#THANK YOU HELLFIRE

[sp0o0kylights]

Adopt a Jock Part One / Part Two / Part Three PART FOUR YOU ARE HERE Part five 

As always I own my entire soul to  @chalkysgarbagefire

Steve didn't show up to lunch that Monday. 

This was a problem, because Gareth and Eddie had carefully prepared the entirety of Hellfire to help make Steve play a D&D one-shot. 

(Well, mostly Eddie--and he'd left out the parts about how the entire goal was to acclimate Harrington to hugs and high fives. 

Gareth assumed that was a more careful conversation they'd all have later, outside of school grounds.) 

"Eds, if you jiggle your legs any harder the table is going to take flight." Gareth complained, scooting away before he got jabbed in the gut. 

"Where is he!?" Eddie muttered, glancing at his watch for what had to be the twenty-fifth time. “Are we sure he showed up to class this morning?" 

Stewart, the only person to share a class with Harrington, gave their leader an exasperated look. "Yes, I’m sure." 

He flicked his spoon, pointing it towards Eddie. "And yes he looked fine, yes, everything seemed normal, no I don't know why he's not here and no, no one fucking abducted him, or threatened him, or any of the other crazy excuses you keep coming up with!” 

Eddie’s frown deepened as Gareth and Grant traded concerned glances. 

"Maybe he just didn't want to sit with us today." Jeff remarked, approaching the topic with the same care a technician had when approaching a live bomb. 

Gareth thought it was a smart move, considering Eddie looked like he was about to rocket into the ceiling. 

"He's sat with us everyday, why would he change now?"  Eddie argued. 

"Maybe there's a basketball thing happening. Or he's saying hi to his jock buddies." Gareth tried, using the same cautious tone Jeff had. 

"We’re his friends!" Eddie snapped, looking two seconds away from losing his shit entirely.

 Almost unconsciously, Gareth and Jeff both raised a hand almost to try and help calm him.

Like he was a wild horse and they were the preteen girls in the movies determined to establish a bond before he killed their grandpa or some shit. 

This was what happened when one deviated from a predetermined Munson-made plan. Not that Steve had known that of course, but then, he wasn’t exactly catching the fallout, was he?

‘I am making Harrington buy lunch after this.’ Gareth thought, as Eddie returned to bouncing both his legs almost frantically. ‘From someplace expensive.’ 

"Maybe Hargrove ate him."  Grant suggested, as if the very thought of Billy Hargrove wouldn’t set Eddie off on a rampage. 

"I could see it." Stewart agreed. "Dude has cannibal vibes." 

"Not. Helping." Jeff hissed, his palm still in the air and hovering vaguely over Eddie’s shoulder. 

Sure enough, Eddie’s entire body tensed at the mere mention of Hawkin High’s new King. "That’s it. We’re going to find him.” 

“Have fun.” Tiff said, waving him off. 

Eddie glared. “We’re all going.” He practically spat.

With a put upon sigh, Tiff set her food down. "You really want to spend the rest of our lunch period stalking around the hallways looking for Harrington?" 

Eddie gripped the edge of the table so hard his knuckles went white. 

"Yes Tiff, I do." He said, a manic gleam in his eyes. 

He shoved up from the table, striking the kind of pose he often used during his rants. “This is a break in a pattern of behavior. A veer from an established path! This is the very first sign in every horror movie that something is wrong!” 

He went to put his foot up on the edge of the table, like a pirate captain looking to the seas ahead, but instead missed it entirely and fell forward. 

Eddie flailed for a moment, before managing to catch himself on the edge of the table. Instantly he began acting like he’d intended to fall like that from the start. 

“I refuse to let any of us behave like idiotic, stupid, horror movie characters.” He finished dramatically, hair hanging in his face. 

“You’ve been watching that Sherlock Holmes show again, haven’t you?.” Jeff asked him flatly. 

“Among other things.” Gareth muttered, because as usual, he was the one who’d been watching said shows and movies with Eddie.

Not that it bothered him any, just that it meant he got to watch his best friend adopt new behaviors in real time. 

Eddie flew back up, flinging his hair out of his face with a dramatic toss of his head. 

“Come on my Watson’s! Let’s go find Harrington. I have a one-shot to pitch dammit!” Eddie outright yelled, flinging his arm skyward once again. 

He got several startled glances in the cafeteria for it, but as used to Eddie as they all were, no one bothered to say anything to him. 

“Why the fuck would we all be Watson?” Stewart muttered as he stood. 

“I agree. Obviously, I’d be Watson.” Gareth said, also getting to his feet. “You’d be Mrs. Hudson.” 

“Oh fuck you, I would at least be the other crazy smart dude.” 

“Mycroft or Moriarty?”

“Mycroft.” Grant and Jeff chanted as one, the both of them putting their food away. 

“Not one of you is any Sherlock Holmes character. Except maybe the dog.” Tiff cut in with an eye roll as she finally gave in and stood herself. "Now come on, let's go take Eddie for a walk." 

Said metalhead flipped her the bird, but otherwise didn't protest. 

(Probably because this wasn't the first time they'd had to do laps with Eddie.) 

xXx

"Maybe he just went home." Gareth said reasonably some fifteen or so minutes later. 

They'd made their way through the school, Eddie obnoxiously bursting through all the bathroom doors to loudly (and embarrassingly) yell for Steve.

They hadn't seen hide nor perfectly shaped hair of their wayward jock, and none of them were looking forward to trapezing around the outside of the school to hunt for him.

Thankfully, they didn't have to. 

"Wait.” Tiffany asked, as they passed by the small little hallway leading to the art and photography rooms. “Is that Steve?"

Immediately all heads turned towards the direction she had pointed in. 

"I think so?" Jeff guessed, eyeing the guy standing in the hallway down from them. 

Gareth squinted, trying to get a better look. "Looks like." He agreed. "Also looks like Tiff was right, he is hanging out with other people." 

Eddie tensed at that. A true feat, Gareth thought, because he was already wound so tight he looked in danger of snapping in half. 

