Eloise is really, really bad at chess😐
(this is a scene from my fic & I typed it up here:)
"Milady, you cannot send him there! He will surely die a terrible death, and Murdoch is our finest knight!"
Eloise blinked her bleary eyes at the wizarding chess board, not really comprehending what the tiny pieces were yelling at her. The one that seemed to be doing the most talking was gesticulating wildly and jumping up and down, trying to get her attention. When she had taken the pieces out of the box Sebastian had lent her, they had immediately recognized her and started protesting, appealing to 'their benevolent lord's innate sense of goodness', but their protests fell on deaf ears. Eloise was positive that Sebastian took some sort of perverse pleasure at watching her lose at chess.
In the background, she could hear Ominis's laughter echoing through the Undercroft. His own pieces were quite happy at the moment, preening and occasionally sending rude gestures towards Eloise's, much to Sebastian's amusement. He was narrating their every action to Ominis, whose laughter was egging on his soldiers even more.
"Eloise," Sebastian said, propping his chin up by one hand (entirely too amused, infuriatingly so, why did he have to look so handsome when she was trying to be annoyed at him?), "maybe you should move the knight..." his other hand pointed to an empty space on the board, "...here."
This declaration caused an uproar. There were shouts of betrayal, tiny pieces gesticulating wildly to the carnage surrounding the board as they shouted in vain. She didn't see any other viable moves, so Eloise sighed and ordered the brave little Murdoch to where Sebastian had suggested. Chaos immediately ensued and Ominis's queen gleefully knocked his head off with a violent swing of her scepter. Eloise's pawns all doubled over, sobbing as their most valient knight fell, and her remaining bishop shook his tiny fist in outrage up at her.
After a few more minutes, much to Eloise's ashamed relief and the boys' disappointment, her pieces refused to move for either her or Sebastian. They solemnly collected the remains of their fallen comrades with as much dignity as they could muster and marched off the board and back into their box in a mourning parade of sorts.
Sebastian joined Ominis's pieces as they jeered the losing team off the board, causing Eloise to glare fiercely at him. "You were the one telling me what to do, and they're your pieces! Show some loyalty."
He shrunk away from the intensity of her gaze and held up his hands in protest. "I was suggesting the moves as a joke! After last week's fiasco, I didn't think you'd fall for it again."
Ominis was laughing so hard he was gasping for breath, and the two of them turned to watch him. Even through her irritation, Eloise couldn't help but smile at him - he was always so solemn and these bouts of mirth were few and far between. He managed to speak between bouts of laughter. "I...I couldn't...I couldn't believe it when you sent your bishops one by one into my trap! It was so obvious! And then...and then you..." Ominis dissolved into fits of laughter again and couldn't finish.
Eloise turned her angry glare to him. "We can't all be chess geniuses!"
"I've tried teaching you and you don't listen! For the next time, I'm only going to give you one piece of advice: don't listen to Sebastian." He chuckled once more to himself and then turned slightly to the board, addressing his men (and queen) and giving them a debriefing. He always did this after he won the matches; it was a strange sort of ritual that he seemed to look forward to.
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Teen Dad AU
Part 4!!!!
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AAHHHH IM SO SORRY FOR ANYONE WHO WASN’T ABLE TO BE TAGGED!! The list is unfortunately officially full, I’m so sorry :( everyone who has been tagged here will be tagged in all future parts!!! (I’m also terribly sorry, some of them won’t tag properly).
Without further ado:
.
Monday nights were now spent with Noah, Casey, and Miss. Bottomette (“Just Margaret is fine, dear”).
They’d come over to Steve’s trailer or he and Louie would go over to theirs and they’d gather around the tables to have dinner and talk.
Steve’s never had a dinner with others where he wasn’t expected to act a certain way. Where he wasn’t expected to be mature and serious.
With Miss. Bottomette and the kids, he goofs off and isn’t reprimanded for it. He puts his elbows on the table while talking to Noah and isn’t slapped upside the head for it.
It’s a very welcomed change.
It’s on one of these Monday nights that Steve officially gets his new babysitter.
He’d had to call off on the dinner. It was last minute and unexpected but they’d all been incredibly understanding and Steve appreciated the hell out of it. He was pulling his shoes on while on the phone with Miss. Bottomette when he’d let it slip.
“I’m so sorry again, Miss. Bottomette. I know this is really last minute and we were supposed to eat at mine tonight but Mason’s got a fever and they need me in the kitchen for the dinner rush—“
“Steve, sweetie, it’s alright. Me and the twins will be quite fine on our own for one Monday, I assure you. You just focus on making sure you don’t overwork yourself to death tonight, yeah?”
Steve chuckled at that, pulling the laces on his sneakers tighter and crafting the phone between his shoulder and ear. “Rodger that. I’ve gotta get going though, need to get Louie situated before I head out.”
“That’s quite alright, dear. Is that Nancy of yours coming to watch him? Or are you taking him there?”
