’m not seeing anyone.”

“Really? I just assumed…”

“Nah, I’ve been kind of hung up on someone and haven’t really dated much since then.”

“Oh,” she replied. He could see her brain moving, trying to understand where that left them.

Before he could reassure her, the crowd cheered again, signaling that the band had returned to the stage. The loud guitar riffs confirmed that.

“Are you seeing anyone?” Steve asked her, hoping he knew the answer.

“What?” she called, struggling to adjust to the noise coming from the amps.

“Are you seeing anyone?” he repeated, this time a bit louder.

She pointed toward her ear and yelled, “I can’t hear you.”

Steve sighed, but quickly recovered as an idea entered his head. He leaned in close and whispered into her ear, “Do you wanna get out of here?”

She looked up at him with an amused expression on her face. She stood on her tiptoes and he leaned closer to make it easier for her.

“And go where?”

He shrugged and moved his lips toward her ear again, “Anywhere.” She looked up at him as he kept his face close to hers. A smirk was spreading up her face and she held his eye contact as she said, “Okay.” They chugged down the rest of their drinks and snuck out of the bar. Steve made eye contact with Eddie as they left so that he would know not to look for them. Eddie gave him a wink and a smile and Steve shifted his gaze away from his friends.

The moment they stepped outside they were met with the cold air, but they could also hear again.

“That’s better,” she commented, happy to be away from the hustle and bustle.

“Know any good spots around here? Maybe somewhere a little more quiet.”

She looked up at the sky and pouted her lips, thinking through some potential options.

“Mmm, I’ve got it.” She started walking down the street and took a few turns down some side streets.

“Are you planning on mugging me in this alley?” Steve asked, eyeing their surroundings.

“Oh stop, it’s a short cut.”

“You shouldn’t be taking shortcuts down alleyways late at night.”

“Okay, Mom,” she joked.

“I’m serious! Don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation.”

“Okay, okay. I hear ya,” she waved him off, but secretly she thought his concern was kind of cute. They walked back onto the main street and stopped at a small storefront on the corner.

“Here we are,” she announced. Steve opened the door for her and she stepped inside first. The bar was cozy and warm, much different than the establishment they came from. There were a few people sitting at the bar, drinking out of stemmed glassware. They took two empty seats at the bar and skimmed through the cocktail menu. When the bartender approached Y/N requested two glasses of water and she ordered a whiskey smash. Steve ordered the same, making it easier on the bartender.

“This is much better,” Steve said.

“I can actually hear you, which is nice.”

“You say that now,” he joked, “Get a few more drinks in me and I won’t shut up.”

“Well lucky for you, I’m a really great listener.”

“I know this about you,” Steve smiled. He was trying to figure out how to ask her if she was single. She was giving him all the signs that she was, but he still wanted to confirm.

“You never told me what you’re studying.”

“Education. I’m going to be a middle school history teacher.”

Her face lit up, “That’s amazing. I can see you being so good at that, you’re so patient. And I bet you’re great with kids.”

“I’ve had some practice over the years. And as much as they can be a pain, I’ve really enjoyed seeing them grow as humans.”

“There should be more teachers like you out there. Growing up we had so many teachers that just did the bare minimum, handing out worksheets or making us watch videos. They lost all the respect of the students. But I don’t think you’ll be like that.”

“I hope not.”

“What do your parents think of your career choice?” Always with the hard hitting questions. Yet oddly enough, he didn’t mind answering.

“My mom has been very supportive. My dad…let’s just say he wasn’t thrilled. He loves to remind me that it won’t be easy to support a family on a teacher’s salary. I could care less about the money. I spent my whole life being the rich kid, wondering if my friends were hanging out with me just because I had the nicest toys and a pool in the backyard.”

She placed her hand on top of his, showing him her support.

“Robin and Eddie don’t see you that way.”

“You’re right, they don’t. And they really showed me what it means to be a true friend. I was really insecure before I met them, and I was kind of a jackass. I was friends with terrible people and treated others outside my circle really poorly. And then I met Robin and she called me out on my bullshit. She helped me realize I didn’t have to try so hard and I could just be myself.”

“She’s really good at that,” Y/N added. “She did the same thing for me when we were growing up.”

“Really?” Steve asked.

Y/N nodded. “I was always really shy and worried a lot about what people thought of me. And she taught me not to be like that. She told me that I was awesome and if people didn’t see that, then it was their loss. And slowly but surely I started to believe that myself, and that’s when I finally began to feel confident.”

“I’m gonna have to thank her for that next time I see her. Your confidence was one of the first things I noticed about you. It’s extremely attractive.”

There was a brief moment of silence between them, nothing uncomfortable, just quiet. And Steve figured now was as good a time as any. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

Her brow furrowed, “Yeah, you can ask me anything.”

He tried to see if there was a more subtle way of putting it, but there wasn’t.

“Are you…currently dating anyone?”

She smirked, “Is that what you were trying to ask me at Lily’s?”

“That’s not an answer,” Steve countered.

“No, I am not dating anyone. You know how you said girls are mostly interested in your hair?”

“Yes…”

“Guys are mostly just interested in my ass. Doesn’t make for a great dating pool.”

He thought about complimenting her ass, but it felt distasteful.

“I’m really sorry you have to deal with that. I mean, guys are assholes but you deserve better than that.”

“I’m starting to think that not all guys are assholes,” she flicked her eyes up to him at the comment. By now, their drinks were mostly ice cubes.

“Do you want to get another round?” Steve asked.

“Actually, can we go somewhere else?”

“Sure,” Steve replied, knowing he would follow her anywhere.

“I want to show you my favorite place in the city.” Steve smiled. He wanted to see her favorite place. He wanted to know everything about her. And she seemed to be letting him in.

“This is it!” she smiled, arms spread out as she walked onto the shore of Lake Michigan.

Steve looked out across the lake ahead of them, stunned by the size of the water.

“Wow,” was all he could manage. Y/N turned around to find him stopped in his tracks, taking it all in. She walked back towards him and stood by his side.

“Amazing, right?” she said, peering up at him.

“I feel like I’m looking at the ocean…”

She nodded, “It has that effect on most. But if you get a clear day, you can just barely make out Michigan across the way.”

“That’s wild.”

“I know it’s not as quaint and picturesque as your lake in Hawkins, but it’s amazing when you consider there’s a full city right behind us.” Steve looked over his shoulder, peering at the illuminated skyline.

“I can see why you like this place,” he commented.

“I always felt like the lake brought me a little bit of peace, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.”

They stood there for a moment, listening to the distant sounds of the city that contrasted with the calm of the water in front of them. At some point Steve took her hand and they walked further along the sand, sitting just shy of the tides.

“This is nice,” he said. He thought it before he realized he had spoken it out loud. But he meant it. They fell into an easy, comfortable silence. Neither of them needed to force conversation. He was happy just sitting there in her presence.

“I’ll give you another thirty seconds,” she stated.

“We’re leaving already?”

“Not exactly,” he looked at her, expecting an elaboration, “Just…enjoy the next few seconds.” Steve was utterly confused, which made it impossible for him to relax.

“Times up, come on!” she said, quickly standing up. She kicked off her shoes and tore off her jacket, throwing it onto the sand. Steve sat there still, wondering why she was running straight to the lake. She unzipped the back of her top and let the fabric drop to the ground. She turned back around toward him, wearing a simple black bra and her jeans. “Are you coming?” she asked playfully. She didn’t have to ask him twice, he would follow her anywhere. And her lack of clothing certainly helped.

She unzipped and wiggled out of her jeans, leaving them splayed across the sand as she ran toward the water’s edge. Steve couldn’t get his clothes off fast enough, despite the chill in the air.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked, finding it strange to be the voice of reason. “It’s gonna be freezing.” His shirt was off and he was working on his pants.

“Come on Stevie. Live a little,” she winked over her shoulder before running into the icy water. She shivered at first but powered through, knowing she had to force herself in to get acclimated.

Steve followed her lead, albeit with slightly less excitement. When the water hit his skin, he tried not to think about how cold it was. He focused all his thoughts on catching up with her and keeping her warm in his arms. When he reached her, she was out deep enough that she was treading water.

“Took you long enough,” she smirked at him.

“I wasn’t sure if you were serious.”

“Didn’t think I was spontaneous?”

“Didn’t think you were crazy,” he joked.

“Only a little bit,” she smiled back. They bobbed in the water together, eyes locked on one another, and Steve was contemplating what his next move was when she spoke.

“I think about that day all the time,” she confessed. Steve almost told her that he did too, but she didn’t seem like she was finished. “I’ve replayed it in my head over and over again. And it all was perfect, but there is one thing that I would change.”

Steve tensed slightly, unsure where she was going with this.

“I wish I would’ve given you my number. I just had it in my head that I was going to be coy and mysterious and, looking back, that was stupid. And now I’ve spent all these years thinking about you after spending like four hours with you and…I don’t know why I’m telling you all this, probably because the cold-”

Steve heard everything he needed to hear. As she spoke he slid in closer and closer and a dumb smile was spread across his face. She felt it too, this was the confirmation he was waiting for. He cut her off suddenly, his hand cupping her jaw and his lips were on hers. He took her by surprise but she melted into the kiss almost immediately. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she brought him closer, wrapping her bare legs around his waist. His free hand moved to the small of her back and the skin to skin contact reminded him that they were scantily clothed. Whatever his expectations were for the night, this surpassed all of them.

He pulled away for a moment, connecting his forehead with hers as he caught his breath.

“I’ve been waiting five years to do that,” he spoke onto her lips. She smiled and let out a breath. “Well we can’t have you waiting any longer,” she said, leaning into him again. He held her tight as he kissed her again, giving her a playful nip on her bottom lip. She deepened the kiss, allowing him access into her mouth. She played with the hair on the back of Steve’s neck and he let out an unconscious moan, which generated a playful smile on Y/N’s lips, as she continued kissing him.

Steve had almost forgotten about being submerged in ice water, until he noticed Y/N’s shoulders twitch in a shiver. He had lost track of how long they’d been in the water, which meant it was probably time to get out.

He pulled away from her slowly and ran his hands over her shoulders in an attempt to warm her up. “Come on, let’s get you dried off before you catch a cold.”

She nodded and he gave her a quick peck on her nose, which she giggled at. He reluctantly released her and she took his hand, guiding him out of the water. The minute the air hit the two of them they were shivering, teeth clattering at the cold, as they ran back to where they left their clothes. Y/N struggled to pull on her jeans and didn’t even bother with the corset, instead throwing on her jacket. Steve dressed quickly and she pulled at his arm, urging him to come with her, which of course was unnecessary.

They ran through the streets of Chicago, stopping only when there was a car approaching, and within about ten minutes, Y/N led him up the stoop of a brownstone. She easily unlocked the door and led Steve inside. All the lights were out, save for a single lamp, and the entire house was quiet.

“So this is my house,” she said in a sing-song voice. It was small compared to the spacious house Steve lived in, but it was still beautiful. And it felt like home. There were school portraits and family vacation photos strewn all over the walls. It could’ve been a set for a sitcom, it looked that perfect.

“Well this is cute,” Steve said, pointing to a photo of Y/N in her elementary school years. Y/N peered over and winced at the awkward childhood photo.

“Oh god, that’s the worst one,” she said, covering her face with her hands. “I blame my mother for letting me out of the house like that.”

Steve chuckled, “Are you kidding? That girl would’ve been my third grade crush.”

She scoffed, “Maybe if you liked chapter books and jigsaw puzzles. I was pretty introverted.”

“And I always liked shy girls.”

She blushed and looked at him for a moment too long, wondering if he could read her mind. He didn’t disappoint when he took a step closer and gave her a sweet, affectionate kiss on the lips. She looked up at him, a smile extending up to her eyes, and wanted to remember this moment.

“C’mon, let’s get you out of these wet clothes,” Steve offered.

Y/N raised an eyebrow, “Steve Harrington, you big flirt.”

Steve blushed, “I genuinely did not mean for that to sound so sleazy.”

She simply shook her head and smiled at him, before she led him up the stairs. Her room was on the third level, so they made their way up two flights and walked past several closed doors. When they reached Y/N’s room, Steve couldn’t help but smile. Her room was exactly what he would’ve expected. There was a shelf full of books and a turntable with a crate of records under it. She had a movie poster of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off taped to the wall overlooking a small desk covered with writing utensils and pictures of her with her friends. But what caught his eye was a familiar looking Members Only jacket slung around the back of the chair.

“You still have this?” Steve said, pulling at the sleeve of the jacket.

Y/N turned around towards him and a faint blush crept up her freckled cheeks.

“Oh, well yeah. I thought you might want it back someday.”

“Not deserving of a hanger?” he picked the jacket up

“Um, sometimes it stays in the closet.” Steve read the guilty expression on her face and followed his instinct. He brought the familiar fabric to his face and gently inhaled.

“It smells like you,” he smiled.

“It gets cold here,” she shrugged. He looked at her in amazement and she couldn’t maintain his eye contact. “Are you enjoying this? Because it’s mortifying for me.”

“I am actually,” he smiled. “But it could be worse.”

“Oh really?” she challenged.

He merely shrugged, “You could keep a Care Bear in your closet because it reminds you of a pretty girl.”

Her jaw dropped into a smile of disbelief. “Are you serious?” He didn’t say anything, but instead gave her a tight lipped smile and an eyebrow raise as if to say “guilty.”

“Did you bring him with you this weekend?”

“Hell no. Wish Bear is not emotionally prepared to be reintroduced to the woman who abandoned him in the backseat of a car.”

Y/N couldn’t keep in her laugh. “Tell him I’m terribly sorry that I was distracted trying to find him a new daddy.”

Steve’s eyebrows rose as a grin spread across his face. “What was that?” he challenged.

She immediately put her head in her hands, “That…that came out wrong.”

“There are so many things I could say right now…”

“And on that note, I’m going to take a shower.” Steve said nothing as she rushed out of the room, cheeks burning red. She popped her head back into the room to say, “Oh, make yourself comfortable. I’ll be quick.”

“Take your time, sweetheart.”

Y/N showered quickly, letting the warm water melt off the embarrassment from the situation she just escaped. Steve was here, in her childhood home, in her room. She had no idea where the night was going, but she wanted to savor it. Enjoy every minute with him while she could, because she didn’t know what tomorrow would bring.

She emerged from the bathroom in nothing but a towel and took a deep breath as she stepped back into her room. Steve was looking through her crate of records and turned towards her as the door opened. Upon seeing her in just a towel he turned his back toward her, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.

