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moonchildreads · 9 months

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small town

Chapter 22 - Let's Dance

IN THIS CHAPTER: Matching outfits, a parking lot talk, and Hellfire does Prom [10.5k]

WARNINGS: underaged drinking (no one gets drunk), mentions of teenage delinquency, Eddie being an unreliable source of info about Hawkins' recent oddities, shitty former friends and partner

A/N: so. this chapter was supposed to come out last week but i got food poisoning, which turned into me taking a day off work because i felt like shit and when i returned, it got insanely hectic to the point where i did three extra hours today. life is lifing, friends! in order to keep myself sane (i cried at work again today, it's not looking good folks) i'm gonna throw away the update schedule and post whenever i feel like it. i'm still gonna aim at one chapter per week though! i just won't make promises on dates anymore because nothing is working out irl at the moment. anyways, enjoy the chapter and i'll see you when i see you (soon, i promise)!

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Put on your red shoes And dance the blues

Friday, June 6th - 1986

On Thursday afternoon, Eddie Munson made the mistake of not telling Dottie Burke - his girlfriend that wasn’t actually his girlfriend because he hadn’t asked her out yet - why he couldn’t drive his friends to Donny’s family restaurant for dinner before prom. They’d been lounging on her bedroom’s window seat, radio playing at a low volume while they lazily kissed and cuddled, taking full advantage of the fact that her Dad hadn’t arrived from work yet when Eddie mentioned having to run an errand with Wayne on Friday after school. He said he was probably going to arrive late to the gathering, so they should make plans without him and he’d meet them at the restaurant whenever he was done. The metalhead noticed how Dottie freezed in his arms, lifting herself up from her comfortable position on his chest and put a little distance between them, but since she didn’t inquire further, he simply left a few hours later without ever explaining himself, leaving her to sink into a spiral of self-doubt and very familiar anxiety that left her equal parts jittery and exhausted.

That night after dinner, Dottie called her Auntie Rachel to ease the pang of rising panic, desperately seeking reassurance from the older woman who was always plenty eager to provide a pep talk to her favorite niece whenever she needed one. Everything will be fine, Rachel had said while nursing a glass of red wine all the way in her apartment in New York, her kids already tucked into bed and a newly acquired romance book waiting for her on her bedside table. Stop worrying about it, bug. Senior prom will be the best prom of your life. But as much as she tried to help, Auntie Rachel hadn’t been made aware yet of the change in her niece’s relationship with the older boy, so her advice rang hollow in Dottie’s ears, and the teen had ended up having a pitiful and unsatisfactory sleep before what was supposed to be the most exciting day of her senior year up until that moment.

Still, Eddie had behaved completely normal on Friday at school towards her and their friends, which had eased her nerves slightly. He didn’t make any comments about being anything less than happy to attend his first and hopefully last senior prom, and once he’d dropped Gareth off at his house, he’d lingered in Dottie’s driveway for ten long minutes. Eddie let himself enjoy the feeling of her mouth against his while a gentle drizzle hit his van windows before she finally headed into her house and he sped away towards his mysterious errand. Her best guess that the reason he had never really explained himself was because he was off to do something that was private to his uncle, and she hoped it wasn’t anything health related; Wayne wasn’t exactly old, but he also wasn’t young, and she didn’t like the idea of him having to go through any kind of medical emergency or invasive treatment. And so Friday evening found Dottie at her desk putting the finishing touches on her makeup look, and Eddie on the other side of Hawkins pleading to the stars above his head that his not-yet-girlfriend would understand his weird need for secrecy by the time the night had ended. Hopefully.

“How are you feeling, honey?” James asked, leaning against Dottie’s door frame as she took the last rollers out of her hair and sprayed her curls into place.

“Excited? Honestly a little bit terrified,” she confided in him. “I keep thinking that I’m gonna look around at some point and everyone will have gone home without me.”

“I really don’t think the guys would do that to you, but if they do or you want to leave at any point and for any reason, you can call me, okay? Don’t come home alone.”

“No, I know,” she smiled at him, but it looked more like a nervous grimace than anything else. “I promise I’ll call, I put coins in my purse just in case.”

“Great,” he came to stand behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders reassuringly. “But don’t go in there expecting the worst either. Everything’s gonna be great, honey, you’ll see. Just have a little faith.”

“I really hope you’re right this time, Dad.”

For the next few seconds, each of them were lost in their own painful memories from barely a year ago; James vividly remembered sitting down on their old couch with a can of beer in his hand and a rented movie in the VCR before a younger Dottie barrelled through their front door, shoes dangling from her fingers and black mascara streaking down her cheeks, running towards her bedroom where she locked herself into for 12 straight hours. In turn, all Dottie could think about was how she’d never gotten to see the inside of the gymnasium that was supposed to have been transformed into a fairy wonderland. Her Dad squeezed her shoulders with a comforting touch, dislodging the dark thoughts from her mind before dread overtook her and left her paralyzed once more. She picked up her Mom’s wedding earrings from her little jewelry box and quickly put them on, completing her outfit. Dainty gold pieces secured in place at her earlobes, she rose from her chair and twirled once to show off her full look, fluffy dress glinting as she moved.

During their weekend visit to Hawkins, Aunt Mary Elizabeth had put her sewing skills to good use and shortened the floor-length gown until it reached Dottie’s calves, the golden metallic heels they’d gotten at that heaven-sent Indy thrift store perfectly on display on her feet. She felt like a movie star, ready to walk down the red carpet with a handsome date and be adored by her fans, camera flashes blinding her as she glided effortlessly through a crowded room like she’d always belonged there. Except there were no fans, no paparazzi, and no handsome date either, just her Dad helping her into the front seat of their car so they could pick up the first of her friends for what was surely going to be a night to remember.

Their first stop of the night was at Gareth’s house. James hadn’t even put the car into park before the poor boy was jogging down his front lawn, trying to escape his mother who had been obsessively taking pictures of him in his rented black tux and bright red bowtie in various places around their home. Much to Gareth’s dismay, James insisted on saying hello to his parents before they left, so while he chatted amicably with dad Gavriel, Lydia made her son and his best friend pose in front of her bushes as a backdrop to fulfill the role of nosy journalist in Dottie’s movie star dreams. As much as they complained, the two teens hugged each other and smiled for photos until their eyes were wet from the flash going off and it was finally time to wrap up the shoot and head to their next stop.

The scenario repeated itself at Jeff’s house. His mom, Tricia, prompted Dottie to stand between him and Gareth in the middle of the living room, her son’s white suit jacket with black lapels contrasting nicely with his friend’s black jacket and white button up. As the two boys crowded their friend and planted big wet kisses on both of her rosy colored cheeks while the flashes kept going off, their vision for the night started to become clear: Dottie’s red dress, Gareth’s red bowtie and Jeff’s red Chuck Taylors and cummerbund were difficult to not notice, their club colors proudly and prominently on display leaving no doubts as to whom they belonged with. There might not have been a fancy date à la Rob Lowe or Ally Sheedy to walk hand in hand with into the packed Hawkins High gym, but the Hellfire Class of ‘86 didn’t need any of that to face their prom night - they just needed each other. Tricia promised James she’d get copies of all the photos printed for him and so the teens packed once again into the car and drove away to their final destination.

Donny’s family restaurant wasn’t as fancy as Enzo’s, but in their opinion, it was definitely way more charming. With its big sign spelling Giulia’s in cursive and a homely feel that could be experienced since before they had even walked in, big flower boxes decorated the outside and stereotypical checkered tablecloths were visible from the huge front windows. Donny had been waiting for them at one of the booths near the counter, flowers on every table and tea candles setting the mood for all the couples and groups of friends stopping by to have some authentic Italian pizza or pasta before dancing the night away in their heavily decorated school gymnasium.

“Hey, Don! Looking sharp!” James exclaimed from the driver seat when he pulled up to the restaurant as Donny rushed to keep the front door open for his friends.

“Thanks, Mr. Burke!” he beamed, blue eyes twinkling under the streetlights. “You wanna stay over for pizza?”

“No, thank you, you kids have fun, okay?” he turned to his daughter who lingered in the co-pilot seat. “Take care, honey. I love you.”

“Thanks, Dad. I love you too,” Dottie said, giving him a big hug.

James was so thankful she’d never gone through an I’m ashamed of showing my parent affection in public phase. He watched how Jeff hurried to catch the door when Donny left his post to greet Dottie, spinning her around once and making her laugh, her anxiety visibly melting as the boys made her feel more cared for and loved than she’d ever thought a friend could make her feel in her life. They all waved James goodbye as he drove away, his eyes glossy at the knowledge that his baby was rapidly growing and would inevitably stop needing him, but also incredibly proud of not only her but Donny, Jeff, and Gareth for being such good people to one another. It almost made him wish they’d moved back to his hometown earlier if it meant he’d see his daughter smile as bright as she did every day now.

“Hey, welcome!” Donny’s dad Angelo shouted from the door to the kitchen, his white apron stained with red sauce and his balding head covered with a stripy black and white bandana. “Thought you had gotten lost on your way over! Everyone likes margherita, right?”

“That the one with anchovies we had last time?” Gareth asked as they seated themselves into the booth, ignoring the looks they were getting from the other guests as they talked loudly over their heads.

“That’s the romana,” Donny said, going through the big beverage fridge at the back of the counter where his older sister Isabella was fiddling with the register. “Margherita is sauce, cheese and basil.”

“Oooooh, I love basil,” Dottie said, caging Jeff between herself and Gareth.

“We’re good with margherita, papà!” Donny placed glass soda bottles for everyone on the table and plopped himself down besides Dottie. “You look really pretty, by the way.”

“Thank you! You clean up nice too,” she smiled at him, and he chuckled shyly, not used to all the attention.

“Angelo, why didn’t you say the kids were here already?” Bianca, Donny’s mom, said coming out from the kitchen carrying pasta dishes for another table.

“They just arrived, cuore mio,” Angelo said, kissing the side of her head as he walked past him before he returned to the kitchen and busied himself with more cooking.

“Let me see you, boys, you’re looking handsome!” Bianca beamed at Gareth and Jeff, the two rowdy teens she’d known since before they could tie their own shoes. “And this is Dorothy, right?”

“Just Dottie is fine, mamma,” Donny corrected his Mom.

“Isn’t she a doll! Donatello said you’re interested in joining us for the summer, is that right?”

“Yes, ma’am, I’d love to work for you,” Dottie said, ignoring how her friends were snickering at the mention of Donny’s full first name.

“Do you have any experience?”

“Not as a waitress, but I was a babysitter back in New York since I was 13. I took a Red Cross course and everything. And I have CPR and First Aid certification if that helps.”

“We’ll talk more after graduation, but job’s yours if you want it,” Bianca said with a kind smile before hurrying over to attend to a customer.

“That was the quickest job interview I’ve ever seen in my life,” Jeff laughed.

“If we’re all gonna have money in our pockets, summer’s gonna be fucking awesome,” said Gareth, and everyone couldn’t help but agree with him.

By the time only pizza crust and empty cups of tiramisù remained on the table, everyone was feeling ready for some good old teenage fun on a sweaty dance floor. At some point during the dinner, Donny’s older sister Isabella had brought out a camera and taken a couple of snapshots of the group, wanting to preserve the memory of her little brother going to his first ever high school dance. Donny was acting like a peacock in his maroon suit with a matching black button up and tie; he’d even gelled his curls back, his stud earring glinting in the candlelight whenever he turned his head. As their classmates started leaving but their group remained behind, Dottie began to worry once again. Where in the world was Eddie, and why hadn’t he shown up yet? When she excused herself to the bathroom to reapply her bright red lipstick in an attempt to hide her nervous breathing, the boys huddled up in the booth, voices dropping to a low mumble, heads close together above the table.

“Where the fuck is he?” Gareth hissed.

“He said he was gonna be late, but this is too much,” Jeff said.

“You think he chickened out?”

“No way,” Donny said, confidently. “He was really excited about the surprise, he wouldn’t flake on us like that.”

“Well, he better show up or I’m beating his ass,” Gareth said. “Dot doesn’t deserve to go through another sucky prom.”

“Fuck, I didn’t even think about her,” Jeff’s eyes went wide. “She’s gonna be devastated if he doesn’t come.”

“He’ll come,” Donny nodded. “He’s not gonna stand her up. Like, if anyone knows how much this means to her, it’s probably Ed. They tell each other everything.”

“Okay, I’m ready to roll,” Dottie said, making their heads snap up at her voice. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah! You wanna get going now or do we wait for a bit longer?” Gareth asked.

“I… I dunno, guys. I don’t think Eddie’s coming,” she said, resigned. Jeff and Donny looked at each other.

“I’m gonna call him,” Donny decided. “You guys wait here.”

He shouldn’t have called, because when he returned to the table and said no one had picked up, the way Dottie’s face fell was enough to make them all feel incredibly guilty about something that wasn’t even their fault. They watched her school her features, masking the disappointment behind a friendly smile while she gathered her purse and slid out of the booth like nothing was bothering her. They said their goodbyes to the Vitale family, nonna Giulia coming out from the back to see her only grandson off (and pinch all their cheeks), and finally headed towards Donny’s car with a false sense of cheeriness but the best intentions at heart. The boys weren’t gonna let anything ruin the night for their friend, insisting on opening doors for Dottie and taking turns to offer her their arms to hold onto. Donny was unlocking his car’s doors when a very familiar brown van pulled up behind him, Eddie spilling out hurriedly without turning it off first.

“Jesus Christ, fuck, I’m so sorry,” he breathed out, jogging to catch up with his friends.

“You jackass, where the hell were you?” Jeff scolded him, but his words lost all edge when he pulled the long haired boy into a side hug.

“I’ll tell you later, but fuck man, I really thought I wasn’t gonna make it,” Eddie laughed, turning to hug Gareth.

“Is Wayne okay?” Dottie asked.

“Yeah, he’s fine, don’t worry about him,” he turned around and felt his soul leave his body when his eyes rested upon her. “I, uh- wow.”

“What’s wrong?” she said, looking down at her dress with a frown.

“Nothing! You- you look really nice,” he couldn’t hide his smile even if he tried, and he didn’t want to.

“Oh. Thank you, you look nice too,” she smiled back.

“Let’s take a picture before we leave now that we’re all here,” Donny said, waving through the window at Isabella, who immediately understood the assignment.

“We should take the camera with us,” Gareth proposed, and Jeff nodded in agreement.

Isabella had a few stern words towards Eddie for being late, but when she made them pose on the street, the light spilling out from the inside of the restaurant illuminating their happy faces, she couldn’t stop a fond expression from gracing her features. Donny hadn’t had an easy time throughout his school years, but it was this group of kids in front of her that had made everything better for him. She remembered the summer barbeques in the backyard with a younger Jeff, that one time Gareth lost a tooth munching too harshly on a cannoli, and that first day Donny brought Eddie over. She had asked her boyfriend (now husband) to help her keep an eye on the older boy throughout his visit, worried about what a junior could possibly want with her little brother. They’d talked about Lord of the Rings and played checkers for hours, and she’d heard Eddie warning a freshman Donny about certain teachers and how to avoid getting on their bad side, which softened her attitude towards the lanky teen considerably.

Truthfully, Isabella wasn’t one to judge quickly, but she had been worried about Dottie when Donny first began dropping her name in conversations at family gatherings. Girls had never been particularly nice to her brother while growing up, and as the eldest Vitale sister, she could be a little overprotective when it came to her siblings, especially towards her only brother. But here Dottie was, huddled up between Gareth and Donny, head resting lightly on her brother’s shoulder to be captured in a picture forever and looking happy about it, and Isabella knew this new addition to the group had been good for everyone. They were all wearing matching formal outfits, for Christ’s sake! After Isabella returned inside and everyone started heading towards Donny’s car again, Eddie grabbed Dottie’s wrist and stopped her from following their friends.

“Hey,” he said, tilting his head to the side. “Ride with me?”

“I, uh…,” she turned to look at the rest of the guys who were waiting for her a few steps ahead.

“I kinda wanted to talk to you about something important.”

“O-okay,” she said, heart sinking into her stomach. “I’m gonna ride with Eddie, guys.”

“Everything okay?” Jeff asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I’ll tell you later,” Eddie said. “Meet us in the parking lot?”

He guided Dottie towards his van with a hand on the small of her back, holding her little gold purse for her as she climbed inside and clicked her seatbelt on, their friends slowly driving away without waiting for them to catch up. Once she was seated and her skirt was out of danger from getting caught in the door, Eddie closed it, jogged to the driver’s side and jumped inside, turning on the van and heading towards Hawkins High School. They stayed quiet for a whole block and when Dottie moved to turn on the radio to fill the awkward silence, he caught her hand in the air and brought it to his lips for a quick peck, the loving gesture helping her relax into her seat.

“I’m sorry I was late,” he said. “I had to do something important and it took me longer than I thought it would.”

His hair was still a little bit damp from his hurried shower, and he was wearing a black button up shirt with the sleeves barely rolled up, his good black jeans without holes in them with the chains on the side, and black boots. Chrissy’s birthday gift was the only pop of color in his all black ensemble, the red tie carefully ironed and knotted at the base of his throat.

“You look really handsome,” Dottie muttered with an airy tone, interlacing their fingers.

“And you look stunning,” he smiled softly, glancing at her before he turned his eyes back to the road. “Kinda took my breath away when I saw you.”

“Was worried you weren’t gonna show up,” she admitted.

“And leave my girl hanging? I’d never,” Eddie said, his thumb rubbing the back of her hand. My girl. She could get used to that. “I should have just told you what I was up to, but I didn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

“Surprise?”

“Check the glove box,” he said, pointing to it with his chin.

Dottie retrieved her hand from his grasp and opened it as instructed, pulling out two envelopes from the inside: one was white and looked like it contained a letter or a folded piece of paper, the other one was big and brown. She looked at him warily with a million questions in her eyes; he grinned mischievously in return.

“Open the small one first,” Eddie said.

Curiously, she opened the white letter and unfolded the single sheet of paper, finding in her hands a copy of Eddie’s school transcript. At the bottom, written in what she recognized as Ms. Kelly’s handwriting after seeing it for almost six months straight during their check-ins, were Eddie’s final grades for his third senior year. Not quite believing what she was seeing, she read them again and again, the information in front of her eyes staring back at her impassively.

“Stop the van,” she said, her gaze still stuck to the paper.

“What?”

“Fucking pull over, Ed!” she clicked her seatbelt off and threw the papers towards the dashboard, barely waiting until he’d hit the brakes before throwing herself onto him and planting a kiss on his lips.

“Wait, wait-” he laughed loudly, pulling her out of her seat and into his lap, her poofy dress covering his legs.

“I’m so- fucking- proud of you-” Dottie said, kissing him over and over, not caring if her lipstick was transferring onto his skin.

“Yeah? You are?” Eddie asked, giddy. “I had a meeting with Ms. Kelly today,” he began explaining, and she stopped kissing him to hear his story, her hands dropping to his shoulders where she played with his hair as he melted under her touch. “Dropped you off and booked it back to school. Last two times she called me to her office a week before graduation, she told me I wasn’t making it so I kinda shit my pants there for a minute but I knew I did good this time, I could feel it.”

“You did, babe, you did so good,” she grinned at him with hearts in her eyes.

“We did it,” he pressed a noisy kiss to her cheek, making her giggle. “We’re graduating together.”

“Hell yeah we are!” she moved to kiss him again but he dodged her, leaning to the side to get the other envelope from his dashboard.

“Hold on, that was only half of the surprise,” Eddie said, offering the papers back to her. “Open this one next.”

“Is this gonna say you got a full ride to come to Michigan with me or what?” she joked, pulling out the documents. “Oh, a job application! You mentioned this the other day-”

“Turn to the second page.”

“Holy shit! You got it?”

“I got it!”

In her hands, was a copy of his filled out job application and an informal looking contract, but a contract nonetheless. It was missing Eddie’s signature at the bottom, but that was merely a formality: she was looking at Thatcher Tires’ newest employee, with his starting date stamped as Monday, June 16th, the day after graduation weekend. It was only a part-time apprentice position, but it came with the promise of being promoted to assistant and eventually to full-time if he did well, and it was so much more than anyone else had been willing to give to Eddie before. Dottie looked at him with wet eyes and so much love inside her she didn’t know what to do except scoop him into her arms and squeeze him tightly against her chest like she never wanted to let go, lest he thought she wasn’t as equally over the moon about the news as he was.

“I’m just… fuck, Ed, this is huge,” she pressed her nose to his neck and he wrapped his arms around her, breathing in deeply.

“I know. It feels huge,” he chuckled. “Never thought I’d graduate and get a real job, y’know. Wayne cried when I told him.”

“That’s so sweet.”

“Yeah,” he sniffed. “I decided I’m not gonna deal anymore either. I’m just selling what I have left now and then I’m done with that shit. Forever. I… I wanna be good for you, darling. I wanna be the kinda man you deserve.”

“Ed, you don’t have to change who you are for me,” she lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him, her hands coming to hold the sides of his face tenderly. “I fell in love with you like this, I’m not gonna change my mind all of a sudden. I’m so sorry if I made you feel like you had to be anything different than who you are, I-”

“No, no, that’s not it,” he said quickly, hands settling on her waist. “I’m just… You deserve a good man, Dot, and I wanna be that. I wanna be a good man. I- I just didn’t think I could be good before, y’know? Everyone’s always talking about how I’m so fuckin’ stupid, and how I’d never do shit with my life, and I guess at some point I started believing they were right, and- I dunno. I don’t wanna be useless and I don’t wanna end up in jail with my asshole Dad like everyone in this shit town thinks I will. And- and when I met you and you were all like you’re really smart, Eddie, you’re just lazy, you were right, darling, you were so fuckin’ right. You always are,” he was looking at her with so much intensity she had to close her eyes and lean forward, their foreheads resting against each other’s. “I wanna look at myself in a mirror and see what you see. I wanna be good.”

“You are,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to his nose. “You are so good, Eddie. You are the best thing in this whole town and I love you so much.”

“Say that again, please.”

“I love you.”

“One more time?”

“I love you, Edward Munson,” Dottie kissed him sweetly. “I love you.”

“Shit,” he grinned. “You really love me.”

“Of course I do.”

“I love you too, baby. So, so much.”

They stayed like that for a few seconds, Dottie sitting on his lap, her thighs bracketing his, his thumbs rubbing circles on her sides and her hands cupping the sides of his jaw, noses pressed together. They didn’t kiss, because it didn’t seem enough to express what they were feeling right at that moment. It almost felt childish to do so, like kissing was something they usually did for fun and the real intimacy came from just existing in the same space, breathing the same air, feeling each other’s warmth under their hands and just how alive the other felt when skin was pressed against skin. A truck full of rowdy classmates that were clearly somewhat inebriated sped down the street, the loud music coming from their speakers breaking their fairytale bubble and bringing them back to real life. With a shy smile, Dottie collected all the documents strewn around them before moving back to her seat and clicking her seatbelt back on while Eddie tried to wipe her lipstick from his face with a tissue he’d stolen from her purse and water from an old plastic bottle. Once she’d reapplied her makeup and he was sufficiently clean so as not to raise suspicions, Eddie pulled back into the road towards the school, holding Dottie’s hand in his for just a few more minutes.