Steve huffed a slightly pathetic chuckle that was more air than anything. “Nah, Nancy’s got her own dinners on Monday nights. Louie usually comes in with me and waits it out.”
Steve was standing straight now— well, with one hip cocked to the side and his hand resting on it. But his shoes were firmly on and Louie was watching him with bright eyes. Steve smiled at the baby and made a face that had Little Louie giggling and covering his mouth with chunky little hands.
On the other line, Miss. Bottomette hummed.
“Well that just won’t do, huh? I could take him for the night, Steve.”
Steve startled and put both hands on the phone.
“Oh! No no no— that’s alright, Miss. Bottomette. My manager, George, is really chill about letting me turn his office into a daycare for Louie while I’m at work. And I’ve got people to check on him there while I’m busy so I’m not leaving him alone the whole time—“
“I hear that, hon, but maybe it’s time you let someone take him off your hands for a bit, yeah? The twins will want to see him at some point anyway.”
Steve pursed his lips and twirled the phone cord around his fingers.
“I seriously can’t ask you to do that, Miss. Bottomette. I’ll be on shift until at least 10 tonight and then I have to help with closing so there’s no guarantee I’ll be back before 11.”
“And that’s quite fine. I’m fully capable of watching your boy until then, dear.”
“Are you sure?” Steve’s voice was so small, so unsure. It made something break a little in Miss. Bottomette’s chest.
“Yes, absolutely.”
Steve sighed into the receiver. “Ok.” He whispered and relented.
“That’s what I thought.” Miss. Bottomette chuckled. “Now, should I come over there or are you ok with bringing him over here?”
.
Work was a doozy.
Between coming in at 6:30 and working until just past 11, Steve was asked constantly about the lack of Louie in the diner.
It was fun and comforting in a way to have so many people care enough to ask about the missing baby. But Steve just wanted to get through his shift quickly to get back to said baby.
He could feel the nerves eating away at him. Steve kept watch on the time all shift, watching the clock tick slower every time.
He’d never left Louie home like this before. Never with anyone other than Nancy. The anxiety was absolutely agonizing but he pushed through until his break, where he called Miss. Bottomette from the phone outside.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Miss. Bottomette, it’s Steve.”
“I know who it is, ain’t no one else call me ‘Miss’ who know me like you do, son.”
Steve managed a slight laugh. It was true. For months now, Steve has been practically apart of their little family. And yet he still referred to her so formally. It was simply something that was beaten into him from a young age.
“You’re right, sorry. I was just calling to check on you guys and Louie?”
“Everyones alright over here, Steve. Noah and Casey are just about passed out on the couch and Louie’s fast asleep in bed.”
Steve breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you so much, Miss. Bottomette.”
“You’ve got it dear. Now go get back to work, and tell Gwen and Allya I said hi.”
Steve could hear the smile in her voice.
“Will do, thanks again.”
He hung up after their goodbyes. God, he really needed a cigarette.
He ran inside real quick to grab his pack out of his bag, lighting up the moment he set foot back through the door to the alley by the diner.
Steve hadn’t been able to smoke too much lately with Louie and the twins. Miss. Bottomette also smoked, but she had explained how she’d dialed it down astronomically with how much the twins were over.
Steve was just halfway done with his cigarette, lost in his thoughts and staring off into space when a pair of boots stopped in front of where he was sitting on the curb.
He spared a glance up to the sudden intruder, giving a second glance when he saw Eddie Munson.
Steve blew the smoke out of his lungs. “Um, hi?”
“Harrington.” Was the only response he got.
Steve ground his cigarette out on the sidewalk and stood, tucking the now put out cigarette behind his ear. He took half a step back so he wasn’t quite chest to chest with Eddie.
“Hey, man. Uh— I’m not really looking to buy anything at the moment.” Steve stumbled his way through a sentence. Eddie Munson was a looming presence that Steve couldn’t figure out, not since he’d fist saw him when he started high school.
Eddie was only a year ahead of Steve despite being nearly 2 years older than him. When Steve had started his freshman year, he’d been immediately pulled into Munson’s orbit of lunchtime rants and class skipping.
Until he was pulled by Cairo Rickson, the then-basketball captain. Eddie had kinda left Steve in the dust after he joined the basketball team.
Now Eddie Munson was redoing his senior year a second time— they even shared some classes. But they’d never spoken outside of school or Steve’s old house parties.
Eddie was staring at him with an odd flicker in his gaze. Something that threw Steve almost completely off. Something that almost looked like interest.
Steve swallowed. It was then that he actually took in Eddie’s face— not just his eyes. (Eyes that were so big and dark Steve thought they were black. He’d later realize they were actually a dark brown.) Eddie’s mouth was pressed in a line, his cheeks flushed from the cold breeze, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
He looked almost stressed.
“You alright, dude? C’mon, Eddie talk to me here. You’re kinda freakin’ me out.”
Steve felt his natural worry starting to kick in. That urge to press and figure out what was wrong.
