#and this is not a hate post to other robins!!! lets be clear!!! this is just a general observation

[bluegarners]

it gets to a point where, despite all the numerous people who have donned the name and costume, none of them have really added anything to the mantle. there's nothing they could add, really, because the role was designed for only one person, and that person already perfected it

[thisapplepielife]

Written for @steddie-week.

Long Long Time

Day #3 - Prompt: Mutual Pining | Word Count: 1050 | Rating: T | CW: Language | POV: Steve | Tags: Post S4, Eddie Munson Lives, Idiot 4 Idiot, Mutual Pining, Miscommunication, Platonic Stobin, Robin Knows What's Up

It's not one realization. It's several, over and over again. A steady falling, until he's in so deep, there's just nothing to be done about it. 

"Stop pining, dingus," Robin says, and Steve looks up at her and smiles.

"Impossible," he answers.

"Just tell him," she urges, and he shakes his head. Eddie isn't interested. He's made that pretty clear with the distance he's put between them. 

"Nah, that's not cool. He's getting ready to go," Steve says, "no reason to make it uncomfortable now."

"Dingus. No. Stop it. I can promise you Eddie is pining for you just as hard."

Steve shakes his head. He knows that's not true. Steve's tried all his best moves over the last two years, everything he knows, and has nothing to show for it, except a heart that's maybe not gonna be his anymore.

Steve sits on the floor of Wayne's house, and helps box tapes. Eddie's going. He's really leaving, and soon. 

And Steve's sure that's gonna hurt him for a long, long time. 

"So, what're your big plans for this summer, Harrington?" Eddie asks.

Missing you, Steve thinks, but doesn't say.

"Oh, I don't know. Hang out with Rob, I suppose. Find new jobs. You know we like to change it up every so often. Wreak havoc elsewhere."

Eddie laughs, and it makes Steve smile.

"You could come with me, you know," Eddie offers, but keeps looking down at the box he's packing. "Both of you. All of us."

It's not a real offer, Steve knows that. He knows he's supposed to say no, supposed to let Eddie go, without throwing an anchor around his neck. 

"Oh, you don't want that," Steve rebuffs, and Eddie looks up. "I'll cramp your style."

Eddie laughs, "Yeah, you know me. Party animal."

Steve grins, "You might become one. You won't want me tagging along for that."

"But, what if I do?" Eddie asks, and Steve looks up at him.

"Eddie," Steve says, trying to cut this off before he embarrasses himself.

"You're one of my best friends, and we could have fun together."

They could. Steve knows that's true. But he can't go live in an apartment with Eddie. Can't watch him spread his wings and date, right in front of Steve's face. That'd be too hard.

Even if part of Steve wants to say yes, desperately, just to cling onto anything that's being offered.

But he's trying to be better about that. Trying to grow, and shit.

He can only let his heart get trampled so many times, and he's nearing his limit. He definitely won't be able to survive it happening under Eddie's boot.

"C'mon, Steve. For me."

And that almost does it. He hates to deny anything that Eddie might want, but sometimes, you've got to save yourself first. Put on your own life preserver, then worry about everybody else. Robin's taught him that. Or, has at least tried to.

"I can't."

"Why? Robin? I said she can come, too!"

"Because we don't feel the same way about each other, Eddie!" Steve snaps, and Eddie turns into himself, immediately.

"Oh. Oh shit," Eddie says, "I didn't know you knew. Wow, that's embarrassing," he mutters, and it kind of makes Steve mad. 

"I'm not embarrassed. I can't help who I lov-. Like. Whatever. But I just can't torture myself, man. I want you to be happy, I do. And I'm the wrong guy for making that happen, obviously, so let's just leave it. While we're still friends."

Eddie's nodding, still packing, then he's suddenly frozen in place, "Wait. What? You make me the happiest."

"As a friend," Steve clarifies.

"Well, yeah. But, if you were into it, as more, too."

"Wait. What?" Steve asks, repeating the same thing Eddie had just said. This is gonna turn into Who's on First? if they aren't careful.

"I mean," Eddie says, shying away, "I know you aren't interested like that. But I still want you around."

Steve laughs, fucking cackles, like he's crazy. He feels crazy.

Was Robin right all along? Was Eddie doing the same kind of pining, and Steve just never noticed? Fuck.

They are both goddamn idiots, if that's the case.

"Well, don't laugh," Eddie says, and he sounds dejected.

"Wait, Eddie, hold up," Steve says, crawling across the carpet towards him, putting his hand on Eddie's forearm. "Do we have crossed wires here? Do you like me, like me? Like I like you?'

"You like me?" Eddie asks.

"Uh, yeah," Steve admits, "I have for a while, to be honest."

"Jesus H. Christ, we're idiots," Eddie says, pushing his hand into Steve's hair.

"Dinguses, if you ask Robin," Steve says, smiling, and Eddie's so close he could kiss him. 

Steve thinks he will, and leans in, where Eddie meets him halfway. Kissing him, and it's everything, more than Steve hoped it could ever be.

When Eddie pulls back he's smiling, eyes crinkled at the edges, fucking happy.

He looks thrilled, and Steve decides to go all in. In for a penny, in for a goddamn pound.

"I think I'm gonna love you for a long, long time," Steve whispers in a sing-songy way, because even as happy as Eddie looks right now, Steve's still scared his love won't be wanted.

But Eddie just grins even harder.

"What made you think of that song?" Eddie asks, eyes big and bright, almost shiny.

"You hum it all the time," Steve answers, "under your breath. Like it's soothing."

Eddie wraps his arms around Steve's neck, pulling him tighter. Harder. Closer. They're on their knees, so that kind of hurts, but Steve refuses to let him go as Eddie whispers, "It was my mom's favorite song. She'd sing it to me at night."

"Kind of a sad lullaby," Steve says, and Eddie smiles.

"I was kind of a sad little boy," Eddie admits, and Steve runs his hands up and down Eddie's back.

"Well," Steve says, pressing his lips to Eddie's briefly, "if you'll let me, I'm gonna make sure you're not a sad adult."

Eddie kisses him hard at that, and Steve really will. Even if it takes his whole damn life. 

"I'll definitely let you. For a long, long time," Eddie echoes, the beginnings of a promise.

And Steve will take that deal.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddie-week and follow along with the fun!t

The title is from the Linda Ronstadt song of the same name.

[lightwing-s]

𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐊__ 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐏𝐓 𝐈𝐈

pairing: jason todd x villain! fem! reader

summary: they should hate each other, but from how long they each stay on the other's mind, they clearly were not paying attention to that. they took I'll fuck you in the complete opposite direction.

rating: 18+ (MDNI)

word count: oh god 6,8k warnings: smut, unprotected sex, chocking, dirty talk, oral sex, foreplay, language

a/n: so yeah, here's finally to part 2! thank you to every single message i got about pt 1, i was so overwhelmed by the response to it that i had to make some time to wrap up the story. also, special thanks to @igotanidea for being the most supportive person I've ever met online and for handling me breaking down over this week while trying to finish this post. to you i owe so much ♡ a/n 2: guys, pls, go easy on me as this was my first attempt at writing smut. so so sorry if this ends up looking ridiculous lol

reblogs and interactions are always appreciated ! ♡

pt i

⌜masterlist⌟ ⌜requests⌟

For the past 48 hours, Jason had been absentmindedly searching for Y/n. Searching for signs that everything that happened two nights ago was real, and not just a product of his imagination.

Two mornings ago, he woke up confused, not knowing exactly where he was or how he had gotten there in the first place. He woke up in his brother's living room, laying in his brown leather sofa, shirt missing and head banging from pain, with the extra addition of the sun beaming its morning rays straight into his eyes. 

Handing him a cup of warm milk, Dick filled in on how he found him passed out on top of an abandoned building, just as the sun was coming up in the horizon and he was ready to drop his vigilante outfit for the night. According to him, he was already missing his shirt then, his broken helmet was beside his body, and he was the only thing in the otherwise completely empty building, not even his motorcycle in his line of sight. He couldn’t figure out what had happened to Jason earlier, and he only wondered just how the hell did he get there?

Jason couldn’t offer him an explanation, though. 

He had a hunch of just who had put him there. But he wasn’t sure. Everything that happened that night, the kisses, the touches, they couldn’t just not be real. They had to have happened, the memories were too clear in his mind for it to be just a dream. It felt too real to be just a hallucination.

It had to be real, or someone had been playing with his mind way too well. The Mad Hatter is known for his devices, Ivy had been on the loose for a while. Or his mind had simply just acquired the skills to produce extremely realistic scenarios in his head, better than any porn he had watched recently.

That or he was just too addicted to Y/n.

It felt massively wrong. Like he was committing the worst of sins, or something like that, he wasn’t really religious to understand. She was a thief, a villain, someone he was supposed to hate and fight against, throw her in jail and never think of her again until she eventually fled Blackgate just like every other criminal in this god damned city. 

But here he was. Standing atop some old factory in Gotham, heavy traffic not flowing just below him, while he looked for any clues or indications she was still around. 

Someone just radioed GCPD that there’s a drug trade going on in Tricorner Island, he heard through the coms.

I overheard two guys talking about it. Oracle, send me the location, I’m on my way.

Just did it, Robin. Nightwing, how’s north Gotham doing?

Er… Going, his brother answered through the sounds of grunts and punches.

Where’s  Jason? Haven’t heard of him all night and…

Before Barbara could say anything else, Jason turned off the coms, not wanting anything else adding up to his bad temper. He didn’t even know why he had come to patrol tonight, as fighting crime was the last thing he had on his mind. Returning his gaze to the traffic below, he let his thoughts wander elsewhere.

The loud sounds of honks and engines reverberated in the air, with the screams of angry drivers rushing their ways home to rest for the night playing along. The muffled sound of an ambulance siren got lost in the distance, hopefully driving someone with a chance of survival to Gotham General Hospital. All of those noises entered Jason’s ear on one side and left on the other, seemingly going unnoticed by the tall man. It was like he wasn’t there. Physically he was standing on top  of that building, mentally he was somewhere else. Where, he didn’t know. With whom, though, he had a clear answer. 

She had been missing from the streets for a while, but very much present in his mind. Cupid, Y/n, or whatever she went by, lived in his thoughts. The whole entire day, every second he wasn’t busy with something, he was thinking of her. And for that he was a goddamned loser.

Fortunately, or not, he was constantly thinking of something else he was missing too. His precious motorcycle had been MIA since the incident, and was, for some reason, untraceable by the Cave’s systems. Not riding it for two full days was getting to his nerves, and added to the agonizing feeling he had been under lately. 

Riding was his therapy, the cure for every troubled time he went through. There was no anxiety attack, no emotional turmoil, no stupid  fight with Bruce that couldn’t be erased by a 100 mph drive along Gotham’s damp streets. Not doing so made him feel like at any moment, anything, even the smallest of words, could make him explode.

Alone, he sometimes could hear the roaring of the V4 engine coming from nowhere. He’d look left and right, searching for it, but finding nothing. Loud, explosive, distinguishable. A hallucination, a very realistic hallucination. Very real. Very… Real?

Speeding up the road, he saw it. Cutting through the traffic, dodging cars and other vehicles, he recognized his motorcycle making its way in his direction. It was it, he was sure. There was no universe where he couldn't identify his favorite thing in the world, even from  afar. Moving closer to the parapet, almost flying over it, he tried to get a glimpse of who was riding it, but if anyone asked he’d have a guess.

Her. It had to be.

Whoever was on it was dressed all in black, and as it got closer he saw the same jacket he had seen two nights before. Hooded just like his. And, as the vehicle drove past him, the dark helmet turned, looking directly at him. As if she knew he was there. As if she knew he was waiting.

She definitely knew. She knew pretty well all his movements at this point, understood him well enough. How she learned all that, how to manipulate him like this, he didn’t know, but he knew her intentions. As much as she knew him, he got to know about her. She knew he’d recognize his motorcycle  anywhere, and she knew he’d want it back. 

So, somehow, he followed her.

The neighborhood he found himself in was dark, the streets were wet and the air was humid. Light rain had just started pouring down on him, as he followed the trails left by the mucky tires of his bike, leading him further down the road. He should’ve been more careful, hiding in the corners and studying the place before making his way in. But tonight he simply couldn’t, all sense of carefulness completely gone, being replaced by hot tempered decision making. 

Jason arrived at an old abandoned parking garage. The first two floors were empty, dark and smelled of mold and trash. Climbing the ramps to the last floor, though, he spotted the red motorcycle right in the middle of the lot, parked and with its light still on, blinding anyone who’d go in its direction. They stopped him from seeing much else in the area, but considering that the only sound he could hear was from his own boots hitting the concrete floor, he quickly understood he was also alone.

His footsteps echoed through the walls, the muddy lines left by the tires beside him. As he reached the vehicle, for the first time in days, he felt a portion of tension that he was holding onto for a long time, leaving his body. With a heavy sigh in relief, he turned off the lights before quietly caressing the scarlet tank, the leather seat,  admiring his most faithful partner in its long awaited return.

“I took good care of her, don’t worry” he heard someone say. Startled, he lifted his head from where it was looking down, and instantly recognizing the voice, he searched for the source of the heavenly sound.

Then, he found her.

Resting against a concrete column at a far end, Y/n watched the outside, the falling rain and the night sky. Where she stood, the moonlight hit her precisely, like a spotlight in a play, like the moon knew no one else but her. Like she was a favorite. The light made her skin glow, her eyes sparkle. It made her look like a goddess.

He didn’t remember her ever looking this good. Maybe he was too blind by anger he didn’t notice, or there was something different tonight. He knew she was pretty, really pretty for that matter. But he was still so intoxicated from last time, so captivated, bewitched. Looking at her now, he knew getting rid of her thoughts would only get harder. Damn it!

Wearing a similar outfit to the one she wore on the underground, he noticed her jacket was open, and a silver necklace decorated her collarbone. The wind blew at her hair,  exposing her chest, her neck, her jaw, her lips. Speechless, Jason stood there, admiring her, for way longer his conscious self would be proud of. 

Following his silence, he heard her chuckle, bringing him back from his land of dirty dreams.

“You took my bike” he simply stated, mentally slapping himself for not being able to form a coherent sentence.

“A bit obvious, isn’t it?” she replied, finally looking in his direction, smirk glued on her glossy lips. Licking his own, he didn’t know how to reply, preferring to thank her for delivering back his vehicle  scratch free. “It wasn’t difficult. I took care of you, didn’t I?”

So it was real, he thought. He wasn’t going crazy. Or was he? One could argue that. Y/n was driving him insane.

“Thank you… for helping me that night” he said. “How did you know I was there?”

“I was following you.” she replied.

“Why?”

Shrugging, she gave him her answer. 

Truthfully, Y/n didn’t know why she was following him that night. After they left the subway tunnels she could have gone home, done with the last favor she owned Cobblepot. However, deep down her mind, he was there. And she worried about him. She knew Penguin well, she knew what he could do. And she didn’t want harm getting in his way. So she followed him.

She wanted to make sure he was alright. Why? God knows why. Y/n doesn’t. Or she refused to admit the real answer.

Jason. The sweet name stuck in her mind since he’d given it to her, and she urged to know what he looked like behind the mask. Put a face to the name, as they say. Did he look as fine as his name sounded? As his voice did? As his body would let on?

“You were pretty quiet these past few days” he said, circling the motorcycle and moving her way.

“I took some time to think.” she replied, returning her gaze to the rain.

“About what?”

“Curious much?” she joked, entertained by his need to get to know her. “About my life. Or what’s left of it”

“Hmm. Could have guessed you were working on another plan.” he joined in with a light joke.

“I got plenty of time for that, too.” she threw him a smile, blinding him for a second. “There’s just so much going on right now. Its…”

“Exhausting?” He cut her. “I guess working with Penguin does that to you”

“I don’t work with him” she threw back at him, her tone a bit sharper.

“For him, with him. It all sounds the same to me.” he said, opening his arms in contemplation.

“You wouldn’t understand,” she said, shaking  her head.

“Then explain it.” he requested. “Why do you do that? Why do you…”

“Steal, rob, trade, cause chaos” she cut him off. “I’m broke”

Pushing herself from the column, she moved to rest her hands on the window opening. The way she licked her lips and shook her head. The way her voice sounded ever so slightly broken. How she uncomfortably shifted on her feet after that comment. It wasn’t much of a choice, her way of life was perhaps the only solution. Jason felt sorry, he wanted to get closer, but he knew to stay away for now.

“I’m fucking broke. My family is gone. I don’t feel like working my ass off all day just to get paid in crumbs. So I decided to take my life in a new direction, and it turns out I’m good at that.”

“I’d say, really good at it.” Jason complimented. 

“I don’t think you’re supposed to enjoy that” Y/n looked at him over her shoulder and, shaking her head, gave him a smile.

Shrugging, he said: “I like a good challenge.”

Jason liked whatever this was much more than the angry, frustrated talks they had while chasing each other. It was light, fun. He could work well with that.

“By the way. I took it for a ride, hope you don’t mind” she said, resting her elbows on the short wall, and her cheeks on her hands. “That’s a really, really, sweet ride you have there” 

Gulp. With air tightening at his throat, he opened his helmet, taking it off and placing it on the tank of his bike. Jason's sweaty hair stuck to his face, cheeks still puffed from the heat after running all the way to the parking deck. 

That’s something I would like to take a sweet ride on, Y/n thought, but shook it away as soon as possible.

“What was that?” Jason asked her.

“What was what?” she pretended not to know, begging the universe he didn’t notice.

“What were you shaking your head at?” Eyebrows arched, she knew he noticed. “Like what you see?”

“You’ve been staring at my boobs from the moment you got here and I haven’t commented a thing” she said, turning her face so he couldn’t see her cheeks growing red.

Raising his hands in defeat, Jason tried to change topics.

“It was custom made.” he explained.

“Then you’ll have to tell me who did it, because I might be interested in getting one myself”

“I built it” Jason proudly informed. “It took me a while, but I got it done just how I wanted.”

“Wow” she moved one more time, facing him fully now, and crossing her arms over her chest. “You must be great working with your hands then”

Looking down, Jason stared at his own hands. Calloused, with a few bruises here and there, and desperate to have them exploring all over her. “I have my talents.”

“I see.”

A moment of silence followed. Not awkward, not tense. Just quiet, as both tried to stray their eyes from each other.

“Just don’t put anyone in danger, alright?” was all Jason asked, turning around to leave. 

“So you’re really leaving?” Y/n blurted out, not proud of sounding desperate, but desperately not wanting him gone. “Just like this?”

If he was stupid, he wouldn’t have noticed the slight tint of sadness on her voice, or the light touch of desperation ingrained in it. But he wasn’t, he heard it. And mysteriously, it boosted something deep inside him, an ego he didn’t know he owned.

“I have work” liar.

“Do you?” she questioned, walking in his direction. 

Jason was already mounted on his motorcycle, ready to turn the engine on. But the sight of her getting closer stopped him from doing anything else. He felt trapped somehow, like something was keeping him tied there. But there was no rope, not chains, not guns pointed at him. Just her.

All the way, her eyes never left his, looking at him through seductive eyes, challenging him, inquiring the truth. However, he saw, deep down, they were also begging him to stay. Watching her every move, lips sore from biting, his mouth hung open when, upon reaching him, she crossed her right leg over the tank of his motorcycle, sitting on it.

Her knees touched his thigh, the space between them minuscule. She was close, oh so close to him. His hot breath hit her face, making her eyelashes move. Her own blowing directly at his lips. 

“Do you really have to work tonight?”she questioned him one more time, hands sliding up his tights, eyes hanging low and falling on his lips. His own hands traveling to her waist, as Jason saw himself drawing her even closer. 

“Not if I don't want to” he stated in a breath, voice weak and desperate. He could feel his pants getting tighter, and heat building up from his neck.

“Don’t then” she whispered against his lips, hers dangerously close, almost touching his.

“I won’t” he said, one hand flying to the nape of her neck and finally, finally, closing the space between their mouths.

Ferociously, Jason’s mouth wandered over hers, tongue immediately sliding in. He held strongly at her neck and waist, as her hands laid and caressed at his tights. The kiss was wet, hot, and desperate. He wanted to drown himself on her lips, lose himself in her touches. And Y/n was just as needy, as her hands traveled up and down his tights, and her sweet moans filled Jason’s ears like a soft lullaby.

Lifting her legs over his, tangling them around his waist, she drew her body closer, locking the small gap they still had between them and grinding on his clothed crotch, while her hands dangerously made their way to where he wanted them most. Palming his dick, Y/n let out a surprised gasp, as her small hand barely cupped his size entirely. 

Y/n already expected him to be big. Looking at his body size, it was an easy assumption to make. Sometimes when they met, she would notice the bulge in his pants and spend the rest of the night just thinking about his potential. And, when they were making out on her guest room bed, she could feel just how big he was. 

With Y/n massaging him up and down over his pants, Jason would release deep guttural noises, but never bothered about ever ungluing their mouths. His kiss was sloppy, wetting even her chin. He’d suck at her bottom lip, biting it occasionally. The silvery taste of blood filling his taste buds.