“You know what I realized the other day?” he said, stopping at a red light. “I didn’t used to be scared of jail when Chief Hopper was still around.”

“Really? Why not?”

“Because Hopper didn’t give two shits about me selling. He busted me a couple of times, gave me a talking to and dropped me off back home. I think he knew I was just doing it ‘cause we needed the money, I wasn’t gonna become a career criminal or some shit like that. He was cool.”

“And the new chief isn’t?”

“Powell’s useless,” Eddie scoffed. “He’s still trying to convince everyone he has what it takes to be like Hopper and no one believes he’s got it. And Callahan is a fucking moron. You know those handcuffs I’ve got in my bedroom?”

“I’m guessing you didn’t get those in a magician’s kit,” Dottie joked.

“They’re Callahan’s,” he grinned. “He caught me buying when I was like 15, put the cuffs on me and everything. Took me to the station and when Hopper saw me at his desk, he turned around and called him a drama queen, told him he was “wasting police resources” over nothing. It was awesome. I swiped the cuffs before Hopper took me home. Wayne wasn’t too happy about it though, he grounded me for like a month but I thought it was worth it.”

“So you stole a police officer’s cuffs? And just… hung them in your bedroom like they were a dreamcatcher?”

“Yeah, pretty much. At first I kept them ‘cause I thought they made me look badass,” he turned into another street, their final stop looming closer and closer. “Now I look at them and kinda get chills. I think Wayne would die if he saw me in those but for real this time. Like, I think he’d actually have a heart attack or something. Can’t do that to my old man, he doesn’t deserve that.”

“And Hopper didn’t know you took them?”

“He absolutely did, he just didn’t care,” Eddie laughed. “As far as cops go, Hopper was pretty cool. He actually gave a shit about us when it really mattered. I mean, yeah, he could still be an asshole when he wanted to, all cops are, but he was pretty chill most of the time. Kept to himself a lot. It kinda pissed me off how everyone started pretending like he was their best friend after he died.”

“Nancy told me he saved people in the Starcourt Mall fire.”

“Yeah. A true American hero: Vietnam war vet, died heroically saving children from a fire during the Fourth of July… doesn’t get more patriotic than that.”

“You said Dustin and Mike were there, right?”

“Yeah. And Erica.”

“What?”

“They were all in the cinema, I think. Dunno much about it, the kids never talk about what happened. Just know they were there ‘cause they mentioned it on the news. Nancy was there too, she didn’t tell you?”

“Oh,” Dottie said, like something had clicked in her head. “Well, that makes more sense now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I thought it was weird that Nancy’s boyfriend’s mom just, like, adopted the Chief’s daughter after he passed away, but it makes sense. They must have been friends.”

“What are you talking about?” It was Eddie’s turn to be surprised.

“Nancy’s dating a guy named Jonathan-”

“Yes, Jonathan Byers. I know him. Fellow weirdo,” he raised an eyebrow pointedly.

“Well, his mom adopted Hopper’s daughter before they moved to California last year. She’s dating Mike, he told us about her, remember?” Dottie explained. “So she must have been in there with Mike and their friends if Nancy and Jonathan were there too.”

“Hopper didn’t have a daughter. I mean, he did have one but she died when she was a kid,” Eddie said.

“Nancy said he didn’t know he had a daughter until recently, maybe her Mom passed away or something and she left her with him. She was here all summer with Mike and Dustin, she’s really pretty!”

“Yeah? How do you know?”

“They showed me a picture! She’s taller than I expected, has brown hair, brown eyes. Looks a little bit like an elf actually, she has, like, sharp cheekbones?” Dottie pointed to her own round cheeks that looked nothing like the girl’s face on a Polaroid currently stuck to the inside of Dustin’s locker.

“Well, damn,” he chuckled. “Look at Wheeler go, totally thought he was lying about that one. Hey, uh, did Nancy tell you anything about the Byers?”

“About Jonathan, mostly. I know he has a brother that’s friends with Mike and Dustin too.”

“Will.”

“I think so, can’t remember his name. I know Mike’s girlfriend is named Jane though.”

“So she didn’t tell you about all the weird shit that happened a few years ago, huh?” Eddie eyed her curiously as he pulled into the school’s street, the building waiting for them just a few blocks further.

“Define weird shit for me, please.”

“This town is fucking cursed, babe. That Will kid went missing in the woods and then the feds found a random body in the quarry and thought it was him. Everyone thought Mrs. Byers was insane because she kept saying that the body wasn’t Will, but she was right - Hopper found him alive a few days later. It was a huge mess, like, they had held a funeral and everything and now the kid is back like nothing happened?” Eddie shook his head in disbelief. “I thought maybe Nancy would have told you because around that same time, everyone thought this girl named Barb that was best friends with her had run away but actually she died from getting exposed to some weird chemicals from that lab in the middle of the woods where Will went missing and there was a whole conspiracy to cover it up. And also y’know, the fire thing last year.”

“Those are like a lot of strange as fuck things to have happened in such a short span of time,” Dottie frowned.

“I know, right? And Mike and Dustin are always in the middle of it somehow. Must suck.”

“Poor kids,” she said, sadly. “It’s probably hard for them to deal with all that and have to pretend everything’s normal.”

“People get crazy good at hiding things they’ve been through, especially when they were fucked up,” he shrugged.

Eddie finally pulled into the school’s parking lot, quickly locating Donny’s car and their friends standing around waiting for them. He honked the horn twice to call their attention and they waved at him to hurry up. Dottie looked at the boys through the windshield and thought about what Eddie had just said. He was right and she knew this because she’d gotten pretty good at pretending things were okay when they weren’t, not looking for pity or compassion because she’d simply assumed others would judge her for it. Being around Eddie had helped her open up, but there were some secrets that were buried too deep to unearth so casually, particularly when they filled her with shame. But maybe it was about time she stopped doing that. Maybe she owed it not only to her friends, but to herself, to stop feeling sorry for something that had been out of her control and such a special night seemed like the perfect moment to tell them the things that had been eating her from the inside out for a year now. But for now, Eddie was offering her his hand to help her get out of his van, and her friends were grinning at her like the cat that got the cream, so the truth would have to wait until later. There was a prom to attend first, and she was determined to enjoy this one to the fullest.

Gareth Coleman had never been known to be particularly patient about anything throughout his goddamn life. He was always eager to spill the beans, and he always wanted to spill them now, so the fact that he’d managed to keep this specific secret for almost a week had been impressive. Him, Jeff, and Donny had discussed Eddie’s weird behavior while on their way to the school, and they were all equally curious as to what was taking him and Dottie so long to arrive. Donny had already smoked a cig and Jeff had checked the bag in the backseat thrice by the time those two finally rejoined the group, looking a little bit suspicious and plenty cozy with one another. The boys didn’t have too much time to ponder on why though, because immediately upon arrival Eddie revealed that the reason he’d been late for dinner and why he’d stolen Dottie away for a private chat, was that he’d seen Ms. Kelly after school and had gotten confirmation that he’d finally be graduating high school with his friends. Hellfire Class of ‘86, baby, he’d said, pulling his friends into a huddle as they cheered and hollered at what was probably the most anticipated piece of news they’d gotten in a long time. However, Gareth was still impatient as ever, so he quickly peeled away from the group hug and dove into Donny’s car to retrieve their final surprise of the night and keep emotions running high.

“Since we’re all here and in a good fuckin’ mood,” he began saying, making everyone turn to him. “We have something for you, Dot.”

“For me? What did I do?”

“Well, it wouldn’t really be prom if you didn’t have one of these, so… here you go,” he pulled a white box from inside the bag and extended it to her; she accepted it curiously before peering inside.

“Wow, this is…,” she said, taken aback. “You guys! You didn’t have to buy anything for me!”

“Yes, we did,” Jeff said, moving forward to help her get her surprise out of the box.

In his hands, he held a very special corsage they’d all pitched in to buy for her since she didn’t have a formal date to the event to get it for her. The flowers were bright red, with the ribbon in black and gold; he slid it over her fingers until it sat prettily on her left wrist, her eyes filling with heartfelt tears at their thoughtful gesture. She didn’t have time to thank them, however, because soon enough Gareth was pulling smaller boxes from the bag and giving one to each of his friends.

“Could you help us with these?” Donny smiled, opening his box for her to see what he was holding.

Each of them had gotten themselves a boutonniere, two different styles but all in matching colors. Jeff and Eddie had chosen red flowers with black and gold ribbon much like her corsage, but Gareth and Donny had white flowers with red and gold ribbon. Between wet laughs, she pinned all decorations to their chests, wondering how she’d gotten so lucky to have these four men in her life who were all so eager to make every moment count when it mattered the most. Dottie tucked herself between Eddie and Jeff, and Donny turned his sister’s borrowed camera towards the group, blindly taking a picture and hoping he hadn’t accidentally cut any heads out of it. After checking on each other for the final time, the five teens turned towards the gymnasium doors and headed inside to get the party started.

The Hellfire Class of ‘86’s big entrance had been something to behold. No one had really been expecting the freaks to show up, much less dressed to the nines and arm in arm with that one girl that had moved to Hawkins a few months ago right in the middle of the school year, but there they were, and they demanded to be seen. Their matching outfits made them stand out in a sea of bold colors, pastels, and satin fabrics, but the fact that they moved like a cohesive unit anywhere they went was weirdly fascinating. First, they headed to get their picture taken and the photographer had been happy to capture what looked to be a healthy group of friends instead of awkward looking couples that would probably not make it anywhere further than a few months beyond graduation. Then, they lingered at a corner of the refreshments table when Chrissy Cunningham excitedly greeted them and chatted with them for a few long minutes, gushing over Dottie’s vintage dress who in turn couldn’t stop telling the blonde how beautiful she looked in her baby pink gown.

It was silly, really, how the most non-conformist friend group in Hawkins High had found some sort of genuine amusement in participating in what was probably the most stereotypical event in the life of any high school student, but they’d long ago stopped trying to explain themselves to others. Prom to them was a celebration of their friendship, a culmination of four shitty years (or six, in Eddie’s case), and the hope of a better future that felt as equally glorious as every moment spent together. They sipped on cheap vodka from a hip flask Gareth had smuggled in, they pestered the DJ to play Black Sabbath, Metallica, or even some Mötley Crüe to no avail, and they danced in a circle until their feet hurt. Dottie excused herself for a bit to dance with Chrissy to a Queen song, and then she’d stolen Nancy away from her friends for a few minutes, but she stayed pretty close to her boys all night, and in turn, they never left her alone. She’d been twirling around the dance floor with Jeff while Gareth escaped to the bathroom for a couple of minutes when Donny came to stand next to Eddie, who was watching her from the side with the most lovesick expression on his face known to man.

“Might wanna be less obvious with the staring there,” Donny nudged him goodnaturedly. “People are gonna notice you’re drooling.”

“Don’t really care if anyone sees me,” Eddie admitted. “Now that we’re all getting out of here I’m gonna ask her to be my girlfriend, so I don’t give a shit about what this lame ass school thinks about me anymore.”

“Damn, good luck, man,” he looked at him, impressed. “I mean, she’s totally gonna say yes but still, good luck.”

“Thanks, Don. You’re a good friend, you know that, right?”

“Been told once or twice but it’s always good to hear.”

“I should tell you more often,” Eddie smiled. “We’re all best friends, but… I dunno. I feel like you always got me the most.”

“Always thought you got me the most, actually,” Donny said, smiling back at him.

“Hey, Eddie!” Chrissy called, hurrying towards him all giggly and secretive. “We're up next!”

“Shit, already?”

“What’s going on?” Donny asked, looking at the blonde.

“I'm his Best Man," she said, like that explained everything before grabbing Eddie's hand and pulling him towards the dance floor.

Without having to squint too much, the gymnasium didn't look like the sweaty room the majority of the school's populace hated with a passion anymore. Chrissy and her fellow Prom Committee members had worked really hard to turn it into a different place, from the red carpet and fairy lights at the entrance to the golden streamers obscuring the bleachers to the sides, all the way to the myriad of rented mirror balls hanging from the ceiling; everything came together to create a portal to a world where Hawkins’ senior class could pretend like they were movie stars for a night. The theme was perfectly captured in the décor, and Eddie found it very fitting that the Hellfire Club's colors matched it so well - it made everything that much more special and movielike than they had intended when they agreed to display their club’s allegiance so blatantly.

Chrissy maneuvered them past several people towards where Jeff and Dottie danced to Falco’s Rock Me Amadeus, immediately joining in and not caring that classmates around them were looking at her like she'd grown two heads. She had worked her ass off so everyone could have a wonderful night and if she wanted to dance with the freaks, she felt like had rightfully earned her prize. After all, Eddie had said she was a freak too once and she took it to heart, considering it might as well have been the biggest compliment she had ever received in her 18 years on planet Earth. Jeff was still wary of Chrissy, not having had a full conversation with her in all four years of high school but he knew Eddie thought of her as a friend, and Dottie seemed to like her as well so he followed their lead and danced along with her, making both girls spin at the same time in tune with the song.

"Are you having fun?" Chrissy asked Dottie, holding onto her hands.

"So much fun! I voted for you, by the way."

"You did?! Oh my god, thank you!" the blonde beamed at her. "I'm so nervous, I hope I get it!"

"Are you kidding me? We all voted for you, you're totally gonna win," Dottie said with honesty, because there was no other way the night could end without Chrissy Cunningham winning Prom Queen.

"Don't jinx it!" she laughed, as the final notes of Rock Me Amadeus played out.

"Alright, alright, Hawkins High! Is everyone having fun?" the DJ asked over the music; everyone cheered in response. "Let's slow it down a little bit, shall we? This one's for the lovers in the room, but remember to leave space for Jesus in the middle, okay? Don’t want any teachers getting upset."

Dottie laughed at the DJ’s silly joke while the next song began, head whipping around to find Eddie who was already turned towards her and, dare she say, looking mighty sheepish. Oh, darling, please believe me, crooned Paul McCartney as the dancefloor became a little bit less crowded and couples began partnering up to share a sweet moment with one another. Eddie offered his hand to her and Dottie looked at their friends before taking it, but there was no need - Chrissy was fulfilling her Best Man duty to perfection, already swaying away from them with her hands on Jeff's shoulders. He looked mighty confused as to why a pretty cheerleader was slow dancing with him instead of going to find her jock boyfriend, but he was enjoying the small talk about what colleges they'd attend after graduation and Chrissy seemed to be having fun too so beggars couldn't really be choosers. Dottie let herself be pulled closer to Eddie and he held her in a way that didn't look entirely platonic, but they both silently agreed that they’d deal with whatever teasing they could get in the future. Right now, being in her not-yet-boyfriend’s arms while The Beatles played in the background was probably one of the happiest moments of Dottie’s life and she was going to enjoy it as much as she could without overthinking it.

"Got any other surprises up your sleeve I should prepare myself for?" Dottie asked, eyes shining under the disco balls.

"This was the last one for tonight, I promise," he said, fighting the urge to cradle her head into his chest; Mrs. O'Donnell was standing to a side looking for students who didn't leave space for Jesus and he didn’t want to risk it. "How are you feeling, princess?"

"Like this is the best prom I could have asked for."

"Yeah? Is it how you dreamed it would be?"

"It’s so much better. I'm lucky enough to be dancing with the prettiest boy in the room, what more could I ask for?" she smiled.

"Don't know, I'm dancing with the most beautiful girl in the room so I'm feeling pretty lucky too," he smiled back at her, his dimples on display.

“God we’re corny. How did you get the DJ to play our song?”

“I thought our song was Hot Patootie.”

“We have multiple. Answer the question, Munson, Donny and I asked him to play some Bruce Springsteen earlier and he said no.”

“I have friends in high places,” Eddie said cryptically, but undermined the mystery by looking at Chrissy who was laughing at something Jeff had said.

“You totally told her about us, didn’t you?” Dottie asked, but her grin told him she wasn’t mad about it.

“She’s gonna be my Best Man, I had to,” he shrugged, making her snort and shake her head.

“Already thinking about the wedding and he hasn’t even asked me out yet. You’re getting awfully cocky,” she raised an eyebrow, and he had the decency to look shy about it.

“I’m working on it, darling. Just give me time to make it special.”

Eddie pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear as they danced, not realizing that both Donny and Gareth were watching the pair like hawks, smirking at how obvious their affection was in a sea of couples that ranged from uncomfortable to loving. They, however, looked downright sickening, like they had been plucked from a cheesy coming of age movie where the two leads finally came to terms with the fact that all they’d ever wanted had been right in front of them all along.

“He’s totally head over heels for her, isn’t he,” Gareth said, crossing his arms across his chest.

“Absolutely,” Donny said, taking a sip of his spiked fruit punch. “But she’s not far behind either.”

“Yeah,” the wild curly haired boy turned to look at his friend. “Wanna bet on how long it’ll take for them to get together?”

“I say twenty for graduation day.”

Nearing the end of prom night, their feet hurt from standing for so long and they were all starving for some salty junk food. Chrissy had, of course, ended up winning Prom Queen; Hellfire had cheered for her extra loud which hadn’t made the basketball team very happy but they couldn’t retaliate when there were so many teachers around. Besides, Andy’s eye was still very much purple and no one wanted to be sporting a face injury in their graduation photos. Jason Carver had won Prom King too, but much to his dismay, rumor had it that he’d barely beaten the football team’s captain for the title. Nonetheless, the newly crowned couple was dancing in the middle of the gym surrounded by other partnered up classmates when Eddie proposed what was probably the best plan of the night: leaving early and going to get fries and milkshakes at a cheap diner.

Dottie went in the car with Donny and Gareth this time, trying to avoid alerting their friends to her and Eddie’s blossoming relationship anymore than they’d already had, and the teens spent the entire ride gossiping about things they’d noticed had happened during the event, like how this girl from the swimming team had very publicly broken up with her boyfriend in front of everyone or how their History teacher had been dancing with the pretty Science teacher every freshman (namely, Dustin Henderson) had a crush on. When they arrived at the diner, Eddie opened the doors of his van and they sat in the parking lot to eat their fries and share various flavors of milkshakes, debating on which one was better. The boys were rowdy as they always were, Gareth fighting hard for peanut butter versus Jeff’s chocolate and Donny’s orange creamsicle, when Eddie went to grab more fries from the basket he was sharing with Dottie and noticed she was staring at her corsage, a blank expression on her face.

“Hey,” he said softly, trying not to startle her by rubbing the back of her hand with his pinky finger. “You okay? Wanna go home?”

“No, I’m okay. Just thinking.”

“Wanna tell me? I’m a good listener.”

“I know you are,” Dottie afforded him half a smile. “I… there was something I wanted to tell you but don’t wanna bring the mood down.”

“Uh-oh,” he pouted dramatically. “Am I in trouble already?”

“Shut up,” she shoved him lightly. “No, it’s just… it’s about New York and- I don’t know, we’re having such a fun time. Feels like I’m gonna fuck it up. It’s fine, I can tell you guys some other time.”

“Tell us what?” Jeff asked, making her notice that all the boys were quietly looking at her.

“You don’t have to tell us anything if you don’t want to,” Gareth hurried to say. “-but we’re always down to hear you if you wanna, like, get something off your chest or whatever.”

“Yeah! You’re not fucking anything up, we’re just talking,” Donny said.

Dottie looked around at her friends who were waiting to follow her lead whatever that may be and knew that if she was ever going to say anything, then this was it. This was the moment where she let them all in, where she let them see just how truly damaged she was, and they’d have to decide whether this baggage was something they wanted to help her with or if it was too much for them to handle. Eddie’s ringed hand sneaked behind her, caressing her spine back and forth on top of her dress for support. She took a deep breath and set the basket of fries to the side.

“I, uh- you know how I said my junior prom sucked and that’s why I kinda didn’t wanna come tonight before we made plans?” she began, and they all nodded. “So, there’s actually a pretty big reason for that.”

“You said you didn’t have a date for junior prom and you felt bad so you didn’t go. That’s why I said we should all go together,” Gareth said, making the other teens turn to him in surprise. He clearly knew more about it than they all did and he hadn’t said anything.

“I lied. I did go and I did have a date. I had a boyfriend actually,” she said grimly.

“Oh.”

“How long did you date that guy?” Donny asked, sparing a glance at Eddie who was staring at her nervous hands playing with her Mom’s engagement and wedding rings, spinning them around her left middle finger.

“Around six months. His name was Tyler, we went to school together. He was… nice, I guess? I really liked him,” she muttered. “And like, not to overshare but he was my first real kiss, you know? My first everything. And he made me feel special for a while.”

“What happened?” Jeff asked, frowning and shifting closer, his hand coming to rest on her ankle.

“We went to prom together. Flynn, his older brother, took us and the whole ride was so awkward because he kept trying to talk to Tyler and he would just stare ahead, like he was angry or something. He wouldn’t even look at me.”

“Flynn or Tyler wouldn’t look?”

“Tyler. Actually, Flynn was pretty awesome, best older brother ever. He was pre-med, just… a really cool guy. Kinda miss him, he was fun to be around. He had wild stories about college, but not like drunk wild, just general weird things that happened around campus,” Dottie smiled, remembering the nice older guy that gave her advice on how to apply to colleges.

“He sounds nice,” Donny said.

“He was! Honestly, I think the best part about dating Tyler was that I could hang out with Flynn a lot.”

“So… what happened at prom?” Donny prompted her to continue.

“Um, Flynn dropped us off and Tyler said he wanted to talk before we went in. I thought he was nervous, y’know? I mean, I was nervous too. But he basically said he didn’t wanna date me anymore because he was gonna go to this science whatever camp during summer, and we were gonna be so far away and he just couldn’t deal with long distance so it was over.”

“What?” Eddie’s eyebrows raised on his forehead until they were hidden completely by his bangs. He was prepared to wait for her all four years of college and this fucking guy couldn’t handle being two months apart? “That’s such bullshit!”

“That’s what I said!” she exclaimed, getting angry again at the memory. “But then he said that he didn’t like me anymore because I didn’t put in any effort, and that other girls got pretty for their boyfriends and- and that hurt because he knew that I hadn’t been able to get a dress I liked for prom, so a friend’s sister let me borrow an old one from her.”

“What a fucking douchebag,” Gareth said, scoffing. “You always look pretty, what was his deal?”

“Wish I didn’t know, but, um, that one hurt way more when I found out,” she said, tears starting to form along her waterline. “Because I obviously went home after that, right? He didn’t want me there, and I didn’t want to be there either, so I got on the first bus I saw and that was it. I didn’t show up for the final week of school, and then I went to see my grandparents and stayed away from everyone all summer.”

“What about your friends?” Jeff asked.

“My Dad returned the dress for me and I called Tracey to say thank you, and that was it. She didn’t ask about what happened and no one else called.”

