#i want to squish them until they explode

[someicingsugar]

thank you incorrect quotes generator 🙏

you have taken me out of ✨art block✨

[once-upon-the-earth]

HRANNGNGNN

HRRRRRRHHHG

ARRRRRRRRRRH

beep boop!

*throws this at you and runs*

[stevie-petey]

episode six: the dive

“You do realize Skull Rock is a super popular make out spot? It wasn’t popular until I made it popular, alright? I practically invented it.” The words slip from Steve’s mouth before he can really understand the consequences behind them. He stops dead in his tracks and stares at you, eyes wide in fear. “Nice one, Steve.” You pat his chest sarcastically, sharing a disgusted look with Dustin.

Summary: dustin rejects the pity pringles you offer, eddie is straight up not having a good time, nancy does some investigative journalism about you and steve (gossips with robin), and steve suddenly decides he wants to take up scuba diving. for some reason. but hey ! title drop time !

Rating: general, some swearing

Warnings: fem!reader, use of y/n, cursing, mentions of death and violence

Words: 7.4k

Before you swing in: HI !!!! HAPPY ONE YEAR OF COME HOME !!! weve reached the scene everyone has so patiently waited for ;) can yall believe it took a full year before we finally reached the fated title drop ??? i can ! anyways, pls enjoy. i love this chapter and you guys so so so much :')))

–

“Want some?” 

Dustin smacks the pringle that Steve dangles away from his face. “Get that away from me.”

“But you love Pringles,” your hand waves in front of his face, holding yet another chip. You’re sitting in Nancy’s trunk with Steve, eating leftover pringles from the supply run from this morning for Eddie. Dustin sits in the middle, squished between Max and Lucas. “Here, take one as a peace offering.”

“I’d rather be stuck between Lucas and Max than you and Steve, Y/N.” Dustin huffs, though he does eventually take the chip that you offer him.

Steve chews another chip. “Totally harsh, dude.”

The car turns and you’re suddenly pressed against your boyfriend, knee bending at an uncomfortable angle. “Cozy car, Nance.” You quip, repositioning yourself so your ribcage is no longer in your lungs. 

“Sorry, guys.” She glances back at you. “I know this isn’t ideal, but Eddie is almost definitely low on food and he’ll want to hear what we found.”

“Not to be a wimp, but can I sit in the car for this visit?” Robin asks from the passenger seat. “‘Cause this is gonna totally and royally suck.”

You toss a chip into your mouth. “I agree. Especially after his weird broadcast yesterday.”

Dustin whips his head to look at you. “Eddie contacted Cerebro?”

“Did I not tell you?” 

“No!” 

“Shit, sorry.” Yesterday was a blur. After the lights exploded in Victor Creel’s attic, you’d all driven silently back to Nancy’s. Hardly anyone spoke afterwards. You all had gone to bed quiet, reeling from the implications of what you’d found. “It was weird. I couldn’t really understand him, the signal was weak.”

Dustin gestures wildly at you. “Okay, but what did he say?”

“Something about Jason? And holes in a boat?” You’d been recovering from your panic attack when Eddie’s voice came through the radio. The details were fuzzy. 

“A boat? Why the hell would Eddie need a boat?”

You shrug. “No clue, but I feel bad for the guy.”

The entire situation is grim. Eddie has been accused of murdering at least two Hawkins students, he apparently runs a cult, and now the only way of clearing his name involves El and the Upside Down. Both of which are currently out of reach. 

While you can barely tolerate the guy, it’s a shame that he doesn’t stand a chance.

“It’ll be fine.” Nancy insists, but Robin shakes her head. 

“I can’t stand to see those doe eyes of Eddie’s break again. I really, really can’t.”

“‘Doe eyes’ is a little much.” You scrunch your nose in displeasure. Steve snorts and Dustin glares at you. “Just saying.”

“At least he can drink himself into feeling better.” Steve offers, picking up the six-pack of beer and waving it around.

Max looks out the window. “That’s what my mom does.”

Lucas catches your eye. No one catches what Max has said besides you two. He looks upset, but you shake your head at him. Now isn’t the time. If he says anything to her, Max will close back in on herself. 

Robin and Nancy return to their conversation while you sit quietly in the back. Steve notices your change in demeanor and frowns. Unsure what’s caused it, he holds up a pringle and winks at you. “Bet you can’t catch this with your mouth.”

It’s a welcomed distraction. You sit up, eyes alight. “You’re on, Harrington.”

And the game is on. Steve tosses a chip into the air and you duck your head, angling your mouth so that you catch it just before it lands. Eyes wide, you throw your arms in the air and cheer. “I did it!”

Steve claps, whooping. “That’s my girl!”

Reaching for the bag of pringles, you grab one and don’t even give Steve a warning before you’re throwing it at him. He yelps, surprised, but with ease he catches it. He cheers again and chews triumphantly. “And you tried to cheat!” 

You roll your eyes. “Technically it wasn’t cheating, I just didn’t warn you.”

Steve pokes you side, eliciting a giggle from you. “I’ll get you for that, Henderson.”

“I’d like to see you try–” The sight of a police car stops you. 

Nancy sees it, too. “Oh, shit.”

You’re just outside of the boathouse Eddie is hiding out in. There are cars everywhere, cops walking along the perimeter, controlling a crowd that has formed. A news station van blocks your vision, but you get a sickening sense of deja-vu anyways. 

This is exactly how it’d been when Fred’s body was found.

Nancy ushers everyone to the side of the van, ducking down so you aren’t seen. Officer Powell is giving a speech to the press. He stands before the frightened audience, voice stern, but also tired. You can’t imagine what it must be like, being chief of police without having any idea of the horrors that Hawkins hides. 

“The Roane County line received a call a little after midnight, reporting a homicide here on the lake.”

Everyone freezes. Another body has been found. 

“That’s three deaths in three days.” You can’t breathe. This is all happening too fast. Faster than anything you’ve ever had to deal with before.

Chief Powell continues. “It was here that we found the body of the victim, an eighteen year old senior from Hawkins High, Patrick McKinney.”

Lucas stiffens next to you. Patrick had been his teammate. His friend. Numb, you rub his back, offering whatever ounce of comfort you can give him. 

“We have also identified a person of interest.” The chief holds up a photo of Eddie, showing it to the broadcasters before him. “Eddie Munson.”

You suck in a breath. The only thing Eddie had going for him was that no one knew he was the main person of interest. His identity had still been concealed, buying him a little more time while you tried to find answers for him. 

But now it’s too late. 

“This is not good,” Steve mumbles as officer Powell encourages the town to come forward with any information they may have about Eddie. “This is really not good.”

“He’s fucked.” You whisper. The crowd standing before Powell is large. Nearly half the town leans into his every word. They’re angry. All of them. Another one of their own has been taken. Another child. 

And they’d do anything to save Hawkins’ children.

The manhunt has begun. 

“Dustin, can you hear me? Hendersons?” Eddie’s voice cackles through the walkie.

Everyone scurries around your brother while he fumbles with his bag, anxious to respond. When he finally finds his walkie, he breathes out a sigh of relief. “Eddie. Holy shit. Are you okay?”

“Nah, man.” He sounds exhausted, seconds away from completely breaking down. Something within your chest tightens. No one deserves this. “I’m pretty goddamn far from okay.”

Robin prods Dustin to ask where Eddie is. No one wants him to be alone right now. Not when he’s become Hawkins’ most wanted.

“I’m at Skull Rock. Do you know it?”

Dustin nods eagerly. “Uh, yeah. That’s near Cornwallis and–”

“Garrett, yeah.” Steve is already running towards Nancy’s car. “I know where that is.”

You grab Dustin’s shirt. “Tell Eddie we’ll be there soon, alright?”

“Yeah-yeah I will.” The urgence in your voice scares him a little. He knows you’d do whatever to protect someone, but he never thought you’d extend this protectiveness to Eddie. Bringing the walkie to his lips, Dustin delivers your message. “Hold tight. We’re coming.”

The walkie clicks off. 

All you can do is hope that you make it to Skull Rock in time. 

– 

The last time you trekked through Hawkins woods, you had to endure Steve and Dustin constantly arguing as you all threw down chunks of meat onto the train tracks.

Now, over a year later, they’re still arguing.

At least this time there isn’t the stench of raw meat.

“I’m telling you, we’re going the wrong way.” Dustin nags Steve, holding his compass in one hand and a map of Hawkins in the other. “Skull Rock is in the other direction. You’re totally wrong.”

Steve shoves him, causing the teen to trip over a tree root. “What’s up with you always thinking I’m wrong these days?”

“Because you’re always wrong.”

You flick the brim of Dustin’s hat. “Steve has had a few good ideas from time to time. He’s taking us the right way.”

“No, he’s not. It’s north.” Dustin points behind him. Steve rolls his eyes in disbelief. “I’m positive. I checked the map.”

“You do realize Skull Rock is a super popular make out spot? It wasn’t popular until I made it popular, alright? I practically invented it.” The words slip from Steve’s mouth before he can really understand the consequences behind them. He stops dead in his tracks and stares at you, eyes wide in fear.

“Nice one, Steve.” You pat his chest sarcastically, sharing a disgusted look with Dustin.

“Okay, I didn’t mean it like that.” Steve trips over his words, nearly falling flat on his face as he struggles to keep up with you. “I mean, I did kiss a lot of girls there, but-but that was before I enjoyed kissing you!”

Your brother gags. “Real catch there, Y/N.”

“I’m ignoring you both,” you tell the boys, continuing down the path Steve pointed out earlier. The gaps in the trees start to become familiar. The rugged terrain smooths over from excessive use, creating an unmarked trail that you’ve walked before. “More importantly, I think we’re getting close to Skull Rock.”

“See? I told you, little Henderson–” Steve starts to cheer, happy to be right. Then the joy on his face quickly dissipates. He’s realized something. “Wait, how… how do you know where Skull Rock is, Y/N?”

A twig snaps beneath your shoe. “Used to go there all the time with Jonathan.”

“What?” Steve and Dustin balk at you, nearly toppling over the other in shock.

Quickly you realize the horrific implications of your words. “Jesus, not like that! We would only go there to read together and listen to music!”

It was your way of escaping life together. Just the two of you, early mornings before the rest of Hawkins woke up. The dew would still be on the grass. Everything was easier, then.

You miss those days more than anything. 

Dustin’s suspicious eyes linger on you, though he seems content enough with your explanation. Steve, however, still looks uncertain and utterly mortified. His distrust makes you sigh in annoyance. 

“I have never once kissed Jonathan.”

“Right!” Steve snaps back to himself, coughing and wiping his hands on his pants. “Yeah. Totally already knew that. For sure.”

Dustin hits his shoulder. “Dude. Learn when to shut up.”

“Working on it.” Steve mumbles bitterly, trying to catch your eye, but you ignore him. 

Behind you, Nancy and Robin walk silently together. They’d been the odd ones out in the group. You had paired off with Dustin and Steve to try and quell their arguing while Max and Lucas wandered off alone.

Neither girl speaks. There’s not a lot to say between them. When you come across a fallen log, they watch silently as Steve extends his arm to you, helping you jump over it. His grip is delicate on your arm, though firm enough to guide you. After you’ve jumped, his eyes instinctively go to your ankle, the same one you sprained years ago, to make sure you aren’t limping.

It’s a subtle, easy to overlook action. But Nancy and Robin see it, and they both understand how painstakingly sincere it is. Your ankle never quite healed right. Some days it bothers you, particularly after walking long distances or jumping too much on it. 

And Steve knows your body well enough to understand this. 

“Ugh,” Robin’s scoff breaks the silence, happy to voice what she knows Nancy is thinking. “They’re so adorable. I just wanna squeeze ‘em, ya know?”

Nancy smiles at her, although it’s strained. “Steve is very… sweet. With Y/N.”

“‘Sweet’? More like tooth-rotting, Nance.”

And Robin’s right. The way Steve is around you, there almost isn’t a word for it. Nancy has never really seen the two of you together. By the time Steve finally asked you out, it’d been only a week before Joyce told Jonathan they were moving.

Steve had stepped back after that. He allowed you and Nancy to spend as much time as physically possible with Jonathan before he moved. He recognized the strained history between him and Jonathan; he hadn’t wanted to spoil the little time you had left together. 

When summer ended and senior year began, Steve had already graduated and Nancy had thrown herself into the school paper by then.

Now, after spending the last few days around you and Steve nonstop, Nancy can’t help but notice all the nuanced ways the two of you are together. She’s picked up the small cues between you, the quirks in your relationship. And she feels a strange sense of curiosity about it.

“Steve and Y/N,” Nancy pauses, unsure how to phrase her question. She doesn’t want to sound intrusive or rude. “How, um. Serious are they?”

Robin is slightly surprised by her question, but the flush of Nancy’s cheeks tells her that it’d been hard for her to even ask it. “Oh, they’re very serious. Like starting a life together serious.”

“A life together?” Nancy doesn’t believe it. She doesn’t understand how the two of you could already be at the point in your relationship. You’ve been together less than a year. 

A lot less longer than Nancy has been with Jonathan. 

“Yeah, Steve has this crazy idea of following Y/N to NYU.” Robin almost doesn’t think she should be telling her this, but Nancy seems to be hurting and she feels bad for her. Nancy wouldn’t be asking about this if there wasn’t a reason to. “His heart is like, totally set on it. It’s crazy and all, but it’s sweet in his own Steve-ish way.”

“It is sweet.” Nancy affirms, a far off look in her eyes. The same far off look in her eyes from the other day in the library. Robin had asked about Jonathan and suddenly Nancy’s entire demeanor shifted. 

Robin clears her throat. “I’m guessing you and Jonathan haven’t figured out the whole life thing yet?”

“That isn’t any of your business.” Nancy responds coldly.

“Well, you did start this entire conversation asking about Steve and Y/N’s relationship.” Robin points out, though not unkindly. “All I’m saying is that someone in a happy relationship wouldn’t ask about another person’s relationship and look totally depressed while doing so.”

Nancy shakes her head incredulously. “Jonathan and I are fine.” 

“Okay.” Robin says, but it’s obvious to them both that she doesn’t believe her. 

“We’re good.” Nancy tries again, but not even she believes her own words. Defeated, she turns away from Robin and sighs heavily. “It’s just, he was supposed to be here for the break and then he backed out at the last minute for some vague, mumbly Jonathan reason.”

She doesn’t know why she’s confiding in Robin about this. They’re barely friends, Nancy has never spoken to her outside of party related stuff. But Robin remains quiet, listening, Her attention is all it takes before the dam in Nancy’s chest collapses. 

“And, to be honest, I’m not that surprised because I’ve been feeling him pulling away lately.” All the hurt and anxiety and insecurity Nancy has pent away finally unravels as she speaks. She can’t stop. “And I don’t know if it’s because we’re 2,000 miles away or if he met someone new or-or if Y/N–”

Nancy stops herself, aware that Robin is your friend. Not hers. Looking away, she hopes Robin didn’t hear her slip. “And now I can’t find out why because apparently he’s blown up his family’s house phone or something, so yeah. If the mention of his name caused a slight muscle spasm or curiosity over another person’s relationship, that’s probably why.”

She swallows down tears. Her chest feels lighter, emptier. The frustration is gone, though the bitterness remains. 

Robin is quiet for a moment. The resentment Nancy has been exhibiting makes sense now. While Steve would follow you anywhere, Jonathan doesn’t seem to want to follow Nancy. “Feels like a perfectly reasonable reason to flinch or be nosey.” 

Nancy smiles at her, eternally grateful. “Does you accepting my nosiness officially make us friends?”

Robin immediately agrees, albeit in her own shy way, and Nancy laughs alongside her. It’s a nice moment, one Nancy hadn’t known that she needed. Your friendship with the girl doesn’t seem so strange now. 

Steve’s distant cheer alerts the others that he’s found Skull Rock.

“Oh, boom!” He crouches beneath a shrub and swats away a spider web. He’s too excited to gloat that he doesn’t even care that there could be spiders in his hair yet again. “In your face, little Henderson. In your stupid, cocky little face!”

“Who’s the fifteen year old here?” You ask your boyfriend, looking at him pointedly. 

Dustin looks down at his compass and frowns. “Doesn’t make sense.”

“You hearing him, Y/N?” Steve waves his hands in front of the giant boulder. “Even with it staring him right in the face, the kid can’t even admit that he’s wrong! And you’re saying I’m the immature one? He’s such a little butthead.”

