#is bob dead or just concussed?

[siriuslysirius05]

Ice, wearing his Admiral Face™️: yeah I’m so glad Pete adopted those kids. They’re so helpful and they never cause any trouble.

(In the background:)

Phoenix is chasing Rooster, who is holding something of hers.

Hangman is cheering his boyfriend on, standing beside Coyote who is cheering for Phoenix.

Bob is laying facedown on the ground, with Yale standing over him posing for a picture (taken by Harvard) with duck lips and a peace sign.

Fanboy and Payback are making out, not paying any attention to the chaos.

Halo and Omaha are playing a very heated game of Mario Kart. Halo has a hand in Omaha’s face so he doesn’t hit her with a shell.

Fritz is sneaking up on Ice with a water gun.

Maverick is behind everyone, facepalming.

Ice: they’re such good kids. Complete professionals. The Navy should trust them more.

[ghostboneswrites2]

A Mess || Part 10

Yes, ladies and gents and non-binary readers alike, the long awaited final part to A Mess has arrived. I’ve had this written for months and honestly thought I posted it already, so forgive the wait. I’m just a 23 year old teenage girl.

ANYWAYS, the polls for the contents of this final part resulted in:

More smut

Post Terminus / Pre Alexandria setting

The relationship becoming officially established & public

ANNNDDD a sequel series which is in the works ❤️‍🔥

18+ MDNI || Warnings: smut (male receiving oral, fingering, mild grinding), TWD typical stuff

      The days seemed to drag on the way they did after Shane died. You felt like an old paintbrush dragging across a desolate canvas, leaving a trail of splotchy grays and bloody smears, painting your surroundings to mimic the twisted feelings of turmoil inside you. The prison was gone and so many were lost. Beth was dead. So were Bob and Tyreese. At least Carol was back.

        You struggled to find anything to be grateful for, anymore. Sure, you narrowly escaped the hungry bellies of the cannibals at Terminus, and sure you were still alive, but were you really living? Was dragging the worn boots Daryl had gifted you when life was more forgiving across cracked asphault while your stomach gnawed away at your insides really any kind of life? Sometimes you wondered what you pressed on for. Especially with Daryl so reserved and closed off like he was. The loss of Beth had done something to him that you couldn't fully relate to because you weren't with Beth after the prison, you escaped with Glenn and found yourself locked away in a dark train car by the time you finally reunited with Daryl.

        He had formed a sort of connection with her, something pure and protective, something that was shattered right before his eyes with a single gunshot. 

        You wished he'd just talk to you. Or touch you. Or even look at you. Was he so miserable he lost all interest? Surely not. He loved you. He told you so, the day he wound up in that train car with you.

        You shielded your eyes as a bright light filled the dark box that confined you. You were sure they were coming to finally kill you off or whatever it was they planned to do with you. 

        You had sustained an injury to your head in the struggle to round you all up, so you were admittedly out of it. It wasn't until you felt rough hands around your cheeks and heard the panic and relief in his voice that you really registered what was going on.

        "(Y/N)." He breathed as he planted a rough kiss on your forehead then your lips. "I thought you were dead. I love ya, ya hear me? I fuckin' love you."

        You may not have remembered much from your concussed state, and he may have never said it again, but that was a memory you held onto with every last bit of your strength. He loved you.  

        You knew he just needed some time, but you also knew you needed him. You were slipping away; losing hope. A simple touch could have made the difference of life or death for you at that point. 

        Then, it rained. It was welcome. Your dry cracked lips, burning throat, and aching organs were brought back to life as you caught the droplets on your tongue. When the thunder rumbled, Daryl urged you all to an old barn he had found off on his own. He did that often; going off on his own.

        The night was loud and it was hard to find any rest. The wind slapped the weathered wooden walls and seemingly shook the ground. The thunder was loud and frequent, bright flashes infiltrating the cracks and openings as the lightning grew closer. You tossed and turned a lot, only to eventually sit yourself up and rub your eyes. You jumped when your eyes readjusted to the darkness to see a looming figure before you.

        "Hey." He whispered. You blinked.

        "Hey." You whispered back. He stepped over and sat down beside you.

        "Y'alright?"  He asked.

        "Can't sleep." You shrugged, not looking at him.

        "Mm." He nodded. "Other than that."

        "Just... tired." Was all you managed. There wasn't enough time in a day -- or sleepless night -- to go through and examine your emotions enough to lay them all out flat for him. Plus, that was never really his strong suit. You two showed each other how you felt in place of saying it. You always had. Which was another reason it hurt you so bad for him to pull away. You knew if he was done with what you had, he'd never say it. He'd just let you figure it out on your own, and you'd never really know why.

        "That ain't it." He pointed out. "But it's okay. I know I ain't been much for talkin' lately. You don't gotta be, either."

        You were lost for words. Was this an attempt at letting you back in? At being close to you?

        "Anyway, I, uh.." He cleared his throat and glanced around, scanning through the dim light of the dying fire to ensure he hadn't woken anyone. "I just miss ya, is all."

        "Oh." You nodded. "Yeah. Me too." 

        "Look, I just needed to figure it out, ya know? Let myself feel it." He persisted. "After Beth... After everything, I just couldn't let myself. But now I did, and I need to say sorry."

        "I just didn't know if..."

        "Nah." He cut you off. "That wasn't on you. That was me. 'N' I'm sorry." 

        "It's okay." You placed a gentle hand on his knee. "I get it."

        Some moments passed in silence as you both felt devoid of anything to say. He cleared his throat again.

