#WHO HITS ON THEIR HUSBANDS GAY SON | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sidekick-hero · 3 months

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I'll keep you like an oath (may nothing but death do us part) - my contribution to the @steddiesummerexchange for @starryeyedjanai can now be read in full 🥰

Pairings: Steve/Eddie, Robin/Chrissy Characters: Steve, Eddie, Robin, Chrissy, Max, Dustin, Wayne Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fake Marriage, Platonic Stobin, Platonic Hellcheer, idiot4idiot, Friends to Husbands to Lovers, Humor and Fluff and a smudge Angst

Summary:

When Steve's grandmother dies, he finds out that he can only get his inheritance - half a million dollars - if he marries someone. It's her way of forcing Steve to live a heterosexual life. Sucks for her that gay marriage has been legalized since she wrote her will. Sucks for Steve that he doesn't have a man or woman in his life to marry. Cue Eddie Munson, roommate and best friend of Robin's girlfriend Chrissy and the guy Steve has had a crush on for years.

What could possibly go wrong?

Read on AO3

Chapter 1| Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4

Chapter 4 (5k) under the cut

The day of the wedding arrives with an almost surreal sense of calm. The venue, a charming garden nestled behind a quaint bed and breakfast just out of town, is adorned with delicate fairy lights and fresh flowers. Eddie stands in front of a mirror in a small, cozy room, adjusting his tie for the tenth time. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady the nervous energy buzzing through him.

Chrissy, his best person, just like Robin is Steve’s, stands beside him, offering a reassuring smile. "You look great, Teddy. Steve’s going to swoon when he sees you.”

He looks at his best friend in the mirror and gives her a small smile. "You know it's not like that, Chris."

She hums. "You keep saying that, but I don't know. Yeah, you're getting married so he gets his inheritance, I get it. But that's not what the way he looks at you says, honey."

"Chris -"

"I'm just saying. He was flirting with you when you two first met, so he must think you're hot."

"Yeah, and I blew it," Eddie reminds her, his voice forlorn. He's still kicking himself over how stupid he was, how prejudiced he was, not realizing that this great guy was hitting on him and blowing his chance by being a jerk to him.

By the time he finally realized that Steve was actually a good guy, he had already backed off and stopped all his earlier attempts to get to know Eddie. Eddie had gotten the message loud and clear. He was too late, and Steve had already moved on.

A knock on the door interrupts their conversation. Eddie is glad, especially when he sees who’s standing in the doorway.

"Wayne!" he exclaims, jumping into the older man's arms. "You made it."

The man’s laughter rumbles against Eddie’s chest. "I told you I would be here, son. It's not every day your nephew gets married, is it?"

Eddie sinks deeper into the warm embrace, inhaling the smell of Old Spice, cigarette smoke, and the laundry detergent his uncle has been using for as long as Eddie can remember. It smells like home.

Eddie reluctantly pulls away from Wayne’s embrace, his heart feeling lighter. “I’m really glad you’re here, Wayne. It means a lot to me.”

Wayne pats Eddie’s shoulder affectionately. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Now, where’s this Steve fella I’ve been hearing so much about?”

Eddie’s stomach tightens at the mention of Steve. “He’s probably getting ready~~.~~ Let me introduce you.”

They make their way through the cozy hallways and out into the garden. The atmosphere is cheerful, filled with laughter and the scent of blooming flowers. They turn left to Steve's dressing room and when they knock, Robin answers with a busy expression, a tie pin between her teeth. Eddie spots Steve in front of the mirror, nervously adjusting his tie.

“Steve!” Eddie calls out, his voice steady but with a hint of excitement. He's unexpectedly nervous about introducing Steve to his uncle. Wayne is his only family, the man who raised him like Eddie was his own son, and his opinion means a whole lot to Eddie. He's always wanted Wayne to be proud of him, and he can't help but hope that he'll approve of Steve.

Steve turns, his eyes lighting up when he sees Eddie. He walks over, his smile widening as he notices Wayne but Eddie can tell by the crinkling of his brows and the tense line of his shoulders that Steve’s just as nervous as Eddie is. “Hey, Eddie. This must be your uncle.”

Wayne steps forward, extending a hand. “Nice to finally meet you, Steve. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

That makes Steve pause, even as he reaches for the offered hand. "You did?" he asks, sounding way too surprised and incredulous, and Eddie winces.

Well, yeah, Wayne may have had a front-row seat as he went from being angry about how unfairly hot the jock who invaded their apartment is to being distraught when he realized that said jock is actually really dreamy and sweet and that Eddie is such a fucking idiot for blowing his chance with him.

Not that Steve needs to know any of this. Eddie had told Wayne an only slightly altered version of Steve's cover story, so he hopes Wayne won't bring up Eddie's pathetic pining and mooning.

Steve catches himself, and as he shakes Wayne's hand firmly, his expression becomes warm and welcoming. "I wanted to say: Nice to meet you too, Mr. Munson. Eddie's told me a lot about you, too."

Wayne just chuckles at Steve's fumble. “Please, call me Wayne, you’re part of the family now,” he insists, his eyes twinkling with genuine interest. “So, you’re the one who’s been making my nephew all starry-eyed, huh?”

Eddie feels his cheeks heat up, and he tries to brush it off with a laugh. “Wayne!”

Steve chuckles, a slight blush coloring his own cheeks. “I guess so. Eddie’s been pretty special to me too.”

Wayne’s smile widens, and he looks between the two men with approval. “Well, it’s good to see you two together. Eddie deserves someone who appreciates him.”

Steve’s eyes soften as he glances at Eddie. “I appreciate him more than he knows.”

Eddie’s heart skips a beat at Steve’s words, and for a moment, he almost forgets about the ruse. The sincerity in Steve’s eyes makes him wonder, just for a moment, if maybe he isn’t the only one harboring some very real feelings.

Wayne claps Steve on the back, breaking the moment. “I’m looking forward to seeing you two tie the knot. If you ever hurt him, though, you’ll have to answer to me and my shotgun.”

Steve nods solemnly. “I understand. You have my word, Wayne.”

Wayne gives a satisfied nod before turning to Eddie. “Alright, I’ll let you two finish getting ready. Just wanted to say hi before the ceremony.”

Eddie watches as Wayne heads off to mingle with the other guests, feeling a mixture of relief and anxiety. He turns to Steve, who’s still watching him with that same warm expression.

“You okay?” Steve asks softly.

"Yeah, just nervous," Eddie admits, running a hand through his hair. "This all feels so... real, it's fucking with my head a little bit, I guess. It's weird that our friends and family are all celebrating this special day with so much, I dunno, enthusiasm. They're all so happy for us, Steve."

Steve steps closer and puts a reassuring hand on Eddie's shoulder. "I know. And I feel bad about lying to them, too. I wish we didn't have to, but..." he trails off, and Eddie knows he means to say that he doesn't want to get any more people involved in what is really a scam. But Eddie can't help wishing they didn't have to lie because it's real.

"I get it, Stevie. And I'm fine. All in, right?"

Steve takes his hands and squeezes them. "All in."

The ceremony itself is a quick affair. The officiator is an elderly woman, who speaks in a warm and calm voice about marriage and promises, about sickness and health, about sacrifices and the blessing of a life full of love and joy and laughter. Eddie can hear a few sniffles from their friends and family, but he only has eyes for Steve. Steve, who looks so handsome in his black suit and fitting bowtie, his hair tussled artfully and his hazel eyes shining with emotion. It’s not real, a voice inside his head reminds him, but just for this moment he quiets it and enjoys the feeling of having the man he’s actually in love with look at him like that.

When it’s time for the vows, Eddie’s voice trembles slightly, but his words are steady and heartfelt. He talks about how much Steve has been surprising him again and again, showing him so many unexpected sides of himself. When Eddie had thought Steve to be just another rich asshole jock he’s proven to Eddie how he’s caring and brave, opening his heart to Eddie when all his previous experiences taught him not to.

“And I can’t wait for you to keep me on my toes for the rest of our lives,” Eddie ends. He means it. If he has any say in it, he’ll happily have Steve prove him wrong for as long as he lives.

Steve blinks back tears as he takes Eddie’s hands. His vows sound just as heartfelt, just as real and tomorrow, Eddie will probably overthink what it all means. But today, he lets his heart enjoy them.

After their vows they exchange rings, and the officiant pronounces them married. As they kiss, the garden erupts in applause and cheers and Eddie can hear Dustin whoop and Jeff whistle loudly. He feels a wave of happiness and relief wash over him and sees the same sentiment reflected on Steve’s face.

He nudges him, the grin loud in his voice. “That wasn’t so bad, wasn’t it?”

Steve shrugs, aiming for nonchalant and failing miserably because of the answering grin splitting his face.

“You think your grandma would’ve liked it?” Eddie asks and Steve laughs out loud.

“Oh she would have hated every second of it.”

“Good. That’s good.”

“Yeah, it is.” Suddenly, Steve’s much closer than he had been seconds ago, their noses almost touching. “Thank you, Eddie. For everything.” And then Steve kisses his cheek, his soft lips gracing the arch of his cheekbone in a way that feels more intimate than the quick kiss they exchanged when the officiant told them to.

The reception is a blur of laughter, dancing, and heartfelt toasts. Robin and Chrissy’s are both hilarious, while Wayne chokes up a bit when he asks Steve to take good care of the only son Wayne’s ever had. Steve takes Eddie’s hand and squeezes it while looking at Wayne and promising him to always look out for Eddie and care for him.

Even Captain Hopper says a few words, and Eddie can tell how much that means to Steve.

The night ends when Eddie falls asleep with his head on Steve’s shoulder, slightly drooling on his husband's lapel. Steve half-drags, half-carries him to their room and helps him undress to his underwear before Eddie crawls under the sheets. When Steve offers to sleep on the ground, Eddie is too tired to argue. Instead, he just pulls back the blanket on the other side of the bed and makes grabby hands at him.