 "Fucking useless." Tiff muttered. 

Louder, she said; "Let's try that again. Isn't that our idiot jock with his ex-girlfriend and the guy she supposedly cheated on him with?" 

The lot of them watched as Steve stood in one of his classic defensive positions (arms tucked into his sides, back rigid and chin down, like he was about to perform some kind of football tackle.) 

Nancy Wheeler faced him, her own chin raised and her arms crossed like she was about to give the lecture of a lifetime. 

In between them stood Jonathan Byers, though he was angled more towards his girlfriend than Steve. The guy practically radiated discomfort but seemed to be managing. 

Even if his shoulders were practically above his ears.  

It didn't exactly look like a two on one situation, but then it didn't not look like it either. 

"Shit." Gareth said, which summed up the situation rather nicely. 

"Should we go save him?" Grant asked, concerned. 

Not one person moved.

 Instead, all eyes went to their fearless leader--who was uncharacteristically silent. 

Gareth took in the narrowed, frantic-turned-furious look upon his friend's face and wondered vaguely if he was going to have to stop a murder today.

Possibly two, depending on Byer’s involvement. 

"Defensive position boys!" Tiffany called out, breaking the spell with sheer volume as she made the decision for them. "Eddie, you with us or not?" 

Brave words for her, considering Gareth knew damn well that Tiff was often more bark than bite. 

Thankfully, it worked. 

"Right!" Eddie barked, jerking in place as he came back to himself. "Our Stevie needs us, men and Tiff!" 

He pointed forwards, like a war general leading a charge. "Hellfire, move out!" 

Fanning out into a triangle behind their club president, the lot of them followed as Eddie marched forward. 

"You know I didn't mean it like that." Nancy was saying, and even though Gareth didn't know her he could tell she was frustrated. 

 "You have people you can talk to. You have m--" she cut herself off when Eddie strode up next to Steve. 

Then blinked rapidly, reminding Gareth of a startled cocker spaniel when the rest of Hellfire fanned out around Harrington like wolves guarding their young. 

(Or brightly colored and very angry ducks, but wolves sounded cooler. 

Plus the last time he'd said something like this aloud; Grant had loudly informed him it was actually Muskox that made protective circles, Stewart brought up that triceratops were cooler, Jeff decided they should be bees and Tiffany had gone off on a tangent about badly done animal behavioral studies.) 

"I daresay I agree!" Eddie said, taking a dramatic leap forward and startling Steve and Byers both. 

That alone was a cause to worry--Gareth couldn't recall a single time Steve wasn't hyper-aware of his surroundings enough to get properly lost in it. 

At least lost enough that he missed an entire group of people approaching. 

"Steve is more than welcome to talk to people! His people." Eddie leaned forward a touch, the smirk on his face the one he used when he was playing up his role as the town's satanist cult leader. 

To her credit, Nancy recovered remarkably fast. "I take it you believe that's you?" 

Eddie reared back, like a cobra rising to strike. "Why Nancy Wheeler, Stevie here is an adult and can choose who he wants to talk to.”

He turned, one hand over his heart and the other held out to Steve. " Ain’t that right, big boy?”

Nancy and Byers both just stared. 

Gareth couldn’t blame them, he was staring too. 

Apparently deciding Eddie was too ridiculous to deal with, Nancy returned instead to talking to Steve--who, Gareth noted with more than his fair share of pride, looked a bit more grounded now that Hellfire had arrived. 

“I understand that we’re in a weird place right now, but you have to  know I still care about you, right?” Nancy bit her lip, clearly unhappy to have an audience but plowing ahead anyway. 

"I'm fine, Nance.” Steve told her, voice steady, but growing flat. 

 He was shutting down--shutting her out, if not everyone out. Gareth knew, if only because he’d watched Harrington do it to them more than once. 

(Knew because he himself had shut downs just like this. Eddie and Nancy were the kind of people who got loud in their anger, demanding people see and face them. 

Gareth on the other hand, even with his more explosive temper, often ended up more like Steve when faced with breakdowns with people he cared about. He didn’t want to hurt them. To say the wrong thing, to lash out when someone was just trying to help.

It was safer to shut up, back away and put some distance between yourself and whoever had pissed you off.) 

Either Nancy wasn’t aware of that or was too deep into her own emotions to see it, because she took a half step forward. “I know you’re not fine. I know you, Steve.” 

“Not anymore you don’t.” Steve responded, and Gareth wondered if he realized he was leaning away from her--and towards Eddie. 

Considering the way Wheeler’s eyes bounced between them, he knew she definitely had. 

Quite possible Byers too, from how he had to stop himself from pulling Nancy away. 

“I’ve been working hard to become someone else.” Steve added. “So you don’t have to feel responsible for me. I’m not your problem anymore.”  He spoke without malice, just with the pure emptiness of someone who completely believed everything he said. 

“Steve-” Nancy protested, but Eddie cut her off. 

"You heard him." He said, peacocking his little social win in a way only Eddie could. "Now if you don't mind, I have extremely important things to discuss and you have cut drastically into my time." 

He flicked his fingers in a shoo gesture, one that made Nancy's eyes spark in a way that quite frankly, terrified Gareth. 

"Fine." She grit out through clenched teeth. "You know I’m always available to talk, Steve." 

She strode off, passing Steve and the rest of Hellfire without a glance backwards. 

"Sorry man." Jonathan muttered apologetically to Steve as he passed, following after his girlfriend. 

Steve waved him off. 

"Well she's just a delight." Jeff muttered, once Nancy was well out of hearing range. 

Steve's entire chest heaved in a sigh, swaying slightly backwards as if the entire confrontation had physically drained him. 

"She's trying to help.” Steve muttered softly, scrubbing a hand down his face. “She's just...coming at it wrong." 

He turned, seeming to finally notice that all of Hellfire was there. "What are you all doing out here anyway?" 

"Rescuing you." Grant informed him. 