“Sorry,” he instinctively apologized, “I won’t look.”

“Oh, it’s fine. The shower’s all yours anyway. I put some clean towels out in the bathroom for you.”

“Thanks,” he walked past her and inadvertently brushed her bare shoulder, sending a small shiver down her spine. He was grateful for the escape because the sight of her in nothing but a towel was too much for him to handle.

Once she heard the water running, she changed into a pair of sweatpants and a Northwestern T-shirt and pulled her wet hair up with a scrunchie. Then she raided her brother’s room, in search of a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt that Steve could wear. She folded the borrowed clothes on her bed and curled up with a book, attempting to distract herself from the boy in her bathroom, which proved to be difficult.

She was overthinking things, as per usual. She tried to convince herself that she was okay with having a one night stand with Steve, but she wasn’t sure that’s how she actually felt. She wanted more with him. The connection and chemistry was there, but the path forward was unclear.

Steve interrupted her internal monologue when he emerged from the bathroom. And Y/N made the mistake of turning to look at him. He was glistening from the shower with his wet hair disheveled, yet somehow framing his face perfectly. There was a towel wrapped around his waist but Y/N’s attention was drawn to his firm pecs, covered by the slightest amount of chest hair that matched the happy trail that ran from his navel down to the edge of the towel. She wanted nothing more than to feel his body pressed on top of hers. Luckily, she was completely frozen by his bare form because her instinct was to take his hand and pull him towards her.

“Good water pressure,” he smiled at her, breaking her trance.

“Oh yeah. It’s one of the things I miss most when I’m at school.”

“I’d be happy if I could get a third of that in my apartment.”

She contemplated her response, running different replies over in her head, but ultimately all she gave him was a smile. It’s not that things were awkward, but there was tension in the air and she was trying to tread lightly.

“So there’s fresh clothes at the end of the bed for you. Hopefully they fit, they’re my brothers and you’re probably close to the same size.”

“Thank you, I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

“And there’s extra toothbrushes in the drawer to the right of the sink.”

“You are truly a gracious host,” he smiled, collecting the clothes and retreating into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later and she took his place in the bathroom, washing her face and brushing her teeth. Steve took a careful seat at the edge of the bed and waited, realizing this perfect night was coming to an end. He noticed she’d tensed up a bit recently, and he hoped it wasn’t because he was making her uncomfortable. He ultimately decided to follow her lead because he didn’t want to risk crossing a line.

When she walked back into the room, Steve finally took in her appearance. She was in sweats and a T-shirt, hair pulled into a messy bun, with no makeup on, and he was floored by her natural beauty.

She caught his eye and said, “What is it?”

He smiled at her and shook his head, “Nothing, I just like looking at you.” She blushed and joined him on the bed, leaning against the pillows and pulling her knees into her chest.

“So…what now?” he asked her. She peered at the clock on her bedside table and realized it was nearing 2AM.

“I think now we just go to bed.”

“Bed it is,” he said. He nodded and stood up, wondering how he should end this night with her.

“What are you doing?” she questioned.

“Oh I just figured I’d go sleep on the couch or the floor or something.”

“Steve…don’t be stupid.” They eyed each other for a few seconds before she signaled for him to approach, saying “Come on.”

“Are you sure?” he confirmed.

“Of course I’m sure.”

He certainly wasn’t going to argue with that. She pulled the comforter down and slid underneath and he easily followed her lead. Once they were settled, she stretched out toward the side table and turned off the lamp.

It was awkward for a beat. The double bed fit two, but in close proximity. They were both looking up toward the ceiling and Steve heard Y/N pull in a deep breath. She eventually shifted so that she was laying on her side facing him. He easily turned his head towards her and his hair fell over his eyes. Without thinking, she brushed the hair off his face. A verbal thank you wasn’t needed; it was communicated by the look in his eyes.

“I should warn you that I’m a bit of a restless sleeper,” she spoke.

“Not a problem for me. I sleep like a log.”

“The real question is do you snore?”

A smile spread up his face, “Now how do you expect me to answer that?”

“With a yes or no.”

“How am I supposed to know if I snore if I’m asleep when it happens?”

“Has anyone told you that you snore?”

“No, but I don’t think there’s many people that would know if I did.”

“I don’t believe that for one second.”

“Why not?”

“Because…look at you. You can’t honestly expect me to believe you haven’t had hookups before.”

“I’ve had hookups before, just…not a lot of sleepovers.”

“And why’s that?”

He studied her face as he came up with an answer. “I don’t know. I think I didn’t want to give anyone the wrong idea. It seemed like if I spent the night, there was maybe hope that something more would happen. But I never met anyone I wanted more with.”

“Yet, you’re sleeping over tonight…”

“Well this is a completely different situations because I’m from out of town and-”

“That is not the answer I was looking for,” she interrupted his rambling. Now he shifted so that he was laying on his side, fully facing her.

“Oh no, you don’t want me to get all sappy.”

“Oh I absolutely do. Girls love it when guys show their vulnerable side.”

“Really? I’ll have to remember that,” he joked. She playfully hit his chest in response. And they laughed for a moment before he gave her a genuine response.

“Y/N, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m crazy about you. Always have been. You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, I was drawn to you the moment I first saw you, before I even knew who you were. And then I talked to you which made me realize you were someone I needed to have in my life. So to sum all that up, I’m here and sleeping over because you are someone special.”

Her cheeks naturally flushed as she smiled at him, and she turned more into her pillow in an attempt to hide her amusement.

“Come on now, don’t hide that smile from me.” He carefully slid his fingers between her cheek and the soft pillow, angling her so that she was facing him fully. She took this opportunity to lean in closer to him.

“Do you really mean that?” she whispered. She wasn’t sure why she was looking for confirmation. In her brain, this all seemed too good to be true.

“Without a doubt.” He held her eye contact and she believed him whole-heartedly. She moved in closer, at a painfully slow pace, and then her lips finally connected with his. They melted into each other, as Steve easily wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her as close to him as possible.

With every second that passed, Steve found himself growing more courageous. First he slid his hand under the hem of her shirt and placed it on the dip of her waist, drawing little circles on her warm skin with his fingertips. When she tugged on his shirt to pull him closer, he gained another boost of confidence. He pulled back for a brief moment, but before she could protest, he peppered kisses up her jaw and gave her earlobe a gentle tug with his incisors. She let out a heated breath and he smiled, planting a kiss behind her ear and working down her neck.

With each new spot Steve explored, he lit a spark under Y/N’s skin. It was like he was thoughtfully stringing Christmas lights but the final result was that Y/N was getting very, very turned on. Steve paused for a breath when he reached the collar of her T-shirt.

“Can I take this off?” he boldly asked. She was flushed but didn’t have to think twice about answering. She sat up and Steve gently pulled the shirt up and over her head, careful to ensure it didn’t get caught anywhere. As she lounged on the bed in a simple bralette, it suddenly didn’t seem fair that Steve was still fully clothed.

“Your turn.” Steve cocked an eyebrow at her suggestion, but easily gave in, reaching behind his neck to pull the shirt over his head. She couldn’t help but notice the flex in his bicep as he shed his tee and felt her attraction increase even more. His hair was perfectly messy, falling over his chocolate brown eyes that were currently fixated on her lips.

She needed to feel his touch again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him on top of her. He was careful not to put his full body weight on her, but she wanted the skin-on skin contact. He found a comfortable position where one of his legs rested on the mattress between hers. As he closed the gap between them, he could feel the anticipation emanating off her. The minute his lips met hers, she tightened her grip around him, wanting to feel all of him. He allowed himself to drop some of the weight he was holding up, which increased the contact between them. She loved the feeling of his bare chest on top of hers and she ran her fingers through his hair, forcing a small moan out of his mouth. As her arousal increased, she became bolder. She untangled her fingers from his hair and tucked her arms under his, giving her access to his back. He was currently tracing small circles on her side with his fingertips, barely tickling her and making her giddy. She countered his motion, taking it a step further by digging her nails into his trapezius and slowly pulling down. She felt Steve’s breath catch momentarily as she caught him off guard, but he recovered quickly, deepening the kiss. He pulled away, rubbing his nose with hers in an eskimo kiss, before focusing his attention on the spot where her neck met her shoulder. He leaned in close, his lips gently caressing her soft skin before he slowly sunk his teeth into her flesh. She let out a small gasp but held Steve’s head in place so that he wouldn’t pull away. Her entire body was tingling and she could feel her underwear dampening with every second and Steve’s current actions were only making things worse. As he shifted to come back up to her mouth, he adjusted his position and in doing so, his leg slid up and his thigh brushed between her legs. When he found her lips again, the friction between her legs continued as Steve’s thigh retained its position. And then she felt his erection pressing into her hip bone and she pulled away.

She leaned her head back and shut her eyes, “Fuck…”

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Steve looked at her, concern plastered on his face.

She sighed as she looked at him, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. We can stop if you want.”

She rested a hand on his cheek, “Steve, I want this so badly and I thought I could be this cool, laid back girl who can have a one night stand but I just keep thinking about what happens tomorrow morning. I can’t give myself to you tonight because it will crush me when you leave.”

He turned into her hand and kissed her palm. He contemplated sharing the bit of information he’d been waiting to bring up all night, but he decided to wait. He didn’t want it to come across like he was trying to persuade her to change her mind.

“You are very wise, my dear,” he smiled at her. “I already can’t stop thinking about you and I haven’t even seen you naked yet.”

She blushed and let out a small laugh, and he couldn’t resist kissing her again. He leaned in first with a peck and then gave her a soft, deeper kiss.

“Will you still cuddle with me tonight?” she asked him, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

“Only if I can be little spoon,” he teased.

“Nooooo….” she whined. He kissed her on the cheek and then fell back onto the mattress, pulling her tight into his chest.

“Settle in cuddle bug,” he said, kissing the nape of her neck. She made herself comfortable in the bed and intertwined her hand in his. She let out a deep sigh and melted into his arms.

“Goodnight Steve,” she said.

“Goodnight Y/N.”

The morning sunlight crept through the blinds, waking Steve from his peaceful sleep. He smiled when he found Y/N curled into him, her cheek pressed against his chest and her arm draped around his torso. A part of him thought it all might’ve been a dream, a trick his mind was playing on him after years of longing. Yet the evidence was right in front of him: the smell of her grapefruit shampoo, the sound of her steady breathing, and the feel of her warm, soft skin. He didn’t dare move a muscle for fear of waking the sleeping angel in his arms.

He eyed the digital clock on her nightstand and saw it was around 7:30. He’d gotten less than five hours of sleep, yet he’d never felt more refreshed. He never wanted this moment to end, so he savored it by tightening his grip on Y/N and lightly tracing patterns on her back with his fingertips. She shifted slightly and let out a slight groan, a sign that she was waking up. Her eyes fluttered open and she squinted up at him.

“Good morning,” he smiled down at her.

“Hi,” she squeaked, “You’re still here.”

Steve looked down at her in shock, “Are you crazy? Of course I’m still here. Where else would I be?”

She shrugged sleepily and he kissed her forehead, tightening his grip on her and pulling her in closer.

She let out a deep sigh, “I think I’m still in denial about…all of this.”

He nodded, “I had the same thought when I woke up.”

“Do you like coffee?” she asked, out of the blue.

“I love coffee.”

“How about I go make us some coffee,” she suggested, sitting up to stretch.

He nodded in agreement, “Do you want company?”

“Yeah, sure,” she smiled at him. As they climbed out of bed, Y/N took his hand and led him down the stairs. She expertly maneuvered the coffee pot while Steve took a seat at the kitchen island.

“Sorry, I’m not a morning person,” she explained.

“How’d you sleep?” he asked her.

She turned toward him and replied, “Surprisingly well.”

“Surprisingly?”

“I wasn’t sure how I was going to sleep with someone else in my bed.”

He tilted his head and looked at her funny, “Then why did you let me sleep there?”

“Because I wanted you there,” she said sincerely.

“Well I’m glad I didn’t keep you up.”

“I mean, you did a little bit,” she gave him a knowing smile, “but I didn’t mind.”

As the coffee finished brewing, Y/N poured them two cups and brought over some cream and sugar. She sat down next to him and took a deep sip of her coffee, needing a little extra courage for this next part.

“So…what’s your plan for today?” she offered.

“Um, well I’ve gotta get back to Robin’s at some point. All my stuff’s there and Eddie parked his van there and he’s my ride home.”

“Are you heading back to Indiana today?”

“Yeah, at some point.

She nodded, thinking through her words and how to breach the subject on her mind.

“So-” she started

“I should tell you something,” he said at the same time, not meaning to cut her off. He sounded serious and she felt her heart sink into her stomach, realizing this was all coming to an end.

“Go on,” she replied, eyeing him with curiosity. She almost didn’t want to hear what he had to say. This was probably why Robin seemed to keep them apart.

“Well I’m graduating in a few months, so I’m in the fun process of looking for a job. And I actually have an interview in a few weeks for a teaching job in Oak Park.”

Her eyes widened and she clarified, “Oak Park, Illinois?”

He nodded, trying to read her expression.

“So you’ll be back in a few weeks?” she smiled at him.

Steve tilted his head, not sure that she fully grasped what he was saying.

“If all goes well, I’ll be moving out here in the summer.”

Her face turned from contentment to pure joy as things finally seemed to be coming together. She had no words to express her feelings, so instead she reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He embraced her around the waist and hugged her back, planting a kiss on her cheek.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” she asked, as she moved back to her seat.

He sighed, “I was trying to find the right moment. Early in the night, I didn’t really know what was going to happen and didn’t want to be presumptuous. And then you kind of pumped the brakes last night and I felt like mentioning it then would’ve seemed like I was just trying to get in your pants.”

She looked at him with soft eyes, realizing how truly considerate he was, “You are unbelievable.”

“Is that a good thing?” he asked, eyebrows raised. She responded by placing both hands on his jaw and pulling him towards her so that she could express her emotions with her touch. She captured his lips in hers, kissing him gently but with passion.

When she pulled away, Steve gazed into her loving eyes, “Can I take you out to dinner?”

She smiled and said, “Steve, it's 8AM.”

He rolled his eyes, “Not now. When I’m back in a few weeks.”

“Where are you gonna take me?”

“I hear this city has some pretty good hot dogs,” he joked. She laughed and leaned into him. “I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

She stood up unexpectedly and walked across the kitchen, grabbed something from a drawer, and walked back over to Steve. She took his left hand and pulled it towards her. She uncapped the pen in her hand and carefully wrote a series of ten digits on Steve’s forearm.