“You mean that no one cared you went missing for months?” Eddie’s face dropped.

“That’s kinda how summers were like for me in New York anyway,” she admitted, and he moved his hand from her back to her hip to bring her closer to him and into a side hug. “I was sure that everyone knew and that’s why no one called. Like, what would they even say? It would have been so awkward. But then school started again and I found out what happened during the holidays and everything made sense.”

“Why? What happened?” Gareth frowned. “What did they do while you were gone?”

“Tyler went to his dumb summer camp two weeks after school ended and got together with my friend Jeannie,” Dottie said, fat drops finally falling from her eyes. “God, why am I still crying about it? I don’t even care about them anymore, I’m pathetic.”

“Fuck that! You’re not pathetic, they are!” Jeff exclaimed, gripping her ankle tighter to get to look up from her hands. “What a bitch, how could she do that to you?”

“Okay, I’m gonna kill both of them,” Gareth deadpanned. “We should totally kill both of them, right, guys?”

“Hey, come on, don’t cry,” Donny said, shifting closer until he was on Dottie’s other side, squishing her between himself and Eddie. “Do you want us to kill them? Because you know we would. I’ll bring the shovel, Eddie has the van, we can make it happen. Just say the word and we’ll be there.”

“I know you would,” she managed to chuckle through the tears. “It’s fine, I just… I never really told anyone this other than my Dad. The only reason my family knows is because he had to explain to everyone why I was locking myself in my room to cry all the time and wouldn’t leave home. I worried everyone a lot those days.”

“You were keeping this one really close to the chest, huh?” Eddie said, things clicking into place for him. Her sudden desperation when he mentioned Chrissy’s name mid freakout, her willingness to hide her own heartbreak if it meant they’d still be friends, the way she kept to herself all those months before she joined them. “Can I ask… did someone tell them anything? Did your other friends know?”

“They all knew. Tracey and Benji said they were sorry but that was kinda it. And all of them sat during lunch with Jeannie, who kept bringing Tyler over to our table and literally fucking sitting on him every day so I had no friends for six months except for Mrs. Randall.”

“Who’s Mrs. Randall?” Eddie asked, vaguely aware that he’d seen that very same name signed at the front of her well-loved Anne of Green Gables copy.

“The school’s librarian. I had lunch with her every day and she helped me write the essay I sent to UMich. She’s awesome, honestly. Dunno what I would have done without her.”

“I’m so sorry you went through all that,” Jeff said. “You didn’t deserve it, and I’m glad you aren’t friends with those assholes anymore.”

“Yeah! You have us now!” Gareth smiled, throwing himself over Eddie’s legs to join in on the hugging party. “We played D&D together which means we’re bonded for life. Can’t get rid of us anymore.”

“He’s right, princess,” Eddie added, hand coming up to brush her tears away. “It’s in the Player’s Handbook. You signed a blood contract.”

“I love you,” she said, looking at him earnestly before turning to her other boys. “I love all of you. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you anything before, it was just so embarrassing to admit and I didn’t want you to know I’m the biggest loser on Earth and decide you didn’t want to be friends anymore.”

“You’re not a loser,” Donny said. “And those people weren’t your real friends, they were shitheads. That’s not on you, Dot. And we love you too, or else we wouldn’t be wearing suits right now.”

“Everything you guys did today… thank you. I’m gonna remember this forever, you have no idea how much it means to me.”

“We know,” Gareth said, looking at all his friends. “That’s why we did it.”

In the back of Eddie’s van, with the doors open to the empty parking lot waiting to be filled with teens looking for a snack, Dottie shed yet another layer of fear and anxiety. The air smelled vaguely of weed and fries, their forgotten milkshakes sweating rings onto the hard floor, but no one made a move to get themselves out of the puppy pile they had sunk into, five sets of legs and arms tangled with one another and the calm understanding that physical comfort was something they all needed at that moment. They had all been outcasts, freaks, easily disposable and replaceable throughout their lives, but here, in this van, they were invaluable and unique. Here the Hellfire Class of ‘86 was home, and there was nothing in the world that could convince them otherwise. Here they belonged, and birds of a feather flock together after all.

taglist (comment below or send me an ask if you wanna be added!): @munsonology @kurdtbean @every1lovesanunderdog @eg-dr3amer3

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neoninky · 1 year

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TWST Fic "Her Ivory Crown": Chapter 4

I am dubbing this the 'boys start getting agro' chapter lol

Ch. 4: Claiming Territory

"Ugh...seriously? We finally get off that island and manage to have some real fun and here he comes throwing marriage in your face like a magic grenade? I swear..." Manari sipped the drink in front of her with an annoyed expression.

Reine had calmed down after her two friends convinced her to take her break with them at Azul's 'mini' Monstro Lounge cafe but her stomach was still in knots. Elise frowned at the untouched pasta on Reine's plate, "He really got to you, huh?" Reine merely sighed quietly and Elise gently wrapped her arm around her, "Hey it's alright! Don't worry about that right now, ok? Manari is right, we came here to help with AND enjoy the festival so no more royal court drama for today."

"Or ever," Manari chimed in, "besides I don't think even Zehn would come bug you with them around." She gestured to the towering Jade and Floyd as she sipped the last remnants of the tropical drink in front of her. The loud slurping noise seemed to summon the twins immediately to their table. Jade was professional and smooth as silk, his smile never wavering as he swapped Manari's empty glass with a fresh drink he had already prepared. Either he was that good or the girl was predictable as this was her third glass.

"Thanks, Jade! Hey, you guys wouldn't be for hire, would you? Reine's got a guy that won't take a hint."

The twins turned to the mostly monochrome princess and Floyd immediately noted her defeated expression, "Ehhh someone is bothering Mantie Ray?" his expression quickly turned sinister, "I can squeeze him until he turns blue or goes 'pop'..."

Jade didn't seem bothered by his twin's tone whatsoever as he chimed in, "Oya~ Floyd...that won't do. You don't want to leave any evidence behind, you know?" his sharp-toothed smile matched his brother's.

The three girls exchanged concerned looked before Elise smiled up at the eel brothers, "Um that's very kind of you to offer, Floyd, but no thank you. I wouldn't want you to get your lovely suits dirty. Or your gloves for that matter." Floyd immediately switched back into his usual silly self and giggled.

"Ahh Star Fishie is so nice~ I wanna give you a squeeze~" Jade quickly pulled his brother back before he could pounce on the poor girl.

"Wait...did he just call you guys a starfish and a manta ray?"

Looking down at her mostly black and white uniform with angular diamond points, Reine could see the resemblance. Maybe. Jade offered an explanation in his calm voice, "Floyd likes to give others nicknames from creatures of the sea. It's something he's done since we were children. Miss Elise, or 'Star Fish' as Floyd calls her, has become a familiar face so it's no surprise."

Elise giggled, "I think it's cute."

"So what about Azul? What's his nickname?" Manari looked at the glasses boy across the way, charming guests left and right with a pleasant smile.

"Azul is Azul. Buuut Azul is also an oc-"

"Jade! Floyd!" the charming smile on Azul's face was replaced with a disappointed frown as he suddenly appeared at the table, "other guests are waiting. Stop bothering these ladies with your chatter."

"Ehhh...Mantie is sad and you're being lame, Azul," Floyd pouted. Twins were shooed away from the table despite Floyd's protests before Azul returned to his welcoming demeanor.

"What's this? Is something wrong, Your Highness? Is the food not to your liking?? That won't do."

Reine felt a pang of guilt and gave the Octavinelle leader a reassuring smile, "Oh no no, everything is perfect. I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind. I should probably return to my dorm's exhibit, however, I've been away too long."

"What? Reine, your girls are doing fine without you, come on. You've been pushing forward nonstop ever since you completed your mother's trials and were named the crown princess. An extended break won't kill you." Manari never beat around the bush about anything so why should she start now?

"Listen to your friend, Your Highness, it's no trouble at all. I'll bring you some dessert myself. On the house for all three of you and a nice discount for your dorms as well." Azul seemed to be acting out of generosity but in truth, the octopus never missed an opportunity once he sniffed it out. One taste of their special gelatos and he knew the Sacred Crown girls would be back for more in no time, tenfold as the word no doubt spread. So much that the discount he so kindly extended to them wouldn't even matter. Of course, those Royal Sword punks would still have to pay full price.

"I suppose a few more minutes wouldn't hurt..."

"Byyye Mantie, Star Fishie, and Tiger Barbiiiee~" Floyd and Jade waved the girls off as they left the cafe. Manari felt oddly happy about also earning a nickname from the odd twin like it was a badge to a special club or something. Elise waved to the boys and thanked them for the seashell hairpin she was given for visiting their cafe for the third time. Apparently, the booth had a points system. What Elise didn't know was that the hairpin was supposed to be reserved for guests on their seventh visit. Must have slipped the brothers' minds. Oops~

"Three times already? Wow. That's some serious dedication you got there, Elise."

"What? The food is delicious and I adore their underwater decor! It's gorgeous."

Reine seemed to space out as her friends bantered back and forth. She felt foolish as she tightly clasped her hands together, trying to forget how shaken she had felt earlier. Why did she feel so surprised when Zehn took the conversation towards courtship? It wasn't exactly a mystery, in fact, Zehn's information was at the very top of the stack of profiles she had been given of every boy that wished to become her suitor. It was all organized in a thickly bound portfolio for her to look at while she was here. She groaned to herself as she remembered leaving it back in her room on the vanity, completely untouched. He did check all the boxes she was groomed to look for: he had a flawless pedigree, he was an excellent student and mage, he was handsome, he already had extensive knowledge and pride for their homeland, and she was lucky enough that he wasn't exactly a stranger either. They had known each other since childhood...well...sort of. Any and every time they met, there were always at least two chaperones with them at all times and the number grew as they grew older. Each meeting was scheduled down to the very last detail every single time. Though there were others in line for her affections, Zehn was always in first place. In fact, their conversation in the tea garden was probably the first time in a long time they were ever "alone" together. Even so, Zehn had always had a polished, gentlemanly air about him and never hesitated to shower her with polite, appropriate affection when he could. Except for today...today he seemed so...

"Reine? Hello?"

The rose princess quickly snapped out it, realizing they were back at Rosabyrine's garden already, "O-Oh! We're here, good good."

The two girls exchanged a look, "You're sure you're feeling better?"

Reine slipped back into her regal, elegant mode so naturally, it was almost unnerving, "Of course. Thank you for my much-needed break, girls. I appreciate it."

She gave her friends a hug before walking back towards the entrance but heard Manari excitedly call after her, "Hey! Don't forget! Scarabia's hosting a party in their dorm tonight! It's gonna be a blaaaast~ Don't try to skip out, ok?"

Alyssa reopened the normal rotation for the next group as Reine got settled at her table, quickly setting out a fresh cup and checking the tea. She said nothing but she was relieved when she saw that Zehn was absent from the garden and the next group coming in. Once she was seated, she sat up straight and let out a sigh. Everything is fine, she thought to herself.

"Good afternoon, Miss Reine."

Reine looked up to the familiar voice and smiled brightly, "Riddle Rosehearts. How nice to see you again."

The Heartslabyul leader bowed to her and reached for the teapot as the princess began to stand up, "Please let me. I don't mind."

She watched him expertly pour her tea before pouring his own with a playful grin, "You've done this before I see. Just what one would expect from the Heartslabyul King."

The redhead's heart swelled with both pride and a flutter of bashfulness as he sat down and quickly changed the subject away from himself, "You are very kind, Miss Reine. How are you enjoying the festival?"

"Very much so. Your school is full of surprises. All good ones, of course," Riddle felt relief wash over him hearing this, "I even met a few of your juniors earlier," Aaaand it was gone.

"I see," he said a bit too stiffly, "I trust that they behaved themselves...?"

"Yes. They were wonderful boys," Reine laughed genuinely for the first time since the incident earlier that day.

After a while, the bell rang but Reine raised her hand to signal that she wanted to keep her guest's company a bit longer. Riddle was surprised but not unhappy. The two of them kept talking about the festival, who all she had met, her favorite things so far, and other normal every day topics that allowed the flow of conversation to stay relaxed and made her feel at ease. It was...nice. So nice that Reine raised her hand at least two more times. After a while, Riddle even had the pleasure to hear her candid laugh once again.

"I can't believe the hedgehog fell right into the teapot! The poor thing!" She chuckled at Riddle's story. He sighed and smiled at the memory, "Ace has never been the best shot in our croquet games. Thankfully the pot was empty."

The bell rang again for the last round of the afternoon and unfortunately Reine herself had made it a rule that the girls could forgo passing their guests along for three turns and three turns only. She pouted a bit to herself when she realized she had reached her limit but quickly recovered. She didn't want Riddle seeing such a face on her.

"Thank you for such good company, Riddle, but I'm afraid I must let you go now."

They both stood almost in sync and Riddle took Reine's extended hand...and gently kissed the back of it, "Thank you, Miss Reine. It's been a wonderful tea party."

The princess felt a small bit of heat light up her cheeks as she smiled at the red-headed boy...

"My my~ How interesting~ These Night Raven boys do move quickly don't they?"

Manari's musically impish tone popped into her head, making her face feel more heated. Nonsense! Riddle was a very courteous young man who was being polite to his homeland's princess and nothing more! Nothing...nothing? And yet it felt like something different than when Zehn-NOTHING.

The princess cleared her throat and bid Riddle good day as he started to leave her table but quickly remembered something else, "Oh, Riddle? Your classmates from Scarabia invited us to a party tonight. They said everyone was invited. Will I see you there perhaps?"

Riddle did hear about the party and frankly, the very idea of being there, surrounded by loud music, rowdy dancing, and the two rival groups of male students being forced to get along while being in the presence of the rare female specimen didn't appeal to him whatsoever...until right now.

"Oh...Oh yes, I and the others from Heartslabyul will be there!"

Great Seven, what had he just gotten himself into??

Again...what exactly had Riddle gotten himself into?

Thankfully it was cooler by the Scarabia oasis now that the sun had gone down but also cold enough to warrant a large bonfire which several students were dancing around like a well-coordinated riot. Mostly the boys of Scarabia and the girls of Almascaber, with Kalim, Manari, and Manari's vice dorm leader, Jinnah, in the epicenter. Poor Jamil had tried to stay on the outskirts of the group, not wanting to draw attention to himself, but the two girls leading the pack wouldn't hear of it. Thus Jamil found himself being dragged into the fray by an enthusiastic Jinnah. Riddle saw Elise and some of her dorm talking and dancing about with some other boys from Octavinelle and some more agreeable Royal Sword students that didn't seem to bother the first group of boys as much. Here and there, he recognized the other girls from Sacred Crown but Reine was nowhere to be found.

"Reine is over by the pool if you are looking for her, RRRiddle."

Riddle nearly jumped out of his skin as the chuckling cat boy snuck up behind him, "C-Che'nya! Stop doing that! Besides...h-how do you know I'm looking for her specifically?"

Che'nya's smile widened, "Hmmm? You've been standing alone for a while nyow, just looking back and forth like a lost little red rrrabbit...looking for a white rrrabbit purrhaps? Hmm hmm~" before Riddle could protest, the feline continued, "Reine looked like she had fun at the tea purrty today so maybe she's looking for you too, nya? Besides...it would seem he can't find her either."

Riddle's eyes followed the direction that his friend's floating head nodded to. On the other side of the crowd, Zehn Cavalier was peering about the area as if he were trying to locate a certain face. Riddle felt that same prickling sensation as before spread through his chest and set off towards the oasis pool without another word. Che'nya hummed in delight before fading away once again. When Riddle finally made his way through the crowd and into an empty open area, he took a breath of the fresh night air, already exhausted from just trying to navigate all the chaos. There was a small path through some palms trees that led him over a dune and to the edge of the actual oasis pool. Reine was standing at the very edge looking up at the stars. She looked so peaceful with the breeze brushing through her now loose, unbraided wavy hair that fell to the middle of her back. After being in her uniform all day, she and the other girls had changed into their gym clothes which were basically a t-shirt in their colors and either shorts or joggers. Reine was glad she had enough foresight to choose her black joggers that had white rose and diamond shapes along the sides, given the night's chill. Riddle almost felt guilty for disturbing her in this quiet moment but she looked so...different. Not that different was bad! Of course not, he would never think that! The princess could wear whatever she wanted and it would be perfectly acceptable regardless! ...Riddle then realized he had just been standing there, staring at her back like some sort of weird stalker, and gently cleared his throat before things got more awkward.

"Miss Reine??"

She turned to face him, a look of surprise in her violet orbs that still somehow shined in the dark, "Riddle! You're here..." she looked down at herself and felt a wave of embarrassment, "goodness I look strange like this, don't I?"

"N-No! Not at all, you look....very comfortable."

An awkward silence hung in the air for a couple of beats. The only things that broke it were Riddle's internal voice cursing his lame response and Reine's sudden laugh.

"Well, you are right about that. I didn't think my dorm heels would get me far in all this sand. That and...well I'm not that great at dancing outside of a ballroom setting to be honest," the princess shyly fidgeted with the hem of her white t-shirt, "Do...do you dance at all, Riddle?"

The redhead honestly couldn't remember the last time he had to. He was probably in the same boat at Reine, really. His mother had taught him proper ballroom dances and etiquette starting at a very young age so that sort of dancing came far more naturally. But this...

"I'm afraid not. At least not like this," he turned back towards the crowd of students clearly having a fantastic time, letting loose to the upbeat music. The princess understood perfectly and her empathy shone in her modest grin.

"Aren't we a pair of wallflowers," she sighed playfully, making Riddle smile awkwardly as he silently agreed.

Zehn was growing impatient. He searched the large crowd over one too many times and to no avail did he find the princess he was looking for and no one had seen her for over an hour, allegedly. He let out a frustrated sigh as his posse gave him the same answers that he had gotten from the other students as well. The little rose somehow slipped away without anyone noticing. Just when he was about to leave to try again another time, Elise came into his view. He knew that Elise was one of Reine's closest friends. Manari being the other but she was currently surrounded by a flock of fellow dance team members and that foolish Al-Asim character. He also knew Elise was easier to deal with and less stubborn than the commoner dorm leader. Thus a much easier source to utilize. Zehn shifted through the crowd with ease, getting closer and closer to the dark-haired princess. Just as he was about to put a hand on her shoulder....he noticed two very long shadows come from behind him. He wasn't exactly prepared for what or who was attached to said shadows.

"Oiii....why you bothering, Star Fishie?"

Floyd and Jade towered over the mage, both staring directly at him with conflicting expressions; Jade, calm but with a grin that didn't reach his eyes, and Floyd, like an unhinged attack dog on the edge of biting. He swore the gold eye on both of their faces was glowing but he refused to show how unnerved he felt on his face.

"I don't believe we've met. You're...friends of Lady Elise's?"

Neither one of the twins liked how this suspicious guy strained the word "friend" as if it was such an unbelievable concept. They both smiled down at him, showing off their pointy teeth.

"You could say that," Jade replied smoothly, "she is currently enjoying her time in our dorm's care...so maybe you should wait your turn and come back when you have better manners." Floyd giggled wildly at his brother's words, making Zehn feel even more uneasy about the two of them. Elise was none the wiser to the conversation happening behind her but Zehn could clearly see other Octavinelle dorm members around her shooting him pointed looks, reflecting the same energy the twins had. He said nothing before shoving past Jade and retreating to another corner of the crowd. Now that the twins had scared Zehn off, Floyd grew bored and unapologetically cut in to dance with the princess himself while Jade merely stared after the rude mage with a frown on his face.

Zehn resumed watching over the crowd from a distance, his aggravation growing. The twins clearly had Elise blocked off and made no illusions about the boundaries they had set. Manari was out of reach as well because of these irritating Raven boys. Jamil was giving him a suspicious look at the very moment as if he could sense Zehn's intentions a mile away. To the girls, these Night Raven students were probably just being friendly and entertaining them as their hosts. But to Zehn, he could see something else in their eyes: these guys were like animals staking out their territory and weren't about to let any 'intruder' even attempt to move in. It annoyed him to no end. The final nail in the coffin was Reine finally making an appearance...with Riddle Rosehearts at her side, gently holding her arm and guiding her down the sand dune's shift path and the two of them joining the others in the crowd.

"Very well..."

Despite the late hour, the girls returned to their foster dorm and the night ended with all seven dorm leaders sitting in the parlor, 'swapping notes.'

"Soooooooo...where were you during the party, Reine? You disappeared for quite a while."

Naturally, she was the first one in the hot seat. Manari was like a bloodhound when it came to getting straight to the heart of the matter.

"After today, I didn't feel like dancing. So I went to explore the oasis. And Riddle found me. So we talked for a while. That's all." Just the facts, that was her story and she was sticking to it.

"That's all huh...?" Manari had a grin that would put Che'nya's to shame.

"Yes, that is all," Reine rebutted with a strong poker face that quickly turned into a mischievous grin, "Honestly, I'm surprised you even noticed, Manari. You seemed to be plenty busy dancing your heart out with the Scarabia dorm leader and his second. And no one else...? How interesting..."

"Oooo~ she's got a point, Manariii~" Elise laughed.

"Oh says you, 'Star Fishie'! You have no room to talk and you know it. Hell, I'm surprised you have room for anything with all those Octavinelle boys wrapped around your dainty little fingers," Manari laughed right at Elise's gasping face after hitting her with a nearby pillow, making the other girls burst into laughter before resuming their own conversations.

This was definitely not the first late-night gossip session these girls had had in the past. Reine could remember other late nights back on their campus between phone calls. Talks of upcoming events with Royal Sword Academy. Talks specifically about Prince Rielle and Prince Yasmine between Manari, Elise, and herself...but now...Reine's ears picked up other fascinating bits of exciting talk from the others as her two best friends continued to pick on each other.

Charlaine mentioning how beautiful Pomefiore's dorm and uniforms were, how eager yet terrified she was to talk to Vil Schoenheit again to Petra who seemed very distracted by whatever she was looking at outside the window.

"I-I've seen all of his movies! He's amazing! I even brought the latest copy of the fashion magazine he modeled for in the spring. Do you think he'll sign it for me?!"

Petra, who normally never voiced any interest in this sort of thing, was listening to Charlaine but also trying to convince her that the 'tall, dark fae boy with horns' was real and was even pointing out the window to prove it but all Charlaine saw were green fireflies floating about. Petra eventually gave up and continued to listen to Charlaine spew more information about Vil's latest Magicame posts and beauty regiments.

Adela and Hebe, the more mature third years that normally stuck together, talking about Leona of all people. Idia had yet to make an appearance in person, much to Hebe's disappointment.

"He is a bit wild looking, isn't he? He's kind of attractive in his own way though right?" Hebe was definitely the kinder of the two. Adela smirked as she continued to file her nails while they talked, "Oh he is quite handsome...he'd make an excellent throw rug for my library." This made Hebe snort-laugh profusely, "Adela, you're terrible!"

