#Erika shut up tag

[kedsandtubesocks]

To all of my writers, I know there’s just been so much in the air that feels off and I know there isn’t much I can say but I still want to -

I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart. For all the time and effort, love and soul, you stitch into every word.

You create worlds, you get to form universes and I hope you never forget just how amazing you are!!

Thank you so much for everything you do and I hope even in the times you feel doubtful or discouraged, I just want you to know that I’m cheering you on! Keep writing! And even if you step away never forget you’re so wonderful! Writing is magic and you are too

Thank you… just thank you to all of you

[bettyfrommars]

I'm on Fire

chapter 18: the ties that bind

masterlist playlist

18+ MDNI

If you've come this far in the series, you know what to expect. No physical violence in this final chapter, but there might be some jealousy, protective/jealous Eddie, and threats. Steve with an OC character, parental Stobin, unprotected sex, oral, and meeting the extended family. Can't say goodby without a glimpse of Charlene. Reader is an artist and a vegetarian, but I try hard to keep away from any physical description.

word count: 15k

official author's note will be at the end of this chapter. I cherish you, my I'm on Fire fam, I'm so grateful for the ride, and I hope you enjoy this one.

"It's a long dark highway and a thin white line Connecting baby, your heart to mine."

-- the ties that bind, Bruce Springsteen

The next morning, a new Henderson opened her eyes to the world. 

Steve was the next one to hold her after her parents, and he hadn’t expected to cry, to have his throat close up around his emotions and choke him when he was told they named her Stevie.  He held her so close but so gentle and he barely noticed how wet his cheeks were until Robin came close and rubbed her palm in circles on his back.

“She kinda looks like me. That’s weird right?” Steve hushed, voice catching in a tearful hiccup. He was already thinking of the tattoo he would get with her name, inside his arm, close to his heart. 

“Yeah, that is weird and impossible, Dingus,” Robin smiled into his shoulder, stroking a loving arc over Stevie’s little infant forehead with her finger.  “But she kinda does.”

The labor had been long, the sun was up, and everyone was exhausted.  Astrid was at the house making breakfast while you and Eddie looked after Oliver.  He insisted on watching Pee-Wee Herman's Big Adventure again, and that was when you learned it was one of Eddie’s favorites as well; he knew every line by heart.  He mimicked Ollie with the chant, “I know you are but what am I, I know you are but what am I?”

And it was only then that you realized why Eddie had made a joke once about violently cutting off your mattress tag, the one that specifically said DO NOT REMOVE. Also, it explained why Steve so ardently wanted to start his own biker gang called Satan’s Helpers.

After breakfast, Eddie took you back to the Hammer to get your car, and even though you didn’t want to socialize, you were also in no mood to be stranded at your place without wheels.  Jackie reminded you that you looked like shit on your way through the smoky haze from the late morning drinkers.  You simply nodded in silent agreement, and it wasn’t so much a nod as your head lazily bobbing on a spring.  Your internal clock was out of whack, and you desperately needed a shower.  A shower and a soak in the healing waters of some type of magical pond that could heal you from the inside out. 

Maybe a month on a beach somewhere.

And then you pictured Eddie in a pair of loud, tropical swim trunks and giggled to yourself.

You were just about to leave the locker room with your paycheck and a few of your things, when tall, blonde Erika pushed in with a concerned look on her face, making you back up.  She shut the door behind her and leaned against it, covering the “Safety in the Workplace” poster. 

“Hey, so, that guy is here looking for you again,” her whisper was urgent.

Your heart sank for a second as the memory of Craig gripped you.  You had to remind yourself that he was long gone.  

But you wondered if a part of him would always be lurking somewhere near, haunting you from beyond the grave.

Your next guess was Chief Hopper, maybe he had more questions for you.  

“What guy?” You were hoping she had a clue, or asked a name, so that you could prepare yourself, doing your best to smooth out the front of your shirt.

She only shrugged.  “He’s older, Paul Newman type. Smells like he’s made of money. This is the third time he’s been here asking about you.”

It still didn’t ring any bells, but you’d only slept a half hour on the couch curled up next to Eddie while Pee-Wee stormed the Alamo looking for his bike.  

You took a slow peek around the corner of the bar from the hallway and saw John Gregson sitting there with a drink in his hand. Full head of salt n’ pepper hair slicked back off his face, wearing one of his signature gray suits. 

Was he by himself?  The way Charlene had been popping up like a bad rash lately, you almost expected to see her there, playing the dutiful wife.  

You hid yourself in the hallway again, wondering if you had it in you to have a conversation with anyone, let alone him.

To say his face “lit up” when he saw you would be an understatement; He looked as if you’d been pulled from the rubble of a burning building, and he thought he would never see you again.  

You found it hard to match the enthusiasm, even though he’d turned out to be a decent guy.  

He stood up from his stool and Shana gave you both a curious look from behind the bar as she poured a shaken martini into a glass. She was wearing one of her long, black wigs that day with Bettie Page bangs.  

“It’s good to see you,” he gestured to the seat next to him, his icy blue eyes shone like the Mediterranean Sea. “It’s been a while.”

You sank one hip onto the padded stool so that one foot was still on the ground.  You didn’t want him to think you were staying for too long.

“I’m sorry I’m so behind on your painting, life has been—”

He put his hand up, palm out to you.  It was his left hand and you noticed that he was not wearing his wedding ring.  

“Please, don’t worry about the painting.  Take all the time you need, that’s not why I’m here.  Can I buy you lunch?”

“I-I…” you fumbled.  “I was just on my way out.���

“A drink then?” He cleared his throat and shifted closer casually so that his knee was touching yours. He swirled his drink in his hand.  “There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about and I didn’t feel it was appropriate to do it over the phone.”

Your anxiety spiked a bit, and it wasn’t as if he was a serial killer or anything, but his sudden shift in proximity gave you pause.  You asked Shana for an iced tea and gestured for him to follow you to one of the more isolated tables against the dark red wall, underneath a framed Led Zeppelin poster.  He pulled your chair out for you before getting settled with his gin and tonic, making sure to use one of the black cocktail napkins as a coaster. 

“I know you’re busy,” he cleared his throat. “So, permit me to get right to the point.” He removed the two stir straws from his drink and put them on the napkin.

 “First of all, I’d like to apologize for my wife. I believe she’s caused you quite a bit of trouble.”

You had not expected that one

His stare was too intense, you had to shift your attention and take a gulp of your drink.

“You see,” he settled back, keeping his forearms on the table.  “I met Charlene when I was barely out of high school, we were together before I made my money, and I always felt like I owed her my blind devotion.  Lately it’s obvious that we only make each other miserable.”

He continued.  “I’m not a stupid man. I always knew about the other boyfriends, not that she made much of an effort to hide it,” he smiled wryly to himself.  “Not to bore you with the details of my failed marriage, but I know that Charlene’s the reason you lost your job at the gallery, and I’d like to rectify that, if I can.”

Realization dawned at his words.  Why hadn’t you put those pieces together earlier? Of course Charlene was the reason you lost your job, she probably threatened to remove her funding and ruin Judith.  

You could barely catch up to what he was saying before he started again.  “I’m opening a gallery in Chicago, and I’d like you to come out and run it.”

You choked and had to cover your mouth with the back of your hand.  “Excuse me?”

John smiled so genuinely at your reaction that the skin around his eyes crinkled.  He undid a button on his suit jacket to get more comfortable. “You’d have full creative license, you’d be able to hire your team, do with it what you wish.  I trust your vision.”

It was that opportunity you’d been dreaming about for years, the one you’d been working toward for almost a decade.  

So easy, just like that.

Here, take it, it’s everything you’ve ever wanted.

…but was it?

Your head swam, vision tunneling slightly as you glanced around the Velvet Hammer.  You imagined Steve on his stool at the door and Eddie pulling you aside in the hallway to kiss you.  The song Everlong by The Foo Fighters was on, and you thought about how Chicago was over three hours away.  You’d have to move; it was much too far for a commute.

“That’s such a generous offer, I…I don’t know what to say?” 

“You don’t have to say anything right now,” and before you knew what was happening, his hand slid across the table and was on top of your fingers. 

Your eyes flashed to his hand over yours and you sat there shocked while your need to be polite overrode your core instincts. 

“I know there’s a lot to think about,” he continued, removing his hand to cup it around his drink again.  “Of course, I’d pay for all of your moving expenses.  I own a building downtown with an artist loft I think you might be interested in.  You’d have plenty of room to live and paint, start fresh, if you wanted to.”

Start fresh.

You felt like Shana had slipped a psychedelic into your tea, like you were melting into your chair.  Your brain was having a hard time keeping up with the reality of what was being offered.  

He tossed back another sip and wiped the corners of his mouth, looking almost unsure if he should say the next part.  “Charlene and I—” he licked his perfectly straight teeth in contemplation. “---we’ve decided to go our separate ways.  We’re selling the lake house, a few other properties, and she’s planning to move to Hawaii to be near her sister.”

A thought zipped through your mind then. How long had Charlene known she was leaving? Why would she become a partner in The Velvet Hammer and then move to Hawaii?

“That means I’ll be at my condo in Chicago most of the time, unless I’m traveling for business,” he gave you a pointed look again.  “There are so many places I’d love to take you to in the city.  If you are interested, that is.”

“Well,” you laughed nervously. “I’d need to talk to my boyfriend about it. About the job, I mean.  Moving to Chicago. His whole life is here.”

“Certainly,” John nodded, not missing a beat. “You talk to him and when you’re ready, you have my number. The gallery space I’m buying needs work, so I’d like to fly you out there in a week to take a look at it, once you decide.”

You were still staring glassy eyed at the edge of the table after John stood and left the Hammer.  You hadn’t remembered to breathe in god knew how long, so you tried that, letting out a hard exhale that made a cocktail napkin go flying off the table.

Would Eddie move with you? Visit you on the weekends? The latter seemed more likely but also not, considering how demanding his work schedule was.  Katie told you that Robin had asked her to move in, and you were overjoyed for her.  She’d be paying her share of the rent and utilities for the next month, but after that you’d either need to find a smaller place or a new roommate because you couldn’t afford your duplex on a Velvet Hammer salary.  

One week was all you had.

Did you even need a week? Surely you knew your answer.

—-------

The tires on the tow truck screeched to a stuttering halt out on a Hawkins back road lined with cornfields.

Behind the wheel, Eddie idled there, right in front of that familiar white picket fence around the big yard and the farmhouse with a porch swing and a red barn in back.

Eddie knew the details of the old Ferguson place by heart, it had been his dream house ever since he was in high school and used to take long rides on his bike to clear his head.  The couple that had spent their life raising a family there were in their 80’s now, and he’d heard through the grapevine that they were relocating to a retirement community.  To a smaller place that was easier to care for.  All of their children were grown and lived far away.

The newest addition to the house was where his eyes fell.  

His attention fixed on the sign at the end of the driveway for a long while, heart thudding in his chest.

The old Ferguson Farmhouse was for sale.

—---

The next day was the Welcome Home Baby Stevie barbeque at Steve’s and he had a blue “Kiss the Cook” apron on and a spatula in his bandaged hand when you and Eddie arrived.  He wore an elastic bracelet made of colorful plastic beads around his wrist that you assumed was a new gift from Oliver.  The sky was bright blue, almost blinding, and the air was crisp. 

“You sure you’re okay?” Eddie asked on the way up the driveway to Robin and Steve’s backyard where the lawn had been neatly mowed and edged.  “Anything you want to talk about?”

You hated keeping things from him, but you had no idea how to bring up John’s offer, or if you even wanted to mention it.  Eddie had invited you over to his place the night before, but you’d told him you needed some time alone to get to bed early.  Turns out that being alone with your thoughts only made it worse.

“No, I’m fine my love, I promise,” you leaned into him.  “I’m just tired.”

He put his arm around your shoulders to scoop you closer and kiss your ear.  “I’m gonna take care of you tonight.  Make you a bath, pour you some wine, kiss you all over.  How does that sound?”

“It sounds—” you felt emotions water your eyes suddenly and you blinked it away as quickly as you could.  “That sounds perfect.”

You felt guilty that you were even considering John’s offer, but how could you not? A very hopeful part of you said that both were a possibility, that you could keep Eddie and have your dream job in the city. But how? You couldn’t take Eddie away from Wayne and Oliver and his business, you would never ask that of him.  

“Is Wayne coming?” You asked, noticing you did not see his truck.  Also, your thoughts were racing again and you needed a distraction.

“He’ll be here later,” Eddie assured you.  “Astrid is picking him up on her way over.  Max and Lucas stopped by the garage for a visit and I didn’t want to disrupt the reunion.”

You felt a bit embarrassed at the mention of his longtime friend Max, only because you’d been made to believe that she was a mysterious redhead that Eddie was having an affair with not too long ago.

Thanks to Charlene.

You imagined that Hawkins would be a much better place without her lurking around every corner.  Was there a chance that Judith would take you back on at Moon River Gallery?  No, you had no desire to go crawling back to that place. Unless a new gallery opened, or your art took off to celebrity status, you’d be waitressing at the Hammer and squirreling away your tips for the foreseeable future.

But, you’d have Eddie.

You’d been spacing out so hard, you barely realized that Robin was standing in front of you, offering to take the sack with a Tupperware full of homemade potato salad and hamburger buns. Eddie was carrying your veggie burger patties that he bought especially for the occasion, and the fixings to make tofu skewers.  You told him you were a vegetarian once, and you never had to remind him again.  

“You good?” Robin asked, noting the way you shook your head a few times to come back to reality. Katie came up behind Robin to place her hands on her girlfriend’s hips before she moved over to your side.

“Have a beer with me?” Katie asked softly, reading the weariness in your slightly hunched shoulders.  

It was officially fall, but the weather was warm for Indiana in late September.  Eddie had on his Iron Maiden concert tee under his jacket from their 1985 World Slavery tour and black converse with his worn jeans, and he took his leather off and threw it on a lawn chair as he walked over to the grill.

“You better leave the hard stuff to me,” he said to Steve, shifting his gaze accusatory to grill.  The last time he let Steve grill your veggie burger, he’d charred it within an inch of its life.  

“Have at it,” Steve dusted his hands together.  “I have to go check on my pie in the oven.”

“You baked a pie?” Eddie gawked at him like he had hornets crawling out of his ears.  

“Well, Astrid made it,” he pinched a few sunflower seeds out of the front pocket of his apron and popped them in his mouth, chewing as he spoke. “It’s cherry,” he bobbed his eyebrows up and down a few times suggestively, and Eddie scoffed, elbowing him out of the way so that he could put his skewers down on the folding table.

You were just about to take the first sip of your beer when a man’s voice that was not familiar called over from the driveway.  

“There’s that long-haired freak I’ve been looking for.”

The skin on your arms prickled with gooseflesh and you spun around, thinking there was about to be some sort of trouble. 

Slightly unrealistic to think the worst, but you were understandably alert.

There at the edge of the lawn stood a tall, handsome guy you’d never laid eyes on before, maybe in his late 20’s, and he had a Coffin Kings cut on that was very similar to the one’s Eddie and Steve wore.  At his side, holding his hand was an adorable redhead. Her long hair was pulled through the back of a baseball cap, but you noted that the bright candy color was deeply familiar.  

You turned to see Eddie’s reaction like you were watching a tennis match.  

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he beamed.  “Look what the cat dragged in, "and he stopped what he was doing to make his way over with his arms out and the two hugged, giving each other hearty pats on the back.

“Max!” Robin squealed, practically doing a cartwheel in that direction.  You and Katie fell back and stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the group reconnect in a way that was very familial.  

Lucas and Max had been together since high school, you learned, and Lucas was a member of the Coffin Kings Indianapolis chapter.  The song Love Spreads by The Stone Roses played from Robin's portable boombox on the steps as the new arrivals meandered in to be with the rest of the gang and assimilated with ease.  

Eddie rested his hand on your lower back to introduce you, and instead of a handshake, Max went in for a hearty hug, and in your ear, she said, “Eddie loves you so much, I’ve been dying to meet you.”

When she pulled back to meet your eyes, you nodded, swallowing hard.  “I’ve heard so much about you,” you told her, and then Max shot a look at Eddie and made a crack about how she hoped it was all good things that you’d heard.

They were even more interested to meet Katie, being that Robin had not been serious about anyone since before Oliver was born.  Just then, the Oliver in question came bursting out of the house flying his hot dog bun through the air like a plane, making engine noises.  

By the time Dustin and Suzie came by with their new baby, the smell of burgers charring on the grill filled the air and you helped Steve bring some more chairs out to the lawn.  Eddie was taking much care to keep your vegetarian stuff away from the meat, and you couldn’t help but notice with deep adoration.

Astrid had a lot on her mind.  So much so that she didn’t have it in her to make the usual banter with Wayne that she enjoyed when they were together.

“You okay, darlin’?” Wayne turned to her in the truck on the way over.

“Oh,” she tucked a thick swatch of dark hair behind her ear. “You know, just thinking about how excited Steve must be about the new baby.”

There was a distinct melancholy in her voice.  One of the reasons the relationship between her and Steve had never gone any further than besties who make love was her refusal to take away his chance at a big family.  She was barely 21 when a doctor told her she’d never be able to conceive. Well, technically he said there was a small chance—a hairline percentage—but that it “would take an actual miracle”---those were his words.  

She loved Steve too much to not let him be a dad.  He was made for that life.  Ever since he was a teenager, he’d known he wanted to be a father, and once he had Oliver, she knew she’d done the right thing.  She’d tried to keep their relationship platonic time and time again, but in the end, the chemistry between them always proved to be too strong.  