Steve chuckles softly and slides into bed next to Eddie. The last thing Eddie feels is Steve’s breath against his nape as he tells him goodnight. He falls asleep with a smile on his face.

The next morning, they enjoy breakfast with their closest friends and family. The air is filled with laughter and the clinking of dishes as everyone shares stories from the previous night. Wayne presents them with their wedding gift - a two-week stay at a cabin situated by one of the Great Lakes in the area. It's the same place where Wayne used to take Eddie for fishing trips when he was a boy.

“The cabin,” Wayne tells Steve, “has always been a special place for Eddie and me. I thought you two could use some peace and quiet after all this excitement.”

Eddie’s eyes glisten as he accepts the gift. “Thanks, Wayne. That means a lot.”

Steve places a hand on Eddie’s shoulder, his own smile warm and genuine. “It sounds perfect. Thank you, Wayne.”

As breakfast winds down, Eddie and Steve find themselves surrounded by well-wishers. They say goodbye to everyone, exchanging hugs and promises of phone calls and visits.

Wayne pats Eddie on the back. "Take care of each other up there. And don't forget to fish.” He adds with a deadpan look.

Eddie groans in embarrassment. "Oh my God."

When everyone but them and Robin and Chrissy have left, Eddie feels a mixture of excitement and nervousness. They're supposed to go back to Steve's apartment, while Chrissy and Robin will go back to Chrissy's apartment. He moved in with Steve the week before, and they both helped Robin move in with Chrissy. He was glad that the wedding had taken up a lot of their time and energy, enough to distract Steve from missing his other half too much.

That will change now, but at least they have two full weeks at the cabin for Steve to get used to having Eddie around a lot more.

The drive to the cabin two days later is filled with lighthearted banter about music and comfortable silences as Steve and Eddie enjoy the scenic views on their way to their destination. It feels easy between them, and Eddie curses himself once again that he could have had this for years. Like Elizabeth Bennet, his own pride and prejudice got in the way.

When they finally arrive, they're greeted by the sight of a quaint cabin nestled on the shore of one of the Great Lakes, its surroundings offering a sense of peace and seclusion. There are no other cabins in sight, and Eddie knows from all the times he's been here with Wayne that the nearest neighbors are about 15 to 20 minutes away on foot, and the nearest store is in a small village about 20 minutes away by car.

"Your uncle was right, it's perfect here after all the stress and excitement of the last few weeks," Steve says as they gather their belongings from the car and approach the cabin. The lake is right in front of them, the sun reflecting off it in a way that Eddie has come to associate with endless summers spent here fishing with his uncle.

"Yeah, don't tell him I said that, but Wayne's usually right about things."

Steve mimics zipping his lips, earning a laugh from Eddie.

As they step inside, they take a tour of the small cabin. There's a decently sized open kitchen and a living room with a small couch and a dining table. No TV, which won’t be a problem because Eddie brought his laptop. The bathroom is equally small but has a rather big walk-in shower, something Eddie can’t help but imagine testing out with Steve. Him on his knees in front of Steve, while droplets of water rain down on them, catching in the thick patch of chest hair and running down towards…

“Eddie,” Steve calls, ripping him from his fantasy.

“What’s the matter?” he calls back, quickly hurrying out of the bathroom and towards the only room they haven’t checked out yet—the bedroom.

Which he quickly remembers has only one bed. Eddie had slept on the couch when he had been still small enough to do so and later on an air mattress they brought along.

Steve glances at him with wide eyes and then back at the small couch in the living room, immediately offering to take it. Eddie shakes his head.

"It's fine, Steve. We've shared a bed before," Eddie tells him with a reassuring smile. His cheeks heat with the memory of Steve’s warm breath against his nape before he fell asleep on their wedding night. When he had woken up the next morning, Steve had already been gone from the bed, something he mourned for the five minutes or so it took Steve to step into their room with only a towel slung around his hips. The sight had been the best consolation prize he could’ve asked for.

Steve looks at him, relieved. "If you say so. Just don't hog all the blankets."

Eddie grins. "No promises."

They unpack their bags and settle in, the cozy cabin quickly feeling like home. The first few days fall into a blissful routine—swimming in the lake, taking long walks along the shoreline, cooking meals together, and watching "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on Eddie's laptop.

On their second afternoon, while preparing lunch, Eddie tries to impress Steve with his nonexistent proficiency in making pancakes. This earns him the heavenly sound of Steve’s laughter as his sad attempts to flip a pancake end with batter splattered everywhere.

"You're supposed to flip it, not fling it," Steve teases, wiping batter off Eddie’s cheek. Eddie's cheeks heat under his gentle touch.

Eddie chuckles, shaking his head. "Hey, I'm trying. Cooking was never my strong suit."

Steve smiles, handing him another spatula. "Well, lucky for you, I'm a great teacher."

And he is, even if the way he presses himself up against Eddie's back, the way his big hand rests on Eddie's wrist as he holds the pan, is unfairly distracting. Eddie messes up a few more times, mostly because he gets caught up in the way Steve feels, smells, and sounds every time he gives Eddie instructions in a soft yet firm voice.

When Eddie finally gets it right, Steve's praise sears itself into his brain, altering his brain chemistry irrevocably.

“See? You’ve got it!” Steve exclaims, his voice filled with genuine pride.

Eddie grins, feeling a warmth that has nothing to do with the stove. "All thanks to my amazing teacher."

Steve laughs, leaning in close. "I knew you had it in you."

Eddie can’t help but flirt back. "Guess you'll have to keep teaching me things, then."

Steve’s eyes sparkle with mischief. "Oh, I plan to."

They fall into an easy rhythm, working together in the kitchen, their movements synchronized as if they've been doing this for years. The cabin becomes their little sanctuary, where the outside world seems to fade away. It's easy to forget that this is all just part of their ruse because nothing about the way they act around each other feels fake.

One evening a few days later, they walk along the lake, the setting sun casting a golden glow over the water. Steve skips stones across the surface, watching the ripples spread outward, and Eddie is once again reminded of Steve's past as a high school jock. However, the thought doesn't bring up the old resentment. Instead, he feels a little jealous and a lot turned on by the competent way Steve masters things like flipping pancakes or skipping stones.

"You know," Steve says, breaking the comfortable silence, "this place is really special. I'm glad Wayne thought of it."

Eddie nods, admiring the way Steve's eyes reflect the fading light. "Yeah, it brings back a lot of good memories. When I first came to live with Wayne, I was angry all the time. At everyone. Mostly at myself, I guess. It probably wasn't easy for Wayne, the way I shut him out and acted like it was such a burden to live with him. He brought me here about a year after I moved in, and at first, I thought it was his way of punishing me for my bad behavior. Turns out, forced proximity helps you get over some stupid hang-ups pretty quickly. We've been here every year since, until I moved out at 20."

Steve listens to the story in silence. When Eddie’s done, he says, “I’m glad you had Wayne growing up.”

"Yeah, me too. The old man's got a big heart and he loves taking in strays. Before you know it, he'll be calling you ‘son’ and forcing you to watch baseball with him every season.”

“That sounds pretty awesome, actually.”

Eddie laughs. "It is. Though I have to warn you, he's a die-hard Cubs fan. There’s no escape from it."

Steve chuckles, tossing another stone. "Well, I’m a White Sox fan, so I’m sure we’ll have plenty to argue about."

Eddie raises an eyebrow. "Oh, a White Sox fan? This is going to be interesting."

Steve grins. "Trust me, I can hold my own in a baseball debate."

Eddie smiles, feeling a warmth in his chest that has nothing to do with the setting sun. "You're a good guy, Steve."

Steve looks at him, eyes softening. "So are you, Eddie."

They share a quiet smile before continuing their walk, the air filled with the sounds of nature and the occasional splash of a fish jumping.

Eddie cannot remember the last time he felt so at peace with himself and the world.

Later that night, they find themselves sitting side by side on the bed, sharing a bowl of popcorn as they immerse themselves in yet another episode of Buffy. By now it has become part of their routine, all their days ending the same way. The first night, they had kept their distance, but the small screen and the growing familiarity between them soon made them sit closer and closer.

Now their backs rest comfortably against the headboard, their shoulders occasionally brush against each other, and their legs rest comfortably together under the blanket.

"I gotta say, Angel was always meant to be with Buffy," Steve suddenly supplies, apropos of nothing.

Eddie scoffs and turns to look at him in disbelief. "Oh, come on! Are you still stuck in the 90s? Spike was the one for her, no doubt about it."

They both reach for the popcorn bowl, their eyes never leaving the screen as Buffy and Angel dance together at Buffy's prom.

"But, Eddie," Steve insists, "Angel had depth. He understood Buffy's inner turmoil like no one else."

Eddie shakes his head, a smirk on his lips. "Depth? Please. Angel was brooding half the time, and when he wasn't, he was busy being melodramatic about his curse. Spike, on the other hand, embraced his vampiric nature and challenged Buffy in a way that Angel never did."

As the scene ends, Steve gestures to the screen. "But Angel had this epic love story with Buffy! They were soulmates, destined to be together."

"Soulmates, shmoulmates," Eddie retorts, leaning closer to the laptop. "Buffy needed someone who could stand toe-to-toe with her, someone who wasn't afraid to call her out on her nonsense. Spike did that and more."

Steve reaches for the beers on the floor next to him and hands a fresh one to Eddie, who gives him a grateful nudge with his shoulder before taking a sip.

"Yeah, but Angel was her first love. You can't deny the significance of that," Steve argues, taking a sip of his own beer.

The argument makes Eddie smile involuntarily because it's such a Steve thing to say. He's a romantic at heart, one who doesn't do a very good job of hiding it.