Twenty-four hours max, that was how long they had been on Night Raven's campus and apparently, that's all it took for these new boys to take over their thoughts and words. Reine found her theory proven as she turned back to her two besties who were currently debating who was a better dancer: Kalim or Jamil.

"Hmmm, I dunno. Don't get me wrong, Kalim is SO much fun to dance with but Jamil's got some moves. He's just weirdly shy about it for some reason..."

Reine's memory flashed back to the party when she and Riddle returned to join the others. How happy and completely in her element Manari looked. How natural Elise seemed to be while being the center of attention. Neither one of them ever boasting or misleading any of the boys in their company. They were both just that alluring naturally in their own ways.

"You two looked like you were really having fun out there," Reine smiled.

The two other girls leaned in close to her, secretive grins on their faces, "you looked pretty happy yourself when you finally came back you know....you sure nothing happened by the oasis?"

The ivory princess just shook her head, eliciting disappointed groans from her friends, "We really did just talk. It was nice."

Manari and Elise noted the soft smile on their friend's face. Well, that was certainly something. The excited talk was interrupted by Adela clapping together her hands to quiet the rest of them, "It's very late, my darlings. Off to bed with you. We need to be in top form to support our boys in the Magift game tomorrow."

Petra was the first to protest but not because of the sudden push to go to bed, "Ugh why? We don't even get to play in the match! I finally make Captain and we can't even play? It's not fair."

No matter how much she begged, pleaded, and yes even tried to bribe their Headmistress to let the girls have a chance for the festival, Petra and any other interested candidates were turned down flat. It was an on-going tradition, because of course it was, that the girls were invited to attend Royal Sword's games and cheer them on as their sister school. Since they would be playing a match against Night Raven tomorrow, the girls were expected to attend in full force and support - as Adela put it - 'their boys' at the match tomorrow in the audience.

"I understand you are frustrated, my dear, but it is what it is. Besides...you know they are undefeated. We wouldn't stand a candle wick's chance. Even Night Raven College has yet to beat them in a standard game and we've seen how talented they are," Adela gently patted Petra's head like a loving older sister, trying to curb her disappointment. It didn't work at all but Petra resigned herself to a silent pout instead of continuing to argue.

"So we're just expected to show up, watch them crush their rivals per usual while pretending to be all impressed, and wearing their colors right? Sounds nice and boring," Manari rolled her eyes.

"In so many words, yes," the regal blonde stately flatly, "although I do believe our rose's beau has taken over as their captain, no? That should be an interesting change."

"Ew don't call him that, nothing is official!" Manari practically hissed at the notion of Zehn Cavalier being Reine's 'beau' or anything close to it. But Adela was correct, Zehn was picked as the captain specifically for this match against NRC. So he would be there, front and center, and expecting the girls to be sporting his team's colors in support. Especially Reine...who was not completely sold on the idea after the day's events. However, she did have another idea.

"It is tradition for us to wear RSA's colors for their matches. So of course, we will honor that and support our brothers...but in light of the circumstances, I think it would be nice to honor new friendships with our traditions as well. Don't you girls think so?"

"Meaning...?"

Reine's eye sparkled matching her growing smile, "Meaning...we're going to need more colors and ribbons. And maybe a few embellishments as well."

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

Re-reading through this I remember just how much of a smear on Royal Sword's good boy rep Zehn is lol. The villian bois don't like him, the good bois don't like him. No one likes you, Zehn Cavalier.

Tagging: @foxwitchaine

@iscarlettappel

@1ndigowitch

@nuitthegoddess

@wysteriadelights

@victoria1676

@the whole TWST community is welcome, hi

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ricciardonorrisleclercgasly · 2 years

Text

Positive || Charles Leclerc

(Not my gif)

Part 2 to Pregnant.

Request by: @ireallydontknowdudee

Pairing: Charles Leclerc X Reader

Warnings: none!

You can find my masterlist here.

You can find my prompt list here.

Requests are open.

"It's negative.. again" you sighed burying your face in your hands. Charles wrapped his arm around your shoulders and pulled you in close. "Don't be sad mon chèrie" he said kissing the top of your head. "I just feel like we've been trying forever and it's always negative" you said with a tear sliping from your eye. "What if there's something wrong Charles?"

"Y/N don't think like that. It has been less than a year and with being on the road so much it has probably been stressful on your body. Now that it is summer break we shall go and see the doctor, just to make sure everything is normal. Okay?" He said stroking your hair. You nodded into him and hugged him tight. It felt like such a long time ago you were sitting on the bathroom floor crying at the thought you might be pregnant and that Charles wouldn't be ready for this and when you found out that you weren't Charles suggested that you guys could start trying. So much had happened since then, Charles had won his first ever championship, you guys had moved house over the winter break, you had a beautiful intimate wedding with just your close family and friends around you and you had both agreed that you were ready to have a baby and had started trying but with the season restarting and moving backwards and forwards all over the world it was sometimes difficult to get your timings right.

Charles rang the doctors surgery and got you both booked in for a checkup, you got dressed and headed out the house. You arrived at the doctors shortly after and checked in. This was Charles' family doctor, he had been coming here for years, and trusted him whole heartedly. You were both called into see the doctor after a short wait.

"Ah Charles! What can I help you with today?" The doctor said gesturing for you both to sit down.

"Me and my wife are trying for a baby, its been around 7 months now and I know that it's not a long time but she's worried that something might be wrong" Charles said squeezing your hand.

"Congratulations, most couples will conceive within the first year of trying and you guys aren't quite there yet so try not to worry Mrs Leclerc. We can still do some tests today if you would like" you nodded your head.

The doctor performed all sorts of tests on you and Charles, checking for any abnormalities, your heart was racing the entire time. "Now the results will be with us in the next couple of days, try not to worry. We'll be in touch" the doctor reassured you.

----------

3 days later.

"Yes, yes thats fine. Yes I understand. Yes. Thankyou Doctor" Charles said on the phone. You paced waiting for him to get off the phone. He put the phone down and took hold of your hand, you held your breath. "Everything is fine Y/N" Charles said kissing your forehead, "there's nothing wrong, we just need to keep trying" you breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank god" you said kissing Charles.

"We will have a nice relaxed summer break and hopefully we can make a baby." Charles smiled down at you.

You spent the next 3 weeks relaxing in the sun with Charles, you stayed in monaco this summer, sitting on the beach, swimming in the pool and just being together. It was nice to just relax together.

-----------

2 months later.

"Charles!" You called from the bathroom, arms wrapped around the toilet bowl as you threw up the contents of your stomach. "Please can you bring me some water" the past few days you had had the most horrendous stomach bug, your body ached, you were absolutely exhausted and almost everything you ate made you sick. Charles came into the bathroom with a glass of water and sat rubbing your back. "Do you think that maybe-" he started to say.

"I'm not due on until next week Charles"

"I know" he said kissing the top of your head, "I just thought it might be worth taking a test. Just in case"

You peeled yourself off the floor and grabbed an early signs test from the drawer, "get out then" you laughed. You sat on the toilet to pee on the stick. You put it on the side whilst you tried to freshen up. Two minutes had passed and you looked down at the test, trying not to get your hopes up. 2 lines. It's positive. "Charles get in here!" You shouted trying to control your excitement, tears streaming down your face. Charles came into the bathroom and looked you up and down. You pressed the test into his hand. He looked at it intently. "2 lines is postive right?" He breathed.

You nodded your head. "Omg you're pregnant! We're going to have a baby y/n!" He yelled out in excitement, wrapping his arms around your waist and picking you up. He peppered kisses all over you as he hugged you tightly. "I can't believe it! As soon as we are home we will go to the doctors. Only the best for my princess" he put you back to the floor and crouched before you, resting his head against your nonexistent bump. "Daddy loves you so much all ready" he kissed your stomach, making you giggle. He stood up and kissed you passionately. "I can't wait to tell Pierre! He will be excited to be an uncle" Charles giggled.

"No Charles." You said sternly, "not until the first scan, when we know that everything is okay"

"Okay okay" he smiled, "but everything will be okay. I promise you mon chèrie"

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chaeryybomb · 3 years

Text

BRUTAL

pairings: female reader x best friend!jungwon

summary: they told you that these were the golden years, but to you "golden" was a rusting metal spray painted yellow. the story of a seventeen year old trying to survive high school when all you do is try your best. but your best friend jungwon makes it worth the while.

genre: high school au, friends to lovers, fluff, tiny bits of angst if you squint, attempt at humour

featuring: jang wonyoung, kim sunoo & nishimura riki

word count: 4.5k

warnings: reader having a existential crisis most of the time, strong language, mentions of insecurity

the sour series masterlist

You slumped forward the moment the bell rang, letting your head hit the table. You could care less if a bruise would form on your forehead, you had much bigger things to worry about. Your teacher left the class wordlessly as the class was busy doing their own thing. And by that, everyone was buried nose deep in studying. You lifted your head to see the different books of the same topic scattered on your desk, a yellow highlighter balancing on the edge of your table.

Reaching over to grab the highlighter, you turned your head over to the side to look at your desk mate. Wonyoung sat there looking straight out from a k-drama, with her hair flowing down her back perfectly and her slender nimble fingers moving as she continuously wrote in her notebook. She was smart too, fluent in English and Korean, great at maths and science. And on top of that she was kind and friendly, everyone loved her. You did too, you had the honour of calling her your best friend. But sometimes you felt insecure around her, everything she did looked flawless and there you were just trying your best.

"Ack!" You yelped as you sat up straight, holding your forehead. Wonyoung rolled her eyes at you with a small smile on her lips, she had flicked your forehead to get you out of your thoughts.

Without taking her eyes off the textbook, she tapped your own workbook with her pen. Silently telling you to stop procrastinating. You pouted at her and looked at the clock, 10 minutes before lunch. Maybe a walk to the girl's bathroom would do you some good.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," you whispered to Wonyoung. She nodded and smiled at you before you walked out.

As you strolled towards the girl's bathroom, you passed by the bulletin board outside your class. A bright blue poster stood out with the words "ENJOY YOUR YOUTH" in white. Scoffing at the message, you continued on your way.

"I'm seventeen now, where's my fucking teenage dream?" You muttered to yourself. You were tired of waiting for your life to end up like a coming of age movie. Everyone told you that these were the golden years and you should enjoy your youth, but you swear to god if you hear another one of those cheesy sayings, you might just cry on the spot.

Reaching over to open the stall door, you halt in your actions when you heard familiar voices talking.

"I'm so worried for finals, my parents are gonna kill me if I fail English again," a girl complained. You hear the sound of tap water running. "How are you so calm during this time, Mirae?'

"What's the use of studying hard anyways," the second girl, Mirae, said. "We all know the top spots are gonna be taken by Jang Wonyoung and Yang Jungwon, I just study enough to pass."

The other girl snorted at her reply. "Imagine if those two got together, the power couple of the year," she suddenly said.

"Poor Y/N then, she's gonna be over shadowed by them."

"As if she already isn't. I almost forgot they were a trio until you mentioned Y/N," the girl laughed.

"What can I say? They're out of her league," Mirae joined in with her laughter.

The two voices faded away as you heard the door closed. Finally pushing the door open, you looked at your reflection. Your eyebrows knitted in annoyance and your face was morphed in a scowl. You washed your hands aggressively and poked the inside of your cheek. What bugged you was that they were right. You were the black sheep between Wonyoung and Jungwon. Both of them were smart and amazing, and you're just…you.

You love your best friends, you truly do. But you were constantly compared to them and you hated it. Everyone wanted them, you watched as guys tripped over to confess to Wonyoung and girls squealing when Jungwon smiled at them. The two of them always reassured you that you weren't beneath them but you were sick of their sympathy. You're so caught up in the news of who likes you and who hates them. You just wished people liked you more.

Storming out of the bathroom, someone accidentally ran into you and caused you to fell onto your butt. The student immediately stood up and scurried off, not bothering to even a mutter an apology. All I did was try my best and this is the thanks I get, you thought bitterly.

They said that these were the golden years, but you wished you could just disappear. God, it's brutal out here.

"Y/N, wait up!" Jungwon called after you.

You stopped in your tracks as you watched Jungwon waved goodbye to some students before jogging towards you.

"You heading to cram school today?" He asked you as the both of you fell into the same walking rhythm.

You shook your head, clasping your hands behind. "I moved it to Thursday instead, Wonyoung said I had to many things on Tuesday," you told him. Originally, you would be heading to the library to study before heading over to the cram school. But Wonyoung took one look at your schedule and decided that you did not had enough breaks, so she managed to convince you to take the Thursday slot instead. Thursdays are one of the days where you would not go to the library.

Jungwon seemed to be disappointed to find out that you had switched slots. Maybe he should changed slots too, but does he have any empty spots open for Thursday though? He'd have to check later. Instead, he coughed and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Do you wanna come over later? The new Demon Slayer movie is out," he offered, hoping that you'd accept.

Unfortunately, you once again shook your head. "Sorry Jungwon, I'd want to cram even more later. Finals are really creeping in and I can't afford to waste any time," you told him with a sad smile. As much as you would like to ditch the books and watch Demon Slayer, the glaring C on your last history paper was telling you otherwise.

You stopped walking when you had reached your doorstep. "Thanks for walking me home, Jungwon. See you tomorrow!" and with that you disappeared behind the door.

Jungwon waved goodbye as he watched the door closed. The smile on his face dropped and his shoulder sagged. Jungwon you idiot, of course she would want to study, he scolded himself. With disappointment on his face, he trudged home with a heavy heart.

"Change of plans, guys," he announced as he swung the front door open, unfazed by the fact that Riki and Sunoo were lounging on his coach. He accepted the fact that Sunoo had somehow gotten the keys to his house (suspecting that his mother probably gave it to him due to favouritism or maybe Riki had sneakily made a copy).

Riki's head poked out from the couch. "She rejected you, didn't she," the younger boy said with a smirk.

Jungwon's face ears turned red as he glared at the boy. "No she did not!" He immediately told him. "She rejected the offer to watch the movie, that's different!"

"That's basically rejection, hyung," Riki laughed.

The other boy just glared at him. "Shut up!" he sputtered out before hiking up the stairs.

Sunoo gave Riki a look, to which the Japanese boy just shrugged his shoulders innocently.

Jungwon walked out from the shower, a towel around his neck with one hand running through his damp hair. Sunoo and Riki had left earlier, finally giving him some peace and quiet. His phone screen was flashing from his study table, initiating that someone was spamming him (quite aggressively) with text message. With a raised eyebrow, he picked up his phone

[7:09 pm] wonyoung: JUNGWON

[7:10 pm] wonyoung: WHY DID Y/N JUST MESSAGED ME ABOUT HOMEWORK

[7:10 pm] wonyoung: ISNT SHE WITH YOU

[7:11 pm] wonyoung: I THOUGHT YOU SAID U WERE GONNA WATCH A MOVIE

[7:11 pm] wonyoung: DEMON HUNTER OR SMTG

[7:12 pm] wonyoung: WHY IS SHE ASKING ME FOR HW

[7:12 pm] wonyoung: DID U CHICKEN OUT???

[7:13 pm] wonyoung: omg u chickened out didnt u

[7:14 pm] jungwon: jfc wonyoung

[7:15 pm] jungwon: and no i did not chicken out okay

[7:15 pm] jungwon: she declined

[7:16 pm] jungwon: she said she had to study ;-;

[7:17 pm] wonyoung: omg u suck

[7:17 pm] wonyoung: i told u the movie idea was dumb

[7:18 pm] wonyoung: but do u ever listen to me

[7:18 pm] wonyoung: no

[7:19 pm] wonyoung: and now u suffer the consequences

[7:20 pm] jungwon: yea yea i get it im dumb

[7:20 pm] jungwon: now what's ur solution the great jang wonyoung

[7:21 pm] wonyoung: i am so glad u asked :)

[7:21 pm] jungwon: oh no

[7:21 pm] wonyoung: stfu im giving u a better idea

[7:22 pm] wonyoung: a n y w a y s

[7:22 pm] wonyoung: my ynradar is going off and she's s a d

[7:23 pm] jungwon: how would u know

[7:23 pm] jungwon: she seemed fine today

[7:23 pm] wonyoung: stfu jungwon its best friend things u wont understand

[7:24 pm] jungwon: i-

[7:25 pm] wonyoung: and as her future bf u SHOULD start to train ur ynradar

[7:25 pm] wonyoung: anw its exam season stoopid

[7:26 pm] wonyoung: and its when those kids start to talk abt how the both of us are gonna get top scores

[7:26 pm] wonyoung: and they talk down on y/n while doing so

[7:26 pm] wonyoung: assholes

[7:27 pm] wonyoung: so i propose to u

[7:27 pm] wonyoung: a ✨ study date ✨

[7:28 pm] jungwon: i

[7:29 pm] jungwon: that's

[7:29 pm] jungwon: actually not a bad idea

[7:30 pm] wonyoung: obv i came up with it

[7:31 pm] jungwon: can u not

[7:31 pm] wonyoung: anw a study date

[7:32 pm] wonyoung: she's struggling in maths

[7:33 pm] wonyoung: specifically taxes because she said and i quote

[7:34 pm] wonyoung: "why do we have to do taxes when we pay people to do it for us"

[7:34 pm] wonyoung: so pls help her and try to cheer her up

[7:35 pm] wonyoung: and confess coward

[7:36 pm] jungwon: i make no promises for the last one

[7:36 pm] wonyoung: aFTER EVERYTHING I JUST SAID

[7:37 pm] jungwon: what if she rejects me wonyoung

[7:38 pm] wonyoung: WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION A LOT OF TIMES JUNGWON

[7:38 pm] wonyoung: SHE LIKES U BUT SHES TOO DUMB TO REALISE

[7:39 pm] jungwon: sigh

[7:40 pm] jungwon: fine i'll try thanks wonyoung

[7:41 pm] wonyoung: np i expect y'all to be a couple by next monday <3

[7:41 pm] jungwon: i-

Sighing for the nth time of the night, Jungwon sat on his bed. He allowed the towel to slipped off his shoulders as his thumb hovered over your chat icon. Truth be told, he always thought his crush on you was unrequited love. You never showed any signs of returning of feelings so he thought he would just ignore the feeling until it was gone.

But oh boy was he wrong, because he didn't knew that he would be spending his high school years by your side. And now you occupy his mind 24/7. Wonyoung could literally tell that he was in love with you, but somehow you never caught on. He allowed Sunoo and Riki to convince him to do the whole "movie date idea", but that failed. So Wonyoung's suggestion was his only option left.

He typed out the message, ready to send it out. If only he could just press the button. Come on Yang Jungwon, you can do this. Just press the damn button Jungwon. Suddenly his phone pinged loudly, scaring the lights out of the poor boy as he yelped and his phone landed with a thud on the ground. He peered over his bed, as if his phone was a ticking bomb.

Oh, it was a message from you.

[8:01 pm] y/n: hey do u know where wonyoung is

[8:01 pm] y/n: she isn't answering my texts

Oh no. He realised that your chat was open, the two ticks indicated that he had (unintentionally) read the message. He couldn't just leave you on read. That's just evil. Scrambling to get his phone, he immediately typed a reply to cover for the other girl.

[8:02 pm] jungwon: sorry i don't :/

[8:02 pm] jungwon: what do u need her for

[8:03 pm] y/n: mf was supposed to teach me a maths question but she left me on rEAD

This was his chance! It was the perfect opportunity for him to score a date with you. Okay, breathe in breath out Jungwon. Don't mess it up and just ask her, he mentally prepared himself.

[8:04 pm] jungwon: oh i could help you if you want

[8:04 pm] jungwon: yk with finals coming up and everything, i can help you study

[8:05 pm] jungwon: if you want of course

[8:05 pm] y/n: omg srsly??

[8:06 pm] jungwon: pls help me study my braincells are literally dying

[8:07 pm] jungwon: jdsjkda okay how about this saturday at your place?

[8:08 pm] y/n: yeah sure

[8:08 pm] jungwon: cool its a date then!

You blinked at Jungwon's message. A date? Wait, did Yang Jungwon just indirectly asked you out? Nah, nah. You were overthinking it. Yes, definitely overthinking. Don't kid yourself, why would Jungwon ask you out on a date? Jungwon is just a friend, you tried to convince yourself.

Keyword: tried.

If he really was just a friend, then why did it felt like butterflies were in your stomach when he said "it was a date"? Then why did you frowned when those girls said that Wonyoung and Jungwon would make a good couple?

Oh god, do you have feelings for your best friend?

Saturday came faster than you would have liked it to. Ever since that last chat with Jungwon, it gave you the sudden realisation that you did in fact had feelings for your best friend. You tried so hard to avoid him in school because you don't want the butterflies back in your stomach. It was basically confirming the fact that you like him. Well, avoiding him also confirmed the fact but you choose to be in denial about it.

You didn't tell Wonyoung about your study date but lately she's been sending you outfit ideas on Pinterest. Specifically, date outftis. And whenever you tried to ask her a question about school, she brushed you off with a random excuse. So it left you no choice but to save those questions for Jungwon.

Speaking of Jungwon, he had texted you 10 minutes ago that he was on the way. You were standing in the middle of your room with your hands on your hips. Both of your parents were out for the day, which left you alone at home. You had taken out the low table to be used later and it was currently in front of you. Colourful workbooks were neatly stacked on top of it.

You did a 360 turn around your room. Was it messy? You cleaned it this morning when you woke up. Did you had any clothes out? No, doesn't look like it. For some reason, you were a nervous wreck. You blamed Jungwon. He just had to call this a date, didn't he.

Should you change? Maybe you should finally look through all those pins Wonyoung sent. Wait, no, why would you have to change into something nice. Jungwon was here to help you study, just that.

Yeah, a study date, your mind emphasised on the word.

The sound of the doorbell pulled you out from your thoughts. You immediately went to open the door. Yang Jungwon stood there on the other side, with his signature smile. Had he always resembled a sheep? He just looked so fluffy.

"Hey!" You greeted him with a smile, internally wincing at your way-too-enthusiastic voice.

But Jungwon didn't seem to mind it. "Hey!" he greeted back.

You moved to the side to let him in. "Thank you for having me," he said as he bowed then proceeded to remove his shoes.

"Uh, do you want anything? Water?" You asked him.

He shook his head.

"Ah, cool. Let's head to my room," you started to walk back to your room.

"Where are your parents?" He asked.

"Out," you simply replied.

That was when it dawned upon you, that your parents were not home. Leaving you and Jungwon, alone. Together. In your room. Alone. With the boy you potentially have a crush on.

"Y/N?" Jungwon tapped on your shoulder. You had stopped walking when you were suddenly washed over by your thoughts. Snapping out of it, you sent him a small smile before opening the room to your door.

The both of you shuffled into your bedroom, you sat down in front of the low table while Jungwon settled down next to you. He moved to take out his books then turned to you. "How about we do some studying and if you have any questions, you can ask me okay?" He said.

You nodded and flipped your own workbook open, immediately starting to work on the first question. Jungwon copied your action and a comfortable silence engulfed the both of you. As the time passed, you found yourself stuck on a certain maths question.