She’d decided that she would love him until he found someone else, and then she would continue to love him from the shadows.  She’d given her heart long ago, and with him it would stay.  

“Hell, look at the head of hair on that kid,” Wayne said when Suzie introduced him to her daughter.  He gave a crooked grin and stroked a finger along the back of her tiny, exposed hand.  

At that, Dustin took his cap off and swiped a hand through his unruly mane.  “Thank god the rest of her looks take after her mother.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Lucas grumbled, thumping his friend in the arm.  

Steve had his back to the crowd when they came in and Astrid spanked him on the bum on her way up the stairs to the kitchen.

He spun on his heel and was quick to cage his arms around her so she could only squirm.  His face was flushed and glowing.  “You meet the kid?”

“I did,” normally, she would’ve kissed him, but instead she pulled back a bit, tilting her chin away.  “She’s so beautiful, Steve.”

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I—” she knew she was a fool to think he wouldn’t be able to read her face, a fool to think he couldn’t read her like a book after all of those years.  

Steve frowned, examining her face for a clue to her distress.  

Astrid’s stomach felt like she’d swallowed a lead weight.  

She hadn’t decided if she should tell him or not.

About the secret she’d been carrying with her for a few days.  

15 years, that’s how long she’d been in love with him.

Back when he was 19 and she was 23.

They’d known each other since they were little kids.

“I need to talk to you later,” she told him.

Steve dropped his arms from around her but held her hand.  “You can’t tell me now?”

She’d be 38 in December.

“Later, okay?” She winked at him to ease his suffering, and then made her way into the house, knowing that he stood there the whole time and watched her go. 

But later that day never came.  

Wayne wanted to get back and rest before his chemo treatment, and Dustin and his family only stayed for about an hour as they were all understandably still exhausted and wanting to recover at home.  

Astrid waved goodbye to Steve on her way out, and Steve stood up from his chair thinking he’d get a kiss, or at least a hug—but then she was gone.  

He tried not to think too much of it.  If he’d done something to upset her, she was never shy about letting him know.  Maybe she was tired of socializing, maybe she needed a break from him.

Lord knows he wished he could take a break from himself.  

Eddie looked over at where you stood talking with Max and Robin, and he recalled the conversation he’d had with Wayne a few days earlier.

“I don’t have to tell you you found a good one,” Wayne said from the couch in his trailer while Eddie sat next to him.  “I think you know they don’t come around very often.”

“Oh believe me, I know,” Eddie raked a hand through his hair, brushing his bangs off his forehead one, two, three times.  “I keep thinking one day she’s going to wake up and realize she could do a lot better.”

“You’ve done better than you give yourself credit for,” his uncle returned in a low, steady voice. 

When the next words came, Eddie felt a tightness in his throat:

“I’m proud of you, son.”

Wayne had a hard time leaving the house the day after his treatments, so Eddie always came by to bring him lunch and make sure he had everything he needed.  One day he came by to check on Wayne and found that you were already there, doing his dishes for him.

He’d never been with anyone who cared about the people in his life like that.  

Back at the barbeque, you slipped up next to him and planted your lips on his bicep, breathing in the sandalwood and leather of his scent.  “Penny for your thoughts?”

“Since you asked,” he smirked.  “I was thinking how I wish I’d met you a lot sooner.”

“How much sooner?” You batted eyes at him once he turned to face you. “In high school?”

Eddie made a yuck face.  “No, you would not have given me a chance in high school.  I would’ve been a lovesick puppy, but you probably wouldn’t have even known I existed.”

“Are you kidding?” You stuck the tip of your tongue out between your teeth, examining him.  “I would’ve jumped your bones so fast.”

“So fast, huh?” He chuckled, taking you by the hips. “What about now?”

He pulled you in and you hummed against his lips, trying not to get too horny right there in front of the guests.  

Lucas and Max would be in town for a couple days, so you and Eddie made plans to meet up at the Velvet Hammer when you were off work on Tuesday.  By the time the sun went down, all of the visitors were gone, and you were happy to head home as well after helping with some cleanup.  

“Robin and I can take care of it,” Katie nudged you away from trying to wash out a casserole dish at the sink. “You get out of here and go rest.  Make Eddie rub your feet or something.”

You both stopped what you were doing to look at each other.  

The way you were searching your friend’s face made her turn to give you her full attention.  In the background, you could hear Steve trying to convince Oliver to get his pajamas on and brush his teeth in a sing-song voice.  

“I can’t believe how much has happened in these past few months,” you still had soap bubbles popping on your wet hands and you slid them absently along the thighs of your jeans. 

Katie gave a thoughtful sniff.  “I think about it a lot,” she mused. “About that night on the couch at our place when you first told me about the guy who picked you up in the tow truck, and then meeting the boys at The Hideout and then—”

She cringed and covered her face with a dish towel, remembering her “date” with Steve.  “---it feels so surreal that Steve and I actually…well…I don’t want to think about it.  It’s too weird.”

“But then you and Robin found each other again,” you offered, thinking back to that first barbecue at their house when Eddie had to take off suddenly for secretive Coffin Kings business.  

It was on the tip of your tongue to tell your friend about the offer from John Gregson.  Katie knew you better than most people and you could always trust her advice to be on the mark.  

For some reason, you wanted to cry, just drop to your knees and start bawling right there on the kitchen floor.  For no one reason just

Everything

Katie caught the way your jaw moved like you were just about to say something, but then Eddie’s hands were snaking around to hold your back flush to his chest.  Your hair caught on his beard stubble when he leaned in, warm breath at your ear.  “You ladies need any help in here?”

You closed your eyes; you were glad to have him there. Glad to be in his arms, glad to know, in your heart, that he would always try his best for you.

But you were the one keeping a secret.  

Robin joined Katie at the sink and told you both to take a hike, lovingly.  

Steve came into the kitchen after you were both gone and the engine of Eddie’s Chevelle could be heard thundering down the road.

The first thing he did was pick up the beige, wall-mounted phone and call Astrid.  He stood there for a while with the receiver pressed to his ear and his other arm folded over his chest before he held the mouthpiece out in front of him and stared at it.

“She’s not answering,” he mumbled loud enough that the girls could hear.  

“Maybe she’s at Wayne’s? Did you check there?” Robin offered; her hair worn up in a haphazard ponytail.

Steve checked the clock first to make sure he wasn’t bothering Uncle too late, but it was barely 8:30 and he was probably up in his recliner watching M*A*S*H reruns.  

Wayne answered and they exchanged a few words, but then when Steve hung up again, he was quiet, contemplatively so.

“What did he say?” Robin asked impatiently, drying some silverware with a checkered towel.

Steve frowned.  “He said she dropped him off almost two hours ago and told him she was going home.”

He tried her house one more time and, again, no answer.  He let it ring five times but disconnected once her answering machine clicked on.  

“Maybe she went to bed early,” Katie shrugged.  “And turned the ringer off.”

Steve knew better; Astrid barely slept.  Normally, not being able to get a hold of her would not phase him, but something about the way she’d been acting that night set an alarm off in his gut.  

Outside, there was the sound like a firecracker bomb going off that shook the house.  Robin yelped and Steve bolted to the window to yank the yellow curtain back to see where it had come from.  

He got there just in time to see a streak of lightning crack the dark sky and a drizzle of rain hit the glass.  “Oh shit, good thing Eddie came in the Chevelle,” the droplets turned into a downpour as he stood there.  

“Looks like a hell of a storm is brewing.”

—----

Earlier that day, Charlene Gregson marched out of Murray Bauman’s office with her lawyer in tow.  She wore her oversized sunglasses and no expression on her face as they went down in the elevator and exited into the austere lobby.  She looked like a million bucks, which was probably the cost of all of the gold and diamond jewelry she had on.  

Outside on the busy street, her personal chauffeur was waiting by the Towncar to open the door for her while her lawyer, a pit-bull of a man named Saul, got in on the other side to slide in next to her.  Billy was out there waiting on his bike, to make sure no one bothered her on their way out.  He flicked his cigarette to the ground and revved the engine, angling to fall in line behind the Towncar.

“You sure this is what you want?” Saul posed the question to her as he slammed his door shut. They’d just thrown a lot of money at Murray and had him sign official documents.

Charlene sounded annoyed.  “It’s a bit late for that, isn’t it? The deal is done.”

He continued. “I suppose I’m still trying to wrap my head around why you would—” 

“I don’t pay you to ask personal questions,” she sniffed. “Just make sure there’s a smooth transition.  I don’t want to be having a cocktail on the beach and find out that you fumbled something, and I’m forced to fly back out here.”

The town car sailed into traffic and the two sat in silence for a few minutes until Charlene stared out the window at the passing buildings on their way back to the lake house. 

 “Have you ever been in love, Saul?” 

He was confused by the question and tapped his foot a few times.  “I can’t really say I have.” 

After recent events, and everything that he’d been tasked to do in her name for the benefit of someone else made him wonder. “What about you?”

“Only once,” she pressed her red lips together, eyes unblinking behind her sunglasses.  “And once will have to be enough.”

Saul assumed she meant her soon to be ex husband John, and so he left it at that.  

—-------

In a matter of seconds, the rain was coming down in sheets and the windshield wipers on the Chevelle were flapping back and forth at supernova speed.

“We could go back to my apartment if you want,” Eddie turned the Faith No More song down on the radio so that he could be heard over the rain.  “But your place is cozier, and I know both are fairly small but I’ve been wanting to talk to you about—”

“I think I want to stay at my place tonight,” you blurted it out, keeping your attention fixed on the dash, staring at nothing. “Alone, if that’s alright.” 

You could see in your peripheral vision that he turned to look at you, and you offered a reflexive smile, shoulders hunched a bit as if you were trying to fold  in on yourself.  

He smoothed his palm around the steering wheel and tried not to let the sensitive side of him that had been abandoned his whole life jump to conclusions.  Not everyone needed to sleep next to the person they loved every night; you wanting space was totally reasonable and had nothing to do with your feelings for him.

Right?

Just in case, he decided to make sure.  “Was it something I said or? Cause if there’s an issue between us, you know you can talk to me.”

For some reason, his insistence to have healthy communication irritated you.  Possibly because you knew he was right and you should put it all out on the table and talk to him, but you didn’t know how.  Your brain had barely been able to process the offer from John, let alone put the whole thing into words.

“It’s nothing you did,” you said softly.  “I just need time to think.”

Something about your tone and choice of words made his heart rate increase.  “Think about what?”

“Just stuff Eddie, okay? I don’t want to talk about it right now!” You snapped at him, for the first time ever.  

After everything with Erika and Charlene and Melanie and thinking he’d been cheating on you, you’d never lost your temper with him, and the two of you had never had a fight.  As much as you knew that arguments and disagreements were a very normal part of intimate relationships, you still felt like shit the second the words came out with such vitriol.

There it was, Eddie’s biggest fear: you were pulling away from him.  

He’d suffocated you just like he was prone to do.  He was “too much”, and now you were getting sick of him.  

For the next few minutes of the drive to your place, neither of you said a word.  

You because you didn’t want to take your confusion and anxiety out on Eddie, and Eddie because he didn’t want to sound like a whiny, needy bitch and make things worse.    

He parked up in your driveway to get you close to the door, but he kept the engine running to let you know he was honoring your wish to drop you off and let you be.  

You took a deep breath and flipped the manual lock up with two fingers.

“Wait, let me—” he was about to get out and come around to hold his coat out for you so that you wouldn’t get wet, but you were too quick for him.

“I’ll be fine, goodnight.” you were soaked the second you stepped out, fumbling in the pocket of your bag to find your keys.

“I love you,” Eddie’s voice was barely loud enough to be heard over the weather.

“Love you too,” you said quickly, and then you were bolting for the house, wishing you’d left the porch light on.  

Once you were inside, you clicked the deadbolt shut and watched the beam of Eddie’s headlights retreat.

This was ridiculous.  You were being ridiculous.  

There’s a beautiful man out there who treats you better than you’ve ever been treated in your whole life.  

You threw your bag on the floor and undid the lock to jerk open the door again.

You stumbled out into the rain.  “Eddie wait!”

But all you could see were his taillights as he pulled onto the main street and drifted away.  

—------

Back at her house, Astrid let the phone ring.

At one point, she had her hand on it, ready to pick up, but then decided against it.  

It was impossible for her to be fake with Steve, but she also wasn’t ready to be as forthcoming as she needed to be.  

She stood at the table and looked at the paperwork from the doctor's office one more time before she made her way over to the couch and hugged a pillow to her chest to let the tears fall hot and heavy.  

She had her eyes closed, so she didn’t notice the lights approaching in the driveway or hear Steve shouting her name from the sidewalk as he stood out in the rain.

He’d borrowed Robin’s car to ease his mind and make sure Astrid was okay.  What if she had slipped and hit her head or something? What if she was there with another dude? Also, a possibility under their “don’t ask, don’t tell” relationship agreement.    

The white t-shirt he had on was soaked through, making the tattoos underneath look like they were a design imprinted on the material that hugged his muscles.  

He banged on the door with the side of his fist and shouted her name again. 

By then, Astrid could hear him, but she stayed curled on the couch and waited in vain for him to give up and leave.  

—--

Eddie scowled to himself as he parked the Chevelle in one of the garages and made his way across the parking lot and up the steps to his apartment, shaking his wet hair like a dog.  He could hear a few of the guys partying in the clubhouse, and he thought about joining them, but realized his spirits were too low to be social. There was a punching bag in the back office where he normally did his workouts to burn off steam, but he wasn’t in the mood for that either.  

He told himself he would check on you first thing in the morning, but then it occurred to him that you might not want to hear from him right away.  He wanted to respect your wishes, your boundaries.  

He didn’t want to smother you.

On the nightstand next to his phone was the card for the real estate agent he’d visited the day before.  There was a room on the second floor of the Ferguson farmhouse with a view of the big backyard and he imagined setting some easels up to make it a place for you to paint.  It had a big living room with a fireplace and a workshed in the barn.  He wanted to talk to you about it, to ask if maybe you could see yourself living there.  With him.  

But now he wondered if things were moving too fast.  

He crossed his arms over his body and took his shirt off in the bathroom mirror.  He rubbed a hand down his stomach, noting the areas of skin that were not covered in inked designs.  The fanged bat with wings spread wide on his chest, the dragon design on his bicep, the grim reaper on his forearm.  A crude dagger made to look like it pierced his skin just under his rib cage that said, “true friends stab you in the front”.  There were other bits of traditional biker flash scattered around that Steve had doodled on him over the past decade.  On his other forearm was a memorial tattoo for his mother with her name, the year she died, and an angel statue with eyes that dripped blood, surrounded in roses and thorns, and the thorns came down over the back of his hand.  It was done in a way so that the bats that had been inked there earlier were still visible.  

He was barely 15 when another friend inked HELLFIRE on his knuckles.  It was done with a homemade tattooing gun like the ones used in prison, and the letters had to be redone later because they were basically chicken scratches.  One of the other earliest ones was the skull with a snake through it on his opposite bicep with his nickname “War Machine” underneath.  

Some days, he wanted to get them all removed and start over.

Other days, he wanted to go balls to the wall like Steve and be inked from ear to foot.  

He threw his soaked shirt in the hamper and was just about to grab a beer out of the small fridge near his desk to take into the shower with him—

but then there was a knock at the door.  

At first, he thought it was one of the other Coffin Kings, trying to drag him down to get plastered with them, but then he noticed that the rapping of knuckles was soft, cautious even.  

“Eddie?”

His head snapped around at the sound of the voice.

It was you. 

—------

Steve held his finger on the doorbell, relentlessly.  “Astrid, if you don’t answer the goddamn door, I’m gonna break it down!  You know I will!”

Astrid wiped her face, flapping her hand to dry her eyes and cheeks to the best of her ability.  She still had on the flowy, floral, maxi dress with an empire waist that she’d worn at the barbeque, and she wrapped a black shawl around her shoulders as she stomped begrudgingly to the door. 

Just as she was about to reach up to unlock the safety chain, there was a loud thud from Steve’s foot slamming into the wood, vibrating the hinges.

“Steve stop!” She yelled, fussing with the second lock on the doorknob.  

She yanked the door back and there he was: soaked to the bone. 

There was only a short awning over her front steps, and so he was standing as close to the frame as possible while more thunder rumbled in the distance. His wet hair had flopped into his eyes, and he swiped it back with a twist of his head, spitting to the sidewalk as he did so.  

His expression was one of anger at first, but then it melted into confusion when he could tell right away that she had been crying.  “Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

“This is a bad time,” she stayed blocking the entrance, although the yearning in his eyes was actively testing her resolve.

“The hell it is?” He pushed. He shifted to see behind her, as if there was someone or something she was hiding.  “You’re upset, I can tell.  Let me in.”

“No.” That was her answer, but Steve wasn’t having it.

He stomped up onto the threshold, wet hair dripping onto her face as he closed in, bracing his hand on the door so that she couldn’t shut it.  “Why don’t you want to see me?”

She tried to look everywhere but his face, but then his hand caught her chin and guided her eyes up to meet his. 

 “Talk to me,” he whispered from lips dotted in water droplets.  

There was a tug of war going on in her heart, and in the end, Steve won.  He always did.  

She didn’t invite him in properly, she just turned on her heel and left the door open, knowing he would follow her into the living room.  

His boots squeaked from all the moisture on her hardwood floors.  He always liked to take his shoes off when he came to see her, but it was too late for that.  He found her sitting on the couch in the dark, but he could only see the outline of her curly hair.

“Why are you sitting here without any lights on?” He reached down and flicked on a tiny wicker lamp that was on the nearby bookshelf.  