Eddie nods in agreement because he can see Steve's point, but then he remembers Steve's story about the first girl he loved and how the breakup left him pretty messed up. "First love doesn't always mean forever love, Steve. Buffy grew, she changed, and so did what she needed in a partner. Spike wasn't always what she wanted, but he was what she needed and I think deep down she knew that and it scared the hell outta her."

Steve looks at him with an unreadable expression and says, "Maybe you're right. I guess love is pretty scary."

Feeling like they're no longer talking about Buffy Summers, Eddie clears his throat awkwardly. "Yeah, it is," he agrees, reaching into the popcorn bowl just to have something to do.

Steve seems to have the same idea, because suddenly their fingers brush against each other as they reach for the same handful of popcorn.

The moment their fingers touch, it ignites a spark, an electric charge that leaves them frozen in the moment, their eyes meeting in the dim light cast by the laptop screen. The world seems to pause, time standing still as Eddie recalls the story Steve had told everyone. It had sounded like such a funny cover story to explain their sudden and unexpected marriage, but now Eddie doesn’t feel like laughing.

His heart hammers against his ribcage as he leans in closer, his gaze instinctively drawn to Steve's lips.

"Steve," he whispers, his voice a soft undertone barely audible against the background noise of the laptop.

"Yeah?" Steve's voice matches Eddie's in volume, his breath a warm whisper against Eddie's skin.

His heart still pounding, Eddie swallows, nerves and anticipation causing his voice to tremble. He knows what he wants this moment to mean, but once he acknowledges it, there's no going back.

Steve's courage must be rubbing off on him because he still asks the question that's been on his mind since their conversation in his apartment. "Do you... do you ever wonder what it would be like if this was real?"

Steve's eyes search Eddie's face, his own a complex mix of hope and uncertainty. Eddie feels like he's seconds away from a heart attack as he waits for Steve's answer. When it comes, Steve's voice is barely audible; Eddie reads it as much from his lips as he hears it.

"Every day."

Hearing Steve's answer, Eddie's breath hitches and he feels a tidal wave of emotions he can no longer suppress. "Me too."

Later, Eddie couldn't tell who leaned in first, and honestly, it doesn't matter because in that moment, it's clear they both want it. As soon as their lips meet, it feels like the universe has aligned and everything falls into place. The way Steve's lips feel against his is nothing short of divine, so maybe Eddie needs to rethink his stance on soul mates and destiny.

While the first press of lips is soft, even tentative, the kiss quickly deepens as they pour years of unspoken feelings into it.

When they finally pull away for air, they are both breathless. Eddie laughs softly, the sound a mixture of disbelief and pure joy.

"Just like your story, huh?" he whispers, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smile.

Steve grins in return, his thumb gently tracing Eddie's cheek in an intimate gesture. "Yeah. Only this time it's real."

"It better be," Eddie says before leaning in to capture Steve's lips once more. They share another kiss, and then another, until the bowl of popcorn between them is forgotten and the laptop screen goes dark.

The next morning, they wake up tangled together under the sheets. Eddie’s head rests on Steve’s broad chest, their legs entwined and Eddie hugging Steve’s torso like a pillow. Steve’s left arm is wrapped around his waist while his right hand cards through Eddie’s hair, indicating he's awake.

Last night was real, is his first coherent thought.

When Eddie lifts his head, he feels Steve’s breath hitch and his arm around his waist tighten. The hand in his hair stops its gentle ministrations, and Eddie makes an involuntary noise of protest.

Steve laughs softly at him and continues. “Morning, sleepyhead.”

“What time is it?” Eddie half asks, half yawns.

“Almost noon. I was waiting for you to wake up because you were using me as your own personal teddy bear and I didn’t wanna wake you.”

Eddie feels his cheeks heat up and hastily tries to untangle himself from Steve, but is stopped by strong arms.

“I wasn’t complaining. In fact, I really like it. You’re cute like that, even when you’re drooling on my shirt.” The soft kiss to his forehead matches the fond tone of Steve’s voice.

Snuggling deeper into Steve’s embrace, he asks, “So yesterday…?”

“...has been something I wanted to do for a long time.”

It’s hard to believe, Steve wanting to kiss him for so long. Maybe for as long as Eddie has wanted to.

“Why didn’t you do it before yesterday then?”

He feels Steve shrug underneath him. “Figured you didn’t want me to. When I tried to flirt with you, get to know you, you made it pretty clear that you weren’t interested. So I stopped. Tried to act like I didn’t think about kissing you every time I saw you.”

This time, Eddie lifts his head to look down at Steve. “I am such a fucking idiot, Steve. You shouldn’t want to kiss me. When we first met I was so sure you were—” he pauses and Steve helpfully adds, “a rich asshole jock.” “Yeah. Took me a while to get over myself and realize you were nothing like that. When I did, it seemed like you already moved on. I was too scared to get rejected, especially because I would’ve deserved it. So I acted like I didn’t think about kissing you every time I saw you.”

Gazing into each other’s eyes, they both burst out laughing.

“God, we’re idiots,” Steve laughs, rubbing his nose against Eddie’s. Then, his eyes suddenly widen. “Max can never find out! I had to promise her that I wouldn’t let this turn into ‘one of those rom-com clichés where everything goes horribly wrong because no one just talked to each other.’”

The sound that leaves Eddie’s mouth is half laugh, half groan. “We shall never speak of this then.”

And just because he can, he steals another kiss from Steve before his face and tone turn sober.

“Only Chrissy and Birdie know about our idiocy. In a way, your story about how we got together is true, just the timeline is a bit different. How about we just come back and live the married life we’re supposed to?”

Wrapping his strong thighs around Eddie’s waist and bringing their groins together, Steve smiles up at him. “I’d love that,” he says, kissing Eddie. Deep and dirty and hungry.

They don’t leave the cabin for the rest of the day.

One afternoon a few days later, lying on a blanket by the lake, Eddie turns to Steve, propped up on one elbow. "What's next on the agenda when we get back home?"

Steve thinks for a moment, then smiles. "Honestly? I don't know. I just want to be with you. We'll figure the rest out as we go."

Eddie feels a warmth spreading through his chest. Still, he has to ask. "Who are you and what have you done to Steve?"

Tracing Eddie's slightly sunburned cheek with his finger, Steve laughs softly. "He just learned that good things can happen when you don't plan for them. Like falling in love and marrying that person before learning that they might even like you back."

"Love you back,' you mean," is all Eddie says. He presses a quick kiss to the soft skin of Steve's stomach before settling back down on the blanket.

As the sun sets, casting a warm glow over the water, they sit in comfortable silence, watching the world change colors.

#steddie #steddie fanfic #steddiesummerexchange #stranger things fanfiction #steve x eddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #my writing

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pessimisticpigeonsworld · 10 months

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The Tragedy of Rhaenyra Targaryen

Rhaenyra Targaryen's story is one of tragedy, she is put into a series of impossible situations and finally was killed for the crime of being a woman and wanting her birthright. This fact is something that TG stans are obsessed with trying to minimize or completely erase. Since they're usually exclusively show fans, I'm going to go through show Rhaenyra's life until we hit the end of season 1 (this is a long one so bear with me).

Rhaenyra spent her entire childhood being told she was less than for being a girl and her father killed her mother in pursuit of a son because of this belief. When Viserys finally recognizes her worth, she then has to deal with the misogynistic lords and their lack of respect towards her. Her ideas and opinions are dismissed in the SC, including Otto who fucking suggested making her heir, and they outright send her off like a child when she becomes too unruly for them.

Then after all this, Viserys marries her only friend, thus removing what's left of her support system after Daemon is banished. Alicent also went behind Rhaenyra's back to seduce Viserys. Sure, it was what her father told her, that doesn't mean it wasn't a shitty thing to do. Especially since she let Rhaenyra believe Viserys was going to marry Laena, thus causing her to be massively blindsided by the announcement. Of course Rhaenyra felt she couldn't trust Alicent, of course she felt betrayed, and Alicent never explained why she did it. This obviously drove a massive wedge in their friendship.

Things only get worse for Rhaenyra when Aegon is born. Now the lords who had no respect for her, including the fucking Hand, are clamoring for Rhaenyra to be disinherited. Sure, Viserys keeps her as heir, but does little to reinforce to HER that he isn't considering replacing her. He practically ignores her for the majority of episode 3 until he gets angry with her for not wanting to be his political pawn. Alicent isn't helping matters by never acknowledging the change in dynamic in their relationship, she's the queen consort now, a position she worked to get behind Rhaenyra's back. No things aren't the same, they never will be, Alicent acting like Rhaenyra should just treat her like normal is unrealistic and totally dismisses Rhaenyra's feelings.

Rhaenyra has a completely understandable fear of marriage and childbirth, considering what happened to her mother. Yet Viserys is insisting she marry, and sure, she can choose her own husband, but from her perspective that's basically being allowed to choose your own execution method. And there is also an underlying caveat: Viserys has to approve the match.

In the midst of all this, Daemon finally returns, the one person who completely understands Rhaenyra. He offers her the first scrap of true consideration and then expresses actual interest in her at the brothel. However, he leaves her in the brothel, so, drunk and alone, she stumbles into the arms of her only remaining friend. A man who willingly and eagerly slept with his drunk charge and thought that it entitled him to marrying her. After this, we see that caveat I mentioned come into play when Viserys rejects Daemon's proposal without consulting Rhaenyra, if he truly meant for it to be her choice, he would have let her have the final say.

So now her uncle is once again taken away, her former friend now hates her for not telling her a potentially damaging secret, and her former protector hates her for rejecting to run away with him. And to top it all off, she's now being forced to marry her openly gay cousin to fix the mistake Viserys made when he married Alicent. Then at her wedding, Alicent finishes of what's left of their friendship by declaring war on her and Criston kills Laenor's lover and allies with Alicent.