“Sure, because every nineteen year old says butthead as an insult-fuck!” A body lands next to you with petrifying force. You fall back in panic, heart pounding in your chest.

“I concur,” Eddie smiles at you wickedly. “Your brother, Dustin Henderson, is a total butthead.”

Dustin is hugging Eddie before you’ve even caught your breath. The relief on his face is evident. “Jesus, we thought you were a goner.”

“Yeah, me too.” Eddie clutches your brother tightly, the weight of the last few days bearing their toll on him. Still, the glint in his eyes hasn’t left yet. Winking at you, Eddie’s mischievous smile is back. “Never thought I’d see precious Hawkins’ sweetheart at Skull Rock. Sorry for the fright, by the way.”

You glare at him. “I hate you.” 

Eddie pulls away from Dustin and nudges you with his shoulder. “To be fair, you were kinda useless when I needed you yesterday. Isn’t your whole shtick helping people?” 

Sheepish, you duck your head. “In my defense, the signal was shitty. You kept breaking up, I couldn’t really do anything about holes in boats.”

“It’s okay, you’ll just donate your liver to me the next time I need one.” Eddie nudges your shoulder again, eliciting a begrudging laugh, breaking any remaining tension between you two.

Steve stands next to you, his arm wrapped around your waist in a protective manner. His eyes never leave Eddie, distrustful. “You’re not taking Y/N’s liver.”

“No one’s taking my liver,” you roll your eyes at him fondly before turning to Eddie. “But I can bake you something as compensation.” 

Eddie clicks his teeth. “Even better.”

Nancy hands the bag of food over to him and he takes it eagerly. He rifts through its contents while everyone else gathers around him. You all allow him time to adjust, to breathe for a moment. 

But eventually the overwhelming need to know outweighs the guilt. Nancy, always the one to get straight to the point, finally breaks the silence. “What happened yesterday?”

Eddie’s face darkens. “Jason and his goddamn goons. They were at the lake house and I was cornered. Didn’t know what to do. The fuckers were angry.”

Your eyes wander his face, noting the lack of bruises and cuts on it. A fight hadn’t broken out, which means Eddie escaped somehow. “And when they found you?”

Eddie takes a swig from his flask. He winces at the taste, but it seems to settle his nerves. “Turns out, the boat didn’t have holes.”

“So Patrick’s body, was it…?” Nancy can’t bring herself to finish the question. 

“Found in the lake? Sure was.” Eddie smiles venomously. “He tried swimming after me, so did Jason. Only one of them made it back to shore.”

Lucas looks away, grief clouding his expression. You mumble an apology to him. You hate that there isn’t anything else you can do to help him. He’s lost so much already.

“It was the exact same thing that happened to Chrissy. Patrick’s body shot out of the water like a fucking rocketlauncher.” Eddie says bitterly. His teeth are clenched, the memories from last night are gruesome to recount. “Then his bones started snapping and Jason lost his mind. He thought I was the one doing it.”

Dustin paces next to you. He’s mumbling to himself, every detail Eddie reveals only worries him more. Vecna has made his third kill. You and Max are next. There’s something that he’s missing. He just doesn’t know what.

“I ended up falling into the water and swimming to shore. I tried calling, but my walkie was busted, man. Drenched.” Eddie drinks again. He shakes his head curtly, scoffs to himself. “So I, uh. Did the thing that I now, apparently. I ran.”

The condescension in his voice, the cold laugh, upsets you. He’s disappointed in himself, he hates what he’s done, but no one blames him. There was no saving Patrick. Anyone who witnessed such a cruel death also would’ve run away. “You had no choice, Eddie.”

He ignores your comfort and instead answers Nancy’s question of what time the attack took place. “Yeah, I know exactly what time it was.” Eddie unclasps his watch and holds it up. “My walkie wasn’t the only thing that got soaked.”

Nancy catches the watch he throws her at and quickly reads the time on it. “9:27.”

You and Robin look at each other in surprise. She raises her eyebrows, thinking what you are. “That’s the same time our flashlights went kablooey.”

“That’s one hell of a coincidence.” You mutter to yourself, but Steve hears you anyways and squeezes your side. 

“That surge of energy had to be Vecna attacking Patrick.” Nancy pieces together, tossing Eddie his watch back. 

It isn’t a comforting realization, but at least it’s information you can use. You now know where, how, and when he Vecna attacks. The only piece missing is what to do with the information you have.

Dustin continues to pace back and forth. He’s hunched over, and when you look closer, you realize he’s scowling at his compass as if it personally offended him.

“So now we just need to sneak into his lair in the Upside Down and drive a stake through his heart.” Max says, as if it’s the most casual sentence in the world.

You look at her like she’s crazy. “We’re not going to the Upside Down!”

But no one is listening to you. Instead Steve, Robin, and Max begin a philosophical debate about whether or not Vecna has a heart or if he’s a vampire. 

“It was a metaphor.” Max informs Steve, slight disappointment in her voice.

“A bullet should work on him, right?” Eddie asks the group.

You shake your head at him. “Bullets never work.”

He stares at you, somewhat terrified. “How… how do you already know that?”

“We’ve had a lot of practice.”

“That’s actually even more upsetting to hear.” 

Lucas and the others start spewing creative ways to kill Vecna. They’re graphic and violent, but you already know that none of it will work. You’ve fought creatures from the Upside Down before; they’re notoriously difficult to kill, oftentimes requiring fire, bullets, knives, and bear traps. 

None of which you currently have.

Nancy knows this, too. “We can’t do any of that until we find a way into the Upside Down.”

“Why are we all suddenly okay with going there?” You ask incredulously. They’re all suggesting the Upside Down as if it’s fucking Disneyland. “I mean, haven’t we been trying to cut any connection to that goddamn place for the last four years?”

“What other option do we have, Y/N?” Nancy pushes. “You know there’s no other way to stop this.”

Max sighs in exasperation. “What we need is for El to get her powers back.”

“I miss her.” You sigh as well. You’re worried that there’s something wrong. You’ve called the Byers’ home a million times now, but no one is answering. Despite the weirdness between you and Jonathan, you still want him to be okay. He’s never gone this long without talking to you. 

And with Jonathan’s silence comes silence from El and Will, too. You hope they’re okay as well, especially knowing that Mike is supposed to be with them this week. You figured by now that Will would’ve called you to complain about Mike’s obsession with El. 

Instead all there’s been is silence, and their silence unnerves you.

Steve voices that he also misses El, turning to Eddie to explain how she has powers, but Eddie isn’t paying attention to him. 

“Hey, Henderson’s not cursed, is he?” His eyes follow Dustin’s pacing figure, nervous. 

“No, but I am.”

Eddie chokes on his spit and Steve snaps his finger at you. “That’s so not funny, Y/N. You’re in danger.”

“My point exactly. I feel that I’ve earned the right to joke about my demise.” You say, though you do grab his hand and squeeze it softly to voice your unsaid apology. As much as his concern warms you, you wish he didn’t have any at all for you. Worry has never been kind to Steve. Trying to brighten the mood, you turn to Eddie. “Don’t you agree?”

Eddie raises his hands. “I’m not a part of this.”

“Boom!” Dustin’s loud screech causes everyone to jump. He points his finger at you, a manic glint in his eyes. “Bada… bada… boom!” 

You shove his finger out of your face. “Are you done yet?” 

“I was right.” Dustin is smug, the mania in his eyes has yet to settle. “Skull Rock was north.”

You want to strangle your brother. You love him, you really do, but he can be very egotistical sometimes. He’s spent the entire conversation obsessively searching for a way to be right, rather than figure out what to do next about Vecna. 

He’s insane. 

Steve throws his head back in annoyance, equally as fed up with Dustin as you are. “You’re serious? This is Skull Rock!” He points at the giant boulder behind him. “You’re totally, absolutely, 100% wrong. Right now!”

“There’s literally nowhere else Skull Rock could be, Dustin.” You back Steve up. 

Dustin smiles. “Yes… and no.”

Steve has to step away, and you can’t blame him. You’re also seconds away from bashing your head against a tree. You’re in a forest. There are plenty to choose from. 

“This worked correctly when we left the Wheelers’.” Dustin holds up his compass. “It was correct when we got in the car on Kerley, but it started to slip the further east we went. Now it’s way off. When I was leading us here, I wasn’t wrong. The compass was.”

Steve insists that the compass is merely faulty equipment and that it still makes Dustin wrong, but you start to remember another time a compass started acting up. How it almost caused the party to split apart.

El had been the one controlling the compass, leading them in circles because she hadn’t wanted them near Hawkins Lab. 

Which would mean…

“It isn’t a faulty compass.” You look up at Dustin, now understanding. 

His face splits into a proud grin. “Correct. Lucas, do you remember what can affect a compass?”

The teen is startled by the question. Lucas’ face is masked with confusion, but suddenly everything clicks. “An electromagnetic field.”

Robin questions what any of this means, prompting Dustin to explain what Mr. Clark told you at Will’s funeral. He explains the electromagnetic theory and how the presence of a stronger field can make a compass stop working. “So either there’s a super big magnet around here, or…”

“There’s a gate.” You finish, ice washing over you. The idea terrifies you, but somehow it makes perfect sense. “Maybe even multiple gates.”

Everyone looks uncomfortable with this new information, but Dustin cuts through the tension. “It’d have to be smaller, way less powerful.”

“A snack-sized gate.” Robin adds, and you appreciate that she’s trying to make you laugh.

Steve asks how multiple gates can even be possible, and all Dustin can do is shrug. He doesn’t know, but it’s the furthest you’ve gotten to any semblance of an explanation. “The last time we’ve seen anything like it, it was a gate. And I hope it is, because then we’d have a way to Vecna. And a shot at freeing Y/N and Max from this curse.”

It’s the most hopeful you’ve seen Dustin all week. He’s optimistic, endlessly proud of himself for figuring out the missing piece of the equation. 

“Okay, but there’s still the Eddie problem. What do we do about him?” You remind your brother.

Steve nods. “Yeah, he’s still a wanted man. We can’t just go hike the woods.”

Dustin is already several feet away, eager to start following the compass. He’s so close to finally lifting the curse. He’s going to save you. He will. “This little capsule might be the key to saving all three of them! Max, Y/N, and Eddie.”

You don’t have the heart to tell him that even if you do find a way to kill Vecna, it’d be almost impossible to clear Eddie’s name. No one else knows about the Upside Down. Legally speaking, you aren’t even allowed to know about the Upside Down. 

But Dustin bows to Eddie and pretends to tip his hat. “What say you, Eddie the Banished?”

Everyone turns to the older teen. It’s a lot to ask of him. This entire time he’s been hiding, fearful of shadows and people. You wouldn’t think any less of him if he declined. And yet, Eddie surprises you. “I say you’re asking me to follow you into Mordor, which if I’m totally straight with you, I think is a really bad idea, but the Shire… the Shire is burning.”

Dustin bounces up and down in anticipation. You cross your arms, rolling your eyes at him, but his childish glee makes you smile anyways. It’s cute, as much as it pains you to admit. 

Eddie stands up. “So Mordor it is.”

He marches towards Dustin, no ounce of hesitation within his movements. He has complete and total trust in your brother. He’s following him into what could very well be Hell, and yet Eddie does so with a brave face. They really are close.

And Eddie has chosen to join, not run away. 

“No more running?” You catch his arm.

Eddie smiles at you. “No more running.”

“What the hell is Mordor?” Steve cuts in, lost.

You giggle at him and grab his hand. “C’mon, Harrington. To Mordor we go.”

– 

Dustin’s compass leads you back to Lover’s Lake. 

You and Steve walk quietly behind the others. Your fondest memories together are at the lake. It’s where Steve finally asked you to be his. That night, underneath the stars, you kissed for hours and felt as if you were the only two people in the world. 

As if reading your mind, Steve brings your hand to his lips and kisses it softly. 

The small moment between you is ruined when Dustin suddenly starts to speed up, practically running away from the group. Eddie shouts at him to slow down and the thought of your brother alone in the woods frightens you. Pulling away from Steve, you run after him. 

“I think we’re getting close!” Dustin calls over his shoulder, not seeing the water in front of him.

Eddie grabs the back of his hoodie and saves him before he can fall in. “Watch your step, big guy.”

“This is confounding,” Dustin is breathless, utterly in awe.

“There’s a gate in Lover’s Lake?” Max is skeptical.

You hum, thinking. “Unless there’s somehow another reason for Dustin’s compass going haywire, I’d say there’s a gate here.”

“Whenever the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening.” Nancy slowly says, her eyes scanning the water as she studies it. “Maybe Vecna’s the same way.”

Dipping the tip of your muddied mary janes into the water, you look down at it thoughtfully. “Guess there’s only one way to find out.”

You hate the Upside Down and all that it’s taken from you. Hopper, Will’s childhood, Max’s brother, El’s life. You hate all the violence and pain it brought into your life. The scars that litter your skin and the nightmares that will never leave.

But Max comes first. You have to save her. It doesn’t matter what it’ll cost you as long as she’s safe.

Eddie guides everyone to the boat he used to escape from Jason. Though its engine doesn’t work, he reassures the group that it’ll be fine. At the very least, it’ll get you deep into the water. Steve helps him push it to the shore’s edge.

Robin steps onto the boat first, using Steve and Eddie’s heads for balance as they hold the boat steady. They scoff at her, but she doesn’t care. Eddie goes next, then Nancy. When you go to step inside, Dustin pulls you back. 

“Have you lost your mind?” His hand doesn’t leave your arm. “In case you’ve somehow forgotten, you’re also marked. You’re not going anywhere near a goddamn gate.”

His voice shakes with fear for you. Your heart twists. “Dustin, I haven’t had any visions yet. Just the headaches. I even have my walkman on me. I promise I’ll be fine.”

“I’m coming with you.” Dustin juts his chin out, trying to appear brave before you.

But you see through him anyways. “You’re not. I need you to stay with Max and Lucas for me, okay?” Before he can argue with you some more, you kiss the top of his head. “I love you.”

Just as Dustin can’t stand the idea of losing you, you can’t stand the idea of losing him, either. 

Dustin snatches your walkman from your pocket. You lunge at him, but he’s fast. In a heartbeat he’s at his backpack, grabbing an old plastic bag, before he starts frantically wrapping your walkman within it. He ties the plastic tight around it, making it airtight. 

“I hate what you’re doing,” Dustin gives the walkman back to you with contempt in his voice. “But I’m not losing you to a waterlogged walkman.”

The pressure of tears builds behind your eyelids. You love your brother endlessly. Kissing his head again, you pull him into a bone crushing hug. “You’re never losing me.”

“I better not.” He mumbles, sinking into your embrace. “And I love you too, by the way.”

You laugh wetly, and Eddie takes it as his cue to finally speak. “Not to ruin this tender sibling moment, but this boat only holds like three people tops. Dustin wouldn’t be able to come anyways.”

Dustin sticks his tongue out at him and Nancy extends her arm. “Compass?”

Reluctantly, your brother hands her his compass. After he’s given it to her, Steve finally turns to Dustin. He lowers his voice, trying to give him some privacy. “Listen, I’ll keep Y/N safe, alright?”

Though he doesn’t want to, Dustin nods. Steve is the only person that he trusts your life with. If it were anyone else, Dustin would’ve thrown himself onto the boat and demanded he be next to you. But you’re with Steve and your walkman is safe. That’s all he can ask for now. 

“You better.” Dustin warns, but his heart isn’t really in it.

Steve claps his shoulder and kicks off the shore’s edge, sending the boat into the water. It’s a small boat, Steve has to wrap his arms around you to fit. You’re pressed tight against his chest while Eddie, Nancy, and Robin are squished on the other side of the boat.

“Bedtime at nine, kiddos!” Robin shouts as the boat floats away, giggling.

You hit her shoulder. “Be nice, they’re worried about us.”

She shrugs, indifferent, and starts helping Eddie steer the boat. Nancy guides them with the compass while you and Steve hold up the flashlights. It’s eerily quiet on the lake. The only sound that infiltrates the night is the soft crash of the waves against the shore. 

About halfway into the lake, Nancy orders Eddie and Robin to stop rowing. “Woah, woah, woah. Slow down.”

The boat comes to a stop. You shine your flashlight over the compass and watch as it spins wildly. It can’t seem to decide on a direction to point in. “Definitely not just faulty equipment.”

Nancy nods, her face grim. 

“Guys, what’s going on? Talk to me.” Dustin’s voice crackles through the walkie. He must’ve seen the boat stop.