“You ask a lot of questions,” she mumbled.

He pinched the front of his shirt to peel it from his body and flapped it a few times as if that would dry it out. “What did you want to talk to me about at the barbeque?”

“You’re soaking wet,” she got a good look at him in the light and suddenly felt bad that she’d made him wait out there.

“No kidding?” He snorted sarcastically. 

“You left some of your clothes here last time. I folded them in the third drawer,” she hugged the pillow.  “Get into something dry and then we can talk.”

He stripped down to his underwear right there in front of her, staring at her the entire time, as if he was worried she would bolt and try to hide from him. His patchwork of colorful tattoos was a jumble of loud expressions of his aggression and passion.  In honor of his nickname Taz, he had several Tasmanian devils doing various things including riding a motorcycle and one on the back of his arm giving onlookers the middle finger.  The ones on the front of his thighs were all self-done when he was just a kid, practicing his craft.  When he was a teenager, he used to tease her and call her “Asteroid” and just above his knee was an asteroid with a fire tail crashing toward a heart-shaped earth.  Besides the Seek and Destroy tattoo on the side of his throat, his skin was full of phrases, including the big “FTW” letters in an arc under his ribcage that stood for “Fuck the World”.   

He went into her bedroom and brought out a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt with “Gary’s Plumbing” advertised on the front pocket.  He dressed in front of her as well, keeping a relentless eye.

“You really are ridiculous, you know that?” She put her chin in her palm and waited patiently for the show to be over.  

He flapped his arms out to his sides like a little kid waiting for approval on his outfit. “Okay, beautiful. I’m dry.  Time to spill the beans.”

“Can you sit down, please?” Her heart flopped in her chest as she considered the words that were about to come out of her mouth and the effect, they would have on him.

In Steve’s experience, when someone asked you to sit down before they told you something, it was always their attempt to soften the blow of bad news.  “Why can’t you just tell me now? You’re freaking me out, babe.”

“Steve,” She pleaded sternly.  “Trust me, I need you to sit down for this.”

—------

Eddie barely had time to greet you before you were pushing by him to get into the studio apartment.  You were hugging yourself, and anxiety had your stomach in knots.  

“I need to talk to you about something,” you gushed.  

Eddie stood at the door, keeping his back to you while he locked it.  He was shirtless, dark hair dripping down the pale muscles that flexed under his flesh.  

You looked around, trying to decide if you should sit or stand when your gaze landed on the painting you’d done for him after that first time you met.  He had it displayed front and center, right above his desk on the main navy-blue wall, as if it were the most important piece in the room.

You were pacing when he turned toward you, the wheels in your mind spinning.

When he got closer, you stepped further away, but he caught your wrist.  “Hey, why can’t you look at me? What’s going on?”  His voice was sterner than he’d intended it to be.  

“I can look at you,” you made yourself meet his stare to prove his point, but it was difficult. You felt like he could see right through you; all of your doubts, all of your fears and insecurities. 

“Sit,” he directed you over to the end of the bed, facing the small sitting area with where there was a couch and a coffee table in front of an old Zenith tv.

Next to you, the mattress sank under his weight, but in your mind, you were somewhere else.  

“So, is this it?” He released a heavy breath and started to play with one of the rings on his hand, pulling it up the finger and then pushing it back down to the knuckle.

“What do you mean?”

It was he who couldn’t look at you now.  “Are you breaking up with me?”

“No!” You blurted it, eyebrows pinching together in frustration with the way you couldn’t get the words out.  “That’s not…I didn’t mean…I just have a lot on my mind, that’s all.”

A rush of endorphins filled him with temporary relief while he waited for your next words.

You stretched your neck from side to side, swallowed hard, and then you told him.

You told him about John’s offer to run your own gallery in Chicago, the opportunity to have the artists loft you’d always dreamed of.  You picked at a piece of skin on the side of your thumb as you talked.

“But I said I needed to talk to you about it first,” you added.

Eddie got to his feet and went over to look out the window over the garage parking lot. “Sounds like a pretty sweet deal,” he mumbled.  

You weren’t breaking up with him, but you were, in fact, leaving him, which was much the same thing.

“Well, it’s complicated,” you said, watching as he went over to snatch his pack of smokes and lighter off of the coffee table.  

“Doesn’t sound complicated to me,” the cigarette bobbed between his pinched lips as he talked, cupping his hand to light the end.  “Sounds like you already know what your answer is.”

“I wouldn’t be talking to you about it if I’d already made my decision,” you countered.  “I want to know what you think.”

“Well,” he scoffed, exhaling a sharp plume of smoke down his chin. His eyes were much darker now, almost black.  “No one in their right mind would choose to stay in Hawkins, not with an opportunity like that on the table.” 

He almost added, “no loser biker boyfriend is worth it,” but decided it was not the right time to be self-deprecating. 

“But I like it here,” you mused. “More than I ever thought I would.”

“We’ll always be here, trust me,” he was trying to remain cool, but his exterior was cracking.  “So, this John guy has been stalking you or something? Getting you to do this painting for him was one thing, but now he’s waiting for you at your job to get you to what? ----Move to Chicago to be closer to him?”.

The smoke came out his nose that time and the muscles in his throat tensed.  He had a bad feeling about that guy before, but he wanted to respect your business ventures and give you space.

The change in Eddie’s demeanor made you wonder if that was the time for full transparency.  In the end, you’d made a promise not to have any secrets from each other and you wanted to keep your word.

“There was mention of that, yes,” you said cautiously, nibbling at your lip.  

“Mention of what, exactly?” Eddie scowled, cocking his head to the side.

“He said there were lots of places he wanted to take me to in the city,” you recited the words cautiously.

Eddie laughed and threw his head back; it was much more of a crazy, maniacal cackle.  “Oh shit, maybe I should pay him a little visit?  See if pretty boy wants to show me the city too.”

“Eddie.”

“What did you tell him?” He was fuming now, grinding his jaw as he stabbed the half-smoked cig into the ashtray.  

“I didn’t tell him anything,” you repeated, but in a much louder voice.  “I said I needed to talk to you, my boyfriend.”

“He knows you have a boyfriend, and he still pulled that shit?”  Eddie bit the tip of his tongue between his teeth with a grimace.  “That fucker needs to get rolled.”

“Eddie!” 

“No, I’m serious,” he was yelling now, but more about the situation than at you.  “I gave him a chance to be cool, to be a gentleman, and he fucked it up. I told you babe, dudes like that, with money, think they can take whatever they want.  Well, he can’t have you, unless it’s over my dead fucking body.”

“Well, it’s my fucking choice, and I don’t want to be with him, I want to be with you, asshole,” You shot to your feet.  

You’d realized something on your way over to his place and it was that you really did not want to leave Hawkins.  

Every rational bone in your body told you to take the offer and run, but the other bones in your body, the not so rational ones, told you that you’d finally found your family and a place you belonged.  

“Listen to me,” you grabbed him by the arm and made him turn, his hair flying over his shoulder.  “I don’t want to take the job, okay? I want to stay here.  With you.”

Eddie nostrils flared.  It was taking all of his strength not to go out looking for that pencil pushing dweeb Gregson.  But if he actually got his hands on him in the heat of the moment, he was afraid of what he would do.  

“I’ll move with you,” Eddie wet his lips, a new idea flashing behind his eyes.

“With me? To Chicago?”

“Yeah, no, I could make it work. Hire another manager here, another tow truck driver. Come back and check in a couple times a month,” he walked by you as he talked, plucking at his lower lip with thumb and forefinger. “I could get a job at a garage in Chicago, easy. There’s even a King’s chapter there. I could get Bones to patch me in.”

“What about Wayne? And Oliver?” 

“We’ll come back to visit,” Eddie nodded at the plan that was forming in his head.  “Steve and Robin and the kid love Chicago.  Maybe we can get a place with a spare bedroom for when they come up.”

“But what about—”

“I know this means a lot to you, this opportunity,” he cut you off.  “I know I’m a dirty, biker asshole, but I’m not going to be the reason you give up on a dream.” He went over to the dresser drawers and pulled out a Pabst Blue Ribbon shirt to pull on over his head.  The armholes were cut wide, and the collar was frayed.  

“But what if I don’t want to live in Chicago?”

Eddie squinted like he hadn’t heard you correctly.  “What now?”

You bit the inside of your cheek in contemplation.  “I’ve been thinking that I don’t really care about that world anymore, the art world I mean.”

“You don’t want to paint anymore?” He appeared hurt by this notion.  

“No, I do, I will always paint,” you corrected with a wave of your hand.  “But the retail side of it, the snobby clientele, the stress, I’m not sure it makes me happy anymore.  Not sure if it ever did.”

It was Eddie who took a seat that time, perching on the back of the sofa. You could tell he was trying to understand, but the information was coming at him a bit too fast.

“I don’t want to work at the Hammer for the rest of my life, either, but it’s okay for now,” you were working through the revelations as you spoke them aloud.  “I have a friend who is starting her own greeting card company, and she wants me to do some artwork for her.  Little by little, I can make a living while still doing what I love.”

Eddie’s thoughts drifted back to the farmhouse, and how much he felt like it fit the both of you.  

“Are you telling me you chose Hawkins? Really?”

You went over to situate your hips between his knees and brushed his bangs off his forehead.  “No, I’m saying I choose you, asshole,” a smile tugged the side of your mouth up.  “Hawkins is a bonus, yes, but I will always choose you.”

Foreheads met then, and Eddie forced out a long-held breath from between tight lips.  “I don’t want you to wake up one day and realize you made a mistake.”

“The only thing I regret is that I didn’t get to jump your bones in high school.”

He chuckled, repeating what he’d asked at the barbeque earlier.  “Well, what about now?”

In the back of his mind he was thinking, “that John Gregson is still a dead man,” but he kept it to himself.

—----

Steve flopped down next to Astrid on the fluffy, tan sofa so violently it was as if he’d been thrown there by a force of nature.  He scooted closer and pawed at her hand so that she would intertwine her fingers with his.  He was reminded of all of those times as a teenager when he would get hurt on purpose just so she would patch him up.  She was a couple years older and wanted nothing to do with him back then, but nevertheless he melted under the tender touch of her attention every time.  

“I’m all ears,” he prodded eagerly when she did not speak right away.  

Keeping Steve’s hand with hers, Astrid turned to face him and tucked her bare feet underneath her, adjusting the stretch length of her dress.  

Steve watched the way her long hair fell across her neck and ample cleavage. 

“Okay,” she cleared her throat. “What I need to tell you is—”

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, perpetually distracted.

“Steve?”

“Sorry, go ahead.”

Another big inhale and then: “These past few weeks, I could tell something was…off.  I thought it was early menopause because I missed my period.”

Steve stared blankly, trying not to get turned on watching her lips move.  

She let her gaze fall to their hands clasped on Steve’s knee, wondering if any of it was real, or if she was still dreaming. 

“Is it cancer?”  He dared to ask, squeezing her hand.  “Because I’m not going to let anything happen to you.  I’ll find the best doctor at gunpoint if I have to.”   

“Steve!” 

“What? You’re making me crazy! Tell me everything's okay?”

“I’m not dying, Steve.”

“Well then what is it? I’ve been going out of my mind and here you are—”

“I’m pregnant.”

His body had been moving, vibrating even, but it all came to a complete halt at that.  

As if he’d been flash-frozen on the spot.

A mannequin of himself; mouth open, one eyebrow up. 

He shook his head, confused.  “Hold on, what? But I thought you said that you—”

She played with the hem of her shawl.  “I was told it was impossible.  I was told it would take a miracle.”

“Wait a minute, so—” he gulped and then leaned forward to search her face, one arm scooping behind her.  Her eyes were glossy again, on the verge of another wellspring.  

“Is it m-my…is it my baby?” He stammered.

She could only nod, chin quivering as more tears gathered at her lash line only to race down her cheeks once she blinked.  

Steve lost it then too, sucking in air before he choked on his own emotions.  He brought her hand to his chest and held it there.  “My baby,” he gasped, eyes flooding.  “You’re having my baby.  We’re having a baby.”

“Yeah,” she hiccuped and sniffed. “You’re not upset?”

“Upset? Why would I be upset? How could you even think that?” He was deeply offended that she would question his reaction to something he’d wanted his whole life with her, specifically.

He was wiping her tears away with his thumbs as she spoke.  “This is far from convenient, Steve. The way we both live our lives, we never planned for this. We barely have two pennies to rub together between us and—”

“Shhhh,” he kissed her nose and her eyelids and her mouth. “Money comes and goes, sweetheart.  It doesn’t matter, nothing matters, but you and this baby.  Our baby.”

Our baby.  He couldn’t stop saying it.  

He hadn’t known about Oliver until a few days before he was born, and he always felt robbed of all that time in the womb when he could’ve bonded with his son.  Tina had been a three-day fling at a music festival, and he never had any intention of seeing her again.  He’d been prepared to do the right thing though, to be a family even if it killed him, but then Tina just handed him a baby boy a week old and drove away, as if he knew what the fuck he was doing.  

Robin had been in the car waiting for him when it happened.  She saw him standing there in the street holding that screaming baby in a blanket and right then and there, a mother was born.  

He put his hand on Astrid’s stomach, gently.  “Can I feel it move yet? The baby?”

She laughed into her hand as she wiped her nose.  “I’m barely seven weeks along, silly.” 

He curled down like he always did when he put his head in her lap, but instead he placed his ear on her stomach, massaging her thigh with his hand. “I don’t think you can hear me, little one, but daddy has loved your mother his whole life and I love you very much.”

His next words were to Astrid; a murmur into the meat of her. “Will you let me love you now? The way I’ve always wanted to? Will you stay with me?”

She scratched her fingers through his hair, and then held his head there when his arms went around her waist. They stayed like that for a long while.

A bit later, in bed with her head on his chest, he was half asleep when she whispered: “You know that twins run in my family, right?”

—------

“A geriatric pregnancy,” Steve told you from across the bar when you were both back at work the next evening to the tune of Connection by Elastica. 

You made a face while you put some limes and shots of tequila on your tray.  

“That’s what they call it, I guess, when a woman is over 35,” he shrugged.  “A geriatric pregnancy.  So, I’m forcing her to take it easy.”

He was letting you and Shana in on the good news, and he’d been grinning from ear to ear for so long, his cheeks hurt.  His gold incisor caught the red lights like it had a ruby in it.  He’d even been smiling in his sleep, somehow, as Astrid noticed when she got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. 

“I’m so happy for you,” you mirrored his enthusiasm.  “Does Eddie know? Wayne?”

“Not yet,” he made a loose fist and cracked his knuckles. “We wanted to tell Uncle together.  I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, but I couldn’t wait,” he added sheepishly. “She knows I can’t keep a secret like that.”

“I’ll wait and let you give Eddie the news,” you told him.  “I think he’d rather hear it from you.”

“Where is that War Machine?” Steve looked around, adjusting his sunglasses on his head.  ���I owe him a drink.”

“That’s a good question,” you glanced at the clock that was up by the wall-mounted tv.  “He said he was going to stop by, but that was almost two hours ago.”  It didn’t concern you too much because your boyfriend was a busy guy, and last-minute things were always popping up at the shop.  

It was on your to-do list to call John on your break and let him know you were turning down his offer.  The more you thought about it, the more you wondered if he’d planned to hire you on merit, or if he just wanted to get into your pants.  When you thought about the possibility of the latter, it made your blood pressure spike.  

You delivered a round of drinks to a table, and on your way back to the bar, there was a man in a suit coming through the door, holding a briefcase.  

Steve gave him a nod when they made eye contact, but he didn’t ask to check his ID because the man had a graying hairline and was possibly mid-fifties at the least.  He was fit though, and had a very confident demeanor about him.  He looked like he was there to do business.  

“My name is Saul,” he introduced himself to Steve with a handshake and Steve stood up from his stool to be eye level with him.  “I’m looking for Steve Harrington.”

“You found him,” Steve rolled his neck, wondering what he could possibly want from him.  

Saul gave a stiff smile that did not reach his eyes. 

By then you were at the bar, acting like you were busy so that you could eavesdrop.

“What’s this about?” Steve pushed the sleeves of his flannel up to his elbows, exposing his tattoos.  

“Well, it would behoove you to give me a moment of your time,” he moved one side of his suit jacket back to shove his hand in his pocket, rocking back on his heels.  

“I have some business to discuss with you on behalf of Charlene Gregson.”

—------

John Gregson had no idea he was being followed.

He vaguely registered the sound of the loud pipes from the motorcycles rolling up to Margie’s diner, but he was having a late lunch with a business associate and didn’t pay much attention to it.  He preferred white tablecloth lunch meetings, but in Hawkins there weren’t many choices.  Their BLT was unbeatable though, as was the chocolate cream pie.  He’d have to calculate them both into his low-carb diet and spend extra time at the gym in the morning.  

He had his back to the door, making notes in his date book as the man across from him spoke over the sound of clattering dishes and silverware.  

He felt the shadows pass over the table, but he figured it was a group on the way to sit at a booth further down.  

But they came to a halt and loomed there, smelling of leather and tobacco.

John glanced over the top of his reading glasses at his companion first and saw that the color had drained from his face.  

There were four members of the Coffin Kings glaring down at them.  

Eddie frowned at the man with John and jerked his thumb to the side.  “Get up,” he said.  “Find somewhere else to be, I need to talk to your friend here.”

Devlin sank into the booth behind John while Van stood across the aisle flipping his butterfly knife, and Lucas stayed next to Eddie.

“Now, hold on just a—” John began to protest, about to get to his feet, but Lucas clapped a hand onto his shoulder and pushed him back down with calm, steady force.