"From Nancy and Jonathan?"  Steve said in disbelief. 

Like Byers hadn't supposedly kicked his ass already. Nevermind the moping Wheeler had caused. 

(The entire school had witnessed the moping. 

It was, after all, part of what had drawn Eddie to Steve.) 

"Yes." Tiff replied bluntly. “Also if she corners you like that again, I will make it my personal mission in life to top all her test scores.” 

"I--okay." Steve blinked rapidly, clearly unsure of how to process that.

“Not that I needed rescuing,” He continued after a moment, staring at the whole group. “But why were you looking for me in the first place?” 

His voice was slowly recovering, coming out of that weird flatness it had scrunched itself into. It was an excellent sign, a sign of trust, and Gareth leapt to keep it before someone could say something stupid and fuck it up. 

"Eddie needed you to pitch his next one shot idea and couldn't wait for you to show up." Gareth admitted. “We decided to hunt you down since you were missing lunch.” 

“Oh.” Steve blinked again, and though it’d be concerning on anyone else, the guy just looked like a lost puppy. “I’m sorry man.”

“It's alright Stevie. I just thought you'd totally ditched us.” Eddie sniffed dramatically, looking like he was going to wing an arm around Steve’s shoulder but thought better of it. “No biggie.” 

He pouted, and made absolutely sure Steve could see him do it. 

“Is this you trying to get more of my M&M brownies?” Steve asked after a moment. 

“Oh my dear, sweet, athletic friend. Not at all. Instead, you are going to play the one shot I worked so hard on.” Eddie bounced his shoulder into him as he spoke.  

 It was a weird little compromise the two of them seemed to have, since Gareth had regularly witnessed Eddie ping-ponging off Steve’s shoulders. “Let us break your tabletop cherry.” 

“Or what?” Steve asked, the tiniest bit of humor peaking through. 

Eddie stared at him, abruptly still and completely serious. “I will cry, Steven. Loudly.” 

It brought a small smile to Steve’s face.

“Fine. I’ll play your dumb dweeb game.” He said, and couldn’t seem to stop the smile from overtaking his face when Eddie threw his arms in the air and cheered. 

“Come on, I’m pretty sure the bell rang forever ago.” Jeff said, as they began to venture out back to the main hallway. 

(“Hey guys?” Steve asked, right before they all split up to go to their various classes. “Thanks. For the save.”

Eddie positively beamed. “Anytime, Steve. Anytime.”) 

xXx 

“Hey Gareth?” Steve asked a few days later, joining Gareth in the library during his free period. 

(Gareth himself was skipping, because if he had to listen to yet another lesson on the Crucible he was going to declare himself a satan worshiping witch and demand to be hanged.) 

Gareth hummed to show he heard, as he carefully took stock of the loot he’d gotten from their last game. Eddie had been pretty good about it for once, and he wanted to look things over before the one shot. 

“Can I ask kind of a weird question?” Steve rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. 

“Shoot, Stevie.” Gareth replied, finally comfortable enough to use the main nickname Eddie had nailed the poor guy with. 

“Did Eddie give me a character with bad eyesight or “night vision” or whatever, because he thinks I have bad eyesight?” Steve’s fingers made sassy little air quotations around “night vision” because he knew damn well it wasn’t called that and didn’t want to get chewed out. 

It was appreciated, even if it was cheeky as shit. 

Gareth stopped writing. “Why’d you think that?” 

“He just keeps acting like I’m my character.” Steve replied with a shrug. “Like all that stuff we planned  about how my character gets around and relies on the group since he can’t see that great in the daylight? He does it for me too.” 

“It’s Eddie, he’s eccentric.” Gareth struggled to keep a straight face, trying not to give the game away. 

Laughing would absolutely clue Steve in to the fact that Eddie was doing it on purpose. 

“He just keeps telling me before he touches me. Outside of the game.” Steve continued, utterly baffled. 

Of course, Eddie was doing far more than that, in order to keep up the appearance that he was just being a weirdo who was too into his game. (Instead of trying to alert Steve to the fact he was going to lean on him, hug him, or do any other thing involving skin to skin contact that usually made Harrington panic.)

“If you don’t like it you should tell him,” Gareth said. He knew it was the better option, encouraging Steve to communicate. They could come up with something else if this was too weird (as frankly, many of Eddie’s plans could be. 

Bless the guy but he had a habit of going for the dramatic over the practical.) 

“No!” Steve protested, far too quickly. 

He cleared his throat with a cough, and continued in a much calmer voice, “No, I don’t wanna ruin his fun or anything.” 

As far as excuses go for letting something happen it was a weak one, but Gareth wasn’t going to call him on it. If Steve wanted to hide behind Eddie and his “fun”  then Gareth would happily pretend to buy it. 

Would buy whatever excuse Steve needed, to help make the guy feel more comfortable and like himself than the still often vacant ghost that hung around now. 

“Just wanted to know if he actually thought my eyesight sucked.” Steve finished in a mumble. 

“Well you did trip over the curb that one time.” Gareth teased playfully, and shot a grin at Harrington when that awkward look of his melted into something more offended. 

“I was walking backwards!” Steve defended, his normal, almost bitchy tone returning. 

“Uh-huh. And what about when you almost ate shit over that garbage can and Eddie had to save you?” Gareth taunted. 

He grinned, watching as a blush overtook the older boys face, Steve glancing away frantically and--

Oh. 

Oh!

'Oh-ho, ho, ho!' Gareth thought with absolute glee. The entire fucking school knew what Steve looked like when he had a crush, (Steve himself had made sure of that with Nancy) and Gareth recognized the beginning of it happening all over again.

Steve Harrington had a crush.

On Eddie.

Gareth could work with this.

“You know….” He  paused, grin turning sly as a sudden idea came to him. “If you want to mess with Eddie a little bit I have an idea.” 

Steve stared at him, confused. “Why would we want to mess with him?” 

Gareth leaned forward. “Because pranks are fun, Harrington. Legend has it you even used to do them.”  