“Your compass has gone from wonky to wonky with a capital ‘aah!’” Robin tells him, eyes narrowed at the instrument. 

You take the walkie from her. “I think we found the gate.”

“Steve, what are you doing?” Nancy’s concerned voice causes you to turn.

Steve has taken his shoes off and he’s already stripping his socks by the time you process what the hell he’s doing. “Steve Harrington I will drown you before I let you close to any goddamn gate.”

“Somebody’s gotta go down and check this out, angel.” He says hastily, taking his other sock off. “Unless one of you can top being a Hawkins High swim co-captain and a certified lifeguard for three years.”

“What, did the swim team train you in dimension hunting?” You grab his arms, struggling against his strength to stop him. He fights back, overpowering you easily. You’re starting to panic now. “I-I’m not letting you down there!”

“It’s gotta be me.” He’s speaking to you in a hushed, understanding tone. Steve’s eyes find yours, and he pleads with you to listen. “Let it be me.”

Let me save you. 

“I…” You don’t want Steve to go; you’re scared you’ll lose him if you do. 

“Y/N, please.” 

Don’t make me beg for your life again.

Last summer Steve had been torn away from you by Russians. You watched as they took him from you, pried him from your grasp. The fear, the overwhelming sense of despair you’d felt back then had almost strangled you. 

You’ve already almost lost him once.

It would kill you if it happened again. You know it would. He’s your lifeline. Steve is the air you breathe and the flesh on your skin. He’s your constant, your home. 

“Come home to me, okay?”

They’re the same words you screamed to him the last time he was taken from you. It’d been the only thing you could think of, the only way to encompass all that he is to you. But Steve hadn’t been able to swear his oath to you. Time had run out. 

But not tonight.

“Always,” Steve promises. 

Then, ignoring everyone around you, Steve pulls you into a bruising kiss. His kiss, his promise, they breathe life back into you. The assurance that he’ll come back to you fills honey into your bloodstream. The taste of his lips coats your tongue in dandelion oil. 

Someone clears their throat aggressively, not so subtly reminding you and Steve that you’re still on a boat surrounded by three other people. 

Breaking apart, your cheeks burn when you see Eddie’s kissy face. “Romantic.”

“Shut up.” 

You help Steve undress. It’s intimate, tender. You would do anything for him. Pulling his sweater gently over his head, you kiss him again. “Good luck, honey. I love you.”

Steve rests his forehead against yours, breathing you in for the final time. His hands cup your face, warm and rough. “I love you too, angel.”

Eddie hands him a flashlight wrapped in a plastic bag. “Hey. What Y/N said. I mean, without the love confession. Um. Good luck.”

Taking the flashlight, Steve thanks him. Robin grabs your hand, both of you needing the other for comfort. She’s terrified, Steve is her best friend. Nancy looks at him with a look in her eyes that you can’t quite decipher.

“Be careful.” She finally tells him. 

Steve nods, looking back at you one last time, before taking a deep breath and diving into the dark water. 

The seconds drag on like hours. The moment Steve dives in, you feel every second he’s under the water like a knife cutting into your lungs. Your legs shake, Robin’s grip on you is so tight that it threatens to cut off circulation, but you don’t let go of her. 

“Where we at, Wheeler?” Robin asks after what feels like a decade. 

“Closing in on a minute.” She sees your shaking body and rests a kind hand against your shoulder. “Steve can handle it. I know he can. He’s strong.”

You bite your nails anxiously. Blood fills your mouth. You know Nancy is trying to comfort you, but her words only make you feel worse. Steve is strong, but he’s still only human. 

A horrifying thought crosses your mind: you’ve dreamt of this before, only it’d been Billy drowning you in the pool. Your body goes numb. Tonight can’t end that way. 

Almost another minute drags on before Steve’s head miraculously resurfaces. He inhales sharply, splashing water all over you, but you don’t care. You’re leaning over the boat’s edge the second his hands reach the surface. 

You can finally breathe again.

“Steve!” You kiss his soaked hair, grateful to feel his skin against your lips again. 

“I found it,” he gasps out, spitting water out of his mouth. He reaches for your hand, anxious as well to feel your touch. “I-I found it.”

Robin cheers, quickly alerting Dustin that he’d been right about the gates. You go to help Steve back into the boat, but he waves you away and goes back to holding your hand. He doesn’t want you getting wet, it’s cold out and you could get sick.

“It was wild.” Steve rubs his finger over the back of your hand. He’s smiling, adrenaline coursing through him. “It’s more a snack-sized gate than the mama gate, but still, it’s pretty damn big–”

Suddenly he’s back underneath the water, pulled so deep below that he almost drags you down with him. You scream, shrill and terrified. Nancy and Robin rush to your side, holding you back so that you don’t fall into the water as well.

Steve resurfaces again, but he must sense that this isn’t the end, because he rips your hand from his. He does it to save you, to ensure you don’t get taken with him. But you fight against it, you don’t understand why he wants you to let go of him. 

Steve pries your hand away. “Y/N–”

And then he’s gone. 

Everyone screams as Steve’s body disappears into the water. 

“Steve!” You’re dizzy with blind fear. He had protected you. He had spent his final seconds making sure that you wouldn’t get hurt, and now he’s gone.

Robin’s arms are around you, holding you back as you scream. She knows what you’re about to do. “Y/N, you can’t–”

“Let go!” You throw your shoulder back, prying your arm away. She screams at you, Nancy and Eddie do as well, but you’re already tearing your sweater off. 

You’re going in. You don’t care. Steve needs you. 

He needs you.

The water is cold. It shocks your system. Eyes burning, you struggle to make out where Steve is. Faintly, in the dark water, you see his body being dragged down. There’s something twisted around his ankle, pulling him towards a red light. You can hear his muffled screams. His arms flail, bubbles escape his mouth as he struggles against it, as he’s pulled through the red haze.

Lungs burning, you will your legs to kick as hard as they can. You’re both running out of time. 

The closer you get to the red haze, the colder the water becomes. Your ears pop at the depth. As the murky water settles, you realize that the red that illuminates is a crack in the earth’s surface. Vines encase its edges. 

Breaking through it, air hits your body as you fall to the ground. Your back scrapes against the rough ground beneath you, leaving you gasping for breath. You barely have time to gather your bearings before you hear Steve’s pained screams.

You stumble onto your feet, desperately searching for him. 

What you find is Steve’s body on the ground, vines choking him as he writhes in agony, demonic bats gorging on his stomach. 

-

⌑ series masterlist

⌑ if youd like to buy me a coffee ☕︎

⌑ thank you for reading ! feel free to like, comment, reblog, or send in an ask so we can chat <3

[pukefactory]

˚₊⋅─── CALM LIMINAL ───⋅ ˚₊

(COMMISSION)

⦮⦯ Summary: A Compilation of 20 Romantic Headcanons Featuring Taski Maiden X Reader

⦮⦯ Commissioner: @straycolours

⦮⦯ Character(s): Taski Maiden (Ena: Dream BBQ)

⦮⦯ Genre: Headcanons, SFW

⦮⦯ Warning(s): None - Completely Safe!

⦮⦯ Image Credits: @JoelG

！You once told Taski Maiden you liked her smile, and she immediately stopped smiling—“OH GROSS, YOU WANNA MARRY ME OR SOMETHING?!?” (…She then grinned even bigger the rest of the day. Gremlin logic.)

！When you accidentally bumped into her while holding a hot drink, she screamed “ARSON???!!!” and fake-fainted into your arms. She was very proud of this prank. You, however, were shaking and apologizing for fifteen minutes. She still talks about it with a smug grin.

！When she does get serious for half a second (usually right before throwing a random object at you), it hits like a brick—she once whispered “I like it when you look at me like that… like I matter,” then kicked a pebble and shouted “OKAY, GROSS, THAT WAS MY ONE EMOTION FOR THE MONTH!!!”

！ If you tell her “good morning,” she’ll reply later with: “BLAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! that’s when I was UNCONSCIOUS!!! don’t you know I sleep until the world ends??? also hiiiii heheheh”

！You asked what she wanted to do on your first date and she said “DRINK LAVA” but you ended up eating snacks at a glowing mushroom field while she threw popcorn at bugs and told you weird stories about “ancient goats with gambling addictions.”

！She doesn’t admit she likes holding hands. But she’ll grab your sleeve and go “OH NOOOO I’M SLIPPING INTO THE VOID!! HOLD MEEE!!!” when the sidewalk slightly tilts.

！Once, she caught you looking at her too long. “WHY ARE YOU STARING?? IS THERE SOMETHING IN MY FACE? IS IT A TINY BEETLE? I’LL EAT IT.” “No—uh. You’re just really cute.”“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA–”

！She wrote a love poem for you on a convenient piece of paper. It said:

“roses are red. toilet paper is white. you’re not terrible. let’s not fight (unless it’s laser tag!!!)”

！When you’re upset, she won’t comfort you like a normal person. Instead, she’ll stack rocks on your head until you laugh. “Emotions = squished now!!! You’re welcome!!!”

！ She says “BLEHHHHH!!!” when you kiss her cheek. Then she kisses your cheek and demands you say “BLEHHHHH!!” back or else “you’re a criminal and I’m calling the Emotion Police.”

！The little guys on her back? Yeah. She calls them “THE BOYS.” You once helped her clean their shells and she stared at you like you’d just given her the moon. “…you’re… touching them gently…like they’re people…” Then she screamed “YOU’RE HIRED!!!” and made you their official godparent. There was a ceremony. It involved juice boxes.

！She once got a cold and insisted you babysit “The Boys” while she yelled instructions from under a blanket: “DON’T FEED THEM AFTER MIDNIGHT!!! DON’T LET THEM JOIN ANY CULTS!!!” You tucked them in and gave them sticker faces. Taski Maiden cried and said “they look so happy. I might explode.”

！She makes you matching friendship bracelets using worms, glitter, and some string she “found on a very suspicious tree.” You wear it anyway. She keeps checking to see if it’s still on you.

！She once prank-called you pretending to be “The President of Love,”. You called her back. She answered: “IM AT THE BOTTOM OF A WELL. DO NOT TRACK ME!!!”

！If she ever kisses you (like, actually kisses you), she’ll yell “HANDSOME JAIL!!!” and run away, only to peek around the corner and whisper “okay come kiss me again...”

！She tried to cook for you once. You don’t know what was in it, but it glowed. She looked so proud. “Eat it or I’ll CRY!!!” You did. It tasted like warm battery acid and affection.

！ She’s convinced “romantic people” build secret shrines to each other, so she made you one out of old soda cans and shiny rocks. You found it hidden behind a bush. There was a note: “From Taski: U R kinda epic. Plz don’t tell anyone or I’ll scream.”

！She tells people you’re her “silly little life assistant.” You corrected her once and she said “TOO LATE. IT’S ON THE BUSINESS CARDS!!!! >:3”

！When you compliment her hair, she pretends not to care but later you’ll catch her fluffing it up and whispering “they noticed!!! THEY NOTICED!!!” like it’s a prayer.

！If you ever get scared or nervous, she’ll gently boop your nose and say: “don’t worry, dumbhead… I got your back. I’m your weird scary guardian gremlin. That’s, like, romantic, right?!!!!”

[sturniololuvz]

i love your writing! can you do a fic where dad!matt has a very emotional girl and she has anxiety even at 2 years old and when she can’t find any of the triplets especially matt (since they were on live) she starts to freak out and scream cry until she finds them?

“Where’s Daddy?”

Matt had only been live for ten minutes.

He, Nick, and Chris were crammed together on Matt’s bed, laughing at comments, telling random stories, and joking about who had the worst morning hair. It was supposed to be quick — a fun little check-in with fans while Y/N played in the living room, only a few steps down the hall.

She had her cartoons on, a snack, her juice, and her favorite bunny plush. He’d kissed her forehead and told her, “Daddy’s gonna be in his room, okay? I’ll be right here.”

But ten minutes in, he didn’t realize how long that must have felt to a two-year-old with big feelings and even bigger anxiety.

⸻

In the living room, Y/N sat quietly at first, humming as she munched on crackers. But soon, the silence started creeping in — not her favorite kind. No distant footsteps. No background talking. No Matt checking in on her like he usually did every few minutes.

She stood up slowly, bunny in hand.

“…Daddy?”

No answer.

She toddled to the hallway, glancing into the bathroom. Empty. The kitchen? Empty.

“Chrissy? Nini?” she called out softly.

Still nothing.

The anxiety hit fast — too fast for her little heart. Her breaths quickened. Her throat tightened. And before she could even call for him again, it exploded out of her like a storm.

“DADDYYYYYYYYY!”

⸻

Inside Matt’s room, the chat flooded with:

“Was that a baby??”

“YO what was that scream??”

“Matt your kid’s crying!!”

“Go check on her omg!!”

Matt froze mid-laugh, eyebrows furrowing. Chris looked at the door.

“That was Y/N, right?” Nick asked, already halfway up.

Matt bolted past him without a word, rushing into the hall to find her standing in the middle of the floor, red-faced, eyes filled with panic, screaming.

The second she saw him, she ran forward, nearly tripping over herself.

“DADDY!!!” she sobbed, clutching his shirt the moment he scooped her into his arms.

“Shhh, baby, I’m here. I’m right here,” Matt whispered, holding her so tight she practically melted into him. Her little body was shaking — full-on panic.

“I—I—I thought you left,” she wailed.

“I didn’t leave, sweetheart. I was just in my room. I told you I’d be right there, remember?”

“But I didn’t see you,” she sniffled, pulling back just enough to look at his face. “I—I thought you go’ed away.”

Matt’s heart shattered. “Never, baby. Not without you. I’m never going anywhere without you, okay?”

She nodded through her tears, curling back into his chest as he sat down on the couch with her in his lap.

Chris peeked in from the hall. “You want me to end the live?”

“Yeah,” Matt said quietly, running his hand over Y/N’s curls. “Just shut it down. We’re done for today.”

⸻

Later, after she’d finally calmed down and fallen asleep on his chest, Matt whispered to Nick and Chris from the couch.

“She’s just… sensitive. Everything feels big to her.”

“She’s like you,” Chris said gently. “You always felt everything a little deeper, too.”

Matt looked down at her peaceful face, lips parted, bunny squished between them.

“Yeah,” he smiled. “She’s my little copy.”

And if that meant taking breaks, ending streams, and being her entire world until she felt safe?

He’d do it a thousand times over.

⸻

[lexirosewrites]

Steve and Chrissy are cousins, their moms are sisters

Chrissy ended up being an alpha so her mom couldn't really control her anymore and she became protective over Steve who presented as an omega and lost his ability to make decisions for himself

His parents obviously know what's best for him and no Steve you shouldn't eat those foods they're bad for you and your future alpha won't like that you're that hairy you have to shave yourself bare, and yes Steve you should drop out of your sports because your alpha won't want a bulky omega

Steve was never able to date or show interest in any of his peers because none of them were good enough for him in his parents eyes and thusly he'd have to turn them down, this slowly ruined his reputation

His peers twisted it into making him a frigid stuck up bitch and not a neglected and overly controlled omega desperately seeking his abusive parents approval

Chrissy obviously knew the truth and was slowly working up a plan to help Steve escape, Nancy and Jonathan were able to pick up on aspects of the truth because in Jonathan's case like attracts like

Someone with shitty parents, or in Jonathan's case, parent, will notice the signs in others. Nancy picked it up because she knows the signs of abuse thanks to her close friendship with the Byers thanks to their younger brothers, Barb understood after having it explained to her simply because she never looked that closely

Eddie would have noticed as well had he looked close enough, but he never allowed himself to or else his baby crutch would explode and he'd lose his mind and try courting him

Robin started paying more attention after growing annoyed with how Tammy swooned all over Billy and got her heartbroken by him when he just showed interest in Steve, Robin wanted to know what was so great with Steve that Billy ignored how perfect Tammy was

Slowly, despite his parents wishes and unwittingly behind their backs, Steve started making a pack with his cousin the trio of Nancy Jonathan and Barb and Robin who squished her way in somehow and despite how close they all were becoming he couldn't go to them with his fears about how he over heard his parents making plans to sell his neck on his next heat before he even graduated

Steve was up worrying about his next heat for days, his friends started noticing his lethargic behavior but he kept brushing them off

Finally, a few days before his heat, Steve ran

He ran from his home in the middle of the night while his parents slept

He ran past his dearest cousins house

He ran past his capital P soulmates house

He ran past the Wheelers and the Hollands house

He slowed at the Byers but shook his head and ran just a little bit further

He ran to the Forest Hills trailer park and sped walked his way to a trailer he's heard rumors about before

He raised his hand and knocked on the door of the dimly lit trailer

He waited with baited breath and chewed on his nail until the door opened and revealed the alpha that would hopefully save him

Eddie Munson opened the door to his den, shirtless, and very confused as to why Hawkins sweetheart or frigid bitch (depending on which circle you ran with) Omega Steve Harrington is standing on his step looking close to tears

I'll leave it there for now ☺️☺️

begging for more😭

(also this is the last submission i have for today, so i’m just gonna reblog some of my STMMM posts unless more asks are sent!)