His companion’s eyes darted from Eddie to John a few times before he gathered his things in a rush, tucking all of his papers under his arm, and shimmied past Van while holding his breath.  It was clear he had no intention of going to wait at another table, he was down the row of booths and out the front door in a flash.

With a heavy sigh, Eddie sank into the seat across from John, wallet chain dragging on the vinyl as he settled in, stretching his arms wide along the back of the bench.  

Lucas turned his back on the two but stood in the same spot, feet planted wide, hands in his pockets, blocking John from leaving.

With a resolute nod, John put his pen down.  “Have we met? I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure—”

“Cut the crap, man,” Eddie huffed with a lazy grin and hooded eyes.  “You know exactly who I am.”

John took his glasses off and tucked them inside his jacket pocket.  “Fair enough. How can I help you?”

Eddie plucked a pack of smokes out of the front pocket of his cut and motioned for Devlin to toss him a lighter.

“This is a no smoking section,” John reminded him, pointing to the sign on the wall with a red line through a cigarette.

Eddie stared at him as he lit the end and sucked in his cheeks until the cherry glowed orange. 

He waited until after a generous exhale to speak, directing the smoke into John’s leftover pie.  

“You see, John—can I call you John? I’ve been really…patient when it comes to this infatuation you have with my girl.  More patient than you deserve, I think.”

John clicked his tongue.  “Now, you misunderstand me, I—”

“I haven’t misunderstood shit,” Eddie scoffed a laugh. 

The waitress came over, and John was sure she was going to tell him to put his cigarette out, but instead she just gave him the most flirtatious smile.  “You want some coffee, hun? You hungry?”

Eddie finished taking another drag and winked at her.  “Just coffee for me, darlin’,” and then he gestured to the other Coffin Kings. “Get these boys whatever they want and wrap it up to go.  It’s on John’s tab.”

Once she was gone, Eddie continued.  “Here’s what’s gonna happen, slick,” he reached over to tap the ash out on John’s plate.  “Once she finishes this painting, you’re gonna to pay her more than what you initially offered, and then you’re never going to see her or talk to her ever again.  Comprendo?”

John used the back of his fingers to push the plate a few inches away, dabbing the sides of his mouth with his napkin.  “My offer for her to run my gallery in Chicago had no devious intentions, I assure you.  I genuinely believe she is that talented.”

Eddie ground his teeth, jaw muscles bulging.  “She’s beyond talented, you got that right, but she doesn’t want to work for you.  You’re a creep.  Throwing money and big promises around to get what you want.  I know your type.”

“My type?” 

“Has your wife ever mentioned me?” Eddie inquired, exhaling into John’s face.

He watched John visibly go rigid.  

Rhonda set Eddie’s coffee cup on a saucer down in front of him with extra creamer and poured him a steaming cup.

John cleared his throat.  “I think it would be in her best interest—”

“You don’t know what’s best for her,” Eddie bit.  “Who are you, her fucking dad?”

He’d said it a bit too loud and a few people from other tables craned their necks to follow the sound.  

Eddie leaned forward, whispering tensely.  “I don’t think I have to tell you that I have friends in low places. People who will do what I say at the drop of a hat.  You think you can hide behind your money?  You’re wrong.  The people who pump your gas and make your food and clean your bathroom?  They’re all with me. You’ll be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life.  If you fuck with me on this, if you seek my girl out after I’ve told you not to?  Well, then, I hope you like dentures sweetheart because I’m gonna pull your perfect, pearly teeth out one by one.”

By the time he was done, his hand had curled into a fist on the table.  He spread the ringed fingers out wide and then made the fist again, making John look at it.

Eddie snubbed out his smoke in John’s pie with a sizzle and then settled back in his seat, relaxing his shoulders.  He cocked an eyebrow up.  “Are we good?”

John sat back as well.  “We’re good,” he acknowledged stiffly, adjusting his suit jacket.

Eddie slapped the table and gave John a wink.  “Well, this was fun,” he chuckled.  “We should catch up more often.”

He took a quick gulp of his coffee and slid out of the booth.  

He stopped to bend over and whisper, “don’t forget to tip well, slick,” in John’s ear on his way out.  

—-------

By the time Eddie showed up at the Velvet Hammer, swatting away plumes of second-hand smoke as he went, everyone knew that Steve was going to be a dad again.  Even the new customers who’d barely just walked in the door that evening.  

Astrid had prepared for this.

One of the many complicated reasons she’d waited more than a week to tell him was because she’d known that, if he knew, he’d be announcing it to everyone he passed by on the street.

Steve jumped from his stool and hugged Eddie.  “I’ve got great news, man,” he clapped Eddie a few times on the arm, over the thick leather jacket he had on.  

Eddie had been on his way across the room to you when his friend stopped him, so the sudden affection took him off guard.  “I like good news,” he caught your eye over Steve’s shoulder and smirked.  

Steve let him know that he was going to be a dad again, which Eddie assumed would happen sooner than later, but he was surprised and delighted to know that Astrid was the mom.  They both knew that she’d been told it would be nearly impossible for her to conceive.  

Steve leaned in.  “This proves it, man, I have a magic dick.”

“Sure you do,” Eddie scoffed, patting Steve on the cheek a few times.  “Only took you 15 years.”

Before you could greet him, Eddie was already in front of you, pulling you flush to his body.  He started to walk and you took backwards steps to stay with him.  “Can you take your break right now?”

“I wasn’t going to for another hour but—”

“I need to talk to you,” he hushed.  

“Um, okay, well,” you glanced over at Shana and she waved you off.  

His mouth found yours the second you were obscured in the dark hallway.  You figured he’d be escorting you out to the alley where you usually took your breaks with him so he could smoke, but this time, he pulled you into one of the two unisex bathrooms and locked it behind him. The bulbs inside were red, and it set an eerie, bloodwashed glow.

“This place sees a lot of action,” you mumbled into his kiss as he worked your skirt up so that he could take a handful of the meat of your ass.  “I like to call it Steve’s Office.”

Before you knew what was happening, he was hoisting you up onto the sink counter with a grunt.  Your thighs and bum were fully exposed now, covered in fishnet stockings, and one of his hands held your face while the other rubbed a knuckle over the heat between your legs.  Your panties and stockings were preventing him from going further, but not for long.  

You were about to protest, to say you had to get back to work, or to remind him how many women Steve had probably railed in that very spot, but

Fuck

And just when you softened with a shaky moan, he kissed a trail down your jaw and throat, with a few nibbles in between.

You whimpered, spreading your legs further apart, Doc Marten booted feet locking onto his thighs to keep him close.

“I have something..” smooch “...that I need…” smooch “...to ask you…” smooch

“Right now?” You palmed his hard length over his denim and then went to work at undoing his belt buckle. “We only have 10 minutes.”

He leaned back, letting his cherry bitten lips hover there at eye level.  His bangs were getting too long, he needed a trim, and you brushed them to the side, off of his eyebrows. 

“Do you want to move in with me?”

You blinked a few times. “Into your apartment?”

“No, no,” eager lips found your mouth again and his thumb rubbed circles over the taut nub of your nipple through your shirt.  “The big farmhouse down on Marigold Road.  I pointed it out once when we drove by.”

You stopped.  “The old Ferguson place? Aren’t there people already living there?”

“Not anymore,” he could feel your arousal soaking through your underwear and he hissed, grinding his erection against your thigh. “I want to buy it. For us.”

In your desperation, you reached down and clawed at the section of black fishnet that was keeping him from you, ripping a little further down your thigh than you’d intended to.

Eddie kissed down the front of you on the way to his knees, and then your underwear was pulled to one side and his tongue was on your swollen clit, rolling in circles there.  

You dug your fingers into his hair with one hand and supported yourself on the ledge with the other.  He sucked a few times, and then his tongue went inside of you, and you bit your lip, squirming to try and repress a scream.  

“That is a big step,” you gasped. “Moving in together.”

For the longest time, you couldn’t see yourself living with anyone other than a roommate ever again.

He hummed on your now soaked cunt and then kitten licked it a few times.  “I’m ready. Are you?”

You didn’t respond at first because your eyes were rolling back in your head, so he popped off to get to his feet, his chin glistening.  He spread your thighs further apart to make room for his hips and undid his zipper.

His pupils bloomed wide as he searched your lustful eyes, insecurities making his heart rate quicken.  “Are you not ready? I mean, do you not want that? Is it too soo—”

But then you silenced him with your mouth, lapping up your juices from his chin, moving away a strand of his hair that had stuck there. “I want to see the inside. Could we go look at it together?”

“Yeah we can,” he pushed his boxers down and rubbed the tip of his leaking cock along your slit. “I’ll call the real estate dude in the morning.”

You clung to his neck, jaw going slack as he sank in. “I’ll have to check with Charlie.”

He chucked into the kiss at you mentioning your cat, and then he was stretching you out, easing his way in, aching to be one with you.

“Deeper…more,” you whimpered, and then you each let out a muffled cry when he filled you to the hilt, flush inside of your pulsing heat.

He rested his forehead on yours and began to work his hips, thrusting deep and retreating with a curl of his hips so that you could feel every vein, every ridge, but then you were clenching around him, and he sped up with a curse, a thumb working at your clit.

“This…fuck, I’m going to cum so hard inside of you,” he admitted with a huff.  His belt buckle clinked against his zipper with every thrust.  “You want that? You want all of me?”

“Fuck, Eddie, yes,” You whined, clinging to him as stars exploded behind your eyes. 

His strong fingers dug into your flesh to hold your legs in place, and after a few more shaking pumps, he was spilling inside of you, each of you a moaning mess of “I love yous”, clawing at the other to be closer.  

Someone banged on the door just as the two of you were catching your breath and Eddie was still inside of you.

“Get lost!” Eddie yelled, not caring if it was a customer.

“Are you two having a tea party in there? Cabbage Patch meeting perhaps?” 

It was Steve, and then you could hear his ruckus laughter as he banged another few times just to be cheeky.

You adjusted your underwear back into place, and Eddie fastened his jeans before he helped you down off the counter.  You pulled your skirt down and checked yourself in the mirror.

Yikes.

The rip down your inner thigh was painfully obvious.  You wondered if shredding them in a few more places would make it more of “a look”, but then realized that the lighting in the Hammer was not great, and it wasn’t unheard of for someone to accidentally rip their stockings at work.  

But what about when Eddie’s seed started to drip down your leg?

“You go,” you shooed him away as he stood there adjusting the collar of his jacket, waiting for you. “I need to pee.”

He was looking at himself in the mirror, rubbing lipstick off his cheek, but then he turned just before grabbing for the door.  “If you don’t want to, you know, live together right away, I get it.  But with Katie moving in with Robin and all, I figured—”

“You figured we could be roommates?” 

He smirked, giving a bashful shrug.  “A little more than that, maybe.  Roommates with benefits.”

“Yeah?” You sank against his chest, forever helpless to his gravitational pull.  “What kind of benefits?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he rubbed the sides of your arms with his calloused hands. “I’ll make you pancakes.”

“You think you can make pancakes?” 

“Baby, I've told you before, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

—-------

“WAYNE!”

Uncle entered the Hammer and everyone screamed his name like he was Norm in an episode of Cheers.

It had been a while since he dropped by unannounced, and he looked better than ever.

Still much thinner than he had been the year before, and it was hard for him to catch his breath sometimes, but his eyes were bright, and he wore a soft smile more often than not.  

Maybe the chemo was working? Maybe there was hope?

Devlin had been sitting on the stool at the bar next to Eddie, but Eddie was quick to tell him to take a hike when Wayne showed up.

“What did the doctor say?” He asked as his uncle straddled the stool and got comfortable.  He was in a green and white plaid work shirt and had decided to leave his Coffin Kings leather at home.  

Wayne gave a single nod and patted around for his smokes out of habit, even though he’d given it up when he started treatment.  “Just heard Steve's gonna be a dad again. He better treat her right, that's all I can say." It was obvious he was damn near giddy at the thought, Eddie could see it in the way a smile kept tugging at the sides of his mouth. "I’m sick of talking about doctors and my goddamn condition. Want to forget about it for a night.”

Eddie respected that, and tapped the bar to order him one of those non-alcoholic beers that they kept cold specifically for Wayne and one other regular patron.  

You barely had a chance to give Wayne a shoulder squeeze when Robin burst in through the door, frantically scanning the crowd.  There was a dancer on the backstage, working her way down the poll, and Steve had gone over to remind a few rowdy customers to behave themselves.  Robin rushed over and met him halfway, in front of the glowing jukebox.

He found no comfort in the way she looked like she’d been crying.

“What’s going on?” Felt like his heart literally stopped beating in his chest. “Are you okay?”

“The spare key,” she held her palm out.  “You used it last time and now I’m locked out of the house.”

He felt around in his back pocket.  “Where are your regular keys?”

She rolled her eyes, bouncing in frustration. “I lost them somewhere, okay? At work maybe, I’m not sure, but Oliver just threw a fit, I’m on my period, and we’re all just in a really bad mood and want to go home.”

“Alright, alright, here take my key,” he wrestled it off the metal ring to hand it to her.  “Just remember to leave the back door unlocked for me.  Is Oliver in the car?”

“No, he’s at Katie’s place with her, I needed to take a drive alone so that I could scream,” she snatched the key from him.

“Shit, you had me worried for a second.”

“Sorry,” admittedly, she felt like she was overreacting to something so small and fixable, but more likely her tears were from an accumulation of things.  Once the panic spike subsided, her eyes landed on half of a white envelope peeking out of the pocket of his Coffin Kings leather, right above his TAZ insignia.  She always teased him and said his official nickname should’ve been Dingus.

“What’s this?” It looked like it had some official lettering in the corner, and she plucked it out to look closer.

They made their way back to the front so he could keep an eye on the door, and she frowned at the name of a law office in the corner. 

“I don’t know, I haven’t opened it yet,” he shrugged.  “Some douchey lawyer brought it by, said it was from Charlene.  It was busy when he came in, so he gave me that to read and told me to call him in the morning.”

“Fucking Charlene?” She balked.  “What, is she suing you for not wanting to be her boyfriend?”  

“I haven’t had time to open in, but it wouldn’t surprise me.”

A group of people came in, and two looked like they were 16, so Steve carded them.  

Robin ripped the top of the envelope open. You stepped in front of her on your way to a table, and the two of you collided.

You said a quick apology and were about to ask if she wanted a drink, when Shana shouted across the bar to tell Robin the phone was for her.

“It’s your boss from the motel,” Shana continued, holding her hand over the bottom half of the receiver.

Robin gave a heavy, exasperated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose.  “She’s going to ask me to work a double shift tomorrow, I just know it.”

She shoved the paperwork at you that she’d just unfolded, but not yet read.  “Hold this for me? Be right back.”

“Oh—okay,” you had the paperwork pressed flat to your chest as you made your way over to stand at Eddie’s shoulder.  He was talking to Wayne, but he reached back and squeezed your thigh in greeting.  

You hadn’t meant to look, to eavesdrop on their private business.

But once glance was all it took

For you to be fully invested

Charlene’s name was the first thing to catch your eye

And then, The Velvet Hammer

You took a few long blinks, unsure if what you were looking at was real.

You mouthed a few of the words quietly just to make sure you were reading them correctly.

The way you froze made Eddie curious, and he turned his head to see what you were doing.

“What’s up babe? What is that?”

“It’s, uh—” you stammered.  “It’s Steve’s.  You’re never going to believe this, but um—”

“Can I see it?” 

He tried to meet your eyes as he took it from you, but you couldn’t seem to look away from the words on the paper.  Your mind was reeling.

Robin returned just as Eddie held the papers out in front of him, and she steadied herself with a hand on his back to read over his shoulder.

Steve meandered over; his curiosity officially piqued at what you were all huddled together about.  

“What’s it say?”  He had a smoke bobbing between his lips and his hands in his pockets.  “Did I win the lottery or somethin’?”

He chuckled, but then you all turned to him in unison, unblinking, mouths agape.

“Yeah man,” a smile curled on Eddie’s lips.  “Actually, you kinda did.”

—------

Charlene was on the plane to Hawaii when she read the newspaper article.

A glass of first-class champagne and a window to her right, an empty aisle seat to her left.  

There he was, right on the front page of The Hawkins Post: 

Steve.

In a bigger city, a business changing hands could fly under the radar, but in a small town, it was newsworthy when a local biker and bouncer becomes a business owner overnight.

A Cinderella story, the reporter called it.

The cover photo was of him out on the sidewalk, standing next to the red door entrance to the Velvet Hammer.  Shana was in the photo with him, as were Robin, Jackie, Erika, and you.  

Not pictured was Eddie Munson, whom the article mentioned Steve had chosen to take on as a partner.

The article talked about their plans for the Hammer, including bringing in a tattoo studio to the vacant storage space next door.  

She ran her finger over his face on the newsprint.

It wasn’t until the end of the article that she got the wind knocked out of her:

“Steve and his longtime partner, Astrid Bautista, are expecting their first child together in the spring.”

She hadn’t expected that.

She had to look away and take a generous gulp of champagne.  

Her eyes got a little wet and her vision blurred, but she read it again.

“Did you miss me?” Billy sank into the seat next to her with his sunglasses on and a white shirt unbuttoned almost to the waist of his jeans. He smiled around the pink gum he was chewing and craned his neck to see what she was reading, but she folded the paper hastily and turned it over.

She didn’t answer him, she just stared out the window over the clouds and tried to forget she ever felt a thing.  