As she tightened her hold on him, he grunted loudly into her mouth. Taking both her wrists with one single hand, he took them away from his crotch and held them tightly behind her back. Lowering her onto the panel, being careful to not hurt her head, he stood on his feet as he dry humped her jeans. The thick fabric of her pants adding to the feeling on her already sensitive clit. WIth her legs still wrapped around his waist, she assisted his movement with some of her own, moaning out his name like a prayer, as nibbled at her neck. 

He kissed his way down her neck, sucking and biting on it, certainly leaving his mark on her skin. Knowing the bruises she would have by the next morning only grew his lust, a sense of power in having her marked as his own. With his big hands, he wrapped them around her breasts, picking at her nipples over her shirt. Y/n moaned, arching her back and exposing her neck even more for him to reach places he couldn’t before. 

He wanted her stained, body covered in purple, as his little art project. He wanted her mindless, no thoughts in her head, drunk from pleasure. He wanted her under his power, dependent, addicted. He wanted her so bad, so good, so wet for him. He wanted to fuck her here and now.

But he had to wait. Against his own nature, he had to stop, before it was too late.

“Get off” he demanded, raspy voice making shivers run down her spine. Pushing away, he unhooked her legs from around him and with the back of his hand, he tried to clean his lips. 

Upon his words, her eyes shot open, confusion and disappointment evident in her irises. Jason had to hold himself as to not fuck her then and there, as she looked fucking desperate for him. Needy of his touch.

“I’m not fucking you on my motorcycle.” he state, handing her his hand to help her off his bike. “I know a way better place for us to go.”

“Are you gonna be able to wait till we get there?” she asked, still breathless from seconds ago.

“You made me wait two days already. I guess I can handle a few more minutes. Can you?” he traded a question, raising one eyebrow at her.

Biting her lips, she rolled her eyes at him and shook her head, looking all messed up still. A part of her told her to go, leaving him hanging with his own ego she knew pretty well was getting inflated by each second she spent under his touch. But her horny side, the one speaking the loudest tonight, just wanted to get its release. 

Climbing over the back of his bike, she wrapped her arms around him, feeling the ripped muscles of his well shaped abdomen, and rested her cheek on his back.

Turning on the engine, he looked at her over his shoulder. “Hold tight”

A fan of speed, Jason had a feeling he had never driven faster. 

All over the city, he had secret hiding spots where he’d store weapons, money, and gadgets he needed for patrol. Small spots, needed mostly for storage and the occasional stitching up after a tough fight. But one of them was larger, his safehouse, built from two stacked up containers at an abandoned port storage lot. Jason considered it almost like a home, being there most of the time while out of patrol and not being busy with his civilian stuff.

He knew it was dangerous to bring her there, she could very well be tricking him, trying to get deep within his skin and rip something out of it. But every ounce of carefulness left his body the moment he crashed his lips to hers.

Parking outside in the dark lot, they climbed out of his vehicle and Y/n waited as he opened the container’s door. Inside, she was surprised by the tidiness of the place, not something she was expecting to see. It was clean and well organized. It contained a small kitchen, a living room and a bedroom on the opposite side to the door.

Y/n curiousness was heightened. This was so different to what she expected his home would be like. She thought he’d be like every other guy she had met, with a messy bedroom, unorganized book shelves, clothes hanging from everywhere. Sure, she hasn’t been with the type of guys that wouldn’t be messy, but his bunker was a very welcome surprise.

A stack of books decorated his coffee table, the only slightly “messy” thing in the entire unit. Taking the one from the top of the pile, Y/n was satisfied to see the early edition of Jane Austen’s Emma among his recent reads.

On the wall, a display showed a series of guns, knives and other weapons, drawing Y/n’s interest in seeing them from up close.

“Admiring the knives, Y/n?” Jason asked, breaking the silence hovering between them since they arrived in the place.

“You have quite the collection.” grabbing a larger knife in her hands, she turned back to him and continued. “No ropes, but knives. I see you’re into some kinky shit, Jason”

“We all have our thing” he didn’t deny. “Fire, isn’t it?”

Y/n liked cocky and fun Jason so much better than the angry annoying one she’d get most nights. Although she enjoyed annoying him, seeing how frustrated he’d get every time they met, this new calm, tranquil version of him was growing in her heart. 

It was hard to admit she had a thing for him, the guy who so desperately wanted to take her behind bars. She didn’t blame him, she knew what she did wasn’t that great. She didn’t have to do it like that, there were other options that wouldn’t have been as “easy”, but wouldn’t certainly get her into this much trouble. But all his trouble led her here, to his home, or she so assumed this unit was.

Almost every night, they’d meet, even if briefly, between all the other chaotic events in the city of chaos Gotham City. And every time they meet, religiously, Y/n would spend the rest of the night with him on her head. There was something about his hooded self, the mystery behind the mask, that attracted her. The fact he would do anything in his power to send her to Blackgate or any other prison added a risk factor that only made him hotter.

Then, she became obsessed. She'd learned his watching spots, always making sure to show up just around the corner. On the day of the Tiffany’s robbery, she knew he was close, and decided to strike before anyone else got close.

She didn’t think he’d like her back though. That night in her apartment came as a very welcoming surprise.

Everything that led to this event came as a surprise too. She was supposed to go home, rest after being done with her last debt to Penguin. But she saw him on her way, tiredly looking beyond at, seemingly, nothing, just waiting for something to happen. And then, she just stood there, watching him under the bridge, watching him fight with the two idiots she had met before at Penguin’s club, and watched him almost getting beat by Solomon Grundy. If she didn’t intervene soon enough, he’d have. But she wouldn’t let him, not under her watch.

Taking him from the floor, she carried his body with much difficulty to her apartment. Not all the way, as she stopped to rob someone’s car to drive him there, ensuring the driver she’d would return the car the very next day. She did, and even left him a thank you letter. 

Bringing him home was a stupid idea. At least at first. But when he looked at his cuts and scratches, she couldn’t help the primordial instinct of taking care of him. And when he looked all hot and needy, and when he kissed her passionately, bringing him home was suddenly the best decision she had made in a while.

But she couldn’t let it happen then. She was a criminal, but she still had a moral code. Don’t steal from the poor, only the rich. Help those around if you can. Don’t fuck anybody with the slightest level of unconsciousness due to alcohol, meds, drugs, or whatever. Basic human ethics everyone should know.

She regretted it, of course, as him doing things to her body were all that clouded her mind the entire day, her hands and toys not doing enough to send those thoughts away.

There was also the thought in the back of her head telling him he only wanted to fuck her because she was “hot”. Sure, maybe she wasn’t the prettiest, or had the hottest body, but it seemed like was more attracted to her than into her. She couldn’t say the same, feeling exactly the opposite. She imagined once he’d fucked her, he’d fuck with her and had her trapped and sent away.

She didn’t want him to break her heart. Yet, where she was now, she was waiting for it.

“Penny for your thots… Er-hm thoughts” he coughed, worrying about her sudden silence.

“Nothing important.” she replied quietly.

“Really?” he questioned again, wanting to be sure she was fine. “Anything I can help with?”

He was walking closer ever so slowly. Reaching her, he set his arms around her, on the same table she was holding herself against, trapping her in place and forbidding her from getting away.

Just fuck me out of this thoughts, she mentaly replied, for some reason too ashamed to say it out loud. 

His face rested mere inches from hers, and she could feel his minty breath once again.

“I want to kiss you” he admitted. “Can I?”

Biting her lower lip seductively, eyes glued on his, Y/n closed the space between them one more time. This turn, though, the kiss was softer, more contained, yet still as hot. His hand flew to caress her cheek with his thumb, palms resting on her jaw and the nape of her neck.

This slower pace, although really enjoyable, from Y/n perspective just wasn't enough. Her underwear felt sticky from the arousal she had earlier, and her core still twitched in desire. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer and speeding up their kiss, becoming slowly as sloppy as it had been before.

He held onto her thighs, wrapping them around his waist. The close contact between their cores heating up their surroundings. She grinded on him, begging for some attention down there, as his lips wandered from her mouth to her neck, leaving bites all along. 

She could feel his hardening member growing inside his pants, the junction of his bulge and the hard fabric causing the friction against her clit to feel even better. Her moans were becoming louder and couldn’t stop fleeing her lips. Jason, on the other hand, kept his composure.

The tables were turned now, and Y/n was the one desperate for release. 

Sliding his large hands under her shirt, he pulls it up her head with ease. He watched her chest heaving under her pink lacy bra, the sight driving him closer to the edge. While he stared, Y/n swiftly slipped her hands down to take off her jeans too, as Jason took the hint and removed his jacket and his shirt too.

Y/n pulled him by his belt, ending their distance to kiss him once more. His hands flew to her boobs, tightening his hold and playing with her hardened nipples. Slowly, he made his way down to the valley of her breast, kissing and sucking every inch of skin he could find. Looking up, they locked eyes, Jason making sure to not look away as he pulled the cloth covering her tit with his own teeth.

The sight couldn’t have been sexier, Y/n not noticing the moan she let out just at that. 

Mouth clashing against her soft skin, Jason sucked violently on one boob as his hand played with the other, causing Y/n’s head to roll back and hit the knife display on the wall. Her sudden move dropped a few of his knives onto the table, but they couldn’t have cared less, both letting out breathy laughs over the incident.

When he felt he was done with her breasts, he licked his way down belly, sending shivers down her spine. When he reached the waistline of her panties, Y/n’s breath hitched. The hot air from his breath hitting her core. She watched him attentively, waiting for his next move.

“I can smell how excited you are, Y/n” he commented, eyes glued to her core. “I wonder how you’d taste like”

Y/n had to hold tight onto the table to not let out a scream, Jason’s warm tongue sending jolts of electricity up her spine. He licked up and down her folds, one stroke at a time, driving Y/n nuts from impatience. He noticed her despair, and he enjoyed it thoroughly, slowing his pace even more, taking his sweet time licking at her clit.

“Jay…” Y/n begged, a hand moving to grasp at his hair.

“Pantience, sweetheart.” he mumbled between her tights.

“P-please”

Deciding to attend to her pleas just this once, Jason shoved his face down her soppy pussy, tongue moving at a much faster pace. Y/n’s legs went instinctively to rest over his shoulders, and he grabbed them tight to keep her trembling body from moving. Y/n’s lower abdomen twitched, as Jason devoured her intimacy like a hungry man. 

Jason was focused, himself enjoying every moment he spent licking her cunt. Sometimes he would give some much needed attention to her clit, and watch her squirm and shake above him. Her warmth overcoming him, her liquids sliding down his jaw, face all wet from her pleasure.

“Ah, you’re doing so good!”

“We’re just starting, Yn.”

And dropping her legs down, he stood up from the floor, shin glistering. Confusion and disappointment much more evident on Y/n face this time, frustrated with being so close to release. 

Jason breaks them apart, Y.n’s head rolling backwards immediately, as she begged for air. For a few seconds, he took some time  to admire her pose, boobs hanging out, face crunched from pleasure. But he didn’t waste any time before shoving his mouth on her nipples, drawing a surprised scream from the back of her throat.

“W-why did you stop?” she asked under heavy breaths.

“C’mon Y/n. I’ve never been easy on you. What made you think I was gonna do it this time?”

A smirk on his face, he spread her weak legs apart and stood in the middle, cupping her cheeks and leaning in for a kiss. Y/n could taste herself in his tongue, his soaked face staining her own with her juices.

“Do you wanna go to Blackgate?” he suddenly asked. Not understanding a thing, Y/n just stared at the muscular guy ahead. “Answer me Y/n. Do you wanna go to Blackgate?”

Y/n just shook her head.

“Good” he said, giving her a chaste kiss. Reaching behind her back, Jason grabbed one of the fallen knives. “I guess you won't be needing this tonight”

Gliding the blade carefully up her tights, Jason cut her panties and with a swift movement threw them aside. He grabbed the back of her legs and wrapped them on his waist, propping her up to carry her to his bed.

As she laid in his bed, exposed and vulnerable, she took some time to admire his strong body. Ripped muscles modeled his arms and abdomen, and basically every body part she landed her eyes on. Standing at the edge of the bed, staring her down while holding a knife, he looked dangerous and borderline frightening.

“Tonight, Y/n, I’ll be giving you a sentence.”

Slapping hard at her cunt, Jason’s hand massaged her clit with his thumb as two fingers slid inside of her. “And you’ll leave here a good, reformed citizen”

Y/n couldn’t hold back the loud moans that escaped her mouth. Arching her back, she screamed his name like a prayer. Hands grabbing onto the bed sheets, Y/n saw her mind go blank with her first orgasm of the night.

“Such a good girl”

As Y/n heaved and panted, trying to ease her breath, she listened to the sound of his belt falling to the floor. When she looked up to face him, Jason was  stroking his dick, grunting by himself as he watched her struggle to keep herself together. She observed his red tip drip with pre cum, her tongue instinctively hanging out.

“Do you wanna lick?”

She nodded innocently, moving to stand closer, but he pushed her back to fall on the bed again. 

“No. Not tonight.” pulling her to him, he slapped his dick on her soft cunt, teasing her entrance with his own tip. “Tonight I’m fucking you”

With one hard movement, Jason slipped his entire length inside of Y/n. She cried out his name, as his thickness stretched mercilessly, the sharp sensation causing tears to form in her eyes. He thrusted hard into her, the sound of skin hitting skin filling the room.

“Oh, god. F-fuck!” she cried out.

He held her tight for support, pulling her and he pumped his cock deeper, getting lost in the warm sensation of being wrapped inside her tight wet cunt. 

“Sweetheart, you’re so fucking tight. You’re making me feel so good.”

He watched her clothed tits jumping up, and angrily removed her last clothing item from her body. Palming her breast, he played with them as his thrusts started getting sloppier. H could finally feel his frustrations fading away with every thrust, and as she sang out his name he could feel his release getting closer. 

With one last hard thrust, he pushed himself out.

“Turn around” he demanded, and she quickly obeyed.

His hard hand hit her ass, surprising her and drawing out a loud cry. He slid his hand once more between her folds, watching her tremble under his touch.

“Jason, please, please. Just make me cum”

“Not yet, princess” he warned, as she cried in complaint, but as he kept stroking her clit she came undone on his fingers. “Tsc tsc tsc. I told you not yet.”

“I’m s-sorry, Jay. I just couldn’t… you were making me feel s-so good. Aah”

Jason pushed her head down onto the mattress, holding her in place by the neck.

“You better keep yourself together. Or do you want me to send you to Blackgate right after we’re done”

“No, please”

“Then wait till I let you cum” she nodded her head, tears soaking the bed.

He lined himself at her entrance once more, teasing it with his tip and he felt her cum melting on his tip. Snatching her hands from where they were supporting her up, he held them fiercely behind her back, as he made his way deep inside of her.

His cock hit heavily at her cervix. Her wall is tightening around him, sucking him even deeper. He was losing himself on her while he fucked her dumb. After so long trapped in intrusive thoughts and in unholy dreams, Jason felt in heaven. He grunted out her name, thankful for choosing a safehouse so far from everybody.

His thrust were getting clumsy, his dick missing entrance her a few times. As she placed him back where she wanted him most, she thrusted back, giving him a moment to rest before returning his moves once again.

“Jay” she whispered out. “I getting close”

“Shhh. Not now, baby. Just a little bit more.”

Grabbing her by the neck, he yanked her up to meet his chest. Her head rolled back to rest on his shoulders as he gained speed, the new position making him hit her favorite spot. Y/n cried out in his ears, when he fingered her clit for a third time.

He bit and sucked on the skin of her shoulder, holding back moans of his own.

“Jay, I-i” she tried to speak, but he cut her off by crashing his lips to hers. Still clutching her neck, he sucked on her tongue as he felt her nail dig into his ass.

“I’m almost there” he announced, sucking on earlobe. “Just tell me. Tell me you’ll stop.”

His drive never seeming to slow down, he requested, voice muffled her neck. he requested. 

“Tell me you stop stealing, robbing, dealing. Tell me you’ll stop, then I’ll let you come”

“I’ll stop. Yes, please. I’ll stop, I’ll stop. Jason, please let me come.”

“Look me in the eye tell me this again. Like you mean it” he demanded, capturing her chin and moving her look him deep in the eye.

“I’ll stop. I’ll be a good girl… just for you.”

Jason’s hands rubbed her harder, his thrusts making her mind go blank from ecstasy as her body melted onto his. The know below his stomach coming undone as he filled her with his seed, her own orgasm makes her body spasm against his hold.

Riding out his high, he pushed in at a much slower pace. Leaving butterfly kisses on her back as he lowered them both to rest on the mattress.

When he pulled out, Y/n groaned, already missing the sensation of him filling her up.

After cleaning themselves, Jason watched her back rising and falling, breathing finally even , her eyes closed as she laid on her belly. It wasn’t a sight he expected to see anytime soon, or ever, really. But he was glad to be seeing it, he was glad she was here. With him.

Getting back on the bed, he pulled her and hugged her from behind. He laid a soft kiss behind her ear, hearing the quiet sound of her breath.

“Do you bring many of his villains here?” she gently asked.

“Only the potentially dangerous ones.”

“I hope you have tapped your night with the Joker then. I’d be really interested in watching that”

Throwing his head back, Jason blurted out laughing. Y/n’s heart beat faster at the sound, wishing to hear it more often.

“Relax. He didn’t catch my attention like you.” he confessed, returning to leave kisses on her skin, something he found himself addicted to. “No one did.”

“Good!” she said, and she tightened his hold onto her middle. “I don’t want your attention anywhere else.”

. tag list (i can't believe i've got one of those lmao, thank you so much for the love you've given this story ♡

@dolliezxo @stevesdick @miraculous-panic @kk00789 @alecmoress @parkjammys @biggetywitch @jasontodd-artemisgrace4life @dakotali @theendofthematerialgworl

[rainydayathogwarts]

.·:*¨༺ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ ༻¨*:·.

See my updated navigation/masterlist here because tumblr won't let me add more links to this one.

You do not have permission to copy any of my work!! If you do, I will not be kind.

All of my upcoming work in August!!

Updated version of my masterlist!

I've written for Marvel, Harry Potter, Stranger things, Criminal minds. My requests are always open! All dividers are by @cafekitsune and @saradika-graphics

**to indicate hardcore smut

*to indicate not quite there smut

Read my favourites from other writers here!!

STRANGER THINGS

ᴇᴅᴅɪᴇ ᴍᴜɴꜱᴏɴ

Reputation - 'In which Nancy leaves you a crying mess after you breakup and you find comfort in the person you'd least expect.' coming soon...

Watch don't touch** - Eddie x reader x Steve - In which Eddie loves to show people what they want but can't have and Steve just happens to want you, Eddie's precious girlfriend.

Polaroid Evidence pt.1 - Your brother Jonathan doesn't approve of your boyfriend even when he's always over, but your mom and younger brother love him.

Polaroid Evidence pt. 2

Please, please, please, don't bring me to tears when I just did my makeup so nice** - Eddie likes to make a mess of you when you're all dolled up for him.

bf!Eddie takes you to get your nipples pierced

ꜱᴛᴇᴠᴇ ʜᴀʀʀɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ

Roll the dice* - Steve wants you but your play thing named Nancy Wheeler does too.

Realising you don't hate each other at all

Watch don't touch** - Eddie x reader x Steve - In which Eddie loves to show people what they want but can't have and Steve just happens to want you, Eddie's precious girlfriend.

Red BMW** - you and Steve are in a relationship and just happen to have sex in the back of his car in a restaurant’s parking lot. When you're done, a clueless Dustin knocks on your window.

'In which reader is dared to give Steve a lap dance at a party, so she insists to do it in private, but Steve just can't keep his hands to himself.' coming soon...

ʀᴏʙɪɴ ʙᴜᴄᴋʟᴇʏ

Coworker's ex pt.1 - You have an undying crush on your ex's coworker and aren't afraid to act up on it.

Coworker's ex pt.2

Coworker's ex final pt.

'In which Nancy and Robin finally start becoming friends until you come along.' coming soon...

ʙɪʟʟʏ ʜᴀʀɢʀᴏᴠᴇ

My girl - Billy makes it clear to everyone that you're his but a particular Steve Harrington doesn't get the hint.

Caught - Reader sneaks out to meet Billy and gets caught.

'in which reader in fucking Steve behind his back and he finds out' billy x reader, reader x steve coming soon...

ɴᴀɴᴄʏ ᴡʜᴇᴇʟᴇʀ

Spiked berry punch - In which a girl tries hitting on you at a party and Nancy isn't having it.

'In which Nancy and Robin finally start becoming friends until you come along.' coming soon...

ᴘʀᴇꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇꜱ

He/you get turned on at the wrong time.**

HARRY POTTER

ʀᴏɴ ᴡᴇᴀꜱʟᴇʏ

Jealous, jealous, jealous girl - ** ron notices you upping the PDA when Lavender starts flirting with him and you decide to show her who he belongs to.

popular!shy!reader - * ron’s friends think you were the one who made the move but are shocked to find out the opposite.

the dream** - ron has a dirty dream and wakes up hard next to reader

Needy** - needy!ron misses you because you've been taking NEWTs too seriously but he finds the perfect moment to drag you into an empty classroom.

Overstimulation with dom!Ron**

Goodbye kisses that last longer than intended blurb

Opposite teams** - You play a Quidditch match against your boyfriend, who's a very sore loser.