[ijenoyou]

A new day to love.

Joaquín Torres x StarkF!Reader

warnings: not really i think ? lol just fluff and a bit of angst

note: yay another follow up of Ojos lindos !! i’m glad yall like it :3 if anyone has a suggestion for this storyline or if it’s a suggestions for another quino work im all earsssaa!!, remember english isn’t my first language so yeah if there’s any mistakes plz don’t mind them hahaha

It’s been a few weeks since you’ve seen Joaquín. His mother and grandmother took him away on a short vacation after he was discharged from the hospital. But it’s also been a while since the two of you have had a chat. You couldn’t face him, a part of you still angry at yourself for not being in full control of your own powers.

It felt all too overwhelming.

You lost sleep over it, training hard late at night until your body gave up.

“Why so quiet, uh?” Sam’s voice full with curiosity brought you back to reality.

You shifted on your seat at the kitchen aisle and sighed. You tried to avoid Sam’s eyes that seemed to follow every move you make, feeling your body start to feel physically uncomfortable at the question.

“Oh, it’s nothing really.” You spoke, your voice came out with difficulty. “I was just dissociated, that’s all.” You tried to give him a smile but failed.

Sam lifted one of his eyebrows, giving you a questioning look. You hated when he did that, because at the end of the day, that would make you crack under pressure and tell him everything each time he did that.

“Is it Joaquín?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?” His eyes found yours.

“No.”

He sighed. His own mind coming to terms about the fact that you were too stubborn to understand none of Joaquín’s accident was your fault. Or anyone’s for that matter.

“The kid’s coming back today. Did you know?”

Your whole body tensed up, your attention directed towards Sam, who was in front of you while holding an iced glass of water.

You nodded. “He texted me.” Your eyes traveled down Sam’s frame, letting them rest on his hands, following the droplets of water on his glass making your throat burn with thirst.

“A little birdie told me you’ve been avoiding him.”

You scoff after hearing him and stood up.

“Is that little birdie Redwing? You know how I feel about that thing.” You heard Sam laugh at your words.

“Joaquín himself told me, he said you’ve been ignoring every text he sends, I just wanted to know why.”

But, did you fully know why? The first thing that made your brain turn into a fuss was the accident but deep down you knew there’s more to it. And at that exact moment it all came crashing down to you.

What if your power got out of control and you ended up hurt them both?

Hurting Joaquín.

The thought sent a chill down your spine, making your skin explode with a coldness sensation all over it. Sam took notice of that, he saw the way your arms filled up with goosebumps.

“I can’t face him.” A second passed.

“Why?”

“W-What if I hurt him? What if I hurt you?” Distress plastered on your face. “I’m weak and to make things worse I can’t fully control what I do— it was me who failed Joaquín!”

He shook his head and stood up from his seat and walked towards you, he held your forearms in his palms and gave you a little squish for reassurance.

“You didn’t fail him— you won’t hurt us, you won’t hurt him.”

“You don’t know that.” You said in a whisper, instant tears filling your eyes up. “I don’t even know why am I so scared of myself. Before meeting him I didn’t even care of what had become of me after Tony’s death.”

Sam couldn’t believe your words, too stunned at them. The only thing he could do was offer you some sense of comfort, so that’s what he did. He gave you the tightness hug you’ve had since meeting him.

You didn’t know how to react.

You were used to people feeling sorry for you, a situation that became a routine after your father’s funeral. So it wasn’t exactly new what was happening but it felt nice. Sam was a new father figure to you, and you were grateful because if it wasn’t for him you would be living a very unhappy life under Pepper’s roof, living a foreign life with her and your half sister.

“Hey guys, I’m back!” Joaquín’s voice appeared from behind you and Sam. “Oh! And my family is here too!” Before you could leave Sam’s hold, two more voices began talking.

“Capitán América! Es un placer volvernos a ver.” An elderly woman spoke up and you finally let go of Sam.

Sam smiled and nodded. “The pleasure is mine, how was Las Vegas?”

“We loved it! isn’t that right mom?” She turned to another woman. After a few seconds they noticed you standing behind Sam, almost as if you were hiding from them— from Joaquín.

“Ms. Stark, right?” You nodded. “Oh! Mi Quino no ha dejado de hablar de ti” She began walking towards you and gave you a very tight hug that caused you to lose air in your chest. Assuming that’s Joaquín’s mother and grandmother, your mind began spiraling. Was he really telling them about you? Did they know you were avoiding him?

“Okay mom, let her go.” Joaquín said while gently taking his mother away from you.

You were about to speak when Sam clapped his hands loudly and smiled.

“Why don’t I take mom and grands on a tour around the base?” He asked them, making the two women smile with joy. Joaquín’s grandmother interlinked her arm with Sam’s and began walking away.

“So…” Joaquín trailed off. “Why are you avoiding me?”

You bit your lip and sighed.

It was sudden, the way you lost the ability to speak what was on your mind, it made you feel crazy. Why did Joaquín made you feel that way? You didn’t like him like that.

Right?

You felt him shift next to you. You ran your fingers through your hair to try grounding yourself.

“I’m sorry.” You finally dared to look at him in the eyes. “I’ve been overthinking a lot of things these days you were gone.” He softly nodded and you continued. “You make me feel a lot of new things and it scares me.”

He dared to step closer to you.

You could feel his warmth the way you did when you first met him.

“Why?”

“What I hurt you? What if one day my powers overtake me? Quino I’ve grown used to this, to us but I don’t what you to end up getting hurt because of me.”

He let a tiny gasp out of lips and got even closer to you. Joaquín thought he was turning crazy, because in what universe would Y/N Stark be confessing she cared about him— the way he cares about her.

“I don’t believe for any second that you would hurt anyone, or me.” He softly spoke as he reached for your hands. “You have the most beautiful soul anyone has, don’t even doubt it for a moment.”

His hands traveled up your arms just for them to rest at your jawline, he was holding your face in place with a steady grip. That action made your cheeks start filling up with color.

“I know what I’m getting into if that’s what you’re worried about.” He spoke while getting even closer to you, to your face. “Desde la primera vez que te ví, supe que yo sería para ti y tú para mí.” You laugh at his words and nod.

Because it was true.

When you saw him for the first time, you could already tell you would become very fond of him really fast. And that thought became even stronger when he was at the hospital with you taking care of him. You wouldn’t trust another person to help him heal. Even the doctor thought the same, he surprisingly gained his strength back in an incredible speed.

It was quiet for a few moments.

If you focused enough, you could feel his heart beating right through his palm, letting the beat sting your skin. As if that was your way of know he was alive.

With pleading eyes, his own face began reaching for yours.

“Stop me if you don’t—“

Right as you were on verge of kissing him, his mother’s voice appeared again.

“Mijo! Mira la foto que le tomé a tu abuela.” She said excitedly while looking down at her phone.

She then lifted her gaze from the device and saw the way Joaquín held your face with gentle hands.

“Mom!” He separated from you with a huff. “We were in the middle of a conversation.”

She laughed at his son and shook her head. “Right. What a lovely conversation.”

[ ]

You were now walking towards the exit next to the Torres’s family and Sam after you offered to make dinner for all of them. Sam was chatting with both women behind you and Joaquín while he stood at your side, leading the way.

His grandmother took notice of the way his hand would brush yours while walking, too shy to fully hold it. She smiled and prayed for his grandson to have the courage to do it and when he finally did take your hand in his she celebrated inside her own mind.

When all of you reached the Torres’s car, Joaquín turned around still holding your hand.

“Quino, please call if anything happens.” His grandmother took a step forward and smiled, he nodded his head while letting go of you for a brief moment to give her a very tight hug.

“And you, Mija, take care.” She gently said while tucking a strand of hair away from your face. “Mi Quino nunca dejo de hablar de ti, y espero que siga así por un buen rato.” A smile appeared on your face, Joaquín’s grandmother gave you a wink and hugged you.

After you and Sam said your goodbye’s to them, the both of you decided to step away from the Torres family for a moment to let them have a chat before they leave back home.

“I assume you and pretty boy are okay now, uhm?” Sam said with that cheeky smile of his.

You blushed at the same time your head turned towards him and laughed.

“Yeah, you could say that.”

He tilted his head to the side and pushed you with his shoulder.

“I heard his grandma gave you the bendición.”

Now your face felt hotter.

“Stop it.”

“I’m just pointing out the obvious.”

“Alright Captain obvious, stop that or I’ll paint Redwing pink.” You said while fixing your gaze on Joaquín.

“Do it.” Sam simply said and shrugs. “Ladies like pink, you’ll be doing me a favor.” Now it was your turn to push Sam, but you did it with too much force you didn’t know you had, causing him to loose his balance and land on a bush that was next to him.

“Torres get your girl!” He shouted from the bushes.

But Joaquín, instead of helping him, only took out his phone and captured a picture of the way Sam’s feet could be the only thing seen in the bushes. You were captured laughing on the ground, noticing the struggle Sam had while trying to get up.

—

Es un placer volvernos a ver - It’s a pleasure to see you again.

Mi Quino no ha dejado de hablar de ti - My Quino wouldn’t stop talking about you.

Desde la primera vez que te ví, supe que yo sería para ti y tú para mí. - Since the first time I saw you, I knew you were made for me and I was made for you.

Mira la foto que le tomé a tu abuela - Look at the picture I took of your grandma.

Mi Quino nunca dejo de hablar de ti, y espero que siga así por un buen rato - My Quino never stoped talking about you, and I hope it stays that way for a long time.

[musings-ofthe-unamused]

can we have kaiju no 8 boyfriend headcanons

A/N: Yes, yes! Love the boys <3

Ask Box: Open

Ko-Fi | VGen | Patreon | Twitter | Archive of Our Own

Kafka:

God, such a good boyfriend

He's so goofy, but so pure hearted

The type of boyfriend to be more physically affectionate

Always apologizes

Hates fighting and makes sure to resolve conflict immediately

Will cling onto you

You have to force him to clean, but will get it done

Puppy dog face

Reno:

Overthinker bf

Very much a gentleman

Doesn't initiate contact bc too nervous

Worries about everything!!!

Pls calm him down with face kisses

If a server gets your order wrong, he will say something instantly

Loves to hold hands

Hoshina:

It's stressful to date him

Such a tease

Doesn't seem like a good listener, but will get you something you mentioned wanting several days later

Bites

He can get serious and hates seeing you upset

Fights are slightly a pain, because he will apologize just to end it and doesn't fix the problem

Absolutely refuses to talk about work with you

Couple bracelets!!

Iharu:

Also bites

Cannot survive unless he's always touching you

He's so passionate

Tries to seem cool around you

But when you two are alone, Iharu is a clingy mess

Likes it when you scratch his head

Very, very loyal

Will scream "I'm taken!!" if someone tries to flirt with him

Aoi:

Gentle giant!!

He kinda has trouble showing his emotions

It leads to him bottling everything up until it explodes

Likes to squish your face

He's a softy that loves soft touches and words of affirmation

It's easy to tell when he's embarrassed because his ears turn red

Loves cuddles!

If you give him gifts, he will cherish them until he dies

Haruichi:

The most normal lover

I would say he has a slight playboy attitude

Knows what he wants

Isn't afraid to show his love or affection

Pls brush his hair

Haruichi can kinda be stubborn

Fights are more common with him

But he always makes sure to never intentionally hurt you

Showers you in gifts

Loves matching couple items

[sentientgolfball]

Mushy May: Cuteness Aggression

More swistom for you all :3 I just know Swiss with all his energy gets cuteness aggression for every single one of his packmates. Bug is just the latest edition

Swiss really should let them sleep. He knows the exhaustion of touring all too well. He knows how much of a blessing it is to finally sleep in a real bed after days on a bunk. And they are in between shows. They will not perform again until tomorrow. They have nothing to do, no obligations, so he really should let Phantom sleep.

But he cannot help himself. They are just so. Cute. With the hotel sheets pulled up to their chin, curled around their summoning blanket and a stupid little bat plushie a fan threw at them. Swiss reaches forward to brush the shock of white hair off their forehead and the noise they make just melts his heart. His whole body feels wired, burning with nothing but pure affection. He needs to do something about it right now before he explodes.

Swiss grabs Phantom’s face, squishing their cheeks as he pulls closer so he can kiss them. They choke on a gasp, forced awake by the sudden movement. They do not even have time to process what could possibly be happening before Swiss’ lips are all over. Nose, cheeks, corner of mouth, base of horns.

“Swiss? Wha? Huh?” They try to pull back. Try to get their bearings, but his hand never leave their face.

“Sorry,” he chuckles, “Couldn’t help myself. You’re just so fucking cute bug. Just makes me want to…” He growls playfully and gives their head a little shake.

“…I need to destroy you. My heart can’t take this.” He continues to hold their face between his hands.

“Should I be concerned?” They blink blearily at him, still trying to figure out what is happening and why they are awake.

“No never. Now c'mere.” He drops his hold on their face to pull them into his little spoon. He squishes them tight to his chest, curling his entire body around them. The force punches a little squeak out of them and Swiss feel like he needs to bite something.

He does not though. Instead he rubs his cheek against theirs, stubble scratching at their skin. Swiss purrs so loud it rumbles the entire bed. Phantom does not mind though. All they do is wrap their tail around his thigh and chuff.

“Can I go back to sleep,” they yawn.

“Oh of course, don’t mind me.” Swiss kneads at their back, burying his face in their hair. His own tail beats against the mattress, but he could not stop it even if he tried. He needs to move, needs to wiggle all the extra love out so he does not keep them awake.

As he lets Phantom fall back asleep, all he can think about is how much he loves them. How badly he just wants to squish his little love bug under him until they know for certain he is obsessed with them.

[sabrinajenre96]

“Episode Four ~ No Locked Doors, Just Trauma”

Michael Robinavitch x wife reader x kids

Warning ⚠️: some grown up time aka sexual activities, scary moments (for the kids), savage grandma Diana and Chaos

It was early. The sun barely peeked through the curtains. The house—miraculously—was silent.

Y/N stirred against Michael’s chest, warm and tangled in limbs and sheets. His hand slid along her hip as she shifted closer, pressing her lips to his jaw.

“I think we’ve got twenty minutes,” she whispered, smiling against his skin.

Michael hummed, lips brushing her neck. “That’s all I need, babe.”

Clothes? Gone. Sanity? Optional. They moved in sync, soft moans swallowed by shared kisses and the creak of the bedframe. It was passionate, sleepy, unhurried—until—

BANG.

The bedroom door slammed open.

“GUESS WHO MADE CEREAL WITH ORANGE JUICE!”

“KOJO ATE THE UNICORN’S EYE!”

“SPENCER TACKLED ME, I SWEAR!”

Sawyer appeared seconds later, hobbling on her crutches, looking exhausted and betrayed. “I tried to stop them!”

Michael froze mid-thrust.

Y/N's soul left her body.

Spencer, Alex, and Kojo stood at the door, jaws open like they'd just witnessed a murder.

“OH MY GOSH!” Alex screamed. “ARE YOU KILLING MOM?!”

Spencer gasped. “DAD WAS ON TOP OF HER! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!”

“EVERYBODY OUT!” Sawyer shouted, trying to herd them like emotionally scarred cats. “WHY ARE NONE OF YOU NORMAL?!”

Kojo barked in panic and ran down the hall like he was fleeing war crimes.

In the midst of this chaos, Diana opened the front door with a bag of fresh bagels.

“…what on earth?”

She followed the trail of screams and stray socks up the stairs, just in time to catch a glimpse of Spencer declaring, “I THINK DADDY SQUISHED MOMMY” before running in circles.

Diana stood in the hallway, blinking.

Then laughed so hard she had to hold onto the banister.

---

Twenty minutes later.

The entire family sat around the breakfast table. Y/N was red-faced and silent. Michael kept sipping his coffee like it was a lifeline.