------

authors note: wow, we did it. This is my first fic series to finish ever 😭 If you've made it this far, you know how much this story and the characters have evolved since those first couple chapters. If this were an actual novel, I'd go back and make it all sync up, give it more continuity, and reveal nicknames like War Machine and Taz earlier in the game. But the cool thing about posting this way for a fandom is that you, the reader, are able to see in real time how the characters develop a mind of their own and take over the story in a way not even the writer can predict. In this case specifically, you can also see how I went from having no idea how to write a reader insert fic to becoming more and more comfortable with it.

I never had any intention of making Charlene a villain. She was literally based off of the wealthy woman in the Bruce Springsteen video for his song I'm on Fire. Just a gal who had a crush on her mechanic. Some of you voiced that you wished Charlene could get killed, or hurt somehow, and for those of you, you can trust that she is hurting. Knowing that Steve will be having a family with someone else is a deep wound.

I've had several requests for a separate biker Steve story with a new reader, and until two chapters ago, I fully intended to follow through on that. But the more I wrote him with Astrid, the more I felt it was wrong to keep them apart. If you are a fan of their love story, I highly recommend visiting THIS masterlist from @texasblues who created Astrid's character. But I do plan to bring a slightly different biker Steve back in a new au, stay tuned 🥰

This of course, is not the end. I plan to drop an epilogue on you all when you least expect it, and it will take place a year or two after the events here. If you are a friend of mine, you will laugh at this because whenever I say I'm going to write an epilogue, I never do. But this time I mean it.

I can't express in words how much your comments, asks, and messages about this story have meant, and will always mean to me. I was living through one of the darkest years of my life when I joined tumblr back in April and started writing this fic, and you all have held me together, whether you realize it or not. I love you and am deeply grateful for you all.

Taglist: @notsobubblybaby @unfocused81 @aysheashea @etherealglimmer@manicmagicmayhem @dream-a-little-nightmare@chaoticgood-munson @emxcast @rhirojo @bexreadstoomuch @micheledawn1975 @falling-solar-system@secretdryrose

@whatwedontdointheshadows @miarosso @seventhlevelofhell @corrodedcoffincumslut @lofaewrites @goldyghoul @chloe-6123 @kelsiegrin @chelebelletx @stylesxmunson @kurdtbean@dandelionnfluff @clincallyonline17 @tlclick73 @eddiemunson95 @sidthedollface2 @hideoutside @truffleshuffle12 @tenthmoon @texasblues@emilyslutface@mmunson86@onegirlmanytales@laylaloves-ed@dashingdeb16@eddiiiieeee @ick90 @dashingdeb16 @polyestermonster @trixyvixx @atomickaratel8dy @kiyastrf94 @allthingsjoeq @eddiesxangel @razzieth @corrodeddeadlydoll @erinekc @angietherose @sllooney @writinginthetwilight @moonbeamsandmayhem @brianamunson92 @joannamuns9n @bellalillyrose @alba8688 @chevelle724

[tinyboxxtink]

"Summer Of '87" {Chapter 10}

Tag List:

@gingertimelord

@witchwolflea

@loliakeoghan23

@fancytragedything

@eg-dr3amer3

@wanniiieeee

Hey hi hello!

Sorry these are slow, to be honest with you I jumped into this story with no set plot, so I'm winging it. So if you'd like to see this go somewhere, suggestions are welcome! I know there's gotta be some kind of catastrophic vent, i just don't know what yet.

Also forewarning:

The NEXT chapter will be very MA. SO, y'know, get ready for that.

Chapter 9

----------------

The next morning you woke up in Eddie’s arms. He had stripped down to his boxers due to the heat from your bodies,and his sweat stuck to your shoulder.

“Mmm, wake up baby,” you nudged him softly. “We gotta get downstairs before they start looking for us,” 

“Mmmmm, five more minutes,” he whined softly. 

“Alright, I’ll go fix us some coffee.” you chuckled as you changed into fresh clothes. 

Eddie turned to respond but saw you in your undergarments and let out a small gasp. 

“I’m up I’m up!” He sat up excitedly. 

“Oh lord,” you giggled while pulling your shirt on. “Tonight, baby. I promise,” 

“You’re so mean,” he pouted as there was a knock on the door.

“Eddie? Y/N?” Dustin’s voice called softly. “Please tell me you're dressed,” 

“See?!” you hissed as you tossed him his pants. “What would’ve happened if we were…y’know?!”

“No i don’t know because we haven’t done anything,” he teased as he stood up to go change in your bathroom. 

“You’re gonna get it later,” you threatened him with violence.

“Oh I hope so,” he grinned, taking it sexually. 

You flipped him a playful bird as he shut the door and you opened yours. 

“Hey!” you smiled brightly. “We’re good, just heading down actually!” 

“Cool,” Dustin sighed in relief. “Steve made breakfast,”

“He did what?!” you half laughed in disbelief as you both walked down the hall to the stairs. The smell of bacon began filling your nostrils as you headed down into the kitchen.

Steve was indeed flipping pancakes while Nancy was serving eggs and Jonathan poured the kids orange juice. All the kids sat at your huge dining room table; they all greeted you when you walked down. 

“Hey, I hope you don’t mind,” Steve gestured to his pan. “The kids were hungry, and you were so cool last night I wanted to make up for being a dick,” 

“Oh, you weren’t that bad,” you assured him as you took a seat at the bar. “But I appreciate the sentiment. I don’t think this kitchen has ever smelled this good,” 

“What?” he laughed. “You’re telling me mommy and daddy didn’t have a gourmet chef in here cooking you breakfast?”

“Steve,” Nancy nudged him. “You’re doing it again,” 

“My bad,” Steve made a face.

“It’s fine,” you waved your hand in dismissal. “And no, my parents wouldn’t ‘waste their money’ on something frivolous as a chef. Not when they had plenty of money to eat out,” 

“Wouldn’t that be more expensive than a…?” Robin started to ask. 

“I don’t bother trying to interpret my parent’s crazy, Robin,” you stopped her with a small, sad chuckle.

Eddie walked down soon after, causing greater greetings from the group. 

“Wow, Harrington,” Eddie walked over and wrapped his arms around your waist. “You’re even more of a mom than I thought,” 

“Ha ha,”  Steve rolled his eyes. “And where have you been?”

“Nunya” Eddie stuck his tongue out. 

“Nice,” you rolled your eyes playfully.

“Hey!” he exclaimed. “That was a great comeback,” 

“Sure it was baby,” you kissed the tip of his nose.

“Baby?” Mike made a face. “So you guys are together?” he glanced at Dustin in protection. 

“I said it was okay,” Dustin assured him. “I think they’re cute,” 

“Oh like you and Suzie poo?” Erika asked while the others laughed. 

“Who is Suzie Poo?” You raised an eyebrow as you asked. 

“Dustin’s girlfriend,” Eddie grinned as Dustin turned red.

“A girlriend?!” you gasped. “Well, I think I’m gonna have to meet this girlfriend of yours,”

“Good luck,” he laughed. “She lives in Utah,” 

Utah?” you made a face. “Then how--?”

“Math camp,” Dustin answered before you finished. 

“Math camp?” you repeated, stifling a laugh.

Hey!” Dustin was even more offended. “Not even a day as my sister and you’re giving me shit?”

“Sister?” El asked, looking between you two. “She is your sister?” 

“Yeah, don’t you remember?” 

“But you said she is a lying sk--” 

“NO,” Mike slapped a hand over her mouth. “No, no we didn’t,” 

“Uh huh,” you crossed your arms. 

“Okay maybe we did, but we were only saying it for Dustin,”

“Riiiight,” you nodded, more than a little hurt.

“I’m sorry,” El said apologetically. “I do not like being cruel to people. Friends don’t lie,” 

“Uh…okay,” you nodded awkwardly, not really understanding her but took the apology. 

“ANYWAY,” Dustin spoke over the two of you. “We’re all friends now! And Y/N is my sister, so everyone’s happy. Right?” 

“Hell yeah!” Lucas smiled. “Now we can use the pool anytime!” 

“Anytime we ASK, Lucas.” Max corrected him. 

“Right,” Lucas mumbled while digging into his food that was now served.

“Well I can use it whenever I want,” Dustin beamed. 

“And if Dustin wants to have you guys over, just make sure you have an adult with you.” You informed them while getting coffee. 

“Adult?” WIll laughed. “Do you qualify any of our siblings to be ‘adults’?” 

“Hey I’m nobody’s sibling!” Steve protested. 

“Like it or not man, you’re their big brother.” Eddie slapped his back.

“More like babysitter,” Erika snickered.

“Alright, anyone over 18,” you clarified, trying to stop the arguing.

“So can we swim after breakfast?” El asked hopefully while wolfing down waffles.

“I mean, sure,” you shrugged while glancing at the “Adults”. “As long as your parents aren’t concerned…”

“Dude they LITERALLY never check on us,” Dustin laughed.

“He’s right,” Mike agreed. “We broke into a crazy science lab and helped El save the world without them even asking a question.”

“Wow,” you half laughed. “And I thought my parents were absent,” 

“So can we stay?” WIll smiled. You were amazed at how cheerful his demeanor was after all the shit that he went through.

“Sure,” you nodded as you finished your coffee. “I’ll just change into my suit,”

“Well, I need to go home and shower, I’ve got grown up things to do today,” Nancy shook her head as she looked for her purse.

“Grown up things?” you giggled. “It’s summer!” 

“I have a job, thank you.” Nancy acted more than offended. 

“She’s the editor at the Hawkins Gazette” Jonathan clarified. 

“Oh, sorry. That must be so esteemed,” you tried not rolling your eyes. 

“Whatever, we’ll see you later I’m sure,” Nancy rolled her own eyes as her and Jonathan walked out and to the door. 

“She’s a delight, really,” you chuckled as you refilled your coffee cup. 

“She just takes some getting used to,” Steve laughed himself. “Trust me, took me months to get her to go out with me,” 

“Yeah, I still don’t know how you put up with her,” you shook your head as the kids took off to the backyard. 

“Hey, Nancy is a badass,” Robin suddenly spoke up after entering the kitchen last.

“Where have you been, slacker?” Steve teased.

“I hate mornings,” she pouted as she went to get some coffee. 

“Well I should go see my uncle,” Eddie stretched out as he talked, revaealing a bit of his happy trail. You did your best not to blush.

“I didn’t see him last night, he’s probably worried,” he continued while taking your hands. “Unlike them my ‘parent’ actually gives a shit,” 

“Hey!” Robin hit him. “My mom’s concerned if I'm not home 10 minutes after my shift,” 

“Ouch,” you giggled. “I’d rather have a absent mom than an overbearing one,” 

“Tell me about it,” she sighed as she went to get dressed. “Twenty minutes dingus or I’m leaving without you!” 

“She means me,” Steve sighed as he put the dishes in the dishwasher.

“Yeah, I kinda got that,” you teased. “Esteemed career calling you too?” 

“Oh yeah,” he laughed sarcastically. “That video store would fall apart without me,” 

“Ooooh, Family Video?” your eyes lit up. “We should go rent a movie later!” 

“Please don’t,” Steve begged. “Munson likes to show up and fuck with me,” 

“It’s so easy, Harringto,” he chuckled. “I can’t help it,”

“Yeah yeah,” Steve rolled his eyes as he gathered his stuff. Soon Robin came down dressed as well, and they headed out.

“Well would ya look at that?” Eddie smirked while moving his mouth to your neck from behind you. “House all to ourselves,” 

“Eddie, the kids are outside,” You moaned softly. 

“Babe they’re almost taller than I am, I think they’ll be okay for a bit,”

“A bit?” you looked at him quizzically. “And how long is a bit?” 

“Long enough for us to take a shower…together,” he winked, making your face turn beet red. 

“Mmmm, that does sound tempting,” you sighed. 

“I promise to be quick,” his eyes flickered with mischief. 

“Not too quick though,” you stuck your tongue out as he raced you up the stairs. 

The kids would be fine for a bit, right?

---------------------------------------

if you llke what you read, please considering buying me a Ko-Fi☕, it's the only source of income I have right now. https://ko-fi.com/tinyboxtink

[ahordeofwasps]

Find the Word Tag

I've been tagged by the brilliant @space-writes! Thanks for the tag! My words are press, blur, withdraw, and effort. I'll be sharing excerpts from To Not Falling Off Cliffs!

But first, the no pressure tags! I'll be tagging @kaiusvnoir, @autumnalwalker, @chauceryfairytales, @deanwax, and open tag! Your words are open, onward, ongoing, and own!

Now, onto To Not Falling Off Cliffs!

Press

“You don’t have to be afraid. All you have to do is talk and it will all be over.” The [unintelligible] kept talking, kept rattling the doorknob, kept shoving pamphlets underneath the door, which shook as they tried to break it down. The [unintelligible] would not stop. Not until they had their prey. Erika kept her weight pressed against the shaking door, using all her strength to keep it shut. She would not give in. She would not be twisted against what she was. A frigid chill had set in her bones. The pain in her head grew worse, crescendoing beyond what she had felt at the supermarket. It hammered away at her brain, more relentless than the [unintelligible]. She had to fight herself not to clutch her head, to keep her attention focused on keeping the door shut. Erika kept fighting against the [unintelligible] until… *** …until Erika found herself lying on top of a bed of pamphlets. It was dark, with the only light coming in from the streetlights and full moon outside. Her head ached and she had a chill. Her skin was slick with sweat. She glanced up to see that both the deadbolt and the chain lock had been broken, her front door left ajar. The [unintelligible] had made it in, but Erika had not been any state to have a conversation. Finding their prey unsuitable, the [unintelligible] had left.

Blur

When she awoke, Erika found herself standing in a narrow hallway whose walls were indifferent white, devoid of any mark or flaw. She was not the only one in the hallway. In front of her was a line of people that stretched beyond, hundreds of thousands patiently waiting to march through a small dark blur hundreds of kilometers away. Most, like Erika, were nude, though a few souls had manifested certain objects. A wedding band here, a pair of glasses there, small things that became so engrained in their everyday lives that they now considered it a part of them. Like anyone who wakes up naked in a strange hallway with a bunch of strangers, Erika began to panic, stumbling against the wall as imagined sweat soaked her made-up skin, her heart beating quickly only because she thought it should be. The first thoughts that ran through her head were what did I get into? and do I have all my kidneys?

Withdraw

Not found! I'll share a fun fact instead. The Sunodos are a collection of 13 minor gods!

Effort

And, despite Steve’s efforts, Erika did wind up facing the slow death. She faced it later that day. She would die on a warm summer’s evening of hypothermia, the enchanted mug that caused it smashed on the ground. Steve was the one to reap her soul. He showed up early and even though he could not tell her why he was at her apartment without calling, she knew. She knew from the clothes he wore and the briefcase he carried. They talked. About music, about movies, about things that surrounded Erika’s death. The Sunodos bound the reapers, prevented them from discussing their job, but Steve could dance around the subject, talk in metaphor, about things he wished he could have done. He wished he could have stopped Erika from buying the mug that would wind up killing her. He wished he could talk without the Sunodos’ restriction. He talked of cliffs that weren’t real and of watching people be pushed off them. Of how he wished he could stop them from being pushed. Even if it meant falling off the cliff himself.

[redqueenphoenix]

State Championship (TWD Fanfiction part 11)

State Championship Part 11

(A TWD Fan Fiction)

I do not own any of the rights to The Walking Dead, nor do I own any of the characters mentioned from here on in, other than Victoria Hawkins. Some situations have been changed and some people may have been switched in this alternate universe. 

All characters in this fanfiction are over the age of 21 years old.

Coach Negan Smith X Female OC

Word Count: 1207

~*~

Part 11

As the week came to an end Victoria found herself avoiding her half brother like the plague. He seemed a bit more on edge that she was back. Throwing fits and jabs at the fact she gave up a good college for a man and landed back here at her mothers. 

Victoria made her way down stairs on this particular Sunday morning to hear Draven and her mother in the kitchen having another one of their poster arguments. 

“I don’t care what you think. You’re just the woman that married my dad.” Draven spat at Lana, their mother. “You were in it for the money. We all know that!”

“I love you dad. You have no right to say that!” Lana snapped back. “I didn’t care what profession your dad had when we got together.”

Draven nodded as Victoria entered into the kitchen, “oh, look the calvary is here.”

“Don’t bring me into this.” She said as she passed Draven to get a cup of coffee. “I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, you don’t like it here, you're old enough to live on your own.”

“What? Like you did?” Draven laughed, “dropping everything for a stupid man, one that didn’t even want you.”

“Shut up Draven!” Victoria turned to her half brother. “You don’t know what happened!” She balled her fists. Her eyes flickered down to what hung around his neck, a set of military tags.

“I have a good feeling, I know.” He tucked the tags back into his shirt. 

“You two stop it.” Lana rolled her eyes as she threw her hands up. “I’ve had enough of the animosity over all this. Just stop.”

Victoria’s features softened, “when did you join?”

“What? The military? Why do you care?” Draven moved to the refrigerator.

She looked down, “because you're my brother and we used to be close.”

“Key words, used to be.” He sat down at the table watching their mother leave. He knew she hated the fact he joined and knew she wouldn’t sit through hearing it again. “About a month or so after you left.”

“Why?” She poured herself some coffee. 

“The only sensible one left the house. I had no one that understood how I felt anymore. So what was the point in staying?” He popped the tab to the soda he grabbed. “Erika’s an air head, she doesn't get me. Lana… don’t get me started and well dads never home for more than a couple hours a night.”

“I didn’t know it was that bad for you.” Victoria sat down at the table with him. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“Lana said you were busy with school and this man that left you. I didn’t want to burden you. So I thought the military would be a good outlet. I didn’t realize you were going to come home the moment I got my deployment papers.” He sighed and ran his hand through his red hair. 