Glossy lips - Wiping off lip gloss from his lips after a kiss

Late to class** - Ron doesn't want you to leave to class so soon and manages a convincing excuse for you to stay (https://rainydayathogwarts.tumblr.com/post/757601505693040640/heyyy-i-have-a-request-please-prompt-6-with)

Ron won't stop complaining about Seamus and his girlfriend taking up the dorm until he's the one with a girl in there. coming soon...

ʀᴇᴍᴜꜱ ʟᴜᴘɪɴ

Can't take my eyes off you** - The first time virgin!reader wants Remus to continue..

Precious, drunk boyfriend** - In which Remus gets more drunk than ever and clings onto his girlfriend for dear life.

The Rabbit hole - In which remus lupin has a way with all the ladies, even the popular girls.

1 boyfriend, 3 perverts** - 'In which your bf loves giving you head... especially when he's high, and doesn't mind having friends around' bf!remus x reader x james x sirius x peter

1 boyfriend, 3 perverts pt.2** - When your boyfriend's best friends barge into you having sex, you can't just say no to them. bf!remus x reader x james x sirius x peter

potter!reader x remus secret relationship au Sirius scolds* - When Potter!Reader and Remus aren't too careful about hiding their relationship, Sirius gives them a scolding... Closed curtains and open doors** -  Remus and potter!reader still aren’t careful enough in hiding their relationship from James. (ft. Jily)

ᴊᴀᴍᴇꜱ ᴘᴏᴛᴛᴇʀ

How they react when you tell them you're in the mood* - James Potter edition

Not drunk

Jealousy, jealousy - You kiss Lucius to make James jealous since he was too slow at making the first move.

Teaching James how to dance blurb

1 boyfriend, 3 perverts** - 'In which your bf loves giving you head... especially when he's high, and doesn't mind having friends around' bf!remus x reader x james x sirius x peter

1 boyfriend, 3 perverts pt.2** - When your boyfriend's best friends barge into you having sex, you can't just say no to them. bf!remus x reader x james x sirius x peter

Big, strong James Potter** - James Potter is just a big softie with a praise kink and a girlfriend who feeds it.

ɴᴇᴠɪʟʟᴇ ʟᴏɴɢʙᴏᴛᴛᴏᴍ

Snake ring* - In which the twins pull you into a game of seven minutes in heaven.

Dry-humping Neville at a party**

Kiss and tell - In which a very aware y/n of Neville's crush on her gets the courage to make a move.

Stolen glances - Stealing glances at each other across the room until your friends notice.

ꜱɪʀɪᴜꜱ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ

How they react when you're in the mood*

1 boyfriend, 3 perverts** - 'In which your bf loves giving you head... especially when he's high, and doesn't mind having friends around' bf!remus x reader x james x sirius x peter

1 boyfriend, 3 perverts pt.2** - When your boyfriend's best friends barge into you having sex, you can't just say no to them. bf!remus x reader x james x sirius x peter

When we were young** - How Sirius and reader's relationship changed when she got sorted into slytherin and how they reconnected thanks to her current boyfriend.

ʜᴀʀʀʏ ᴘᴏᴛᴛᴇʀ

Harry's bi awakening

"You knew?" "You didn't?" - In which the twins only just find out their sister is dating Harry.

Me and You - You keep telling Ron to just 'ask her out' but he won't take your word seriously until you take your own advice. Somehow, you both end up with dates...

Sub!harry begging mean!slytherin!reader to let him cum, but she's having too much fun... coming soon

ᴏʟɪᴠᴇʀ ᴡᴏᴏᴅ

I already won - even though he very much lost the game, he still won you.

How they react when you tell them you're in the mood - Oliver wood edition

Blood, dirt and reunions - You almost die and reunite with an old ex-boyfriend... or not.

ꜱᴇᴀᴍᴜꜱ ꜰɪɴɴᴇɢᴀɴ

Tipsy - Seamus takes care of you when you're drunk.

Safe in his arms - Brother!Harry Potter makes Seamus promise him to keep you safe because of how obvious your feelings are for each other.

ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ ᴡᴇᴀꜱʟᴇʏ

Just a swim - Percy's partner tries to get him to break a couple of rules.

How they react when you're in the mood*

'For the first time in his life, Percy pushes academics aside to focus on a girl, but his family doesn't know and thinks he has gone down a dark road.' coming soon...

ᴄʜᴀʀʟɪᴇ ᴡᴇᴀꜱʟᴇʏ

Guilt trip - Charlie tries to guilt trip the reader to visit his family with him.

ᴠɪᴋᴛᴏʀ ᴋʀᴜᴍ

What's her face - Rita skeeter being annoying

ɢᴇᴏʀɢᴇ ᴡᴇᴀꜱʟᴇʏ

'Reader wakes George up to go out for a morning walk at the Burrow but George is feeling quite frisky and drags you behind a tree to give you some pleasure.' coming soon...

ᴄᴇᴅʀɪᴄ ᴅɪɢɢᴏʀʏ

No disturbances - You and Cedric make such a cute couple that teachers have turned a blind eye to several accounts of PDA.

ᴘʀᴇꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇꜱ

Someone finds out you're dating

he gets turned on at the wrong time*

She gets turned on at the wrong time*

CRIMINAL MINDS

ꜱᴘᴇɴᴄᴇʀ ʀᴇɪᴅ

Our clouded ray of sunshine - In which the reader is the sunshine of the BAU, but the team finds her having a breakdown in the parking lot after a case.

Emily finds out

Suspicions - Spencer finally outs his and reader's relationship to the team, who inevitably already knew

Curtain Call - You're an actress. Opening night of the show, a cast member is killed. FBI finds out you were the real target...

No more ink - reader goes undercover for a mission and the team discovers all her tattoos. Tattoos which might be the reason her life ends.

ᴀᴀʀᴏɴ ʜᴏᴛᴄʜɴᴇʀ

Haunting - Reader wakes up from a nightmare on the jet and Aaron comforts her.

someone you wanna fight loverboy?

Skin on skin** - In which you forget about the hickeys on your neck and when your boss finds out, he's not happy about it.

In which the team discovers you're dating - (single!mom!reader)

ᴇᴍɪʟʏ ᴘʀᴇɴᴛɪꜱꜱ

Picture frames - In which you give Emily her things back after a messy breakup.

Open arms** - In which Emily tries winning her ex back in a dimly lit bar.

Back talk** - Emily decides to teach you a lesson after talking back to her at work.

MARVEL STUDIOS

Here's the link to my other marvel masterlist, with a list of old works that I want to keep separate from all my newer pieces.

ʙᴜᴄᴋʏ ʙᴀʀɴᴇꜱ

Valley Girl Charm** - In which reader from the 1940s knows just how to play the damsel in distress to get exactly what she wants in the modern age after coming out of the ice.

ᴘᴇᴛᴇʀ ᴘᴀʀᴋᴇʀ

No boundaries** - You and Peter have been best friends forever with very little boundaries. What happens when you wake up to Peter having a wet dream about you? (https://rainydayathogwarts.tumblr.com/post/758075476014202881/no-boundaries-best-friends-peter-parker-and)

Nervous, nerdy Peter Parker always seems to have his eyes fixed on you whenever he stays on the bleachers 'reading his book', so you decide to confront him after practice, but it goes a little differently than you'd expected... coming soon.

ꜱᴛᴇᴠᴇ ʀᴏɢᴇʀꜱ

Steve Rogers looked a little too close to Natasha's new recruited vigilante spy at practice and needs to blow off some steam afterwards in his room, but little does he know she's listening in through the door... coming soon

ᴛʜᴏʀ ᴏᴅɪɴꜱᴏɴ

Who knew a mere mortal woman could have the strongest god in all nine realms wrapped around her finger like a teenage boy?... coming soon

OTHER FANDOMS

ᴊᴇɴɴɪꜰᴇʀ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ

Maneater** - Jennifer may need boys to survive but there's only one person she wants.

Photographs** - Obsessed!Jennifer comes up with a plan for you to end up in her bed instead of the boy toy crush of yours.

[steddieas-shegoes]

It could have started when Eddie was basically living with Steve during his constant physical therapy post-Vecna.

It could have started when Steve took Eddie out for “adults only” dinners and movies that no other adult was invited to.

It could have started when Eddie visited Steve at work every shift to make sure he ate lunch, and giving him a very serious, no-way-you’re-getting-away-with-not-eating look.

It could have started when Steve had a migraine that almost had Robin dragging him to the hospital until Eddie stepped in and offered to keep watch over him for three days straight.

But it was hard to tell because Steve and Eddie circulated each other like the planets revolve around the sun, and circles don’t really have a beginning, or an end.

*************

“Dingus! Your boyfriend is here!”

“He’s not my boyfriend, Robs!”

Robin and Steve managed to work most shifts together, which helped the time pass. They bickered like siblings, though, and when Eddie showed up, Robin tended to annoy them both or completely disappear.

Steve was clueless as to why and Robin refused to give him any hints. “You’ll understand when you’re older,” she’d said with an eye roll and snort.

“Did you just call me his boyfriend?”

Eddie would hate to hear it, but he was like a ray of sunshine anytime he entered a room. At least if you asked Steve, that’s what he’d say, and he’d probably blush the entire time he said it.

He wouldn’t acknowledge it.

He’d pretend he thought that about a lot of people.

He’d be lying.

“I did. Maybe you two shouldn’t be so obvious all the time.”

Eddie and Steve just stared blankly at Robin.

“Steve’s not even gay!”

“Eddie doesn’t even like me like that!”

They both spoke at once, turning to each other in shock.

“I do like you like that!”

“I’m into both!”

They both spoke at once again. Robin just started laughing and walked away.

“You like me?”

“You like guys?”

Okay, deep breath. One at a time.

“You go first,” Steve said, hoping Eddie would clear any doubts from his head.

“I’ve been halfway in love with you for months, Stevie. I thought,” Eddie cleared his throat, awkwardly looking down at the floor. “I thought I was being too obvious sometimes. But I knew you weren’t into me back so. I mean we can still be friends. I don’t wanna lose you.”

Steve took a step closer to him.

“I’ve been halfway in love with you for months, too. I just thought you were being nice to me.”

Eddie chuckled and shook his head at the floor before looking up at Steve.

Beautiful, incredible, stupid Steve.

Never believing that anyone could care about him for him.

“I think maybe we’ve been dating this whole time.”

Steve’s jaw dropped, but closed quickly, his mouth settling on a soft smile.

“I guess maybe we have. What gave it away?”

“Probably the fact that you’re attached at the hip and any time someone mentions either of you to the other you get this dumb lovestruck look on your faces,” Robin stuck her head out from an aisle to yell at them.

“Shut it, Robin!”

She went back to what she was doing, deciding whatever meddling she’d managed was probably enough.

“So let me get this straight…”

“That may be difficult for both of us,” Steve let out.

Eddie cackled. “Oh god. I think I’m more than halfway in love with you,” he got out between laughter.

Steve joined him, mostly happy because Eddie was happy.

He probably should have realized this a lot sooner. Like, way sooner.

When they finally calmed down, they stared at each other with the look Robin was probably describing.

Lovestruck was a word for it, but it was more than that.

They were two people who never should’ve even been in the same circle, and they weren’t until they had to be. But since then, they’d chosen to be a part of each others’ lives. They’d chosen to support each other, and rely on each other, and trust the other person to be what they needed through it all.

They existed as two separate people still, Steve would never wrap himself up in someone so much that he lost himself. Not again.

But they had spent months becoming a pair, unbeknownst to them, and it made them better, it made them find ways to grow amongst trauma no one could imagine but them.

When they kissed, there weren’t fireworks, there wasn’t a world-ending realization that this was the love of their life, or even a racing heartbeat.

There was something that settled though. Something they hadn’t realized had been waiting for months while they danced around each other.

Not even Robin’s cheering from across the store could ruin their moment.

[artiststarme]

Based on this post by @anzelsilver. Thanks for letting me write this prompt and I hope I did it justice!

~*~*~*~

Eddie had no idea what was happening. Don’t get him wrong, the last several months have been great following his horrific encounter with the Upside Down, nearly dying, and then having to clear his name from a series of murders he didn’t commit. But other than his absolute shitshow of a Spring Break, ‘86 truly was his year. He had graduated and become friends with an entire group of outcasts ranging from D&D nerds, a band kid, and a jock. He had never imagined that he would become friends with Steve “the Hair'' Harrington but here he was. But that’s what led to his inordinate confusion. 

Being friends with Steve Harrington was confusing and unlike any other friendship he’d had before. They’d gone from hating each other from afar before their experience with Vecna to hanging out everyday afterwards. Steve would show up to the new Munson trailer with carry-out food from the diner and a blinding smile on his face. At movie nights, Steve would sit closely to Eddie with an arm around his shoulder and would hide his face in his neck at scary parts. He kept suggesting new plans or restaurants to try and would discretely hold Eddie’s hands out of view of everyone else. And when he got particularly excited about something, Steve would even kiss the corner of Eddie’s mouth! 

Now, Eddie had never been friends with a jock before. So he assumes that Steve’s touchiness is due to trauma bonding and jock culture and he doesn’t question it. He continues to hang out with Steve without limitation but all of the touching and everything with a straight guy is confusing for Eddie. Then, a nice guy approaches him at the Hideout after a set and Eddie really has no reason not to agree to go on a date. The fleeting touches from Steve and all around “good guy-ness” has been leaving Eddie feeling unfulfilled and frankly pathetic. He vowed not to crush on another straight guy after what happened last time yet here he was. So, what better way to get over his unrequited crush on Steve than to go out with another guy?

It’s at another Party movie night at Steve’s house that Eddie tells the group. “Look guys, I’m sorry but I’m going to have to postpone Hellfire this week.”

There was a moment of calmness before the kids erupted. 

“Postpone? POSTPONE?!” Mike screams, being the indignant little shit that he is. 

“Eddie, you can’t postpone! You didn’t even postpone for Lucas when he had his basketball game!” Dustin tries, aiming a well-aimed punch at Eddie’s guilt for that particular past decision. Lesson learned, Henderson. 

“Yeah, you said you never postponed! What’s so important that you’re going to postpone the best part of the campaign?” Lucas asked, offended at the mere idea. 

“Well my little sheep, if you must know, I have been courted by a fine bard to be taken on a date. It’s non negotiable, Hellfire will be postponed to next Friday,” Eddie said theatrically. He was laser focused on the reactions of the kids and thus missed the questioning glance Robin threw to a rapidly paling Steve. 

“There’s no way. Steve said he’d sit in on the session on Friday. You’re not going on a date. You almost got us there,” Dustin chuckled. 

“What does that have to do with anything, Henderson? I am going on the date! Tony asked me after my set and I didn’t have any reason to say no! And because you can’t have a campaign without the DM, Hellfire is postponed. End of discussion!”

The room went absolutely silent, enough to hear a pin drop. Eddie didn’t know what he said wrong, everyone here already knew he was gay so they wouldn’t have an issue with that. But as he looked around and saw everyone staring- no glaring, at him, he knew he fucked something up. He whipped around to stare at Steve when he heard him mutter, “oh… fuck, I’m so stupid.”

Eddie’s eyes widened when he saw Steve roughly wipe at his eyes in an attempt to obscure the falling tears. “What the- Stevie?”

Steve just made his way to the back door leading to the patio and muttered, “I hope you have a good date, Eddie.”

Robin shook her head in disbelief. “What the hell, Eddie? I trusted you with him.” 

She looks worriedly in the direction Steve ran but looks back at Eddie with murderous intent in her eyes. She seems torn between wanting to stay and tear Eddie a new one or run after her platonic soulmate. 

“Go Robin, I’ve got this handled,” Nancy says like that’s not the scariest sentence he’s ever heard. She says it in a voice that makes Eddie want to run home and hide under his covers. With one more scathing glare to Eddie in parting, Robin takes off after Steve. 

Eddie was left standing confused in the middle of the Harrington living room, staring at where Steve once stood. The rest of the Party immediately started berating him once the sliding door closed behind Steve and Robin. 

“What are you doing, Eddie?” Lucas, ever the diplomat, asked in bewilderment. 

“You’re a coward, what the fuck is the matter with you?” Max spit at him, her eyes glaring into his very soul. 

“Eddie, you just really hurt Steve. Why would you do that?” Will asked, his eyes open wide in shock. 

“You’re literally the scum of the earth, Eddie. What in the literal hell gives you the right?” Dustin said, really going for his throat. 

“Eddie,” Nancy starts and immediately the rest of the room falls silent. “I cannot believe that you would do something like this. After everything we’ve done for you, everything Steve has done for you, you’re going to mess it all up for what? A date with some stranger? I thought you were better than that but I guess you were right. You really are just a coward that runs away from anything important. I hope you’re happy with yourself, Munson.”

Eddie’s heart dropped at her words. He thought they were all cool with him and Robin being gay but maybe they weren’t. But going after all of his insecurities so viscerally? It made him wonder if they had ever been his friends at all. 

“I thought you guys would be happy for me. I don’t know what I did but I’m really sorry. I didn’t know that you would react like this.” He whispered, his arms coming up to hug himself self-soothingly. 

Whether it was the tears in his eyes or the sincerity of his words, Nancy’s intimidating posture becomes contemplative. Then, realization hits her. “Eddie, you do know that you and Steve are dating… right? And you just stomped all over his feelings in front of all of his friends?”

Eddie feels ice pour through his veins. That would explain the cuddling on the couch during movies, the sleepovers in the same bed, and the chaste kisses on the edge of his lips. Oh fuck. They were dating. And he just fucked it all up by agreeing to go out on a date with another guy… some, some schmuck!

Oh no, Eddie’s eyes widened even further. Steve thinks he just broke up with him and left his own house! Oh no! 

“Jesus H. Christ! Why didn’t anyone fucking tell me that we were dating? You expect me to just know these things? Fuck! I have to go after him, right? Goddamn it, you all fucking suck. No one thought to fucking tell me the cuddling and goddamn kisses were him wooing me? Fucking shit!” Eddie screamed at the group before turning and sprinting after Steve, his apparent boyfriend. What the literal fuck was he supposed to do about that?

He caught up to them quickly, Steve and Robin were sitting on the edge of the pool with their feet in the water. They both turned around at the sound of the sliding door slamming open against the jam. Eddie burst through panting and keeling over. Jesus Christ, he had to cut down on the smoking. Poor Steve had tear tracks running down his cheeks and Robin had a wet stain on the shoulder of her shirt. She glared at him menacingly from her perch. 

“Steve, I’m sorry! I didn’t know we were dating, I’m so sorry.” Eddie pled through his pants.

Steve’s eyebrows crinkled in confusion. “How the hell did you not know we were dating? I literally just took you to Indy on a date last weekend and was holding your hand. We’ve kissed!”

Eddie let out a manic laugh. “I know! I know we’ve kissed and I know it sounds stupid. I thought it was you being really touchy with your friends or like jock behavior or something. Steve, I swear to you, I had no idea that we were dating.”

Robin’s eyes were squinted and she asked incredulously, “how many guys are you kissing that you think kissing people on the lips is ‘jock behavior’? Do you know how stupid that sounds?”

“Yes, I know how stupid that sounds! And guess what, I’m stupid! You think you can be a senior in high school for three fucking years without being stupid?! No! But I swear, I didn’t know.”

Steve shook his head, “no, you’re not stupid. This is my fault. I know you wouldn’t want to date me and I misunderstood-”

“Steve, of course I want to date you! You’re perfect and I love you, why wouldn’t I want to be your boyfriend? I’m just really fucking dumb and didn’t realize. I am so sorry.”

Robin was watching the two of them talk like a tennis match. She had no idea what was happening but holy shit, it felt like she was in a sitcom. Steve stood from his position at the pool and took a step towards Eddie. “You would date me?”

Eddie nodded vigorously, “of fucking course, Steve! The only reason I agreed to go on a date with Tony in the first place is because I wanted to get over you. All of the touching and flirting had me out of my mind because I thought I couldn’t have you, man. I was going crazy.”

Steve moved closer so they were nose to nose and glanced down at his lips. “Don’t call me ‘man’.” 

Eddie licked his lips and watched Steve’s eyes track the movement. “What’re you going to do about it, big boy?”

Steve’s lips surged forward to meet his own, fully this time in a way the chaste kisses in the past hadn’t before. Eddie felt butterflies in his stomach and electricity down to his toes. He was flying on cloud nine and he had never felt such happiness, such contentment and-

“Eh em, excuse me. Hey, be respectful of the lesbian eyes over here! I don’t need to see any of this. Eddie, stop with the tongue!” Robin shrieked, breaking his haze of Steve Harrington-induced bliss. 

Steve pulled back enough to murmur against his lips, “Eddie, would you go on a date with me?”

Eddie smirked and with his eyes still closed, he whispered, “I thought you’d never ask, Stevie.”

[hbyrde36]

Caught in the Undertow

Chapter Five

WC: 4574 | R: Explicit | TW: Suicidal ideation/depression | Ch 5/10 | AO3

Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 <-

~Eddie~

There may actually be something to this whole talking about it thing, Eddie thought as he leaned against the wood siding of Steve’s house, pulling smoke into his lungs from the first cigarette he’d had in days as he gazed out over the covered pool and at the trees beyond.

He felt… lighter somehow. 

Not like all the bad stuff inside him was gone exactly, but more like he wasn’t carrying it alone anymore. 