Sawyer had her headphones in and refused to make eye contact with anyone. Alex kept glancing at his parents like they might explode. Spencer stared at her cereal like it was full of secrets. Kojo peeked out from under the table, still terrified.

Diana bit into a bagel and grinned. “Well, I see mornings are still eventful in the Robinavitch household.”

Y/N muttered into her coffee, “I swear I used to knock when I was a kid.”

“Oh, please,” Diana scoffed. “You led the charge into your father’s room every Saturday morning like it was a SWAT mission. Payback’s a beautiful thing.”

Michael side-eyed her. “You knew they were coming up, didn’t you?”

Diana sipped her tea innocently. “I just live next door. Not a psychic.”

Alex broke the silence. “So… were you guys wrestling?”

Y/N choked.

Michael didn’t miss a beat. “Yes. Grown-up wrestling. Very professional.”

Spencer looked horrified. “Did you win, Mommy?”

“No, sweetie,” Y/N said dryly. “It was more of a team effort.”

Sawyer groaned, face in hands. “I’m moving in with Grandma.”

Kojo sneezed and immediately ran back under the table.

---

Later that day, Y/N stood on the porch, watching Diana walk back to her house with leftover bagels and a grin on her face.

“You’re enjoying this way too much,” Y/N called after her.

Diana turned and winked. “Oh, sweetheart. This is the best sitcom I’ve ever lived in. Now lock your door next time.”

Y/N sighed. She would. Eventually.

But right now, she just wanted a nap, a do-over, and maybe a strong lock... or three.

[mingtinysworld]

Eternal Kisses

Pairing: choi jongho x fem!reader

Genre: fluff, comfort, established relationship

Word count: 825

A/n: this is super short but i thought id write something cute and sweet for Jongho hehe. I feel like he would be suchhh a comforting bf. And just kind of a pillar in a relationship ykwim?

Networks: @newworldnet

Jongho carefully unlocks the hotel door with his keycard, trying to be quiet as to not wake you. His meeting went much later than he anticipated and he didn’t get to see you when he promised he would. He felt sad that he let you down once again, making plans and having them not work out constantly.

He walks into the room and sees you sleeping peacefully. Your face is squished into the pillow, creating an adorable pout. He wants to poke your soft cheek but he resists, letting you sleep instead. He changes into his pajamas and tries to quietly get under the covers, next to your warm body.

“Mmh hi Jongie.” You mumble sleepily.

“Hi love, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to wake you.” He gives you a soft kiss, sending tingles across your whole body.

“That’s ok, I’m just happy to see you.” You nuzzle into Jongho’s neck and inhale his comforting scent. After a few moments you can feel his shoulders shaking. You look up and see that he’s laughing.

“What are you laughing at?” You ask with a pout, brows scrunched cutely.

“I just can’t believe how utterly cute you are baby. I don’t think you’re real.” He expresses.

You also let out a laugh and blush profusely. “You’re right, I’m not real. I’m actually made up of your imagination.” Deciding to play along, you give him a quick kiss on the lips. His eyes widen in surprise and he lets out an adorable giggle.

“I’m not real, so that means you can’t feel it right?” You continue to peck all over his face, smiling cheekily. Jongho explodes into a fit of giggles, completely entertained by your shenanigans. He grabs your hands and pulls you off of him and returns your attack of kisses. He kisses every inch of your face until your stomach hurts from laughter.

“Did you get your assignments done today baby? I know you were all stressed out about them.” He asks in a hushed tone.

You groan in frustration, being reminded about your countless amounts of schoolwork. “Almost but not quite. It’s insane, I keep working and working, but I never end up finishing them all.”

He looks on with empathizing eyes, relating to your frustration. Jongho is also in school currently, knowing exactly what you’re going through. “I know it’s hard, but you’re also completely capable, I know it. And I’m also here to help you. Nothing is difficult for my babygirl.” He squeezes you and you let out a spluttering gasp.

“Jongho! Don’t squish me to death!!” He laughs loudly and nudges his nose into you like a puppy.

You shake your head and roll your eyes, failing to hide your loving smile. You’re forever grateful to Jongho for being there for you always, helping you through anything and everything.

"Ugh I missed you baby. I hate how busy you are." You speak in a hushed tone. Jongho grabs your hand in his and leaves a sweet kiss to your palm while speaking softly.

"I know baby. I wish I could just stay here with you all the time. But you know how much I love you, right? I could cuddle with you for the rest of my life." He looks at you with so much love, his eyes displaying the unconditional affection saved just for you.

You wrap your arms around his waist, burying your face into his chest, and inhale deeply. His fresh body soap scent washes over you, soothing all your senses. As you melt into him he takes the opportunity to run his hand through your hair, brushing through the strands gently.

“Mmm you’re so comfy Jongie.” You murmur drowsily. He chuckles softly and holds you even closer. “Oh am I?” He asks with a fond smile.

You nod against his chest and let out a content exhale. “Will you tell me about your day?” You request.

“Of course sweetheart.” He shifts slightly to move you on top of him, making you lay your head against his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. “Today was kind of lame to be honest. The meeting was sooo long, I was actually secretly texting San in the middle of it, about ready to go insane. They were talking about marketing strategies and I just tuned them out.”

You let out a grunt of acknowledgement, letting him know you’re listening. However, the steady hum of his sweet tone was slowly lulling you to sleep, and his voice seemed further away the longer he talked. You let out a final yawn and you went to sleep, letting the stress wash away from your body.

As Jongho realizes you’ve fallen asleep he stops talking and just looks at your peaceful form. Your breaths fall in a similar rhythm and he pulls the blanket up to cover your whole body. He kisses your forehead sweetly and now closes his own eyes to fall into a comfortable sleep.

[the-sonic-crew]

Whenever you see like uh…. Like very cute AND SUCJ ADORABLE ANIMALS…

Dont you ever just get this urge to squish them until their brains explode but also don’t want to because its too cruel but also want to let out cutness overload… i get weird looks asking a question like this 😌

i get that with Tails sometimes, look at his wittle face.

[vampsol]

CHAI TEA LATTE | 손영재

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ FIC FOR @kvanity-main's "FALL FOR YOU" EVENT ⟢ PAIRING: eric sohn x fem!reader ⟢ WORD COUNT: 1.2K ⟢ GENRE: fluff ⟢ TAGS: established relationship au ⟢ SYNOPSIS: You haven't been with Eric long, but you do know that doing any menial task together, including baking an apple pie from scratch, will be memorable. ➸ Title inspired by the song by Angel Taylor! Prompt for the fic is: "'It's a brand new romantic relationship and you're baking together for the first time."

“That definitely does not go into the filling.” Eric presses his head into your neck as he looks over your shoulder. The recipe for apple pie Sangyeon supplied you with is pretty easy, although your baking partner is making it difficult to follow the directions to the letter. A dozen or so ingredients litter the kitchen counter, alongside the baking instruments needed to make the dessert.

“Yes it does! It says so right there,” you point to the fourth step, proving your point. Your boyfriend snatches the paper with a free hand to stuff into his jean pocket, a smirk stretching across his face. “Hey, give that back!”

“Maybe the best plan is to not have one, don’t you think?” His eyes sparkle with their typical mischievous nature in the afternoon sun. His ability to act care-free is what you love about him, even if you haven’t said those words out loud yet. It was only two months of dating, and diving in deep so soon felt more terrifying than anything else.

Well, besides the thought of messing up one of Eric’s mother’s favorite baked goods for the Thanksgiving party.

“Seeing as baking is even more precise than cooking, I’m gonna say no,” you respond in jest, poking your tongue out following the last word.

Eric takes your cheeks into his hands, lightly squishing them with his fingertips until you laugh. “Maybe,” he says, “you should trust me.”

You roll your eyes, followed by a huff of exasperated air leaving your lips. “I do trust you, I just don’t want to screw this up.”

Your words hold more weight as they leave your lips. The double-meaning is evident in the way your brows knit together and your lips downturn into a frown.

Eric catches it, and presses a quick smothering of kisses to your lips and cheeks, another giggle emitting from your lips. “You can’t, I promise.” His words and actions assuage the fears that begin to bubble up.

Your anxiety is slowly forgotten as you and Eric continue with the baking process. He takes his time cutting up the apples as you begin making the crust, opening the bag of flour for the process of rolling out the necessary dry ingredients. 

His humor was the biggest thing that attracted you to him initially, but his instinctual way of helping others before himself that slowly revealed itself the longer you were together made you fall harder than you imagined you could.

“What’s the point of adding lemon to pie filling?” He thinks out loud, reading Sangyeon’s instructions again with a skeptical tone that has you grinning to yourself.

Still, the fact remains that Eric can’t help but turn the humor a dial or two up when you least expect it, in both the best and worst times.

Like now, when he takes a handful of flour from the bag next to you and wipes his hand across your face. “Eric!”

Before he can laugh at your shocked expression, you take your own pile to throw. His face and hair become coated in the substance, most of it sticking to his nose.

“Okay, now it’s war.”

The next second, it looks like a bomb of white smoke exploded in your tiny kitchen. The two of you as well as the counters and cabinets are caked in baking flour, your skin and clothes a few shades lighter than they should be.

With anyone else, you would either be a bumbling mess or throwing a fit about the state of events. But, with Eric, it’s so easy to get lost in the ridiculousness of the situation.

“I think I won,” he says in triumph.

You scoff and press your back to the counter, crossing your arms. “I’d say it was a tie.”

Eric raises one eyebrow as a smirk grows on his lips. He places one hand on the bag of sugar, fingers dancing across the opening. “Is that a challenge?”

You shake your head instantly, giggling. “No, God, no. That’s how we get ants.”

He doesn’t move his position, still testing your resolve. “Then I guess you’ll just have to admit defeat. Or it’s goodbye, pest-free apartment.”

“Okay, fine, you win!”

Eric is suddenly pressing his chest to yours, the mood transforming due to the lack of space between your bodies. You can’t see his hands as they’re pressed into the countertop on either side of you, caging you in. His lips are dangerously close to yours, his minty breath hitting your face. If you have to guess, he’s decided to tease you in a far more torturous way.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see the  index finger of his hand writing something in the flour on the counter, the white powder in contrast with the black linoleum.

I LOVE YOU.

It’s safe to say the silent, written confession leaves you speechless. The man of many words has you covered, though.

“I know it’s soon, but I’ve never felt this way before about anyone. And you know by now I can’t keep anything in.” He laughs, but all that floods in his eyes is uncertainty, the fear of your impending and potentially negative response pervading his body. “If you don’t feel the same yet, I completely-“

You close the distance between the two of you in the next second, hoping your responding kiss is charged with the power to quiet the nerves he has. How he doesn’t think you feel the same is ludicrous, and you wonder now why you hadn’t told him before he had the chance to beat you to the punch.

His tongue presses your lips open to enter your mouth, and you can’t fight the moan that leaves your throat when he wraps his arms around your body to squeeze your ass. How did the day start with such a simple task of baking and end up here, the two of you ready to pounce on each other?

Eric grows impatient, suddenly lifting you up to wrap your legs around his waist. He takes his lips from yours, his lips puffy and eyes love-swept. “I’m gonna guess from that reaction that you feel the same, right?”

You nod. “I love you, Eric Sohn.”

His resounding grin is electric, his expression akin to one of a child receiving their favorite candy. You resume kissing, but Eric takes advantage of your position of being carried to take you away from the kitchen.

“Baby, the pie!” You reach your arms out in the direction of the ingredients, laughing, but he just trails his lips to your neck and keeps his arms tightly wrapped around your thighs.

He chuckles on your way to the bedroom. “I’ll buy one from the store later. Lemme just take care of the girl I love first.”

@yvnempire @sjylouvre @mini-mews @jayparked @heesuncore @yoursjaeyun @sungbeams @jenoslutie @loserlvrss @pars-ley @lovetaroandtaemin @wonwovy

𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 ౨ৎ˚₊

@kvanity-main @sweetvenomnet @onedoornet @sayxonet @violetanet @svthub @whipped-kpop-creators

[celestiaras]

hello hello, i’m here to request something (feel free to ignore)

Could you write a fem!dom!reader x Vox akuma? I understand that he’s mostly a dom, but i think it would be nice where he’s subbing for the first time and reader is gentle and showing him it’s alright to let someone else take care of him.

thank u for even considering this request :D

ft. vox akuma x f! reader — luxiem, nijisanji en

╰₊✧ vox being submissive in the bedroom for the first time┊0.6k words

contains: smut!! dom reader & sub vox┊breast fucking, blowjobs & facials, praise & aftercare

➤ author's note: wanted to try out writing tit fucking but i feel like it ended up being so poorly written? kinda giving wattpad vibes, i definitely need to work on it more

“aww, you big baby,” you giggled, using your hands to squish your tits together and guide them up and down around his hardened length. there was barely any friction from how slick he was with pre-cum and split, plunging between your cleavage so easily being more slippery than a slip-and-slide. it was almost difficult to control, but nothing you couldn’t handle given the opportunity you were given. “don’t worry, i got you~”

vox could only groan in response, pressing his palm against his mouth to prevent any more sinful noises from escaping with his head thrown back into the pillow. his red and black hair clung to his face from sweat while his heels dug into the mattress. it felt so strange to be below you like this, embarrassed at how vulnerable his state was while laying back as you did all the work for him, but god, it felt so fucking good. it took a lot longer than he would like to admit for you to convince him that he didn’t need to play the part of a “daddy dom” all the time, that it was okay to let his guard down and to allow himself to be taken care of. this was his first time ever subbing for someone else— he must have placed a lot of trust in you to allow this to happen at all, and honestly, you felt a bit honored.

as a result, you were trying your best to be as gentle as possible instead of eating him alive like you truly wanted to (the power you had over him must be getting to your head). he looks so cute trying to cover up his blush and subtly bucking his hips into your soft chest for more, thighs twitching and chest heaving, it requires you to exhibit a lot of restraint not to pounce on him like a wild animal as he so often did with you. however, for now, you’ll only be focusing on his comfort and making him cum, but you had quite a few ideas in the back of your mind about what other kinds of fun you could have with him in the future.

“you’re doing so good,” you whispered before giggling when he swore. he must be close already, managing to display all of his telltale signs despite keeping most of his face covered. you dipped your head to help him out with your mouth, lightly sucking at the leaking pink tip of his cock that peeked out from between your tits steadily bouncing around it.

his hands gripped the sheets with his knuckles turning ghostly white even when compared to his pale skin, composure long lost to the soft embrace of your breasts until the building pressure finally exploded. you gasped as thick ropes of cum suddenly spurted out all over your lower face, spilling in a pool atop your chest and dripping back down between them. he couldn’t quite remember the last time he’d had an orgasm so intense, or if he’d ever experienced one like it at all, but he was quick to apologize once he realized the mess he made and reached over to grab a nearby towel to clean it off before you stopped him.

“don’t apologize for anything,” you smiled, taking the cloth from him to wipe everything off yourself. “you did such a good job.” the praise along with the kiss you placed on his forehead flustered him since he wasn’t used to being on the receiving end on all this, but it made his heart flutter in a new and exciting way.

[mountttmase]

A Mountain To Climb

The Christmas Special

Part Two

Note - they finally got their happy ending 🥺 little baby George is my whole heart I swear I think of him as my own child at this point I just love the little squish. Thank you so much for the love on part one and I really hope you like this part just as much 🩷

Pairing - Mason Mount × Reader

Word count - 6.2K

Warnings - fluff and a tiny smidge of angst

‘I’ll pop the heating on yeah? Get it all nice and warm for the little man’ Mason shouted to you as he opened the front door to let you in. The three of you taking your first family outing to the big Sainsburys to grab some last minute Christmas supplies and you couldn’t wait to get back into the safety of your home.

The run up to Christmas was always hard, there was always so much to be done and so much to plan but this year was different. You’d spent most of it heavily pregnant until your little boy made his entrance a week before Christmas Eve.

Mason was at training when you found out you were pregnant. You wanted to wait until he got home so you could take the test together and find out but you couldn’t handle not knowing and when the little test told you you were pregnant you collapsed on the floor in happy tears.

You managed to make them stop until he got home. The pair of you sinking to the floor once you’d shown him the positive test so he could hold you in his lap as you both silently cried. Counting back to realise your baby was probably conceived the night of your third anniversary and it just made everything feel even more special to you.