“Had to make sure you wouldn’t lose it,” she smiled at him.

“You’ll regret giving this to me. I’m gonna call you three times a day.”

“It’s a good thing I like the sound of your voice,” she complimented. He placed his hands on her hips and brought her closer. She countered by placing her hands on his shoulders. She looked at him adoringly, wanting to run her fingers through his tousled hair.

“What are you thinking about?” he posed.

She let out a sigh, “It feels like this might be the start of something special.” He leaned up from his sitting position to find her lips and she graciously accepted his advances. As they slowly pulled away, she added, “I really hope you get the job.”

“Even if I don’t get this one, I can find another job in Chicago. But I really hope I get this one.”

“Tell me about the job!” she mused. He returned to her chair and slid closer to him, sipping on her coffee and he gave her the details of the opportunity. It was the first time she saw the passion he had for his career and it was incredibly attractive. He was so excited to teach in a public school in an urban environment and he wanted to help mold these young people who may not have been given a lot of opportunities. He explained that he knew he grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth and he wanted to give some of that back to others. He explained that it probably wouldn’t pay much but he’d have the summers off which would be nice. Y/N still had another year of undergrad followed by two years of grad school, which meant they’d have a lot of time to spend together during their breaks.

“You’re gonna get it,” she smiled at him.

“You think?”

“If you repeat that same spiel to them, they’ll hire you in a heartbeat. You have this twinkle in your eye which shows that you’re excited about the opportunity and you care about your future students.”

“Is that the therapist speaking or my future girlfriend?”

“Well aren’t you sure of yourself? You haven’t even taken me out on a date yet.”

“Oh I’m going to nail the date. In fact, I’d go as far to say that you just might fall in love with me by the end of it.”

She blushed and tried to hide her smile. All she could think was that she couldn’t fall for him on their first date because she was already in love.

#steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington x you

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workersolidarity · 2 months

Text

🇾🇪⚔️🇺🇲🇬🇧🇮🇱 🚀🚀🚀⛴️💥 🚨

ANSAR ALLAH MOVEMENT ANNOUNCES A SERIES OF STRIKES TARGETING U.S. AND BRITISH VESSELS IN THE RED SEA

The ruling Ansar Allah movement in Yemen announced today a series of six strikes targeting American and British vessels operating in the Red Sea, as well as the targeting of the occupied port city of Umm al-Rishrash, also known as Eilat, in the southern-most point of the occupied Palestinian territories.

According to the spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Sarea, "In a triumph for the justice of the Palestinian people and the inauguration of the tenth year of resilience in confronting the US-British aggression on our country, the Yemeni Armed Forces executed six military operations over the past 72 hours, utilizing a substantial number of ballistic missiles and drones."

Sarea said that Naval forces and Rocket detatchments belonging to the Yemeni Armed Forces targeted the Maersk Saratoga, APL Detroit, Huang Pu, and the Pretty Lady after identifying the four vessels as belonging to either the United States or Britain, and also conducted drone strikes targeting two U.S. destroyers operating in the Red Sea.

"The Rocketry Force conducted a military operation targeting several Israeli targets in the area of Umm al-Rishrash [occupied Eilat] in southern occupied Palestine," Sarea said in his statement, adding that the strikes had been deemed "successful," and dedicating the attacks "to all the mujahideen in the factions of the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip."

Sarea also stated that the Armed Forces of Yemen "reaffirm their commitment to carrying out further operations against all hostile targets, and maintain the decision to prevent Israeli navigation or heading towards the ports of occupied Palestine in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean until the aggression is halted and the siege is lifted on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip."

According to Sarea, the four American and British vessels were en route to the ports of occupied Palestine.

From the beginning of Yemen's entrance into conflict with the Zionist entity, the Ansar-Allah movement and its associated Yemeni Armed Forces have stated that their targets were specifically limited to the Israeli entity, along with its allies or vessels entering and exiting from the ports of occupied Palestine, and have yet to target any ships that are not associated with, or operating in, the ports of the occupied Palestinian territories.

#source

#infographicsource

@WorkerSolidarityNews

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doyourememberrocknrollradio · 5 months

Video

youtube

Bob Seger - Nutbush City Limits (Live In Detroit/1975)

#youtube

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aemiron-main · 2 years

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the st soundtrack choices and the way that they’re edited and incorporated are fucking genius seriously you guys it ties into the narrative and queerness and other themes so well and also if you enjoy my gay mike analysis you’re def gonna want to read this imo

if i ever start talking about the ST song choices and their relationship to songs/song choices regarding songs that are seemingly pro-protest and anti-conformity but are actually still safe enough to still enforce the norm and have been ACTIVELY USED by conservative politicians to give the appearance of counterculture and rebellion while still upholding and enforcing the norm while giving their supporters the illusion of rebellion and freedom, and how oppressors like to frame themselves as the underdogs and how not only do oppressors/rightwingers want to squash counterculture music and expression but also will actively steal and twist it to make it reinforce the norm and fit their agenda, i Will Not Stop talking about it, like once that can of worms is opened it is uncloseable sorry.

yes i am staring DIRECTLY at “raise a little hell” being used for steve’s party which is tied to conformity and seems like rebellion but actually isn’t rebellion (like how jonathan talks about how nancy is just a suburban girl who thinks she’s rebelling but is actually just doing the same thing as other suburban girls) yes i am staring DIRECTLY at ‘rock you like a hurricane’ and ‘shout at the devil’ and ‘the four horsemen’ and billy, somebody who sees himself as counterculture and rock and roll but in reality is using rock and roll to reinforce dated, bigoted beliefs and promote hatred. and how all of those songs, despite all being rock songs, occupy different subcultures and tie into politics and culture in very different ways. like they didn’t do this accidentally, this pattern of songs is constant and it’s backed up by scenes like what i mentioned with steve and jonathan and nancy and conformity. and thats why i have a LOT TO SAY ABOUT THE SONG CHOICES IN S4 RELATIVE TO S4′S THEMES OF ANTI CONFORMITY AND HOW WE HAVE TO LOOK PAST THE SURFACE AND JUST ARGHHHHH like i remember seeing a genius quote about it in an article awhile back (not abt st specifically but about the phenomena of how conservatives and those who want to maintain the norm use rock and roll and previously counter-culture efforts in order to twist it and enforce the norm):

“rock n roll isn’t dead, rock n roll is alive and wants tax cuts for the rich” it’s not just limited to rock and roll though, pop songs that are deemed to be nostalgic and counterculture are used in that way too (even if they actually ARE counterculture and QUEER TOO, they get twisted), specifically Rise Up by Parachute Club comes to mind, which isn’t in st, but similar songs ARE and thats why im so excited to analyze them, because Rise Up was thought to be a queer anthem but was used WITHOUT PERMISSION as the theme for the United Alternative convention (a canadian rightwing convention) and im certain that there’s other pop and rock songs in ST that have similar things that have happened to them, in addition to the ones that i’ve already mentioned imo this ties into why we don’t HEAR any really harsh metal etc. it’s not an accident. there’s a REASON why metal doesn’t play for eddie until his scene at the end and also why they chose master of puppets specifically and how rock music is literally constantly used as a puppet to reinforce the norm under the guise of rebellion and how EDDIE STILL DIED DESPITE HIS REBELLION and how master of puppets is also about drug use and how people think that they’re in control/the master but they’re actually the puppet of their addiction just like how people often think that they’re being counterculture and progressive but they’re actually reinforcing the norm (see: billy) and reason this ties into why we hear a KISS song during the hellfire game instead of a dio song or an iron maiden song or any of the more harsh metal songs that eddie is CLEARLY A FAN OF, ones that LITERALLY HAVE FUCKING SONGS ABOUT WIZARDS AND DND RELATED THINGS but they didnt use that but they DID use ‘detroit rock city’ but they CUT THE SUBSTANCE OUT OF IT JUST LIKE HOW CONSERVATIVES CUT THE SUBSTANCE AND COUNTERCULTURE OUT OF SONGS WHEN THEY TWIST THEM FOR THEIR OWN NARRATIVE, because they cut out the intro of detroit rock city where a radio broadcast plays talking about a boy in a car crash AND they cut out the car crash at the end. and this ties into what im saying about cutting the substance out of it because without the context, the song just seems like it’s about rock and roll and having a fun time and a guy recklessly driving to a concert. but WITH the context, we learn that the guy that the song is talking about, the one driving recklessly to a concert, IS THE ONE WHO THE RADIO BROADCAST IS TALKING ABOUT, THE ONE WHO DIED. because we hear the CRASH AT THE END. but the show didn’t include the radio broadcast OR the crash!! because THEY LITERALLY REMOVED THE DANGER and the SUBSTANCE OF THE SONG THEY REMOVED THE FULL CONTEXT, JUST LIKE THE CONSERVATIVES, THE SHOW USED IT TO SUPPORT THEIR OWN NARRATIVE AND NOT SHOW US THE FULL PICTURE/NOT MAKE US AWARE OF THE DANEGR (THE DANGER BEING A.) HOMOPHOBIA AND CONFORMITY BUT ALSO B.) THE LITERAL DANGER OF VECNA AND HOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DND GAME MIRRORS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED WITH HENRY/VECNA BUT HOW WE DONT REALIZE IT BECAUSE IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A GAME. and THAT’S just like how the GA sees dnd and the dnd arc in s4 as being JUST about the game, as JUST hearing ‘detroit rock city’ without the context and thinking it’s just about a guy going to a concert, not realizing that it’s about his DEATH AS A RESULT OF THAT CONCERT, just like how the dnd and hellfire arc in s4 it was NEVER just about dnd, it’s about queerness and the aids crisis and homophobia too. Just like how the satanic panic was NEVER JUST ABOUT DND but the media and conservatives manipulated the rhetoric to make it seem like they were just scared of the game. It was about hating outcasts, upholding the norm, homophobia, and all forms of bigotry. It was about control and maintaining the norm, anti-conformity. and this lack of use of actual metal music up until master of puppets also ties into how rock music and metal specifically was demonized in the satanic panic and how while people could see eddie as being counterculture and would demonize metal music, they never actually take the time to get to know him just like how they never actually take the time to listen to metal music. because just like how if they took the time to get to know eddie, they’d realize he isn’t evil, the same applies with metal music. and this sounds like im pulling stuff out of my ass but this is why eddie mentions ozzy osbourne to steve and that’s why steve narratively doesnt know who ozzy osbourne is. it’s not just a random scene, the purpose of this scene is to tie “not getting to know/listen to eddie” to “not getting to know/listen to metal”- why? because OZZY OSBOURNE AND BLACK SABBATH IS LITERALLY KNOWN FOR HAVING VERY POSITIVE MESSAGES ABOUT PEACE AND LOVE AND KINDNESS AND ANTI-WAR IN THEIR SONGS. BUT PEOPLE CAN’T SEE PAST THE HARSH METAL OF IT TO ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THE MUSIC. JUST LIKE HOW THEY CAN’T SEE PAST EDDIE’S APPEARANCE AND GET TO KNOW HIM. Steve doesn’t *know* who ozzy osbourne is, just like he doesn’t know eddie, just like how people don’t know metal music, just like how people make baseless assumptions about both of them. THIS IS ALSO WHY WE SEE STEVE BITING A BAT, JUST LIKE EDDIE MENTIONS OZZY DOING: BECAUSE STEVE AND OZZY ARENT THAT DIFFERENT, BLACK SABBATH AND THE BEATLES ARENT THAT DIFFERENT, MUCH OF THE CORE MESSAGE IS THE SAME, MESSAGES OF LOVE AND PEACE AND ANTI WAR.This is why we don’t hear ‘real’ metal music in s4 until the end, with master of puppets, because people aren’t seeing eddie for who he is, people, the audience, literally aren’t hearing the music until the end, people don’t see eddie for what he is (a good person and a hero) until he is dead. Just like how people NOW see the fact that black sabbath is full of good messaging, but didn’t see it at the time (which also ties into how black sabbath HAS been used in present-day to reinforce the norm). And all of this ties into ‘shout at the devil’ too, and how Billy and so many people at the party but esp Billy and his character, don’t realize what the song is actually about (motley crue talking about how ‘hey i mean technically this supports you christian folk, because it’s shout AT the devil, not WITH the devil,’ but how that’s rooted in sarcasm because the rightwing christians don’t realize that THEY are the devil, just like Lucas’ ‘normal’s just a raging psychopath’ quote, they don’t realize that their ‘normalcy’ IS the hatred) and then ALSO how ‘shout at the devil’ has been repurposed by nostalgic rightwingers trying to reinforce the norm while thinking that they’re rebelling (ie, again, those rightwingers think that they’re the victims, that they’re shouting at the devil, not realizing that they ARE the devil.) Just like how black sabbath’s messaging of peace and love but also taking action and even violence against hatred WAS counterculture, because the current culture is hatred, so love is the real counterculture. Just like how I’ve talked about before, having a happy ending for the queer characters is the most counter-culture thing that the show could do, more counter culture and shocking than any violent bury your gays death could possibly ever be, because those circumstances are the NORM, queer success and joy and happiness is the real counterculture. and how we DID hear metal music with Billy in previous seasons, with him listening to Metallica, but how that’s tied to the fact that BILLY is the one not hearing the music, ignoring the counterculture reality of the lyrics and instead continuing to conform with misogyny and racism and homophobia and heternormativity, he sees hatred as counterculture which is not true because the current norm and culture is rooted around hatred and bigotry. and then how THAT and the satanic panic ties into a queer allegory and the aids crisis panic and how the music choices circle back to that and how the oppressors tend to see themselves as the oppressed and position themselves as victims (cough Jason cough and cough catholic victim complex cough and the people pushing the satanic panic acting as if they were the ones being being targeted when in reality they were the ones targeting others and how during the aids crisis, homophobes etc saw themselves as the victim of ‘the predatory gays trying to give them aids’ instead of seeing the aids victims as the victims and how it ALL TIES TOGETHER and how VECNA SEES HIMSELF AS THE VICTIM WHEN HE’S THE OPPRESSOR HE SEES HIMSELF AS SAVING PEOPLE AND HAVING BEEN VICTIMIZED WHEN HE IS THE ONE VICTIMIZING PEOPLE!!!!!