During the time jump, we know Alicent constantly undermined and abused Rhaenyra. She flouted her power at every turn, factionalized the nobles, taught her sons that Rhaenyra and her sons were beneath them, and shot down any of her opinions in the SC even to the detriment of the kingdom. We know from a deleted scene that Rhaenyra pursued a relationship with Aegon, yet she doesn't have any kind of connection to her siblings later on, meaning that someone must have put a stop to any bonding. After all, why would Aegon and his siblings be willing to usurp Rhaenyra if they had a good relationship? We also know from Laenor's "I thought we were past this" in ep six that Alicent constantly pressed the bastard issue even though Laenor, Corlys, and Viserys acknowledging them as legitimate made them so.

The issue of the Velaryon boys clearly shows how Rhaenyra was thrust into an impossible situation: she needed heirs and Laenor couldn't provide. By choosing Harwin, Rhaenyra was able to have three sons and have a loving relationship (as far as we know). But of course, this small happiness didn't last, as Harwin was sent away and murdered alongside his father by Larys. Before this, Alicent's abuse finally drives Rhaenyra to Dragonstone, by the way, Viserys never did anything to help Rhaenyra against Alicent.

Things finally seem to be looking up for Rhaenyra when she marries Daemon after Laena's funeral. She at last has a steadfast ally in the face of the greens and someone who genuinely loves her. She has two sons by him, her other children are growing up safe and happy alongside her stepdaughters who have integrated well into their new family.

Alas, after six years, she is dragged back into the greens' shit show when they decide to bring up the resolved matter of the Driftmark succession. This marks the beginning of the end for her happiness. Viserys dies and the greens usurp her crown, the news of which sends her into an early labor, killing her daughter. Now Rhaenyra is faced again with an impossible choice: go to war for her throne or bend the knee and risk being killed alongside her children (something the greens were already planning). We know which one she picks, and she's right in this: it's her throne, the greens are usurpers and traitors, end of story. But the greens then murder her son, Lucerys, when he was on a peaceful mission as a messenger.

Rhaenyra has now lost two children to the greens, and in the ensuing war, loses Viserys II (though he was alive unbeknownst to her), Jacaerys, and Joffery. Her stepdaughter, Baela, becomes a captive of the greens, Rhaena is being sheltered in the Vale, and her husband dies killing Aemond. The war takes away everything she loves except her son, Aegon III. She then has to flee KL after six months due to the rioting small folk and betrayal among her council (Corlys is a bitch). When she arrives on Dragonstone, she is seized by her brother's men and burned and eaten alive in front of her son by her usurper brother.

This is the story of a woman tormented throughout her life by the fact that she is a woman. She is undermined and abused as heir, usurped, and killed all for the crime of her gender, plain and simple. TG can try to deny it, but the story is clear, despite Condal and Hess' meddling. And if I see anyone saying that Rhaenyra is bad because she isn't a feminist, that doesn't matter (and that's not a true assessment), her reign sets a precedent for female inheritance in the Seven Kingdoms, that's still important in the long run. She is a tragic character, GRRM has made it clear the usurpation would have happened no matter what Rhaenyra did, she was doomed from the start.

#rhaenyra targaryen #team black #anti team green #alicent hightower #viserys targaryen #daemon targaryen #daemyra #anti alicent stans #anti alicent hightower #anti aemond targaryen #anti aegon ii targaryen #house of the dragon #anti otto hightower

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darkcrowprincess · 5 months

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The losers club parents:

*trigger warning use of homophobic words*

*their parents have all noticed their children have been missing together for hours. They start looking in all the spots the kids hang out.*

Mrs and Mr Uris calling out together, their voices echoing together out near the barrens: STAN!! STANLEY!

Mrs Denbrough freaking out and hyper ventilating: We cant lose another child Zack! I can't lose another baby!

Mr Denbrough tries to console her but it feels like empty words: We'll find him. He'll be alright. Its not like Georgie he's with his friends.

Mr and Mrs Hanlon yell out together next: MIKE!!

Sonia Kaspbrak: Your children are never going near Eddie again! You hear me!

Mr and Mrs Hanlon call out again: MIKE!

Maggie Tozier is unfortunately stuck near Sonia, her husband up ahead with Ms Hanscom so they both could call out for Richie and Ben together. The parents have spread out in a big circle near the woods of the barrens. Each calling out their childrens names hoping they'll hear it. Maggie was unfortunately left to deal with Sonia( who they were surprised that the hypochondriac actually agreed to look with them)

Maggie tries to be nice and puts a comforting hand on Sonia's shoulder: Sonia it will be alright. Well find them. It's not any of the boys fault.

Sonia slaps the women's hand away and goes on a horrible tirade: NO! My Eddie Bear is delicate. He should have never run off with any of these boys! Especially your son!

Maggie is finally pissed off(and protective): What do you mean by that?!

Sonia with a cruel smile on her face: You know what your son is like. The whole town knows what a dirty boy he is. But I will not have that little faggot infecting my son with his disgusting feelings!

Maggie slaps the woman hard across her face. Red is in her vision. Her long nails leave scratches along her fat cheek.

Wentworth, goes to stop his wife from full on beating the shit out of Eddies bitch of a mother: Maggie!

Maggie: Our children are missing and all you care about is saying hurtful things about my son! I don't give a shit if my son is gay or both our kids have feelings for each other! As long as they're happy!

Maggie is about to jump on the vile woman but her husband picks her up. She's still tries to kick and hit at Sonia (unknowingly, she looks a lot like her son in that moment).

Maggie: You are a vile woman and your son deserves better. FRANK WOULD HATE YOU, especially for what your doing to your son.

Sonia: YOU BITCH! You take that back!

Sonia is held back by Mr and Mrs Denbrough.

Maggie: Why its not like I'm lying, Frank if he was alive right now would take Eddie away from you and never look back! And it be within his right! Your suffocating your son!

Sonia screams in anger: I'm protecting him! Its because of all your kids!

The two mothers keep fighting. Which causes the other parents to come closer and try to help. Unknowingly their children are at the top of the cliff of the barrens hearing everything.

All 7 of the losers peak their heads over the cliff to watch everything. Like little animals popping their heads out of hidding.

Eddie and Richie both stare at each other in shock.

Bill: W-we need to get down there. I-I can't believe t-the-y ww-were looking for us.

Richie: Do we have to, I'm actually finding it really cool how badass my mom is being right now.

Bill: R-richie! What about Eddie?!

Eddie with a bit of satisfaction for himself: Give it a few more minutes. Mrs Tozier just tackled my mom into the mud.

The losers all look back to see the fight.

Eddie to Richie: Your mom is so cool.

Richie with stars in his eyes: 🤩 I know right.

Richie without thinking moves fully out of hiding to cheer his mom on: GO MOM!

Maggie who finally hears her son, looks up to see the kids on the cliff: RICHIE?!

The other losers: Richie! How are we suppose to explain this to them?!

*This being the fact that they just finished fighting an evil space clown*

Richie: Oops.

Maggie dropping Sonia Kaspbrak back into the mud, yells back up to her son: RICHARD WENTWORTH TOZIER! Get your ass down here now! You know how worried we have all been!

Richie nervous now: Ooooh full name not good.

#the losers club #it #losers club #loser club parents #reddie #my writing #maggie tozier #maggie vs sonia #it chapter 1

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charmac · 10 months

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Hi! Do you have any thoughts on Mac and Mrs. Mac’s relationship? I find the whole McDonald family dynamic so interesting, but especially after season 16/frank shoots every member of the gang I’ve been fascinated by those two. You always have such impressive, well thought out answers!

Thank you!

I do have a lot of of thoughts regarding Mac's upbringing, especially in terms of his relationships with his family and how they clearly affect his current-day relationships and misconceptions of love, but I'm not sure I've really fleshed that out so, great question.

First of all, I have a gripe with Frank Shoots Every Member of the Gang, as it really insanely retcons Luther's age. Mac Kills His Dad established that he was 59 at the time, which would have made him a teen when he had Mac. Shoots establishes that Luther's dad served in WWII and wrote him letters during that time, which means he had to have been born before 1945, and would have been at youngest in his 30s when Mac was born. It's not like it's a huge issue, but it does change some previously-thought dynamics. (Though, the fact that they weren't younger-cast in A Sunny Christmas does better-align with the idea that they were in their 30s when they had Mac.)

There was/is always kind of the vibe that when they were together, pre-Luther going to jail, Ms. Mac did really love Luther and vice-versa, and Mac was more kind of like a by-product of unprotected sex more than he was a part of the family. (I mean, they named him after the Hamburger Clown). Luther clearly love(d) him as the idea of having a son, someone who could carry on his bidding and his name, but doesn't love him as the child he actually has. I think Ms. Mac didn't love him as the idea of a son and doesn't love him as the child she has, and never did. BUT she did love Luther, and Mac observed that as a young kid, his parents loving each other but neglecting him. Looking at Christmas, we can kind of assume the order of anything in Mac's childhood home was Ms. Mac > Luther > Mac. So for his early development he was kind of sidelined, saw no love from his parents toward him, but did see love between his parents (in a definitely not healthy way, as it goes).

We know in the deleted scenes of Sunny Christmas that Mac's dad is going to prison probably right after the events of the video tape... I honestly think it's reasonable to assume that Mac's screaming that woke up the residents of the house they were robbing might have been probably was what led to Luther being arrested (with whatever warrants he had hanging over him catching up with him once he had been detained). So, does Ms. Mac blame her son for her husband being locked up for the next 25 years? Probably. She didn't even want him, didn't care for him, and then his obnoxious behaviour was their downfall.