Steve still didn't look convinced, but the nice thing about a man like Steve was that all Gareth had to appeal to was his sense of adventure. 

“Now." He clapped his hands together in a move that had very much been stolen years ago from Eddie. "How good are your acting skills?

Meant to post this yesterday but I got surprise laid off last week and that pushed me back a bit, sorries! Absolutely related, I have a Ko-Fi now lmao. It’s https://ko-fi.com/sp0o0kyghosthost 

Unemployment should go through just fine so I don’t really think I need to full panic but hey if you wanna throw me a dollar and yell “Dance writer dance!” I’ll do a lil tippy-tap jig. 

[imperiuswrecked]

Hellfire Gala Quicksilver

I commissioned the wonderful @ecairnsart to create this gorgeous Hellfire Gala art for the lovely @esteicy-blog 💙 Pietro deserves to have beautiful fashion!

[ID: Pietro Maximoff stands facing the viewer while looking off to the left side in profile with a solemn expression on his face, he has brown skin, white hair, and wears earrings in his right ear. He wears black pants, futuristic running boots, a blue sash is tied around his waist with corded accessories, tucked into the sash is a white high collared shirt with geometric designs on the chest. Over the white shirt he wears a blue jacket with silver detailing, the fastenings on his chest resemble lightning blots, a sheer blue cape with starry sparkle detailing is draped over his left shoulder, crossing over his back and gathered in his right hand. /End ID]

Artist Comments: Pietro's outfit is influenced by Balkans & Roma Folk clothing to reflect his background. The embroidered jacket has a lightning bolt inspired motif to reference his classic costume. The Boots are a hybrid of traditional/fantasy boots and futuristic/modern running shoes. One other detail is that Pietro does not wear any metal parts in his outfit (buttons, chains, etc.); he's always had a rocky relationship with his dad so I think the idea of him wearing an outfit that doesn't include anything affected by Magneto's powers is a subtle but interesting detail.

[ryan-waddell11]

A QUIET PLACE DAY ONE CRUMBS. ALEX AND JOE BEING BESTIES

[chemistryread]

a 'what's next' for scorch and jake preview

a/n: there could be changes to this.

tagging: @thedroneranger @shanimallina87 @peakascum @cherrycola27 @iwantmyredvelvetcupcake @averyhotchner @sarcasm-n-insomnia @scoopsr0bin @loveforaugust @murdermornings @is-this-a-febreze-commercial @cornishkat @lovingperfectionsblog @thecraziestcrayon @untoldshortsofthefandoms

The sun is kinder at this hour, gently warming the side of your face as you remove your helmet. You can feel Pete's eyes on you from the other side of his aircraft, climbig out of its cockpit.

When he reaches you, the well-meaning furrow of his brows encourages you to pick up a pace, forcing the older man to look at the back of your head instead of your eyes.

"I'd say we're getting good at this whole flying thing, Captain."

You can imagine the small smirk on his lips.

"Think someone up at the high floors might notice us?"

That makes you laugh out loud. "Don't know if they have time for little guys like you and I, but we can dream. Anyway, we've got a prosperous, trouble-free career ahead of us and plenty of time to suck up to Admirals who will definitely like us very much. Right?"

"Hey, you're the one who wrapped your baby arms around my leg. I tried warning you."

"I was young and impressionable." Reaching the end of the tarmac, you turn to him with a faux wistful expression. That classic Maverick combo of a timid smirk and squinting eyes watches you, amused but perpetually curious. "Yes, Captain Mitchell?"

"I don't want you to overwork yourself. You're doing good. Don't get in your own head about it."

The specific sequence of words does not sound strange to you. Are your protective layers shedding with age? It's the only explanation you can find for how targeted your friends' remarks have been able to sound for a while now.

Your feet readjust on the spot, hands clasped in front of your body with uncharacteristic formality for the both of you.

"Is this because I asked if we could stay up there a little longer to see the sunset? A bit on the emotional side, I know, but- Consider it your first wedding gift."

His eyes take your stance with a cocked brow, earnestly stepping forward, an apprehensive inhale filled with interest.

"Are you nervous about that? You know it's a small cerimony, we're just happy you said you'd do it, it doesn't have to be a big-"

"I'm not." It's curt, raising your hand to stop his rambling. "Let's make sure I keep you away from failing engines, birds, my own bad judgement- Out of harm's way entirely first, get you to your bride in one piece, and then I'll feel performance anxiety over the speech. Sound good?"

It's not hard to pick up concern in Maverick's full, green irises. It's always there, anyway. And he's definitely not scared to bring it up. A preamptive sigh escapes your lips.

"I trust you."

Overflowing with confidence and care, melting your cold-natured shell with a simple shrug of his shoulders and a nod.

"I know, Mav."

Your tone is on the annoyed side, his stubborn eyes making you squirm, but you can't find it in you to walk away yet. Expecting to hear one more promise.

"It'll work." Not quite what you needed. Huffing, you look away, throat singing a muffled note of disagreement, which makes him impatient. "What?"

"'Lot of risks."

"Usually not something Scorcher-deterrent."

"I don't usually get to wingman." A sharp, shooting pain in your chest. A feeling of impotence. "My job is to guarantee that you'll be fine."

There he goes again, looking up at you with certainty he simply expects you to share.

"Which is exactly how I know I will be fi-"

"That kind of talk is for friends and family, Mitchell. For me, it's counterproductive. I have to think about it. I have to consider it, worry. Or do you want me to believe you favored me for this mission because you're biased and not because you know I've got that same strain of unease you do about watching someone else's back? There's something sacrificial in you, and it's in me too, isn't it?” You seem to forfeit breathing, eyes stinging, canine showing. Don’t cry. “And the Navy may not openly encourage it, but it sure comes in handy, and you know that very well. That's why you chose me. So let me do my job."

Chest rising, you think about your backseater and her family asking why you didn't try harder. You think about Rooster's father, seeing it in Pete's eyes that he's doing that too. You think about Jake. And you finally get the urge to leave, hide.