“So the military was an escape?” She peered over at him.

He nodded, “I leave on Tuesday.”

“Good then you can help me move into my dorm tomorrow.” She chuckled trying to lighten the mood.

“I guess.” He cut his green eyes to the side to look at her, “what happened anyways that your back? I mean I know you got broken up with… Oh lord you’re pregnant aren’t you.” He began to laugh. 

Victoria’s eyes went wide, “no i’m not pregnant. I just didn’t want to be in the same town as them.”

Draven’s features darkened a little bit, “Them?”

“It’s a long story.” She sighed heavily as she sipped her coffee.

“I got some time.” Draven smiled at her, “wanna spill the pintos?”

Victoria looked down at her coffee, “I screwed up, bad. Don’t judge me over this, but I had a crush on my coach.”

“Coach Negan Smith? The one that was in the paper with you when you won state?” Draven arched his eyebrow.

“Yeah, I started flirting with him and things happened. After we won state we all went to the club and well I went back to the hotel with him.” She paused for a moment feeling her chest tighten at the thought. “We kept talking and I decided to start online school to save his job. We lasted for a while and then he suddenly came to me and told me he met some woman at a diner and they hit it off.” She felt the tears sting her eyes, “when I was leaving town I was stopped at a red light near the cancer center. He was walking into the building with her.”

His eyes looked down for a moment as his hand went to her back, “Tori, I hate to ask this, but could you have possibly been the side chick. That seemed kinda sudden to have just met her.”

“What?!” Victoria’s eyes widened. “Samantha swore he was single.” 

“People can be shady, sis.” He looked down remembering a similar situation he was in a few years ago. “Believe me, I know that is not what you wanted to hear, but you made the right decision in coming home.” 

She looked down feeling the hole in her chest again, she couldn’t have been the side chick, but it explains a lot of the behaviors. He constantly came to her place, never did she go to his place. Negan was also very careful where he took her. The pieces fell into place slowly as tears stung her eyes. “This isn’t fair. I love him, Draven.”

He pulled her into a hug, “I know, sometimes people do things like this. It will work out in the end. This will only make you wiser and stronger, sis. Don’t let this get you down. It will get better.”

Victoria never wanted to feel like this again, her heart felt like it was ripped into a million pieces again as she realized that Draven may be right. She let the tears fall as her brother held her. She didn’t want this to be real, this couldn’t be what was really going on. Feeling an urge to message Negan and debunk what her brother was saying tugged at her hard, but she knew better. It would just hurt her more. 

“You’re right.” She took in a few shaky breaths. “I need to move forward as best as I can.”

“Who knows, you may find another guy out there. You never know.” Draven smiled at her as he sat back in his chair.

“I doubt that. I don’t want to go through this again.” She replied as she thought back to Negan and how happy she was with him. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before I allow myself to go through this again.”

~*~

Part 12

[seidenbros]

Hello! I come from @ghosttownwherenoonegoes ~ I canNOT stop thinking about Eddie coming home to you crying while listening to some of his favourite songs and he's ???? and you're smiling, like, "I just love you so much. Was thinking about it and then I was crying" and you LAUNCH at him, grab his face in your hands and SMOTHER him in kisses; chaotic and messy. He's giggling, stunned, you're crying, smiling, and it's all soft and gooey and GROSS but fuck, if his heart isn't beating out his damn chest. "Sanest of the lot, Eddie. Love you so much."🥺🥺🥺🥺

Erika 💚 Thank you so much for sending this in, because I loved it already when I read this request. I hadn't originally planned for the slight backstory, but it just happened while I was writing it, so I hope that's okay. And I stopped where I stopped, because... well, that would have turned into smut then. Not that I mind altogether, but I thought it was better to end it there and leave it like this. So, I hope you'll enjoy this! 💚

read on AO3 | requests are open

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Reader

Warnings/Tags: fluff, a little bit of angst maybe, established relationship, mentioned of neglective parents

Word count: 1749

Love and Music

Life hadn’t always been easy for you, but you’d tried to make the best of it. Growing up in a home where your parents were always busy with something else, they’d sometimes forgotten about you. All the time you’d told yourself that it was alright, that they still loved you, but you’d never really felt that way, never felt like anybody had loved you - until you’d met Eddie.

You couldn’t even remember how or when you’d started talking, because it felt like a lifetime ago, but you would forever be grateful to him for pulling you into his group of friends, even though you hadn’t had the slightest clue about D&D. When it came to music, though, you two had a lot to talk about. It was what you’d bonded over the most, what had led to some heated discussions, and also to your first kiss in the end. You wouldn’t shut up about him being wrong about Defender of the Faith, so he kissed you to finally make you shut up. It had been a bold and unplanned move, but one that had finally broken the tension between you, after you’d been longing for each other for some time. Nobody had made a move until that day. Eddie had been surprised by you pulling him in for another kiss, and ever since then, everything had been easy.

Ever since then, Eddie’s trailer had been a home to you as well. Before that, you’d spent some time there now and again, but now, it was the place you felt most at home. More than in your own home, because here, you were loved. His uncle was more than okay with that, because he liked you, but he also saw that you were a good influence on Eddie, making him want to graduate this year with you.

It was one of those days where your parents had argued in the morning, where they’d lashed out at you as well, and you’d just… grabbed a couple of things and gotten out. Walking cleared your head, but only because you knew where you were going, and as soon as you reached the trailer, you knocked on the door, knowing full well that Eddie wasn’t home right now.

“Hi,” you said when Wayne opened the door, confusion evident on his face. “I know Eddie isn’t home, I just… didn’t know where else to go.” Sure, you could have gone to the lake, could have gone to one of your friends, but this place was where you felt safest.

Wayne knew a troubled child when he saw one, and the look on your face told him everything he needed to know. So he opened the door for you and let you inside.

“Will you be alright on your own? I have to head to work.”

“If it’s alright for you to let me stay here alone…?”

“Of course.” A smile curved his lips upwards. “Make yourself at home.” And with that he left for work, leaving you in an empty trailer. But even though you were alone in here, alone in the middle of Eddie’s chaos, once you’d walked into his room, you felt more secure, more welcome than you did in your own room. Maybe because you were surrounded by things that you loved, which wasn’t the case at home. Only Eddie was missing right now.

A smile was playing on your lips, when turned up the music and lay down on his bed. There were some songs you argued about, some that you forced each other to listen to, because you thought they were just that good, and then there were the songs you both loved. The songs that would always remind you of him, that made you zone out at home as well, when you didn’t have the possibility to get away.

And then it hit you, just how much you loved Eddie. He was your anchor, the one person you trusted with everything. The realisation made your eyes water, but not because you were sad. Quite the contrary! Because you were so happy to call him yours.

When Eddie got home, he was immediately confused by the music coming from his room. Wayne was at work, but when he saw your shoes, it wasn’t a secret to him anymore who exactly was listening to his music. With a big grin on his face, he opened the door.

“My, my, what a pleasant surpr-” His words died on his lips, when he saw your puffy eyes, your wet cheeks. Hell, you were still crying, making his stomach twist into knots. “What’s wrong, what happened?” Not sure whether it was right to pull you into his arms right now or not, because he didn’t know if something he’d done had made you cry without him knowing, he stayed right where he was.

“I just love you so much,” you blurted out sitting up, wiping at your cheeks. The smile on your lips only emphasised that these were indeed happy tears. “I was thinking about it and then I was crying.” It wasn’t an excuse, merely an explanation, but Eddie knew. He knew how you felt at home, how your relationship with your parents was, and that only made his smile grow. Because you’d come to him, because you were allowing yourself to love and to be loved in return instead of closing yourself off to the world.

Without a warning, you go up and flung yourself into his arms, making him nearly topple over, but he caught you, wrapped his arms around you to keep you right where you were. You pulled back only slightly to grab his face in your hands and smother him with kisses. His nose, his cheeks, his chin, his forehead… and he giggled. It was the sound that you needed right now to ground yourself again.

Finally, your lips met his, but not in a soft and sweet kiss, it was a rather messy one, teeth clashing against each other, but neither of you minded right now. Close wasn’t close enough, so Eddie wrapped his arms even tighter around you, his hand roaming your back.

When you pulled away, you were both gasping for air. Eddie was sure that you could feel his heart beating, because it was nearly jumping out of his chest. He couldn’t help it, didn’t even want to, because he’d never felt this way with anyone before you. You made him forget to breathe sometimes when he was looking at you, absolutely mesmerised by you, by the fact that you were here, were his to hold. He’d never imagined this to happen, but would repeat that first kiss in a heartbeat to get you to where you were right now.

Tangling your fingers in his hair, you leaned your forehead against his. “Sanest of the lot, Eddie… I love you so much.” It had taken you a long time to get these words out, but once you’d uttered them, you couldn’t tell him often enough.

“And I love you, Princess.” He knew that you needed to hear it now and then. Actions spoke louder than words, that was usually his motto, but with you, he’d gotten used to telling you. “All of you, with all your little quirks and even with your wrong opinion on some songs.”

You both giggled at his words, but you didn’t start an argument right now. That was something you could do later, but right now, you simply revelled in the feeling of being so close to him, being held by him. Eddie surprised you, though, when he picked you up and carried you over to his bed. Sitting down, he kept you in his lap and looked up at you.

“Not that I’m not happy to have you here, but… what happened?” He knew. You were supposed to meet this evening, but you’d come here even before he’d been home. He knew that something had happened to make you come here, and he needed to know even if it meant ruining this moment.

“Same as usual,” you said, avoiding his eyes. Your hands dropped to his chest, your fingertips following the words of his Hellfire Club shirt to give you something to do. “Parents started arguing, lashed out at me, and I just had to get out.” With a sigh, you slowly looked up and met his gaze. “And I went to the place where I feel safe.”

Eddie thought that his heart would burst. Knowing that this was the first place you thought of going, because you felt safe here in his old trailer, in his mess of a room, made him proud. He’d talked to Wayne about you, had told him how special you were to him, and the old man had been happy for Eddie. Knowing that Wayne liked you had put Eddie at ease, because it was important to him that the two people he loved most were getting along.

“You’re always welcome here, babe. Wayne said the same.” Eddie raised his right hand to push your hair behind your ear. He used his thumb to brush away the last tears that had fallen. “Mi casa e su casa!”

His words made you smile again. Of course, you’d known this before, but hearing him say that was reassuring.

“Thank you, Eddie.”

“What for?”

“For being you.”

“That’s a new one,” he said with a laugh. All his life, people had looked at him like he didn’t belong, but not you. His friends accepted him the way he was as well, even loved him for that, but there was still a difference in the way you looked at him. You saw him, the real Eddie, and you didn’t run. “I wouldn’t even know how to be anyone else.”

“Good.” You leaned in for another kiss, your hands on his chest. When he deepened the kiss, your hand dropped to his stomach, to his sides, where you pushed your hands beneath the fabric of his shirt. It certainly had the effect you’d hoped for, because his grip on your waist tightened, pulling you flush against him, your body already reacting to his touch.

“Need me to take your mind off things for a little while?” he asked against your lips, grinning to himself.

The way you ground your hips down against him, pushed your hands up further beneath his shirt was answer enough for him. Yeah, a little distraction was definitely a good idea.

[gold-dust-laurel]

i like our relationship because most of it is just telling each other NO YOURE WRONG like were 5 years old

that’s because we are actual 5 year olds

[paddingtongf-remade]

@midniightshow tagged me to do a this or that type thingy so let's do this!!

pale blue or pale pink * cottage in the forest or cottage by the beach * kittens or puppies * tea or coffee * france or italy * cardinal or bluejay * apple pie or blueberry pie apple crumble all the way * summer or winter * relaxing vacation or adventurous vacation we like a bit of both in this house * stars or the moon (sorry moon)* roses or lavender * harry potter books or harry potter movies i haven't seen them all tho dhfjhd * dress or skirt * walk or bike * bubble tea or ice coffee (i do like a good starbucks from time to time tho) * roller coaster or carousel * candyfloss or funnel cake * gold or silver i rlly like both idk * going for a picnic or having lunch in a fancy cafe

i'm going to tag @lushbian and @cowboytakemeawaymp3 to do this too uwu

[oooquake]

Me, seeing a mutual I've never talked to or hardly ever talked to on my dash or in my notifications: ohh?? Wow??? Its you,,, I love...

[kedsandtubesocks]

I really can’t believe how much 2023 blessed me with the joy of writing again… even with the headache fandoms sometimes bring or even the hesitation I still feel about posting…

To come back and create again is so special and I’m grateful for every single person who’s read my writing

And more importantly I’m beyond thankful for the friends and love I found 💝

There’s a reason I can brightly look forward to this year, to 2024, and it’s because y’all are in my corner inspiring me, showing me how beautiful it is find community and to write for what we love! To walk into this year knowing so many of you are in my life is a blessing and something I will forever cherish

I know there’s a whole argument about parasocial relationships with online friendships and I understand how they also can waver but I! Don’t! Care! I’m so earnestly grateful and honored that all of you crossed my path and truly appreciate your friendship

I hope you know that I will always be in your corner rooting for you!! ✨♥️

Thank you - I love each and every single one of you so much and I mean it 💕

@the-wild-wolves-around-you @ahauntedcowboy @stellamancer @willowser @andypantsx3 @acerathia @perotovar @procrastination-artist @ofmermaidstories @snem-snem @shotorus @pastelle-rabbit @strawberrystepmom @lawlessgodlessflawless @fairy-writes @firein-thesky @nothoughtsjustmeds @morallyinept @lowlights @haylzcyon @beskarandblasters @namodawrites @lorelune @thewaterlily @vennilavee @princess-okkotsu @daddydindjarin @planet-marz1

(if I forgot to tag anyone reading this please know im so so sorry and I meant this for you as well!!)

[assembledherethevolunteers]

The Nanny Named...

A/N: Hi all! So,it’s been a while. I have been in a real nostalgic mood lately and totally binged ‘The Nanny’. Annnd then all I wanted to was write a story about it. So I’ve been writing a multi-chapter story with Y/N as Fran and Gwil as Maxwell. I hope you all enjoy this prologue. Any feed back would be appreciated! And if you’d like to be tagged, please let me know! Love you!

Pairing: Producer!Gwilym Lee x fem!Reader

Summary: You need a job after you walk out of your last one. Your friend sends you to an interview and it…doesn’t quite go as planned.  

Warnings: Cursing, some angst, and cheating

 You leaned over the counter, trying to make out what your boyfriend had written down for the specials for the night. Why couldn’t the man learn to write like an actual grown-up?

“Oooh, Y/N,” one of your best friends, Mel, came in. “Have you heard?”

“Heard what?” You replied, not looking up.

“J.C. and Erika? They just got engaged.”

That got you attention. You looked up at her. “Are you serious? They’ve been dating for what? Three seconds?”

Melanie laughed, taking her coat off. “I think closer to three weeks, but yeah. Isn’t that crazy?”

You sighed, looking back down at the notes. “To each their own, I guess.”

You were happy for them, on some level, but it was a bit hard when two people that you considered ridiculously obnoxious were engaged in less than a month but you and your boyfriend had been dating for almost four years and were still not living together.

“Think that’ll make Kurt move any faster?”

You shook your head. “No, there’s nothing that will make him move any faster. We’ve talked about it countless times. He’s just happy right where we are.”

“Yeah, but you’re not.”

You huffed, not disagreeing. You had wanted to at least living together by now. Maybe not married (you still weren’t even sure if you wanted to get married), but at least the notion that the relationship was going somewhere.

“Maybe you should bring it up to him again,” Mel suggested as she tied on her apron.

You thought about it. Maybe you should. It had been a few months since the two of you had had any kind of conversation about it. Every year when your lease was up for renewal, you brought it up just to see if you should renew. And Kurt always told you ‘yes’.

“Yeah, maybe. But for now, I’ve got to figure out these damn specials he’s decided to jot down like a first grader after a lunch of cake and ice cream.” You grabbed the paper and then knocked on the door to his office. “Kurt!”

“Yeah, babe?”

You went into the office to see him staring at his phone. He glanced up at you for a second before going back to his phone.

“Hi, sweetie, can you decipher this chicken scratch for me?” You walked over and sat up on his desk.

Kurt sat his phone down, face up, and took the paper and squinted at it himself. “Uh…I…huh. Ribs of some kind. I’ll have to go look in the fridge quick. Be right back.” He pressed a kiss to your temple before getting up and leaving the office.

You swung your legs, waiting for him to come back, thinking about the dinner rush on the Friday night that was going to hit. But hey, at least the tips would be good.

And then you saw something light up on the desk.

You glanced down to see Kurt’s phone on full brightness. With a notification from Tinder. Saying Kurt had 3 new messages waiting for him.

You picked up the phone and stared at it, fighting back tears. You’d had a feeling something like this had been going on, but it was a totally different story when it was staring you in the face.

“Beef ribs are the special tonight.”

You stood up and shoved Kurt’s phone at him. “Great. Maybe whoever these 3 can serve it!” You stormed out.

“Wait! Y/N!” Kurt chased after you. “This isn’t how I wanted you to find out!”

“Oh, fuck off!” You yelled at him, turning on your heel to yell at him. “This isn’t how you wanted me to find out!? What the hell kind of excuse is that?!”

“Can we discuss this back in the office?” Kurt offered quietly.

“No, because there’s nothing to discuss.” You untied your apron and threw it at him. “I quit and I am DONE with you! FOUR YEARS! I’ve wasted four years of my life on you in this stupid dying restaurant!”