You slightly turned your head to the side to look at Jungwon. He was concentrated at doing his work, you felt a sense of deja vu while looking at him. He resembled Wonyoung when she was studying. At the thought of Wonyoung, you suddenly thought of what those girls said at the bathroom.

They would make a good couple, wouldn't they, you thought. The power couple of the year.

The butterflies in your stomach faded away into an uncomfortable feeling. Just the idea of them getting together already made you sick. You bit the inside of your cheek, you really did had feelings for him. And now it scared you because what if he doesn't feel the same. You made a mental note to consult with Wonyoung later, at least you hope that you'll allow yourself to tell her.

Jungwon must've noticed you staring and gently tapped your head with his pencil. A contrast to when Wonyoung painfully flicked your forehead.

"What's wrong? Are you stuck on a question?" He asked.

You leaned back a bit at the sudden action. You were so deep in your insecurities that you had totally forgotten about the literal problem sitting in front of you. Yet you couldn't even bother to ask him so you just shook your head. "I'm gonna get something to drink," you said instead.

Jungwon watched as you stood up, then decided to follow you as well. "I'll come along."

The boy joined you in the kitchen, perched on one of the island stools as you grabbed a can of soda from the fridge. He studied your movement as you worked around the kitchen. Your features were neutral, you weren't smiling nor frowning. But he could tell that your shoulders were tensed. Wonyoung was right, you did seem down. And he cursed himself for not noticing earlier.

"You okay?" His question made you stopped in a mid-pour stance, the can of soda was tilted but not enough for the contents to be poured out.

You brushed his question off and poured the drink into the cup. "Yeah," you hummed.

Unconvinced by your answer, he pried more. "You know you shouldn't care about what they say, right?"

You furrowed your eyebrows at him, pretending like you didn't understand where he was coming from.

"You're not below us, you know that right?"

You couldn't help but scoffed at his words. Jungwon's lips tugged downwards "I'm being serious here, Y/N," his tone was stern. "You shouldn't listen to what they say. You're more than just-"

The sound of the can being slammed down shuts him up. Your fingers tightened around the can as you looked at him. You didn't had the energy to hear him preach the same old "Don't Listen To Them" speech. You don't need his pity.

"I don't want to hear it, Yang Jungwon," you said through gritted teeth. Not sparing him another glance, you threw the empty can into the trash as you grabbed your glass.

As you walked past Jungwon, he suddenly reached out and held onto your forearm. "Y/N," he said softly. "Please tell me what's wrong."

You sighed and slowly turn around to face him, placing the glass back on the counter. You took in a deep breath before you opened your mouth. "I feel like I'm not enough," you finally said. "Everything I do just doesn't seem enough. All I'm doing is my best but it's just crushing my ego because everyone is telling me that you're better than me."

"I feel like no one wants me and I hate the way I'm perceived. It's always poor Y/N this and poor Y/N that's because everyone just sees me as your shadow and I fucking hate it. I only have two real friends," you gestured wildly. "And lately I'm a nervous wreck cause I keep comparing myself to the two of you. I'm not cool and I'm not smart, and I can't even parallel park!" You threw your hands up in frustration, the feelings you kept inside were pouring out like a waterfall.

Jungwon just stood there as he listened tentatively to every word. He didn't knew that you felt this way, bottling up all your emotions like that.

"And I'm so tired of people telling me to enjoy my youth and that these are the golden years. I might just fucking cry if I hear those words again," you finished ranting. It felt good, it felt like a weight on your heart has been lifted. Then you remembered that you just dumped all of it on Jungwon.

You opened your mouth to apologise to him but he surprised you by pulling him into his arms. At first you were standing stiffly at the sudden contact, but it took a millisecond for you to melt in his embrace. His arms were gently around your back and you returned the hug by wrapping your arms around his torso. The two of you stay in that position for awhile, relishing in each other's embrace. You definitely needed this hug.

Tightening your hold on Jungwon, you realised how important he was to you. He was your best friend and he was always there for you. It was stupid of you to compare yourself to him, when all he did was tried his best for you. The taller boy chuckled when he felt you rubbed your face into his shoulder, he involuntarily released a contented sigh. You felt one of his hands stroked your hair, it felt comforting. That action itself was enough for the butterflies to slowly settled back in you.

After a while, both of you finally (unwillingly) released each other. He pushed a strand of hair behind your ears and said, "You're wrong by the way." Which made you tilt your head in genuine confusion.

"You are cool and you are smart. You're like the coolest person I know. And no one thinks of you as our shadow, you don't hear it but I've always hear the juniors praising you for helping them and how enthusiastic you are," the way he delivered his words was filled with pure awe for you.

"And who cares if you can't parallel park. You didn't hear it from but Jay hyung failed his drivers test three times just because he couldn't parallel park," and that got a laugh out from you. Jungwon smiled proudly that he managed to make you laugh. "And you're wrong when you said no one wants you. I want you."

You blinked once, twice and thrice. He wanted you? "You're just saying that cause you're my best friend," you replied.

"No," he firmly said. "I like you, Y/N."

(Jungwon doesn't know where he got this sudden surge of confidence, but the mood was the perfect time for him to confess. It was a one time chance and he had to take it.)

You chuckled. "I like you too, Jungwon. We are friends aren't we?"

"No, Y/N. I like you. More than friends."

"Oh." Oh.

"Yeah," he scratched the back of neck awkwardly. Oh no, did you not feel the same way?

While you on the other hand, were malfunctioning on the inside. Your best friend just confessed to you and you were frozen on the spot. Why couldn't he had done it over text instead. If he had done it over text, then you could've left the message unread and you could've spammed Wonyoung for help. But the thing is that it wasn't over text and you couldn't just tell him to wait here while you panicked to Wonyoung in your bathroom.

Yang Jungwon likes you. And you like him too, right? Because if you didn't, your cheeks won't be heating up right now and your heart would have not be beating rapidly like it was going to break your rib cage any second. If you didn't like him, there would have never been butterflies in your stomach. Yeah. You like Yang Jungwon, you like him a lot.

"Me too," you whispered, it was soft but it was enough for him to pick it up. Jungwon eyes snapped to you, doe eyed filled with hope. "I like you, too," you said, this time louder. And you made sure you looked him in the eye when you confessed.

You watched as Jungwon's mouth morphed into a big grin. He let out a sigh of relief and dropped to his knees, surprising you. "Jungwon!" you squeaked, bending down to help him.

"I'm fine! I'm fine," he assured you as he stood up with your help. The grin on his face was still there. "It's just that … you like me," he breathed out. "You like me back, wow. I-I can't believe it."

Your face was definitely burning with embarrassment. You punched him lightly on the shoulder, turning away to hide your face. "Believe it, you dork. I like you, okay!" Somehow his grin was able to grew wider at your words, Gently, he took your hand in his.

"How about we stop this study date, and I'll take you out on real date?"

a/n: thank you so much for reading this <3

#enhypen #yang jungwon #jungwon #enhypen imagines #yang jungwon imagines #jungwon imagines #enhypen x reader #yang jungwon x reader #jungwon x reader #kim sunoo #nishimura riki #enhypen scenarios #yang jungwon scenarios #jungwon scenarios #jungwon fluff #enhypen fluff #yang jungwon fluff #chaeryybomb; the sour series

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necros-writing-stuff · 3 years

Note

It had been days since you'd last seen Bailey. Sure, Eden would randomly go missing for days on end, but Bailey hardly ever left your side longer than necessary. He said it was because you were too weak and pathetic to take care of yourself. That was just Bailey-speak for "I'm worried you'll get hurt and I care about you". He was funny like that. But this wasn't a funny situation. He was missing, and the thought of something terrible happening to him made you feel sick. He wasn't the most touchy-feely person in the world, but he was deeply important to you. You'd known him since you were children, and you knew the caretaker liked to hurt him. He never went into detail on how or why, telling you that you didn't need to know. It made you more nervous. So nervous that you braved the forest to find Eden.

You wouldn't call yourself a scardy-cat, even if Eden and Bailey liked to say you were. They took a lot of joy in making you squeal. Bailey would find the grossest bugs and hold them inches from your face. Eden would man handle you into dangerous places, then threaten to drop you. They were so mean to you sometimes, but they kept you safe from almost everyone else. Only they were allowed to tease and torment you. Oh, and Quinn. She was the worst. She never did anything physical, even though she probably could. Eden and Bailey weren't likely to stop her. But she loved to tease you. Especially about your crush on Bailey. You didn't have a crush on him! He was just your best friend and you loved him more than anyone! ... Wait--

The woods were dangerous, and Eden was always telling you to steer clear if you were alone. So, you brought Quinn with you. She had been schmoozing some suits when you found her. You didn't know if she was trying to sell herself, or just make connections. It was hard to tell with her. It didn't matter, some puppy eyes and your genuine concern were enough to have her reluctantly agreeing to join you in finding Eden. She tried to reassure you as you walked along the dirt path. Bailey was a tough son-of-a-bitch, and it would take a lot to bring him down. You hadn't considered he might be dead, and the thought made you cry. It felt like your heart was being ripped from your chest. Quinn was quick to retract her statement.

"I just meant that he can hold his own. I'm sure he's fine." She gently cradled your face in her hands and wiped your tears away with her thumbs. You sniffled and tried to catch your breath. She held you where you stood until you had calmed down enough to continue on. You wouldn't be able to find Bailey if you were a shaking, blubbering mess. Quinn was smart and had a good intuition about things. She had to be right… Right?

Finding Eden proved to be easier than you thought. That was thanks, in part, to his new gun. He was still learning to use it and had to take multiple shots at his prey to actually hit it. He'd stolen it from some hunters he beat the shit out of. It was pretty impressive. Not that you'd been there. Your friends were a violent bunch. It was deeply ingrained in them that violence was the only way to survive. Your friends were violent and cruel, but not around you. Not if they could help it. You were a sort of glue for them. You were soft, squishy and full of good intentions. You were pure, a bright spot in the bleak, unforgiving world they lived in. Eden had made it abundantly clear that he'd kill for you and Bailey. Hell, once while drunk, Bailey had outright told you that he'd die for you. Even Quinn prioritized your safety over her own, going so far as to risk her reputation if it meant keeping you safe. As the sort of girl to mock, or get off on people being assaulted, it meant a lot that she was so keen on keeping you away from those types.

The camp was spartan. Tent, a fire, cooking skewer, fire poker, an axe, water jug and a felled log that served as a bench. You presumed that his sleeping bag was in his tent. Eden was surprised to see you, and especially Quinn, out in the forest. He was quick to look you over for any injuries.

"You've been crying. Why? What happened?" Eden side eyed Quinn. You started crying again, and it took you a solid few minutes to tell him that Bailey was missing and hadn't been seen in days. He was quiet while you spoke, letting you work yourself through it while Quinn began packing up Eden's things. When you finally managed to tell him what was wrong, he clenched his jaw and he almost looked angry. His reaction made you cry more. Something terrible was happening. Something awful had happened to Bailey right under your noses. You should have kept a closer eye on him, should have made sure he was okay, should have--

"Alright, let's get going." Quinn tossed the filled backpack to Eden and began leading the way back. The walk back to the orphanage felt so much longer than the walk to the forest had been. A pit grew in your stomach, getting bigger with each step you took. Quinn held your hand in her's, offering a small modicum of comfort and letting you squeeze her hand. When you got to Wolf street, Eden stopped and looked at Quinn.

"Go swipe some antibiotics. Strong ones. We're probably going to need them." He muttered. Quinn groaned.

"Fine. But you guys owe me for eating up so much of my time." She gave you a quick peck on the cheek and muttered a quick "not you". With that, she let you go and headed off to Nightingale street. You felt nauseous. Why would you need prescription strength antibiotics? The worry stole your ability to speak. All you could do was follow Eden back to the orphanage, the weight of innumerable horrible, potential outcomes heavy on your mind. Even with Eden and Quinn helping you, the not knowing was eating you alive. Unlike Quinn, who tried to offer you verbal comfort, then physical, Eden offered none. When you finally arrived back at the orphanage, he stopped you.

"Grab some fresh towels, your first-aid kit, unscented, sensitive skin soap and go run a hot bath." You looked up at him, confused. Eden was quiet for a moment before patting you on the head and ruffling your hair.

"He'll be fine with you taking care of him. But I have to go free him first." Your eyes went wide.

"F- Free him?" You asked, voice shaking. Eden nodded slowly. He opened his mouth to speak, but seemed to think better of it. Instead, he gave you a light shove on your shoulder. Hint taken, you hesitantly went off to collect the things you needed. Your over the top first-aid kit, soaps from that one melvin of a kid, and a few towels right out of the dryer. You stepped into the bathroom and began setting things around while the water ran. The tub filled slowly due to the shitty piping. At least the water was clean. Steam swirled and danced around the otherwise cold room, fogging the glass of the mirror. Soaps and shampoos were set on the rim of the bath next to a fresh wash cloth. The clean towels were stacked atop your duffle bag full of medical supplies.

Most of your extensive collection were gifts from your friends. Gifts for you to use on them, but you appreciated them nonetheless. Gauzes, bandages, creams and ointments. You had a box of latex gloves, sterile needles for stitches and plenty of painkillers. It made you feel more at ease to have so many things on standby. So much so, that they had started bringing you books on how to tend to various wounds and injuries. It was equal parts ensuring their own safety, and keeping you calm that had them gathering anything they thought might be useful to you. It proved beneficial to them multiple times over, and you'd gotten pretty good at giving and removing stitches. You were their personal ER.

You were sorting through the basic things you were certain you'd need when Eden burst through the door, an unconscious Bailey in his arms. You covered your mouth and bit back a scream at the sight of him, your heart stopping for a moment. He was entirely naked. Blood, fresh and dried, was splattered across his bruised and broken skin. His breathing was shallow and uneven. He had multiple wounds of varying depth, all of which were oozing blood, and some, puss. His nose was broken, his hair disheveled and his wrists were wrapped in rope burn and deep cuts. His back was a ruined landscape of bloody lashes, so bad in spots that you could see the muscles underneath. He was bleeding from the side of his head and all of his oraphisis. Worst of all, he was covered in various bodily fluids that weren't his own. He was sweating, some of the dried substances rehydrating and gliding skin with each drop. His face looked to be flushed and, from what you could tell, he was feverish.

Eden crossed the room in a few massive steps. He gingerly lowered his friend into the hot water. Awkwardly, he maneuvered the unconscious young man in a way that he could lay in the tub and not drown, a towel rolled and tucked under his neck as a makeshift pillow. You carefully touched Bailey's unflinching face, an unstoppable stream of tears running down your cheeks. He'd been viciously raped multiple times, and absolutely brutalized. You could only imagine the sick, depraved things he'd been forced to endure. Had he been suffering the whole time he was gone? And you waited so long to act. If you'd done something sooner, he wouldn't be in such terrible shape. You should have acted sooner. This was your fault. Bailey had been suffering god-knows-what for a week and you had done nothing to help him. You nearly vomited. The acidic bile rose hot and fast up your throat, but you swallowed it back down. Behind you, you could hear Eden washing his hands, but you really couldn't focus on anything else. When he came to stand next to you, you looked up at the towering man. Eden pulled a hunting knife from his boot and nodded towards the door.

"I'll keep watch. You get him cleaned up." It took you a second to register that he was speaking. Slowly, you nodded. He was right. This was no time to be a mess. You could cry when your friend wasn't covered in cum, blood and piss. You squeezed your eyes shut and nodded again. You opened your eyes and gave Eden a determined look. With that, he left the room with his giant knife. You waited to hear the distinct click of the lock before taking the washcloth and smearing soap over it. It was probably for the best that Bailey was out cold for this. With all his open wounds, the soap would sting in places that air had only just touched for the first time. Then there were all the stitches you'd have to give him. This was going to hurt like a bitch.

An hour, two changes of water and all of your gauze and bandages later, Bailey was nice and clean and fully patched up. With his condition, you would need to change his bandages every few hours. You made a mental list of all the things you'd need more of just to take proper care of Bailey. Hopefully Quinn wouldn't mind paying the pharmacy another visit. You called for Eden when it was time to move him. The larger boy opened the door and quietly took in the sight of you, on your knees and fussing over Bailey. He almost cracked a smile, but the situation was far too grim. As careful as he was putting him in, Eden lifted your friend and started down the hall. You trailed after, like a lost puppy. Even as he waltzed right passed Bailey's room and made a b-line to your's.

"Open it. His room isn't safe." It was an order, not a request. Still, you cocked your head.

"What about your's?" You asked.

"Empty."

"What?"

"It's empty. Just a mattress on the floor and some blankets."

"What about-"

"Keep my clothes in my bag." You blinked a few times, suddenly unsure this was reality and not a fucked up dream. He cleared his throat.

"Open the door." Eden tapped his boot against the bottom of your door. An unspoken threat that he'd kick it down if he had to. You quietly unlocked the door and let him in. Bailey was set down on your bed and wrapped up in your blankets. You sat at your desk while Eden checked your window, ensuring that it was locked tight and that your curtains were drawn. Once he was sure no one was coming through it, he looked at you.

"I'm going to grab some of his clothes, then keep watch at the door. Let me know when he wakes up." As he walked to the door, you remembered your list and quickly scribbled it down on some scrap paper. You bolted from your chair and handed the paper to Eden.

"When Quinn comes back, let her know I need these asap." He turned it over a few times, committing it to memory. He didn't say anything else as he walked out the door. You locked the door behind him and sat next to Bailey. He was still feverish, sweating and his breathing uneven, but he already looked a lot better than he had when Eden brought him to the bathroom. You gently moved some hair from his face. He looked almost peaceful, if ill. You laid next to Bailey, minimal space between you on the small bed. Though you only meant to rest your eyes for a second or two, you ended up falling asleep.

Some time later, you were woken up by the feeling of a hand softly carding through your hair. It felt nice. Mind still foggy from sleep, you didn't question why you were wrapped in your blankets or snuggling up to something big, warm and firm. You were just enjoying the quiet serenity of the moment. Really, you couldn't remember when you last felt so at ease. Not since you were a child, you'd guess. When you and your friends would form cuddle piles. Since Bailey used to be the smallest, you would spoon him, and Eden would spoon you. Now Bailey was averse to snuggles. Your sleepy haven was destroyed when you heard someone snort.

"What?" A familiar voice groused. Cracking an eye open, you looked at what it was you were clinging to. It was Bailey. He was glaring at something across the room. Your head was resting on his chest, and his arm was wrapped around your shoulders.

"You're whipped." Eden chuckled from his spot across the room. He was sitting backwards on the chair at your desk. You could hear Bailey's heartbeat pick up at the accusation.

"Fuck you, no I'm not." Bailey snapped. Eden laughed, a real deep laugh that made his shoulders shake. You didn't think it was funny at all that Bailey had gotten whipped. Frankly, you were pretty sure it was traumatizing for all of you. You'd never seen any of them in that rough of a shape. The arm around your shoulders tightened its hold. You let your eye close again. Honestly, it was kind of selfish of you to milk the moment, but it had been so long since you last got to be so close to him like this. He was holding you like he didn't ever want to let go of you. You hoped he wouldn't. You missed being close to him, feeling the warmth of his skin against yours and hearing his heartbeat. You just wanted him to let you hug him from time to time. Was that so much to ask? Tsundere ass motherfu-

"No I'm not, he says" Eden snorted.

"You look like you'd hit me if I tried to move them." Eden's voice was full of mirth. Were they… Talking about you?

"That's because I would. I can't move much, but I can get around enough to kick your ass. You're top heavy. Just got to take out your legs." Bailey moved a little, reaching for your bedside table. You heard the drawer open, then slam shut. He groaned loudly.

"Forgot this isn't my room…" He muttered lowly. Knowing him, he probably wanted a cigarette. You could steal some for him later. Some whiskey too, he had to be stressed after everything he'd gone through. Not like he was in any condition to be stealing from the convenience store, anyway. Maybe you could get Eden or Quinn to help you. Bailey was going to need you to be his full time nurse.

"You're not totally whipped, but you'd fight me for them?" Eden was having a great time, though. You could feel Bailey tense and shift to lay more comfortably, dragging you with him.

"I'd fight anyone for them." He spoke so quietly you almost didn't hear it. Almost. You heard it loud and clear, your heart skipping a beat. Aw, Bailey did care about you! He was just embarrassed!

"What was that? I couldn't quite hear you." You didn't need to look at Eden to know he was smiling.

"Fuck off." Likewise, you could practically hear Bailey blushing. Actually, his whole body started heating up.

"I love them and they make me feel normal? Is that what you said?" The teasing continued. One would think that after what happened, Eden would go easy on him. One would be wrong. Apparently no one was safe from bullying within the group. You were just the easiest, most fun target.

"Get bent." Bailey spoke through clenched teeth, his jaw set tight.

"Maybe I'll come over there and scoop em' up. Bring em'. Back to my room." Eden's voice dropped, and Bailey tensed again, though he quickly regained his composure.

"Then what? Show them your shitty mattress on the floor?" Bailey snorted.

"Don't need anything but my arms to wreck that one." Wreck you? Like, by hitting you or with sex? Those were two completely different scenarios and you really needed to know which. Would Eden hit you? You didn't think so, but what if he did? He'd kill you without even trying to! As for sex--

Bailey laughed, his whole body shaking.

"Oh please. Everyone knows you got those arms from jerking off. You've never touched another person in your life. Have you ever seen a vagina?" He taunted. Wait. Eden was a vir--

"Maybe, maybe not. We both know they're a kissless virgin. I think I could take them on." Bailey pulled you more on top of himself, wrapping both of his arms around you. Your head tucked under his chin, you could feel how tight his jaw was clenched. He wasn't jealous was he? Did he have feelings for Eden? You hadn't considered it before. Is that why he didn't want you being too close to him? The thought made you sad. Sure, you may or may not have a massive crush on him, but your friendship meant more than anything and you never wanted to do anything to risk it.

You'd accidentally walked in on Eden touching himself more than once but always shut the door immediately. Same thing with Quinn, but never Bailey. As an aside, Eden and Quinn were both terribly well endowed. It wouldn't surprise you to find out that Bailey had feelings for either of them. Eden was tall, and ripped. He was a little awkward, and rough around the edges. But he was the single most loyal person you'd ever met. He was strong, dependable and deceptively kind. You just had to earn that treatment from him. Quinn was a wicked smart bombshell who could kill a man with just a look. If she wasn't so promiscuous, you could see her and Bailey forming a power couple.

It made you self conscious in a way. The two of them outclassed you in every possible way. Why would anyone find interest in you when your friends were right there? Truthfully, you didn't think Bailey was capable of getting aroused. So the thought of him being interested in Eden never crossed your mind. Eden was jacking off as frequently as he was getting into fights. Which was a lot. Like, a lot. Then again, Bailey was almost always with you. You were rarely apart longer than it took for one of you to shower. It didn't leave much time for him to make a move or have a move made on him. He said it was for your protection, because you were too weak and pathetic to take care of yourself.

