#In the background but shhh

[salamandergoo]

STWG Prompt: Chocolate Covered Strawberries

CW for discussion of period-typical homophobia

The floorboards in the doorway of the kitchen squeaked, they had since the Byers family had moved into the house and it had gotten on Jonathan's frayed nerves the first hundred times he'd heard it.  By now, though, it was just a background noise in the usually subdued home.  When he heard it while leaning over the stove, he already knew who it was.  "Hi El."

"Hello."  He could picture her path across the tiled floor, could hear her near-silent steps.  "What are you doing?"

"Making chocolate covered strawberries."  His tongue poked out in concentration as he twisted the strawberry skewered on toothpicks, doing his best not to drip melted chocolate everywhere.

"Why?"  She reached out to stick her finger in the chocolate, but he easily batted her hand away before she could touch it.  Will had tried the same thing before getting banished from the kitchen.

"Tomorrow is Valentine's Day.  I thought it might be nice to make some for uh... for a friend."  He set it down on the parchment paper he'd laid on the counter and picked up one that had already cooled off.  "Here, you can have this one."

She grinned at him and took an eager bite of it.  "Your friend Argyle?"

"Yeah, uh... you know, now that Nance and I aren't seeing each other, Argyle and I are both single, so I thought... yeah, that it would be nice."  He felt his face turning pink and turned his focus to skewering another strawberry.  If nothing else, it would be a nice snack while they got high in the van..

"Do you like him?"

"Do I- of course I like him."  Jonathan glanced at El.  "He's my best friend."

"Do you like him the same way you liked Nancy, though?"  Her eyes were curious, he didn't think she had any ill intent, but he pulled his shoulders in like he needed to protect himself.

He fidgeted with another strawberry and thought for a moment.  "...is mom home?"  He didn't even know if she like, knew anything about queer people.   That they were-

They were what?  Jonathan glanced over at El, who had an innocent look of puzzlement on her face.  Shit.  Maybe that lab hadn't taught her to hate queers, maybe she'd managed to stay unexposed this long.  But it couldn't be his responsibility, right?

"She left with Will after you made him leave the kitchen.  He needs a new sweatshirt."  El reached for a strawberry and he let her take it.

"Um.  Right.  Okay."  He could do this, he could totally do this.  "So you know how you like Mike?"

Her nose scrunched up.  "I guess."

"Good enough."  He had a feeling that relationship wouldn't last much longer.  "That's... we get told that girls are supposed to like boys and boys are supposed to like girls.  And that's fine, that's usually how it shakes out anyway."  He held his breath for a moment.  "But sometimes, um, sometimes boys like... they don't like girls.  They like other boys.  Or they like boys and girls.  And it's the same way for girls.  And were told it's not supposed to work like that, but it does anyway, no matter how hard you try, you just... can't make it go away.  How hard other people try..."  He shook his head, trying to shake away the thoughts about his father with it.  "It's not wrong, though.  Even if a lot of people think it is, it just... it just is, you know?"

"...so you do like Argyle?"

Jonathan's shoulders slumped a little.  "Yeah.  Yeah, I like Argyle.  A lot."

"He is very pretty."  El smiled and patted his arm.

"Yeah, he really is."  Jonathan let out a breathy little laugh.  "But- but you can't tell anyone, okay?  Because some people think it's wrong and they could... they could hurt us."

"Okay."  El nodded, expression turned serious.  "I will not tell anyone."  She wrapped her arms around his waist and he stiffened, still getting used to her occasional bouts of touchiness, and then she was leaving the kitchen with a chocolate covered strawberry in hand.

It turned out that chocolate and strawberry was one of Argyle's favorite flavor combinations, right next to pineapple and pizza.  After tasting it on his lips, Jonathan thought it might be one of his favorites too.

[korolation]

i miss them

[peanutseagle]

their friendship is very precious to me

[villetela]

Yippe! I finally have my own Solar design, I honestly don't know what he's even wearing I just randomly looked through references on Pinterest- but here's your boi Solar in my style.

[samgatinho]

FOR EPISODE 22!!!!

ok we ignore the fact that mumbo made his thumbnail + title abt the base . no its not bc i dont know how to draw buildings or smth. totally. no.

[duckdodger]

Happy anniversary tmnt !!

[xaintsero]

In honor of finally finishing Gilbert’s route, here’s my spoiler free interpretation of what happens. Hope this helps 🫡

[c0zy-r3tro-pals]

oh no not these guys.......

boyfail and short king

[drawnbythestream]

ok 😅 some of my fave human Jedi just for fun. Without clicking on them or looking at the tags, hopefully you can tell who’s who.

[spicynectarines]

battalion exploring their new base

[emiweee]

A king with his riches.

Wow look I can render now :3

[caramellody]

Chosen familia!!!

[sweetnsour-stuff]

Obsessed with this image made by @gremlincorner, original below

[reluctanttrabbit]

new hands, new throat

new living tissue

[jadelemonadee]

samuel you can’t just eat the communion wafers as a snack we need those for the services!!!!!

[elyasdoodles]

you should draw mike and will as like a frog and a zombie :)

This is the first thing that came to my mind tbh