"Is this really about flying?"

Maverick's good intentions. You hate them, you're so grateful for them. You'd never take them for granted.

"It's about everything. But it's fine, comes with the, uhm- You know. I got it."

"Have you talked to him?"

Scoffing, you look around the hangar, almost apprehensive someone will reprimand both of you for gossiping at work.

"Of course not." You turn back to Maverick with folded arms and a dismissive head shake. "But this isn't about that."

You can see it in your friend's face. It's about everything but him?

Lying to Maverick causes an involuntary physical reaction, as if you’re going to fall apart in pieces, clearing your throat to cover for it.

"It was always going to be like that. I prepared for it, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. But what you two did, you don’t not talk about it." He copies your standoffish posture. It's mocking, grinning up before he frowns again when you don’t react. He inhales sharply, trying not to sigh. "He RSVP'd for this weekend with a plus one. Not a problem, then?"

"Not a problem, Captain." You enphasize the title, straightening your posture as you watch some younger pilots walk by. "Thanks for letting me know."

Maverick raises his eyebrows, licking his teeth. Assessing. "Penny was concerned."

That makes your blood boil. Such a personal situation bleeding into so many lives when you didn't even allow that.

But you bite on your tongue, giving the couple a free pass for the weekend.

"It is pretty." You chuckle at Maverick's puzzled head tilt, pointing behind him. "The sunset."

"Right," He turns around to squint at the softening orange light, but his gaze slips back to you quickly. "See you at dinner?"

Your shoulders tense up thinking about what kind of traps they could set for you, turning to face the short man with a glare.

"Yes, Captain." When he smiles, you know to brace for some bullshit. He punches your shoulder as light as he can, which is still too much, and you cry out embarrassingly. "Jesus fucking Christ."

Standing there massaging your sore muscles, you let the the afternoon hue slowly take you to him. The sun reminds you of his hair. The clear sky reminds you of his sarcastic, obnoxious laughter when you were flying. The warmth reminds you of everything.

--- FLASHBACK ---

5:39 AM

The gym's floor is cold. Awake since two, working out from four to five. Maverick told you to meet him fifteen minutes before the usual start. You had showered and returned to the gym, not knowing where else to wait.

5:41 AM

Your eyes don't leave the pointers, nails digging into your thighs. Two days where you couldn't quite control your breathing. You should've gone with Coyote.

5:42 AM

It's just the machines, and the freezing sterile air, the colorless skin of someone who isn't recovering…

An attempt to inhale turns into a gasp, the butt of your hand massaging your sternum to soothe the tightening.

5:43 AM

A light turning on in the hallway forces you to stand up, jumping to your feet and hoping the captain doesn't get too upset over your lateness.

Your eyes are trained on the floor as you step out into the hallway, deep in thought praying Mav isn't pulling you aside for a heart-to-heart. That's more than your sleep-deprived brain can handle right now.

With a full exhale your gaze lifts right into a figure walking towards you.

His right shoulder sags to the side with the weight of the bag. Quickly scanning the rest of his body, he seems alright otherwise.

"Jake-"

As your eyes land on his face, his seemed to have been watching you the entire time.

He walked slowly, your feet springing back to life and cautiously bringing you closer. No smiles or other cues to assure you things were okay.

When you both stop, your mouth goes dry and the room feels drained of oxygen. Eager to unravel in apologies, you'll never understand why it's so much harder to say sorry when you mean it.

"I wanted to visit you at the hospital."

The rest dies inside your chest. Are you supposed to tell the person who went through an ejection that it was too hard for you?

It feels like ages since you've seen any warmth in the green of his eyes.

His eyebrows raise with an air of irony.

"What is it they say, the good die young, right? Doesn’t sound like me."

Despite the wink he throws you, his voice is weak and doesn't have even half of the attitude commonly attributed to Hangman. Playful tone now replaced by a short breath pushing you away.

He doesn't see the deep frown twisting your features down your face, walking past you with ease.

"Your shoulder, do you want-"

A dismissive hand gesture is all he gives you.

You should get rid of the lump in your throat before you meet Maverick's stumbling good intentions.

The bag slips from his shoulder to his fingers before he gets to his dorm, stopping to catch his breath, hand flexing as if invisible strings try to pull him back, in the direction you went. To you.

Of course his first encounter back at base would be with your somber face.

It seems he could only try and fail to not favor his romantic side. Jake had imagined a whole scene of waking up to your teary eyes and lopsided smile next to his hospital bed, a confession after he (kind of) nearly died. You had walked back on your words before, he could dream.

But you didn't show. And now the petty devil on his shoulder screams at him to fight back.

So he fantasized a different scenario, promising himself he would stick his chin out and breeze past you the next time he saw you. It's comical he has to talk himself up like this but if you wanted nothing to do with him, he would show you he has never had a problem moving on.

Then he noticed the bags under your eyes and the uneven buttons of your shirt, a visible distress unbecoming of you.

He knows you're not the most expressive person. He knows you've lost someone to an ejection before. Despite your stubborness, he knows you struggle. He knows you.

God, you could string him along, on and off, for several eternities if you wanted to - if only you wanted to.

When he steps through the threshold, Coyote has a quip at the ready and he greets him with a forced grin.

"Just in time to pack your bag and leave this dry desert, huh? Smart bastard." Javy zips his bag, and he chuckles. "Had time to think about how you're spending the next few months?"

Jake can feel the muscles in his face morph into a mix of mischief and self-satisfaction.

"Back to old me."

[acradelius]

hear me out but 2 reapers (shiver and hellfire) x male reader smut. i think there could be something cool that goes on with the tempature difference of the 2 of readers body :D

"The Heat Or The Cold?~"

Fandom: Overwatch / Overwatch 2

Pairing: Hellfire!Reaper x M!Reader x Shiver!Reaper

Rating: Lemon [🟡] (NSFW!)