AND HOW ALL OF THESE BIG THEMES TIE INTO THE CYCLE OF ABUSE IN A BIG WAY BUT ALSO IN A MORE PERSONALIZED AND SMALLER SCALE WAY WITH ABUSERS SEEING THEMSELVES SOLELY AS VICTIMS AND CONTINUING TO PERPETUATE THAT ABUSE. EVEN LONNIE POSITIONS HIMSELF AS THE VICTIM IN A ROUNDABOUT WAY WHEN IT COMES TO WILL’S DEATH, WANTING TO COLLECT MONEY AS ONE OF THE ‘VICTIMS’ OF THE QUARRY’S NEGLECT/WILL’S DEATH. MEANWHILE, LONNIE WAS THE ABUSER TO WILL, LONNIE WAS THE ONE WHO HURT WILL. BUT HE POSITIONS HIMSELF AS A VICTIM, JUST LIKE HE DOES WITH JOYCE AND JONATHAN, WHEN HE’S TALKING TO JONATHAN IN S1, HE TALKS ABOUT “maybe i’m not the bad guy,” and how JOYCE is the problem. Abusers and oppressors positioning themselves as victims is a constant theme in ST and it only makes sense that it would be reflected in the music, which is why i DONT think that i’m looking too far into it with this writeup!! and yes this also ties into the s3 trailer baba o riley remix LIKE GOD I NEED TO WORK ON MY ST MUSIC ANALYSIS I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY and how theres a reason why they use certain songs from the 70s vs the 80s and themes of nostalgia but also of using that nostalgia to reinforce the norm of heteronormative, conservative and hateful beliefs. and i also have a LOT TO SAY ABOUT THE SONG CHOICES FOR WILL AND JONATHAN AND THOSE SONGS BEING USED IN A GENUINELY COUNTERCULTURE WAY WITH WILL BEING GAY AND JONATHAN BEING AN OUTCAST AND HOW BEING COUNTERCULTURE ISNT ABOUT WHAT YOU LISTEN TO BUT ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AND HOW EVEN THOUGH SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO IS ONE OF THOSE SONGS THAT *HAS* BEEN USED BY THE RIGHTWING TO REINFORCE THE NORM, THE *WAY* THAT ITS USED AND PRESENTED IN ST AND IS LITERALLY ONLY EVER USED IN SITUATIONS WHERE THE CHARACTERS CAN HEAR THE SONG VERSUS OTHER SONGS LIKE ‘ROCK ME LIKE A HURRICANE’ THAT ARE USED IN A WAY THAT CHARACTERS CANT HEAR THEM AND SO ITS NOT ABOUT WHAT THE SONG IS SO MUCH AS IT IS THE ACTIONS TIED TO IT AND HOW ITS BEING USED AND HOW THAT LITERALLY APPLIES TO HOW THE SHOW USES IT BUT ALSO HOW IT GETS USED IRL AND HOW EVEN SONGS THAT ARE GENUINELY COUNTERCULTURE GET STOLEN AND USED TO REINFORCE THE NORM AND HOW SONGS THAT WERENT INTENDED TO BE COUNTERCULTURE CAN BECOME COUNTERCULTURE AND AND AND JUST ARGHHH I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS AND ALSO HOW WE HAVE SONGS *ABOUT* ROCK AND ROLL BUT ARE LACKING IN ACTUALLY GETTING TO HEAR THOSE ROCK AND ROLL SONGS THEMSELVES Regarding songs that are about rock and roll but not actually really rock and roll songs, I am staring DIRECTLY at you, ‘rock and roll hoochie koo’ and ‘rock me amadeus’ in s4 and even ‘detroit rock city’ which sure its a rock song but its also ABOUT ROCK, we get more songs ABOUT ROCK than we do ROCK SONGS and even with detroit rock city, like i said, they REMOVE THE CONTEXT, and it’s very interesting to me, especially with the rock song, ‘play with me’ by extreme that plays when mike is looking for dnd players and how that ties into my gay mike analysis- sorry not sorry- and into the themes of conformity for mike but explicitly how those themes tie into him being GAY, not just that he’s affected by conformity, because he IS affected by it in multiple ways outside of his sexuality, but it’s also explicitly tied TO him being gay and how just like the dnd arc was never just about dnd/games and is also about homophobia and queerness AND how games/dnd has been tied to mike and will’s sexualities and relationships, the song ‘play with me’ is not just about games/mike trying to find people to play games with, it’s also about mike trying to figure out his sexuality/who he wants to be with/’play’ with (be in a relationship with/who he’s attracted to. and that’s why we get so much ‘mike doesn’t like women’ imagery in those scenes but ALSO more ‘mike DOES like men’ imagery in those scenes and in the van scene with ‘boy’ behind his head whereas in previous seasons the imagery was more focused on ‘mike doesn’t like women’ and how a lot of his attraction towards men in previous seasons was directed towards Will Specifically rather than acknowledging his attraction to men as whole (ie in S4, he has the word ‘boy’ beside his head instead of the word ‘will’ behind him or something representing Will, whereas in s3, we see things representing Will Specifically rather than boys as a whole, things like the Will the Wise drawing beside Mike’s head when he’s making out with El in the bedroom) but now in s4, mike is coming to terms more with his attraction to men as a whole. and how THAT ties into mike slowly getting over his heteronormativity and internalized homophobia and moving away from just focusing on the heteronormative failure of not being attracted to girls and instead towards his active attraction to men and moving away from viewing everything through that heteronormative lens of seeing everything relative to his attraction to women and through the internalized homophobia lens of being disgusted with himself about his attraction to men (cough sauna scene cough and how im going to show in my gay mike analysis that mike was disgusted with HIMSELF in that scene) and how mike may be disgusted with himself about his attraction to men but just like how other people/will’s love for mike specifically makes Will feel better/not like a mistake/helps him get over his internalized homophobia, mike’s love for will specifically is what helps him get over his internalized homophobia regarding his active attraction to men, just like how i said, we saw the imagery shift from “attraction to will specifically vs lack of attraction to girls as a whole (rather than lack of attraction to el specifically)” to “attraction to men as a whole specifically in addition to attraction to will and how his attraction to will helped him come to terms with that attraction to men vs still having that lack of attraction to girls as a whole because he’s already come to his realizations about that in s3″ especially with mike’s obvious crush on eddie and how he’s branching out in attraction to men as a whole outside of will because he’s already realized his lack of attraction to girls but is now figuring out his attraction to men in s4 AND how this STILL ties back into how will/mike’s love for will helped him get over his internalized homophobia AND into the music choices in st, because the songs that play during the mike-eddie cafeteria scene are “i was a teenage werewolf” and “fever,” and how long story short the “Teen Wolf” poster in the video store 100% represents Will, especially with ‘Teen Wolf’ literally having a scene where the character comes out as a werewolf but the other person asks them initially if they’re coming out ‘as a fag’ (and theres a million other parallels to will that i could go into but wont for the sake of the length of this post but WILL go into at another time so just take my word for it rn or go look for yourselves at the movie), and so then, we have “fever,” a song about infatuation that represents mike’s crush on eddie/his sexuality/attraction to men as a whole, but then also ‘I was a teenage werewolf,” a song that TIES THAT ATTRACTION/ABILITY TO COME TO TERMS WITH HIS SEXUALITY to his FEELINGS FOR WILL. It’s not just his crush on eddie that helps him come to terms with it/admit his sexuality for himself, it’s that his feelings for will help him come to terms with his CRUSH ON EDDIE and with his sexualty, since again, like I said, Mike may be able to apply that internalized homophobia hatred to himself, but he CANNOT APPLY IT TO WILL. And how all of THAT is part of WHY mike seems to go back into the closet (in terms of being out to HIMSELF) at rink o mania/in lenora, why we get ‘in the closet at rink o mania,’ because MIKE IS LITERALLY GOING BACK IN THE CLOSET. because WILL is what makes him feel better about his sexuality, but now that he’s having conflict with will, he’s questioning his sexuality too/his willingness to be out, ESPECIALLY SINCE LIKE I TALKED ABOUT IN ANOTHER POST, HE SEEMS TO THINK THAT WILL TOTALLY HAS A CRUSH ON ANGELA AT RINK O MANIA, SO NOW NOT ONLY IS HE DOUBTING THE IDEA THAT WILL COULD HAVE FEELINGS FOR HIM BUT HES DOUBTING THE IDEA THAT WILL LIKES MEN AT ALL. AND SO IF MIKES LOVE FOR WILL IS TIED TO HIS ABILITY TO BE OPEN WITH HIMSELF ABOUT HIS SEXUALITY AS A WHOLE, THEN WHEN HE FEELS LIKE HE’S LOSING WILL/IT ISNT REQUITED/HE’S WRONG ABOUT THINKING THAT WILL COULD BE GAY, THEN HE STARTS TO DOUBT HIMSELF AND HIS OWN SEXUALITY TOO AND WHETHER OR NOT HE’S ACTUALLY GAY OR IF THERE’S JUST SOMETHING ELSE ‘WRONG’ WITH HIM/IF HIS LACK OF ATTRACTION TO GIRLS COMES FROM SOMETHING ELSE. AND SO MIKE IS LITERALLY GOING BACK INTO THE CLOSET AT RINK O MANIA HES LITERALLY GOING BACK INTO IT DESPITE THE CLOSET DOOR BEING OPEN IN S4 EP1 DESPITE HOW HE SEEMS MORE LIKE HIMSELF AND PLAYS DND IN HAWKINS BUT THEN TOTALLY CHANGES IN LENORA. He’s BACK in the closet at rink o mania, but started closing the door as soon as he saw will/was gay panicking and having doubts. And how imo that ties into why we see so much bi imagery at rink o mania, but how I still think that aligns with gay mike and actually plays a key role in backing up what i’ve said here about the connection between mike’s love for will and his ability to get over his internalized homophobia/embrace his attraction to men: because we specifically see WILL in front of the bi imagery more than we do mike: because not only is mike reconsidering his own ability to be out/his own attraction to men, but he’s also reconsidering any suspicions that he may have had about Will being gay, because he seemingly sees Will having a crush on Angela, which i talked about at length in this post, and how like i’ve said before, when you look at the evidence objectively without the context of Will’s sexuality being confirmed, WILL seems like the possibly bi one because his sexuality isn’t nearly as framed around lack of attraction to women as mike’s is- and mike doesn’t have that outside ‘will is gay’ confirmation from noah schnapp/the duffers, so he IS relying on that ‘objective, in-the-show- evidence,’ but actually has even LESS evidence than us for will being gay and not bi, because Mike hasn’t seen things like the conversation between Hopper and Joyce about Lonnie calling Will a fag, he hasn’t seen Will’s pov the way that we have, at rink o mania, he hasn’t seen Will making a painting for him, he didn’t see Will’s reaction at the sauna, there’s so much gay Will imagery that mike HAS NOT SEEN. He’s seen the homophobic bullying etc though, so he does still have enough to go off to suspect that will could be gay/into men, but he doesn’t have confirmation, and he DEFINITELY hasnt seen a ton of ‘will explicitly doesn’t like women imagery’ because even we are the audience havent seen very much of that, not nearly as much as we’ve seen for mike, which, mike’s own lack of attraction towards women is what he’s going base his analysis of Will off of, and we know that mike has a LOT of scenes where he’s put into a situation where he feels that lack of attraction, whereas not only does will have many, he has EVEN FEWER that mike actually gets to see (ie, the girl in lenora, mike doesn’t see that) which, THAT, imo is why we see the bi imagery at rink o mania, when the two of them are fighting and mike is confused about his sexuality and will’s sexuality, but see way more explicitly gay/not interested in women imagery everywhere else in the show. it’s not that they forgot to put the bi imagery in other scenes and instead their hand slipped and they put explicitly gay/lack of attraction to women imagery. it’s that the bi imagery at rink o mania serves a specific purpose in regards to will and mike’s dynamic and sexualities and trying to figure themselves and eachother out. (not that bi people are just confused but that this is the 80s and that will and mike are trying to figure out labels and mike is trying to figure out if will IS bi and mike is trying to figure out if hes going to continue to try and pretend to have attraction to women/stay in the closet due to the connection between mike’s relationship with will vs mike’s ability to embrace his own sexuality) (which, just expanding on that, like i said, mike has seen the homophobia that will’s faced AND mike in s3 feels like he’s seen will having a lack of attraction to girls- the ‘day free of girls’ scene despite the fact that that scene was more about will’s friends ignoring him than it was about will’s attraction to girls, we’re looking at this from mike’s pov- so i think that mike could absolutely have suspicions that will IS gay and that it’s not just random bullying IN ADDITION to his own hopes about his feelings being requited) It’s like how if Lucas was mike’s “straight” guide (mike going to lucas about girls in s3 constantly and letting lucas take the lead and how lucas also pushes mike towards el when making fun of him in 1), then Will is mike’s gay guide LMAO. It’s not that Mike is only gay if he can be with will/if will is gay: mike is still gay regardless, but it’s about mike’s ability to accept and embrace that gayness. Especially since if Mike is being internally homophobic to himself and believing in the homophobic stereotypes, then he, in his mike brain, has to also apply that hatred/stereotypes to Will, which is where it becomes difficult for mike and why Will is tied to mike’s ability to embrace his sexuality outside of just his love for will specifically. And how while Mike’s love for will is what helps him get over his internalized homophobia, his platonic love for el is what helps him get over his heteronormativity (he experiences BOTH imo because heteronormativity alone does NOT explain his disgust and shame towards HIMSELF during the sauna scene and how he was the one holding the door open etc etc but thats a topic for the full gay mike analysis) because he’s hurting her as a result of it and doesn’t want to hurt her because he DOES love her platonically and care about her! And so that’s the thing. Mike’s love for Will is tied to his active attraction to men/his internalized homophobia, whereas his platonic love for El/his relationship with El is what’s tied to heteronormativity. This is also why I don’t believe that Mike has been intentionally using El as a beard all along, because El isn’t narratively connected to the internalized homophobia side of things, she’s connected to the heternormativity side of things. and how THAT ties into that fact that gay mike works SO WELL with el and her arc and character and how once el finds out that it was never ABOUT HER as a person, that it’s not that mike doesnt LOVE HER but rather that he’s not attracted to girls AT ALL, she’s going to be HAPPIER than if she found out that mike just fell out of love with her for who she is or something about her/that mike chose Will over her. That’s REALLY one of the big things that makes me a gay mike truther is because if he wasn’t gay, El wouldn’t need to be set up the way that she is as a character, wouldn’t need to be set up in such a specific way with a lack of knowledge about homophobia, wouldn’t need to be set up as a character who’s felt inherently unloveable for who she is, wouldn’t need to be set up as being twins with Will/the writers clearly not just wanting to pit them against eachother, wouldn’t need to be set up in a way where BOTH her and mike don’t understand attraction/romance, because if she was a typical straight girl not raised in a lab, she would have a better/even just a more existent understanding of romance and attraction due to the pressures of heteronormativity that results in girls having to face those topics at a young age, and so then, Mike would be the only one in the couple who doesn’t understand it/is having to figure it out from scratch because he’s gay. But with the way that El’s set up, it’s meant to put them both on equal footing with not understanding attraction/not having a great knowledge of its existence/what it is/how it’s defined and how it feels. And sure, they’re kids and of course ANY kids don’t understand attraction perfectly: but a gay kid in the 80s and a girl raised in a lab have less of an understanding of it/experience with it. And absolutely, bi people did NOT have it easy in the 80s, I’m not saying that it was easier for them to understand their feelings, I’m saying that they DID have feelings towards the ‘opposite’ gender, whereas for Mike that attraction to the ‘opposite gender’ it’s a blank slate because it doesn’t exist for him, just like it is for El, because it didn’t exist for her in the lab. If mike was anything other than gay, El wouldn’t be need to set up in a way where Mike being gay is the best-case scenario for her relationship with him and her own arcs and themes and having a happy/satisfying conclusion to them. So many girls in the 80s who aren’t El, who HAVE been raised with that heteronormativity and understanding of attraction/even if they dont understand, having more of a knowledge of its existence at ALL than el does from a young age would be angry and very likely homophobic if they found out that their boyfriend was gay. But El won’t be. And that way, her relationship with Will isn’t hurt, her relationship with Mike isn’t hurt by him being gay (whereas if he was anything but gay, their relationship would be hurt by him ‘falling out of love’ with her for who she is/something about her, but if he was never in love with her, and isn’t into girls at all, then it’s not about her), that way, El isn’t put into a position of having to choose whether or not to be on the same side as homophobes, who are portrayed consistently as the bad guys in the show. (I am NOT saying that El being mad at mike would be homophobic. I AM saying that if she was set up in a different way, she would have to make the CHOICE of being homophobic or not, of what side to be on, but this way, she isn’t put into that position, which aligns more with her narrative and character) And like we see in the s4 bedroom fight, El is upset about Mike not saying he loves her, but I also think she’s more upset about Mike lying to her. She KNOWS that he doesn’t show that he’s in love, but she wants to see if he can even say it, if he’ll lie about it or not, and I think the REAL hurt comes from him lying about it. And so, if Mike is gay, then not only is “mike lying to el about being in love with her” resolved, but “el being hurt by mike not loving her/feeling unloveable for who she is” is resolved, because it was never ABOUT HER. And sure, “mike lying to el about being in love with her” could be resolved if mike was bi and just fell out of love with her and then was honest with her about it, but again, that doesn’t align with a.) the cracks in their relationship from the VERY BEGINNING IN S1 and b.) with a satsifying conclusion for el’s arc, themes, and characters, and with her and mike and will all staying on good terms with eachother. Like I’ve been saying: if not el, then who? Then WHAT GIRL if will specifically wasn’t an option bc it’s not just that he wants to be with will? If mike isn’t in love with el/attracted to her but IS still attracted to girls, then WHAT WOULD HE CHANGE ABOUT EL? WHAT GIRL DOES HE WANT? HE’S ALREADY TRIED TO MOLD HER INTO HIS ‘IDEAL’ GIRL FROM S1 TO S3 AND NOT IN AN INTENTIONALLY HARMFUL WAY BUT IN A ‘VERY INFLUENCED BY HETERONORMATIVITY AND TRYING TO MAKE EL MEET THE SAME EXPECTATIONS THAT HE FEELS HE HAS TO MEET’ WAY. BUT THAT STILL WASN’T ENOUGH!!! Because Mike’s ideal girl DOESNT EXIST. And the closest that we get to it, the scene where Mike initiates the affection, the closest we get to him being attracted to her (even though he isn’t, but it’s the closest scene we get), is when El is a.) dressed more stereotypically masculinely, b.) she looks so similar to will that the guy at the police station literally mistook her for will and c.) she has very little understanding of the world/unique personality/ability to articulate that personality (she does have a unique personality but it isnt SHOWN to mike very much in s1 compared to the other seasons which is the thing). The closest that we get to Mike being attracted to El, the scene where HE initiates it for once (even during the makeout/affection scenes in s2, El is the one initiating more, she’s the one holding onto HIS arm, she’s the one holding HIS face while they makeout and just sits there or takes her hands off of him), is a scene where El is the closest that she is to resembling a man. And it’s not just that mike still likes women but prefers masculine women, because even THEN, he’s still not fully attracted to her, he’s still operating around heteronormativity and what he thinks he has to do rather than what he actually wants/is attracted to, because he’s still figuring out what he wants/is attracted to. El is literally his ‘ideal girl/the closest thing to it’ in that scene because she MUST BE the closest thing to an ‘ideal girl’ for him in that scene because it’s the only scene where HE initiates the kiss, its the closest he can get to loving her/being attracted to her, even though he doesn’t/isn’t, it’s the closest that he gets to it. How are all of the issues with mike and el’s relationship explained if Mike was genuinely attracted to her at some point? They’re not. They’re not fully explained or fully resolved, even though parts of them can be explained. If they wanted to make Mike anything other than explicitly gay, it wasn’t necessary to set El up in the way that she’s set up. Not that El’s character revolves around Mike, but rather, that they could have addressed the exact same themes and ideas with her character without needing to set her up in a way that works perfectly with gay mike. And how going back to my discussion about counterculture and music, and what is and isn’t counterculture and how people like Billy think that hatred is counterculture when in reality, love and happiness is counter-culture (just like how homophobes and bigots today bitch about how ‘the woke mob is overtaking everything and cishet white conservatives are a minority’), and Mike is starting to embrace counter-culture and anti-conformity in s4 because he’s realizing that love and happiness is the real counter-culture, and beginning to get over his heteronormativity and realize that hatred is the norm and that conformity and the norm sucks and hurts people (whereas in s3 he was trying to embrace conformity and continue to reinforce the norm). Mike is starting to realize that just like I talked with the music, bigots are using symbols of freedom and love and anti-bigotry to turn themselves into the victims Mike is getting over his internalized homophobia because like I said, he not only can’t apply that homophobic rhetoric to will, but being unable to apply it to will makes it more difficult for him to apply it to himself. People who have enforced heteronormativity and homophobia are acting like they’re the victims of having to deal with queer people rather than the other way around, acting like they’re the victims of the aids crisis rather than queer people, acting like they’re the victims of people like eddie rather than eddie being the victims of people like them. Mike is realizing that society isn’t victimizied by his attraction to men, that it isn’t something bad- that it ISNT BAD because something that hurts something that’s bad (ie mike’s sexuality ‘hurting’ society/heteronormativity) is actually something good. He is realizing that the norm sucks, that the norm is hatred. People are also using dnd to push their bigoted narrative, it’s all wrapped into the satanic panic alongside the music which is then tied to queerness and the aids crisis and homophobia. Mike was rejecting dnd/embracing that bigoted narrative to an extent in s3 but now he is starting to go against that narrative and embrace dnd and that ties into him embracing his sexuality like i’ve talked about already in this post. Anyway im gonna explain these last few sections and the links between counter culture, conformity, the ST soundtrack choices and gay mike in a different post/in the analysis, but I need to rewatch the show and analyze the music relative to mike in order to really fully make the point about mike and counterculture and conformity and how it ties into gay mike and how it’s all demonstrated by the ST music. conclusion: mike wheeler is gay the music is gay the music supports gay mike, the stranger things music team are absolutely genius and the way that the narrative is so interwoven with various topics and how that interweaving is supported by the music choices and the ways in which those music choices are implemented is absolutely fantastic. god i need to finish both my music analysis and gay mike analysis.