"Could make you scream too, if your asshole wasn't bleeding. I mean, I would, but I'm not interested in making it worse." Bailey scoffed at him. Probably rolled his eyes too, but his heart was racing and his skin was heating up. Oh! So he did have a thing for Eden? Well now you felt bad. You were constantly cock blocking him and you had no idea.

"Can't imagine there'd be much better than banging both of you at once though." Eden continued like he was talking about the weather. How the hell was he being so casual about- You felt Bailey's dick twitch against your leg. Your face flushed hotly. You didn't need to know either of them were into that sort of thing. Not that they weren't both incredibly attractive and surprisingly caring individuals, they were! It was just that you didn't want anyone doing anything that would compromise your friendships. All you had was each other.

"A threesome with you two? Yeah, I'd middle that." Bailey's hands ran down your back to rest just above your ass. His thumbs teased your waist band. Alright, that was enough of that. You squirmed in his arms, trying to wriggle free. Instead of letting you go, Bailey flipped you so that you were pinned under him on the bed. He gave you a cocky grin and you could hear Eden get up and walk to the side of the bed.

"Took you long enough to wake up. How much of that did you hear, treasure?" Words failed you, your brain like mush and all the blood that had been fueling it went right to your loins. Bailey's fingers teased the hem of your shirt. Having you laying underneath him was something he'd wanted for much longer than he'd like to admit. Even if every move you made was painful, you were over dressed for the occasion, and Eden was there. Not that he didn't like Eden. He was a good friend and an attractive man. But he loved you, even if he'd sooner die than tell you that. He was going to have to be quick to swipe your virginities before Eden could.

"How about it then?" Eden asked, grasping your face between his thumb and forefinger. Your heart was in your throat, rendering you mute. You looked from Eden to Bailey, swallowed thickly, then nodded. They wasted no time in tearing your clothes off of you. Literally in Eden's case, which was a shame, because you liked that shirt. Before you really knew it, Eden was up on the bed with you, behind Bailey. Somewhere while Bailey was fighting to get your skinny jeans off, Eden had stripped. Bailey had a lot of energy considering how Eden found him just a few hours ago. You wanted to ask him about it, but one, that would kill the mood and two, you didn't want to give him a ptsd flashback or something. Almost as quickly as Eden got on the bed, Bailey was elbowing him away.

"Are you trying to rip me open, you dumb fuck?" He hissed. Eden looked offended and annoyed.

"What?" Eden bit back, pushing Bailey down so his chest pressed to yours. A light flush on his face, Bailey strained his neck to spit hate at Eden.

"You're not going in dry, you dipshit! Go grab some lube!" The larger boy scoffed at his friend's demand. You wrapped your arms around Bailey's shoulders, almost in a protective manner. You leveled Eden with the sternest look you could muster. The bastard cracked a smile and laughed at you. He got up to steal lube from one of the other orphans, but it still annoyed you that he didn't take you seriously. It struck you then, just how comfortable you were being naked with the two of them. For a brief moment, you wondered if Eden cared that he was walking out in the buff. You didn't dwell on it long. You couldn't really, not when Bailey started pressing hot, open mouth kisses along the side of your throat. Your eyes fluttered shut, a soft moan slipping past your lips, prompting Bailey to grind his hard on against your thigh. Heat coiled in your gut. He was bigger than you thought he'd be. Not as monstrous as Eden, but still impressive. As much as you wanted to lose yourself in the moment, there was a nagging voice in your head telling you to wait till everyone was present.

"Bailey," Your hand carded through his hair, drawing a pleased hum from him.

"Shouldn't we wait?" Was it rude to start before Eden came back? What was proper threesome etiquette? Bailey trailed his kisses down neck to your chest. His mouth hovered over your bare breast for a moment, letting you feel the heat of his breath and making you squirm. Then he bit you, his teeth digging into the soft, tender flesh of your breast. It wasn't hard enough to break the skin, but there would definitely be a mark. You let out a pained yelp and tried to push his head away from your chest.

"Stop it! That hurts!" You whined, but he only glared at you. After a second or two, he released your chest. You opened your mouth to speak again but it died in your throat when his lips crashed into yours. Bailey shoved his tongue into your mouth, tasting you and stealing your first kiss. You were inexperienced, clumsy and sloppy, but Bailey didn't seem to care. If anything, it excited him more to take your firsts from you. He was the first person you hugged, held hands with and now kissed. Soon enough he'll have popped your cherry. If he had things his way, he'd be your only. But his life was shit and he doubted he'd get that. So he'd take what he could. Your arms came up to wrap around his neck. For a few blissful minutes, he reveled in the feeling of kissing you. Reluctantly though, he broke the kiss to speak.

"If he didn't want us to start without him, he should have come prepared." He sounded angry. Then again, he always did. It was his natural cadence and you wouldn't want him any other way. Bailey shuffled closer, sitting up on his knees so he could have better control of your body. He ran his hands down your sides, greedily taking in every inch of your body and committing it to memory.

Hands stopping at your knees, Bailey gripped them and folded you in half. Your eyes went wide and you started stammering out questions and objections until his tongue touched your slit. Your face was just as, if not redder than his. Maintaining eye contact, Bailey began lapping at your sex. Sighs and embarrassed moans left your throat as Bailey began working you open with his mouth. He was pleasantly surprised by how wet you already were for him. You needed to be careful, or something like that might go to his head and make him think you wanted him like he wanted you. Your taste was heaven on his tongue. If things were different, he could see himself spending hours between your thighs, not stopping until you were an overstimulated puddle under him. But they weren't different. He was a used, unloveable, disgusting wreck and you'd seen him at his most broken, most tainted. Nevertheless, it didn't matter how wet you were for him, if you weren't prepared right it would hurt when he finally got to bury himself inside you. The last thing he wanted was to hurt you, especially like this. Lips forming a seal over your clit, he began pushing a finger into your virgin hole.

Bailey's fingers were so much thicker than yours. You couldn't help the moan that left you when it was all the way into the knuckle. Slowly, he began to pump his finger in and out of you and god, you were so fucking tight! The thought of being inside you made his cock throb. Once he felt you were ready for the next step, the dark haired boy pushed a second finger inside you. A high pitch keen left you as your lover began teasing your clit with his tongue and scissoring you open on his fingers. He wanted you to enjoy this, wanted you to get hooked on the feeling and come back to him over and over again. Cum you did. Your thighs began to tremble, your breathing picking up and your sounds reaching a fever pitch. Within moments that cord inside you snapped and had you finishing on his fingers.

Talented fingers worked you through your high, leaving you limp and bonelessly flopping back down onto the bed when Bailey let go of you. Through heavy lidded eyes, you watched him lick and suck his fingers clean of your fluids. Pulling them from his lips with a lewd pop, he gave you a cocky grin. Maybe it was the post orgasm bliss, but you smiled back at him.

"I love you." Three little words left your lips and stopped his breathing. His eyes went wide and he was quiet long enough for you to begin to panic. When you moved to get up, Bailey roughly pinned you back down. He gripped your shoulders in a bruising hold and slammed his lips into yours again. This kiss was different than the last, it was desperate and full of need and everything he was too much of a coward to say to you. You cradled his face in your hands and returned the kiss with just as much passion, your thumbs wiping away a few tears when you felt them wet your face.

You had to break for air eventually, your lungs burning for oxygen. Bailey pulled back, a lewd trail of saliva connecting your tongues as you parted. For a moment, you simply gazed into each other's eyes. Lust mingled with love and want, your pupils dilated. Careful of his injuries, you wrapped your legs around his waist and urged him closer. Dick in hand, Bailey teased the blunt head against your hole, smearing his pre and gathering your slick yo lubricate himself. You were really testing his control, softly calling out his name and rolling your hips into his.

"Isn't that cute." Eden chuckled as he waltzed back into the room, lube in hand. You covered your face with your hands out of embarrassment. Shamefully, you'd forgotten about Eden entirely. The taller boy wasted no time in getting back on the bed. He squeezed the bottle into his hand and coated his erection with its contents. Bailey shivered when he felt the cold gel being rubbed onto his tight rim.

"You be carefu--" A surprised cry cut you off as Bailey began sinking his aching cock inside you. He let out a low groan as you slowly took him, inch by girthy inch. Once fully seated inside you, he paused to let you adjust. You felt so oddly full, in the most pleasant of ways, but the stretch burned. Your walls were forced to make room for Bailey's prick, and take him to the base. You wrapped your arms around Bailey's neck and pulled him into another searing kiss. Eden muttered something about it being "about time" before he was carefully entering Bailey, making the shorter boy cry out into your mouth. In a good way that is. In a way that let you know he was enjoying it and not in pain.

Once everyone had adjusted, it was off to the races. Eden had the majority of control, and while you and he had been virgins still this moment, Bailey was the one on cloud nine. Sandwiched between his two favorite people, your hot, tight little pussy sucking his cock in and holding on tight while Eden hammered away at his ass and controlled his thrusts into you. Hell, Eden was basically fucking you with Bailey, not that any of you minded, he couldn't when you worked with the rhythm to bring hin even higher.

Your bedroom filled with sounds of skin hitting skin, loud moaning and high pitched keening, and deep, low groans. The bed frame slammed into the wall again, and again; the mattress underneath you squealed and creaked as Eden fucked Bailey into you, and inturn had him fucking you into the bed. Speaking of Bailey, as great as you felt with his cock abusing your sweet spot, he was undoubtedly getting the most out of this. His eyes had rolled back in his head, he was drooling and his tongue had lolled out of his mouth. He looked and sounded like he belonged in a porno. Whatever inhibitions he'd had were long gone now that his brain was nothing but mush.

It was over as quickly as it began. Bailey was the first to finish. More than once actually. Load after load of his hot spunk flooded inside you only to be fucked out from Eden's brutal thrusts. You came second, again multiple times. The waves of ecstasy enveloped you and had you creaming on Bailey's prick, pulling him into another orgasm and the cycle repeated until Eden left you both overstimulated messes. The taller boy eventually reached the end of his impressive stamina, blowing his load into Bailey's ass. Satisfied, Eden pulled out and climbed off the bed. You idly rubbed Bailey's back as you both recovered. From where you were, you could see Eden get dressed and show himself out.

"You two should invite me to join you again some time. That was fun." He said as the door shut. Left alone, with just Bailey, you looked down at his fucked out face. Gently, you stroked his cheek until he came back to himself. You gave him a sweet smile and kissed his nose.

"Enjoy yourself?" You asked, still breathless. Bailey nodded and moved to slowly pull out of you, unplugging your hole and allowing a small stream of cum to dribble out. He collapsed next to you on the bed and held you close as he fell asleep. Too tired to bother with your cum soaked sheets, you curled up into Bailey's side and tugged your blankets over you both. You didn't know what the future held, but you were excited for it, so long as you had Bailey with you.

(- anon 🚩 Not proud of this one, but it's done. I've never wtitten a 3way before so this is my first go at it. Eighteen years later, Eden nails Bailey and Pre!PC's child. That's whatchya get when you the mans out.)

As that one post said: Eden has always been one to kiss the homies goodnight.

"I'm not proud of this one," you should be though. This was amazing, one of my favourites yet. The angst of Bailey and the smut to make up for it? Oh you're spoiling me.

#🚩 anon #tw implied noncon #younger au #others stuff #Bailey the Caretaker #Eden the Lonely

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sapphire-strikes · 2 years

Text

Over The Weather

A little sfm sickfic I wanted to write. This is gonna be two or three chapters so this is just the first. Not very exciting but the next one should be better!

Chapter 1

By this morning Kamal had hoped he'd have shaken the worst of whatever he was feeling off, ignoring the aching in his body as he got dressed and persevered down the hall without so much as a wobble despite how dizzy he'd been. But when he'd finally made it to the kitchen, he bent down in one fell swoop to pick up his bag, and that simple motion finally proved too much for him

There was a particularly unpleasant, mellow burning that sat behind his eyes as he leaned, still keeled over, against the table to squeeze them closed and pinch the bridge of his nose while he waited for it to pass.

"Oh boy..." He groaned quietly to himself. He'd always been one to get sick more than other people but he usually handled it well, taking a few days to sleep it off before feeling well enough to fall back into his usual routine. But whatever bug had been plaguing him for the last few days refused to shake off.

What made it most frustrating was the way it had been coming and going, leaving him feeling well enough to go about his day normally but his body was still wracked with an unpleasant nausea that made it hard for him to concentrate. Last night and this morning were finally the exceptions, as whatever bug had been buzzing around his head had finally landed and he felt awful. There was what even felt like congestion beginning to build in his chest, his breaths coming out heavy if he breathed out too deeply.

Doing just that, he stood back up. He'd practically been sick for days now even if it was just now finally hitting him full force, and in a decision made in frustration, he decided to keep moving forward regardless.

"Kamal..." Boris who had luckily just missed that moment of weakness, entered the kitchen cautiously, slowly stepping up to Kamal's side and resting a gentle hand on his back and shoulder in an attempt to help support him. While Kamal did his best to hide it, he obviously looked awful, and no amount of sucking it up would change the flush in his cheeks or the twinge of discomfort clear in his eyes. Even the days it hadn't been bad, Boris took quick notice of Kamal's condition, but up until now, all his fussing had seemed unnecessary as he hadn't felt that bad. "I do wish you'd stay home, please. I know you say you are fine but if you do not rest this may become something worse."

"Aw, bud, I'm fine, really I'm just tired s'all." Kamal responded to the touch with a reassuring pat on Boris' arm, making a show to rest his hand on his hips and stand tall. "Right as rain, see?" Was he lying? Maybe, but he should be fine at least. He'd never been sick for more than a few days so whatever this was was probably already on its way to passing, so what was the point in worrying Boris for one more day?

"Yes, but you had a temperature yesterday, we should check it again just to be sure." Boris finally pulled away, moving to retrieve the thermometer.

"We can check it when I get back tonight, but for now I gotta go." Kamal chuckled. "It's not my fault you woke me up late." He joked.

Boris stopped in the kitchen doorway, a small look of shame crossing his face. "I...I thought you could use the rest."

"And I appreciate that, but I'll be fine I promise. If you're still worried you can make that soup you talked about when I get back, I'm sure that'll clear the rest of whatever this little bug is right up."

"Mmmm." Boris hesitated, glancing at the floor then followed Kamal's feet the whole way up his frame, landing on his roommates' tired-looking but sure expression. Then, he slowly reached his hand out, aiming to rest the back of his large fingers against Kamal's forehead, but before he made contact, Kamal stopped him, slowly pulling his hand down and giving it a reassuring pat.

"I'm gonna be fiiiiine."

"Okee, If you say so, Kamal." Boris nodded, smiling and stepping aside so Kamal could get to the living room. "Do call me when you're on your way home?"

"Sure thing, big guy." Kamal nodded, making his way to the door.

"And perhaps when you get there? Just so I know your trip was safe, yes?" Boris followed behind him, reaching around him to open the front door once they'd reached it and held it open as Kamal made his exit.

"If that'll make you feel better, sure thing!"

"You are the one that needs to feel better! But yes, yes it will." Boris nodded and the two of them shared one final goodbye before Boris reluctantly shut the front door behind him.

As soon as Boris was out of sight, Kamal heaved a loud breath, stopping on the path to his car to once again give his dizzied head a moment to catch up when apparently, the step just down the doorway was too much for him as well. He didn't turn around but he could practically feel Boris' eyes on him from the window, the big guy was most likely waiting to see him off so he rushed his recovery as to not worry him, making his way down to and into his car regardless of the way his head spun.

As soon as he was seated the feeling finally began to fade and he took another deep breath this time in relief as he gripped the wheel and leaned back, popping his back against the seat and closing eyes as he let his body adjust.

"Okay...." He whispered silently to himself once more, opening his eyes to put the key in the ignition. Slowly turning it, he was hit with a small sense of dread, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He'd just been frustrated up until now but he knew this wasn't a good idea. He was in no condition to be working around others let alone in their mouths and he was beginning to feel ashamed for having even considered it. He was obviously worse than he'd thought since it took that realization so long to hit him. Silently surrendering to his sickness, he decided it was best to say home.

It was then that he noticed he was still trying to start the car, like his mind had disconnected from his body while he was thinking, his eyes fell to his hand that had been holding the key in place and he finally heard the way he'd been grinding the starter holding it like that and released it quickly. Staring at his hand, he flexed his fingers slowly but he'd grown so lightheaded he couldn't focus on the movement at all, feeling almost as if his hand had fallen asleep. In one final motion, his arm dropped to his side and he looked up past the wheel just in time to see Boris fast approaching as the world fell to the side with him and his vision went dark.

Putting his confidence in Kamal, Boris stepped aside letting him make his exit even if he'd been worried. Kamal was always wise about these things, good at taking care of himself at least when he was ill, so despite his worries, if Kamal thought he was well enough to go to work, he probably was. It wasn't until he watched him stumble out to his car was that confidence replaced with his better judgment and he gripped the knob of the door as he watched through the window at the top. Something stopped him from throwing it open right away and marching out, hesitating when Kamal collected himself and proceeded much more naturally. Boris knew he always made such a fuss over the littlest things, he was sure Kamal must be getting sick of it so he stopped himself, just watching as Kamal climbed into the driver seat and strapped himself in.

He watched his roommate take a deep breath, gripping the wheel for a moment as he stretched then turned the key, starting up the car. Perhaps he was worried over nothing, Kamal was confident enough to drive so he was probably alright, he'd just need to be sure to get some extra rest tonight to help recover faster.

What small relief he was beginning to feel was cast aside when the low hum of the car starting outside evolved quickly into an ear-grinding screech and Boris peaked back out through the window. Kamal was exactly where he had been a second ago, his hand now on the ignition as he "started" the car. Boris raised a brow, opening the door to step outside and see what exactly his friend was doing.

"Kamal?" When Kamal didn't notice him or release the key Boris called out to him but received no response. "Kamal!" He called out again much louder, wondering if perhaps he simply couldn't hear him over the unpleasant sound. Then it finally stopped and Boris thought perhaps he had finally heard him that time, but instead of looking in the direction of his voice, Kamal seemed to be staring blankly downward.

Now he was worried and without hesitation this time he stepped out and made his way over to the car. Before he'd made it halfway there he broke into a panicked sprint, watching as Kamal fell forward limply in his seat.

"Боже мой, Камаль, ты в порядке?!" He rushed around the car, tearing open the driver's side door, immediately doing his best to prop Kamal back up. Quickly undoing his seat belt to better get a hold of him, Boris leaned him back and placed a hand on his face, feeling sick with panic as Kamal's head nodded limply to the side. "Камаль, проснись!" Despite the tears forcefully building in his eyes, Boris did his best to stay calm, patting his cheek gently then pressing his head to his chest.

He had to hold his breath, listening desperately for a sound of a heartbeat, and after a second he was instead met with a thick, uncomfortable heaving that drowned out whatever else was going on in Kamal's chest, but at the very least, it meant he was breathing. Relief probably wouldn't describe what he was feeling at that moment. He felt sick, sick with worry and dread at that uncomfortable sound as he cursed himself for not taking notice of it sooner.

Before he had had the opportunity to pull his head away, he was met with another sound; a small groan that resonated through Kamal's chest as he finally began to stir. Boris finally removed his head from his chest, resting a hand on his face once more to angle his head upward so he could look at him. "Kamal?! Kamal, can you hear me?" The smaller man's face scrunched up when he shook him carefully.

A little more movement and Kamal began opening his eyes, even raising a hand to press it to his head and let out another groan.

"Oh, thank God." Boris pulled him into a quick, relieved hug, leaning back once more to help steady him as he came to. "Kamal, can you hear me?" He repeated the question much quieter and Kamal removed the hand from his eyes finally focusing on him.

"Ughh, yeah...yeah, I'm- I'm okay." He spoke slowly, as he worked out the situation for himself. "I'm okay." He spoke much more surely this time, resting a hand on Boris' back as he was hugged again.

"Дерьмо, do you- do you need to go to the hospital?" Boris reluctantly stepped back as Kamal moved to get out of the car. He seemed more shaken than anything, taking Boris' hand to help steady himself.

"No... it's not serious...I think I'm just dehydrated." Kamal reasoned allowing Boris to support him as the taller man wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Happened a couple of times when I'd get sick as a kid..."

"I knew this was not a good idea! I never should have let you get out of bed!" Boris was doing his best to keep his cool, frustrated with himself and how tired Kamal really seemed.

"Yeah, you...you were right- oof!" Kamal was hoisted up bridal-style mid-sentence as soon as he stepped fully out of the car.

"You're going right back to bed and you're not getting up until I say so." Boris stated firmly, and while the initial movement had jolted Kamal's head, making him nauseous all over again, Boris held him protectively to his chest and for now at least, Kamal didn't mind, leaning into him completely as he came to terms with how much better just being off his feet made him feel.

"Thanks, bud." He thanked quietly as Boris began carrying him inside. "I'm sorry if I scared you..."

Boris wore a look of determination as he stepped inside but his expression softened considerably at Kamal's words and he once again found himself fighting off his own fear in favor of taking control of the situation. "Do not worry, we will have you "right as rain" in no time!" He assured, making a nod to Kamal's words earlier.

The rest of the trip inside was mostly silent as Boris carried him down the hall and into his room. Kamal's bed was still undone, most likely because he lacked the energy to make it this morning, and Boris set him down gently on the side. "I will call the office to let them know you're not coming in."

"You don't gotta do that, bud, I got it." Kamal said, working off his shoe with his other foot.

"No, I will take care of eet." Boris insisted. Once Kamal had dressed down enough to be comfortable, Boris placed a hand on his shoulder and chest, easing him down slowly into bed and tucking him in once he was down, doing his best to smooth out and adjust the disorderly sheets. "You need to spend your energy getting comfortable."

"Aww, man.." Kamal sighed bashfully, almost taken aback by that simple action. Boris was such a mother hen when people got sick but Kamal knew even now he was dialing it back in an attempt to be less overwhelming in consideration of how tired Kamal looked.

After Boris was satisfied with how Kamal had been tucked in, he stepped away to get a few things, returning with a glass of water and the makeshift doctor's bag he kept in the bathroom down the hall. Setting everything else to the side, the first thing he did was raise the glass to Kamal's mouth. "You...you said you were dehydrated, correct? You'll need to drink lots of water!" Boris reasoned. "What are all your symptoms?" He asked as Kamal took the glass, gingerly taking a sip. "We do not want a scare like that happening again. I am going to make sure it does not."

"Yeah, I think it's cause I ugh..." Kamal paused to think about his words as Boirs began rooting through the bag he'd brought in. "Well, it ain't just because of the fever I... threw up a couple times last night, I shoulda been drinking more."

"You threw up?!" Boris stopped his searching, standing to look at Kamal in shock.

"Y-yeah, that's when I really started feeling like crap."

"Why did you not wake me up?"

"Aww, bud, you know I... I'm a grown man and I've been on the edge of this thing for days now I didn't want you worrying any more than you already were."