Back to Shoots, I did really like it for what it gave us in terms of (Char)Mac childhood lore. I think it definitely wasn't a shock for them to drop the cigarette lighter line, but it was a hit to the chest for me. Everything I kind of assumed before, re: didn't want or care about having a child equated to strictly-neglectful, Mac clawing for the love he saw his mom give his dad, now with his dad gone even more-so, and being brushed off, now escalated to retaliation in response to Mac failing to be brushed off. Sometimes the dismissive, grunting and not moving from your chair approach just doesn't work on a hyperactive little bastard like Mac, sometimes you have to make him shut up by giving him something else to fuss over. I think Ms. Mac probably hoped that would be what breaks through his skin, makes him realise she doesn't love him, but Mac only sees it as a warning, a pause, a try-again-later, mom's just in a bad mood.

Presently, what we see of Ms. Mac is almost always the same: completely indifferent. Shrug, cough, I don't care at all about you. Mac's a serial killer? Yeah. Mac's dead? Ok. You're gay? Meh. She'll fuck with him though, sure: your dad is actually Dutch. You wanted these letters that meant something to your father? I needed toilet paper. Who cares. She doesn't love him, never has, never will, and Mac has no ability to understand that.

Based on his upbringing and the past 20 years, I think he has a complete misunderstanding (and at this point inability) to recognise and understand what love is, mostly because of his mother. Because she just, doesn't love him, never did, but Mac thinks that parents have to love their children, that's a fact in his mind. If he has a mom and a dad they do love him, they have to, especially when he was a little boy, right? His dad loves him, he's just in jail so he can't show it, but his mom is here. And mom did love dad, he remembers that, he saw it, so he just has to make himself known, she can love him too because she's capable of it and she's his mom. He loves her, he says it over and over, she never says it, but she just doesn't see him because she's busy, working, or making a home for him, or just for some reason she's not paying attention... So love for Mac is fighting neglect, love is refusing to be ignored, love is pestering over and over because if you can get away with your bombardment without a finger being raised, without being scored by a cigarette lighter, they must really want you to continue... they must be waiting for you to really prove yourself before they show or admit their love for you. There are people in his life who have to love him, it's like a law, so they'll admit it as long as you keep asking, keep making yourself known, keep trying to prove yourself... and if it comes to the point where you're getting burned, stop for a minute, take a step back, and reevaluate how (or when) you can try again...

#iasip #mac mcdonald #ms mac #luther mcdonald #mac meta #i suppose...#do you like my leading ending #you can work out where that's going lol #i didn't go into sex bc it was hard to connect properly without it coming out weird or clunky #but it does loop there #clearly...#also ive def done some ask on this similarly before #but i cant find it #cos i never tag shit properly lol oh well #ty for the ask!!

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saturniidaess · 4 months

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#this has been in my drafts for a bit so uh here you go!#saturniipost #poll

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djuvlipen · 1 year

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If you came here to block me, especially if you're a Romani girl, PLEASE READ THIS FIRST.

Romani women are oppressed because of what we were born as: our biological sex.

Some Romani communities practice sex-selective abortions: when they learn a fetus is female, they abort it, because a girl is considered a burden. (x) "The birth of a daughter is quite a tragedy for a family, whilst the birth of a son, glossed metonymically as ‘birth of happiness’ (bucurie) is always an outstanding event (see also Gay y Blasco)." (x)

Romani women were sexually abused all throughout slavery. Assaulting Romani women was essential to slavery because it terrorized us into subjugation. It also allowed the slaveholder to control Romani women's reproductive abilities: birthing children meant more livestock for them. (x)

Romani women were shipped as slaves to American colonies to be bred with plantation slaves and, once again, increasing the number of slaves. (x)

During the Holocaust, Romani women were once again targeted by sexual violence, at higher rates than Romani men. Romani women were forced to serve in military brothels by the Romanian army allied with the Nazis (Anton Weiss-Wendt, The Nazi Genocide of the Roma). Romani women were also forced to serve in Nazi camp brothels (Sonja M. Hedgepeth, Rochelle G. Saidel (eds.), Sexual Violence Against Jewish Women During the Holocaust).

Romani women have had our reproductive rights threaten times and times again, we were sterilized in Sweden (x), in Hungary (x), and in Czechoslovakia (x) during the 20th century (not to even mention the forced sterilization of Romani women in Nazi camps).

Romani women are among the first victims of the sex trade in Europe, we are trafficked at alarming rates by our relatives, friends or strangers, Romani or not. (x)

Because we are female, we are impacted by racism in a way that Romani men aren't: Romani women are more likely to have complications and to die during pregnancy and labor. (x)

Biological sex is relevant, even essential, to studying and challenging violence against Romani women. In all these instances, a privileged sex group (males) oppressed another sex group (female Roma) to dominate us.

Sex is an observable fact and distinct from gender. Gender refers to a set of roles ascribed to one sex in one given society. Gender is enforced by violence. You are socialized into a specific gender, whether you want it or not. For the Roma who are born female, that means:

You are expected to marry a man. A man whom your family approves of. Some Romani communities practice arranged marriages for their daughters, some of them are not even adult yet (x). It's not racist to state this, Romani women deserve bodily autonomy just as much as White women.

You are expected to remain a virgin until you're married. This is once again enforced with violence: in Spain, Romani women insert a handkerchief with their finger in the vagina of the bride to make sure she's a virgin, lest the entire family is dishonoured. (x)

In traditional communities, you are expected to stay at home, cook, and clean for your husband. You are expected to respect a strict dress code.

If you disobey to those rules, if you don't dress modestly, if you are a lesbian, you can be beaten, shunned, excluded by your Romani community. This is something I've personally seen and of which testimonies are easy to find.

These gendered expectations are part of the reason why Romani women are hit more harshly than Romani men by structural anti-Romani racism:

Romani women are more likely not to complete education.

Romani women are more likely not to know how to read and write. (x)

Romani women are more likely to be unemployed. (x)

Gender non-conformity is strictly punished, because people have a fixed idea of what being a woman is, and they will punish you if you try to act otherwise. The solution to this is not to say that a Romani woman who wants to pursue a career, doesn't dress modestly, or date other women, is actually a man or non-binary. The solution is to fight gender roles and get rid of gender altogether. Radical feminism is about fighting for the rights of those born female (women) against the domination established by the privileged sex class (men). The way to do this is to dismantle gender roles.

Stating this is not transphobic in any capacity. If you want to call me a "transmisogynist" or a "fascist" and block me, I want you to think really hard on why you are so ready to silence Romani women fighting to end the sex-based oppression we suffer from, do you think you are really a good ally by doing this?

#roma #sex based oppression #radical feminism #radfems do interact #radfems please interact #radfems do touch #radfems please touch #romani #cultural misogyny #romani reproductive rights

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tcfactory · 4 months

Note

a fun idea on the "im gay and pissed about it" is the concept of "what do you mean i share tastes with shang shidi". qinghua mentions offhandedly that the sect is full of very handsome men who are strong and muscular and have the AUDACITY to wear respectable layers of clothing in heat and filth when he could be looking at their chests. sj nods along absentmindedly then hEY WAIT. WHAT. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT. AND WHY DOES HE AGREE WITH YOU-

I'm snickering, because he would be mega upset that he's in agreement with Shang-shidi. At least he can blame the gay thoughts on Shang Qinghua, thirsty shidi is infecting everyone with residual horny.

Also, the fact that Shang Qinghua's (future) husband does walk around with his chest bared to the world a lot of the time makes this so much worse. Number 1 reason to turn CQMS into a demonic sect: shameless demon fashion.

...you know, that would make for a good comedy oneshot I think. SQH convinces the Sect to convert to a 'demonic' path to avoid all the plot and get rid of the stress of having to hide MBJ all the damn time. YQY agrees because this way nobody can hold SQQ's background under Wu Yanzi against him, LQG doesn't care as long as he can go hunt monsters, MQF is fine with this as long as they can maintain their reputation as 'decent people' (bc mortals care more about that than jianghu politics), WQW gets a shitton of new customers from the demon realm... the only one who would be strongly against it is QQQ, depending on how the mortal emperors would view a 'demonic' sect.

He convinces SQQ by gesturing at MBJ and his chest-out fashion like "this could be YQY and LGQ if we converted" and that holds more appeal than SQQ would ever admit. (QiJiu reconciliation fueled by too many horny thoughts? And then YQY 'bullies' SQQ into wearing the new uniforms and oh, there goes LQG. SQQ has two hands and with one he has to keep holding onto stupid sexy Liu-shidi so he stops walking into walls.)

And what better way to convert the sect than get TLJ out from under the mountain and pledge their allegiance to him? If SQH pulls this madness off in time they might even have a chance to save SXY! (Which would placate QQQ, especially after the Old Palace Master's garbage comes to light - she will be one of the main advocates of throwing the man in a pit of fire ants and watching him die a slow, well-deserved death.)

So OPM's manipulation is all out in the open and HHP is going under and I guess that's just barely enough to put them as "not a righteous sect and not an evil sect, but a secret third thing (weird)" which sure is a reputation to have, but not a bad one as such. Anyway, TLJ is the emperor of a whole realm and he's bankrolling them, so it's not like they need to play nice with the rest of the jianghu if they don't want to.

That sure would be a fun scenario for Shen Yuan to transmigrate into, huh? Lands as a nameless OC disciple (17 and very sassy) who's joining CQMS after his native sect was destroyed by some random catastrophe and he's making up all these elaborate plans in his head on how to help LBH out in the sect, only to find out that LBH (also 17 and very spoiled) is head disciple of Bai Zhan, getting kinda-but-not-really preferential treatment because he's the son of the sect benefactor. Also for funsies please imagine a Moshang spawn there too, because SQH developed an unfortunate habit of falling into every wifeplot ever (it's the System's revenge).