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p3ski · 2 days

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Pairing: RK900/Gavin Reed

Tags: Post Pacifist Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Smut, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Masterlist

Read on AO3 here:

Summary: A lot has changed since the revolution. Crimes against androids are now being treated with greater severity, with many being subject to the same penalties as crimes against humans. While anti-android attitudes are on the decline, transforming the mindset of an entire city is no simple task.

A reluctant Gavin Reed and his new partner RK900 have been assigned to investigate a string of disturbing murders. Despite the shift in Detroit's social climate, Gavin still holds reservations about whether or not androids are truly alive. Will his developing feelings for 'Nines' prompt a shift in perspective?

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Depression/Self Destructive Behaviour, Smut

Word Count: 3.6K

The journey to the scene was heavy in traffic, causing considerable delays. While Gavin was in no rush to confront the discourse that had been outlined for them in the dispatch, his companion did not share these sentiments. Impatience gripped Nines, evident in the tapping of his slender fingers and the restless jerking of his legs.

Even in moments of distress, the android had always demonstrated a certain level of restraint - but now, that veneer was slipping away, leaving behind a palpable vulnerability. It was unsettling to bear witness to as Gavin's eyes danced between his partner and the police-issue tablet clasped in his hands. With trepidation, he cleared his throat.

"So, you ready to tell me what's wrong?"

The patrol car neared a grid-locked intersection, the green light overhead turning red just as they reached the turning point. As they were jerked to a halt by the auto brake system, Nines gripped the nearby safety handle. He seemed poised to rip the door from its hinges and proceed to their destination on foot.

Gavin opted to shift his approach, making a concerted effort to soften his tone. "We don't have to do this, you know… we can ask Fowler to send someone else."

Nines roused a bit at the words but remained ultimately unswayed. His lips formed a tense line as he stared intently at the traffic light. Even after the signal changed, their progress was limited. Turning into the new route, they seamlessly merged into another wave of stationary vehicles.

Taking advantage of the auto drive and blackout windows, Gavin leant towards his partner, placing a hand on his thigh. "I'm not going to think any less of you if you need to cut and run. If anyone has anything to say about that, I'll tell them where to shove it."

Nines briefly responded to the touch, suggesting a hint of acceptance, before abruptly pulling away. Frustration surged within Gavin, compelling him to extend his reach once again. The gesture initially intended as an act of assurance, subtly evolved into a means of restraint.

"Look, I'm trying here, but it's not easy when I have no idea what the problem is."

Yet another attempt to break through that was coldly rebuffed.

"Why won't you talk to me?"

Nines remained resolute, impervious to any attempts to reach him.

"You know what? Fine." Gavin withdrew his hand, throwing it up in exasperation. "Fucking ignore me. See if I care."

After what felt like an eternity, the vehicle reached its destination. A small brick bungalow nestled within a suburban cul-de-sac. The lawn outside had been recently cut, adorned with pruned flower beds and neatly trimmed hedges. The well-maintained property would have seemed unassuming had it not been for the dozen or so officers patrolling outside.

Among them was a shorter woman, her bob of black hair tied in a bun beneath a DPD-issue police cap. She turned around, alerted by the harsh slam of the car door as the first of the occupants exited.

Nines surged up the path, leaving Gavin scrambling to unbuckle his seatbelt. By the time he was out of the vehicle, Tina was also approaching, her brisk walk escalating into a jog as her eyes darted anxiously between the partners.

"RK900, Gavin."

Meeting them in the centre of the walkway, Tina positioned herself as if intentionally obstructing it. Nines, undeterred, sidestepped around her, proceeding towards the crime scene. Her look of mild concern escalated to urgent alarm as she reached out a hand towards him.

"Hey, maybe just… wait a minute."

The sentence trailed off weakly as it became clear that the android had zero intentions of slowing down or listening to anything she had to say. Instead of pursuing, she idled in place, waiting for her friend to catch up.

"Thought Fowler might send someone else," she said when Gavin reached her, smiling sadly.

The detective watched as the officers on the porch parted like waves, allowing Nines space to make his way past. I think he should have.

"Is it definitely a—" Gavin's lips clamped shut instinctively as his sentence hung in the air, unfinished. "There weren't any mistakes in the report?"

She shook her head solemnly. "I wish."

Suppressing his rising nausea, Gavin nodded towards the house, signalling his friend to join him. As they got closer, a persistent wailing could be heard from inside, like someone screaming in pain. "Who made the call?" he asked, suspecting the answer was almost certainly linked to the unpleasant sounds.

Tina was quick to confirm this, her expression darkening. "The victim’s sister. She lost her job a few weeks ago, was crashing on their couch. Left to go shopping around 9:45 but forgot her purse, so she had to come back. Realised something was wrong as soon as she saw the door."

It soon became apparent what Tina meant as they emerged onto the front porch. The metal panelling of the door handle had been pulled back and warped out of shape, and the keyhole was marked with scratches.

"Neighbours see anything?" Gavin asked, leaning in to expect the damage.

"We're asking around—he’s just lucky the boyfriend didn't clock him, or he'd be a pancake right now." Tina chuckled, although devoid of any real humour.

"Shame. Would’ve loved to watch forensics scrape the bastard off the wall." The door had been left slightly ajar from Nines' entrance, but not enough for a clear view inside. As Gavin attempted to push it further, Tina's hand intercepted, resting on his forearm.

"It's pretty bad. Are you going to be okay?"

His lips pulled in with a sharp breath. "Been at this for ten years, Ti. It's not my first crime scene; I'll be fine."

"Yeah, but this is different." She paused, concern evident in her eyes. "Is Nines going to be okay?"

There was much Gavin wanted to express, but he held himself back, wary of succumbing to a breakdown in the middle of a crime scene. "Well, he's already in, so I guess we'll find out."

Upon entering the house, there was no disguising who had been responsible for the attack. Each wall in the Living Room was defaced with hateful slogans. The majority were in English, but some were encrypted, the most prominent being a large string of numbers displayed on the north-facing wall:

01001001 00100000 01000100 01001111 00100000 01001110 01001111 01010100 00100000 01010100 01001000 01001001 01001110 01001011 00101110 00100000 01001001 00100000 01000100 01001111 00100000 01001110 01001111 01010100 00100000 01000110 01000101 01000101 01001100 00101110 00100000 01001001 00100000 01000011 01000001 01001110 01001110 01001111 01010100 00100000 01001100 01001111 01010110 01000101 00101110

There was a small leather sofa in the corner of the room, with a young woman sitting in the centre. She was red-faced and wailing, with two officers flanked on either side, holding her legs in a comforting gesture.

"Why would someone do this?" she managed to stammer out between sobs. Snot dribbled down her lips, and mascara trailed down her cheeks. "They didn't do anything wrong."