He’d played with fire earlier though, coming out to Steve like that. A bit of self destructive tendencies come back to rear their ugly head for a moment, he supposed. Or maybe, once you’ve opened yourself up to someone, told them you think about dying on a semi-regular basis, telling them you like to suck cock wasn’t that big a deal.

And Steve had been… kind, accepting.

Perfect. 

Eddie flicked a bit of ash off the end of his cigarette as the glass door to his left slid open, and Steve stepped out onto the patio. He joined Eddie wordlessly, taking up a post right next to him, propped up against the house, close enough to bump their shoulders together. 

Eddie’s stomach did a little flip at the touch, the skin under his sleeve growing hot.

The thing about finally snapping out of it, about feeling better, was that now he could feel everything again. Those flutters he’d had all through that week in March whenever Steve’s eyes met his, or his hands reached out to offer a reassuring touch. Whenever Eddie swayed into his space and Steve didn’t move away.  

Yeah.

Those butterflies had reawakened the moment Steve burst into his room all pent up and pissed off this morning, and taken flight with a vengeance when Steve had let him take care of him, let Eddie cradle him in his lap while he worked through the worst of his migraine.

Ah well. 

It wouldn't be his first crush on an unattainable straight guy, and it probably wouldn’t be his last. He’d get over it. He wouldn’t subject anyone to a… relationship with someone like him anyway, least of all Steve. 

Eddie slipped the pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, half-heartedly holding it out to the other boy in offering, surprised when Steve dipped his head in thanks and took it.

“Didn’t know you smoked,” Eddie said, the white smoke coming off the end of his own still burning cigarette curling around them as it bobbed between his lips.

Steve shrugged, tapping one out of the pack with a practiced hand. “I don’t much anymore.”

Passing over his lighter, Eddie raised a questioning brow.

“Robin hates it, but I still sneak one every once in a while when she’s not around.” Steve flicked the little wheel half a dozen times but the lighter refused to catch.

Eddie patted his jacket pockets, sure that he had another stashed somewhere, but froze as Steve leaned in close.

“Do you mind if I…?” Steve said softly around the unlit cigarette still hanging from his mouth, reaching out to steady himself with a hand on Eddie’s shoulder. 

Eddie stopped breathing. 

They stared into each other’s eyes, faces only inches apart as Steve touched the tip of his own smoke to the still burning cherry on the end of Eddie’s. The flare of light when Steve inhaled to make it catch illuminated his face like candlelight, making his captivating hazel eyes even prettier somehow. 

It was Eddie who moved back first. Who broke the stare and the moment, his heart thumping so loudly against the walls of his chest that if he didn’t Steve might hear, and know it was beating for him. 

He leaned back against the side of the house and resumed staring out into the darkening sky as dusk turned to night, and tried to regain his composure. 

Steve cleared his throat, mirroring Eddie’s position in turn, his attention back on their shared view. 

“Must be nice out here in the summer. I bet the gremlins bug you to use the pool all the time,” Eddie said after a while. 

“They’ve asked, but, uh...” Steve reached up to rub at the back of his neck. “I haven’t opened it since ‘83.”

It took Eddie a second to remember why that year held such significance. When he did he still couldn’t fathom the connection between Steve’s pool and Will’s disappearance into the Upside Down, but surely it wasn’t good. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to like,” Eddie waved his hand vaguely in the direction of the pool, waffling as he pinched the last little stub of his cigarette between his fingers to snuff it out. “I didn’t know.”

“No, man. It’s—it’s okay. I hadn’t thought about it, but there's probably so much you don’t know still.”

“Only the basics. There wasn’t time for Dustin to really fill me in before, and it’s not like I’ve given him much of a chance since.”

Steve hummed in acknowledgment, but was quiet for long enough that Eddie wasn’t sure if he was done talking for the night, or if Steve was simply working up to it. Either way he wouldn’t push, letting a companionable silence settle between them.

“Barb Holland.”

The two words rang out like a bell in the quiet air, deep and affecting. Steve paused to take a long drag from his cigarette, blowing out a thick plume of smoke with his head tossed back.  “She was Nancy’s best friend. They were here one night, after Will… I think a day or two after he went missing? I was—” He squatted down to crush his own cigarette out on the concrete, rubbing at his face as he straightened back up. “God I was so far up my own ass, I don't even know. And of course I was more worried about hooking up with Nancy than what might be out here stalking that poor girl. Demogorgon got her. I didn’t find out till later, but she was pulled through a gate in the pool, and killed on the other side.”

“Shit, Steve.”

Steve gave a little shrug as if to say, it is what it is. “I failed her and Nancy that day, and I've been… trying to make up for it ever since.”

“You were just a kid. You couldn’t have known what was coming for her.”

“I guess not, but that doesn’t make me feel any less haunted by it.”

Eddie shivered, the short hairs on the back of his neck standing up. He felt the same way about Chrissy, sure that it would be much worse if he’d had to go back and live in the same trailer where she died.

“Why did you stay here?”

“I could have left after graduation. Not for college, I never even sent in my application, but my dad took early retirement, and my parents moved to their summer home full time. They wanted me to go with them, but—” 

Steve bowed his head, shaking it. “Everyone was convinced it was over. El closed this gate at the lab, and they got whatever was infecting Will out of him, but I—I couldn’t shake the feeling that it might come back, and I’d be miles away and Dustin would for sure get right in the middle of it and get himself hurt or worse.”

“And you were right.”

“Unfortunately,” Steve breathed.

Eddie ached for him all over again, for the weight of the world he seemed determined to carry.

“I hate this house,” Steve went on. “This whole town really. I’d leave it in a heartbeat if I could.”

“Well it really is over this time, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I think it finally is.” 

-

The bike beneath Eddie creaked as he pedaled, going as fast as he could, his thighs and calves screaming that they weren’t made for this, but he had to get the bats away.

Every time he looked back the advancing flock were closer and closer. He was so tired, and absolutely fucking terrified, but none of that mattered now. 

He had to keep everyone else safe.

The trailer was lost from sight when the bats finally caught up, knocking him from the bike, and making him eat shit. He could only hope he’d lured them far enough. 

Eddie picked himself up, feeling a bit like he was in a horror movie as he turned slowly, wielding his spear and shield to face the hoard, but the sight that greeted him was far worse than any number of flying monsters.

Because it was Dustin, doing his best to run with a pronounced limp. 

It didn’t make any sense. How did he even make it out here so fast? Little shit was going to get himself killed.

“What are you doing, Henderson?!” Eddie hissed, swinging his shield to knock away one of the demobats as it tried to dive bomb them.

“Never split the party!” Dustin shouted, positioning himself behind Eddie so they were back to back, slowly rotating with the swirling cloud of beasts that flew around them. 

Eddie didn’t point out the obvious—that they already had split the party, several times in fact, before this moment and Dustin hadn’t had a problem with that.

And now he was gonna…

Eddie swallowed hard past the lump in his throat. It was hopeless, but he’d do whatever he could to keep that from happening.  

They fought tooth and nail, watching each other's backs as they speared, kicked, punched, and dodged, but there were simply too many of the vicious creatures. 

Then Dustin’s spear broke.

Eddie spun suddenly, curling his body around the younger boy’s, holding his shield up behind Dustin to try and cover him completely. He held strong through the force of the impacts as one-by-one bats slammed into his back… until one of their tails wrapped itself around Eddie’s neck from behind, ripping him away, and dragging him to the ground where a number of its brethren descended on him at once.

Through the searing pain of being eaten alive, Eddie still fought, still tried to shake the creatures off and get to Dustin, but his arms were pinned to his sides. 

Over the cacophony of screeches and squawks Eddie heard Dustin scream—wordless, high pitched, blood curdling, before something hit the ground hard with a heavy thump at his side.

And the screaming stopped.

Eddie shouted Dustin’s name over and over, but heard nothing in return. He turned to look as soon as he could, finally able to as the bat that had been feeding on his cheek moved away to search out the meatier flesh of his chest, and wished he hadn’t.

The boy’s face was a bloody mask, his unblinking eyes—wide and lifeless. His mouth didn’t move, could not move any longer, but still a voice began calling Eddie’s name. It didn’t sound like Dustin either, it sounded like…

“Eddie? Eddie? Can you hear me?” 

Steve.

Eddie woke with a gasp to someone gently shaking him as they hovered. To Steve looking down at him, his mouth pinched with worry.

One of Steve’s hands left Eddie’s shoulder to cup his cheek. “It was just a nightmare. You’re okay, I’ve got you. Dustin is fine, everyone is fine.” He spoke so softly, as though he were addressing a frightened wild animal, which in fairness wasn’t too far off. 

Eddie could do nothing but stare at first, still dazed and a little breathless from the absolute nightmare his dream had been, and maybe a little more so for the way Steve was touching him, warm and gentle, but eventually he managed to nod.

Steve gave him a small, sad smile and started to pull away. And before he could stop it, before he could consider what a terrible idea it was, Eddie reached out, gripping tightly onto the hem of Steve’s t-shirt. 

“Stay?” Eddie choked out. He felt like a pathetic baby even asking, but the image of Dustin laying bloody and broken was too fresh, and though it had only been a dream, the very real tears he’d cried in his sleep were still drying on his face, his fresh scars throbbing with the renewed memory of so many tails and teeth. “Just for a little while… please?” 

Steve bit his lip, something unreadable flickering across his face for a second, or maybe it was a trick of the shadows, as he whispered, “scoot over.” 

Forcing himself to let go, Eddie shuffled backwards on his side, raising the covers while Steve slid under, facing him. 

Eddie itched to bury himself in Steve's neck, his chest—to be wrapped up in the safety of his arms, but he was acutely aware of the fact that he'd come out to Steve only a handful of hours ago. So he kept a polite distance, still grateful for the simple comfort of not being alone.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Steve asked, snuggling down into the spare pillow.

“Not really. It was—” Eddie exhaled deeply. Awful? Terrible? Horrifying? None of the words that came to mind were enough. 

Somehow Steve's hand found his under the covers, resting between their bodies, their fingers lacing together automatically. 

“I know.”

Eddie squeezed his eyes shut, trying to focus on the feel of Steve’s hand in his instead of the pain of what he’d seen. “How do you deal with it?” 

“I wish I had better advice to offer but I don't think there's much you can do but just get through it.”

“Lovely.” Eddie grumbled, but knew he was lucky the nightmares hadn’t found him till now. He’d barely been sleeping as it was, and when he did he was usually in a blackout, before he came to Steve’s at least. Now he couldn't help wondering if he was in for the same thing he’d heard Steve go through night after night.  

Steve let out a breathy laugh, rubbing his thumb along the back of Eddie’s hand. “Sorry. You just gotta try and go back to sleep when you can, and on the nights when you can’t, find ways to distract yourself.”

Eddie could think of some things he’d like to do to distract himself right now. A few sure fire ways to shut his brain off, and all of it far more pleasurable than laying here and trying to go fall asleep again, but that was too dangerous a line of thought to follow.

It wasn’t long before Steve’s eyes fell shut, his body relaxing, and his breath evening out. Surprisingly, Eddie found himself following close behind, his own eyelids growing heavy as he watched the wrinkles in Steve’s forehead smooth out, their hands still clasped firmly together when he finally drifted off.

-

Over the next week, he and Steve developed a loose routine of sorts. 

They made breakfast together in the mornings, which really only consisted of Eddie making toast, with butter this time—elevated cuisine—and Steve brewing a pot of coffee on his overly complicated machine that Eddie refused to even touch, before separating for the day. 

As he continued to work on reclaiming himself, Eddie still spent a lot of time hiding away in his borrowed room with his book and his music, and a notepad Steve dug up for him from the bottom of a kitchen drawer. 

He started writing again. 

Struck with inspiration for a new campaign he began taking copious notes, smiling at the idea that he might actually be able to run a game again one day soon. Something that would go a long way towards making up for lost time with so many of the friends he’d been neglecting lately.

When bits of lyric popped into his head he wrote those down too, humming simple tunes he hoped he’d remember later when he actually had a guitar handy to strum them on, his fingers itching to play for the first time since the Upside Down. And tried very hard not to think about the fact that they all sounded a little more like love songs than anything he typically played with the boys in Corroded Coffin. 

Eddie didn’t really know what Steve did with his days, besides talking to Robin on the phone, occasionally checking on him, and cleaning compulsively from the sounds of it, as though someone might show up at any time and expect a spotless house. 

Sometimes he got in his head about it, wondering if Steve was annoyed at being stuck here babysitting. If he was bored. If he’d get tired of waiting for Eddie to be normal and resent him for holding him back. But when Eddie came downstairs each day around five or six to call his uncle, Steve lit up, looking so genuinely happy to see him that Eddie was forced to remember and believe that Steve wanted him here, wanted to help him heal and find some kind of peace. 

By some miracle, it even seemed to be working.

While Steve put their dinner together Eddie would sit on the kitchen floor, curling the cord around his finger as he spoke to Wayne on the phone, the two of them catching up before the older man went to work for the night. There were other phones in the house he could have used, even ones that offered a comfy seat and more privacy, but none that had as nice a view of Steve’s luscious backside.

Honestly it was one of Eddie’s favorite parts of the day.

After dinner though, that was when they actually spent time together, and Eddie discovered what a dork Steve truly was, and how much he liked being around him.

They’d sit and talk while watching movies mostly, or on one memorable night a baseball game, of all things, an activity Eddie never thought he could find enjoyment in, and if Wayne ever found out he’d done so voluntarily, he’d never live it down. While Eddie still didn’t exactly see the appeal of sports in general, he could appreciate the fit of their uniforms, and seeing Steve smile so much and slap his thigh whenever something good happened wasn’t half bad either. No matter what they were doing Steve's presence never failed to leave him feeling warm, like sitting in the sun, and it was impossible not to bask in it a little.

All in all, It was easy enough for Eddie to be normal about his unfortunate crush during the day, but—

Okay, maybe he wasn’t being super normal about it, but he was at least managing to hide the worst of it from Steve, he was pretty sure anyway, but at night things were… a little more difficult. 

Night after night like clockwork Eddie woke in near hysterics.

Sometimes it was him and Chrissy standing in the trailer, where he’d try in vain to wake her, and have no choice but to stand by and witness her body breaking to pieces right in front of him all over again. 

Or it was Steve, getting strangled to death by demobats after being pulled into the depths of Lover’s Lake. He, Robin, and Nancy following behind far too late to save him. 

But more often than not it was his own gruesome near death experience he was made to relive, alone or with Dustin dying by his side. Those were always the worst. 

And every night, without fail, Steve was there when Eddie lurched awake, crying and gasping. There to soothe away the pain and heartache, touching Eddie’s face and hair with gentle hands, uttering soft sweet words, and each time, like the first time, Eddie asked him to stay, and Steve would simply say, “scoot over.”

The nightmares never came back once Steve was with him.

And in the morning, no matter how tangled together they were when they woke, they separated without a word and went about their days as normal. 

And it was fine. 

It wasn’t complete fucking torture or anything. 

-

It continued to be fine until one morning Steve came downstairs in jeans—obscenely tight jeans, not that Eddie noticed—and a polo shirt. The first time either of them had put real clothes on since the ill-fated party. 

Maybe he was expecting someone?

Eddie wasn’t sure how Steve had managed to keep the kids and everyone else away for this long, but he was grateful for the time to get his shit together within their private little bubble while it lasted. “Who’re you all dressed up for?” He asked.

Steve held up a grocery list scrawled on a notepad in answer, smaller than the one stashed under the bed in Eddie’s room—

Not his room, though, he had to remind himself. Steve's guest room. He had to stop thinking of it as though this living arrangement were a permanent one. Had to remember the reason he was here in the first place—because Steve and Wayne were afraid he might hurt himself. He wasn’t bitter about that fact anymore, really he wasn’t, but he was feeling pretty good now, and maybe it was time to start acting like it. 

Eddie hadn't forgotten Hopper’s warning to avoid public places, but the grocery store in the middle of the day on a random Tuesday hardly seemed like a risk.

“Can I come?” He asked.

-

Eddie pushed the cart, following behind Steve like a lost puppy, providing minimal commentary while he shopped. It was nice, in a way, to be out and about, but he also felt a little jittery about being so exposed, and was grateful for something to do with his hands. 

It was impossible not to notice the lingering stares and whispers being thrown in his direction from the other customers, as few and far between as they were, but he was determined not to let it bother him.

Steve had seen it too, making sure to never get too far ahead, and more than once Eddie saw him staring daggers back at some old lady until she was forced to look away with a huff. 

Just as Eddie was starting to relax, knowing they were in the home stretch and might actually get out of the store without incident, they rounded a corner and came across a boy wearing a familiar green and white letterman jacket.

It was Andy, because of course it was, and he wasted no time getting right in Eddie’s face, spitting with each hate filled word he spewed. “Who let you out of the house, Munson? You should be locked up, I don’t care what the police said. You’re a fucking murderer.”

Before Eddie could even react Steve was there shoving Andy away from him. The other boy stumbled back into a chip display, sending a dozen or more bags falling to the ground, a few crunching underneath him as he regained his footing. 

“Back off man, you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” Steve snarled.

Andy recovered quickly and pushed into Steve’s space next, puffing up, and trying without success to loom over him. “Harrington, I knew you’d changed, but you’re hanging out with freaks like him now?”

A sound not unlike a growl came crawling out of Steve’s throat, making Andy take a step back. It looked involuntary, and Eddie wondered if he even realized he’d done it. He was tempted to let the scene play out, but, as hot as it would be to see Steve beat the ever loving shit out of someone like Andy—someone who’d hurt a little girl while following the orders of his deranged leader—Eddie knew he had to stop this before someone called Hopper. He wasn’t really in the mood for a lecture today. 

Eddie reached out, wrapping a hand around Steve’s bicep, gently holding him back. “Forget him, Steve. He’s not worth it. Let’s just go, okay?”

For a split second Steve tensed at the touch, then leaned into it, shaking himself. “Yeah, okay.”

Thankfully Andy seemed to understand that he’d gotten lucky, not so brave when his opponent was the same size as him, and let them pass with nothing further than a few more dirty looks.

Steve stuck close to Eddie’s side, guiding them right to the checkout though Eddie was sure there were a few more things on his list, but he certainly wasn’t going to argue. He was ready to get out of there, and go back into hiding for the day. 

They drove back to the house in an awkward silence that continued on even as they pulled into the driveway and carried all the bags into the kitchen, neither of them quite knowing what to say. Eddie knew better than to think Steve was mad at him, and maybe going along had been a bad idea but it could have been worse. He was actually feeling remarkably calm about the whole thing now that it was over, except for the fact that Steve kept sneaking these long glances at him whenever he thought he wasn’t looking.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Eddie mumbled as he started to unpack the groceries, unable to ignore it any longer. 

Steve’s cheeks went pink. “Sorry,” he breathed, shaking his head at himself as he reached for one of the bags, taking out the milk and butter, and putting them away in the fridge.

“Hey,” Eddie said softly, ducking his head to catch Steve’s eye as he turned back around. “I'm okay, I promise. I'm not gonna go off the deep end or whatever you're worried about, ok? Screw that asshole and everyone who agrees with him. We know the truth, and that’s all that matters.” 

He wasn’t sure he wholeheartedly believed that yet, but he was trying.

“Sorry. You’re right,” Steve sighed. “You did great. I'm the one who lost it. I just—I hate that anyone thinks that way about you.” He dragged his feet as he crossed back to the counter, rifling through another of the bags. 

“Steve–” Eddie bit his lip, something like panic swelling in his chest even as his stomach did somersaults over Steve’s words. “Why… and I swear I'm not being a dick this time, but—why are you doing all this for me?”

Maybe Steve really was just that good of a friend, that caring of a person. Eddie could believe that—did believe that, by this point. But, no one had ever looked at him the way Steve looked at him, and all of it was becoming too much to ignore. Too many late night rescues and soft voices in the dark. Too many mornings of waking up on the same pillow, arms and legs wound so tightly together, as though their separate bodies were trying to become one while they slept. 

And now, ready to fight some dickhead in the middle of Kroger in broad daylight to defend his honor.

Eddie was scared to death of the answer to his question but he had to know, even if the answer might have the power to destroy him, no matter what it was.

“Eddie…” Steve’s face crumpled, like it broke his heart that Eddie had even asked the question. But there was something else too, something peeking out from behind his eyes, that thing Eddie couldn’t bring himself to admit was real, that he hoped wasn’t real because, that would be a very different kind of torture. Cruel and unusual punishment from the universe.

“I care because it’s you. Because you’re one of us. Because you’re my friend. Because…” Steve took two steps forward, standing so close that the toes of their sneakers were touching as he gently took the can of Spaghettios out of Eddie’s hand, and put it back down on the counter.

Eddie couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move—wouldn’t have wanted to if he could, but also he did kind of want to run from the room screaming. Kind of wanted to take the question back and resume pretending. Put his head firmly back in the sand.

“Because…” Steve’s eyes flicked down to Eddie’s mouth, completely unaware of the war raging in his head, before stepping impossibly closer, bringing their bodies flush as he pressed Eddie back into the countertop, and slotted their lips together.

Chapter 6 (Coming as soon as I finish up my Steddie big bang!)

Thanks and love to @penny00dreadful and @pearynice for all your help and encouragement with this.