By all accounts it was a perfect pregnancy and Mason has been your rock through it all but as your due date approached you could feel yourself getting more and more anxious. Being a good mum was important to you and after everything that had happened throughout your childhood you were determined not to leave your little one with the same fate.

Just like Mason always was, your little bubba was late. Two weeks in total and you were starting to get to the end of your tether with being pregnant until your waters broke at 4am whilst you were tossing and turning in bed next to Mason who was more than horrified by all accounts.

George was a perfect mix of the pair of you. Your hair colouring and lips but Masons eyes and cheeks and you couldn’t be more in love with him if you tried. He was the cutest thing you’d ever seen and all you wanted to do was wrap him up and protect him from the world.

You had always been told you’d feel that feeling as soon as you saw him but there was a voice in the back of your head telling you it won’t happen for you. That you were a product of your family and it would take time for you to bond with George but thankfully that wasn’t the case and you’d turned into a big mamma bear almost instantly.

It was hard though. The pair of you adjusting as well as you could and even though Mason was the perfect father so far, your motherly instincts had kicked in ten fold and you very rarely let George out of your sight.

You weren’t sure what it was, that new baby fear maybe, or if it was something a bit more than that. If it was something you were trying to prove to yourself that you could be a good mum. The best mum. Nothing like the woman who raised you.

You knew it was in the back of your mind even though it shouldn’t be but you wanted to be perfect even though you were still healing from childbirth. Taking on every task that needed doing over Christmas and making sure it was done to perfection. Not accepting help from anyone, even Mason, as you organised a special Christmas Eve get together for all your family but the stress of it and learning how to take care of a little human was making you snappy.

Mason left you to it at first. Knowing not to rock the boat as your hormones were all over the place and you never backed down but eventually he stepped in. Telling you to relax and take a breather but rather than listen to him you exploded at him.

‘Will you just leave me Mason, I know what I’m doing’ you told him angrily. Moving your shoulder so his hand would drop away from you.

‘I never said you didn’t love, I’m trying to help’

‘Well that makes a change’ you scoffed and you felt awful immediately but your pride stopped you from apologising straight away. Under normal circumstances you knew he would probably have said something back but you heard him let out a short breath before carrying on speaking to you calmly.

‘Tell me what you want me to do’

‘What I want is for you to go away. I want these to be perfect and you’re just ruining everything’ you shouted, tears burning in your eyes before you slammed the napkins down on the table and made an exit.

You felt awful. Saying hurtful things to the man you loved who was only trying to help and when you stormed off upstairs he let you have your moment to calm down. Only going to look for you when he thought you’d been gone too long and finding you fast asleep on his side of the bed.

There was something about finding you on his side of the bed that made Mason's heart sing. He knew you were tired and stressed and not in any state to be doing as much as you had but he also knew how stubborn you were and how much it took you to ask for help but knowing you were taking comfort in his space made him feel just a tiny bit better.

By the time you’d woken up and calmed down you found Mason in the living room, sitting in the armchair with George asleep on his chest as he slowly rubbed his back with Parker asleep at his feet.

Ever since you’d fallen pregnant it was like Parker could sense the change. Rarely leaving you alone and forever laying his head on your ever growing bump and now that George was finally here he was just as protective. You wasn’t sure how Parker would react to such a little baby when he was such a huge dog but he was his usual gentle and loving self and no matter where George was, Parker wasn’t too far away.

Mason’s eyes were on you as soon as he sensed your presence but you didn’t know what to do so you played with your fingers whilst thinking of what to say. By the time you looked up, he’d moved George onto the one side of his chest before holding his other arm out for you to come and join them. Helping you sit on the arm of the chair and cuddle into his chest with your legs dangling over his lap and you felt even worse than before.

‘I’m so sorry’ you whispered, your tearful eyes looking into his sympathetic ones and you carried on talking before he had a chance to tell you everything was okay. ‘I just really want everything to be perfect you know? It’s George’s first Christmas and our families are gonna be together and I just wanna show everyone that I can do it’

‘I know baby. And I know you can do it but you can’t do it on your own okay? You pushed this little human out of you four days ago and you’re still healing, not to mention your hormones are all over the place. You need to rest’

‘There’s just a lot to do’ you sniffed. Reaching for George’s hand that was resting on Mason's chest and your heart thumped as he wrapped his fingers around yours gently.

‘How about we make a list of everything and then we divide and conquer? My mum said she’s happy to do whatever’s needed so we can see if she can help?’

‘Maybe that’s a good idea. I just wanted to do it myself’ you confessed. Not wanting to look like a failure but deep down you knew you could really use the help.

‘I know’ he breathed, pressing a small kiss to your nose. ‘And I know why too but you’ve got nothing to prove to anyone okay? You're a perfect mum and no amount of handmade place settings will change that’ he joked, causing you to nod at him with a smile. ‘You’re not superwoman. No one expects you to be okay? In fact I think they think you’re all mental for wanting to host them a week after you’ve popped a baby out’ he teased.

‘Thank you Mase. And I really am sorry for having a go, I didn’t mean it’

‘I know, there’s a lot of change going on but as long as we stick together we’ve got this okay? Now show me my favourite smile, pretty girl’ he teased, a smile taking over your face automatically and you felt a shiver roll through you as he reciprocated it. ‘There we go. And as for this one’ he mumbled, head nodding to the little boy who was still fast asleep on him. ‘He doesn’t remember anything half the time. We could literally skip Christmas and he’d be none the wiser. He’d just sleep right through it’

‘We’re not skipping Christmas, Mason’ you scolded, knowing he was only joking but you appreciated him trying to make you smile just like he always did.

So you did as he said. You made a list and a timetable and made sure to make lots of room for breaks and as soon as it was all written down you realised it wasn't as scary as you thought. But the last few sleepless nights had taken it out of you so when you got back from the shops to get on with your final task you felt yourself slowly slipping into sleep at the table.

‘Right miss, nap time for you’ you suddenly heard, feeling Mason’s hand on your shoulder but you shook it off. Wanting to finish what you were doing.

‘I’m fine-‘

‘Nope’ he laughed, forcing you out of your chair and looking at you with a stern face. ‘You’ve been in a mood all morning so you need a nap before everyone gets here’ he teased, pushing you up the stairs before he grabbed George from his basket. Parker sitting just below it like he always did but as soon as Mason picked George up he was up too and following you up the stairs and into your bedroom.

‘I’m fine’

‘Come on babe, you know what the nurse said. You sleep when baby sleeps’ he told you softly. Pressing a kiss to your forehead as he tried to attempt to push you to the bed but you resisted ever so slightly.

‘But I need to sort the-‘

‘Baby, we spoke about this’ he whispered. Popping George in the next to me crib before holding your face so you could really look at each other. ‘You’re exhausted and you’ll be even more so when everyone gets here later. I can do what needs doing okay. Will it be as good as if you did it? No, not at all. But I’ll make up for it with my charm and wit’ he teased, hands slightly moving to your neck as you smiled lightly. ‘You need to let me help, remember?’

‘I’m sorry Mase’ you whispered tearily but he cut you off with a kiss.

‘You don’t need to be sorry. Just please have a nap’

‘Okay’ you conceded, letting him tuck you into bed. George sleeping softly beside you as Parker took up a spot at the end of the bed and as much as you wanted to just sit and look at George you knew you were too tired and eventually gave into sleep.

You slept for longer than you wanted to but you knew you must have needed it. Waking up to quickly feed George and get him changed into his little Christmas outfit before meeting Mason downstairs. Feeling warmth rush through you at the sight of him finishing up the table settings and you resisted the urge to run over and kiss his face off.

‘It looks great Mase, thank you’ you told him, startling him a little bit but he sent you a kind lopsided smile before taking George from you so you could go and get yourself sorted and ready for everyone to come. Your heart melting at the way he was looking at him all dressed up and you could see how much Mason loved being a dad as clear as day.

Freya was first to arrive with Woody in tow. Making a beeline for George’s basket so she could pick him up and sit with him on Woody's lap.

‘Didn’t have you down as a baby woman’ Mason laughed, his arm around your waist as you watched the pair of them fuss over your little boy and it warmed your heart looking at the pair of them.

‘Well no, but this isn’t just any baby though is it’ she laughed. Stroking his little cheek with her thumb as Woody made the same gesture on Freya’s thighs and the pair of them looked at him in awe. ‘This is my little Georgie Porgie, the cutest baby in the world, yes you are’ she babbled to him and it made your heart flutter to see how much they loved him.

‘You’re supposed to be here to help’

‘I’m saying hello to my godson first’ she joked, but you smiled softly. Knowing there was a special gift for her and Woody under the tree from George asking to be his god parents so you were even more hopeful now she would accept.

‘You can come help me put the crisps into bowls if you like’ Mason offered, throwing her a bag after she’d popped George back into his crib and letting Parker take his spot underneath to guard him. ‘Woody, you too’

‘Yes dad’ he huffed before you watched Mason put him in a headlock and ruffle his hair.

‘Don’t talk back son or Santa won’t stop at your house tonight’ he joked, trying to mess his hair up but Freya was quick to separate them so they could finish sorting the snacks out.

Mason's family were next to turn up, Freya having to begrudgingly give George over so Masons family could meet him for the first time and you almost burst into tears as Tony pulled you in for a warm hug.

‘How you doing, love?’ He asked, walking into the house with you under his arm, your eyes full to the brim at his affection. Knowing how protective he was over you made you feel so full and watching his eyes tear up as he caught sight of little George almost sent you over the edge.

You loved sitting with his family and watching them fawn over him, knowing whatever happened that George would always have a loving family and people around him but when the doorbell went for the third time, you knew who it was immediately and the nervousness in your tummy was threatening to overflow.

‘You wanna get that, baby?’ Mason asked, a bright smile on his face and with a quick nod and a kiss to his cheek you were running to the door.

‘Hi dad’ you smiled, enveloping him in a big hug straight away and you felt your eyes sting as he held you back just as tightly.

‘Hi love. Are you okay?’

‘I’m good, how was the journey?’

‘Not as long as I thought but long enough’ he laughed, before stepping aside to reveal the rest of your family.

You’d met his wife Liz and your two step sisters Abi and Hailey twice before and even though you thought it might be awkward and weird you all got on like a house on fire. Pulling them in for a hug each as they came inside before leading them into the living room so they could mix with Mason's family.

You noticed straight away that George was back in Freya’s arms with Parker sat patiently besides her and you laughed as you made your way over to them.

‘What? He was handed to me. I didn't steal him I promise’ she laughed but you saw the pout from a mile off when you attempted to take him.

‘Come on Frey, my dads here and he wants to meet his grandson… god that sounds weird’ you laughed, taking George into your arms and you were surprised at how settled you felt as soon as he was back with you.

Watching your dad get emotional at the sight of your baby set you off, feeling Mason's arms wrap around your waist from behind made you smile though and with a kiss on your cheek you turned to pull him into a much needed hug.

George was an angel, never once crying or making a fuss as he was passed from person to person for a cuddle and you distracted yourself by refilling the snack bowls and getting drinks so the empty feeling you felt whenever George wasn’t in your arms didn’t linger.

After a while, Freya came to find you. Pulling you away from the washing up so you could spend some time with your family but the pair of you spent a little time just people watching as yours and Mason's families mingled.

‘You okay?’ She smiled, her arm around your shoulders as the pair of you stood to the side and watched everyone get along.

Your sisters talking to Jaz, your dad in deep conversation with Tony and Lewis and Debbie speaking to Liz who had George safely cradled in her arms. It all felt surreal to have everyone here together and it was overwhelming at how big your family was now.

‘Yeah, I’m okay’ you smiled, looking up and fraya before you bundled each other into your arms. You knew you both wanted to tell each other you were proud of the other but you let your arms do the talking before you pulled away. Laughing as you wiped your tears before going to join in with everyone. Freya choosing to go sit with Mason, Woody and the kids as they played with Parker whilst you went to see Debbie and Liz. Hoping you could steal George back as you felt incomplete without him.

Thankfully Liz and Debbie moved apart and patted the seat in between them and handed George over to you as soon as you sat down. Your heart hammering at the way your baby nuzzled into you and reached for the neck of your top to hold.

‘Now I want you to be honest, how’s Mason been this week?’ Debbie laughed and as much as you wanted to joke about him with her like usual you really wanted her to know how perfect he’d been.

‘Honestly? I really couldn’t ask for anyone better to do this with’ you smiled at her, watching her face soften instantly before you looked down to see George yawning adorably in his sleep. ‘He knows me like the back of his hand and knows when to tell me off when I’m pushing it too far. I think I forget I only gave birth a week ago but he’s really looked after us this week. You should be really proud of him’

‘I am’ she breathed. Tapping your knee lightly. ‘But I’m proud of you too. I know it’s hard to admit when you need help and I know you’ve spent a lot of time doing things on your own. But he really is a good boy and he loves you so much’

‘I love him too’ you laughed tearily, wiping your eyes with your free hand. ‘Sorry my hormones are all over the place still, I’m crying at the drop of a hat’

‘It’s okay, love’ Liz smiled, placing her hand on your other knee. ‘You should have seen me after I had Abi, I was inconsolable for weeks. It takes time and you’ll get there but you’ve got the best support around you by the looks of things’ she reassured you. ‘And you can always rely on your dad and me and the girls too’

‘Thank you’ you told her honestly. ‘And thank you for looking after my dad’

‘Of course’ she smiled tearfully. ‘He’s always spoken about you and I had to really give him a kick up the bum to speak to you. I think he was ashamed of how he acted’ she confessed, and sensing you might need some alone time you felt Debbie shuffle next to you.

‘I’m gonna go find my son and give him a big hug’ Debbie told you, standing up to go and search for Mason but before long her seat was taken up by the other man in your life.

‘I think me and Mason's dad are gonna get on great’ your dad smiled. Wrapping his arm around you and dropping a kiss on your forehead as he stroked George’s little cheek. ‘I still can’t believe I’m a grandad, I’m so proud of you’

‘Oh don’t you start, I’ve only just calmed down from Debbie saying the same’ you laughed, bumping your shoulder into his chest slightly. ‘But thank you’ you told him, smiling as Abi and Hailey shyly made their way over to join you all but you waved them over with a smile. ‘Would you guys like a hold?’

‘Me first’ Abi interjected, sitting herself down on the floor and Hailey joined her in a huff but you carefully passed George over and watched as he got himself comfortable in his new aunties arms. You felt so complete. The only person missing being Mason but little did you know he was currently feeling the love from his family too.

He was standing in the kitchen talking to his dad when Debbie approached him. Wrapping her arms around him with a tearful expression but he knew she wasn’t sad from the first glance as she held him tightly.

‘You alright mum?’

‘I’m more than alright’ she laughed, pulling back to look at him and the look of pride on her face made his bottom lip wobble. ‘I can’t tell you how proud I am of you. You’ve got the most gorgeous little boy out there and such a perfect family. I couldn’t be happier for you Mase’

‘Thank you mum’

‘It's not just that though, I’m so proud of the man you’ve become. She’s got nothing but praise for you out there and I know you’re looking after them so well. I just couldn’t be anymore proud of the man you are’ she sniffed. ‘And I know you’re not even doing it intentionally, it’s just who you are but it’s so lovely to see’

‘Stop it, you’ll make me cry’ he laughed, pulling his parents in for a much needed hug. Knowing they were proud of him was all he ever wanted and he was overwhelmed with how emotional they were for him.

You were soon up and making the rounds to ask if anyone needed any refills but everyone seemed to be fine so you went off in search of your boys.

You’d lost sight of Mason a while ago and now George seemingly too and as the noise in your living room grew louder you excused yourself to try and find them. Eventually finding the pair of them sat in the conservatory on the big sofa with a big fluffy blanket around the pair of them. Your chest feeling warm as you sat and watched Mason talk quietly to him before his eyes caught yours and he sent you a shy lopsided smile.

‘Look Georgie, mummy’s here’ he told him, poking his hand out from the blanket so he could beckon you over and once you were close he let you join him under the blanket so you could all cuddle up together.

‘What are two doing out here?’ You asked looking over to see George’s eyes were fully open and he was looking back at you when you spoke.

‘Little man was getting a bit overwhelmed with all the noise and people I think. Thought i'd just bring him in here for a little breather’ he told you and you felt yourself melt as you looked at him. His own eyes softening as they looked into yours. ‘What?’