Conducting a closer examination of the vandalism, Gavin discovered it extended to the family portraits. Snapshots of a young couple with large black marks erasing their faces. He then realised that the slogans had been used to caption them:

SHE BURNS IN THEIR HELL.

BLOOD TRAITOR.

ONE PLANET. ONE RACE.

Some had been less carefully handled, pulled from their hooks and thrown haphazardly onto the floor. Through the ambient sounds of screaming, a faint tutting sound was audible, accompanied by hushed whispers.

"Jesus, he's killing people now too… ."

Gavin hadn't heard much else of the discussion but concluded he didn't need to. He sharply turned his head, spotting what seemed to be a pair of young and inexperienced officers peering opportunistically through the doorway.

"You two dipshits got something to say?" he hissed, each word dripping with venom. "Any brilliant fucking insights?"

The men were caught off-guard by the unexpected address. The taller of the two, presumably the one he’d overheard, was quick to answer him, voice trembling. "N-No, Detective. We were just—"

"They were both people, you stupid asshole." He cut him off before he could finish, the sternness of his voice leaving no room for debate. "This is a crime scene, not a playground. Your job is to wait outside and manage bystanders while the real police do their jobs. Got it?"

Having sufficiently rattled the officer, he exchanged a look with his companion before they hastily retreated, heads bowed in apparent shame. Tina watched on, visibly perplexed, before her focus shifted to Gavin.

"What was that all about?"

He regarded her incredulously, responding with a nonchalant shrug. Scanning the room to ensure he hadn't overlooked anything, Gavin's attention caught Nines standing in a corner, back turned.

His partner had retrieved one of the fallen pictures, with the splintered wood firmly secured in his hands. In the reflection of the spidered glass, Gavin could see his LED. It shone red like a warning beacon, with the visage warping as the android slowly tightened his grip. The glass broke further, falling to the ground like a blanket of snow.

A knot formed in his stomach, and the detective was about to approach when Tina spoke up, diverting his focus. "There's something you'll want to see. In the garden."

They walked through the ransacked halls of the house towards the kitchen. It was less of a room and more of a narrow walkway, densely packed with appliances on either side. At the end of this passage was a screen door pulled wide open.

"I don't think he expected the sister back so soon," Tina remarked, gesturing toward the garden, prompting Gavin to take a closer look. "He left something behind."

Moving towards the exit, Gavin noticed what initially seemed to be a black trash bag on the ground. On closer inspection, however, it revealed itself to be a men's raincoat - painted in swatches of red and blue. Waterproof polyester, reminiscent of the scrap they had found several weeks prior.

Leading off from the coat were boot prints. He followed them to the garden fence, where a trashcan had been propped against it, creating a makeshift stool. On the lid, he noticed another series of incriminating splotches. This time, in the shape of fingerprints.

"He cornered himself. Couldn't risk running into the streets with the jacket on; had to ditch it somewhere."

"Well, not so good for him… but great for you, right?" Tina said hopefully. "You've been complaining about the lack of evidence. Now there's finally something to work with."

"I'm sure Sanders will be delighted. He's had his thumb up his ass for weeks." Gavin crossed his arms, unable to share in his friend's optimism. "It's weird. He's worked so hard to cover his tracks—up until now."

"Never question a good thing, Gav."

"You don't get it. He's fucked it all up, all because some lady forgot her purse." Studying the clues with greater scrutiny, he noted how each handprint looked meticulously formed—almost seeming deliberate.

Thoroughly engrossed by his analysis, he had failed to notice the figure that had emerged in the doorway. It was only when a commanding voice echoed into the garden that he was startled to attention.

"I have completed my preliminary assessment," Nines stated, voice calm and coolly detached—a stark contrast to the unravelling man Gavin had witnessed minutes before. There was only so much his poker face could hope to disguise, however, as the light on his temple continued to betray him. "Where are the bodies?"

Tina appeared hesitant to answer, her lips pressing together defensively. Nines was clearly not feeling patient as he spoke again. Louder. "Officer Chen. Show me. Now."

"They're, um—bedroom", she said, pointing a limp finger back through the kitchen.

The partners, guided by Tina, silently navigated their way back through the house. She brought them to a door with another message scrawled across it. This time, written in red. The phrase seemed random, although Gavin knew better than to assume that at this stage, with large gaps in between letters:

O R L O D O S T I

Nines traced a finger across the line of a letter, revealing that the morbid ink had yet to dry. He popped the sample into his mouth, studying it with his tongue. "Human Blood. Type A+."

"We can see what it is." Gavin huffed before leaning in closer to the writing. "Fuck knows what it means. Maybe it's a Caesar cipher, with the key shifted."

"It isn't a code", his partner replied, withdrawing his now cleaned finger. "It only appears that way to you, but I can assure you, it is a complete message. Every other letter is written in Thirium."

"What does it say?"

"OUR BLOOD DOESN'T MIX."

"Ooo, clever", Tina said before withering under the glares her musings had earned her. "And super messed up, of course."

Upon entering the bedroom, the scene unfolded like a nightmare. The victims were naked, laid side by side on the bedsheets. Their clothes were strewn on the floor around them, displayed like a cruel mural.

They had been gutted, wired tendrils blooming from the android's stomach as intestines hung out from the woman. There was a gaping hole in the android's chest, where its thirium pump had been ripped out. Their gazes were fixed on the ceiling above them. Lifeless and unblinking, trapped in a final moment of terror.

Gavin fixated on the male victim, and he heaved uncontrollably, resisting the urge to vomit. Hand pressed firmly to his mouth, he forced himself to avert his gaze. He recognised that he couldn't endure it for long. The sight of the tortured and shattered body, combined with the face. His face.

Nines maintained an unwavering focus as he completed a scan of the scene:

"The blood on the door matches the human victim, Jennifer Parkins, a Mailroom Technician, born 11th May 2016." He paused momentarily as a rumble of static escaped from his lips. "The Thirium is a match to the android victim… RK900, Serial Number 313 248 317 - 98. Self-appointed name, Miles."

"Okay, we've seen enough", Gavin snapped, firmly tightening his jaw. He motioned to the door with his head in an attempt to usher his partner away. "Let's leave this for forensics."

The android proved far from receptive. "Miles did not sense his assailant approaching. He would have easily overpowered him had he done so. He would have been turned away from the door—distracted."

"Pretty easy to see why." Gavin glanced at the foot of the bed and the delicate wisps of lingerie that were bunched beside it. "Seriously, we don't need to stay for this. You'll have everything we need from your scan."

"A long, bladed weapon was used to penetrate. Piercing through the lower chassis and disrupting the core vital components." There was a disturbing detachment with which Nines spoke. As though he were talking about the weather. "This would have immobilised him long enough for the blade to be dragged through the sternal cavity into the pump regulator. Coupled with the accelerated loss of Thirium, this would have left him approximately sixty seconds before succumbing to system failure."

"Is all of that supposed to impress me?" the detective seethed back harshly. "You, torturing yourself over every minute detail?"

"A second incision was made, and the damaged pump regulator removed. Approximately twenty-five minutes later, judging by the evaporation rate."

Gavin cut his partner off before he could continue. "Stop it—just fucking stop. I don't want to hear this, and neither do you."

"I have no qualms in reconstructing the timeline of events." Nines glared at him through a furrowed brow, eyes brimming with accusation. "If that causes you distress, then I suggest you remove yourself for the sake of retaining your composure."

"Oh, so you're telling me to calm down? That's rich, coming from the guy whose head is blinking like a goddamn Christmas tree."

"That needn't concern you," Nines argued back, tilting his head away, attempting to obscure his partner’s view. "I can assure you, I am fine."

"But you're not fine, are you? I can see you're not, so stop fucking lying to me."

"Either you can stay and assist with my analysis, or you can leave. The choice is yours."

"Christ, I'm getting whiplash here." Gavin tugged at his face as he let out a harsh grunt of vexation. "You want me to be honest about my feelings, trust you enough to open up, but the second I need you to trust me, you run a mile!"

"Our personal lives are hardly relevant in this current situation. Besides, that issue has been resolved."

"Has it? Really? Because from where I'm standing, you're still running. Goddammit Nines, you'd think after everything, you would be more willing to open up."

“Why do you always insist on making everything about you?"

"It's not. I know it's not, just—fuck." He grunted again, louder this time. "Am I the problem here? Is it that you don't want to talk to me?"

"I do not want, or need, to talk to anyone. I am in control of my emotions. I have to be. I can't—"

He retreated into himself once more as his hands came to clutch his head. Nines, the indomitable force of code and programming, was behaving like a frightened animal. His body quivering, gaze frenzied, as it darted across the room. Like he was looking for a way to escape, but simultaneously paralysed.

"For fucks sake, you're scaring me", Gavin admitted in a rare show of vulnerability. "Do you need Connor? Should I call him?"

"Fix."

Gavin blinked, trying to decipher the meaning behind the word.

"Fix", Nines repeated. "We can fix him. If we re-connect the severed components and replenish the lost Thirium."

Then, his heart ached as he grasped what his partner was trying to suggest. "Nines."

"Replace the damaged chassis. The remaining damage is cosmetic. Should the healing protocol have time to engage."

"He's too far gone, you know that."

"All that would be needed then would be a compatible pump regulator."

"And how are we going to find one of those?" Gavin fired back in a desperate attempt to ground his increasingly frenzied partner. "Are we going to rip it out of your chest or from another RK900?"

"No—they could—parts." He spoke in strange, clipped-off segments. Elevating the sense of mania. "There are parts—from the others—we can use them."

"You're not making any sense."

"Only parts—all there is—only me—no one left."

Unable to stand any more, Gavin reached forward, grabbing his arm. "Okay, we need Connor, right fucking now. I don't care what you say, I'm getting him down here, and we're taking you home. There's something wrong. This isn't like you."

"D̶̜̗̹͐̕ͅö̴̖̻̝́̌̍́ń̸̮̟̿̒'̵͇̝̠͗̋t̸̰̦̊͊̀͆ ̵̱͔̌́̕͠t̴̯̦̑o̶̢̬̻̠̓͋̈ú̵̥͔̮̀̀͠ç̶̣̪͉̂͂̀h̴̢̠̗͂͊ ̷̮̝̂̄͐̅m̶̨̲͈͖̓e̴̜̊̈͠."

The words were mangled, twisted to the point they were nearly beyond comprehension. It was like the final, breaking crescendo to all of Nines' mounting anguish.

Then his tortured expression fell, becoming entirely blank. The vibrant pulse of his temple stopped, returning to a steady blue. Eyes stared through Gavin. Absent of any pain, fear, or any glimpse of emotion at all. It startled him, and he backed away as Nines stood mounted in place. Still and lifeless, like a mannequin.

Having no idea what had happened, the detective could only assume he had undergone some kind of soft reset. He re-approached his partner with caution, hand extending to touch his face.

"Nines? Can you hear me?"

The android seized his arm, hoisting it above his head and taking his body with it. Suspended, his mind struggled to process what was happening before he was callously tossed through the air. A resounding thud echoed as his head collided with the wall. His skin caught on a stray nail, carving out a painful gash.

Gavin slid to the floor limply, wedged between the wall and bed frame. He had been thrown with enough force that the bed had displaced, leaving it angled to one side. Tina was calling out to him but was unsure what she was saying. The ring in his ears was deafening as he gingerly placed a hand on the back of his head. He felt warmth pool around his fingers, and when he brought them down to inspect, a sheen of crimson glistened back.

There was a sharp, feedback-like buzz. A metallic scream that filled the air ripped from his partner's throat. Nines was back in an instant. His eyes were blown wide, and his mouth trembling - as though grappling with the weight of what he had just done.

"I am unable to complete this investigation." The words came out strained and distant. As though each fractured syllable was causing him pain. "I have been compromised."

The android bolted from the room without another word, leaving Gavin further disoriented. Attempting to stand, he used the bed for support but quickly fell back from the excursion. Tina was swift to aid him, slinging one of his arms over her shoulder as he teetered from side to side.

"It's okay, Gav. Easy. I've got you."

A flood of potential actions and words surged within the detective, but his state of shock held them captive. As Tina guided him forward, she seemed to notice something on the wall where the bed had been moved. Curious, her eyes narrowed before she gestured a finger towards her discovery. "What is that?"

Gavin followed her direction to another numeric message. Scrawled out in Thirium:

52 24 44 23 32 15 32 11 13 23 24 33 15 12 11 13 13 44 34 23 15 31 31

#finally posting the rest of the chapters #reed900 #dbh #detroit become human #dbh nines #dbh gavin #dbh rk900 #dbh fanfiction #dbh fanfic #gavin reed x rk900 #gavin900 #gavin x nines #dbh fic #detroit: become human #detroitbecomehuman

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detroitlib · 11 months

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View of Riverside Arena in Plymouth, Michigan. Printed on front: "Riverside Arena, 36635 Plymouth Rd., Plymouth, Mich." Sign on building reads: "Riverside Arena, roller skating." Printed on back: "Riverside Arena. One of Michigan's finest roller rinks, located 7 miles from Detroit city limits on U.S. 12. A half acre to play and two acres to park. Modern lunchroom. Skating nightly except Monday 8 to 11:30. Matinee sessions Saturday & Sunday 2 to 5 P.M. Printed on back: "Tichnor quality views. Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. Made only by Tichnor Bros., Inc., Boston, Mass."

Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library

#riverside arena #plymouth #roller skating #michigan #tichnor #postcards #vintage #vintage postcards #arena #michigan history #roller rink #rollerskating #mcm #detroit public library

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rhinozilla · 1 year

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Detroit: Become Family 2022 - Prompt 1: Alone

@dbh-found-family

Hank remembered one of the big selling points when androids first hit the market was how low maintenance they were. How they had internal self diagnostics and repair programs built into them. How technology had reached a point that it could heal itself from damage or viruses or whatever.

Of course that had its limits, but some of those commercials were burned into Hank’s memory. He found them resurfacing in his mind as those first few weeks after the android revolution unfolded. The memory of the cheery voice of some paid actor—chirping “they’re so durable!” and “they can handle more than the average human and will last longer without getting tired!”—churned through his head against today’s televised imagery of battered and broken android bodies being processed through the recycling centers, of any that hadn’t shutdown limping into the sanctuary of Jericho’s walls, of those that braved the public walking stoically and trying to live their lives while having insults and judgment thrown at them.