Trouble trios Ning Yingying+Sha Hualing+Liu Mingyan vs Shen Yuan+Bingmei+Moshang sprog unintentionally trying to outdo each other on who can cause their respective Shizuns the bigger headache. Shen Yuan isn't certain why he ended up in such a wacky AU fanfic setting, but Binghe is happy and handsome and keeps hitting on him cooking him snacks to make him feel welcome after what happened to his old sect, so he's enjoying his time too much to complain (much).

#this is all the silly I'm sorry #sy would be doomed #too many thirsty thoughts about lbh even he can't outrun them all

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starsfic · 1 year

Text

Stuck in the Body of a Mad King!

Summary: Red gets hit by a car and wakes up in the body of his favorite novel's villain. Yeah, you know how this goes...except for the part where he isn't alone!

Note: I...do not like the quality of this. Just as a warning.

AO3

This was not the best part of Hong Hai-er (also known as Red)’s life.

He was a broke college student. He knew that was supposed to be like a phase in every person’s life, but Red hated it. He hated turning to his parents whenever he lost a job. His parents- his father a line cook and his mother a secretary- had their own struggles. They couldn’t afford to feed an adult man- they were already stretched thin with paying for his therapy bills.

He had a passion, yes, but that wasn’t what everyone in his life wanted him to do. “He’s shown great talent in engineering,” every academic advisor said, revealing his perfect grades to his proud parents. “He’ll probably do great work in business or factory work.”

Except Red didn’t want to do business or factory work. He wanted to be an inventor, ever since he was a kid. New ideas came up every day, drawn on napkins or the margins of his notes, all ready to be invested and made.

Except Red kept getting rejected.

Both in work and in life.

Red didn’t really have any friends. He had a study group, here and there, but then days would go by and Red was soon by himself again. He couldn’t really blame them. And forget dating. Red knew he was gay, but what kind of idiot would want a scrawny guy who forgot to get his favorite red trenchcoat patched up every day?

Only one person had ever turned his eye and he wasn’t real.

Qi Xiaotian was the protagonist of Red’s favorite graphic novel series Adventures of the Successor. It was a series of graphic novels inspired by Journey to the West, with Xiaotian taking up Sun Wukong’s staff and defeating those who would threaten the peace. He was a great beauty, wonderful at both cooking and in art, and the son of the powerful Sun Wukong.

He was everything Red wasn’t.

Still, Red found himself harboring a very small, nearly nothing, crush. He had to be in hundreds of forums singing the novel’s praises and spent hours deep in the novel’s fandom. It probably wasn’t the healthiest hobby, but Red couldn’t really bring himself to care.

Especially right now.

He’d had another meeting with his advisor and had to explain, in detail, what happened to his latest attempt at a internship interview. It was humiliating to have to go through that whole thing twice.

Now Red was walking back, having pulled up his favorite chapter of Successor.

For the second quarter of the story, Qi Xiaotian was married to Demon King Red, the evil son of the Demon Bull King who agreed to stop conquering China if Xiaotian married him. Admittedly, Xiaotian falling in love with the guy was a touch out of character, something that the writer admitted in notes. But his love soon faded when he married Red and the king just…resumed his evil ways. Hell, he even had a mistress!

This chapter, however, really started Xiaotian’s journey from just being Sun Wukong’s son to being a hero in his own right. He had confronted his husband about how he had failed to keep to their agreement and, in his anger at being questioned, the king had slapped him before cruelly laughing in his face.

That?

Red loved the sight of teary eyes filling with determination.

The next few chapters, Xiaotian would knit the king’s destruction, to the very last chapter of the arc in which he would meet his so-called husband in battle. The deadly killing blow was one of the best peices of art in the novel, but it was this chapter that was Red’s favorite.

He felt determined, staring into that eye.

Determined to succeed.

Determined to-

Red grunted as a body hit him, shaking him from his determined talk. “Sorry, Mister!” a young girl yelled over her shoulder. Long dark hair spilled around her shoulders as she chased a plump cat down the street. “Kitty, get back here!”

Red sighed as he tucked his phone back into his pocket. At least she had dragged him back to reality. At least before he walked into the road looking into his phone. That would’ve been a recipe for disaster-

HONK!

Like the little girl, who had finally grabbed her cat and was busy scolding him, standing in the middle of the street. Like the car racing down the street, honking furiously. Like her apparent deafness and its apparent lack of brakes.

Like Red’s stupidity.

“KID!” He took off down the street, throwing his backpack off to sprint faster. “KID, GET OUT OF THE WAY!”

HONK!

The girl looked up and he could see her eyes go wide. She didn’t move a muscle even as the cat yowled and scrabbled free of her arms.

“KID, MOVE!”

HONK!

“KID, WATCH OUT-”

Red shoved. The little girl screamed as she fell forward.

HOOOOONK!

He felt the car slam into him, throwing him over the roof. And then suddenly the world went dark. Faintly, he heard the little girl scream “Someone call an ambulance!”

Yeah…yeah…that made sense…hopefully she was alright…

Before Red could open his eyes, he was out.

-_-

Oh, his head.

His head ached like a mallet had been taken to it. What had happened? This couldn’t be a hangover. Red had stopped drinking alcohol when his therapist suggested it was making his outbursts worse. He reached up, rubbing his eye, hoping that would relieve the pain or at least the annoyance of that weird noise at the back of his head. It didn’t.

Oh. Wait. He remembered now.

There had been a little girl and a cat. There had been a speeding car.

Was he dead? No. Red, deep down, had a feeling. He wasn’t dead. Otherwise his head wouldn’t hurt so much.

The hospital? Maybe? That would explain the weird noise. There had been other people there, he knew that. Someone would’ve called the police at least for the speeding car.

“-well?”

Well? Well what?

Wait, someone was speaking to him. Red just…had to open his eyes.

He opened them and blinked.

This wasn’t the hospital.

He stood in a grand room, decorated in red and gold, people all staring at him. Red blinked.

“Well?”

He looked forward and his heart skipped a beat. A man with dark curls tied back by a red headband stood in front of him. He wore beautiful red and orange robes, arms crossed. He looked absolutely beautiful, even with an ugly frown on his face. Red knew that face. He had spent almost three years staring at that handsome face.

This was Qi Xiaotian.

And then suddenly his first word hit. Red blinked. “...well what?”

Qi Xiaotian’s frown grew deeper. “We’re all waiting for you to say it, my king,” He spread his arms, showing off the crowd. All of them, dressed in fancy clothes, were staring at them. “Say what you really mean.” Wait, what was going on?

“I…wait, my king?”

Xiaotian scoffed. “I knew it,” He turned. “Now, if you excuse me, husband,” He began to walk. “I will be in my chambers.”

“Wait, hang on-” Red couldn’t help himself. Why wasn’t he in the hospital? What was the cosplay here? He reached out, grabbing the Xiaotian cosplayer’s shoulder. “Is this some kind of weird fever dream-?”

“What?” Xiaotian turned. Whoever this cosplayer was, they were doing a really good job- his nose scrunch as he narrowed his eyes was spot-on. He hadn’t even taken in all the animal and half-animal demons that were a part of the throng. “No, it isn’t a dream. You need to shape up-”

He tightened his grip, just a bit, taking a step closer. “Wait, hang on-”

SMACK!

Several gasps rolled through the room. Red yelped, yanking his hand back. He blinked as he looked down, rubbing where a red spot was beginning to form. That…had hurt. Which placed this in the category of weird cosplay thing. That still didn’t explain-

Why he didn’t have calluses.

Red turned his hand, flexing it. His hands were rough from his work, a small calluse always on his finger from holding his pen too hard. Except his hands were soft and smooth, as if he hadn’t done a day of work. And his head felt weirdly heavy. Red grabbed some hair and tugged it into view.

His heart skipped a beat.

“Uh, Red?” Xiaotian knew his name. He would freak out about that later. Right now, he was blinking at him as if he was crazy. “What’s with that look?”

“...where’s a mirror?”

“What?”

“I- I need a mirror.” There was no way. Red looked around, receiving only baffled and confused looks back. There was no absolute way. “I need a mirror!”

Xiaotian gestured to the door. “You know the powder room is right down the hall-”

“THANK YOU!”

He didn’t see several jaws drop. Instead, Red was more focused on sprinting out of the room, feeling something swish around his legs as he sprinted down a very fancy hallway. The first door next to the turn was the room he darted into.

Thankfully, it was the powder room or whatever. It didn’t matter. Not when there was a mirror! Red slammed the door and turned to the mirror. Suddenly, the fire under his ass died down.

That was him? That man in the mirror?

Red blinked. Shakily, he rose a hand to his face. The man in the mirror did the same.

This wasn’t his face.

Instead of dark hair tied back in a ponytail, long red curls swished down.

Instead of brown eyes, amber eyes burned like embers.

Instead of his food-stained hoodie, he wore red and orange robes.

This wasn’t Hong Hai-er, major disappointment to his teachers. This was Demon King Red, terror to all of China.

The door opened and closed.

“That was quite a scene out there.”

Red turned, biting back a scream. A beautiful girl, dressed in simple yellow robes, stared at him. Her long dark curls were braided back with yellow ribbons, revealing soft cheeks and dazzling green eyes. He knew this woman just as well as he knew Demon King Red’s face.

This was Yang Yuhuan. At first just a simple maid, she had caught the king’s eye and soon became his mistress. During this arc, she was one of Qi Xiaotian’s greatest enemies, using her tears and her beauty to get the king and any foolish men to do as she wished. Red hated her on principal.

Except, now… he glanced down and felt himself pale.

He was in the king’s body. Yang didn’t know that a gay twink had taken over the body of her lover. She probably thought now was a good time for a quickie! Red stepped back, flattening himself against the wall. “Uh, hi, Yang…”

She frowned, cocking her head. “You usually call me Xīngān.”