Eddie opened and closed his mouth a few times before sighing aggressively and rubbing a harsh hand down his face. He wore a ton of rings that glinted in the streetlight they stood under.
“Listen—“ Steve was cut off.
“Do you have a lighter? Mine is fucking me over and I just really need to smoke.”
Well, ok then.
Steve blinked owlishly for a moment before spurring into motion.
“Um, Uh! Yeah! Yeah, I’ve got a lighter. Hang on—“
Steve handed over his lighter without a second thought, watching Eddie pull an already-rolled joint out of his pocket and immediately light up. Steve payed extra attention to his lips— pink and bitten-raw— when he blew out the smoke.
“Thanks, man.” Steve’s eyes snapped back to Eddie’s looming ones. They were wide and earnest, no longer narrowed and suspicious.
“Yeah, no problem.” He accepted the offered lighter, ignoring the tingle from their brushing pinkies.
“Alrighty then, Steve-o. Catch you later.” Eddie gave him a two-finger salute and promptly walked away. Steve watched him go, following him with his eyes until he was out of sight and leaving a chorus of “what the fuck” replaying in Steve’s mind.
He tucked his unfinished cigarette back into the box and went to finish his shift.
.
True to his word, Steve wasn’t home until just before 11 that night.
Miss. Bottomette was up and waiting for him, the lamp in the living room on a low setting because there for some reason were never living room lights in trailers. The twins were spread out on the floor, lying on top of each other with Casey’s head on Noah’s legs while she practically kicked him in the face.
Steve snickered quietly to himself, dropping his bag quietly on the couch and closing the door as silently as possible.
Miss. Bottomette barely glanced up from her book to greet Steve. The familiarity gave him butterflies.
“Hey, sweetie.” She bookmarked her page and took off her glasses.
Steve smiled sweetly at her. “Hi, Miss. Bottomette. Louie alright?” He’d noticed the absence of his baby bug the moment he walked in the door.
“He’s quite alright, dear. Sleeping in your room, yes with the pillows.”
Steve deflated slightly, his worries seeping out slowly while Miss. Bottomette reassured him.
“That’s good. Great, yeah. Thanks so much. You need help taking these two back?” He nodded his head to the twins sleeping on his carpet.
“No it’s fine, hon. I’ll just wake ‘em up and let ‘em complain themselves tired again.” She grinned mischievously. Steve giggled.
“I can carry them over,” he offered instead.
“Are you sure, dear? You have to be exhausted after your shift, they can deal with a little bit of walking.”
Steve shook his head and smiled. Yeah, he was tired to the bone, his muscles sore and his legs on fire from standing and serving, but he’d be fine for this last thing. Then he could crash.
He stooped down and took Casey first since she was practically on top of Noah. She woke up briefly, just to smile at Steve and wrap her arms around his neck. He ran her outside and to their trailer just one place over. Setting her down was difficult as she didn’t want to let go of him to lay her bed, but he pried her off eventually.
Noah had shifted to curl around a couch pillow on the floor while he was gone. While Miss. Bottomette shuffled around grabbing all of her stuff, Steve picked up Noah and chuckled when he stayed completely dead to the world.
Noah was slightly heavier than Casey, but Steve made do and walked him carefully to the trailer and into his room. Noah was still out like a light, despite the slightly harsh landing because Steve’s arms gave out.
The twins shared a room, it being split down the middle by a curtain. Steve made sure they were both tucked in and sleeping before turning the lamp on on Noah’s side (he was scared of the dark) and pulling the curtain closed.
Miss. Bottomette was waiting for him again when he got home, her bag over her shoulder and the twins’ shoes in her hands. She smiled at him.
“Thank you so much, hon. Those two are going to wake up tomorrow thinking they teleported.” They both chuckled.
“It was no problem, seriously. Thanks again for watching Louie all night.”
Miss. Bottomette waved him off and gave him a big hug instead.
“Enough with that ‘Miss. Bottomette’ nonsense, kiddo. You can call me Margaret, or even Gran. I promise you there’s nothing wrong with dropping the title.”
Steve swallowed and wrapped his arms around her in return, blinking an onslaught of tears from his eyes. “Thanks,” he whispered into her hair.
“Alright.” She pulled back. “You go ahead and crash. I’ll see you when I see you tomorrow, though you have both school and work, huh?”
Steve chuckled and nodded.
Miss— Gran left then, closing the door as gently as she could (but the door was a piece of shit and had to be slammed in order to fully close). Steve sighed and finally toed his shoes off.
He glanced at himself in the bathroom mirror after a nice, hot shower. His hair was getting longer, curling around his ears and reaching the back of his neck. Steve smiled a little. He liked the length.
Slipping on a shirt that was two sizes too big and his Hawkins swim shorts, Steve didn’t waste another moment before getting into bed right next to Louie.
He turned off the lamp and let the night light shine bright instead. Louie already had a death grip on Steve’s pointer finger. He smiled at his baby and let himself fall asleep.
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