"And then you still tried to go to work this morning? Kamal!" Boris sounded disappointed in him, hurt almost and Kamal cringed internally at the guilt he was feeling.

"I'm sorry, I really am, it was stupid."

"You are not stupid, Kamal." Boris sighed, a small smile returning as he crouched back down and fished out the thermometer, holding it to Kamal's mouth. "Just silly sometimes..." Kamal didn't respond right away, glancing away as he let Boris put the thermometer in his mouth. Now that Kamal had been bedded down, Boris' cheery personality seemed to be returning, but it may have been an attempt to cheer Kamal up as well. The last thing Boris wanted was for him to be sad and sick at the same time.

"Okay, now let us see...." He mused pulling the thermometer from Kamal's mouth, his hopeful smile falling right back down again to a much more worried expression. "Oh my...102.9°"

Kamal cringed, visibly this time."That would explain the killer headache." He sighed, flinching for a moment as he hadn't expected Boris to reach out to him. He wasn't sure what to expect, but Boris just gently cupped his cheek, moving up to his forehead and brushing a few of his fingers through his hair in the process as he rested his hand there.

"You really are burning up..." Boris commented sadly, but there was something else behind it. He was such a naturally worried and sensitive guy, but taking control in situations like these kept him from freaking out, so Kamal knew it best to let him. It was such a look of genuine concern Kamal couldn't begin to fight it. That combined with how cool his hands were against his fevered face, Kamal just leaned into the comfortable touch, closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry, bud." Kamal apologized and Boris winced. His cheeks were worryingly cold and his forehead hot. No matter how many times he saw his friends sick, he never worried any less.

"Do not apologize, Kamal." Boris finally removed his hand, instead placing it on Kamal's shoulder to ease him into actually laying down. "I'm sure you'll be right as rain in no time, but you need to rest." Boris reached into his bag once more, pulling out a small pill bottle and shaking two out, handing them to Kamal along with the glass of water once more. "Take some ibuprofen and we'll check your temperature again in an hour but you need to get some rest, okay?"

"If you think I'm going anywhere after all that, you've got nothing to worry about." Kamal chuckled weakly, taking the ibuprofen with a gulp and leaning back on his own. "What's that look for?" He asked, referencing the contemplative look on Boris' face.

"...Well, I would like to make some 'feel-better soup', but I need you to promise me you will try to get some sleep if I do?"

"Course, I promise I won't get up, kay?"

"And you will call me if you need anything? I'll be right in the kitchen!"

"You got it, bud."

"Or if you start to feel different?"

Kamal outstretched his pinkie. "I promise, Boris, I won't scare you like that again." Kamal said, finally addressing what he knew Boris was really worried about.

Boris hesitated but finally locked his pinkie with Kamal's. "Okay, but I will be back to check on you in a few minutes! You get some resties!"

"Wouldn't dream of doing anything else right now." Kamal assured him, finally letting himself relax into the cool sheets. Boris lingered at his bedside for a moment and the two of them shared a laugh at the way Kamal peeked open one eye to see if he was still there.

"Okee, okee, I am going!" Boris joked, finally heading out the door, stopping only a second in the doorway. "Oh, just so you know, I need a few things I had planned on getting while you were at work. Buuut, plans have changed so I'm going to see if Y/n is able to bring them over!"

"The kid?" Kamal actually perked up, his eyebrows raising with a knowing kind of surprise.

"Yes, is..that okay?" Boris hadn't thought much of it up until now, but Kamal's reaction left him feeling curious.

"Nah, actually..." A sly smile crept over Kamal's face and he laid back down, relaxing once more. "I think that's a great idea."

"Okee. I just wanted to make sure!" And with that, he stepped out into the hall and made his way to the kitchen. While he trusted Kamal to stay in bed, he had no plans of leaving the house while his fever was so high. So he pulled out his phone and sent a few texts, overjoyed with the quick response and answer as he opened the fridge to begin prepping everything else.

Kamal rested an arm behind his head, content to actually get some rest while he could. Just laying down helped ease the pounding in his head and the icepack on his forehead was a welcome relief from the heat. He wondered briefly if you'd agree to show considering your current condition as well, he could only guess the answer was yes by how over the top Boris would most likely describe his symptoms. Knowing you, you'd want to help regardless of how you were feeling yourself. Boris would be on high alert now too after the events of today, so chances are if he noticed anything, you'd be walking right into a trap.

"And then we'll have plenty of time to decide if I caught it from you, or you caught it from me."

#smile for me #boris habit #kamal bora #sfm writing #smile for me game #Already working on the next one!#Boris is usually more insistent when he sees his friends are sick #but so is Kamal so he decided to trust him #Turns out even level headed Kamal can be stubborn when he's frustrated #I'm really looking forward to finishing the next chapter #do you guys think the fk/reader should be stubborn to?#or melt at the idea of someone smothering them in maternal instinct #both maybe?

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silky-stories · 3 years

Text

Just a Bad Day (Corpse and Friends/Reader)

Genre: Light angst, Fluff, sort of Platonic but you could take it otherwise

Words: 1628

Related Songs: PETIT BISCUIT - Sunset Lover https://youtu.be/wuCK-oiE3rM ZYAN, Sia - Dusk till Dawn | slowed https://youtu.be/7LLKAL6ERDA

Summary: (Y/n) has a bad day and her friends are suspicious

Disclaimer/s: Depressive episode, slight anxiety, big sad :(

Notes: I left out what it was that made the Reader upset so you can let it be whatever you want :)

———————————————————————

"(Y/n) you're fine, you don't even have your webcam on today, you'll be okay." Rae teased you softly, getting a couple chuckles from the few people that had joined the Among Us lobby a bit early.

She had overheard your quiet mentions of being nervous and having your webcam off, both due to the fact that you had a bit of a hectic day and didn't have time to make yourself presentable. It didn't bug you that she responded with a joking tone, she wasn't aware of the tear streaks that framed your cheeks and red, puffy eyes you just couldn't hide with the high quality camera you have. She didn't know, no one knew, how were you supposed to be mad about that?

"Ha ha, yeah... guess you're right." You plastered the most fake smile you've ever made to your face to at least make it sound like you were happy. Thankfully, it seemed to work as the conversation moved on without you.

Less fortunately, your fans were a little more perceptive, although you should have expected that considering that some of them watched you on a daily basis. Your chat was filled with near exclusively kind remarks, from a modest 'Are you alright?' to full on paragraphs that passed by a bit too fast for you to get through more than the first few words. You muted yourself in the discord chat so only your audience could hear you, reassuring them that you were fine, no matter how much your broken tone betrayed you. It didn't work as well as you wanted, but that wasn't their fault.

Soon enough the whole gang was together and ready for the game to start, they sounded excited. It was nice to hear that your bad mood hadn't leeched onto your friends, that was the last thing you needed right now.

A deep sigh came from your mouth as you saw the red lettering fade in and off of your screen, "Dammit..." You weren't ready for an imposter game, you were sort of hoping that you could go a whole stream without one actually. Even worse, Corpse was your partner, which meant you'd end up dragging him down with you.

The game began, the layout of the Skeld loading in and the colourful avatars of your friends scattering to do their assigned tasks. You did yourself a favour and didn't move right away, giving yourself a second to take a deep breath and at least attempt to put some effort into doing a good stream. Your fans deserved it, they were all so nice and had been so supportive, they didn't need to be worried about you.

Unfortunately, when you did move, your partner had unknowingly sabotaged the reactor the second before you did anything, making it look a lot like you sabotaged it yourself. It wouldn't have been a problem if Toast hadn't been passing by the second you did. You went to kill him, but since you were both right next to the emergency button, there wasn't anything you could do in time.

The pit of anxiety in your stomach only grew as the animation flashed across your screen, you didn't even know how you were going to defend yourself. As the voting screen came up you only felt worse, no one had even died yet, so you were going to be the first one out on the first game. Great.

"So (Y/n), did you just sabotage reactor?" Toast piped up the second he had the chance.

You were silent as everyone did their played up reactions for the camera, trying to use that time to think of something. It didn't work to say the least.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Your words didn't sound even slightly convincing, not to mention the tired tone of voice you couldn't seem to get rid of that did nothing for you.

Before Toast could get too far into his rebuttal, which didn't really matter after your lame defence, your partner piped up.

"Hey Toast, was anyone else near you guys?" His low tone said nothing of his intentions, you were jealous.

"No, it was just the two of us in cafeteria." He responded, not sure where Corpse was going with this.

"So, technically speaking, it could have been you and nobody would have seen it except for (Y/n)?"

The gasps that followed in response to the new idea were small, but promising nonetheless, even if they were more as a joke than an actual response. It was because of that fact that you were so surprised when the vote ended up being skipped, only two people actually voting for you, one of them being Toast.

You felt a twinge of relief, maybe you could still win this, maybe you could actually have a good night to make up for the terrible day you had.

...

It hadn't even been a minute when you accidentally killed Toast in front of Poki and Jack.

As the meeting started, you tried to say something but you just couldn't seem to get any words in by the time everyone had voted except for you.

"So (Y/n) first and then Corpse?"

You didn't even know what to say.

"C'mon (Y/n), just vote, it'll all be over soon."

What was there to say?

"(Y/n)?"

Why were you taking this so hard?

You quietly clicked on the checkmark to vote for yourself as fresh tears began to spill over your cheeks. You hadn't said anything during the meeting and, seeing as your avatar was now floating through space, you wouldn't be able to say anything now. Useless...

Your chat was going crazy now, flooded with concerns and kind affirmations directed towards you. Your gaze drifted over them mindlessly, not taking anything in, it just looked like a big white blur.

By the time you shook yourself from your dazed state, Corpse's avatar was just finishing it's trip across the screen, floating hopelessly through space as yours had mere minutes ago.

The defeat screen only hammered in how stupid your mistake was as it came and went, just as everything else had without any input from you. The conversation picked back up quickly, jokes and teases were exchanged, you couldn't even make out what they were saying until the attention was put on you.

"You okay (Y/n)? Not feeling too into it today?" Toast's remark was clearly a joke, just a little jab to get a chuckle like usual.

Unfortunately, you weren't feeling like usual tonight.

"No..."

It was almost pitiful how broken and sad that one word came out. Your voice had even cracked as you spoke, you figured you must have been just depressing to listen to. If you weren't downright embarrassing you probably seemed like a child for not keeping it together like the others did when they were upset.

Surprisingly enough though, that's not what happened.

"Wait really? Crap I'm sorry."

"Oh no, are you okay?"

"Do you wanna stop playing?"

It was stupid, but for the first time that day you felt okay crying. So you did.

"I'm sorry... thank you..." you mumbled, using your sleeves to wipe your tears, "I just had a really bad day, but I... I still wanna play with you guys I just..."

Damn it, what did you do to deserve friends that cared so much about you?

"I know what to do." Rae spoke up, her grin shining through in her tone, "Group hug!"

Her avatar ran over to yours, nestling herself beside you in a sort of makeshift hug. Everyone else followed suit shortly after, and soon enough you were in the middle of a little circle, fitting perfectly in the middle.

A small sob-like laugh broke free from your lips, "Damnit, you guys are the worst." You joked with a smile, chuckling at the childish but heartfelt display.

The night only got better from there, and even though you weren't at your best, everyone was even nicer than usual and it helped to turn that bad day into a pretty enjoyable night.

After about an hour you decided to stop your stream, deciding to cut it short for the sake of your mental health.

"Yeah I think I'm gonna get going too." Your farewells seemed to spark a response from someone else.

"You too Corpse?" Jack piped up, somewhat confused as he hadn't mentioned anything earlier about doing a shorter stream.

"Yeah, I got some stuff to do, don't worry I'll still be playing with you guys on Friday."

"Alright, well see ya both later!"

"G'night!"

"Have a good sleep!"

"Feel better soon (Y/n)!"

You sighed gently as you disconnected from the discord call and the Among Us server, leaving your audience with the usual 'Stream Starting Soon' screen that you didn't feel like changing.

"Well, that's about it for tonight." You spoke, taking a minute to read the chat silently before continuing, "Thank you guys for all the support, I know I didn't say much tonight but I read a lot of what you were saying, it's really appreciated."

A buzz came from your phone, you picked it up and smiled at what you saw.

Corpse

[ hey, wanna talk? ]

You said your goodbyes to your chat and shut off the stream, grabbing your phone and heading straight to your room. You hadn't even made it to your door by the time you were dialling your friend's number. Flopping down onto your bed, you put your phone on speakerphone and felt a warmth fill your body as a familiar voice filled your room.

"Hey."

"Hey." You responded, turning to your phone even though neither of you could see each other.

You supposed today wasn't so bad after all.

#corpse #corpse husband #corpse huband x reader #corpse x reader #x reader #self insert #angst #fluff #my writing #me when writing anything: :( but also :)#oneshot

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jjk-anime-horray · 3 years

Text

Clarity

Dazai Osamu x reader x Oda Sakunosuke

Series Summary: While Dazai finally gets over the death of his friend and moves on with his life, he has to watch him unnaturally return into the would, and now he has to watch him turn twisted and into everything he hated in a way.

Chapter Summary: you confront Dazai about his weird behavior, but not before talking to Oda about it.

Previous Chapter: Cathing some Criminals?

Your heart was thumping against your chest when you texted Oda Hey can you help me with something?

The thumping didn't go away either when you were waiting to see if you were going to get a response, and you were honestly about to expect being left on delivered until Sure, what is it? flashed on the screen from his end.

It's with Dazai, he's been acting weird lately your fingers typed on to the screen, but then you swiftly deleted the message not being content with it and then opted to send I was hoping you could help me figure out why Dazai has been acting weird recently instead.

. . . . , He always acts weird you're gonna have to be more specific. A little grin flashed across you face from his message, he was right. Dazai does act weird all the time. But now you were thinking about how Dazai has been acting weird, oh you got it now! I can't remember the last time Dazai asked someone to commit a double suicide with him.

Pausing your hand you just realized how bad that actually sounds typed out, so you decide too elaborate. I know that sounds bad but it's really unusual even for him to act semi like a normal human being.

That is really weird of him..... after that message the typing symbol kept popping up on your screen, but no message. Oda was probably in really deep thought about something. Have you talked to him recently?

You fingers glided against the screen of your phone to type Well yeah we talk almost everyday.

I mean, have you sat down and had a lengthy conversation.

Like one on one with no one else?

To think about it no you really haven't, when was the last time you sat down with him? Well....No. You responded, now thinking it was an obvious solution to your problem you type I know what to do, thanks for helping and send it.

Quickly you click out that chat then tap over to your contact labeled "the suidical idiot." Hey if you're free tomorrow do you wanna go grab some coffee with me?

After waiting for a little bit a Sure what time flashed onto the screen of your hand held device. Soon after you manipulated the appendages of your fingers to type 9:30am, but then you pressed the x button a couple of times and the rewrote the message and sent Around 9:30, but whatever works with you really. Wanting to sound more casual and not stuck up.

The muscles in your cheek contracted to form your face into a grin when Works for me finally popped up on your screen as a response. Typing you sent Great see you then :) before plugging in your phone, then drifting into your nightly sleep phase.

******

Dashing down a corridor you run for the wooden door at the end. You're feet pounding against the cobblestones under you as you rushed to escape the voices ringing in your ears.

"They're so weird why can't they just be like everyone else in this family."

"If you have wings maybe you should just fly away and stop causing problems for us!!!"

"Why can't you do anything right for once!"

Finally, you reach and twist the knob for the wooden opening in front of you. Pushing in open you see an abyss of complete black, absolutely nothing appears when you look up for down, but there was a man sitting in the middle of the room ahead, so you decide to step forward.

"Hello, Mr are you Alright." You say placing a hand on his should while he was still facing the other direction.

"Oh (Y/N), you should know that i'm not alright."

"Wait, what-" The man turned around to show his face completely covered in dirt and rotting, the skin falling off his flesh, grey skin, and bugs crawling in and out through his ears.

He reached out to you, you lean away trying to stay back from the figure when his decrepit hand made its way up your arm reaching your shoulder. The dangling rolex watch hanging off of the almost fleshless bone.

"You should have known better (Y/N).....Shame."

Then you were flung up into the abyss above you, but then everything around you shifted, then you were falling down, down, down, down, down, until you found yourself jolting up from your body in your bed panting with your heart leaping out of your chest. Your lung were still heaving as you looked around to find that the alarm on your bed stand read 3:30am, grumbling at the fact you just were awoken from your sleep by your own mind you tried to drift back to sleep and gain more energy for they day ahead.

*******

Trying to fall back to sleep didn't do shit, now your just affectively sleep deprived from your nightmare, and feeling guitly about laying in your bed for hours as you pulled open the door to the cafe in front of you. You scan the room to find Dazai already present with a book in his hand and an open seat in front of him. You try to better your mood as you waltz over and plop yourself right in front of him, then pulling in your seat.

"Sorry i'm a couple minutes late Daz."

"It's alright (Y/N), by the look on your face and the bags under your eyes I deduce that you didn't get a good night sleep ,maybe, or did you have a nightmare? Actually it was the second I just now, I am a detective you know."

"Haha very funny, but yeah you were right, it was a pretty weird one come to think of it because it was weirdly straight forward."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No it's quite alright i'm fine it's probably just from anxiety." You reassure him by waving your hands slightly side to side, trying to dismiss it.

"You know, if it will make you feel any better, I used to get a lot of nightmares, so if you need to get them off your mind, I can help you if you need it." With that sweet phrase he offered you a small smile, and closed his book looking to you with his chocolatey brown gaze. "(Y/N) can I ask you some?"

"Yeah of course what is it?"

"Why did you invite me here? i'm not complain at all by any means, but your regular ticks kind of seem a bit off."

"Oh yeah I see......Welll I ah...Geez this is harder than it looks." You mumbled to yourself. Getting your thoughts together pause and think about what you are going to say.

"I don't want to sound pushy, but...You've kind of been acting weird around me recently, and I'm wondering if there is any particular reason why."

He froze, looking at you, you saw his eyes widen. He sort of looked like a deer in head lights for a second, but he blew out and his face calmed now resembling more of a horses elegance then a deers skittishness. Reaching out across the table his slender digits encompassed around your hand surprising you. You only became more curious when his warm palms squeezed your hand lightly. His thumbs started to massage your hands and fingers then slowly one of his thumbs made it's way to the top of your hand slowly rubbing circles into the live flesh.

Now it was your turn to be the deer, and you honestly didn't know how to react to the situation unfolding in front of you, and you were just watching it happen.

All of the sudden he let out a light hearted chuckle that might as well have been honey himself. He looked right into your orbs that flickered in the light of the morning sun and the room. He kept trying to read your mind through your eyes and right now he saw a mix of emotions swirling in your irises.

"(Y/N), listen, I think i'm in love with you."

"What?"

#anime #weeb #manga #x reader #platonic #romantic #bungou stray dogs #bsd x reader #bungou stray dogs au #bungou stray dogs x reader #dazai osamu x reader #dazai x reader #dazai osamu #oda sakunosuke x reader #odasaku #odasaku x reader #fanfiction

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scribblersvale · 3 years

Text

Fever (Tisoquirrel)

Quirrel was definitely coming down with something.

He could tell from the moment he started waking up. The pressure in his head, the scratchy feeling in his throat, and feeling just a bit warmer than was comfortable. He shifted to sit up, the action causing the pressure in his head to worsen, and letting out a small groan at the beginning of a headache. Lifting a hand to his head, he turned to look around.

The little makeshift camp remained as it had been the night before. A small alcove in a wall, hidden by a curtain of vines and moss, just a short way off the beaten trails of Greenpath. Just big enough for two makeshift beds, made out various bits of foliage from the area. Though as he turned to look at the other bed, he was surprised to find it empty. His traveling partner far from an early riser usually. He moved to rub at his eyes, a fruitless attempt to clear away some of the pressure behind them, before turning and stepping out of the alcove.

"Finally!" A voice spat as he stepped out, the nasally tone cutting right through his aching head. "At long last, he has awoken!" Quirrel fought the urge to cringe at the tone and volume, glancing up towards the sorce of the voice.

Tiso sat a short distance away, at the edge of a small, dying campfire. A cloth in one hand, swiping small circles over the shield held in his other. A look of annoyance marring his features as he glared at Quirrel. "I was getting bored, wating for you to wake up. Thought we were gonna be heading out early today, but not only did you fail to wake me up, but you apparently decided to sleep the day away." He snarked, turning his attention back to his shield.

Quirrel smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Apologies, my friend." He rasped out, before pausing to clear his throat. "The journey here must have taken more of a toll on me than I realized." He stated in a round about way, not lying per say about his condition, but not wanting to worry the other over it.

Tiso froze in his shield-polishing, upon hearing the pillbugs voice, looking back up at the other. "Are you alright?" He asked, something hiding in his tone that Quirrel couldn't quite read. Though it sounded a bit like... concern, perhaps? He chuckled, stepping over to sit across from the ant at the dying campfire. "I'm alright, just tired is all." He muttered out. Again, not lying per say. He WAS alright, able to tell that it was nothing more than a cold, nothing serious. Some rest and medicine, maybe some time soaking in a hot spring, and he'd be back to normal within a few days. And he WAS tired. So, technically, not lying.

Tiso, however, didn't look too convinced. Though he didn't press the matter. "Went out and caught us something already, while I was waiting for you wake up." He stated, gesturing to what looked to be the remains of a Crawlid, skewered on a spit over the dimming fire. And it could've been the fatigue making him mishear, but Quirrel could've sworn that most of the annoyance had left the ants voice. He looked at the piece of cooked meat, considering it, before turning to offer his companion a soft smile. "While I appreciate the meal, I must say that I'm not all that hungry at the moment." Tiso huffed, raising a brow at the other. "Is my cooking really that bad?" He asked, causing Quirrel to wave a hand, as though shooing the idea away. "Not at all! I'm just-" He glanced at the Crawlid again, tempted to eat it if only to save the trouble. But the fever and sore throat were leaving his stomach in a sour state, which he doubted the greasy Crawlid would help with much. "-just... not very hungry right now, is all. Really."

Tiso set the cloth off to the side, attention focused solely on the pillbug now. "...Are you sure you're alright?" He asked. Voice almost earnest, with what was now obvious concern. Though he seemed to catch himself and his tone, trying to hide his concern, poorly, behind a mask of annoyance. "Something about you seems... off, in some way."

"I can't imagine what it could be that seems off." Quirrel fibbed, searching about his supplies for some water. "I'm fine, Tiso, really." He reassured the ant, offering him a smile as his fingers closed around the small bottle. "I just need a moment to wake up, then we can gather our things and continue on our journey. I believe that there is a hot spring not too far from here, perhaps we can stop by on our way back to Dirtmouth." The pillbug stated cheerfully raising the bottle to take a drink.

The water immediately hit his dry and scratchy throat in the just the wrong way, nearly choking on the drink as he was thrown into a coughing fit. Each inhale only fueling the irritation, and causing another bout of coughs. So caught up in the fit that he didn't hear the shuffling, or the rapidly approaching footsteps.