Permanent taglist(open): @penny00dreadful @pearynice @hitlikehammers @bookworm0690 @wonderland-girl143-blog 

@goodolefashionedloverboi @themagicalari @awkwardgravity1 @rocknrollsalad

[roseworth]

honestly i don't think any jason after his death seems to really match the one before it? hard to say he's in character at any point then. they might as well have introduced some new guy and told his story through flashbacks. at least the new guy would presumably have someone that cared enough about their oc to give them consistency

can i say something controversial. i disagree with this

i think you have a great point about how robin jason is a lot different than red hood jason, bc a lot of robin stories have him as just an average happy kid so the whiplash from barr tec jason -> utrh jason is insane

on the other hand,, that adds to it for me. this was not winick's intention but i love the idea that jason was just a happy robin that loved his dad & loved being robin then immediately gets crushed because he was living his happy life and thought everything was great, then went through an insane trauma and realized that everything was not as great as he thought so he decided to start killing people. in my head theres a great narrative where he basically becomes unrecognizable to who he was before because thats how bad his death & resurrection fucked him up

but also heres where im gonna get even more controversial! i dont think hes that different!

i loooove barr tec but i think barr has specifically said that he wanted to be writing dick so he just pretended he was. a lot of robin jason writers didnt bother to give him any character of his own, he was just dick 2.0 until starlin

i dont love how starlin wrote jason because his only reason for writing jason like that was that he hated him and wanted to kill him. but. starlin's jason was so distinct from dick that its one of the only times that it feels like jason. honestly if you take early post-crisis robin jason and compare it to starlin jason, its not that different. hes a little aggressive & angry but does it for a good reason, he fights with batman and can be impulsive but has strong morals even if his morals arent always what batman believes, which is very similar to who he was when he first became robin post-crisis

and because starlin jason is one of the only times that jason is distinct from dick (not to mention, in terms of general robin jason knowledge, most of jason's iconic robin stories come from starlin), it makes sense that that version of jason was used in utrh. and the version of jason that had empathy for victims to the point that he wanted to kill the perpetrators makes so much sense for red hood jason. he believed that the best way to get vengeance for the victims was to kill the person who did it, which is why he was so mad that bruce wouldnt do that for him after he died

in my mind there is a very clear progression from the version of jason that died and the version that comes back to life. he had a lot of empathy for the victims when he was robin (to the point that bruce told him that he should sit out the garzonas case bc he got too emotionally invested in it) so it makes sense that when he is the victim of a gruesome murder from someone like the joker, who has killed and done horrible things and isnt going to stop, that he would be extremely pissed that bruce wouldnt let his morals go just to kill the person that killed jason, since thats what jason, even as robin, believed was the best way to get vengeance for the victims

[superblysubpar]

*originally posted over on my old blog. If you happened to read/interact with this before, I'd greatly appreciate it if you left some love once again. I did re-edit/re-write some things.*

Everywhere:

steve harrington x fem! reader

Summary: Steve Harrington introduces you to his three phase, fool proof plan to feeling better. A mix tape, a secret menu item titled "phase two" and some fun in the back seat of his car (originally inspired by a post from @plainemmanem ) | masterlist | steve's music | NSFW 18+

WC Range: 5k-10k

Warnings: use of Y/N petnames, swearing, semi-public (no one around) making out, chest action, fingering (reader receiving), Steve cums in his pants

A/N: I spent way too much time actually making Steve's playlist. Bottom of post contains list of songs/link to playlist - enjoy! 💛

Your phone was ringing again and you pushed a pillow over your ears groaning, “Take a fucking hint!”

It had been ringing all day, for the past two days. Ever since Steve had dropped you off Friday night. 

Waiting from him in the alley behind the movie theater, lipstick smeared, tear stained cheeks. You closed your eyes, pushing out the thought of how absolutely pathetic you must have looked to him. 

You had wanted to call Robin, but she still didn’t have a car, so that left Steve and Eddie to come rescue you. It’s not like you weren’t friends with either of them, but you were best friends with Robin, Steve was kind of a package deal with her, and Eddie a package deal for him. Therefore making all of you sort of friends, never hanging out alone though. You were all slowly becoming closer, Robin and you making Steve and Eddie drive you places, pay for your popcorn at the movie theater, playful teasing, and light hearted jokes shared with each other was about all your relationship had amounted to with either boy so far.  

But this…this was different. You were embarrassed to call either of them for help, both always giving you grief about the guys you went on dates with. So either one of them would have had an “I told you so,” ready on their lips. You figured between the two, Steve would at least have the decency to wait to say it until you were in the car. 

So it was him you waited for, your knee bouncing up and down and biting your thumb as you thought about how he and Eddie had warned you. How even Robin would probably have an I told ya so ready for you. You hated how clueless you had been. 

Steve pulled up, jumping out of the car and you held up your hand, “Don’t even say it. I know okay? Can you just take me home please?”

Steve closed his mouth, his eyebrows pushing together as he rounded the front of his BMW. He opened the passenger door for you, waiting for you to climb in. If only he knew how a simple gentlemanly gesture like that was about to make you sob uncontrollably. 

His car was warm and comforting compared to the chilly air you had been standing in for an hour as you tucked yourself into the seat and he closed the door softly. 

You shivered as he sat in the driver’s seat. He glanced over at you as you rubbed your hands together. He slowly leaned over, holding out his hand out to you, still not having said a word. 

You looked at it and then up at him. He leaned closer and smirked, “Trust me.”

You let him take your hands, cupping both of his around them and blowing on your fingertips. The warmth of his breath tingled against them and you felt it settle across your entire body, the sweetness of the gesture making a pressure swell in your chest, the release of tears too close for comfort. 

You would not cry in Steve Harrington’s car. 

You cleared your throat, shaking your head as if to wipe away the thought. He slowly rubbed the tips of your fingertips, pushing the warmth of his into yours as he softly asked, “Have you been standing out here since you called me?”

You nodded, closing your eyes, willing the tears not to fall as you pulled your hands from his.

His hazel eyes danced between yours, filling with that awful look of pity. He must have seen something behind your eyes, a hurt and a wall pushing up that made him decide not to say anything more. Rotating his body back to looking out the windshield, he moved the car into drive. He turned the radio down, but not fully off, he had a thing about the silence nowadays as Robin had put it. You watched the street lights illuminate his face in flashes of a warm orange, slanting across his jaw as he drove across town. 

After several minutes of almost silence, his fingers tapping aimlessly on the wheel, he glanced over at you with a frown, having decided he needed to ask, “What happened?”

You sighed and turned your head to look out your own window, picking at a loose thread on your skirt, “Well, you see, when I go to a movie, I actually like to watch it.”

Steve was silent, waiting for you to elaborate and you huffed out a long breath, “Jason had other plans.”

You watched his knuckles wrap tighter around the steering wheel and you kept going, letting out a dark chuckle, “And don’t get me wrong, I’m all for making out during a movie…but,” you sniffled, hating yourself for letting that stupid boy let your lashes wet with tears, “I’m so stupid. Thought he actually liked me, wanted more than…” you wiped at your tears with one finger as they started to fall, not even trying to hide it anymore, “He practically wanted to have sex right there in the seats, I said no, he called me a tease and walked out.”

Steve muttered, “Asshole.”

He was pulling into your apartment building and you shrugged, clearing your throat as the tears fell down your cheeks silently, “Yeah, well, you win some you lose some. Right?”

He parked and you started to get out and he grabbed your wrist, not possessively like Jason just had only an hour earlier. His grip was loose, tender, and sent tingles of electricity through your arm as he said, “He’s an asshole. Really. You…” he licked his lips and you watched him swallow, “You’re great. And he’s an asshole.”

You nodded, slipping out the door, not being able to bear the look of pity in his eyes as tears fell from your own, “Thanks for the ride Steve.”

You closed the door before he could see you cry any harder and hurried up your steps. 

The phone finally stopped ringing and you sighed with relief, looking at your clock, thanking the lord that Robin had the morning shift on Mondays. She must have known you took the day off and would be at home though that she was even still trying to call. At least at work she wouldn’t be able to call you as frequently throughout the day.

Then the knocking started on your front door. 

You groaned and yelled, “Nobody is home Buckley!”

A muffled yell from behind the door, “It’s Steve!”

You flopped back onto your back across your couch, “Nobody's home Harrington!”

“Come on, open up!”

You fiddled with the pillow you were hugging, “Sorry, closed for the day, try back tomorrow. Hours posted on the door.”

He mumbled something you couldn’t quite make out before it was silent again. You let out a sigh, figuring he gave up. But then you heard the clicking of your lock and you sat up as your front door swung open. 

He smiled, pulling the key out of the door, “Hiya.”

Your mouth dropped open, “How did-”

He spun the spare key on his finger, “Robin.”

You rolled your eyes and made a note to talk to her about boundaries and how the spare key was for her. You returned to your position, laying on your back, “What do you want?”

“You, my lucky friend, are about to get the three phase foolproof plan to pull you out of this funk.”

You laughed, rolling your eyes to the ceiling, “Oh really, is that so?”

The shadow of his body over yours made you glance to the right. He had his hands on his hips and a frown on his face, “Come on. Up. Jason doesn’t deserve this kind of wallowing, it’s been three days. Up, up, get-”

He tugged at one of your hands and you made yourself dead weight, sinking into the couch. You smirked at the vein popping out in his neck and his set jaw as you jabbed, “You need to hit the gym more Harrington.”

He pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth, grunting, then dropped your arm as he crossed his own and squinted his eyes at you. 

Satisfied you had won, you closed your eyes with a smirk on your lips. His gesture of coming over to check on you was kind, but you were sure it was because Robin had told him to since she was working. 

So, you offered a compromise, “Please, I’m fine, I’ll go swing by the store later or something and let Robin know I’m okay so you don’t have to-”

You were being flung through the air suddenly, his arms wrapped around your waist and tossing you over his shoulder. You clenched your thighs together and tried to catch your breath because holy hell was Steve Harrington strong and the way he tossed you like it was nothing was incredibly hot.

He also smelled really good.

You swatted at his back, “Put me down! What do you think you’re doing? Do you break in and man-handle all of your friends because I wouldn’t have signed up for this friendship if I would have-” He ignored your protests and started towards the front door and you hit him repeatedly on the shoulder, “Wait, wait, wait, wait!”

You peered around his side, his hand stopped halfway between his body and the door knob as he let out an exasperated sigh, “What?”

You smiled against the shirt on his lower back, “I don’t have shoes. Does the three phase fool proof plan require sensible footwear?”

He turned and grabbed your sneakers without letting you go or without saying a word. His arms wrapped around the back of your thighs and hand dangerously close to your butt, you stopped fighting him. Instead you turned your focus to trying not be turned on by how easily he carry you like this. He locked up your place with the stolen key, walked down the steps, and dropped you in the passenger seat of his car. 

Able to see his face now as he bent down and shoved your shoes onto your lap, grinning at winning the fight, “Please keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times.”

You didn’t want to give him any sort of satisfaction, determined to fluster, pester, and annoy him the whole time during whatever thing he’d concocted. You smirked, “Taking me for a ride huh, Harrington?”

He rolled his eyes and tapped the roof of the car twice before closing your door. 

You watched as he tossed the car keys between his hands as he wandered around the front of the car, and you glanced into the back seat, a Seven Eleven grocery bag that you suspected contained snacks. As he slid into the driver’s seat he swatted your hand away, “No peeking.”

You grumbled under your breath about him being so bossy and started to pull your shoes onto your feet. He pulled a cassette tape out of his pocket and held it up in between the two of you. 

When you finished with your shoes and glanced over at him, waiting for him to put the tape in or do or say something, you sat up, trying not to look amused by the scolding motherly look on his face. You’d seen it only a handful of times with all of the young hooligans he and Robin hung out with. 

“Y/N,” he said seriously.

You mimicked his tone, lowering your voice to mock his own, “Steve.”

He tapped the tape against your nose lightly, holding back a smile, “I am about to share with you something so important, so insanely powerfully awesome, that if it falls into the wrong hands, I believe it would be monumentally destructive to the world as we know it.”

You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to keep a serious face as well, “Top secret mixtape, got it.”

He started to pull it out of the case, “I mean it. Even Robin hasn’t heard this.”

That surprised you, Steve and Robin shared everything, “Really? Why?”

He nodded and then shrugged, popping it into his stereo, “She hasn’t needed it. Normally phase 2 is all Robin needs, but I always have to start with phase 1,” he turned the volume dial slightly, “This is a foolproof mix to make you feel on top of the world, but you can’t get greedy with it, it’s only for the really bad times,” he looked over at you and smiled a smug smile, “Too much awesome could kill you.”

You rolled your eyes as the opening guitar of Hammer to Fall by Queen started playing, “What is it with you and this song!?”

He wrapped his arm around the back of your headrest as he backed out of the parking lot, the smell of his deodorant and cologne filling your senses. Christ, what was that? It was like if you could bottle the smell of rain and something woodsey and you hated how it made your brain feel a little fuzzy, wondering how you had never noticed it before. 

He removed his arm, and turned the dial up once again, “Come on, the only way for the mix to work is to sing it”. 

You shook your head and he pointed at you and shouted, “Yeah!” along with the song before drumming on the steering wheel, “Here we stand, or here we fall-”

His voice was loud and the windows were down. You dropped lower in your seat, embarrassed and covered the side of your face as people on the sidewalk hollered at the car.

He poked your side, “Sing, come on, or no phase two, and trust me, you want phase two.”

You sighed and as the music between the verses, you glanced over at him. Drumming furiously on the steering wheel, hair flopping in his eyes as he sang along to the guitar and drums. Just watching him sing along was already making you feel better and you decided maybe you’d play along with his nonsense. 

You took a deep breath, coming in loudly with him as you sang, “Oh, every night, and every day, a little piece of you is falling away,” laughing as Steve raised his pitch and pretended to air guitar with one of his hands as he hit the higher notes that followed. 

You laughed and sang throughout the rest of the song when “Take on Me” came on as you pulled into the very busy and crowded diner parking lot.

“Oh no, Steve, no, there’s so many people standing-”

He turned it up even more, making dramatic faces and drumming along on the console now that you were parked, “If you sing it with me, I’ll turn it down.”

You shook your head turning your face into the seat cushion, fairly certain your mom’s best friend had just made eye contact with you in the side mirror. You would never be able to face this town again after this. 

You hissed, “Steve.”

He shook his head, turning it up even louder, and you reached to get out of the car and he locked the door, gripping your wrist in a strong but gentle hold not unsimilar to how he had held it on Friday night. This time it felt like a shock went through your entire body before settling in your stomach. His eyes were shimmering with laughter, and you got a little lost in the blues, greens, and browns swirling together to make a color that could only be described as Steve.

His face was inches from yours, the scent of his spearmint toothpaste filing your nose as he deepened his voice and dramatically sang the chorus, “Taaake onnn mee,” he punched the air, “Take on me!” 

His happiness and unashamed dorkiness was contagious. You couldn’t help but let the rest of the world fall away, his stupid smile and the stupid song making you want to be a part of whatever got him to look at you like that over and over again. 

He grinned wider as you joined in, throwing your head back with your eyes closed, gripping his hands, “Taake meee onnn, take on me!”

You couldn’t stop laughing as Steve held his fist out to you as a microphone and you screamed into it, “I’ll beee gooone-” 

He whipped his fist back over to his own lips, scrunching his eyes closed and making his voice impossibly high as he shrieked, “In a day or twwoooo!”

“Harrington!”

You both stopped suddenly, laughing and covering your mouth as you saw Eddie crouched in Steve’s open driver’s window.

He was holding a bag out to him, “Please take your pancakes and never sing in public again,” he pointed to you, “Y/N, on the other hand, should come sing with Corroded Coffin.”

Steve held his hand over his chest, laughing breathlessly, “I’m hurt Munson.”

Eddie shook his head as you belted out again, “I’ll be gooonnneee!”

And Steve shrieked even higher, “In a daaaaaaay!”

Eddie covered his ears and walked away, leaving the two of you laughing so hard you were holding your side from it hurting. 

Steve turned the music down, but only slightly, his cheeks flushed, his eyes sparkling, and he held out the bag, “Phase two.”

You opened the bag to find little mini chocolate chip blueberry pancakes and a cup of syrup for you to dunk them in and you glanced up at him, “These aren’t on the menu.”

He stole one out, holding the cup of syrup between the two of you, “Sure aren’t.”

You closed your eyes as the warm blueberries and chocolate chips melted in your mouth. You moaned and let your head fall back against the headrest, already pulling another one out, “Oh my god Harrington, do I wanna know what you had to do to get these made for us?”

He grinned, dipping his own into the syrup, licking his finger free of the dripping sticky liquid and your thighs pushed together impulsively. Jesus, that should be illegal for him to do. 

You watched his gaze flick down to the movement and you prayed to god that he couldn’t hear your heart beating harder. He cleared his throat and you dropped your gaze as he said, “Well, you know what you said Friday night? Something about you win some you lose some?”

You closed your eyes, thoughts of Friday instantly bringing the mood from just seconds before back to how you’d been feeling for the past two days, and you nodded.

You opened your eyes to see him staring at the pancake in his hand, “Well, Robs and I…it’s a lot more losing than winning lately,” he chuckled a little, “Like lose all, win none.”

He took a bite of the pancake stuffing it in his cheek, “Anyways, Robin got Doris to agree to make these for us after one particularly brutal morning after a disastrous party for both of us and well…now we just order the phase two and she’ll make them for us anytime, day or night. Robin waters her plants and I take her dog for a walk.”

You knew Robin had a tough time, but you had no idea Steve had such a bad time with dating. Steve? The guy sitting across from you who was attractive, who smelled amazing, who picked you up no questions asked late on a Friday night, who got sad girls to get up and laugh, who took them to get pancakes and sing off key and listened to them talk? This guy was losing all and winning none?

You shook your head, clearing your throat and keeping your glance down as you admitted, “Well, selfishly I’m a little glad you’ve been losing if it means I get to do this with you now. Bet if you had a win you wouldn’t be spending your Monday making me feel better.”

Both of you rested your temples against the headrests, eyes finding each other’s. He smiled a little and shook his head no and you rolled yours. It felt like you were both holding your breath, waiting for the other to make the next move, to say something. His eyes softened a little, the color turning a little darker. You wanted to lean over and kiss him, to show him he deserved to have a win but he grinned as the next song started playing, turning his eyes away to turn it up.

You blinked, feeling a little dizzy from the thought of wanting to kiss him as he started to reverse out of the parking spot, “Well, if you’re feeling better now, wait till phase three. Best one.”

Walking on Sunshine had started playing and Eddie and the rest of his Hellfire Club who were hanging out outside the diner, threw french fries at you both. Steve and you shared a look, his grin mischievous and you both countered back and forth with his fist as a fake microphone again. 

You sang, “I’m walking on sunshine.”

He screamed, “Woooah!”

Then he pointed out the window at Dustin Henderson, and yelled, “And don’t it feel good!”

Dustin jumped up, singing, “Hey yeah!”

And Eddie and the group booed at you all, Eddie wrestling with Dustin, pulling him into a headlock and screamed, “He’s been corrupted!”

You both laughed as you drove away, singing along to the various songs, giving Steve shit for having “Don’t Go Breaking my Heart” on the playlist, but laughing along as you sang the duet.  You had been munching on the remaining pancakes when he finally pulled up the ridge of the quarry. 

He grabbed the Seven Eleven bag rom the back seat and started to get out of the car, turning the volume all the way up as he nodded for you to follow him. 

Curious what this part of the plan entailed, you stretched as you got out of the car, arms rising above your head as you leaned your head back to soak up the sun washing over you. When you let your arms and head fall, you caught him staring at you, cheek pulled in like he was biting it. He cleared his throat and dumped the bag on the hood of the car as he climbed on. He gestured to it all grandly, taking in the chocolate, pringles, and yoohoo chocolate milk, “Didn’t know what you liked, so I just kind of guessed.”

You nodded, snagging the can of Pringles and popping the lid, “This is good,” you looked out at the quarry, a space that seemed to go on forever, the sounds of the water below you hitting the rocks in waves and the echo of the music making all of your problems disappear. It was peaceful and you nodded, “You were right. Best phase.”

He smiled, a genuinely proud and happy smile that his plan had worked, and then he jumped up, “Oh, this is actually phase three.”

The opening beats of “Juke Box Hero” started playing, and Steve was closing his eyes, pointing at you.

You laughed, “Steve. No.”

He nodded, singing along dramatically and then held up his finger and screamed, “He heard one guitar!” frantically playing air guitar suddenly.

He grabbed your hands and pulled you up, laughing, “You have to do the air guitar.”

You indulged him, because so far the entire day had cheered you up and he hadn’t steered you wrong yet. Both of you air guitaring and singing, falling onto the hood of the car and laughing as the song ended.

He stole two of the pringles out of the can and placed them between his lips and turned to you right as you took a sip of the chocolate milk, choking and gasping as you started laughing again. You weren’t sure when the last time you had laughed so much was. Maybe you had never laughed as hard as you had with him that day. 

His pringles between his lips like a beak and he moved them as he mumbled around them, “What,what’sofunny?”

You laid back on the hood, your hand holding your stomach and wiped at the tears that had formed.

He quickly ate his chips, brushing the crumbs from his lips as his eyes searched yours, “Are you crying? This is supposed to be-”

You shoved his shoulder, “I’m crying from laughing so hard dummy.”