Shit, right. But Red really didn’t want to call this woman “other half.” His body rejected the idea with a twist of his stomach. “Yeah, but, uh…” Shit shit shit how did this happen?! The body thing, not the whole being cornered by said body’s mistress. Although Red was wondering which sin got him trapped here. “I was thinking…” She took a step closer and his back started to ache from how deeply he was pressing himself into the wall. “I should really work on my relationship with my husband-”

“Who won the table tennis world championships?”

Red blinked. “What?”

Yang took a step back, crossing her arms with a grin. “You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?”

“I uh- no- what?” What was going on?

She held out a hand, only adding fuel to the fre. “Long Xiaojiao. Dimensional traveller currently stuck in the body of a whiny crybaby.” Red blinked. Wait. She was like him? He took her hand, giving it a shake. “And please tell me the championship winner, I fell off my motorcycle right before the last final was supposed to happen.”

“I don’t know.” Red finally managed. Wait, no, there was more important things going on. “What…how?! How is this possible?!” He gestured at his reflection, resisting a shudder at the sight of red hair. “I’m- We’re the villains of my favorite graphic novel! It’s just a comic!”

“Hey!” There was a firm slap on his arm. “Xiaotian’s been working very hard on this comic! Don’t insult it!”

“Xiaotian is-” Her words hit. “Wait, he’s a real person too?”

“No!” Xiaojiao pinched the bridge of her nose. “I mean, yes! I mean, I don’t think the Xiaotian here is possessed by anyone.” Nope, he seemed very in character. His hand ached from how in character he was. “I mean, Qi Xiaotian in our world. He’s my best friend.” There was another firm slap on his arm. “So don’t insult his work, capiche?”

Red wasn’t sure what to say to that. Whether it was the situation he was in or the fact that Qi Xiaotian was a real person, his brain was shorting out. Finally, he croaked out “Okay.” Xiaojiao narrowed her eyes and he added “I’m sorry.”

“That’s better.” Her smile returned, the edges a bit strained and worn. “But, yeah, I have no idea what was going on. All I remember is my motorcycle hitting a guy and me falling off.”

Red nodded. “I got hit by a car.” Xiaojiao’s eyes went wide. “I mean, I wasn’t in a car at the time but-” Her eyes got even wider and, yeah, that didn’t sound much better. “Are we dead? Every novel I’ve read with this sort of plotline has the main character dying first. Are we dead?”

“Actually, no,” Xiaojiao looked like she wanted to ask about his whole car thing, but she moved onto the next topic. She pressed a finger to her ear. “Be quiet and listen.”

Red raised a brow. “Be quiet-”

A hand slammed against his mouth. “Listen,” Xiaojiao hissed.

He shut his mouth and she pulled her hand away. Silence trickled between them, like a breath had just been taken. Red felt his eye twitch as the seconds passed with nothing. What exactly was he supposed to listen for-

There it was again. That weird noise at the back of his head.

Red raised a brow. Was that the noise he was listening for? Now that he thought about it, it sounded like…

“A heartbeat monitor?”

Xiaojiao nodded. “Yeah! I’ve been hearing it since I got here!” Her smile was now more real as she bounced on her heels. “I’m pretty sure we’re both alive-”

“So weird fever dream. Got it- OW!”

Xiaojiao pulled her pinching fingers away. “Nope. I’ve tried waking up. Pinching, jumping off a balcony, everything.” A balcony?! “I’m pretty sure this world is real but, for some reason, our brains are here while our bodies are back home.”

“So, what?” Red groaned. “Do we just wait? That sounds like a situation where our plugs get pulled.” He refused to die. Not until he finally got an invention made!

“That’s basically my guess.” Xiaojiao sighed. “We survive and wait. That’s all we really can do.”

“But I-” Red felt himself pale. He had set the story off track. That was a good thing for his survival, but after? “I changed the story! Xiaotian was supposed to start planning a rebellion when the king hit him!” Oh, great. Red let his face fall in his hands. “I just screwed up the story,” he admitted. “I don’t wanna live through the story.” He hated this king! He hated everything about this!

A hand patted his shoulder. “Yeah, I hear ya. I can’t count the number of times the king tried to corner me,” Xiajiao sighed. Her hand pulled away and there was a clap sound. “But, don’t worry! We both know what the comic is supposed to be like! We can try to keep things together until we wake up!”

Red raised his face. “That’s the solution?”

“Yes,” Xiaojiao nodded with another of thoe too-wide grins. “I mean, I know what this arc is all about.” Huh. So that theory was true. Red had dismissed this arc, despite it being his favorite, as just a shoehorned romance.

“I mean, what do you know? What’s the comic about?” She knew the author. And now that he knew that, his curiosity was boiling in his chest.

Xiaojiao sighed. “Red, the king, is based off this ex Xiaotian has,” She was smiling again, but it was too wide. “He…caught him cheating with a girl who looked like me.” Oof, ouch. “And during the following argument, he confessed he had fallen in love with me and tried asking me out right then and there, which,” She shrugged. “Dude knew I’m a lesbian. I’m not sure how he thought that was gonna work.”

“What happened?”

She shrugged again. “Last I heard, he dumped the girl to go chase some Russian chick.”

Wow. That was a lot to unpack. “So everything that happens in the arc,” Red felt sweat start to roll down the back of his neck. “All the war, the beheading, the banishment, all that…”

“That was just Xiaotian venting his feelings.” Xiaojiao sighed, crossing her arms. “Which isn’t a problem, until now.”

Right. Rebellion and beheading and banishment and all that crap.

“We can keep off dying until we’re out,” Red said, repeating the plan back. “How hard can it be?”

-_-

When Red had first proposed to him, Xiaotian had been excited.

Most of his adventures had required him to use force to bring peace. He tried talking things out first, always, but most of the time people just weren’t interested. The Lady Bone Demon was too focused on her dream of making the world free of pain, Jin and Yin were too focused on their goals of getting rich and causing chaos, hell even Macaque refused to listen for the longest time! However, Red had stopped.

He had listened.

He had given Xiaotian hope.

He probably should’ve seen the red flags waving when it came to his now-husband. Red had only stalled his military plans during their courtship, not stopped them entirely. He listened but only cared about a few things. Most of the gifts he gave Xiaotian barely related to him at all. Hell, one time they could’ve killed him, with his allergies to spider flour giving him a reaction to that spider cake! Still, Xiaotian had hoped despite everyone’s warnings. He had agree to Red’s marriage proposal.

Now look where he was.

A consort who sat next to a tyrant, unable to stop the suffering and pain. A demon who could not do his magic without eliciting scorn. A man who spent long nights in a lonely bed, listening to his husband fuck another. He hated it. If he had been a weaker man, Xiaotian was sure he wouldn’t survive.

But he stayed his hand. His father depended on him. His bestie, his loyal knight, depended on him. Hundreds of people depended on what little Xiaotian could do.

Especially now.

Red seemed…off. He had been acting off ever since their argument, yes, but this seemed even more off than usual. He had been weirdly kind and attentive, acting more like a stuttering schoolboy than the madman that he had revealed himself to be. Xiaotian debated this as he settled in his seat at the training field, spreading out his fan to hide his considering fan as the doors opened to reveal Red. He stepped onto the training field and stood, waiting at attention. There was silence as everyone waited.

Why wasn’t he taking off his shirt? Red would usually remove his shirt in a dramatic flourish, reveling in the moans and screams of the members of court who lusted over him.

“What?” Red finally spoke, looking around. “I’m ready.”

There was some mutters and some people stepped back, clearly unsure of what to say. The king was famous for his rage-filled outbursts at anyone questioning him, even if there was a good reason to do so. A few court members were even glancing at him. Xiaotian sighed, pulling the fan away from his face. “Won’t you take off your shirt, my lord?” he called.

Red blinked. “My…shirt…” He looked down and his eyes went wide. “Oh, um, yeah!”

Instead of the usual dramatic flourish, he slowly took it off, looking around as if he couldn’t believe he was doing this. The moment it was off, he looked around again, as if he needed some kind of cue. A flash of yellow and Xiaotian glanced away from his husband’s strange behavior.

Yang Yuhuan was waving at his husband.

A burst of anger made his mouth taste sour but Xiaotian swallowed it back. He knew he didn’t have the right to complain. This marriage had been made of convenience, not love. Red had every right to take whatever mistress he chose, despite what the court said about her. Xiaotian pulled his eyes away from her, unable to resist gripping his robes. He could deal with these emotions later…

A shadow fell over him.

“Um,” Red blinked at him, still holding his shirt. “I…well…you see…” Xiaotian raised a brow and suddenly Red’s shirt was in his face. “Can you hold onto my shirt for me?”

Xiaotian blinked. “What?”

“You don’t have to, it’s just…um…” Red looked around as though looking for another cue. There was another flash of yellow and Xiaotian could see Yang facepalm. Red glanced back, at her, and the taste of anger grew even more sour in his mouth. “I guess I could give it to-”

No.

Xiaotian grabbed at the garment, yanking it so fast that Red could only blink at him. There was a shocked breath behind him and Xiaotian felt his face heat up even worse. Oh no. He took a deep breath, trying to look like he hadn’t lost his mind. “I’ll take it.”

And the gesture attached.

“Thank you, Xiaotian,” Red smiled warmly. And then the words were spoken. The words Xiaotian had hoped for but had never gotten for months. “You look handsome today.”

And with that, Red was walking away.

Xiaotian glanced at his husband’s mistress. Yang looked weirdly happy. Her grin was wide and she was bouncing on the heels of her feet. That was weird. Normally, if Red gave Xiaotian any positive attention, Yang would be in tears. A gesture like this, symbolizing that Red wanted to lay with him tonight, would be cause for even bigger waterworks.

“Something’s up.”

A pat on his shoulder made him glance up. “I see you’ve noticed it too,” Azure Lion, advisor to the king and his father’s old friend, was frowning at his husband. “The king has been off in recent days.”

“Yes and look at Yang.” Xiaotian nodded to the maid who was beaming at Red.