Warnings/Mention Ofs: MxMxM Relationship, Implied Hookups In The Beginning Of The Relationship, Implied Jealously, Implied Cucking, Temperature Play/Experimenting, Double Penetration, Edging, Biting, Orgasms

Word Count: 863 Words

Author's Note: oh my, someone get me a towel

He doesn’t recall doing anything that could’ve possibly summoned them by any chance. All that (Y/N) could recall was that he had stumbled upon them by something similar to fate, if he believed in it at all. All he knew was that Shiver would keep him company within the seasons of Spring and Summer, and that Hellfire would keep him company within the seasons of Fall and Winter. After some time (Y/N) had become intimate with them both but hadn’t necessarily felt the need to mention to one about the other, but when he finally did, oh my. It was after that moment that it seemed as if an old feud between the two individuals was reignited (which was the truth, if they were to be completely honest), and then any intimate moments that (Y/N) had with either of the Reapers was a contest to see which one of them could make him feel better. “He doesn’t make you feel like this, does he?~ He can’t give you this pleasure like I fucking can~” 

Whenever they’re both wanting to be intimate with (Y/N) the next time, he proceeds to bring up the idea of having both of them show up, allowing them to do whatever they please if that’s what it took for them to get over their little feud. “Let’s see what your pathetic cold ass can do,” Hellfire taunts, knowing that he’s more likely to cause more pleasure as the cold seems to distract people from sexual pleasure, but Shiver merely chuckles. He begins with slowly trailing those frigid claws from (Y/N)’s chin down to their chest, chuckling as watches (Y/N) begin to tremble underneath his touch. It doesn’t take much time before Shiver directs his attention to (Y/N)’s nipples, which were becoming erect against the chilled touch, one nipple being stimulated by his fingers while the other one was being given attention from Shiver’s tongue, making sure to make it noticeable of the drool that he was getting all over (Y/N), chuckling once again at Hellfire’s grunt of annoyance. 

It’s after some time that Hellfire’s sitting there merely watching his competitor causing (Y/N) to be pleasured, more like this bastard had planned to cuck Hellfire, that he had finally decided to join. While he’s able to control the temperature of his body, Hellfire decides that he’s going to kick things up a notch by having the temperature up some more than what he normally does, beginning by trailing his sultry claws against the soles of (Y/N)’s feet, chuckling at the moans that slipped past (Y/N)’s lips. “Aren’t much of the pleaser, are ya’ Shiver?~” Hellfire proceeds with trailing his claws from (Y/N)’s feet up to his thighs but decides to go ahead and start groping (Y/N)’s balls, biting his lip while watching (Y/N)’s hips jolt up. He wants to make sure that (Y/N) knows that it’s him, that it’s HELLFIRE, that’s making him feel the most pleasure, and not that pansy Shiver. 

It’s been difficult to keep track of how long it has been, how many ruined orgasms or edging moments that (Y/N) has been through since the two Reapers have put his body through various amounts of feelings. His mind and body feeling conflicted as to which one makes him feel better, the heat stimulating certain parts of his body all while the cold would end up decimating that feeling of being close to an orgasm all for the process to begin once again. “F-Feels..” (Y/N) can barely manage to get the words out of his mouth, a smile on his face as both of his lovers surround him, muttering praises to him as they proceed to completely undress themselves. “F-Feels.. so good~” (Y/N) whines as he continues to watch the two others undress, reaching out to touch them only to be denied. “You see, we have something else that we would like to try~ All together, if you don’t mind~” Shiver comments, smearing (Y/N) cum further along his body. 

It was becoming quite difficult to decipher whose cock was causing what pleasure to (Y/N), which cock was reaching those in-depth places that just made (Y/N) shudder from the pleasure. The way that he was only momentarily able to distinguish the heat from the cold, and vice versa. How (Y/N)’s cock twitched from the cold emitting from Shiver as he slowly, teasingly stroked his cock, then trailed down to massage and caress his balls. Or how there was the constant stinging, burning sensations on each shoulder where Hellfire had bitten down harshly enough to leave teeth imprints and to draw blood. It was eventually all becoming too much for poor, overstimulated (Y/N), who in the heat of the moment found himself trembling against the two Reapers as he was involuntarily cumming once again. “Don’t worry~” Shiver insisted, chuckling as he watched the two below him. “We’re far from over with you yet~” Hellfire finished the statement, leaning forward to bite at (Y/N)’s shoulders once again.

[hellfirenacht]

I need to marry this man so bad.

[sloelimbs]

It's a fluffy one!

Eddie and Chrissy as friends, she's still dating Jason and they have that moment where they just KNOW

In her first game of D’n’D, Chrissy rolls highly on charisma and wisdom, which suits her. She supposes that very first session doesn’t really count as a game - it had just been her and Eddie at their table in the woods, Eddie leaning against her shoulder and scratching out details on a sheet of paper, chewing the eraser off of his pencil - but it had felt like it. Childish glee in make believe again, free from the bounds of herself. Between them they came up with a character for her - Button, half elf and talented with healing, rolling stats that are more or less okay apart from her strength. Probably, sometimes, make believe mirrors life.

She’s taken to joining them a couple of nights a week, though, after cheer practice but before her dad gets off of work. She tells her mom she’s studying, and sits between Dustin and Erica sharing Captain Crunch with no milk and Uncle Wayne’s homemade banana bread. Chrissy likes that he puts cream cheese frosting on it. It feels like biting her mothers hand. Anyway, they’re in the middle of some home brew Eddie’s concocted and she’s genuinely afraid. She doesn’t see a way out of the temple that doesn’t include someone sacrificing themselves, and she’s kept them alive so far. She doesn’t see how she can protect them. There’s no way that she can. Eddie is looking at her from across the tables and his eyes are soft and pitying in the candlelight and it’s surprising how much she hates him in this moment because he is so good at this. He’s so good at beckoning them into stories with his lulling voice and the details that make them care enough to try.