“It’s not dying!”

You stared at him stunned. “That’s all you have to say? Four years down the drain and all you care about is this damn rat trap?!”

“It’s not a…!” Kurt took a deep breath. “You know what? Fine. Go ahead. We don’t need you around here!”  

“Obviously!” You screamed before grabbing your coat and stomping out.

You walked all the out to the street, hailed a cab, and got in the back. You gave the driver your address and then fell apart.

“Um…a…are you alright, dear?” The cab driver asked you, glancing in their review window.

You could only shake your head. “Okay, well, there should be a box of tissues under my seat. Help yourself.”

You reached down and grabbed the box, pulling out tissues. You blew your nose and wiped your eyes.

“Just put them in the trash when you’re done.”

You nodded your thanks, making a mental note to give them a big tip.

The rest of the time the two of you were silent as you tried to make yourself somewhat presentable so your roommate wouldn’t ask what happened. You were not in the mood to talk about it.

The driver pulled up to your building and told you the total. You paid and started to make your way out before they called to you.

“Whatever it was, I hope it gets better.”

You gave them a smile and wave before you shut the door and started to into your building. You ran up the stairs instead of taking the risk of running into a nosy neighbor on the elevator. You got into your apartment and collapsed on the couch. You started sobbing into your pillow.

How on Earth could he do that to you? Sure, the two of you hadn’t gone beyond dating but four years?! You had given four years of your life! Not just romantically but you’d worked your ass off to help with his restaurant. You’d hired nearly all of the servers! And three of the cooks! Who the hell was he to kick YOU out?

You woke up to your roommate, Olivia, coming home, not sure how long later.

“Y/N? What are you doing home? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

You sat up, your entire face felt swollen.

“Oh, Y/N,” Olivia sat next to you and wrapped an arm around you. “Did something happen at the restaurant?”

You tried to explain what happened, but you couldn’t get the whole story out without bursting into tears.

“Oh sh, sh, honey,” she rubbed your shoulder. “I know. He’s a scumbag. I’m so sorry.”

You just nodded, crying into her shoulder.

“Do you want me to call Rosie and see if she’ll let some the dogs loose in the kitchen?”

You chuckled for a moment. “Think she would? I know she’s very attached to them.”

“Well, they are shelter dogs. They deserve a good meal.”

You pulled your head up and gave her a semi-smile. “You are the best person I know.”

“If only I was available to you.”

“I can love you better than Rosie can.”

“Yeah, but can you afford an apartment in Hell’s Kitchen like she can?”

You sighed, pretending to be defeated. “I guess not. I give you my blessing then.”

“I can run down to the bodega and get some wine and ice cream. I don’t have to work tomorrow.”

“Oh good, then get something for yourself.”

Olivia pressed a kiss to your forehead. “Great, I’ll be right back.”

You laid back down when Olivia stood up.

You and Olivia spent the rest of the night drinking, eating ice cream, and complaining about Kurt. It made you feel a little better.

At nearly one in the morning, you finally stumbled to your bed, hoping that you wouldn’t dream of Kurt, the restaurant, or anything to do with your love life.

THREE WEEKS LATER

“Y/N!” Olivia announced as she came home.

“Whaaaat?” you called back to her from the couch. You’d barely left it in the past couple weeks. You’d barely even left your apartment, if you were being honest.

“I think I’ve got you a job!”

You sat up and looked at her, somewhat skeptical. “Where?”

“Manhattan.”

“Oh,” you were surprised. Olivia had been trying to get you jobs, but this was the one that sounded like it might actually be promising. “What is it?”

“Rosie’s brother has a catering gig and needs a good waitress, but the homeowners want to interview everyone individually. They want you there at 3:30 for your interview.”

You jumped up. “Are you serious?!”

“One hundred percent!”

You threw your arms around Olivia’s neck and pulled her in for a hug. “Oh thank you thank you, Ollie!”

“Ooof. You better stop thanking me and get in the shower.”

You got on the subway to make your way up to Manhattan a couple hours later. You hadn’t been there since last year when a friend of yours had their 30th birthday party at some pretentious hipster bar. 

You kept glancing at the passing stations, hoping that this was going to work out. You could still hear your mother’s voice in your head telling you that you should’ve known better than to take a job at the man that you were dating’s place of work. 

The past few weeks, you’d been miserable. You had barely left the apartment besides your runs down to the bodega to get alcohol, ice cream, or the minimal amount of groceries that you could afford and actually wanted. Your bank account was screaming at you before you’d left the restaurant, so as much as you’d wanted to just wallow in your self-pity on the past four years of your life that you had wasted, you needed to get a new job. 

You got off at the correct station and walked up the stairs, stepping onto the streets of Manhattan. This part of the city always seemed different to you. Sure, you’d grown up in New York City, but it had been in Queens. 

You walked to the correct block and took in all the gorgeous buildings that were there. It sort of took your breath away, the way the trees were just starting to bud in the spring air. 

You nearly ran into somebody on the street and apologized, hoping they couldn’t tell how out of place you were. 

This was insane. Who in their right mind would hire YOU to work some cocktail party that was going to have people there that blew what you paid in rent on a quick trip to Macy’s? You thought about turning around and just heading home, but then you remembered that your bank account had about $15 in it.

As you walked down the street, you were hit with a strong smell of rose, jasmine, and vanilla. It was comforting and made you a bit more confident in yourself. Like everything was going to work out, regardless of how the interview went.

You glanced down at your phone, making sure that it was the right address before taking a deep breath and walking up the stairs to the front door. You knocked and then waited.

A man in a suit opened the door. He had black hair and kind brown eyes. He seemed unsurprised to see you standing there.

“Hello, are you here about the position?”

“I am.”

“Well come in, come in, Mr. Lee should be ready for you soon.” He ushered you inside, taking your coat for you. “Would you like me to drop off your resume to him?”

You hadn’t thought about bringing that.

“Oh, um…no, that’s okay. I’ll just…get it to him if he asks for it.”

The man raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything before he lead you to the couch and gestured for you to sit down.

You sat down and waited for him to return. Or for this mysterious ‘Mr. Lee’ to appear. You looked around, amazed at how high the ceilings were.

Suddenly, there was a scream from upstairs and the pounding of footsteps coming down.

“Help! Help! I’m hurt!” A little boy with dark, curly hair came running into the room. He collapsed right in front of you, his eyes closed and his tongue sticking out.

You looked down at him, trying not to laugh. “Ya okay, hun?”

The boy opened one eye, quickly shut it again, but didn’t say anything.

“Ah, Master Aled, I believe this is the third time today you’ve passed on. I’ll make sure your father and sister mourn the proper amount,” the man appeared again, stepping over the child and coming to stand in front of you. “Miss, Mr. Lee will see you in his office. If you’ll just follow me and please don’t trip over the expired, younger Master Lee. He’ll need to get up for his Little League practice in about thirty minutes.”

“James!” The boy, Aled apparently, sat up and glared at the man, James. “You ruined my plan!”

You stood up and the two of you walked into an office.  It was decorated with different awards, pieces of art. The hardwood on the floor matched the desk that was in the middle of the room. Sitting at the desk was a man writing something.

He had a dark, thick head of hair. He stood up, a pair of piercing blue eyes behind a black, horn-rimmed glasses. He was wearing a black turtleneck, gray suit jacket, and black pants.

“Hello, I’m Gwilym Lee,” he offered you his hand.

“I…um…hi,” you smiled and shook his hand. “I’m Y/N Y/L/N.”

“Thank you, James,” Mr. Lee told him. James nodded and started to leave the room. “Now, do you have your resume?”

James sent you a pointed smirk, before leaving the room all together and shutting the door behind him.

“Um…no, I don’t. Sorry, Mr. Lee.”

He frowned at you. “Alright, Miss Y/L/N. Well, tell me about your work history then.”

You cleared your throat. Rosie had neglected to tell you that the man you were going to work for was this handsome. “Well, I’ve worked in multiple, high class restaurants over the past ten years. I was working at my last job for nearly three years.”

Mr. Lee squinted at you, but you kept talking.

“And I’ve been a server, a hostess, and a bartender. I could work anywhere that you’d need me tonight.”

Mr. Lee took off his glasses and continued to stare at you.

“S…so, um…I can give you references if you need,” you finished lamely.

“Um…Miss Y/L/N, I believe there’s been a bit of a mix up.”

“Oh,” you replied, totally defeated. “I understand.”

“It’s just…this job is far too difficult to do without any experience and I think…”

“I mean, I…I have SOME experience.  I once served at the River Cafe,” you tried to argue.

“Oh no, don’t get me wrong…”

“Daddy!” A little girl came running into the room, seemingly in tears, and hugged Mr. Lee’s arm. “Aled said that there’s a monster in my closet and then he took and threw her in the closet to the monster!”

Mr. Lee picked up the girl and placed her in his lap. “Oooh Afon, sweetheart, I’m sure he didn’t mean to…”

“Yes, he did!“

“I did not!” Aled came running in too.

Mr. Lee sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Aled, please just go get the bunny out of the closet. I am in the middle of a meeting.”

“Fine, let’s go, Afon. Daddy is a veeeery busy man,” Aled grabbed his sister’s hand and took her out.

Mr. Lee just watched them leave, a somewhat longing look on his face before meeting your eyes again.

“Miss Y/L/N, this interview was for a nanny position for my children. You see, our last one just quit and I…I’ve been interviewing people for nearly a week now and…” Mr. Lee shook his head.  “I’m sorry, you don’t need to hear all my woes. I’ll have James see you out.”

Why had Rosie sent you here? If this was an interview for a nanny position you were WAY out of the running. You barely even liked the younger cousins that you had. Maybe you’d gotten the time wrong and they had meant to have the caterer interviews earlier in the afternoon?

You jumped up, an idea coming to your mind. “Ya know, Mr. Lee, I actually do have some nannying experience. I was a nanny for a family on my block every summer while I was in high school.”

It technically wasn’t a lie. You’d babysat for your neighbors. Once a week. When their mom had her PTA meetings. For about two hours.

Mr. Lee was shaking his head and standing up. “No, I couldn’t subject you to this. I’m very sorry. But if we ever need a caterer, I’ll keep you in mind.” He gave you a smile, coming around the front of his desk.

You sighed and stood up. “Well, thank you for taking this interview with me anyway,” you offered your hand again and Mr. Lee shook it.

“Of course, now could I escort you to the door?”

“I suppose so,” you told him.

Mr. Lee gestured for you to go through the door and followed you out of the room.

You were halfway through the living room when the phone rang. James, who had been wiping down the coffee table, quickly grabbed the phone off the hook. “Lee residence…yes…yes…oh how unfortunate…I will let him know…yes, thank you, goodbye.” James hung up the phone and looked at Mr, Lee. “That was the service. They won’t be able to send anybody tonight. They are booked solid.” 

“Oh no,” Mr. Lee rubbed his temples. “That’s totally unacceptable. What happened to that woman that we used last weekend?” 

“She’s refusing to come back. Something about a near death experience,” James looked over at Aled who sunk down behind the couch to hide. 

You hesitated at the door. Maybe this could be your chance. Even if he just used you tonight, as long as you didn’t kill the kids, you would get paid. And probably pretty well guessing on the house. You could at least offer, you supposed. 

“Um...Mr. Lee. If you need somebody for tonight, I’d be available.”

Everybody’s heads whipped around to you, all eyes wide, surprised. 

“Well,” Mr. Lee ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. “I don’t know. James, couldn’t you…?” 

“It’s my night off, sir. Remember? I’ve got my niece’s dance recital.” 

“Oh right, of course,” Mr. Lee looked you over, seemingly arguing within himself about what to do. “Look, Miss Y/L/N, I...I usually don’t do things like this, especially where my children are concerned, but I am...desperate. I’ve got a meeting with one of my biggest potential backers this evening and I need someone to watch my children. So, if you could…”

“Oh thank you! Thank you!” You pulled  Mr. Lee into a hug before you knew what you were doing. “You won’t regret this! What time should I be back here?”

“Before I change my mind,” Mr. Lee muttered.

You pulled away, laughing a bit, before you heard James say something about six-thirty. You then quickly left before Mr. Lee could’ve said anything else.

You practically ran to the subway, nearly giddy. You had a job. You FINALLY had a job! You were walking down the stairs when you pulled your phone out. You had four missed calls and fifteen text messages. Just when you were going to read some of them, it started to ring. You saw it was Rosie.

“Hey, Rose, what’s…?”

“Oh, thank GOD! Ollie, she’s okay. Where the…?”

“WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!” Olivia yelled in the phone.

“In Manhattan at the interview your girlfriend sent me!”

“Nooo, you never showed up to the interview! We’ve been calling you for almost an hour now!”

You frowned at that. Why were they so upset? Rosie had sent you to the interview, how was she so confused?

“What house did you go to?”

“The one Rosie sent me to,” you told her slowly, hoping she would calm down. “1781.”

“She says she went to 1781,” Olivia must’ve relayed to Rosie. “That’s what you told me!…Soooo, funny story. You were supposed to go to 1871. That’s where the catering job was.”

“It’s fine! I got a job anyway! I’ll explain when I get home, but I’ve got a job tonight!”

“What?...She got a job by going to the wrong house….I don’t know! She said she would explain it when she got home…When will you get home?”

“As soon as the subway will let me.”

The whole way home you felt like you were floating. You were hoping that you would at least get paid enough to buy some groceries.

How were you going to take care of two kids tonight though? They didn’t look that old. The boy, Aled?, seemed like he was about nine or ten. The girl, in the brief moment that you had seen her, seemed to only be about five or six. You supposed you could entertain them for a couple hours. Hopefully they had all the streaming services. Just stick them in front of the TV and wait it out.

You walked into your apartment and got tackled into the wall by Olivia.

“I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!”

You laughed and gave her a hug back. “I’m fine! You leave me here all the time to go to your girlfriend’s house, but me going into Manhattan scares you.”

Olivia pulled back and glared at you. “Whatever. Tell us what happened!” Olivia started to pull you towards the living room where Rosie was sitting on the couch. “Ronnie told us you never made it to the house and then you weren’t picking up.”

You went into the whole story of what happened. Explaining the kids, the mansion, the butler, and finally, the man that hired you.

“…name’s Gwilym Lee.”

“Wait,” Rosie sat up a bit straighter. “Gwilym Lee? The producer?”

You exchanged confused looks with Olivia.

“Oh, come on, neither of you know Gwilym Lee? He was like this huge producer at Disney. He’s been involved in all the Marvel movies.”

Your eyebrows shot up. “Are you serious?”

“Yeeeeeah, did you not see anything in his house that gave it away?”

“No,” you answered honestly. You hadn’t. You were sure that there was something that you had missed, but you were too worried about the interview and trying to get a job that you weren’t paying that much attention.

“And he’s going to trust you with his kids?”

You slowly nodded, suddenly much more nervous about tonight than you originally were.

[woahitslucyylu]

Messy (3.) *preview*

GIF credit to @bakarijord4n​. 

Author’s Note: Here is a preview of Messy (3) (Find 1 here. Find 2 here.). I wanted to make sure I had something to share on Smut Sad Sunday. Erik ain’t no bitch, but you are. Enjoy, sleazies! If you want to be on a tag list, let me know!

———————————————————————-

Where we last left our lovers, 

As the door shut, the nightstand brightened - a beacon in the night, and your hand fumbled for the phone - squinting at the blinding screen. 

Erica 

I just got off work. Trying to break me off, E? My homegirl can come through too. 

Your eyes blinked away the dirtiness as you dropped the phone, a soft thud on the carpet, as Erik opened the door with a warm towel. 

“Aye, turn over. Let me clean it up.” His voice soft in the quiet room - the air fizzling as the intimate moment drifted further away. 

Your head stayed buried in the pillow, your glassy eyes facing the wall, as you spoke weakly, “I don’t think you can.” 

------------------------------------------------------

“What?” Erik hovered over your bent form - his breath warm on your sticky skin. 

His closeness made your stomach lurch - euphoria strangled by rage, “I said, I don’t think you can!” Your hand flew open - hurling the phone into the dresser - the wood chipping as his phone fell - the screen shattering against the wooden floor. 

“Yo, what the fuck?!” The mattress creaked as he jumped back - hastily pulling on his boxers as he stood - the heat in his gaze scorching your skin. “What the fuck is your problem?” His words deadpanned - falling flat in the raging air as you wrapped yourself in your robe. 

“My pussy is fucking stupid. That’s my problem.” Your manicured hands punctuated your thought. “I’m over here trying my best to coparent with your toxic ass, but she, she’s fucking stupid.” You tossed clothing at him - his arms cradling each cotton bullet you threw. 

“What. The. Fuck. Are. You. Talking. About.” Erik dropped the clothes, stalking towards you - his presence left your confidence shrinking - a flower fading in the darkest shadow. Erik licked his lips, raking his onyx eyes over her silk-clad body, pouring charm over the jaggedness between them - dulling the stab. He knew you saw texts - from who, he wasn’t sure and it didn’t matter - it was enough to make you slip away, falling off the cliff once more. 

Your lips curled in disgust as you pulled away, “I know you’re not fucking lookin’ at me like that. I know you, N’Jadaka,” Your long acrylic nail poked through his facade as you spoke his name, “This is why our shit didn’t work out. You play too fucking much.” You bent low, collecting his sweats once again. “It’s time for you to go. Erika is ready.”

[ahordeofwasps]

Find the Word Tag

I've been tagged by the terrific @loopyhoopywrites! Thanks for the tag! My words are Fight, Fire, and Frail! I'll be sharing excerpts from To Not Falling Off Cliffs!