The next thing he knew, a pair of hands were on his cheeks, and something bumped almost roughly against his aching head. It took Quirrel a few moments to fully process that it was Tiso, the ant pressing his forehead against the pillbugs. His face so close that all Quirrel could see clearly was the others eyes, boring into him with worry.

They stayed like that for a few moments, neither saying anything, until Tiso let out a small hiss of annoyance. The ant pulling back, before tugging off both his and Quirrels hoods in an almost frantic manner. Once again grabbing the pillbugs face and bumping their foreheads together in a soft headbutt. Though now it was accompanied by a pair of slender antennae darting about Quirrels head, swaying and pattering about inspectingly.

Quirrel was... completely unsure of what to say. The others sudden brashness, accompanied by his own illness, causing his brain to short circuit. Feeling as though he'd been shocked by an uumuu, as he struggled to gather his thoughts, and get anything to come out of his mouth aside from the surprised wheezes currently spilling from it. Though before he could get his voice back, the ant let out a small 'tsk,' apparently finished with his inspection, as he pulled back finally.

"You have a fever." He stated simply, concern written all over his face, still poorly hidden behind a mask of annoyance.

The ant then stood up and, in one quick and fluid motion, scooped the other bug up into his arms.

Quirrel let out a yelp of surprise, arms shooting out to wrap around the ants neck. "T-Tiso!" He stammered out, shooting the other a look of flustered indignance. "I'm fine, really! And perfectly capable of walking by myself! It's just a cold."

"Cold shmold." Tiso growled, hurrying back over to the small alcove. "You're sick. Be it cold or something worse, you're not going anywhere while ill." "It's not anything worse." Quirrel quipped back. "And Dirtmouth isn't all that far off. I just need a bit of rest and I'll be feeling better in a few days." Tiso shouldered his way through the moss and vines, stepping over to the makeshift beds. "So we're in agreement then!" He said snarkily, before moving to sit in one of the beds, Quirrel still in his arms. "You need some rest. So shut up about journeying and get some rest."

Quirrel let out a small, irritated sigh. Accepting the fact that the two of them would probably remain in the small camp for a while longer.

#hollow knight #hk #quirrel #tiso #hollow knight quirrel #hollow knight tiso #writing #fanfic #sickfic #otp prompts #dakscribbles

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leotssukinaga · 4 years

Text

Friendship Bracelet

Makoto Yuuki x Reader

A/N: I literally dont know where this fic came from, it just popped into my head a few hours ago and now its here. Disclaimer that I don’t know Yuuki that well as a character so I’m not entirely sure how well I wrote him. This ends so cheesy but its cute so I stand by my choices Summary: Makoto and you have been best friends for years, even when you couldn’t see each other often your friendship held firm. There’s just one issue... Makoto doesn’t know if it’ll survive the romantic feelings he’s developed for you. Tags: Fluff, teeny tiny bit of angst, cheesy as hell, childhood friends to lovers Word Count: 1.7k

Makoto wasn't sure whether to smile or frown as he stared at the bracelet adorning his wrist, fiddling with it with his other hand. It was a little worn, though you could hardly see where he'd had to mend it when he caught it on that fence last year and it snapped, but even after 4 years of wearing it constantly the colours were as bright as the day you'd given it to him, the green heart embedded in the blue standing out as much as ever. It had been on his mind a lot recently- or rather, what you'd said when you gave it to him had.

You hopped up to him at lunch time, a sad sort of smile on your face. He knew why. You were graduating middle school in two days, and you weren't going to the same high school. You'd admitted to him a few weeks before that you were scared to face the world without him, that you didn't want him to stop being your friend just because you didn't see each other every day. He'd been a little too embarrassed to admit that he felt the exact same way. "Hey, I made you something. It's a little silly but... I want you to wear it all the time, okay? So that even when you're old and you can't remember your own name, you'll have a reminder that once upon a time, in middle school, we were best friends." He grinned as you showed him the blue friendship bracelet. He didn't even know you knew how to make them, but he admired your handiwork and held his wrist out for you to tie it on. It was only when you'd done so that he was the green heart you'd sewn onto it. "Not just in middle school," he reassured you, "just because we're going to different high schools doesn't mean I'll forget about you."

He'd been right, too. The two of you were in your third year now, and your friendship was as firm as ever. Of course, the different high schools situation had changed once Yumenosaki had opened up the producer course and you'd transferred (something you hadn't told him until you surprised him on your first day there), but even in your first year he'd cycled over to your house every night he had free. You'd always fussed over how he had the energy to do that, with how strenuous idol work can be, but he was insistent that you didn't worry about him too much. And now you were at Yumenosaki, he walked you home every day, just like he had in middle school. He was grateful for your ongoing presence in his life, but recently... He wanted things to change. Not in the sense that he didn't want you around anymore- as if he could ever want that- it was more like he wanted to see you more, if that was even possible.

He'd often catch himself thinking about you in a way he didn't know he could- about holding your hand or waking up next to you, about how nice it would be to be your boyfriend. It was bugging him endlessly. How could he fall in love with his best friend? That was something that belonged in slice of life manga and cheesy sitcoms, not real life. Not his life. Not when you had so many better options out there than him, when half the guys in your year were vying for your attention for less than professional reasons- and he knew that every one of them was likely better suited to you than he was. "Hey, what's on your mind?" Makoto nearly jumped out of his seat when you appeared next to him, a concerned look on your face "O-oh! Nothings wrong, I'm fine." "I didn't ask if anything was wrong, doofus, but the fact that you answered like I did tells me you definitely just lied to my face. Cmon, out with it." "No really, I-I'm okay!" You frowned at him, pulling out the chair next to him and taking a seat. "When did you start hiding things from me?" "W-what?" "I feel like you don't tell me anything anymore... What happened to the Makoto who'd tell me everything, right down to how long it took you to eat your lunch? When did you stop wanting to share things with me?" You looked sad- heartbroken even- as you stared at your best friend. But that was just it. He'd always be your best friend, and nothing more. He'd thought he was okay with that, but he was beginning to realise he wasn't. "I don't know, I... I guess people just grow apart." He knew, the second he said it, that it was the wrong thing to say, and the tears pricking your eyes as you nodded and silently left the classroom confirmed it.

You didn't wait for him that evening. He arrived at the spot the two of you had used as a meeting place since you'd started at Yumenosaki and found nobody there. You didn't pick up when he called you, either, and the walk home was painfully silent without your company. He'd screwed up majorly, all because he couldn't stand to tell you he was in love with you. And he didn't know whether he'd be able to pick up the pieces or not.

But he knew he had to try.

This wasn't like him. Normally he'd call you before heading to your house, it was rude to drop by unannounced, but this time he didn't even think about it. (You'd likely not pick up anyway.) It wasn't until he turned onto your street that he even realised what he was doing, that he'd cycled all the way here without making a conscious choice to do so. Whether it was the fear of losing you forever or some miraculous bout of previously unfound confidence that saw him climbing the tree outside your window and knocking on it like some anime protagonist you guys would definitely make fun of together, he didn't know. All he knew was that when you opened the curtains you looked like you'd been crying- and that you shut them again the second you saw him. He slumped back on the branch he was sitting on, not ready to give up but feeling a little defeated, when he heard the door open below him.

"Makoto! What the hell are you doing up there?!" "I need to talk to you." "Ever heard of knocking?" "I didn't think you'd answer." "You could've tried! Ugh, will you just get down from there, please? I'm having horrible visions of you with your head splattered on the sidewalk." He nodded and made his way out of the tree, trying not to think about how cute it was when you covered your eyes so you wouldn't have to see if he fell.

"I...I didn't mean what I said earlier." "I know." "You do?" "Yeah! I mean, come on. I know you better than anyone- if that was really how you felt you’d wanna talk about it, give me the reasons. You’re always so gentle with people, even when you don’t like them." "When you didn't walk home with me today I thought maybe I'd messed up beyond repair." "I was upset. Even if you didn't mean it, it hurt. And you've been so distant lately. I don't wanna lose you. Ever." "I don't wanna lose you either." The way you smiled at him warmed his heart, but your next words put a knife right through it. "Good. You're stuck with me as a best friend forever, whether you like it or not."

Makoto couldn't take it. He knew he wasn't good enough for you. You deserved a boyfriend who could sweep you off your feet, not some dork who's only romantic knowledge came from manga. But... even if it was unfounded, he had to have hope. He had to tell you how he felt.

"Y/N, look, I- I need to tell you something." "What is it?" "I-" The words stuck in his throat. You stared at him expectantly as he tried to get them out, but they wouldn't go, no matter how much he stuttered. Now was not the time for him to freak out and forget how to speak. He'd cycled over here and climbed a tree, for God's sake, and now he couldn't even say what he wanted to. He couldn't help but think that this was why you deserved better than him. "Makoto? Are you okay?" "Yes, I just-” He took a deep breath before finally blurting it out, so fast you could barely make out what he was saying. “I'm in love with you and I have been for like a year and I thought I could be okay with just being your best friend- and if you tell me to shut up and never talk about this again then I will, I'll be happy to be in your life in any capacity- but I knew I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try, you know? You're just so perfect and I know you deserve better than what I can offer you and it's so stupid for me to think I have a chance in hell but-" "Makoto!" "Y-yes?" "Will you shut the hell up and kiss me already?" "I- what?" "Oh, I have to do everything myself, don't I?" He was still processing what you'd said when you pulled him in for a kiss, cupping his face gently with your hands. It took him a minute to come to terms with the fact that you were kissing him, but eventually he settled his arms around your waist and melted into it. You pulled away abruptly when something cold and wet landed on your forehead, squinting up at the sky. As if the night hadn't played out enough like some cheesy romance film, snow began to fall around you.

"I probably should’ve worn a coat, huh..." "Oh my god, come inside before we both freeze to death!" "Will your parents be okay with that?" "Of course they will, it's you." You reached for his hand to pull him inside, but stopped when you noticed something. "Hey... you're still wearing the bracelet." "'Course I am. You told me to wear it all the time." You grinned up at him, giving him a soft peck on the lips. "I guess that heart means something different now, though." Makoto's real heart swelled in his chest. Being with you was... Well, it felt like something out of a fairytale, or one of those dreams that waking up from upsets you because it's not real. "Yeah. I guess it does."

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orange-waterfalls · 4 years

Text

I Won't Miss You Much

Illinois x gender neutral!reader

@just-bts-trash-00 ty for the prompt

A/N: the title is a lie from our very own adventurer. Illinois being a lonely boy and getting a taste of his own medicine I guess. He leaves for adventures for weeks on end and just goes "haha y/n will be fine" yeah it's not so GOOD IS IT, ILLY? sorry I'm tired. Uuuuuuh comedy??? And fluff??? I took a jab at Hallmark movies at one point lol. Rated T for cursing. I didn't intend for the end to be suggestive but I think that's what happened. Enjoy!

Word Count: 2.8k

Illinois drove back home, smiling from ear to ear. He'd just found an entire chest of treasure. Gold, silver, jewels, you name it. He'd give a lot of it to museums, like always, but even with what he'd have left, he wouldn't have to adventure for a month! A month to spend time with you. That sounded lovely.

He'd been going on a lot of adventures recently, so you two didn't see each other much. He was pretty okay with it, but he knew how much you wanted to spend time with him. This was a great opportunity. He didn't call to tell you he was coming home. He wanted to surprise you.

He pulled into the driveway, turning the car off and walking up to the door. He knocked 7 times in a rhythmic pattern. He heard a bit of shuffling from inside before you opened the door a crack. Upon seeing your boyfriend, your eyes widened and you threw the door open.

"Illinois?" You asked, confused. "What are you doing here?"

"This is my house?" He laughed. You pulled him into a hug and he backed you into the house, closing the door with his foot.

"I thought you'd be gone until tomorrow…" you said and pulled out of the hug.

"I wanted to come home early," he shrugged. "Besides, I don't have to adventure for a month." You blinked at him.

"A… a month?" You repeated with less enthusiasm.

"Yeah! So we can spend a lot of time together, just like you want."

"Oh…"

"What's wrong? Were you planning on breaking up with me?" He chuckled. He looked behind you, seeing a suitcase on the couch. He looked back at you and frowned. "Please don't break up with me…"

"Oh! Oh, no, no, no! That's not what that's for!" You reassured. "I just…"

"What?"

"I'm… going on a business trip…"

"Business trip? To where?"

"Uh… Brazil…"

"Brazil?"

"Yeah…" you said apologetically. "A client hired me to take photos… in Brazil… I'm sorry…"

"It's alright," Illinois sighed. "We can have quality time after you get back."

"I'm gonna be gone for a month…"

"What? Why?"

"They want me to take pictures of everything. Families, animals, there's a parade that'll happen… I have to be there." You checked your phone. "And I my flight leaves soon, so I have to go now." You walked over to the couch and grabbed your suitcase, then back up to Illinois.

"Alright." He nodded. You gently kissed him, and pulled away all too soon for his liking.

"I love you! Goodbye!" You said as you walked past him to your car.

"Love you too…" he answered. You put your suitcase in the trunk and got into the driver's seat. You waved goodbye to Illinois as you pulled out of the driveway and headed to the airport.

Illinois stood at the doorway for a minute. So, he couldn't spend time with you. That was fine! You were a fantastic photographer, he couldn't blame people for wanting to hire you all the way from Brazil. He'd miss you a bit, but he'd be fine. I mean, you spent days, even weeks on end without him. He'd be completely fine.

Illinois was completely not fine. It had been three days since you left and he already felt like dying. How the hell did you last without him? More importantly, how was he supposed to survive without you?

The first day was probably the best one. He slept on the couch because of how tired he was. When he woke up in the morning, he went through the basics. He took a shower, washed his face, changed his clothes, brushed his teeth, and ate breakfast. He usually woke up before you, so he knew how to cook for himself. He was pretty awake when he got up, so he didn't make any coffee. He just made some of your chamomile tea. It was really good, he didn't know why he didn't try it before. He went through the rest of a pretty boring day. He watch TV, read a book, made lunch, watched some more TV, went through all of his trophies from adventures, made dinner, then fell asleep.

The second was a bit more chaotic. He was more tired that day than the first day, but he made tea instead of coffee again. He remembered you had told him that a brownie recipe you knew went very well with the tea, so he tried to make it. You were out of eggs, so he went to the store to buy some. Once he did, he got started on the brownies.

Now when I say he set the kitchen on fire, this dumbass set the kitchen on fucking fire.

He had made the batter and put it into a pan, and then into the oven. He decided to watch TV while he waited on the brownies. He landed on a Hallmark Christmas romance movie. That was a bad idea, because he fell asleep almost instantly.

He awoke to the smell of smoke and the alarm frantically beeping. He jumped up and ran into the kitchen. He swung the oven open and threw the extremely burnt baking onto the floor. He grabbed a nearby towel and waved at the air until the alarm stopped He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, noticing he was sweating.

"Well, that's unfortunate," he sighed. He looked at the time. 10:24. There was still time for brunch.

He decided to make an omelette for himself.

He made the omelette for the most part, and let it sit on the stove for a minute. He wanted to make sure it was just right. he walked over to the couch and sat down, deciding to rest his eyes for a minute. The brownie incident was very stressful. Yet again, instead of just sitting there, he fell asleep.

For the second time this same damn day, Illinois woke up to the smell of smoke and the fire alarm beeping like mad. this time, he didn't jump up because he didn't think it'd be that bad. he slowly walked into the kitchen and almost screamed when he saw that his omelet was currently on fire. He panicked, not knowing what to do, because you two had an electric stove. What was he supposed to do? Throw some water on it? He looked around for a moment before seeing the towel he had to use to wave the smoke away. He grabbed it and threw it on top of the piece of breakfast, patting it to make sure it died. After about a minute, he gently lifted the towel. The fire was out. He sighed and, again, waved the smoke from the smoke alarm to get it to stop beeping. Illinois quit trying to make breakfast and just took some of your cereal. He honestly thought that that was going to catch on fire as well, so he stayed a little bit away from it at all times. Once he finished his cereal and his tea, he went back to the couch and just collapsed. he decided that another quick nap was in order, given the chaos that happened that day.

The rest of the day was pretty calm. He watched TV, went to the store to buy some other food, made lunch, watched some more TV, read a book and got takeout for dinner because he didn't feel like cooking again.

The third day was the one where he finally started to feel the effects of you not being there. It was a Wednesday. You always woke up early on Wednesday. He wasn't sure why, and neither were you. But you always woke up at the same time as him and made breakfast. He always made the coffee before hand so you can be more awake. And that's exactly what he did. He woke up, went through the motions, went into the kitchen, and made coffee. He got two mugs from the pantry and set them down on opposite sides of the table. When eating breakfast, you two always sat across from each other so you could talk. Illinois poured coffee into both of the cups and sat down. He stared across from his seat at the table for a moment, seeing the empty chair, and realizing that you were, in fact, not here.

And then he broke down.

He missed you. Oh, God, he missed you so much. How long were you supposed to be going? A month? And how long have you been gone? 3 days? He wouldn't make it. He couldn't make it. He started to pace around the kitchen.

"Ok… ok… you're ok…" he told himself. "You've been away from them for a longer amount of time, you can handle a month."

But the thing about Illinois being away from you for long, long, long amounts of time was that he had something to do. He'd be on an adventure. He'd be in some temple ruins, or a cave, or something of the sort running for his life. But this time, you were the one with the job, and he had absolutely nothing to do. Illinois didn't have many friends, mostly because he adventured so much. He was honestly pretty surprised when you agreed to date him. Now he realized why you wanted to spend more time together.

Okay. Okay. This was fine. He just had to find something to do… What did normal people do when they were bored?

He went to the museum. It was pretty interesting, and they were doing a lecture on treasures that he had donated there. He figured that could be pretty fun. He soon found that trying to correct to the tour guide on every single thing he was saying was not the best thing to do, because he got kicked out.

The next day, he went to the zoo. He informs people on the different types of spiders and bats and bugs that lived in caves. Heated ventured for so long that he figured it would be smart to learn the kind of animals he'd come into contact with when he went somewhere. Everyone was very interested in it, until he decided to take a tarantula out of its enclosure. Again, he got kicked out.

Third time's a charm. The next day, he went to the park. He sat on a bench and read a book and watched the kids play on the playground. One kid walked up to him and asked him if he was in an adventurer.

"Why, yes I am," he said smugly, "do you want to be one when you grow up?"

"No, you just remind me of Indiana Jones," the child answered. Illinois' hand squeezed the book in anger.

"Well, could Indiana Jones do this?" He asked while unsheathing his gun. He shot a nearby tree a few times to make a smiley face. He smirked at the kid.

"Probably," they shrugged and walked away from him. He snarled.

"Fuckin' kids…" he mumbled. A parent had apparently called the police on him, because he ended up in jail. They told him he had a phone call, so he called Mark.

"Hey, Mark! So, uh… I'm in jail," he said, trying to keep his cool, "I need you to come get me…"

"Dammit!" Mark cursed.

"What's wrong?"

"I bet Wilford that you would get arrested a week after Y/N left." He explained. "He bet 4-5 business days…"

"Ha! Told you!" Illinois heard another voice from Mark's end of the line.

"Oh, shut up!" Mark yelled. "Listen, uh… I'll get there soon as I can. Bye." He said and hung up. Illinois sighed and slumped on a bench.

This was gonna be a long month…

Illinois had the most boring month of his entire fucking life. For the first half of it, he sat in his living room, watching romcoms and almost crying because he wanted to be lovey-dovey with you. Why should these assholes get to be together? They were cheating on the one girl's boyfriend! She can have two spouses, but he can't be with his one?

For the second half, Illinois stopped being such a pissy little fuck and actually did things. He learned how to play the guitar, he finished three books, and he painted a picture from a Bob Ross video.

It was awful.

He was so completely bored without you. He hadn't realized how much you'd improved his life up to that point. You two had figured out how to video call halfway through the month, but you were almost always busy or asleep when he was ready. It was horrible.

But now, it was over.

You got back today.

And Illinois was fucking elated.

He jumped into his car and went through three red lights to get there, not to mention he was going 50mph in a 40mph zone. This man was going to die before he was late. He didn't even give a shit he was 5 hours early, he was gonna fucking wait for you at the airport. He brought a blanket and snacks, he'd be fine.

He took a nap after an hour, and woke up three hours after that. For the next two hours, he looked at pictures of you and thought about what he'd do with you when you got back. Finally, the time came when your plane was supposed to land. He knew it'd be a bit after that, but he stuffed his blanket and leftover snacks in his backpack and ran up to where you were supposed to enter the airport. He didn't have a sign, which he probably should have, but he'd find you soon enough. He looked through the crowd of people exiting the plane. All he saw were old rich people and young rich people. He looked across the herd of people, searching for any hint of your suitcase. You had gotten annoyed with the fact that you kept mistaking yours for other people's, so he bought you a neon rainbow suitcase. That didn't seem to be very useful at this point in time. He felt a buzz on his thigh. Groaning, he checked his phone. It was a text from Mark.

Hey! It said, Is Y/N home yet?

Illinois growled.

That's what I'm looking for.

Tell me when you see them

Sure thing. Illinois shoved the phone back into his pants, continuing his search. He suddenly saw a flash of color out of the corner of his eye. He whipped his head to the side.

There you were, trudging your suitcase along the floor. Your hair was all over the place, you were dragging your feet, and even from where he was, he saw the bags under your eyes. You were a hot mess.

In his eyes, you were an angel on Earth.

He wanted to be patient and keep up his suave persona. He noticed himself bouncing in his spot a bit, a smile forming on his lips. If he waited any longer, he swore to God he was going to explode. He eventually decided it wasn't worth it, and dashing over to you.

You were so tired. You were so, so very tired. The people who hired you were so nice, but they never fucking slept. Anytime they did something, they wanted you to take a picture of it. Mostly because they'd just gotten married, and you could respect their enthusiasm, but holy shit. Not to mention the PARADE. You got no rest. None. You couldn't wait to get home and just relax with your boyfriend…

Speaking of which, wasn't he supposed to pick you up?

You saw something coming towards you in your peripheral vision and turned, only to see said boyfriend sprinting at you. You opened your mouth to scream, but the wind was knocked out of you by Illinois pulling you into the tightest hug you've ever experienced and you simply wheezed.

"Oh my God, I missed you so much," he nearly cried, "do not ever do that to me again, please…" in response, you coughed. He realized you were having trouble inhaling and loosed his grip. He didn't let go.

"I missed you too…" you wheezed. He stood holding you for a second. A couple of girls giggled as they walked past you two. You flushed.

"Illinois, you're embarrassing me…" you whined.

"Oh?" He asked, the smirk audible in his voice. He pulled out of the hug and crashed his lips against yours. You basically collapsed into it and he had to hold you up against his body. He pulled away after a minute. You sighed.

"Can we go home now?" You pleaded.

"Of course, darlin'! We gotta spend some time together!" He answered. You let out a soft whimper.

Looks like you weren't getting your rest anytime soon.

my phone's at 5% lololol.

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