So she has to try. And if a self sacrifice is what it will take, then…

“Can I invoke Tymora on a saving throw?” She meets those eyes with her own and feels fierce. 

“Chrissy, you can’t—.”

“Listen, there isn’t a way out of this and Karapitis is in the tower.” Jeff looks mollified, then thoughtful.

“Can we all invoke her?” All heads turn to look at Eddie, who looks - frankly - stunned. 

“Huh. Well, sure. May the gods be with you, it’s gonna be a pretty goddamn high number.” Chrissy steels herself against the bloodshed that isn’t real and takes a deep breath, feels the weight of Dustin’s hand on her shoulder.

“Then I step onto the stone table and slit my own throat.” A collective groan of horror, of her friends buying into this with her, and then the clatter of dice.

“I warn you. If anyone rolls a single digit, there are different consequences depending on how low it is.”

“Shut up and let us concentrate.” One by one they throw their dice, clattering around the table, bouncing from miniatures and books. The room holds its breath and Chrissy closes her eyes so that she can’t see. Erica clasps her hand tight and her heart is in her throat and she feels Eddie’s voice when he speaks again.

“Your call to Tymora doesn’t fall on deaf ears. She smiles on you this night, and Button is surrounded by a golden glow. She opens her eyes and is back to her old self, but something glitters behind her eyes. Once touched by a god, they never really leave you.” Chrissy opens her eyes and Eddie is already there. Meeting her head on. He really has an answer for everything, doesn’t he? There’s just ideas bubbling in him all the time, and that’s why he can’t keep his mouth shut. Better to be loud and obnoxious and scare the wrong type of people away, she guesses. The friends he has are way more loyal than any of the Tigers would be. Erica lets out her air and squeezes her fingers and Chrissy grins around at all of them. The fear dissolves in her breast but when she looks at Eddie again it becomes something like apprehension. Once touched by a god… her heart races. When was the last time it picked up to anything more than a gentle trot for Jason? And why is it that here, among her Party, she doesn’t remember him at all? 

She doesn’t know whether to call it sudden or slow but what it is, is certain, and she sees the realisation flash across the corners of Eddie’s mouth too. That they’re starting to circle something deeply forbidden and inevitable. After all, didn’t she start this? Didn’t she ask him for something stronger than weed when her mom had gotten really bad? Hadn’t he taken her home and given her a joint and then, very gently, suggested that there could be a different way for her to escape her troubles? Eddie clears his throat and she looks away, startled and embarrassed and all too aware of staring. 

“I think that’s enough for tonight.” He closes his book to another collective groan of grief. “No, come on, you guys threw me a curveball,” his eyes linger on Chrissy’s lips, so she bites them together to watch him turn red, “... I have writing edits to make.”

In her dads car on the way home, Chrissy smiles to herself and watches the moonlight shift through tree branches. If he’s making edits, that means that he’s thinking about her, and if he’s thinking about her, then… then, maybe they’re in the same boat after all.

[cinderdust-snz]

you know you're too far gone when you find yourself waking up from a full-on animated h/azbin h/otel snz song dream.

i haven't watched h/azbin h/otel.

[aloneinthehellfire]

Hi! I am in loveeeee with your writing oml it's just amazing I am literally obsessed

Anyway sorry back to why I'm here. I saw the post you made where you said you were struggling with writing your RH series from different povs (I absolutely LOVE that idea so much you have no idea) which meant you put it on hiatus and I had an idea you might like?

Maybe you could let your readers pick scenes they'd like to see from a different pov??? It might feel less time consuming and you don't have to do them all in one sitting, just between different stuff!

Especially since I know most people have preferences on characters they'd love and I just thought it could be cool?

Whether you do this or not, thank you thank you thank you for creating a reader insert as beautiful as you did. The character you wrote for us was just perfect and I loved how we had our own backstory.

Wait stop I love this idea so much! Absolutely I can write a different RH pov if someone requests it.

If anyone has a favourite scene or maybe even something I didn't write into the fic (e.g. Eddie and Dustin at the battle or Steve and Robin in the bathroom) then please feel free to request :)

There are so many scenes I left out because the focus was always on reader but I would love to write how certain scenes have been changed because of the RH universe

I've a tiny bit busy with different projects atm but I'll try my best to answer as many as I can 🫶

[littleblondesoprano]

Tagged by @piratebay to take this quiz and make a picrew !! Thank you, Valente!! :D

I'll tag @thedeductionmistress, @clichenuance, @pizgloria, @azazelsexile, @monogramsalarm, and anyone else who'd like to! No pressure, ofc.

[ryan-waddell11]

Arthur deserved so much better.

I studied Great Expectations and Dickensian when I was in college and his ending still breaks my heart every time.

[plistommy]

Eddie being in a famous band with the members of hellfire club and Stevie being their first groupie?

Or maybe Billy is also in the band too

(i'm just obsessed with groupie! steve lately)

”It’s that pretty guy again.” Eddie said and pointed towards the guy whose name he had found out just a couple nights ago after he came to talk to them after one of their gig’s.

”I’m Steve.” He remembers the guy saying with the softest voice Eddie had ever heard.

Steve had told him he was a big fan and that he had been listening to them ever since their first song had dropped. He also mentioned he tried to come to all of their gig’s whenever he could because they were just ’That Good’.

”Little stalker, aren’t you?” Billy had said and Eddie remembers how red Steve had gotten when Billy had entered the bar from the backstage. And it wasn’t out of embarrassment of being called out.

It was lust and Eddie could see it as clear as day when Steve’s big brown eyes glanced between the two of them while he flirtatiously kept the conversation going.

Their manager had came to cut them off, saying they needed to leave soon and Eddie swore he saw disappointment in Steve’s face. But he promised him they’d continue their little ’talk’ another time and that made a small smirk form into the other’s pretty face.

It was their little promise.

Eddie could feel the smirk forming into his face from the memories and he couldn’t help but stare at Steve.

The guy was wearing these tight leather pants and a crop top that had their band's logo on it and honestly, it was cute.