“No tears.” Yellow Tusk, another advisor and old friend of Sun Wukong, rumbled.

There was still no tears. In the first few weeks of his marriage, he would’ve been happy. Red was giving him attention and Yang wasn’t ruining it. Now, however, dread was making his stomach twist. “I think they’re planning something.”

“What?” Azure glanced at him. “Xiaotian, my boy, I would not immediately jump to that conclusion.” Too late, he was already jumping. “Perhaps they’ve simply just quarreled and…” There was a pause. “I hear myself.”

“Yang’s reputation has only been getting worse at court.” Xiaotian heard all the gossip, after all. The only thing that kept Yang from doing anything about it was that she was just Red’s mistress and, besides that, just a maid. The former role kept her from doing any hard, unneeded work as the latter, but she still had to work. “I am the only thing keeping them from getting married.”

A deep noise rumbled through him and he didn’t even have to look up to see Azure was growling. “If they attempt to harm you, Xiaotian, I promise. Yellow Tusk and I will make sure you stay safe-”

Red’s hands lit up in fire.

And he started screaming.

Xiaotian jolted in his seat in surprise and then yelped as claws dug into his skin. “Sorry, sorry,” Azure hissed as he pulled his hand away. “I didn’t expect that.” Red was still screaming, waving his flaming hands around, looking around frantically as if he needed help. “Is this a new part of his training?”

“I have no idea,” Xiaotian admitted, looking around as warmth bloomed on his shoulder. Several other court members looked confused as well. He could already see people beginning to whisper. The warmth faded and he glanced at his shoulder. Untouched. “Thanks, Yellow Tusk-”

“SOMEONE GET ME SOME WATER!”

Eyes landed on Xiaotian. Ah, right, he was the husband. The only person who (possibly) wouldn’t get killed if he questioned the order. “Why do you need water?!” he yelled back.

Red glanced at him to his hands. “MY FUCKING HANDS ARE ON FIRE!” he yelled. “I…” Xiaotian raised a brow and realization bloomed across his face. “I…I…Um…” Yang was facepalming, looking strangely annoyed. The fire floomed out. “I WAS JUST TESTING YOU!” Red looked very pleased at himself for the excuse. “YES, JUST A TEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ME! NOW-”

“OI, YOU IDIOT!” Gasps and shrieks rang out across the field at the insult. All eyes turned to Yang, who looked very annoyed. “GET OVER HERE!” Red jumped before practically sprinting over.

That sealed it.

Something was up.

His fan returned to his position over his mouth, hiding his frown.

And Qi Xiaotian intended to get to the bottom of it.

-_-

The room that Long Xiaojiao led him into looked like the armory. Red didn’t have the time to take it in, or the brainpower to do so. Xiaojiao slammed the door shut and whirled around on him.

“Are you fucking insane?!”

“Possibly.” Red wasn’t really sure what else to say. There was another grunt and he hissed. “Look, I forgot! How was I supposed to remember that my hands could light up in fire?!” As if on cue, warmth spread over his hands. Red looked down and managed out a scream. Xiaojiao facepalmed and his scream died in his throat. The flames died down.

“I thought you were the biggest fan,” she sighed as she pulled her hand away. “Remember? Red Son is the Demon Bull King’s son, one of the only demons to actually hurt Sun Wukong-”

“With his Samadhi fire, right.” He was so lucky that having that sealed away was part of the villain’s backstory. Red had no idea what he would’ve done if this body still had that power. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m stressed. It slipped my mind.” Red rubbed his face, still feeling the heat prickling under his skin. “I have to keep in mind all these rules and decorum for a guy I really didn’t pay much attention to unless he was with Xiaotian.”

“How do you think I’m doing?!” Xiaojiao gestured to her maid dress- a beautiful shade of yellow, making her stand out, but still a maid dress. “This girl went and made everyone think all I’m good for is laying there like a fucking-” She took a deep breath. “And sobbing my eyes out when things don’t go my way! I could be doing stuff to keep my mind off the fact that I’m waiting to wake up, but they don’t let me!”

He could practically feel the heat of anger in her face. Shame cooled down the anger in his own chest. Red hadn’t really thought of what Xiaojiao had to deal with. She always seemed fine when they met up to talk about stuff, like her bestie or his parents.It had only been a week since he had gotten stuck here and they were bonding due to a traumatic situation, but Red honestly felt like he had made a friend.

He didn’t want to ruin it already.

“I’m sorry.” He undid his ponytail and began to redo it, the familiar motion also a soothing gesture. “I should have thought of what you’re going through here. You’re in a world where your bestie hates you.” And some other girl, the one actually based off of her, was taking her place. (Neither Red nor Xiaojiao were sure why she had got stuck in Yang’s body inside of Knight Long’s body.)

Xiaojiao sighed and her shoulders went slack. “I’m sorry too.” She held out her arms. “Hugs?”

“What?”

“Awkward friend hug? To deal with our feelings?” She smile, holding her arms out. Red leaned back and she stepped forward. “C’mon, you know you wanna. One little hug for your bestie.”

“I wouldn’t-” He sighed. “Fine.”

Xiaojiao grinned and wrapped her arms around him. After a pause, Red wrapped his arms around her. There was a brief but comforting squeeze before both of them went “Pat pat!” patting each other on the back. Xiaojio stepped back first, her smile a little more honest.

“Okay. Go get a shirt. They’re probably wondering what’s going on.”

Red nodded. “Yeah. Talk to you later.”

As he opened and closed the door, he heard her respond in kind. The walk through the halls was thankfully absent of anyone. Red didn’t really want to look at anyone after that humiliation.

Red shut the door with a sigh. This day could’ve gone so much better-

“What did Yang have to say?”

He nearly jumped out of his skin, whirling around. In the dim sunset light, he hadn’t seen Qi Xiaotian when he entered. His “husband” sat on a chair, dressed in a dark dressing gown, his amber eyes dimly glowing in the light. Then his question hit.

“Oh, uh, she was wondering if I was going crazy.” Kinda. Red stepped closer. “And told me to get a grip on myself.” That didn’t sound like a word the actual Yang would say, but he was tired. He sighed, starting to walk past. “I’m gonna go take a bath and-”

“What else?”

He paused. “What?”

Xiaotian stood. One shoulder of his dressing gown slid, exposing a beautiful shoulder, but he didn’t correct it. Instead, he walked over to a cabinet and opened it, revealing several bottles. A small glass was pulled down. “What else did you two talk about?” Xiaotian repeated, grabbing a clear bottle and pouring a glass of clear whatever.

This felt like a trap. “That’s it.” Red looked around. “Uh, that’s about it. That’s all. Why do you ask?”

Xiaotian threw back the glass. “You’ve been acting weird.”

“No, I haven’t-”

“See, that!” Suddenly there was a finger in his face. Red blinked, leaning back. Xiaotian didn’t seem to care, still glaring and with no explanation of how he crossed the room so fast. “You’re actually talking to me. Usually when you don’t want me to know something that I was asking, you would just walk past. I hate when you do that!” Ah…yeah. Right.

Red couldn’t do that now, however. “Well, um…” He looked around, hoping some excuse would pop up. Nothing came to mind. “Well, uh, you see…I was just talking to…”

“Is it that slut you keep fooling around with?!” At the words, Xiaotian clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide as if he didn’t believe what he just said. Red almost couldn’t believe it either. Both of them stared at each other, the cruel words settling between them. Xiaotian pulled his hand away. “I am…so sorry…” he said. “Despite my anger, she-”

He couldn’t do this.

Red launched forward, wrapping his arms around Xiaotian, pulling him close. His lips collided with the other man’s mouth and his entire body seemed to freeze.

His first kiss.

This…was his first kiss.

Even with all the daydreams of meeting and romancing Qi Xiaotian, never did Red actually think that his first kiss would be with him. His lips were cool, probably due to how hot his body had to run, and unmoving.

Right. He did just suddenly smooch him.

Red pulled back. Xiaotian blinked and it was unfair how pretty he was as dark lashes fanned over reddening cheeks. He swallowed back the urge to kiss him again and instead started with “I am…so sorry, I should have-” Hands rested on his shoulders. “...done something more appropriate…”

Xiaotian moved forward.

Those cool, soft lips pressed against his mouth.

Red jolted in surprise before giving into the urge to press into the kiss feeling his arms wrap around Xiaotian. It felt all too short before Xiaotian pulled away, blinking up at him.

He wasn’t sure if the world’s sparkliness was because of him or because this world was weird, but Xiaotian looked perfect. “This is the first time you’ve kissed me,” he sighed.

“...really?”

“Not since our wedding.” Xiaotian admitted, pushing forward and kissing him again. “Not since you’ve met Yang.” Another soft smack of lips pressed again against him before tears began to bead up in Xiaotian’s eyes. “Please don’t replace me with her.”

Red couldn’t help it. “I promise, I won’t,” He held Xiaotian close. Something niggled at his brain, something screaming about making fake promises, but he couldn’t remember what. “You’re the only one for me, Xiaotian.”

There was a little sigh and Xiaotian leaned back.

He looked like he didn’t believe him.

Still, his smile was warm as he led Red to the bed.

-_-

As he stared at the ceiling, feeling the warm and asleep Xiaotian at his side, Red could remember what was bugging him.

Sooner or later, he would leave and Demon King Red would be back. Xiaotian hadn’t had his realization about what a real bastard he was. He would do something and then suddenly Xiaotian would be dead.

Red tightened his grip on Xiaotian.

“Fuck.”

#my writing #au #LMK #LMK AU #Monkie Kid #Monkie Kid AU #LEGO Monkie Kid #LEGO Monkie Kid AU #Spicynoodles #Spicynoodleshipping #Red Son #Long Xiaojiao #Qi Xiaotian #fic #fanfic #fanfiction

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