‘You’re such a good dad, Mase’

‘Oh no you too’ he laughed. ‘I just had my mum and dad both crying in the kitchen saying the same’

‘But you are, you’re so good with him. And with me’ you laughed tears spilling down your cheeks. ‘Thank you for letting me join your boys only party’

‘You’re always invited to the boys only party’ he laughed, hearing Parker’s footsteps getting louder and louder before he rounded the corner and came into view. ‘Hello mate, you feeling left out?’ Mason laughed, tapping your thigh before Parker got the hint and jumped up next to you on the sofa so could lay his head on your lap. His eyes constantly flashing up to George as you scratched between his ears. ‘Well try and have a girl next, I feel like you’re a bit out numbered’ Mason laughed and you blushed at his words. Knowing he wanted to extend your family even more made your tummy flutter but you knew you had plenty of time for that.

George was starting to get fidgety and upset so you knew that meant only one thing. Carefully taking him from Mason as he passed him to you so you could feed him and as he settled down you felt Mason pull you into him further. A satisfied smile on his face as he looked down at his little family.

‘Just like your daddy you are’ you smiled, kissing George on the forehead. ‘Hungry all the time’

‘He’s just as obsessed with your boobs as I am’

‘Mason’

‘What? I haven’t got so much as a look at them lately, he always gets there first’ he huffed but the slight squeeze of your shoulder let you know he was only playing around but the look on his face let you know he was thinking about something else.

‘What is it Mase?’

‘Just seeing you with him, makes me realise how far we’ve come. Remember when you didn’t even want to be my friend? Now look at us’ he laughed. ‘I’d do it all again though if it meant we ended up here’

‘Me too’ you whispered. Leaning over so you could press a soft kiss to his lips before you both sat in silence to watch George. ‘We shouldn’t stay out here too long, everyone’s come to see us and we’ve gone and hid in another room’ you laughed once George had finished. Mason leaning in to kiss you softly as if he knew they should but he was sad about it.

‘I guess so. Why don’t you take George back to everyone and I’ll come back in a minute’ he told you. Helping you stand as Parker jumped up to join you and with a quick pinch to your bum you made your way back out to your family.

The rest of the night went without a hitch. Mason taking over the rest of the cooking with Freya and Woody and between the three of them they managed not to burn anything which you found quite impressive.

‘We’ll have to get the kids to bed soon or they’ll never sleep’ Jaz told you, stroking George’s cheek as she held him but Mason was pouting as soon as he overheard as he was having so much fun spending time with his little people.

‘Well you’ll have to wait a bit, we need to put snacks out for Santa’ he told you all seriously taking Summer and Mila into the kitchen so they could get a plate together of milk, cookies and a carrot for Rudolph before coming to get you and George so you could all take it outside and pop it on the porch. ‘We can check it in the morning and see if they ate it’ Mason told them before you handed George over to Mason so you could take a picture of the four of them and their snacks for Santa.

Everyone was off to bed soon after. Your dad and his family heading out as they had a long drive back home and after an emotional goodbye you walked back in to find Mason and everyone else finishing up getting things tidy.

‘You didn’t need to tidy up guys, I could of done it’

‘You’re hilarious, y/n’ Lewis laughed, wrapping an arm around your shoulder before walking you towards the stairs. ‘We’ve got this. Go to bed and we’ll finish up and see you in the morning, yeah?’

‘No, I can’t let you-‘

‘Mums orders!’ Debbie shouted from across the room, making you laugh as Lewis pushed you up the stairs. ‘We’ll see you in the morning okay?’

‘Okay’ You huffed, looking down at everyone appreciatively as you all shouted goodnight to each other before you went to your room. Getting dressed in your special Christmas pjs before Mason appeared with George not too long after.

‘I’ll just get ready and join you’ Mason smiled. Handing you over George and throwing you his Christmas babygrow that matched your pyjamas before Mason took his own matching ones into the bathroom so he could get ready himself. ‘I’ll have to go take a bite out of that bloody carrot in a bit, make it look like Rudolph ate it’ he huffed, shuffling into bed next to you and you looked at him with a fond smile before he looked down at George. ‘He’s so cute I want to eat him sometimes’ he laughed, pressing a quick kiss to his head before you did the same and place him in his crib next to you. ‘You okay?’ He asked, placing a kiss on your forehead, a confused smile on his face at the expression on yours but you just wanted to appreciate him and all he did for you.

‘Thank you for today Mason’ you smiled, the pair of you getting comfortable next to each other and his shy smile as blushy cheeks melted you.

‘There’s nothing to thank me for baby’

‘There is. It scares me sometimes how well you know me. How you always know what’s best for me’ you whispered. His face softening as he took your hand in his so he could rub comforting circles into the back of it.

‘It’s cause I love you’ he told you sincerely, picking your hand up to drop a kiss onto the back of it and you felt your fingers tingle at the sensation.

‘I love you too. And that’s why I want to give you a present early if that’s okay’

‘What?’ He laughed, watching you reach just by the bed to pull out what looked to be the size and shape of a shoe box. ‘What’s going on?’

‘It’s actually sort of a joint present but I want us to start using it as soon as possible’ you told him. Placing it on his lap before nodding your head so he’d tear into it. Once he had he was met with a cardboard box that he lifted the lid off of to reveal the present inside.

‘George’s book of firsts?’ He read aloud, picking up the folder so he could get a better look before his eyes were on you.

‘Its like a memory book. We can take pictures and fill in all his information so we’ve got something to look back on when he’s all grown up. I thought it might be fun for us to do it together’

‘I love it, thank you so much’ he whispered, leaning over to give you a small peck on your lips.

‘Open it up, there’s loads we can do’ you told him, watching his face the whole time as he flipped to the first page and you knew he’d seen it immediately.

This book belongs to:

George Tony Mount

To say naming George was easy would be a massive understatement.

First name, sure. You know you wanted something fairly traditional and when Debbie suggested it one afternoon as you all sat around to try and share ideas, the pair of you looked at each other with hopeful eyes almost immediately.

The middle name picked itself. Carrying on the tradition and a gentle nod to Mason's dad and all he did for the pair of you. You still remember the day you told Tony your thoughts around this and the little twinkle in his eye told you all you needed to know.

It was the last name that was a bit of a pickle. The pair of you not speaking about it as it had always been a bit of a contentious subject and so far no one had the guts to talk about it.

You knew it was partly your fault. Telling Mason soon after your engagement that when you got married you were unsure if you wanted to change your last name. It was the last tie to your old life and where you came from, the last piece of them you had, as you weren’t fully back on track with your dad yet but things had changed since then.

You knew Mason wasn’t thrilled by your thoughts on this subject. He wanted you to be his in every sense of the word and for his little boy to be his. But he also understood where you were coming from and loved you enough to look past it.

You could see Masons eyes full of tears as his bottom lip wobbled. A shaky breath leaving his lips as he looked up at you and your heart was thumping out of your chest.

‘Mount? You want him to be a Mount?’

‘I do’ you whispered. Taking his face in your hands so you could press a kiss to the end of his nose. And when we get married next year, I want to be a Mount too’

Your heart broke at the relieved whimper that left his lips. Dropping the book to his lap so he could wrap you up in his arms. His tears making your neck damp as you held onto each other for dear life before he pulled back to hold your face. Your own eyes now full of tears as you hadn’t realised how much it meant to him.

‘Really? Are you sure?’

‘I’m sure Mase. I want everyone to know we’re yours and we belong to you’

‘What changed your mind?’

‘You’ve given me everything I could ever want or need Mason. You’ve loved me when I didn’t deserve it and stood by me through thick and thin. All that I am, and all that we are now, it’s because of you and I’m ready to give myself to you fully. I know I said I didn’t want to lose my ties to my family but you’re my family. You and little Georgie are my whole life and it just feels like the final missing piece’

‘You’ve always deserved my love’ he whispered. ‘You deserve everyone’s love and I’m so happy you get to feel it from everyone now.

‘I think that’s partly the reason why. Knowing my dad and his family better now helps. I know I’ve got him now and losing my last name doesn’t mean I’m losing him or that side of me. But I’m gaining a part of you and you’re the most special person in the whole world to me and I’ll always choose you. Good days, bad days, come rain or shine I’ll always choose you Mase.

‘God I love you so much’

‘I love you too’

‘I can’t believe I’ve gotta wait another five weeks to show you’ he joked, making you roll your eyes as you realised what he wanted but couldn’t have just yet.

‘Well how about you run down and grab those cookies from outside so we can share them. Distract you a little bit’

‘That sounds like a good idea. I’ll drink some of the milk too’

‘Don’t forget the carrot’

‘I could never forget the carrot’ he winked, kissing your forehead before jumping out of bed and sneaking downstairs. Making you laugh at his attempts of being quiet and as soon as he was out of sight you realised this year for Christmas, you finally had everything you’d ever wanted.

[63n3437]

Too Busy Sunday!

“Live outside the state-of-the-art Duckliar Foundation, awaiting the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Duckliar Enterprise, Mr. Solomon Hecks.”

“Wait, Duckliar? Isn’t he the genius who disappeared years ago? Fifteen years, to be exact,” Huey piped up, looking over his handbook.

“Ohhh! Did he make cool things like nanobots or laser guns? Maybe a super flying jet?!” Dewey’s hands flew everywhere in the excitement nearly hitting Louie in the face. Louie swatted the offending hand in annoyance, looked up from his phone, and snorted dismissively.

“Eh,” he shrugged. “Looks like another start-up.”

“Start-up!” Webby exploded from behind the couch, startling the triplets as she squished herself between Dewey and Huey. “No way. They were the most mysterious and probably one of the richest families in the world! Of course, it is nothing compared to your–erm–our family, but I have a separate board just for them.”

Scrooged harrumphed from his armchair, “The man’s no genius, reappearing just to disappear, leaving everything behind. Just looked at what happened to the tower. Gone!”

“You mean the Duckliar Tower?” Della entered the room carrying stacks of chips and sweets in her arms. Penumbra trailing behind, carrying liters of soda. “I was surprised it was replaced by a park. Does Everett still own the land? The last time I visited the area was under the administration of SVA….MP?”

“The Society for the Valorization of Duckburg Monuments manages sites that have historical significance, similar to the program from New Quackmore.” Huey said, closing his handbook with a snap, “If the tower had historical value, we sure don’t know how it could happen.”

“Duckliar Enterprise has been making its presence known after the disastrous moon-vasion. Despite the damage of the unexpected alien attack, which halted some of its operations, they were able to resume as soon as possible to build the Ducklair Foundation.”

Louie scooted next to Dewey to make space for Della and Penumbra. Della snatched one of the popcorn bowls and passed the rest of the snacks around. “Well, it’s another mystery of the Duckliar clan.”

Webby squirmed in her seat. “Oh my gosh! New lore!” She exclaimed with a hushed voice forcing herself not to run off to her room and start updating her board.

“Excuse guys, movie night?” Louie sensing that they would go off the rails again, gestured towards the screen. “Anyone?”

“Yeah – enough about Ducklair, it’s movie night! We need to show Penumbra how to have fun while sitting –”

“Which I doubt.”

“And why is it so much better than exploring the secret of an Incan treasury,” Dewey nodded seriously, though the slight downturn of his mouth hinted otherwise.

“Oh, lad. You should’ve seen the map in the study. If we fly to Peru today, we’ll stumble upon the entrance to the temple effortlessly.”

“When you say treasury?” Louie baited with a smirk. Webby let out a ‘woohoo!’ in the background, yelling, “Secret Inca temple!”

“Wait! Guys–we promised Uncle Donald no adventuring every Sunday,” Huey reminded full-stop, which prompted a series of groans.

“The new CEO of the company was a mystery until three months ago when new information emerged from a one-on-one interview with veteran journalist Ms. Layla Lay. Although the interview answered the common question, questions about his relation to the owner, Everette Duckliar, remained unknown.”

“That’s boring! No offense to Uncle Donald but adventuring is in our blood,” Dewey relayed dramatically.

Della sighed, deciding to stop the brothers from escalating the situation. After all, she owed his brother some peace, even if she wanted to explore just as badly. “Dewey, we did promise your uncle to rest for one day every week. He’s not stopping us from adventuring, and if any of our trips somehow extend until Sunday, no one’s preventing us.”

“I’m sure Uncle Scrooge agreed to this, right, Uncle?” Scrooge scowled in irritation choosing to watch the TV rather than answer his niece.

Scrooge was about to make a sharp remark when he saw the car pulling up on the screen, he focused his attention to observe the unknown head of the company. The upstart has been requesting to meet up with him to consolidate Everette’s investments and liquidated properties under McDuck Enterprises. Scrooge was pleasantly surprised when he reviewed the proposal. He usually let Bradford handle anything remotely business-related, but he couldn't hand off this responsibility, knowing he was dealing with a Duckliar. Though they didn't meet face to face and only made a video conference, once, he knew not to underestimate the younger duck.

“Is that Uncle Donald?” Dewey wondered, it was hard to recognize him without his usual white hat and black sailor outfit.

“Hmm, yeah,” Louie said distractedly, frowning at his phone. “He said he was hired as a driver for a billionaire. I thought it was Uncle Scrooge since the rest were enemies of Uncle Scrooge. It’s an easy mistake to make.”

“Good for him,” Della smiled in fondness. “I… should probably find a job, too.”

“Mom, it’s fine. You just came back from the moon. There’s no need to rush things.”

Della gave a quick smile to Huey, going back to the TV where she saw her brother opening the back seat of the car. A woman with long blond hair, pinned in multiple buns, was the first to step out. She mouthed a quick thank you to him before gathering the security detail. Next to her stepped a man towering over the woman and his brother. He has strawberry blond hair with thick sideburns with a face that means business. He gave a sharp nod to his brother who solemnly nodded back. There was a moment's pause between them, a silent conversation amid chaos before his brother jumped back into the driver's seat and drove off.

It was a bizarre exchange, however, it wasn't notable enough to be remembered. She felt Penumbra nudging her sides, raising an eyebrow, and looked pointedly at the screen.

Della clapped her hands twice and then abruptly announced, “Come on, let’s start the movie! Even if Donald's not here, we need to keep our promise. Capiche?”

“Dibs on ‘Eternal Moonlight’.”

“What? That’s–no. Really, Huey?”

“It fits the theme! I researched the best moon-themed movie we could watch. It is also the highest-rated movie this season. At least I try to be accommodating, Louie. Unlike some people.”

Louie sputtered indignantly, “On what earth do you think Penu–”

Dewey cut him off rudely, “What about ‘Darkwing Duck the Movie? It was released recently.” Louie growled at the interruption.

“Dewey, you already chose the movie last week. It’s not fair if you pick the movie again.” Dewey sent a scathing glare to his red-clad brother before ranting how ‘uninteresting’ his suggestions were. Louie, momentarily distracted, nodded in agreement and declared that he should pick the movie, which was quickly denied by both older brothers. If Huey’s recommendation was dull, Louie’s was downright atrocious.

Unnoticed by the bickering brothers except for the adults, Webby crawled out of her sibling-sandwich, snatched the remote to change the channel to one of the available streaming services, and typed in ‘The Betelgeuse War’.

Della smirked in astonishment and shared a look with Penumbra, who was instantly enamored by the screen.

“Webby!” the triplets collectively shout.

“What? It’s informative, it’s not boring, and the character has depth. It has three sequels, all amazing–as impossible as it is–and it is about space. And the moon. Penumbra will love it and we will geek over the characters. Now, shove off!”

“Atta, lassie,” Scrooge chuckled.

The lights slowly dimmed. Della glanced back by the door and saw Mrs. Beakly adjusting the light switch. She grinned in thanks before settling on the couch. It has been years since she last watched ‘The Betelgeuse War’. If Webby was right, then she’ll enjoy the rest of the series and her honorary niece will certainly be asked to join the exclusive club of the Betelgeuse she founded with his brother.

Penumbra was, always, a nice addition.

————————————————————————

Something was bubbling under the surface.

“Hey, Gandra, grabbing lunch?” Granda put down her soldering iron and removed her goggles. She looked toward the door where Dr. Dendron was standing.

“Is it noon already?” Gandra grabbed her phone from the pedestal and grinned as a series of messages popped up on her notification. She was about to open one when she caught the time. “Woah, time sure flies by.”

“Yeah, I don’t want to disturb you with your work. I am also absorbed in mine, which is almost complete. I thought that we could eat lunch in the pantry,” Dr. Dendron smiled hopefully.

Gandra blinked, pleasantly surprised by the invitation. She gave a jerky nod and said, “Sure, I haven't had my breakfast… or lunch, for that matter.”