“Oh.”

He laid back next to you and you turned your head so you could face him, your noses almost touching and he licked his lips, “So, it really worked right? No more wallowing about…who again?”

You smiled and rolled your eyes, “Definitely worked. Jason who?”

He smirked and nodded, his nose bumping yours as he did, “He’s such an idiot. You’re…”

He trailed off and closed his eyes. Your arms were pushed next to each other and you felt his pinky brush the back of your hand.

Were you into Steve? His pinky barely grazing your hand was sending a flood of warmth throughout your whole body. He was definitely an attractive person, you had eyes. But it wasn’t just that anymore. The way he had come to your rescue on Friday. How he had insisted on making you feel better all day today. He had been sweet and goofy and made you forget about anything but your own happiness all day. Your face hurt from smiling so much. 

You took a deep breath, eyes dancing over his face noticing all of the freckles and moles across his nose, cheeks, and neck. How the wind ruffled his hair, how his lips moved slowly, mouthing along to the fading song playing. How his yellow shirt pulled at his shoulders, lifting on his torso just slightly to expose the tanned skin beneath it. 

It took everything in you to peel your eyes away from that spot to look into his now open eyes, “Thank you for today Steve.” 

He nodded again, his nose brushing yours slowly and making you shiver. 

The song changed and he grinned, “Oh, this is the best one.”

The opening notes to Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac start and you laugh, “Of course you love Fleetwood Mac too.”

He nodded along to the beat, closing his eyes, “This song is so good, don’t lie to me Y/N, you love it and you know it.”

This time his voice was quiet, barely a breath. The warm air fanning across your lips, the scent of blueberries and syrup hitting you as he sang, “Can you hear me calling out your name? You know that I’m falling and I don’t know what to say.”

You joined in with him, his fingers slowly interlacing with yours, your heart hammering in your chest, so loud in your ears you could barely hear the song anymore, “I’ll speak a little louder, I’ll even shout.”

He opened his eyes, and pressed his forehead to yours, turning his head slightly so his nose brushed the side of yours. You trailed off as he sang, “You know I’m proud and I can’t get the words out.”

He spoke the next lyric instead of singing, “I want to be with you everywhere.”

You acted on impulse and pressed your lips to his gently, pulling away after leaving a soft and short kiss.

You both stared at each other, waiting, an electric charge in the air surrounding you. 

Some sort of switch seemed to be flipped in the both of you, turning your bodies fully towards each other as he wrapped his arms around your waist and you wrapped your leg between the two of his, your lips crashing into one another furiously.

You were both pushing against the other, desperate and needy for one another. His lips pulling and sucking your bottom lip between his. His hand pressed to the small of your back as he pulled you closer. You had never been kissed so tenderly, so passionately. His lips moved over your own with precision and care, building a slow burn in your stomach. 

You breathed into his lips, “Steve.”

He sighed into you, your hands moving up his chest to cradle his jaw as he pulled you on top of him. Your hips pressed against his and he moaned against your lips as you circled them, the large bulge in his denim jeans pushing right where you wanted. Easy to thoroughly feel through the thin material of your sweatpants. 

His hand dipped under your shirt, his fingertips leaving a trail of goosebumps as he made his way to just under your bra, the other tangling in your hair.

You cupped his jaw, pressing yourself on top of him harder, every spot where your bodies touched was a small firework erupting on your skin, your stomach doing flips like a whole circus of acrobats was in it.

You both broke away, a little breathless and his eyes danced between yours as he gasped out, "Should we..."

You nodded, knowing what he was going to say. You both spun in opposite directions, jumping off the hood of the car. Your foot kicked the chocolate milk and it poured on the ground, his the can of pringles.

You opened the back car doors on opposite sides, and you started pulling your sweats off as you climbed in and met in the middle, seeing him frantically kick his jeans down to his ankles. 

You bumped your heads as Signed, Sealed, Delivered started playing and you laughed as you started kissing him frantically, “I love this song.”

He nodded against your lips, pulling you onto his lap. You straddled him, pushing yourself down on his clothed bulge again and moaning from the new pressure now that there was even less fabric between the two of you. His hands pushed at your shirt, raising it above your chest and over your head as you did the same to his. 

You both paused, breathless and stared at the new views of each other, your relationship crossing a line you both knew you couldn’t come back from. The way Steve was looking at you made the already wet spot grow on your underwear. His hands reached out to your sides, gentle, his fingertips brushing over you as his gaze drifted across your body. You could tell from the look in his eyes he felt the same way, that you wanted to cross that line and you didn’t care to go back to the other side.

You took his distraction of staring at your lavender lace covered breasts to take him in as well. Your fingers moved through his chest hair and scraped the skin beneath them as you took in the sight of  his cheeks. A rosy tint to them and his glistening lips, a little fuller and a little more red from all the kissing.

Steve was handsome and the sight of him like this made you want that damn song to be true. You wanted him everywhere. Needed to feel his lips everywhere all at once. Needed to feel him everywhere. 

It's like he read your mind as he leaned into your neck, nose nuzzling against it before his lips started their assault. 

He left a trail of wet kisses across your collarbone, to the little spot at the base of your neck. He nipped the skin gently and started sucking, leaving a bruise to match the color of the bra his fingers were slowly slipping off of you. 

Gimme All Your Lovin started playing and you moaned as his palms brushed against both of your breasts, pushing and rolling them gently. He left the skin on your neck with a quiet pop and you whined as his lips kissed each of your hardened nipples. His tongue dipped out and swirled one as his fingers gently rolled and tugged the other. 

He switched quickly, tugging on the glistening one and you moaned, letting your head fall back, your hips circling down onto his boxers in rhythm with the song.  

His hands slid down your sides, fingers wrapping around to your back as he kissed up your chest and neck, breathing against your jaw, "Is it really cheesy if I say I want you everywhere right now?"

You laughed, thinking that he really could read your mind. But you nodded, needing to let him know that the teasing relationship you had wasn’t going anywhere. You caught his lips, and let out a breathless, "So cheesy."

His fingers dipped into the band of your underwear and pulled your hips to him sharply and he moaned as you circled them against him harder, "I don't care. It's true. I need you everywhere. I need your touch and your sounds and your-"

You kissed him again and he nodded, glad you got the direction he was going in. Kissing Steve Harrington was something you would never recover from. His lips slotted themselves between yours like the two of you had kissed hundreds of times before, pushing and pulling in time with the song as you swallowed the quiet sounds falling from his lips. His hand came up and held your jaw, pulling slightly as his tongue slipped out and licked along your bottom lip, pulling your mouth open. You gasped into his mouth as his other hand grabbed your ass, his fingers gripping your skin and tugging you even lower onto him.

His kissing earlier had been soft and sweet, and while this kissing was faster and harsher, both left you feeling greedy and desperate for more of him. You grinded down against him harder, pulling away to catch your breath, your bodies pressed impossibly close to each other still. Your lips and noses stayed in contact with each other, frantically brushing against each other as you breathed short gasps of air, before diving back in for more. You could feel yourself soaking him through your underwear. 

His hands roamed down your body and his fingers slowly traced the outline of your underwear and then snapped the band.

You let out a whine against his lips and his hands cupped your ass tightly, aggressively, fingers digging into your skin so hard you hoped you had bruises tomorrow. He broke away from the kiss and whispered, "Fuck, I love the sounds that you make honey."

Honey. You were grinding onto Steve Harrington’s barely clothed lap, he was calling you honey, while…Bruce Springsteen was playing?

He yanked you from your thoughts as he did the same to your underwear, pulling them down with one finger on either side, somehow smoothly pulling them to your ankle and didn't give you time to react before he was pushing his fingers through your wet folds.

He moaned, "Is this all for me honey?"

You nodded, your eyes fluttering and your hips shamelessly moving against his fingers, trying to have them dip into you further. 

He chuckled, "My girl is impatient, huh?"

My girl. 

You sucked in a sharp breath as his finger pushed into your entrance, twisted and curled, finding a spot you could never reach yourself almost instantly.

The motion made your hips jolt against him, your hands gripped at his shoulders, his muscles tensing under your fingertips and you closed your eyes, "Steve, keep going, please, please, baby."

He moaned at your words and followed your command. He pushed a second finger into you, his thumb brushing soft circles against your swollen and throbbing clit as you whined. 

He grabbed your chin with his other hand and tugged you down to him, changing his pace from earlier. His lips parting yours gently, opening you up slowly and licking into you as his tongue danced around yours, matching the pace with his fingers. 

Your body was coiled and you whimpered into his lips, feeling the hot pressure in your stomach rise to its breaking point.

He wrapped his hand around your jaw, pulling you even closer and nodded against you, encouraging you, your walls fluttering around his fingers as he slid a third one in and slowly pulled them out, pushing them in and swirling, repeating it at a building pace.

Your noses brushing together, his lips soft and plush against your own, the coil in your stomach was pulling and tightening, as the song changed to You Make Loving Fun. 

He sighed into your mouth, his fingers moving and out of you at a brutal pace, the wet sounds caused from him almost drowning out the song. His circles with his thumb on your swollen nerves became short presses, dipping down to bring more of your slick up to the throbbing button, "Cum for me honey, please. Wanna feel you fall apart all over my fingers. Wanna hear you. Wanna-"

You gripped his shoulders, his words and the sharp pushes to your clit pushed you over your edge, the coil snapping and the rising heat in your body was now white hot, rushing through every inch of your skin, making you see stars as you closed your eyes and felt your walls clenching and fluttering around his fingers, sucking him in deeper. You felt his hips buck up into you a little, twitching beneath you. 

His fingers slowly kept their circles and thrusts going, pulling you through your orgasm until he felt you squirm against them. He slowly pulled them out of you, you felt the sticky wetness against your thigh as you collapsed, your forehead falling onto one of his shoulders. You had never been kissed or fingered like that in your life, and Steve Harrington was the one to do it. He had made you cum like you never had during a Fleetwood Mac song in the back of his car. 

You laughed a little at the thought as he ran his other hand through your hair, waiting for you to catch your breath. His hand slid down from your ear to your jaw and he turned your face up towards him, leaving small, chaste kisses across your sweaty forehead, the bridge of your nose, the apple of your cheek, and finally one sweet and slow one to your lips.

You sighed into him and started to move your hands down his chest towards his waistline and he stopped your wrists, shaking his head no, his lips brushing against yours.

"I'm good honey."

You pulled away slightly, "What? But you didn't..."

He cleared his throat and closed his eyes and nodded, "I did."

You looked down to see a wet spot on his boxers and smirked and he pulled you to his chest, a smile on his face, "Don't look so smug."

"Me? Smug? Never..." 

He rolled his eyes, his fingers trailing up your arms that were wrapped around his neck, up to your shoulders and pushed your hair away from your sweaty neck. He leaned forward and kissed your jaw, "How about we both go get some new clothes and I take you on a proper date?"

You grinned, "Really?"

He nodded, his lips moving up and down your jaw and he let out a soft sigh, "Dinner, movie," he pulled away and smirked, “And after watching the movie, maybe making out only a little,” he gripped your ass tighter, "Dessert."

You laughed and pulled away from him, and now you could see the confident tone and actions were all a front for this sweet boy. His eyes were wide and fragile, hopeful and caring. 

You slowly nodded, leaning in to kiss him, "You got yourself a date Harrington."

He grinned against your lips, "Good, cause I wanna be with you everywhere."

You laughed, shoving each other's shoulders and he helped you find your clothes that had been flung across the car.  

He rewound his tape, playing Everywhere and held your hand on the console as you both screamed it out the open windows the whole way back into town. 

Win Some, Lose Some:

[bylrlve]

Warning! Potential leaks for season five of Stranger Things!

Alex (aka @dyersfilms on twitter, used to be swiftlynatalia) is the person who successfully leaked most of season 4 due to her knowing a source. She did, however, insist Byler was entirely platonic that season and they fought for most of it and only made up at the end in the pizza van, so…

Here’s her saying she won’t post any byler leaks this time around, which she has said previously.

She got a message saying they’re all fake, and she thinks they all are, so keep that in mind.

Here’s a short one: Will distancing himself from the party bc it’s too hard to be closeted and to be around Mike. If real? Endgame fr.

A ‘leak’ from episode one where shit goes down after the opening scene of Will singing SISOSIG, Will falls, and Mike helps him up,

Here’s an extremely detailed one that casually drops Mileven breakup, Robin-Mike bonding over Vickie and Will, Will trying to avoid Mike ‘confronting him about the painting’, Mike and Jonathan fighting over Will’s safety. Nothing here is debunkable but…. Yeah. God, would it be nice, though.

The two most interesting ones. First, an ask that’s almost entirely plausible except for the mileven part - and that part, specifically, I’m calling bullshit on bc it claims that Hopper is still on the Mike Hate Train. It was made abundantly clear, after their talk and their awkwardly long hug at the end of season 4, that that’s in the past. Besides, it just wouldn’t fit tonally. S3 was the heterosexual-cliché, silly filler season. S5? Nah. Can’t 100% say it’s fake, but even Alex agrees this one isn’t real.

Lastly, an interesting one that’s plausible throughout which claims Mike gets seriously injured and spends some time in hospital. Will stays by his bedside after everyone else leaves and kisses Mike on the forehead. Mike wakes up after he leaves - I think the insinuation is that Mike does a Half-Blood Prince and wakes up knowing that someone he felt safe with was there, but he doesn’t know who it was. If that’s legit? As I said, endgame fr.

I do want to note that both the mileven and Byler asks word the ‘main character getting injured part’ as everyone being ‘shaken up’ so there are a few options: it’s the same person with legit leaks, and Byler isn’t endgame. That, I’d be more willing to accept, cautious as I am, were it not for the Hopper part, which sticks out like a sore thumb. Second option: it’s the same person messing around. Third: it’s two people, one building on the other.

Cannot emphasise enough that these are most likely just bored people having fun, but I figured I’d share them all. The last one is getting passed around the tag sans context, and I wanted to clarify everything else Alex has received. Do not get your hopes up about Byler based solely on these.

Letting my imagination run absolutely wild here for just a moment, however: Maya and Vickie are confirmed to be filming at the hospital set, presumably visiting someone. There’s also a pic of someone with bloody shoes. Imagine if Robin visits Mike in the hospital, witnesses some Platinum-Tier Will Byers Pining™️, and ends up talking to Mike after he wakes up - no mention of how long he stays there.

Lastly, it is fun comparing these to the more doom-and-gloom (re: Mike) leaks Sapphicjopper on twitter got. The awesome @solgmorell has a post explaining those in detail.

Oh, and an interview came out today where Shawn Levy said something insane but, you know, water is wet.

[hellfire--cult]

Baring Teeth {Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader} - Ch. 6

Picture for Banner: pitifulbaby

Chapters: Masterlist (Go here to see list of chapters.)

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Non-Traditional Omegaverse, Slow burn, Modern!AU, Mechanic!Eddie

Warnings: Ab*se, Violence, Mental Health, Cursing, Smut (mild), treat it as a normal Enemies 2 Lovers book, but the A/B/O dynamic will appear at some point. Trauma, manipulation, dirty talk, omegaverse topics.

Crossposted on: Wattpad & AO3

A/N: All comments and reblogs help with the engagement, I appreciate every single one! ❤️I cannot thank you enough for all the follows and new people I met on here, you're all too sweet, and hopefully I can introduce you to this trope as soft as possible! Also, should I put this down as Mature category? Or do I just do that on the chapters that will contain one of the warnings above? I am new to posting on Tumblr, so I don't know how to do much of the interaction and engagement here!

Anyways, Enjoy!

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Chapter 6

“He’s not coming again?” You heard Nancy exclaim angrily as she took her phone out and started typing away with her fingers. You bit your lip nervously as you side eyed Robin and whispered to her.

“I can leave, I mean, I already had drinks with you guys yesterday–” Steve heard you from across the table and shook his head and then directed his head towards Nancy.

“He is a big boy. She seems to have bigger balls than him because she actually dares to face him after their fight.” A sense of pride surged in your chest, but honestly you dreaded Eddie's appearance. You could always ignore him, and that’s what you planned to do in case he did show up, but for the second night in a row, he didn’t, and you knew it was because of you.

“I know! That’s why I am trying to make him come down here!” Nancy spat as she stared at the phone and let out a loud scoff, slamming it face down, her eyes going directly to you. “You are not going anywhere, if he wants to be a baby, so be it.” You were actually surprised that Nancy was taking your side, as well as Steve, who were the closest with Eddie. 

“But, I mean, I can risk a night out–” And that’s when Robin stopped you from talking, swaying her beer around with a frown in her face.

“Don’t. He has to put the big boy panties on at some point.” You looked down at your beer and sighed, taking a sip of it. You were all sitting in the same booth as you always do, and the reason for going out for drinks two nights in a row, was because Jonathan was having anniversary happy hours. His bar opened two years ago, and he is celebrating with a full week of discounted drinks, which was getting him a really big clientele.

“Don’t think too much about it.” Steve says to you and Argyle nods next to him, taking a sip of his beer.

“Yah, that dude can be pretty hard headed when he wants to be. But he always comes around.” He says with a nod and you sigh, looking at him.

“Argy, sweetheart, I don’t know if you remember, but coming around this is not something I am hopeful for or want. We despise each other. I thought that was clear.” You said while looking at Argyle who was smirking while staring at you.

“There is a fine line in between Hate and Love, brochacha.” You winced at that, shaking your head at him.

“Hell no Argyle. The day Eddie Munson and I become friends, it’s because one of us lost their mind, or both.” You explain and it was Robin’s turn to roll her eyes with a giggle in her lips.

“Oh come on, everyone remembers your googly eyes at him when you first met him. Attraction never goes away.” As she was saying that you had the fantastic idea to take a sip out of your beer, only to be spat slightly at the word ‘Attraction’.

“Jesus!” Steve yelped, moving away to not get any beer on his polo shirt. 

“Sorry, Steve, but Robin, what the fuck?” You exclaimed, feeling a certain not in the pit of your stomach start to form. You did look at Eddie that night, it was hard not to, he just simply stuck out like a sore thumb out of the bunch.

“I think the two of you just need to fuck your hate away.” She said this time with another sip of her beer. You knew she was getting drunk now, but to say those things about a man who made your life a living hell the past year? It was too much. 

“I prefer to eat a raw unpeeled sea urchin than think of Munson’s dick, thank you very much.” You said taking a big sip out of your beer. You heard a big sigh on your side as Nancy put the phone down from her ear, and you knew that she listened to an audio message, probably from Eddie. 

Even if your friends were defending your honor basically, you couldn’t help but feel like a nuisance. You felt like you were a splinter, just poking and bothering whenever it pleases. You didn’t want the group to be on bad terms, even if you knew all of them saw Eddie outside these gatherings, you still couldn’t shake the feeling of him being cast aside because of your quarrel. 

Maybe tomorrow you can make up an excuse of not going out with your friends so that Eddie could take your place. Why do you even care about that douchebag? You know he wouldn’t give two shits about you if it were the other way around. 

But you know loneliness too well. So you can’t ignore it. 

Not even for Eddie Munson.

—-—————————————

You had your arms full of papers, walking down the hallways at your workplace, trying to reach your office. Robin had a terrible hangover today, which made you angry as hell because you had a deadline of bringing in your project next week, and you were feeling like you were handling it all by yourself.

“Fucking Robin, stupid alcohol, stupid happy hours–” You were so in your own little word that you didn’t see where you were going, nor the person you just rudely ran into, making your stack of papers fall to the ground. Your ass fell straight to the floor at impact, making you groan in pain, your eyes closed from wincing.

Great, what you needed. A stupid bruise, from someone that was stupidly in the middle of the way–

“Are you okay?” 

Your eyes immediately opened, registering the voice, and slowly looked up. Worried light blue irises were looking at you, inspecting your body as he crouched in front of you. The black leather pants made a creasing sound as he did, and you sucked in a breath when you saw the button up shirt he had on, which had all the buttons on his torso opened up. 

And dear god, he smelled divine.

“I– What?” You were awestruck, taken completely aback by his beauty as he frowned in confusion, tilting his head. Oh, you were making an idiot out of yourself, you had to snap out of it. You had to stop staring! You shook your head to concentrate once more, his words registering in your brain as a deep blush from embarrassment covered you from head to toe. “I– Uh, yeah, I just… Wasn’t looking where I was going.” You say shyly, recovering yourself, kneeling down on the floor to start picking up your papers. 

“No, no. It’s my fault too, I was just standing in the hallway… Got lost again.” You looked up from your papers to see Billy Hargrove smiling slightly at you. He remembers you. Oh god, he remembers you from last time, even if it was a small interaction.

“I should give you a map.” You say, wincing in your head at your poor choice of words, but he chuckled nonetheless and started helping you with the papers.

“Maybe…” He says and you bit your lips as you both got up, helping each other by grabbing your elbows. “Or you can be my guide.” He finished with a soft smirk on his lips. Your eyes slightly widened at that because, was this really happening? Is he flirting with you? Maybe he flirts with every girl he meets, he is a model, he knows he is good looking so of course he might be taking advantage of that.

If there’s anything your life taught you before, was to not be naive, no matter how good looking someone might be, how charming they can be. A pretty face can be a mask for so many lies and secrets that you don’t even want to figure out what it is. 