And so fucking hot.

”Ah, Stevie.” Billy purred while taking a drag out of his cigarette, blue eyes staring at Steve like he was his prey.

They were both still chilling backstage after their gig, but could see the guy from the small one sided window that was in front of the couch.

”He’s looking ever hotter tonight. Those pants…” Eddie murmured, his gaze lingering on Steve’s ass and he could hear Billy chuckling next to him.

”I know what you mean, Munson.” Billy said and started at Steve’s ass too. It did, in fact, look so good with those pants on. The leather hugged it just right and Billy knew he had never seen an ass that great.

”Should we go talk to the pretty boy?”

Eddie turned to face Billy and they both could read each other’s faces and soon enough, they were out of the backstage and walking towards the dancing boy with screams coming from their fans around them.

Once they got to Steve, the guy turned to them and turned red as he took in the two of them, both still sweaty and with cigarettes on their lips as they stared at him.

”Hey, pretty boy.” Billy purred.

”Oh, shit. Hey…” Steve answered, a smile on his face.

Eddie smirked a little before throwing the end of his cigarette on one of the ashtrays. He walked closer to Steve and gave him a smile.

”How are you, Steve?” He asked and he loved the way Steve bit down onto his bottom lip.

”I’m good! Really enjoyed your show tonight. The new song was amazing.”

Billy chuckled next to them and Eddie grinned a little more too while keeping his attention on Steve and his pretty pink lips, especially how he slowly licked them.

”I’m glad, man. It’s good to know a big fan like you liked it.”

Steve blushed, but let out a small laugh while playing with the hem of his crop top, making Eddie look down at his exposed skin.

He was about to speak, but Billy beat him to it.

”Would you like to join us? You could come and see the inside of our tour van.” Billy said and Steve’s eyes widened, the lust Eddie saw last time appearing into his big brown eyes.

He gave them a small nod with a smirk on his face after a while and followed them out of the bar, down the alleyway to the van.

”I’m gonna fucking love this.” Billy murmured and Eddie couldn’t agree more.

—

”Shiiiit.” Eddie groaned while he laid on one of the couches inside the van.

Steve was on top of him, moaning so loud against his neck that he could be heard over the loud music that was blasting through the stereo.

Eddie was balls deep inside him with Billy, who was fucking Steve from behind, making their cock slide together so well inside Steve’s tight heat that Eddie had already cummed a couple of times.

He had his hands on Steve’s ass to spread them open for Billy and he could see the other staring at the way their dicks fucked inside Steve’s hole with so much desire that Eddie couldn’t even believe it was coming from Billy’s face.

Sure, they had had some hookups with random guys or groupies together before, but Eddie knew this time was different.

Steve was going to stick around.

And he couldn’t help how excited that got him.

[milf-harrington]

look on the bright side if steve dies next season he gets to see eddie again

i see your 'steve and eddie are reunited in the afterlife' and give you 'together they haunt the shit out of dustin'

[hellfirefuzzy]

burn baby BURN! 🔥🔥🔥

CREDIT TO @louisethe4th FOR THE ORIGINAL DRAWING THAT INSPIRED THE PIECE!

[no-mercy-bby]

💘 Happy Valentine's Day! 💘

OMIGOSH THANK YOU!! HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

[your-friendly-neighbourh00d-fag]

(for the st ask game)

favourite character and favourite outfit of theirs?

which would you want to be a part of? scoops troop or hellfire club?

favourite villain?

opinion on jason carver?

eeeee hello

1.

favourite character and favourite outfit oh hmnnn. well obviously mr queerler but he is not exactly known for being fashionable (sorry dude)

i will have to say hellfire mike because. becoj. cbe c a u se.

(@/ronanlysnch for the gif)

the black and white, the jeans, the converse, he is the silliest wet cat man ever, bonus it's something i would wear. he's such a pathetic nerd <3

2.

i have to say scoops troop. this is kind of part of my eddie hatred, like he just seems too controlling to be a fun dm, sorry y'all. speaking my #truth. also ROBIN. hahhahaa we should totally work at scoops ahoy together, get kidnapped by evil russians together, then date together 😳 /hj.

3.

ohgh favourite villain. if we're going with the supernatural villains and not the. yk. human villains (COUGH COUGH LONNIE COUGH COUGH BILLY COUGH COUGH TROY) you can't beat the mind flayer. like, i could take a demogorgon i feel, like if you gave me a kitchen knife or some shit i would be okay, i cant really find vecna scary because of the. thirst tweeting. of it all.

but the mind flayer?? that bitch is like 10 metres tall, i see that i am running so fast in the opposite direction. actually scary. 10/10.

4.

hrmmmm jason. i kind of hated jason, but i dont think he's as much a VILLAIN as everyone makes of him. i hated him in the way that he's so. fucking. ANNOYING. HE WAS SO WHINY. oHHhhhHhh crIIisYyy i Lo vE yOuu baBbBebb LITERALLY DIE SHUT UP YOU LITTLE MAN CHILD (and then he did die soo-)

he was always there at the wrong fucking times, getting in the way, trying to be a hErO, there when max was fucking dying (HE WAS WHY MAX DIED. FUCK YOU. HE BROKE THE CASSETTE PLAYER. LEAVE JASON.) LIKE, DUDE, WE DONT HAVE TIME TO EXPLAIN THIS SHIT TO YOU JUST MIND YOUR BUSINESSSSS-- and that creepy ass scene with nancy?? leav e.

but, to defend the man child a little, i dont think he was as racist as everyone thinks. the overtones were definitely there, but he did have a reason to think lucas was doing some whacked shit. max was literally levitating. he watched patrick get murdered by (what he thought was) lucas's 'close' friend. i understand his reasoning, and i dont think he was targeting lucas just because he was racist. he would have treated like, mike or will the same i think.

so tldr i fucking hated jason but i think he was redeemable. he was just such a chore to have to watch on screen. and that was kind of the point of his character tbh. (chrissy run far far away from that man).

:))