“Same here,” Dr. Dendron’s frame relaxed considerably. “Work just sucked you in. Next thing you know, it’s dark out, and you’re only halfway through your task.”

Gandra hummed as she gathered her equipment, placing all the dangerous items in their proper places. She secured the cabinets of confidential experiments before leaving her lab.

As she approached the door, she could hear sections of the lab shutting down. Once she reached the threshold, she pressed her biometrics, and the door closed firmly.

“I still think it’s quite excessive,” Dr. Dendron noted.

“I think it's nice,” Gandra smirked as they walked down the corridor to the department lobby. “None of the other labs I’ve been to is as secure as this one. You would think they’re hiding something sinister.”

Dr. Dendron giggled. “It certainly looks like that. It’s confidential, yes, but anything we do in R&D can be discussed between us, scientists and researchers.”

Gandra challenged. “Such as?”

“I can imagine all of our works are going to converge at one point,” Dr. Dendron explained. “I am working with an Evronian spore and Dr. Einmug is polishing his research on atoms. Sparky is working with Dr. Zibaldo on enhancing security and creating technologies related to clean energy.”

“What the hell is an Evronian spore? And isn’t Dr. Einmug a recluse? How did they manage to convince him to work here?” Gandra asked incredulously. “Dr. Zibaldo’s nice, just a bit overzealous. Sparky…it’s strange having a rat as your co-worker. No offense.”

“Rodents of his species developing intelligence and cognitive abilities are quite rare,” Dr. Dendron grimaced. “Achieving such a feat…”

“It’s not pleasant,” Gandra’s eyes widened as a memory resurfaced, and felt her conscience pang between her gritted teeth.

Dr. Dendron bobbed her head in agreement. “We can continue with the questions after lunch,” she said, tapping her badge.

Gandra willed herself to calm down as she followed Dr. Dendron into the busy hallway. “So I can ask anything under the sun about our work but only within the R&D?”

“Now you're getting it,” Dr. Dendron smiled playfully.

Gandra and Dr. Dendron strolled in comfortable silence as they made their way through the throng of employees getting a quick lunch. When they arrived at the pantry, Gandra told her fellow scientists to line up at the buffet.

“I need to warm up my lunch.”

“Do you want me to get you something?” Dr. Dendron asked, picking up a tray.

“A plate of waffles, if you can, please” and then Gandra waved her hand in appreciation, marching to the refrigerator where she stored her homemade lunch. When she opened the fridge, she saw the note sticking out of her lunchbox, which she had forgotten to remove (and put on a special case with similar notes). Written messily on it was, ‘Go get them, Gadget Girl’.

She couldn't help but grin warmly. She fumbled in her pocket for her phone and sent a short message to ‘Suit’ with a picture of her blue lunchbox.

‘Suit’ replied quickly, ‘I made your favorite, empanadas and guacamole :).’

(Oh, he’s so nice.)

After heating the empanadas, she made her way to the tables when her eyes fell upon an unexpected figure. She knew some sparing information about him. Most striking was that he was the triplet’s uncle and Mr. Scrooge’s nephew.

“Oh, Donald’s here,” Dr. Dendron spoke behind her. “I wonder why –” then her eyes followed where Mr. Duck was staring, “– I see. I forgot the press conference is today.”

Gandra caught the TV and she could see Mr. Hecks sitting on a long table under an onslaught of questions.

“–the company's focus has shifted from weapons manufacturing and engineering to clean energy. How will you ensure the company's financial stability during this period of change?”

“That is an excellent question, Ms. Roxanne. Duckliar Enterprise isn’t always reliant on weapons production. While it has been the previous CEO’s primary focus, being an inventor himself, he understood it is not the sole path for the company’s long-term success.”

Gandra felt a crippling chill running down her spine, and a sudden heaviness clung onto her shoulders. There was a gaze observing her in hindsight. Her eyes returned to where Donald was sitting and felt a surge of trepidation. The consensus is that Donald Duck of the McDuck clan was the polar opposite of his adventurous uncle, Scrooge McDuck. He was averse to adventure and quick to anger, but a great uncle to his nephew, according to some sources–okay, mostly from Huey.

Donald’s eyes flickered like a blade, slowly dissecting each layer of her carefully crafted facade. Leaving her exposed and flayed, like a wound itching to be closed. With a blink, he shifted from a terrifying force to a deceptively weary man.

“You know each other?” Gandra asked Dr. Dendron instead of keeping on staring at Donald.

“You don't?” Dr. Dendron asked, taken aback, though Gandra could hear concern lacing her tone. “We can use another table if you want?”

“No need, I'm curious to know what his deal is.”

“Good to know that you have a sense of humor Mr. Hecks. Unlike your predecessor who again disappeared years ago after a bit of a scandal. Whatever happened to Mr. Duckliar? Any idea of his whereabouts?”

“Thank you for asking, I understand that you are curious and concerned about Mr. Everett. I am placed in confidence to steer the wheel of the Enterprise and Mr. Everett has always valued his privacy which I will be obliged to continue.”

“That doesn't answer my question–”

“Hey, Mr. Duck,” Gandra plopped on one of the fluffy seats a distance away from Donald. Dr. Dendron hesitated for a second before sitting beside Gandra. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Same to you,” Donald raised his eyebrow, then looked at Dr. Dendron with a faint smile. “Hey, Dr. Rhonda. Good to see you, how have you been? Did you manage to find an apartment downtown?”

“Good! About the apartment… I decided to stay in St. Canard. I still like my city, despite the traffic. Also, thank you for shipping the Drosera occidendum’s seed.”

“I have no idea what you need from that plant but–er–you’re welcome?”

“No need to be bashful, it was a rare specimen. Knowing that your family managed to defeat it was amazing.”

Donald beamed like a mini sun, “It’s the kids who figured out that blasted plant.”

“Not surprising,” Gandra nodded, taking a bite of her empanada. “They’re very…inquisitive. Alarmingly so.”

“Oh, you’re just bitter that they foiled your spy career.” Donald's lips curled in amusement, although his eyes held a sharp edge.

“Speaking from experience?” Dr. Dendron, Caesar salad bunched on her fork, piqued in interest.

“Corporate espionage,” they both said at the same time.

“You were selected to work on nanobots?” Donald spoke out of the blue, startling both Gandra and Dr. Dendron. However, Gandra could tell that the other scientist was surprised for a different reason.

“NDA, Mr. Duck. My lips are sealed”

“Just call me Donald,” Donald rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Mr. Duck was my father. If you take my sister’s sons into account, that’s too many Mr. Ducks around.”

“What a nightmare it’ll be,” Gandra deadpanned, piercing the waffles.

“So nanobots… that's your forte, right?” Donald pushed on. “I remembered Huey telling a story about a ‘highly musculature Mark Beaks’ and how you helped win against him. No, I don’t want to imagine ‘Macho Beaks’. Yes, Huey shared his findings about nanobots enthusiastically and without reservation.”

‘I know who you are and what you did,’ was left unsaid.

When Donald spoke, Gandra could hear the resignation in his next statement. “I think you’ll do great with the project.”

“How did you know about it?” Gandra was eager to know because this guy was an enigma wrapped in a cipher. He was not supposed to be here, he was not on her radar of potentially dangerous people but goddamn, anyone who knew about her work with Mr. Hecks was.

“Here I thought that any scientific discussion can only be discussed by fellows and should be discussed inside R&D,” she said, voice drilling in sarcasm.

Donald shook his head, offering no explanation, eyes turning to watch the last thread of the conference. As Mr. Hecks plastered a polite smile, waving goodbye to the press, Donald’s phone rang.

“Hey, Belinda. Yeah, I’ll be there.” He paused. “Will do, thanks. Yeah. Bye.”

“Sorry, I need to go,” Donald, with a sigh, pulled up from the chair. “See you later, enjoy your lunch, Dr. Rhonda, Gandra.” He made his way out of the pantry, not without grabbing a freshly made waffle bag in a take-out bag from the pastry station.

“You know something,” Gandra faced Dr. Dendron in the eye.

“No, not really,” uncertainty seeping on her body. “I am as blind as you are.”

“Why have lunch with me?”

“Is it hard to believe I wanted to know you, or maybe become your friend?” Dr. Dendron's lips turned into a sad frown. “What you’re hiding is not my business but if it, in some ways, affects our work and reputation…” she trailed off, the unspoken implication hanging between them.

Gandra chuckled at the implied threat, “I didn’t think you had it in you, Dr. Dendron.”

Dr. Dendron relaxed and joined her laughter and said, “Oh, please, call me Rhonda.”

————————————————————————

Something was bubbling under the surface. Like lava slowly spilling at the edge of the crater.

“Hey, Layla,” said a duck holding an HDTV camera in one hand and balancing a tray of three coffees in the other. Layla readily helped get the tray out of the older duck’s hand.

“Alright, here’s your frap,” Layla chirped. “And a latte for me.”

The duck glanced at the remaining coffee, a plain black one, placed at the back of the van. “Donald’s will be here?”

“Yep,” Layla replied, popping the ‘p’, and taking a sip of her coffee. “He is Mr. Hecks’ driver.”

The duck hummed, “You’re suspicious about Mr. Hecks. Is he involved with… him?”

Layla took a moment to answer, “You can say. It’s complicated, Donald was more reserved about sharing information, after the moon.”

They dwelled in comfortable silence, finishing their drinks. Layla bit the bottom of her lips and asked, “Stefan, was I a bad friend?”

“I cannot give you a response to that,” Stefan said, slurping his frap.

“Why, weren't we friends in past years?” Layla quirked her eyebrow.

Stefan countered, “Were you?” He set the camera next to the coffee and sat beside it. “Your heart has always been in the right place. It took me a long time to understand that. Donald, we’re not friends, but I always felt a kinship with him due to our… affliction.”

Layla blinked in silence. It was rare for Stefan to speak this long. He continued, “I chanced upon him, months after he lost his sister to the moon. I was investigating the peculiarities of the Duckliar family. We did not talk; the situation was too heavy. And I suspect he lost more than just his sister that day.”

“I – Donald’s been keeping this?”

“It’s not my business, but I thought it might help you.”

“You’re right,” Layla took a deep breath. “I was not there when he needed me. I was so excited; I’ve always wanted to experience the world without restraint. In the process, I left the person who helped me achieve that.”

“Talk to him, once you both have the time,” Stefan stiffly patted Layla’s shoulder, taking the empty paper cup to the nearest trash can. “Come on, they should be here anytime soon.”

Layla exhaled and gathered all her materials ensuring her makeup was all good. She grabbed her coffee; taking one long sip, before closing the van door, pacing beside Stefan.

“Hey, Stefan?” Layla softly called out. “Thank you. And don’t ever doubt that you're my friend.” Stefan's eyes widened, revealing a timid smile.

They secured a good spot in the park where they had a clear shot of the podium. As soon as they saw a glimpse of Hecks’ car, Stefan started rolling the camera.

With a smile, Layla started with, “Channel ‘00, live in Duckliar Park…”

————————————————————————

Something was bubbling under the surface. Like lava slowly spilling over the edge of the crater. It rumbled hotter than the core of any mass in the universe.

Mary Ann Flagstarr was tired. She was running on six cups of coffee, a box of donuts, and a bowl of Garden salad because she wanted something healthy, alright? It wasn't even past three in the afternoon, and she was already flagging under the weight of paperwork and the lingering effect of a jailbreak. And that was many months ago.

If she had known that her first task as a captain of PBI would be tidying up the joint jailbreak of Dr. Fairfax and former Lieutenant McCoy, she wouldn't have taken the position. She’d probably be sleeping in a moldy hotel under a disguise but, at least, she wasn't slaving away to finish this administrative burden and locating escaped criminals in every part of the globe.

Mary Ann rubbed her forehead in frustration. She received help from personnel from Area 51, but despite their combined efforts, they couldn't find where Fairfax and McCoy were hiding. During her first month in her position, she instinctively dialed the Duck Avengers’ number only to remember that no one had seen the hero in decades.

Usually, his AI partner, Uno, would send her an email or fax with crucial information on any issue that may threaten the country before she could bang her head on her desk. It was convenient and very helpful; they’d saved her multiple times. She was grateful, yet a brush of jealous resentment lurked in the periphery of her mind.

The captain sighed sharply. It was all in the past. She would prefer to handle the situation under her own leadership. However, Dr. Fairfax was a dangerous individual, with a spy like McCoy, the danger they posed would affect not just Duckburg and its surrounding area but also target other countries.

She thought of enlisting help from superheroes, like Gizmoduck, or spies from S.H.U.S.H., or the Agency. She dismissed asking for Gizmoduck; he was too green when it came to international conflict. She had reached out to S.H.U.S.H., but they were indisposed without Ludwig. The Agency…their reputation had tanked when Double Duck resigned.

Her last option was to contact the Duck siblings. She did not want to consider it since their family was one of the reasons for her headaches, especially after the Moonlander invasion or the magical disruption two years ago. Therefore, when Mary Ann said they were the last option, it meant she wouldn't contact them under any circumstances unless she was really in-depth.

She needed to contact them, ASAP.

Fairfax and McCoy had been missing for one year and six months. No leads, no clues, no witnesses that may point her in their direction. Mary Ann was uncertain if they were even together. She had a terrible feeling in her guts that their plans would soon implode and everything they swore revenge on would go down badly.

She tried contacting the mansion, but the lines weren't connecting. She found out the telephone lines were blocked due to magical interference. It was a good thing they had a magical expert in the department, and they created a workaround.

But when she called the number and someone answered the phone, the housekeeper (certainly not an ordinary housekeeper) would inform her that the family was off on an adventure.

Then she sent emails to McDuck Enterprise because their digital security system was such a hardass PBI couldn’t retrieve any personal emails, but no reply. Della didn’t have any digital presence since she had just returned from the moon (how crazy was that?). Donald's contact information was easily found in various resumes; curiously, all numbers and emails became disconnected after he left his previous employers.

The captain had tried every avenue but received no luck until today.

Mary Ann paced anxiously in her office, the telephone line ringing once, twice, thrice. She stopped when it continued to ring for the fourth time, head on her hands, and took a deep steady breath.

“Deeeewey express! How can I help you with this fine evening?”

(Oh shit.)

“Good afternoon, my name is Mary Ann Flagstare, captain of PBI. I would like to speak to Dumbella Duck for urgent business.”

“Mom knows someone from the Secret Service?” Mary Ann bit back a groan, she had caught the kid’s wonder over the phone, it was like talking to Ziggy in his teens. Oh right, this kid is a teen. What a joy.

“It appears so. If you could pass the phone to her, I would appreciate it.”

“Why do you need Mom? Ohhh, are you going to send her on a mission? That’s awesome, but we are on a strict no-adventure Sunday, you can call tomorrow, and we can hash out the mission without any issues.” Dewey informed cheerfully, she could register the tell-tale sign of dismissal.

She hurried over to the phone, almost knocking herself on the lamp next to her table, and cried out, “Wait! I am not sending her on any mission. If you can tell her that–” She didn’t want to share the news with an unauthorized person, worst of all, a kid. Desperate times called for desperate measures. “–Dr. Fairfax and McCoy were on the loose, it’s a matter of national emergency. She can contact me through this number, preferably soon.”

“Sure,” Dewey stretched, “I’ll pass it on.”

Mary Ann sighed in relief, “Thank you.”

“Dewey, come on. The third movie is starting!”

“Webby, pause it!” Dewey shouted, muffled. “I have to go, Ms. Captain. Bye!”

The click of the disconnected call echoed in her office, pulsing in her head, syncing with her oncoming migraine. She braced her arms on her large desk; paperwork stewed like a hurricane went past. She can wait, hopefully, before the insanity stirs.

Mary Ann waited and completed her paperwork. Waited, and took a very quick break. Waited and visited a department in crisis which provided a mental breather from all the waiting. Waited until it was almost midnight and resigned herself to another failure.

She was tidying her desk of today’s paperwork and preparing the ones she needed to complete tomorrow when the phone rang.

She shot up like a bullet and swiftly put the receiver to her ear. She could scarcely believe it was Della’s voice on the phone.

“You, speak now.”

————————————————————————

Something was bubbling under the surface. Like lava slowly spilling over the edge of the crater. It rumbled hotter than the core of any mass in the universe. How it melts off the feathers and skin, burning everything inside out.

That is how Donald met his demise, ripped from the Earth’s atmosphere after his ill-fated venture on the moon.

He has, after all, been afflicted with terrible, horrible luck.