“Oh, but it’s so close. Just like last time, the floor above you is where you want to go.” He seemed taken aback by your response. Of course he was. Billy Hargrove was used to women becoming putty in his hands as soon as he said the word ‘Hi’ to them. He thought you were another one of those catches of course, by the way you smiled dumbly at him last time he met you. 

‘This one’s easy.’ He thought to himself that day. 

“Well, you see, last time I even got lost on that floor as well, this office is just too big.” He replied to you with a small tug on his face. You looked at the big pile of papers on your hands and back at him.

“I am a little busy at the moment Mr. Hargrove.” You tried to be as polite as possible, even if he was dressed casually, you weren’t even acquaintances. There was no need to call him by his name. He let out a chuckle at that, and you gulped at how manly it just sounded.

“Mr. Hargrove? I’m not a teenager, but I don’t go past my 30's, Doll.” Oh, the nickname made you shiver slightly. You were too weak for nicknames, and as you kept staring at his grin, you remembered how two days ago, you masturbated in his name. Because you imagined him, with you, touching every corner of your skin, pampering you, taking care of you, knowing what you want and what you need. Making you gasp, writhe, whimper and moan his name with every tap, lick, flick, pinch he did to you.

“My name is not doll Mr. Hargrove.” You replied to him, snapping out of your memories, walking past him to avoid him looking at your blush. He’ll certainly know he has you around his finger if you cave in, so you were simply trying to keep your distance. But it seemed someone else had other plans, following you down the hallway. You were wondering what he was up to, reaching your office to finally put down the heavy stack of papers on your desk with a relieved sigh.

“Ah.” He pointed at your door, and there it was, the plaque with your name. He said it with a raspy voice which simply etched itself in the deep of your gut and you won’t be able to ever forget it now. “Pretty name… Doll suits you better.” 

“And why is that?” You ask, crossing your arms over your chest and you notice it. Of course you did. The way his eyes went to your chest for just one second, because thanks to your arms, your breasts stuck out now, pushing them up. 

Billy never hooked up with a woman in an office outfit. Never imagined it either. Now, seeing you in front of him like that was making him discover a part of himself he didn’t know of, and that was, that he wanted to lift your skirt up, and fuck you right into the window glass that was in your office. 

“Because you’re pretty, like a doll.” It was a very corny line, you knew it, but you still shifted on your legs, clearing your throat, looking down at the pack of papers. 

“Well, thank you Mr. Hargrove. Like I said, one floor up– What are you doing?”

“You’re in charge of putting together my photos?” He was giving you his back, looking at the board that was in front of your desk. Pictures and texts were all stuck in various places, ideas that formed in your head for how the articles might look best, and eye catching. 

“It’s more than that. I have to make sure everything is detailed for possible investors in the brands you modeled.” He nodded in understanding at that, completely mesmerized at the work. He modeled of course, but he wasn’t the main focus of the articles this time. It was the clothes he was wearing. He looked at all the details she added, the texture, pattern, stitches of the clothing in various zoomed in pictures. 

“I didn’t know there was this much work behind my pictures.” You were looking at his back with a confused frown in your face. Talking like this with him, without knowing one another was weird but also soothing at the same time. He turned around with a smile on his face, looking down at his watch. “Oh, five minutes left for the meeting to start.” 

“Weren’t you running late already?” You said with a smile on your face, a small scoff coming out of your lips which made his eyes bright up at it. He doesn’t like chasing after girls, not at all, but something was drawing him to you, something that interested him for some reason. He walked over to your desk, putting his hands on it in order to lean forward towards you.

“I am not lost, Doll. Just wanted to know your name and maybe something else. A username maybe?” He asked with a smirk to his face and you felt your face heating up at how straightforward he was being. He was asking for your Instagram username. 

“A lie? Why’s that?”

“Let’s just say I was wishing to run into you again.” You bit your lip, deciding to play his game and put your hands on the desk, leaning forward as well, your face inches away from his. Your breaths mixed with one another’s and you felt it.

Tension. 

“Well, I don’t think there is time to give you my information. Your meeting starts right now.” He was looking at you, scanning your face and your features. He slowly said your name, a smirk in his lips as he inhaled your sweet perfume. 

“Cat and mouse, huh.” He said on the low, and your heart was going a mile per minute, butterflies exploding in your belly as he stared into your eyes, your soul, your heart, just everything. He leaned forward, even more, and you held your ground, even if you wanted to shrink away in embarrassment, or nervousness, you kept your head in place. His lips brushed against yours as he spoke once more.

“I can’t wait to catch you, little Mousy.” Your breath got caught in your throat. This guy, this model, this god sent man, who saw you twice in his life, was making you feel so desired, so wanted, so untouchable. He did something that you’ve been wanting someone to do for so long, for a year or more so. 

You just cannot believe it is him the one doing it. 

He pulled away from you with a soft chuckle, saying your name, bidding you goodbye, and leaving your office, closing the door behind him. His perfume lingered in the air, and you finally, finally, could breathe out properly. You held your chest, your hand feeling the rapid thumps that were bouncing under your skin. 

You gulped, feeling your throat completely dry after that exchange. Holy shit, you can’t wait to tell Robin. Oh, thank god Robin wasn’t here today, because she would have totally meddled and fucked that interaction over. 

You started pacing in your office, trying not to smile at how bravely and straightforward he was flirting with you, an office woman, someone totally different to what he is. You were no Kendall Jenner, his ex, or Gigi Hadid, but if someone like him looked at you the way he did today, it was alright to feel… hot. Sexy. Attractive. 

He was an ego booster, that’s for sure, and now you were expectant of your next encounter. Some small part of you was screaming because it was in need of sexual interaction, and it is yelling at you that you should have given your username, even if it was for a one night stand.

But the other part, the one that holds your dignity and pride, wanted to know how far you could go with this. A normal city guy for a one night stand, that’s okay, you don’t care, now when a model, a hot one at that, is bluntly flirting with you, yeah, you’re going to make a feast out of it.

As much as you could.

Because, it was just sex. Right?

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

End of chapter 6

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A/N: Please, comment or send me an ask if you desire to be put in the taglist ❤️

taglist: @enam3l @rainybakerypandaegg @katethetank @seatnights @oliskitten @bebe07011 @seventhlevelofhell @babez-a-licious

[bbraespam]

Raven said that it took her a whole year to stop hating Beast Boy? I mean do you suppose it means the team knew each other between the events on Go! and Nevermore? I mean in Raven’s mindscape she actually believed Beast Boy didn’t like her and vice versa.

Actually, I thought things went pretty well. Took me a year to stop hating Beast Boy. -Raven to Terra in Titan Rising

What happened between Go! and Divide and Conquer is a question that will live in my brain for all time, so let's talk about it!

So, my interpretation of Raven's line there is that it places Nevermore approximately a year after the events of Go!. (And I recommend taking a look through my Beast Boy vs Creepy tag for an idea of my thesis here. (mobile link))

In Go!, Raven and Beast Boy get along surprisingly well for how we see them by Divide and Conquer. What I think happened is this:

Beast Boy's discomfort over Raven's dark energy powers came up at least once again, probably more, and Raven interpreted this as Beast Boy rejecting her as creepy. So she started icing him out, and taking any of his attempts at humor towards her as him being fake. In return, Beast Boy got frustrated because he does tentatively like her as a person and has been trying to befriend her, but at the same time is unsettled by her powers that he doesn't understand (in that scene, if he was really truly scared of/didn't trust her, he wouldn't be literally reaching out).

That's why by Nevermore (about a year after they initially met) they're both operating under the erroneous assumption that the other one doesn't like them. I think Raven later framing that period as "hating Beast Boy" is a bit of a defense mechanism over how rejected she felt. After all, she was plenty nice to him whenever he was real with her and wasn't putting on that jokester front.

To answer the other part of your question, which sounds like it's about how long the Titans have been a team pre-Season 1? I'd put it at only a couple months since they've officially been in the tower and operating as a team. The early episodes of S1 feel like they've been a group for long enough to be mostly comfortable working together as an established team, but not long enough to really know each other on a personal level yet—Robin and Cyborg already have a coordinated move, but either the team's never gone out to pizza together or haven't yet gone enough that anyone knows each other's orders or Star's gotten a look at the menu.

(a couple extra thoughts under the cut)

For ideas about how the team formed:

After Go! they seem to be at least temporarily separating. It feels easy to assume that some of them started using that communicator to call each other up post-Go! once they ran into trouble they couldn't handle alone (was it Beast Boy, who was really hurting for friends and somewhere to belong? Cyborg, who wanted to keep his neighborhood safe? Star, who'd just gotten a taste of niceness and liked it? Raven, who wanted to do some good for the world before her father showed up? Robin... I think is least likely, despite him having a hand in making the communicators. He'd be there if asked in a heartbeat, but I see him having trouble admitting he needed help)

After a few times it becomes clear that not only could they do some real good together, but most of them could use some housing help. (After all, the only one who seems to be native to Jump City is Cyborg, and maybe even that is somewhere he moved away from his dad post-accident? Everyone else seems to have just drifted into town). So forming a team and moving in together is a perfect solution for everyone. (Maybe the city asks them formally to stick around? is there even a mayor here who's running this town shh not important)

Nevermore's narrative function

One interesting thing I didn't fully notice until just now looking at the episode list, but Season 1 uses the plot of character-disagrees-with-Raven-and-they-learn-to-understand-each-other as great excuses for displaying the characters of (almost*) each of the main cast, in Nevermore, Switched, and Car Trouble. (Notable because not every pair on the team gets an episode focused on their relationship, only sooort of BB & Star in Forces of Nature, and Cyborg & Robin in D&C, but those plots are much less focused on the characters opening up to each other than the Raven ones.)

(*Robin's the only one who doesn't get one, which I think is due to this being his season. Every "Robin" ep in S1 needs to advance the overarching plot, which doesn't really leave time for Robin-and-Raven-have-a-wacky-self-contained-adventure. It also just doesn't seem necessary, since he gets plenty of time for both his character and relationships in those episodes.)

[batchilla]

Most Married Divorced couple timeline and other fun stuff.

This post will be updated as it needs to be updated.

I recently received some feedback that the third chapter of The Most Married Divorced couple caused some minor confusion, and so! a timeline to help make it clear what happens when is now being created! I also included fun facts about the series and my writing quirks because I am desperate for people to talk to meeee.

I have the full version, but this post will reflect the currently released works, or works that I can fit in spoiler free, such as the flashbacks, which are of course all prior to the main fic and can be read as stand alone if you so choose to just ignore their doomed future haha.

Purple titles are linked - let me know if I forget to link any of them!

Five times Robin rescued you and one time he didn't. (no link as not yet out)

This was a confusing one to fit in, as I would say that technically complicated exists somewhere in the middle of the many rescues, but I settled on first as it includes you meeting Jason.

the five as of this stage of development are:

the first time

the creation of your desert arrangement

the first time he drops you off at home

Complicated would occur loosely here

followed by the remaining rescues which I am keeping close to my chest.

Complicated

This could be read as a stand alone, but it is intended as the first kiss of this particular reader and Jason. It takes place shortly before Jason's death, maybe a year or two prior. While I never set an age in stone for the reader, I would imagine them to be mid to early teens.

We then experience a time-skip of several years.

Chapter one of The most married divorced couple

Till death do us part.

This fic occurs with no set age in mind for the reader or Jason, but you are settled into a apartment, and your daughter Mary is three years old, so I had imagined her as mid to late twenties or so, but you do not have to of course!

Chapter two of The most married divorced couple

Four years later

We skip forward four years into your divorce. Those of you with your smartie pants on will know this puts Mary as around seven years of age. This, for the majority of the time, is considered the 'main' time period, with anything before being a flashback. While I tried to make this clear, I will say it more plainly here because I am talking as me and it is easier to communicate this more bluntly out of the story:

Jason had zero contact post divorce with the reader or Mary until the events of chapter three; two years of utter silence. After the events of chapter three, while officially no changes in the custody arrangement were made, during the two years between three and two, Jason has come over as we see him do in 'four years later', or been present at places he could plausibly ran into you.

Chapter three of The Most married divorced couple

Jason comes home.

Despite what I just said about the main timeline, chapter three is an immediate flashback to the first time Jason returned after two years of total silence. Simply put this is two years AFTER till death do us part and two years BEFORE four years later. Or, for those of us keeping track by Mary's age, when she is five.

Chapter four of The Most married divorced couple

Churros, Coffee, hard Conversations, and Custody. (no link at this time because it isn't out yet)

a sneak peak of the unreleased chapter? in this economy? more likely then you think.

Jason wakes up on your couch, the morning after the events of Four Years Later, and after spending the morning as close as your heart can take to as a proper family would, with Mary, (once again aged seven for those keeping up that way) off to school, a very important, very sad, rather heated discussion must be had.

FUN FACTS

I, when writing x readers, try to avoid having the reader described as walking or running anywhere as I am a wheelchair user irl, and it often breaks immersion for me. No hate to writers who don't, its not a failing on your part, but I hope my fellow wheelchair girlies feel seen! I don't have her explicitly in a wheelchair, because I feel that it wouldn't represent most of my readers, but I have made a conscious effort that it could be read that way.

Jason's hoodie in chapter two, while never canonically described and therefore whatever you imagine it to be, in my own heart, is the 'I am kenough' hoodie. I had it as that in a draft, but I felt it changed the vibe too much to make it canon.

works I am considering writing for this series in addition to the main timeline:

meeting the resurrected Jason as Red Hood

The proposal

A series of dabbles or at least short, short, segments on what it's like to be pregnant in a family of the worlds greatest detectives

a short story about how Damian was impacted by the divorce

A far into the future mainly crack fic with the many bat uncles and aunts, Jason, and Grandpa Bruce all trying to convince a teen Mary to come join THEIR super team / to be their sidekick.

Let me know in the replies if any of these particularly excite you! I make no promises of writing them but they are rattling around in my mind.

[cuephrase]

from the questionnaire:

are there any results that really surprised you or that you didn't expect?

oooooh good question!! for me personally, no, not really? at least nothing that automatically comes to mind, so yk, don't quote me on that if i share data later and say "this surprised me/i didn't expect this!!" lmao

ummmm, hmmm. well actually okay, so i did expect Tim to be the Most Disliked Robin, but not by such a margin, if that makes sense? more like, logically one of them was going to be the most disliked even if only like 10 people disliked a Robin and my bet was that Tim would have the most votes, by process of elimination/other hypotheses. i wasn't upset by the results, if you've seen the post you know i was incredibly entertained.

there were definitely some results that were a relief? like they aligned with my personal predictions, but it was still really nice to see them.

oh, something that did surprise me was the amount of commentary i got on batcest!! there is zero discussion of shipping in the questionnaire, which is mainly why i wasn't expecting so much commentary, and there's not really a whole lot of ship discussion apart from batcest stuff that i remember- i did think i might get a couple mentions of it but i got a lot more than a couple lmao.

in favor of and against, to be clear, and to be even clearer to anyone reading- this is not an invitation to share your thoughts about batcest with me, i truly do not care. not to be rude, either, like i don't care if you love it or hate it, i just have zero interest in discussing it since a) my blog is mostly gen and b) i don't see any benefits in engaging in discourse about batcest 🫶

on the individual response level, there were some things that surprised me in isolation, but made perfect sense in the context of the responder's answers, like for instance one person said they didn't see Dick as brothers with any of the boy Robins except for Damian, because "he doesn’t really interact with a lot of the other robins in canon", that being said, the only eras they said they read were pre-crisis and rebirth. makes a lot more sense in that context. like i was thrown for a loop, but then i saw the full picture and i was like, "oh. okay."

let this be your daily reminder that the statement "i read comics" means basically nothing lmao. and i don't mean that as a dig at that responder, not at all, just that if you're someone who reads comics you cannot assume that someone else also reading comics means that you guys will be on the same wavelength. not because canon is nebulous and unknowable imo, but just because there's a lot of it!!

also!! a decent amount of people said i was brave?? that freaked me out a little, because i hadn't really...i didn't think i was stepping into shit, okay? in hindsight, i realize that that was naive of me, but idk. i wasn't thinking about the results in that way, and i also really didn't think i was going to get much interaction either- i was floored by the engagement the questionnaire got. but yeah, idk, i was just genuinely curious to see if my theory had any weight, i wasn't thinking about the broader implications of what the data might reveal. whoops.

and here's what surprised my wonderful data-crunchers:

@chinajousama: Hmm, I think one thing that did surprise me was how little the types of Robin media actually impacted the results [of the Most Disliked Robin]. Aside from that pocket of Jason hate from the post-Crisis fans, everyone was remarkably consistent. Also, it wasn't really a surprise, but it was extremely funny to see how big the gap between tim and literally anyone else was, dislike wise.

(we got an ask about if the media/eras consumed impacted which Robins were disliked, so that math has been done, but i haven't shared the results yet, sorry!!)

@tevyaa: Lots! Off the top of my head: - I was sure that the clear winner of the most disliked Robin poll would be Damian. He's the only one I've ever really seen hate for - probably because I entered fandom through Tim-centric whump fic 😂. I was shocked that it's actually Tim who the fandom is most annoyed with. - I was surprised how much of the fandom does actually read comics! I would have guesstimated that the comics/non-comics fans were something like 50/50, and was shocked to find out that only 15% of fandom doesn't read comics (and only about 4% doesn't interact with canon at all, including comics/ games/ animation)

(dw, we haven't released any data apart from the MDR yet, but you'll be able to see the breakdown of comics read/canon interaction eventually!!)

ty for the ask, anon!! i hope you enjoyed the answer!!

[thefreakandthehair]

@eddiemonth prompt, oct 9th: Cowboy | Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi | Cavalier a/n: steddie, post-canon fix it, brief mention of canonical harassment, brief allusion to survivor's guilt. un-betaed because I’m challenging myself to write these in under an hour. read on ao3 | link to masterpost on ao3

The sun rises over a leveled Hawkins, bright streaks of sunlight illuminating the cracks and crevices that spider through the town. Fractals that remind Eddie Munson of what’s occurred over the past week since the world first split open. 

A week of chaos, of death, of fear. A week of discovering that monsters are real, and that while the ones beneath their feet are terrifying, the ones that hunt Eddie above ground are somehow worse. 

The people who still think he’s a murderer, despite being publicly cleared, are far worse than Vecna. They taunt Wayne, deface his posters with things like Dead or Alive on his missing posters, show up at his work to torment him. 

It’s why eventually, they have to tell Wayne that he’s dead. Eddie hates it, the idea of leaving Wayne in the dark, but he knows that Nancy’s right and it’s the best way to keep everyone safe. Dustin offers to deliver the news complete with his favorite, now-bloodied, guitar pick chain.

He’s just a kid, Eddie thinks, hiding in Steve’s basement for the time being, his wounds healing slowly. 

Dustin’s just a kid, and he sobs when he tells Wayne not because Eddie’s actually dead, but because Wayne is devastated and Dustin has to lie. 

Months pass, and Eddie is still considered missing despite everyone’s story that he was swallowed up saving Dustin from a crevice that’d opened beneath their feet. 

No body, no absolution. Not for Eddie. 

“We can’t keep him holed up here,” Steve groans, running a hand through his hair as he sits on the couch between Eddie and Robin. “It’s not fair.” 

“What do you suppose we do then, Steve? The town still…” Nancy grimaces and trails off. 

“Yeah, they want me dead, sure. Let ‘em take a crack at it.” Eddie says, monotone and cavalier. “That sounded bad, but seriously, what kind of life is this? Steve’s basement’s fine, but what’s the plan? I just stay here for the rest of my life, hiding? I’d rather be–”

Steve turns and levels him with a glare that needs no words. They’ve talked about this, time after time, that making comments about preferring to be dead are a personal insult to the people who love him, who fought tooth and nail to save him the way he saved them. 

He cuts himself off, shakes his head. “What else can we do?” 

Dustin is in the corner with the other kids, talking amongst themselves, until Lucas speaks up. 

“Someone who knows what’s actually going on has to get him away, outta town. Start over.” 

The older teens share a glance, Jonathan and Argyle shrugging in tandem. “California’s pretty far. We’re not going back but, we could set you up with some good people out there.” 

“He can’t just go alone though, he’s barely healed!” Robin reminds the group of Eddie’s extensive injuries, healed on the surface but not all the way through. They may never be healed all the way through. 

Eddie sighs and drops his head into his hands, elbows propped on his knees. He tries to disguise the way his shoulders shake, tries to bite back the helpless, hopeless sobs that threaten to rip through his rib cage. He doesn’t want to cry in front of his friends, and the few times he’s broken down in front of Steve, it’s pulled painfully at the tendons in his chest. 

He feels Robin rub his back and Steve rests a hand on his thigh, thumbing small circles into the fabric of his sweatpants. Well, they were once Steve’s but he can’t even go back to the trailer to salvage what he can of his things. He can’t even go get Sweetheart, not that he thinks he’ll ever be comfortable playing her again. 

“What if I go with him?” Steve suggests, quietly enough that Eddie’s the only one to hear him clearly. 

“What?” Dustin questions, stepping forward with the rest of the kids. 

“I said, what if I go with him? I know what’s going on, my body’s recovered, and let’s call a spade a spade here, I’m the only one without parents around to question where I went. So, what if I go with Eddie to California?”