Sure, anything could be low maintenance if you didn’t give a shit about it. Hell, humans could be low maintenance, and Hank was learning the hard way what low maintenance—and really, active self sabotage—could do to a body and a spirit. And after those first few weeks, reality was setting in for the population of Detroit, and one aspect of this new reality was that androids were people who needed maintenance just like humans did. And right now, there was a dearth of capable professionals willing to help them.

Cyberlife’s doors had been closed for nearly a month. All their storefronts, warehouses, corporate offices, supply shops, and repair shops had all closed in the aftermath. Anybody with Cyberlife on their resume had by and large fled the city, maybe fearing a violent turn in the android revolution that would have put a target on their backs. There were a few independent businesses that offered android maintenance and repair services, but Cyberlife had kept such an iron grip on their products and services that they had done an effective job in running most independent competitors out of town.

So when Connor finally, quietly, sheepishly admitted to Hank that he was having some system troubles that his self repair program couldn’t fix…Hank knew they were in trouble.

Connor had been shot at least once during that tussle with the other RK800 in Cyberlife’s basement. And between when he left after that and when Hank saw him again the next morning at the Chicken Feed, he’d managed to look worse. So who knew what happened to him in that period of time. He’d been so insistent that his self repair program could take care of all of it, and Hank didn’t know enough about android shit to argue otherwise.

Until here they were a month later, and Connor had admitted that his self repair program had fixed the external damage of getting shot in the shoulder, but it hadn’t been able to repair everything going on under the surface. Something about…synthetic muscle belts being out of calibration and limiting his range of movement…contaminants from the bullet casing penetrating his thirium stream and causing micro-tears in his lines…which gave those contaminants room to dig in…And how his system was working overtime to try and flush them out, causing him to start overheating, especially around the damage point…and that was making the area tender to the touch as thirium flow and delicate manufactured sensors started acting essentially as nerve endings.

Now Hank didn’t know fuck about shit when it came to android stuff, but all of that to him sounded like Connor had an infection at the damage site. His theory had been reinforced when he’d seen how inflamed, for lack of a better word, Connor’s shoulder looked when Connor let him see it. Yep, it looked infected, and it was making him sick.

So…now Hank had a sick android on his hands and no technicians or…android doctors or whatever they were calling themselves now…in sight.

Jericho had gathered a few resources. They had some supplies and certainly the know-how that would help…but Connor wasn’t welcome there. Markus and some of the others had accepted him and forgiven him for his role as the Deviant Hunter, but they were a minority. So Connor was emphatic that going to Jericho wasn’t a good idea.

The surviving independent businesses that were still offering repair services were slammed all day long with androids with all manner of damages and maladies. Again, androids who had cause to hate Connor and who might see his vulnerability as an opportunity for revenge. So Connor was emphatic that it wouldn’t be safe to go there.

A bunch of shady back-alley repairmen had started cropping up too, offering cheaper, low quality repairs to androids who were terrified of being on the radar and were willing to prioritize discretion over professional standards. That was out of the question.

The DPD…or the 7th precinct where Hank worked at least…was in the process of bringing back the law enforcement androids who had worked there prior to the revolution. Hank hadn’t told Connor this, but Hank had been having private conversations with Fowler about bringing Connor back on board. He was a good detective and officer, and those were in short supply at the moment with everything going on. Fowler was still resistant to the idea, but Hank was wearing him down. He had already brought back all the PM700s and PC200s that had wanted to come back, along with some ST300s that used to work the reception and file rooms. Plus some new ones.

All that to say, the 07 had elected to bring on an in-house technician, a guy formerly of Cyberlife but reputable, to take care of when the DPD androids were inevitably targeted or damaged in the line of duty. The station tech was the only option Connor had left, and despite Connor not being employed or registered to the DPD at the time, Fowler had at least pulled a few strings for Hank to let him bring Connor in for an examination and repairs.

Connor had reluctantly agreed, avoiding the bullpen or anywhere that the other androids or officers might spot him, and Hank had felt his heart twisting his chest at how anxious he was about being recognized—or worse—for being where he ‘didn’t belong.’

The station tech had worked wonders, got Connor patched up and on some round of…android antibiotics or whatever…and sent them on their way.

Now they were safely back home afterward, and the poor guy was exhausted and hadn’t moved from the couch since.

Hank kept glancing at him as he folded laundry on the kitchen table, and every time the sight was the same. Connor was lying on the couch, eyes closed, deep in rest mode per the tech’s instructions. The immobilization sling on his arm was keeping his shoulder still, and in a few hours he was supposed to take another dose of that anti-inflammatory powder mixed in with some cold thirium to help flush out that infection.

Sumo would occasionally lumber over and sniff at him before losing interest and coming over to nose at Hank’s leg. Currently, the dog was standing beside the couch, tail swishing slowly with curiosity as he watched the android rest.

“Sumo,” Hank whispered at him, setting down a folded towel. “Leave him be. He’s not feeling well.”

Sumo glanced at Hank, looked at Connor again, and made a tiny whine of protest as his favorite android didn’t immediately get up to play with him.

“Hey,” Hank chided quietly. “C’mere.”

Sumo huffed and then plodded over. Hank set down the laundry and ruffled his hands behind both of the big dog’s ears.

“I know, I’m worried about him too, but he’ll be okay. He’s got us, right?”

Yeah, Hank and Sumo were about the only ones that Connor had nowadays. Christ.

Hank shuddered to think what might have happened, how much worse it could have been, if Connor had been truly alone since the revolution. Cyberlife had done a bang-up job of making sure he was truly ostracized from his own people, and humans like Hank hadn’t wanted anything to do with him before the revolution. Most didn’t want anything to do with him now.

No other friends. No family. Pretty much no support from Jericho. Abandoned by Cyberlife. Cast out of anywhere that had ever made use of him. Alone. Hank couldn’t say he knew what that felt like on an android-level, but…he knew what loneliness was.

Well, he wasn’t alone now. And if Connor could peel a pathetic drunk like Hank off his kitchen floor and manhandle him into becoming a functioning human again, then Hank could sure as Hell make sure Connor had what he needed to get healthy again after this. And he could probably do it without breaking and entering through a kitchen window like a maniac.

Sumo huffed again, then trotted back over to the couch, turned in a circle, and flopped down on the floor beside it protectively.

“There you go,” Hank bobbed his head, picking up another towel to fold. “You keep an eye on him, a’right? And maybe I’ll google some home remedies for, uh, for how to cool down overheating androids, yeah? Yeah…we’ll get him back on his feet in no time.”

After all, they were friends, right? What were friends for?

#detroit: Become family event #dbh connor #hank anderson

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naughtymousey · 4 months

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Hey, sluts! This is a fic that I wrote for a friend (@cxptain0101) featuring TFA Starscream and her self insert OC. Enjoy!

Jealous Tastes

Warnings: 18+

Word Count: 4,374

During her time off from working for the Daily Detroit, Emilyn supposed that she could have just walked around the parks or even read some of her books. It was fun, and it was freeing, perhaps even relaxing.

But instead, she chose to spend her free time at home with her mechs. Both Starscream and Sunstorm were mass-displaced. It was true that her cabin was large, but the Decepticons could only fit if they were around human size.

Her house was calm and quiet without much activity going on. It was outside city limits in the woods, far away from the hustle and bustle of robots (except Cybertronians) and other city life. Emilyn enjoyed the location. It offered enough reclusiveness for both her and the Seekers.

Inside the living room, Emilyn and Sunstorm sat on the furniture. Well, she sat on one couch while he sat in a chair. Starscream was somewhere else within the walls of the log cabin, but she didn’t think much of it.

As Emilyn and Sunstorm chatted, she folded her hands over her lap and sighed. She vented to him about multiple things, including somewhat personal topics. Despite the fact that he was Starscream’s “suck-up” clone, Sunstorm listened surprisingly well to her. He was never mean or malicious, only intending to make her feel good and giving her advice whenever she asked him for it.

Emilyn appreciated him.

“I don’t know, Sunstorm.” Emilyn turned away from him, blushing pink. “I guess…I just don’t feel pretty like other girls, not when I’m chubby.”

It was a silly thing to feel sad about, but she couldn’t help it. After all, everyone possessed their own insecurities, even her.

As she adjusted the cap on her head, Sunstorm began to speak.

“Oh, nonsense, my dear!”

Emilyn glanced upwards, facing him once more. He smiled at her, his orange frame glistening beneath the lights on the ceiling.

“Your softness and squishiness makes you more delectable than the tastiest of energon sweets.”

She tilted her head, watching his wings flick in confirmation.

“You really think so?”

Sunstorm grinned, setting a clawed servo to his chest plating.

“As a humble clone of Starscream, I can assure you that you are the prettiest organic that I have ever set my optics on.”

Emilyn smiled, pleased and satisfied by his reassurances. Sure, groveling was his thing, but hearing his words made her feel nice regardless. She could enjoy the praises.

“Thanks, Sunny.” She chuckled at him. “I appreciate it.”

Sunstorm beamed at her, delighted by her reaction. His optics flickered, his inner mechanics rumbling with the slightest whirr. Admittedly, he was cute.

And that was when she appeared from the hallway.

“Meow.”

Emilyn laughed as Zira approached her, immediately hopping into her lap and settling herself into the soft squish of her clothed thighs. She ran her fingers through her black, soft coat. Her eyes shimmered, shining bright and purple. She cuddled Emilyn close, leaning into her touches and attention.

But then, another pair of pedesteps arrived. Sunstorm and Emilyn turned, finding Starscream standing tall and motionless. There was a frown on his faceplate, his optics narrowing and his wings bristling. Obviously, he wasn’t happy about something.

As a response to his sour mood, Emilyn pouted at him.

“Starscream. How long have you been there?”

He waved his servo in a dismissive manner.

“Oh, nevermind that.” He took a step forward, quite boldly. “Emilyn, I insist that you come with me right now.”

For a moment, she thought about his order. Slowly, she glanced at Sunstorn. Their conversation was over, she supposed. With a shrug, she stood and walked towards the magenta Seeker.

She looked over shoulder.

“You gonna be okay, Sunstorm?”

The clone nodded.

“Why, of course! It is an honor to send you off with our grand and exalted leader. I may just take a detour around the forest while you’re gone.”

Emilyn sighed and stopped in front of Starscream when she reached him.

“Fine, I…WHOA!”

Starscream took her into his metallic arms, carrying her bridal style. He grinned at her blush before making his way towards the staircase. With Emilyn safe in his hold, he hurried up the stairs to the next floor. She didn’t struggle or make any attempt to move. In fact, she was quite pleased to be snuggled. She enjoyed his embraces.

Once inside the hallway, he hugged her near and walked into another room full of her collections of old cameras. He shut the door behind him. Before she could grip his plating, Starscream lowered her to the bed. Immediately, he sat across from her, shifting his armored legs to where it was comfortable for him.

He glared at her, only slightly, huffing and puffing with a sound of distaste. He, however, wasn’t the first to break the silence.

Emilyn rolled her green eyes, pointing a finger at him.

“You’re jealous, aren’t you?”

Offended, Starscream held a servo to his chest.

“Me? Jealous? I’m not jealous!”

She sent him a deadpan expression, folding her arms beneath her bosom. The Seeker’s wings bounced when he relented with a vent.

“Okay. Fine. Maybe I’m just a little jealous. But he has no right to hog you all the time!”

Emilyn’s arms fell at her sides.

“Screamer, he was just making me feel good about myself.” She waved her hands, gesturing to her body. “You know…my insecurities?”

The Cybertronian looked at her, inspecting her with his sharp, crimson optics. By now, he didn’t appear upset. Actually, he seemed mischievous, smirking at her with a hungry look on his faceplate.

“Well, I can make you feel even better.”

Confused, Emilyn lifted her brow. However, the second she tried to question him, he leaned forward, lifted her chin a bit higher, and pressed his dermas to her lips. She squeaked, surprised but instantly infatuated by the sudden display of adoration. As usual, his metal was smooth and warm against her mouth. It was welcoming, gradually inviting her to kiss back. She blushed, her cheeks burning hotly as his claws held her face, carefully sinking into her skin. His vocalizer vibrated with a low chuckle as she cupped the sides of his helm.

“What? So eager?” His glossa ran against her lips, speaking softly to her. “Naturally, I figured just as much, but…so soon?”

Emilyn attempted not to fluster, but she did.

“You’re one to talk, Screamer.”

She moaned against his dermas, patting the armor of his cheeks until he nibbled her bottom lip. Starscream hummed, continuing to kiss her with long and passionate motions. Sloppy as he could be, he was also an expert whenever he desired to play rough with her. Emilyn shifted her thighs, completely enamored by his affections. As she moved her lips against his, she shut her eyes out of pure elation.

It only took a few more seconds for both to realize that she had to breathe.

The two pulled apart. Emilyn blinked at him, the palms of her hands resting on her covered thighs. Starscream grinned at her. Slowly, he scooted closer to her and cocked his helm at her.

“Now, my pet,” he tapped her leg, “I suggest that you remove these fragile things before I do so myself.”

It was not only a tease, but a command, one that he was fully prepared to follow through with.

Emilyn nodded, quickly removing the cap on her head along with her flannel shirt. She set the items to the side before fiddling with her other shirt and pants. Starscream aided her, stripping her and purposefully allowing his claws to linger on her skin. Despite the fact that his claws could create tears in the fabric of her clothes, Starscream was mindful. Once her pants, shirt, and socks were gone, she reached around and unclasped her crescent moon necklace. Pleased, Starscream took the necklace and safely placed it on the bedside counter. Emilyn was only left in her bra and panties. In a moment of rapture, she fell back against the fluffy pillows. Starscream loomed over her, his optics shimmering and peering at her very lasciviously.

He repositioned himself to her liking, his wings twitching with thrill as he kissed her neck, leaving the faintest nips with his denta the lower he went.

“Starscream.” Emilyn moaned his name, bending to his attention. “Starscream!”

The mech didn’t even pause. He cackled lightly, applying more fervor into the hickeys. There was a pinch and a slight feeling of pressure. Still, it didn’t hurt her. Well, not too badly. He was gentle enough, not wishing to harm her, but his bites created bruises on her neck and collarbone, bruises that wouldn’t fade for a long time.

It was a good thing that she normally wore lots of layers.

“Such a sweet girl,” Starscream’s tone was similar to a purr, “...tender, soft, and so willing to bow to my authority.”

He didn’t love power. He adored it.

His denta grazed her flesh, nipping and nibbling until it was too much. Emilyn’s pussy trembled, wetness pooling into her panties. She gripped the sides of her bedsheets as he ravished her, sucking on her sensitive skin. Emilyn didn’t mind the love bites. After all, she was quite accustomed to them. Starscream liked to roughhouse. What more could she say? She managed to keep up with him.