But first, the no pressure tags! I'll be tagging @deanwax, @space-writes, @kaiusvnoir, @autumnalwalker, and open tag! Your words are mend, metal, mere, and manage!

Now, onto To Not Falling Off Cliffs!

Fight

The [unintelligible] kept talking, kept rattling the doorknob, kept shoving pamphlets underneath the door, which shook as they tried to break it down. The [unintelligible] would not stop. Not until they had their prey. Erika kept her weight pressed against the shaking door, using all her strength to keep it shut. She would not give in. She would not be twisted against what she was. A frigid chill had set in her bones. The pain in her head grew worse, crescendoing beyond what she had felt at the supermarket. It hammered away at her brain, more relentless than the [unintelligible]. She had to fight herself not to clutch her head, to keep her attention focused on keeping the door shut. Erika kept fighting against the [unintelligible] until… *** …until Erika found herself lying on top of a bed of pamphlets. It was dark, with the only light coming in from the streetlights and full moon outside. Her head ached and she had a chill. Her skin was slick with sweat. She glanced up to see that both the deadbolt and the chain lock had been broken, her front door left ajar. The [unintelligible] had made it in, but Erika had not been any state to have a conversation. Finding their prey unsuitable, the [unintelligible] had left.

Fire

At the first few parties, Steve thought nothing much of Tiffany, beyond her being Kushim’s friend who liked to wear a lot of gold. And then, thanks to Kushim, he had a conversation with her. At the time, the Hapsburgs of Spain and Valois of France were fighting over the Italian peninsula, and Kushim brought it up in conversation. At the mention of the war, Tiffany’s eye sockets lit up and she began to chatter about her latest reaping: the crew of the Mary Rose. There was delight in her voice as she described the calm waters of the Solent Strait, the two massive fleets of ships facing each other off, and the sudden sinking of the Mary Rose, not due to enemy gunfire, but to a breeze at the wrong time, forcing it to tip over, seawater flooding its gunports. It had been less than two centuries since the Reaper Rebellion and Steve was still getting used to befriending those who had souls, so he hadn’t really tried anything to prevent their deaths yet. He remembered a familiar feeling taking root in his chest as Tiffany described men getting tangled in netting and crushed by their own cannons, as Kushim prodded her for more details. The feeling was heavy and seemed to twist around his bones, binding them into place. It had not budded into the ache at that point, not yet, but it already had the sting of uselessness to it.

Frail

“Those dirty cut-throats! I am gobsmacked! Gobsmacked, I say! You bet your bottom dollar I won’t have any of their shite in my house! Slavery in the 20th century? Those barbarians!” she shouted into the phone, her blood a roiling boil. Again, Pat found herself cursing her human form, its frail limbs and squawking voice, only able to express a fraction of her rage. As a wolf, she could growl complaints without needing to utter a word; the meaning would come through, unbound by the limits of language. As a wolf, if something pissed her off, she could just rip its throat out. Or get into a nasty scrap trying. As a wolf, there was none of this nasty business of material goods, none of this making living beings material goods. As a wolf, she just was.

[colubrina]

mid-year book freakout

thank you for tagging me @cocoartistwrites Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2021? Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2021? Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater

New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To? Nothing really occurs to me?

Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2021?�� I'm looking forward to The Plentiful Darkness by Heather Kassner and The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters

Biggest Disappointment? lol, no. I follow the Brandon Sanderson school of thought wherein I keep my mouth shut about books I disliked.

Biggest Surprise? Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. I expected formulaic YA and was delighted by what it turned out to be.

Favorite New Author? Tracy Deonn

Newest Fiction Crush? meh. none. I'm way too old to get crushes on YA characters, and most of the adult books I read are not the sort of books to engender that kind of reaction

Newest Favorite Character? Selwyn Kane really is the kind of catnip I love in escapist books. Asshole with sad backstory and magic powers.

Book That Made You Cry? Many Points of Me by Caroline Gertler

Book That Made You Happy? Squad Goals by Erika J. Kendrick

Favorite Book Adaption You Saw This Year?  Eh? I don't really watch video media

Favorite Review You’ve Written This Year? I don’t remember

Most Beautiful Book You Bought So Far This Year? Piranesi has a gorgeous cover

What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of The Year?  Eh? you’re up: @evolutionsbedingt, @fullyvisible, @pedlimwen, @reapersbarge @pugetprincess

[demivampirew]

Do I mean anything to you? part 2 (final part)

It started as a one-shot, but I had an idea for a second part, so here it is 😁

Soft and fluffy (and angry too) August x reader

Triggers: fighting; kidnapping; anarchism/terrorism; metions of guns, bombs, etc; crying

A/N: This is a re-writing of the movie ending.

You can find more of my writings in the Masterlist

Tag list: @lunedelorient​​ @henrythickcavill​ @wolvesandhoundshowltogether​ @mary-ann84​ @desperate-and-broken​ @peakygroupie​ @summersong69​ @ivvitm1109​ @madbaddic7ed​ @iloveyouyen​ @the-soot-sprite @hell1129-blog​

- Did you truly think you could fool me and get away with it, Walker? - Sloane asked August, who was handcuffed into a chair in an interrogation room. They were alone in that room, but there were plenty of agents outside of the room in case their boss needed them to help to control him. August remained silent with his eyes fixed on her.

After the IMF played him to prove that he was the double agent, August allowed them to take him as a prisoner, only to allow the rest of the anarchist team to help Lane escape. They asked him many times about his location but August did not know the answer and even if he did he wouldn't help the CIA catch him. He knew that he was to value to the cause against The Apostles so they wouldn't get rid of him, and if they did it, at least his mission of freeing Solomon was a success.

- You won't talk, would you? Huh.- she questioned, raising an eyebrow- Well, let's see if I can find something that'd make you talk.- Erika said and grabbed his phone, dialled a number and after waiting for the person in the other side of the line to respond, she said "bring her in" while starring directly into his eyes. There was panic on them, anyone could have noticed it. He knew at that moment who "her" was.

Minutes went by and then the door opened. An agent grabbed you by your arm as he walked you into the room and as soon as you saw August, you ran into him. You cupped his face with your hands and press your forehead against him. He wanted to fight it. He should have pretended not to know you for that would have been the best for you, but as soon as he felt your sweet touch, he lost all the strength for resistance.

The agents in the room forced you to stand afar from him, not without a fight.

- Hurt her and I'll fucking kill you!- he shouted with burning anger. His eyes went from the agents to Sloane.

- Calm down.- the CIA leader ordered to the double agent- Tell me what I need to know and I'll set her free. Hell, if you give me all the information I need, I might consider pardoning you and allowing you to retire to live a happy life with this woman, but that's all up to you.- she offered him- So, tell me August, what are you going to do? He closed his eyes and looked to the other side. Erika sighed and gave a new order- Take her away and locked her. He quickly turned his eyes when he heard her complain about how the agent that was holding her was grabbing her too tight and made her hurt.

- Stop!- Walker shouted and Sloane looked at him. His white pearls were showing. Rage was written all over his face- You want Lane? Fine, I'll give him to you. I don't know where he's now, but I'll find him for you.- he promised her- But first, I need your word that you would let her and me go afterwards.- he said, looking at you and then his eyes were set on her again. -Fine. Considered it done.- she agreed after a moment of thinking. - She, of course, will stay here until your mission is fulfilled. Considerate a security deposit. Bring me Lane and the plutonium and you both are free; fool me and I'll kill her. Don't play with me August, you know me well.-she warned him and with a head gesture she indicated her employees to take you away- The sooner you complete the mission, the sooner you'll be back in the arms of your lovely woman.

He wanted to kill everyone there. He hated every single rat working there and he hated you. He had ideals he was fighting for...a better reality and he was about to give all that up to save you and to be with you. But, even the thought of hating on you hurt him: he loved you, more than anything. He hated himself to be honest. He hated how he allowed himself to fall in love with you and he despited himself for putting you in danger. Now was the time to make things right.

He had no idea where Solomon was, but he figured out that at least one of all the other double agents should know something about it. He found one of them and convinced him that he managed to escape or that was what he thought. The man set him a trap and a group of gunmen were waiting for him to kill him. August might be a big man, but he was quicker than he seemed. He took down the anarchists, leaving the one who planned the trap alive to make him tell him where Lane was. Walker broke the fingers of the agent's right hand, hearing his screams of pain, promising that the pain would get worse if he didn't give him the information he required.

Solomon was in a small medical camp on Siachen Glacier. He planned to explode the plutonium bombs there.

As August expected, Lane knew that Walker was a traitor. He had him surrounded by his subordinates as soon as he set a foot on the house he was staying.

- I did not have you as a weak person.- Solomon told him- what's the reason behind your change of teams?- he asked studying August's face- Let me guess, they found your lady friend, didn't they?- Walker's eyes were wide open now. He knew about her as well. - Yes, I know about her.- he replied as if he could read his mind- And I was going to finished her in you failed on the mission, but I guess they found her first.

That confession unleashed August's anger and with quick yet strong moves he took down the ten men in the place, leaving only Lane alive. He grabbed him and threw him on the floor, quickly tying him so he would no escape. After the call with Sloane, he remembered that he still needed the plutonium to complete the mission.

- What's the matter? Missing something?- Lane mocked him when he saw August focused on his thoughts. - Shut up.- he ordered him. - Do you think she's worthy of all this trouble? Tell me, do you seriously believe that you'll be able to live a happy life with that woman now that she knows what you have done? All those lives you took... people like her do no understand our mission. “There cannot be peace without first a great suffering. The greater the suffering, the greater the peace.” You'll suffer a lot her loss, true, but think about the reward. You still on time to do the right thing.- Solomon said trying to change August's mind.

- Raise your hands!- someone shouted to him. It was Ethan Hunt. He entered the house and was pointing towards Augusts with a gun. He turned around to face the IMF agent, as he did what he asked him. - I'm on your team, Hunt.- he informed him bitterly. - Yeah, sure.- Ethan answered with a short sarcastic laugh. - I'm being honest. Sloane sent me to bring her Lane and the plutonium.- he explained. - Why I'm supposed to believe that you're telling the truth?- he questioned. - Julia. - August said and he saw his enemy's eye open wide in surprise. - How do you know that name? -he requested both angry and afraid. - Don't you think I would work with you without making a previous research, did you?- he explained- Anyhow... you have your Julia, Sloane has mine. She will kill her if I don't give him what she wants. - That doesn't make you being on my team. Now surrender, I'm taking you both back to CIA.

To Hunt's surprise, Walker was quicker than he seemed and was fighting him even before he had a chance to blink. The men fight each other until August had Ethan's head trapped in his arm. The IMF hero tried to set himself free but couldn't for his arms were too big and strong. August realized that he needed to work with him if he wanted to succeed, so he had to convince him.

- Listen to me.- August shouted to the man fighting him to free himself- We need to work together. We can end this sooner and you'll save the life of the woman you love and I'll save mine. The CIA will soon be here to take him down and I'll go with them. You can come as well if you don't trust me. But I need to find the plutonium and give it back. If we stop fighting now and get to work, soon this will be over, otherwise, I'll have to kill you, because I won't risk the life of the person I love for you. - I cannot trust you, Walker.- Ethan pointed out. August sighed and grabbed his phone with his free hand and searched on his gallery, opening a folder locked with a password and then showed to Hunt. He looked at the photos: lots of photos of you - sleeping, cooking, laughing; pictures of the two of you kissing and hugging. The way August looked at you was what the IMF agent needed to know you were being honest. Your man trusted him because he knew that Hunt wouldn't allow an innocent life to be taken as collateral damage.

Ilsa Faust and Benji Dunn took the task of making sure Lane didn't escape while they searched for the bombs. One was found by Luther and Ethan's sidekick called him to let him know that the other explosive was on the house.

Lane's words were stuck in August's mind. He was on his way back to rescue you. Getting the plutonium and the anarchist was the easy part, making the love of his life, such a sweet woman to want to be with him knowing that he was not how he told her he was. He never lied to you since your relationship started, but certainly, he hid information about his other side. Could you forgive him for killing people? He knew that even if you hate him now, just the fact that you were safe was good reason enough for him to go that mission.

Sloane kept her part of the deal and released you and pardon him, with the condition that she would send people constantly to check that he was truly out of the game.

You ran into his arms and he pulled you closer to him, putting an arm on your back and the other in your head. After an inspection to make sure you were unharmed, he kissed you and pressed his forehead against yours. You hugged him tight and cry of fear for everything that had happened.

Two weeks later...

He bought a new house in a suburb using his life savings. He was used to renting apartments and move constantly, but this time he wanted a stable place for you two. After a long talk, he promised you that his anarchist days were behind, same for the CIA job. He would find something else to earn money and live a decent life with you. You, on the other hand, assured him that you would work hard to make him see the world through other eyes, so he could see why his previous belief was wrong. You'll teach him how beautiful the world could be.

[carbootsoul]

erika+ephriam+lyon for ask game 👀? and a witch hat character of your choosing if you like as well :3v

omg clint you're spoiling me :) also this is mostly unrelated but i was listening to kat flint today and a) her music is so good thank u for introducing it to me years ago and b) VERY witch hat atelier vibes which was fun. im putting my answers under a cut bc i am sooo verbose about characters

eirika: a song that reminds me of them: this is just the first that came to mind but oh what a world by rufus wainwright! oh what a world my parents gave me / always traveling but not in love. the rly interesting mix of idealism and pragmatism that she embodies- both being in awe of and in love with the world and the people in it but also not hesitating to accept that they are in a war and the tragedies that come with it what they smell like: i think for most of the game she smells like sweat and dirt an otp: eirika and l'arachel is actually the best ship in the whole entire world they're sooo funny. they keep meeting and every time eirika is like ???? and l'arachel is just falling head over heels in love a notp: eirika and lyon romance honestly very textually relevant in the game and adds to the story and whatever but they're both so absolutely homosexual that i can't conceptualize it favorite platonic/familial relationships: eirika and ephraim 🥺🥺 but also eirika and seth he's such a good big brother figure!! but also eirika and colm and eirika and tana and eirika and lyon. it's like.. rag tag army as family.. a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with: there are like two posts about her on tumblr dot com but her fire emblem heroes characterization makes me insane shut up about your brother shut up about your brother the position they sleep in: on her side one leg curled to her chest

ephraim a song that reminds me of them: omg lies by marina abt his relationship with lyon. you're too proud to say that you made a mistake / you're a coward till the end i really wish we had been able to see more of ephraims reaction to the true story of what happened with lyon, since he obviously forgives him but also seems to be angry about it and that's such a good dynamic. also oc can't let you go / i just want it to be perfect / to believe it's all been worth the fight. they make me... ugh what they smell like: he has also been living in tents for months so he probably also smells like horses and sweat an otp: ephraim and lyon do get to me... 🥺 also he and innes as a like teenage fling is hilarious to me they're so funny to each other i can't believe they don't have supports a notp: if i ever see another incest joke i'm killing someone favorite platonic/familial relationships: he and his sister are so good!! they're so siblings! a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with: again i have never rly interacted with the fe fandom but something from canon i disagree with is the assignment of the sun to him and the moon to his sister he is so obviously the lunar twin im furious abt this the position they sleep in: absolutely sprawled out. he takes up as much space as is given to him

lyon a song that reminds me of them: ache with me by against me just happened to be playing rn but it's very him. do you share the same sense of defeat / have you realized all the things you'll never be / ideals turn to resentment, open minds close up with cynicism / i've got no judgement for you / come on and ache with me. what they smell like: roses but in a fucked up revolutionary girl utena way like the roses symbolize something sinister an otp: lyon and ephraim.. admittedly lyon is kind of carrying why this ship is compelling with his tragic backstory but ephraim is such a boy so he's important too a notp: see eirika :/ favorite platonic/familial relationships: he and eirika and ephraim as a unit are so important to me they are so [unintelligible] a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with: i haven't rly seen this much but i guess any tendency to soft-boy him bc of his character design like this guy sucks a lot and he has a lot of flaws that almost ended the world :/ the position they sleep in: hugging a pillow

and for the wha character.. agott bc she's so girl :) a song that reminds me of them: pretty little things by the crane wives! but trust is now something i make people earn / so i'm not inclined to just give it away / to a pair of blue eyes with some nice things to say what they smell like: grass in the best way possible! an otp: she and coco are SO !! im in love with them. sasunaru dynamic but better in every way. all the panels of coco hugging or complimenting agott and agott blushing furiously are the new wonders of the world. shipping kids in media always feels a little weird but i think they're a rly cute like first crush dynamic a notp: i dont think she's been shipped with anyone else lol favorite platonic/familial relationships: agott and olruggio are rly interesting to me! i've probably just drawn lines between them because they're both grumpy but i could definitely see agott becoming for coco what olruggio is for qifrey and i love when children are friends with their adult narrative foil it's about helping the younger generation overcome the things that they couldn't! it's also about olruggio being able to connect with agott because they're both grumpy :) a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with: not a headcanon bc again the fandom is tiny but so much of her tag is ppl being mean to her about what she did in the second (?) volume like yeah that was mean but she's like 12! 12 year olds do fucked up stuff all the time they're still learning what interpersonal relationships are the position they sleep in: on her stomach clutching her pillow a crossover au i’d love to see them in: anything that would allow her to say swear words my favorite outfit they’ve ever worn: the like single panel where tetia is getting mad at her about not liking wearing costumes and it shows her dressed as a prince! she looks so good

djskflj i feel like i wrote a novel about each of them and tbh i do not know if u will make any sense out of it but thank u for sending this it was super fun to think about them for a while!!!