Eddie’s chest pulls for different reasons— this time, with hope and gratitude, with love and affection. 

“Steve, I’m not asking you to do that,” he whispers, turning to face him individually. “You have a whole life here.” 

“We’ll come visit, and he can come back to visit, too. And eventually, you’ll be declared dead here. You can start over.” Robin slings an arm over Eddie’s shoulders and squeezes him, a rare show of physical intimacy. Her voice is melancholic at best, but the more the group discusses the option, the more it seems like the only option. 

At least for now. 

At least while Eddie remains a wanted man. 

They waste no time packing up the Pizzamobile, offered as a gift to travel across the country with the provision that Steve return it to Surfer Boy when they reach California. 

Eddie and Steve refuse to say goodbye, because it’s not. Robin promises that all of her college applications are now going to California schools, and she hugs Steve and Eddie tight enough that if love could click Eddie’s injuries back in place, he’d be healed immediately. 

As they get on the road, Steve at the helm and Eddie sitting passenger, Eddie finds that Argyle has a vast cassette collection. 

“Little soundtrack, Stevie?” Eddie wiggles the tape between his fingers and pops it into the tape deck. 

The song starts and after the first verse, Eddie just stares out the windshield, thinking. 

When he was a kid, outlaws and cowboys were glamorized. Always on the run, nothing to tether them to one place, living alone out on the road. But now it’s Eddie who feels like the outlaw, running from his own innocence, and he can’t find a shred of glamor in that.

“You’re thinking awfully loud over there, Munson.” Steve does it again, rests a hand on Eddie’s thigh as he drives one-handed, and Eddie feels that same glimmer of hope come alive again. 

Eddie shrugs and rests his head back against the seat, cracked pleather against his neck. 

“All good over here, big boy.”  They drive in silence save for Bon Jovi’s Wanted Dead or Alive and Eddie watches the sunset over the wide expanse of promising highway ahead of them.

[m00nlight-ramblings]

Me and the Devil

While in the upside down, Eddie and the crew meet Death herself.

Pairings: Eddie x female (even though she's ethereal?) character

Warnings: talks of death, general spooky gothic stuff?, swearing. MINORS DNI

Requested: yes

Word Count: 3.8k

A/N: The entire crew is in the Upside Down for this one, let's bend the canon a little lol. Graphic and story made my by me. I do not give permission for my work to shared or re-posted. Pictures in graphic found on Pinterest, I do not own them. Thank you!

Eddie's chest heaved as the final bat (hell-bat? What the hell even were these things?) slammed into the ground, a high-pitched squeal escaping its body before he met it with his wooden bat, blood spilling on the ground.

"Oh god, Steve! Steve are you okay?" Nancy rushed to his side as he gently laid his back on the ground, his open wounds noticeable from multiple feet away. The sound of Nancy yelling Steve's name sent Dustin and Mike running to him to inspect. Eddie dropped his bat and ran walked over, almost afraid to get too close.

"Yeah, I'm...fine? No, I mean I'm not but, I-"

"Shut up for a second. Here, let's help. Will someone help him up with me?" Robin said, slinging one of his arms over her shoulder. Nancy took the other, propping him up gently as Steve groaned in pain.

Everyone seemingly sprang into action at the same time - trying to clear and clean an area for Steve, squawking over what we could do to help, ripping of clothes to create makeshift wrappings.

Eddie's head began to spin, sending a dizzy spell through him. So, just to get it straight, not only did the entire town of Hawkins hate him and want him dead for something he didn't even do, but now he was in Hell (sorry, the "Upside Down"), and was fighting a supernatural entity in order to save the planet - no, the universe? And on top of that, one of his friends almost met his end right in front of him?

Okay...so, this was overwhelming.

The voices from the group barking over each other made sweat break out on Eddie's forehead, and Steve's groaning wasn't making it any better. Panic started to rise in Eddie's stomach as his heart raced and wait a minute, when did he start pacing? Ringing his hands to try and expunge some of his excess anxiety, Eddie's mouth couldn't stop from moving:

"Oh god, oh god, oh fuck, oh Jesus Christ! Oh shit, okay, oh shit-"

And suddenly, a whistle.

A whistle so clear, and so loud, it silenced the group instantly. Eddie's anxiety ceased at once as he met the faces of the others - everyone's brows an identical shade of furrowed and confused.

"What the hell is that?" Dustin murmured, staying completely still. His eyes shifted around him, trying to find the source of the whistle. The whistle, that, somehow, had shushed the thunder and lightning of the Upside Down.

As the whistle grew louder, the group knitted closer around Steve (and each other) - even though they didn't know who or what it was, somehow the closeness made them feel more secure. Eddie's eyes met Steve's, which were unreadable.

Suddenly, a woman stepped out from a cluster of rocks a few feet away. As she stepped out, the air seemed to get sucked out from under them, and a bolt of lightening struck ways away; lighting up the sky, but having no noise.

The woman, dressed in an all black - perhaps a shroud that was tightly wrapped around her body - was the source of the whistling. As she stepped out and closer to the group, the sound got louder, sending shivers down Eddie's back. Her dark eyes danced and she smirked.

A hunter playing with their prey.

The group collectively stepped back as she moved forward.

"Well, hello." She purred, stopping and scanning the group. She removed the hood that encapsulated her face, sliding it down to her shoulders, revealing a swath of dark hair. “It seems I’ve been...called.”

“No!” Robin immediately shouted, unable to keep her mouth shut, “No calling done here! No one here called you, you must have the wrong number! A-a-actually, we don’t even have a phone down here!”

“Robin shut up.” Mike hissed, keeping his eyes on the woman and not moving her lips.

The woman laughed, which sent another shiver down Eddie’s spine. He eyed the wooden bat that he had left on the ground, a mere inches away from this woman’s foot.

Fuck, he thought, I’m such a fucking idiot. The woman took another step forward and smiled fully now, showing her impeccably white teeth. Whoever this woman was, she wasn't good news.

"No, no no..." She started to circle the group slowly, eyeing each one of us individually. The pause she was taking in her speech made us all even more uneasy. Finally, she looked at Steve, "A phone, dear, is not how I'm called. Think of it as..." She breathed in deeply, as if we were in some beautiful wildflower field and not the hellscape of the Upside Down, "A universal call. Psychic or..." She waved a hand in the air, "Whatever. Anyway-"

She took a large step in to Steve and looked at him, starting at his feet, "The universe called, and I answered."

"And what...exactly are you here to do?" Nancy protectively stepped out from under Steve's arm, earning a muted groan from him, "Who even are you?"

The woman made a small O with her mouth, nodding her head slowly, "Oh well, I'm Death, darling."

"WHAT?!" Dustin, Robin, Mike, and Eddie screamed out, taking a comically large step back from her.

"Oh come now, friends, it's just my job. And everyone's gotta work, right? So...just let me do my job and I'll be on my way and -" Suddenly, Death stopped. She tilted her head and bit the inside of her cheek, examining something.

Eddie couldn't help but follow her gaze, straight to El.

"My, my, my..." She finally spoke. She waved a finger, pushing Mike to the side without even touching them. "Do my eyes deceive me, or are you who I think you are?"

El, obviously terrified, stayed still as a statue as Death examined her. Eddie couldn't help but move closer, almost involuntarily.

"My, yes, I think you are," Death extended a finger (with a long, black-painted nail) and brushed a piece of El's hair behind her ear, "It is an honor to meet you. Forgive me but, you are a bit of a...legend...in these parts. You have been the talk of the town for quite some time, you know." Death clicked behind her teeth and smiled, "I was sent here for one person, but if my boss knows of your presence, well then-"

"Absolutely not," Eddie said, stepping in between Death and El, "Like fuck you are. You aren't taking anyone today. Move the fuck along, or we'll make you."

"Eds, you're literally talking to Death herself. I don't know if you'd be able to take her." Robin grumbled, "I certainly can't..."

"Oh, my love, I'm so sorry. But if I turned my back on every single person that their friend told me not to take, I wouldn't have a job!" Death chuckled a bit, eyeing Eddie. As Eddie looked at her, he realized she looked about their age. A...teenager? Was Death? Was it a trick of the mind, or did she just present herself that way?

Eddie shook his head at this ridiculous thought - how did he get to the point where he was trying to figure the schematics of Death's age...DEATH?!

"I do admit though," Death said, smiling at Eddie, "Most people go running for the hills once they figure out who I am. It's nice to have a proper conversation every once and a while," She turned and went back to circling the group again, "So thanks, for that."

"Well - well how about we continue the...fun? Conversation!" Argyle offered, "Right? Because you...lack...stimulating conversation so much..." Argyle's voice wavered as Death turned back and started to make her way towards him. Once they were eye to eye, Argyle let out a shaky breath, "Okay, yeah. I can see why people go running for the hills. You're terrifying."

Every head in the group turned to Argyle and Nancy hissed, "Argyle!" The air was still as no one moved. Suddenly, Death laughed.

Hard.

"Holy shit, you're funny!" She pointed at Argyle, "You're very funny! Oh fuck, I wish all my clients were like you all!" She turned to the group and smiled again, "It really is a shame I'll have to take Steve and El back with me, because you seem to all have a...good dynamic going on."

"Wait, you're here for me?" Steve suddenly asked, his eyes half open.

"Yeah you idiot, you're just realizing this?" Dustin looked at him, incredulous.

"Holy shit, that is terrifying." Steve spoke again.

"Dude, she's literally Death, what do you think she's here for?!"

"Hi, sorry to break this up," Death spoke again, interrupting Dustin and Steve's banter, "But can we wrap this up? I have a job to do."

"No! You can't!" Nancy shrieked, turning to Death as if she was an annoying sibling rather than, well...Death.

"Listen, Vecna isn't going to be too pleased when I don't return with at least ONE of the people I was called for, so-"

"Sorry, did you just say Vecna?! Your boss is Vecna?!" Mike hollered.

"Oh my god, we are so fucked." Dustin finished.

"We were so fucked before we found out her boss is Vecna, Dustin, WE ARE LITERALLY TALKING TO DEATH!" Eddie yelled, taking Dustin's shoulders and shaking them.

"Oh my god." Death rolled her eyes and walked away, sitting on a nearby rock. If they needed time to argue, then fine. She could let them argue. She had all the time in the world - she was Death, after all. As she watched a giant argument unfold between all members of the party, the feeling of annoyance that was once blooming in her chest was replaced by something else.

...sadness, was it?

No, that couldn't be. She hadn't felt sad in years...decades, centuries.

She had seen hundreds of thousands of groups of friends in the last moments of their lives - the crying, the screaming, the anger, the frightened feelings in their hearts. And the memories - the joy, the laughter, the happiness...she had experienced all the emotions with her clients. And 99.99% of the time, she was unaffected, just there to do her job.

So why was this group of seemingly giant bratty babies tugging at her heartstrings?

As she eyed the one with curly brown hair - Eddie, she remembers - she cocks her head to the side. The group's gravitational pull seemed to be much more than just this particular earthly plane - something about their dynamic, their love (and seemingly, anger) for one another made Death realize that this group was a group of soulmates. Destined to be in one another's lives in every lifetime, every dimension. And the fact that they were so young...

She had seen a few soulmate groups over her career, but never this young.

When she died (well, technically reborn as Death, according to the Devil himself) at 18-years-old, she had never had friends. Or love. Jealousy and loneliness weren't emotions that she necessarily felt from that point forward, but seeing this group together...something stirred within her.

What was it like to feel love? To feel...happy? To feel anything at all?

"Oh, fuck..." Death murmured, the pang in her heart growing. Her brain started to repeat the gnawing thought that had sparked inside of her years ago. Usually, she could shoo it away. But seeing this group...she couldn't help it.

What would life be like if she could start all over? Be normal again?

She stood, crossing her arms. "Hey," She spoke to the group.

They kept arguing.

"Hey..." She raised her voice a little louder.

Nothing.

"HEY. ASSHOLES." She shouted, silencing them. They all turned at once. "I'm going to make a deal with you," Getting up from the rock, she strode over to them, "I...will not take Steve. Or her." She pointed to El. The group all collectively sighed in relief.

"Oh, thank god." Nancy said. Death put a finger up to Nancy's face to quiet her.

"But...you have to do something for me."

"Of course..." Eddie murmured, looking at the ground.

Ignoring him, Death continued, "I became the collector of souls by a contract. Life-binding, in a sense. But..." Her voice trailed off, trying to find the right words to speak, "I...know I can leave this life behind. Get a second chance. I can become...well, not Death anymore. And I think if anyone can help me do it, it will be you all."

The group was silent. Finally, Dustin spoke, "So, like...take away all your hellish Death powers and you'd just be...human again?"

She nods, "Yes. We just need to kill Vecna, for the contract states I am indebted to him for as long as he is alive. If we kill him, and complete the ritual needed to turn me - I can handle the ritual part, don't worry - I can become human again and will start right back at my 18-year-old self."

"Oh that's it?" Dustin retorted sarcastically, "Just a simple 'kill Vecna' and boom we're good?"

"Well, I mean...we were already going to do that...so it doesn't seem like too far of a stretch..." Jonathan considered it for a moment.

"Dude are you really suggesting we let a she-devil into our group? You're suggesting we just let DEATH waltz into our group like she didn't come here to kill Steve?!" Robin shouted.

"To be fair, I could have easily killed all of you by this point if I wanted to." Death offered.

"NOT HELPING!" Robin and Will shouted to Death.

"O...kay..." Death huffed, shutting up.

"I say we do it. We don't have anything else to lose. I mean, we're in the Upside Down for fuck's sake. We're already going to kill Vecna so why not?" Eddie offered, shrugging. Death smiled at him.

She was starting to like him.

"Because this could be a trick!" Robin yelled, causing Eddie to jump, "She could be lying!"

"Um, actually, I can't lie. Since death in itself is an absolute truth, I therefore, literally cannot lie. I have to tell the truth at all times. Like...it's in my other-worldly make-up, or something." Death put a finger up to interrupt Robin.

Everyone stopped and stared at Death. There was silence for a moment, and then everyone looked at Robin. Robin made eye contact with everyone before she groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Whatever."

"Oh, yay. Thank you so much, you won't regret it!" Death purred. She sighed happily and shrugged expectantly. She spoke again, unable to contain her smile,

"So, what do we do now?"

An hour later, with the group travelling the Upside Down, Death had fallen in line with Eddie.

"So...what's your real name? You couldn't have been born Death, right?" He asked, thinking about actually, how metal would it be if she was born "Death"?

Death shrugged, "I don't remember. I honestly don't remember much about my old life since I was turned."

"Turned?"

She nodded, "Into Death. I was just a normal, boring girl. I got into an accident - I was attacked by wolves outside of my village. I was so scared...so terrified of what had happened, and of dying, that when my soul was to be collected, the Devil made a deal with me. I became Death - I was to collect the souls of those about to die, do his dirty work - and I would never have to experience death. Eventually I was passed to many different masters - 'bosses', if you will - until I landed with Vecna. That I do remember."

Eddie whistled, "That sounds...intense."

"it was. If i knew the things I know about death now, back then, I would've died. It's a much better situation than...whatever mess I've gotten myself into."

"What are the secrets of death?"

"Ah..." Death laughed, "That's for me to know. I don't want to spoil the fun."

Eddie smiled at her and looked down at his feet. You know, for a she-devil, she wasn't so bad. "How old were you when you turned?"

"18," Death said, "For a long time, I was okay with what I was doing. I felt nothing, I had a higher purpose. Get in, collect, get out. But..." Her voice trailed off, looking into the distance in front of them, "I started to observe people in their final moments. I was able to see the memories of their life, of their family, of their relationships...and I realized I would never have that," She shook her head, "Which for a while was fine. But...centuries of never feeling can take a toll on you, I guess."

"So when you turn back..." Eddie said after a moment, "Like, when we kill Vecna and you do your ritual and whatever...what happens?"

"I turn back to a human. I start at 18 again. I get a second chance. I scoured that contract for a loophole, and when I found it...I felt the first glimmer of hope I had felt in forever. It would be re-written every time I changed masters...Vecna thinks he can never be killed. But I know he can," Death looked at Eddie with...softness in her eyes? "And whatever is happening in your world will restore itself, and I can get a second chance."

"Why the change of heart?" Eddie's voice was soft, barely above a whisper. He had stopped walking, causing Death to pause. When their eyes met again, his were filled with sadness, she noticed.

"I saw all of your arguing..." She stopped to laugh to herself, "And realized I wanted the chance to argue with friends. I wanted friends again. I want...to fall in love. Once, I had to find the soul of someone who died at a rock concert because he had overdosed. And even though that is of course, incredibly sad...it made me realize I want to experience a rock concert. Stupid, silly things like that."

Eddie blushed and started walking again, "I'm in a band. I play concerts."

Death smiled, "Do you now?"

He nodded, "Yep. I play guitar. And it's rock...well, metal. But...once this all gets squared away and you're human again, you should come to one of our shows."

Death giggled, a blush rising on her cheeks. (A blush?! Since when did she blush?) "I'd love that."

A moment of silence passed between them as the air felt hot. "Won't...your bosses be mad that you just...leave? Like, who else is gonna be Death? That's a pretty important role."

"Think of it as me quitting, without putting my two weeks in...they'll find someone else, quickly. The fear of death is not uncommon, by any means. Someone will want to 'live' forever, no matter the cost. The poor soul..." Death's voice trailed off as she thought about the person who would be replacing her.

"I'm...sorry...by the way..." Eddie started, his voice low. He looked Death in her eyes as she scrunched her face, "I'm sorry that this entire thing happened to you. It doesn't sound...fun. By any means," He sighed, one of his hands reaching to scratch the back of his head, "Actually, it sucks. But...we'll get him. And you'll be able to go back to normal. And you'll be able to go to a rock concert. I promise." He offered a smile, causing Death to smile as well.

Another blush rose on her cheeks.

"I hope so."

*3 Months After the Saving of Hawkins*

"If you guys don't hurry up now, I'm leaving you home and you won't be able to get a ride with me, so move it!" Steve shouted into the Wheeler's house, leaning on the doorframe of their front door. He sighed and checked his watch and yep, just like he thought - 15 minutes behind schedule.

Dustin, Mike, Will, and Lucas were the first to scamper out of basement, yelling and shouting about their current D&D campaign. Steve ushered them into the car with a smattering of "go, go, go!" Before Mike got into the car, Steve grabbed him by his collar.

"Do we have to wait for your sister or is she taking her own car?"

Mike shook his head, "No, she's taking the girls, so Max, El and Jennifer are going with her. Something about 'No Boys Allowed' when they were doing their hair and makeup or something?"

Steve rolled his eyes, "Ugh okay fine. Let's go. We're gonna be late - I don't even want to go to this show and here I am, driving you guys around AGAIN."

Steve shut the Wheeler's door just as Nancy was opening her bedroom door, the girls spilling out, giggling. Max fluffed El's hair as she walked behind her, and Nancy was re-applying her lipgloss.

"So, are you just so excited to see Eddie play tonight, Jen?" Nancy asked, teasing her innocently, "Rockstar boyfriend and all?"

Jennifer - formally "Death" - giggled and could feel the blush rising to her cheeks. "Enouuggghhh...of course I am," She giggled again, but it turned into a sigh, "Except I got a pimple for the first time in like, literally 350 years last night, like, of course the night before Eddie's big show."

"Yeah, well, you wanted to be human. Welcome to womanhood, toots!" Max said, slinging an arm around Jennifer.

~*~

As the group made their way and enjoyed Corroded Coffin's first concert since Hawkins (and the world) was saved (Steve enjoyed it, he just didn't want to admit it), they found their way over to the band at the bar. Eddie couldn't have taken his eyes off of Jennifer the entire time, no matter how hard he tried. And as he watched her walk over to him, it wasn't every different. Immediately he hopped off of his stool and wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her scent.

"Hi babe," He murmured into her ear, placing a kiss on her temple. Jennifer couldn't help by smile.

"Hi, babe. You were so good. I loved it!" She pulled away and looked at the rest of the band to compliment them. The group started to intermingle and Eddie took her hand, leading her a little bit away from the group.

"So...enjoy your first rock concert?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow. She smiled and nodded, hooking one of her fingers into his jean's belt loop.

"I wouldn't have wanted it any other way." She leaned in to kiss him, the butterflies fluttering in her chest. After killing Vecna, when she had completed the ritual and saw Eddie for the first time after, she had experience butterflies for the first time in 350 years.

And since them, they didn't seem to stop.

Eddie smiled into the kiss and strengthened it, cupping her cheeks with feverish hands, "I'm so happy you're here."

Jennifer nodded. It had been 3 months since she was able to turn back to a human, leaving the life of Death behind her. And with it came emotions, and schoolwork, and navigating human life...pimples, periods, sad songs, even being made fun of.

But there was also love, and her new friends, and her new "family" (being "adopted" by Hopper and pretending to be a high school student again), kissing Eddie, passing notes to Nancy in classes, popcorn, going to the mall, watching movies on the couch, the promise of a rollercoaster of a normal, human life.

She looked Eddie in the eyes, grabbing his hands again. "I'm happy I'm here, too."

-----

Will I ever be able to write a short oneshot again? Who knows. But I had so much fun writing this one! What did you guys think?!

Reminder: my inbox is open for requests to head over there and fill it, I'm itching to write!