Emilyn was the only human who could. Like a cat, Starscream licked his glossa over the marks and bruises on her flesh, almost as though to apologize for any pain that he caused. At one particular bite, Emilyn gripped his shoulders and cried out, prompting him to pause.

“Ah,” he started, frowning, “that didn’t hurt, did it?”

Emilyn blinked, shaking her head while her hands drifted to her sides.

“No, Screamer. I’m fine. I was just…startled is all.”

He wasn’t the kindest person. Emilyn knew that to be true. He was a dick, an asshole, an absolute dolt. But every now and then, a sliver of softness would shine through his hard and bitter seams.

Only for her, it seemed.

Starscream grinned with a hum, ruffling her hair and making her whine.

“Good.”

He lowered himself back down to her, deciding to kiss instead of bite. His dermas brushed against the top of her breasts, smooching each and every individual freckle. He cherished her freckles. To him, perhaps they even reminded him of stars in the sky.

However, when his metal lips met with the fabric of her bra, he pouted.

“Uh, it appears that something is in my way, Little Moon.”

Despite his words, his tone was playful, making Emilyn shoot her own smug look right back at him. Regardless of her arousal, she could have fun too.

“Well. Why don’t you remove it, Star?”

There was a glimmer of something feral in Starscream’s red optics, shining bright and bold. And then, his wings bounced, a high-pitched whine emitting from deep within his frame. He smiled, lifting his derma to bare his denta.

Suddenly, Emilyn became bashful.

Oh, oh that did it. She teased him with the offer of a challenge, and he swiftly accepted it.

Using his claws, Starscream expertly unclasped her bra behind her back. It was done with such power and ease, even causing her to whimper when his digit traced along her spine. It was true that he had practice in the past, but his abilities were still surprising.

When he tossed her flimsy bra to the side, Starscream growled and leered at her, immediately cupping one tit in his servo and jiggling it. He always jiggled her boobs. It was one of his favorite activities to do in the bedroom.

Was it flustering? Naturally. Was it hot? Absolutely.

“Consider yourself lucky, Emilyn,” he smirked, pulling her closer, “if I were any more impatient, that flimsy thing would be in shreds by now.”

Starscream wasn’t lying. He tore her bra before, and she was mad at him. It took some time for her to explain how expensive female undergarments were, but he eventually seemed to understand. In spite of his careless attitude, he could still be considerate at certain times.

He gave her boob a firm and effective squeeze before lifting his other servo to tend to the second breast. Emilyn gasped and moaned, squirming and gripping his armor as he fondled her into the pillows, cackling to himself as her boobs swayed to his touch.

When her nipples perked up, Starscream grinned deviously and brought his dermas to her squish. Greedily, he sucked on her tit, swirling his glossa around the erect bud until she cried out his name. His claws groped her other tit, creating marks in the skin. The more he sucked, the louder Emilyn moaned.

“Ah,” he spoke between hearty, passionate licks, “and to think that I once believed these lumps of fat to be so impractical.”

Starscream switched to her other boob, sucking even stronger there.

“Oh, how foolish I was.”

Emilyn gripped onto the sides of his helm, pulling him close to her. Starscream not only sucked, he actually nipped at her nipples. The pink buds hardened beneath his denta as she bucked her hips, struggling to create more friction between her legs by shuffling her thighs together.

A warm knot formed inside her abdomen.

“Starscream! Starscream!”

Her legs trembled as he cackled.

“What’s this, my pet? You sound a bit desperate. Tell me, are you wet? Already?”

Emilyn gasped at his lewd words, urging him to grin and push his faceplate between her cleavage. She hugged him near her body, not wanting to let him go. But as much as he cherished her breasts, something else captured his attention.

Finally, Starscream retracted himself, leaving a bruise on both of her tits. He seemed pleased with himself, giving each nipple a kiss before lowering and spreading Emilyn’s legs with his servos. As if to test the waters, he poked and prodded at her underwear, inspecting the wetness of it and smirking at the results.

“All soaked for me…aren’t I a lucky mech.”

Emilyn scoffed before moaning once again, unable to hold herself back.

Starscream was a smart bot. He knew that he couldn’t finger her while using his sharp digits. Well, not without hurting her, and Starscream could get very carried away at times. Instead, he situated his helm between her thighs and slowly dragged his glossa against her clothed slit, prompting her to whine. Carefully, the Decepticon hooked his digits beneath the waistband of her underwear and swiped them down her legs.

After her panties were thrown across the bed, Starscream wasted no time in delving in. Using his glossa, he licked up her slit, teasing her entrance with low chuckles from his mouth. His claws rested on her thighs, squeezing them encouragingly.

When Starscream pushed his way through her folds, Emilyn hugged his helm with her legs. She squeezed him tight, feeling his tongue explore her walls. She could feel herself. She was close. Dangerously close to an orgasm. As Starscream ate her out, he stroked her thighs, soothing her and praising her without the use of words. His glossa, made of smooth, Cybertronian alloy, was strong and quick, darting in and out of her with such skill and expertise. It was true. He could be sloppy at times, but he was also very, very persistent with his goals.

And in this case? His goal was to break her.

Starscream chuckled, and Emilyn felt hot steam expelling from his dermas. For a brief second, her pussy rippled around the tip of his glossa. Between her legs, Starscream paused to give her a curious look. He didn’t stop for long, however. When he pulled his glossa out, he lifted it and drew it against her clit, making tiny circles.

Emilyn couldn’t take it any more. She arched her back once she reached her climax, moaning the name of her lover as loud as she possibly could. She didn’t care who could hear her, and neither did Starscream. Her cunt shook, and her toes curled. Her head spun, and her breath hitched. Her chest heaved, sweat dripping down the side of her face. She struggled to regain herself. But then again, why should she? She could set herself free. Just for tonight. And maybe even the night after.

Starscream continued to eat her out, lapping at her pussy and smirking so smugly at her. As her orgasm passed, he tended to her legs by lowering his mouth and pressing kisses to her thighs.

“My Little Moon…was that an overload?”

There was a buzz coming from his frame, implying his state of arousal. Emilyn huffed before shyly tilting her head, attempting to hide her blush from him. He knew damn well what it was. And yet, he still chose to tease her. It was just in his nature.

“Maybe.”

“HAH!” There was pride in his tone. “Just as I thought. I’m practically irresistible.”

Emilyn attempted to groan, but it came out as more of a moan.

Amused, Starscream chuckled and returned to her inner thighs, using his denta to create some bite marks in her pale skin. Emilyn released a shuddery sigh, letting him perform his displays of admiration and ownership over her. He teased her, frequently flicking his glossa up her slit while caressing the gentle squish of her legs. He hummed and purred, relishing in the way she twitched and repeated his name.

She tried to avoid squishing his helm too harshly with her thighs, but she just couldn’t help herself. She gripped him tightly, and he enjoyed it, pressing himself even further against her.

“Yes. Good girl. Unravel yourself for me.”

She did, her limbs going limp from the pleasure.

Starscream showered her with bites and kisses, sucking at her skin. His wings flapped, and his internal machinery rumbled. Through her hazy vision, Emilyn noticed the bruises and hickeys already appearing on her thighs. The nips felt more like pinches than anything, but perhaps that was due to how used she was to them. Still, every nibble was more ravenous than the last. He was growing impatient, just as she was.

Slowly, Starscream pulled himself back from her thighs to smile at her.

“Do you want my spike?”

His claws hovered over her pussy, giving it a cautious rub with the blunt sides. She gasped and nodded, her voice crackling.

“I…I do. So, so fucking badly, Starscream.”

His pupils glimmered inside his optics. Like the bastard he was, he waited for another moment longer.

“Then say the magic words, Little Moon. I want to hear you beg.”

Emilyn blushed, hotter than she ever thought possible. She couldn't even form the words to speak. After regaining some strength, however, she glanced at him and parted her lips.

Fine. She could beg. If it was for him? She could beg all day and every day.

“Please.” She threw her head back against the fluffy sheets. “Please, Lord Starscream. Master! Please. Please just fuck me already!”

Starscream stiffened, his optics temporarily going offline from her truth. His frame shook, and his wings fluttered. Emilyn just unlocked an insatiable desire inside his spark, and it was bound to release within seconds.

“Well,” his voice quivered with anticipation, holding a servo to his cockpit, “who am I to turn down such a lovely request?”

On the bed, Starscream repositioned himself. Likewise, Emilyn moved a little near the pillows, welcoming his size. She stretched her legs, enticing him even further.

“I must show you who you belong to, sweetspark.”

Emilyn knew that he meant what he said. He meant every word, and the promise filled her with an influx of desire.

Starscream lifted his hips, exposing his crotch and interface panel. There was a hiss as it popped open. However, his equipment wasn’t the same. Emilyn noticed a difference almost instantly.

Yes, it was like his original spike. It was thick, bulbous, and long with magenta biolights running down the sides of it. But it squirmed like it had a mind of its own. It almost appeared as another appendage. Transfluid squirted from the rounded tip as it licked at Emilyn’s thighs, hungrily poking at her slick, dripping entrance.

Finally, she realized that it was a tentacle dick. Starscream actually had a tentacle dick.

Acknowledging her befuddled expression, he snickered.

“Ah, do you enjoy the surprise?”

Emilyn gawked at him, moaning gently at the touch of his dick. It was smooth but slippery, tasting every part of her lower body that it could find.

“Starscream, what is this?”

The mech puffed his chest out with pride.

“Just a new mod that I’m aching to test out.”

She didn’t even bother to ask how he came to achieve such an item. Her cunt throbbed, and her heart thrummed with lust. She couldn’t question him again. She was much too horny to care.

Starscream set his servos on either side of her head, gazing down at her with a sinful look on his faceplate. In response, Emilyn bit her lip and opened herself wide for him. His claws sank into the bed sheets as the tentacle mode wriggled inside her cunt, coating her walls with spurts of warm, sticky transfluid.

Emilyn moaned, pressing the back of her head further into the pillows. She gripped what she could of the mech’s plating as the tentacle spike moved inside her, eagerly and voraciously. Her vision was blurry with tears, but when she blinked, she caught the sight of Starscream’s white pupils, vivid and bright. They glowed, emphasizing his pure glee.

“I can feel you, Emilyn.” He opened his dermas, releasing a moan of his own. “This mod has no processor, it’s only me.”

With a good thrust of his hips, his spike penetrated her pussy even deeper. Emilyn felt her abdomen swell as her cunt gripped his dick, holding it tight. Starscream’s wings flicked as he picked up the pace, whimpering a grand multitude of Cybertronian obscenities. In a way, she was smug. Not many could reduce the mighty Starscream to his knees. And yet, she did.

However, her sense of victory was short-lived.

Starscream noticed when he found her g-spot. Emilyn let out another slutty moan as he grinned, more steam curling from his mouth as he hit the spot over and over. Although his regular spike could do the trick as well, the mod reached places that she didn’t even know existed.

Emilyn’s vision was flickering, her boobs bouncing along to the rhythm of his thrusts.

“Starscream…I’m close!”

In an act of triumph, the Decepticon beamed at her, raking his claws down the bed frame.

“Do you like my spike, Little Moon?” He attempted to speak between moans. “Do you really enjoy being stuffed…by yours truly?”

Emilyn closed her eyes.

“Stars! Starscream! Master!”

She orgasmed right then and there, her limbs losing all feeling. Her knees rattled, and her heart felt as though it would burst. Emilyn moaned as loud as she could, promising that she was his and his alone. Starscream’s optics fizzled as he took in the sight of her, smiling so wildly.

Carefully, he lowered himself.

“Yes. Yes! That’s right. Overload for me, Little Moon.”

He cooed to her, giving time for her orgasm to pass. When her pussy relaxed, he pulled out, just for a second to send her another smug look. She heard the way his claws dragged down her bed frame, a shrieking and creaking sound. She wasn’t happy about it, but she was too full of euphoria to care.

When she fell from cloud nine, Starscream eased himself inside her once more, his tentacle mod happily continuing where it left off. Every thrust of his drew a happy moan out from Emilyn. Deep within his frame, there was a chirp and a whirr. Starscream’s faceplate glowed pink as his dermas wriggled into another smug grin. By now, he could hardly form a sentence, and neither could she. He relied so much more on his actions, his words coming out as little, pleasurable whines.

“So soft…so tight…so delectable.”

With her weak fingers, Emilyn held onto his shoulders, trying to reach around to grab at his spinal strut. But he was too big for her, too bulky. She didn’t mind, not when he pounded into her as though his very life depended on it.

But then, the mech stumbled, his wings lowering and optics twitching. Emilyn took notice right away, understanding that he was close to his own orgasm. He didn’t even grasp the chance to warn her before he came, pumping her insides full of his transfluid. Warmth filled her cunt as the tentacle spike spasmed inside her. Her hands fell, and her legs relaxed. As Starscream pumped inside her, filling her to the brim with his foreign seed, all she could see were stars. She moaned from Earth to Cybertron, embracing Starscream as though she feared that he would leave her.

He huffed.

“Take me, Emilyn. Take all of me.”

She did, remaining as still as she could be.

When he finally retracted himself from her pussy, he watched with victory as his transfluid dribbled from her opening. His tentacle spike rested on her tummy, and for a moment, Emilyn was tempted to rub his cum on herself.

“Fuck, Stars.” She collapsed. “That…was fucking amazing.”

Starscream gave her one of his dopey smiles. He hummed out in agreement, lifting himself from her and removing his claws from her bed frame.

Emilyn frowned, looking above her.

“Dammit. You ruined my bed frame again.”

He cackled.

“A small price to pay for a bit of fun, Emilyn.”

He glanced at her, examining her body and her expression. He thought for a moment, considering something inside his processor. Emilyn blinked at him, wondering what he could be thinking about until he pressed a servo to his chest.

“Ah. Might I propose another round, Little Moon?”

Emilyn chuckled at him, already finding the strength inside her to change her position on the bed.

“Sure, Starscream.”

He grinned at her, planting a cheeky kiss on her cheek as he moved to accommodate her.

“By the time we’re done, you won’t be able to walk for solar cycles, so I guess I’ll just have to carry you.”

Emilyn didn’t mind his idea. Not at all.

#tfa #emilyn moone #starscream #🔞 moonscream 🔞#valveplug #mouseyindulgence #🔞 my fics 🔞#other self insert #minors dni #other self ship

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