        "Can I stay with you?" He asked.

        "Yeah. Of course." You half smiled, even though he probably couldn't see. You shuffled over to a bed of old hay where you had laid out a jacket.

        He laid down, propping his arm under his head in place of a pillow, and your crawled down beside him, curling up into his side and taking a breath. He was ripe with a lack of access to hygiene, but then again, so were you, so you decided to enjoy the musk as a byproduct of his closeness.

        The longer you lay awake, feeling the warmth of his body, the more it hit you just how bad you needed him in such trying times. You realized then, more than ever, how bad you were craving his touch, his scent, his voice, his taste.

        You popped your head up and looked up at his face. It was shadowy and dark but you’d recognize his features in total darkness. He glanced down at you with a softness, wondering what you were about to  say.

         However, ‘saying’ wasn’t on your agenda. No, it was much more of a ‘doing’ that you had planned. 

         You stretched your neck out to kiss him on the jaw as his hand rested contently on the back of your head. He thought you were just being affectionate in the way that girlfriends did when they missed their man, and you were, but you had other things planned, too. As your lips planted little kisses along his jawline until they met his own, he relaxed into the semi-comfortable bed of hay. He figured whatever you were doing, was just your way of telling him you missed him. After all, you two always showed what you felt, and rarely said it. 

        When your lips met his you quietly climbed over top of him, straddling him as you depend the kiss. The more you touched him, the deeper you felt his absence since Grady. 

        You broke away for a breath and littered more sloppy kisses over his cheeks and neck, stopping somewhere in between to nibble at his earlobe. He groaned quietly under the weight of you and your affections, hoping you’d stop whatever you were doing soon, as the aching member in his jeans was already begging to be touched. Unfortunately, there was no end in sight to your erotic touches. As you shifted, your own wet heat glided over the bulge in his pants, and you realized you were succeeding in your mission. 

        You were downright needy for him, breathy whines escaping you as you grounded against him, rubbing your flat hands over his chest with hunger, catching his lips in yours between sucking and nibbling at the flesh of his neck. His hands gripped your thighs as you got hotter and hornier, quickly realizing he wasn’t getting out of this one. 

        When you pulled back again, flushed and sweaty already, you could barely see the glisten in his eyes as he stared back at you. Slowly, you leaned down to whisper in his ear; “Quiet, okay?” 

        He nodded once and you slowly slid down until your face was level with his waist. Slowly, silent as you could manage, you unbuttoned his jeans, unzipped them, and wiggled them down his thighs. He let out a small breath when you rigged his boxers down, cold air hitting his bare flesh. With one last glance up at his face, you smirked and turned your attention to his tip, gently licking and planting wet kisses all around it. 

        A pleasant “agh” escaped him, prompting you to take it a step further. You wrapped your juicy lips around his tip and slowly lowered yourself, bobbing up and down with no sense of haste. He tried desperately to suppress any vocalizations that may have been at bay, fearful he’d wake someone, especially Carl or baby Jude.

        It was painfully slow, the way you’d take him in further every so often, and when you finally met the base of him, he couldn’t suppress the groan. You quickly glanced around for any stirring bodies, and continued when you found none. Slow like a snail, gliding your lips and tongue up and down his length, hollowing out your cheeks to create a vacuum. You wanted him to understand what he was missing, what kind of bliss you could give him. You wanted him to feel your absence when he wasn’t around, just like you did his.

        Soon enough he was throbbing in your mouth, his hips uncontrollably jerking. He was close. You debated whether or not to take it all the way or leave him begging for more. You opted to give him some relief, given the miserable circumstances of your lives. 

        You took all of him at once, his load spilling into the back of your throat and dripping down. You stayed like that for a moment, barely bobbing back and forth, allowing him to ride his high and come back down. 

        You wiped your mouth and grinned at him as you pulled away. With your help, he shimmied his pants back up and secured the button. You took your place beside him once again, snuggling up close, your head rested between his chest and shoulder. 

        He took a few minutes to recover before he used two fingers to guide your jaw up so he could place a gentle kiss on your swollen lips. He moved his kissed over your cheek and to your ear and whispered, “Quiet, okay?”

        You bit your lip and smiled as he carefully slid his fingers in your jeans and traced one across your slit, starting at your entrance and ending at your clit. Deciding his big hand wouldn’t have enough room in your buttoned jeans, he went ahead and unbuttoned them and slid the zipper down to allow more movement. 

        With that out of the way, he could work delicately on your sweet spots, gently dragging his finger up and down your slit to get it nice and wet. All the while, you were biting down on your lip trying to keep quiet. He noticed the way your hips with try to follow his finger when it moved up. You wanted him inside you, so he’d give it to you. 

        He slid his middle finger inside you and pumped it in and out a few times, laying a free hand over your mouth to make sure your sounds could be muffled. Your eyes fluttered at the sensation of his calloused skin massaging your insides, effortlessly finding that one spot that made you weak. His thumb found your clit as he fingered you, rubbing little circles, eliciting a small moan. He paused and gave you a look, reminding you where you were. You nodded, letting him know you understood, and he continued. A trembling breath released from your nose, his other hand still over your mouth, as he slipped a second finger inside and continued massaging your g-spot and rubbing your clit.

        As he settled into a rhythm, your body responded. You rocked your hips with his movements, communicating to him to keep up what he was doing. He understood. He always understood you.

        In no time at all, all that pent up frustration and aches for his touch finally heated to a boiling point, and you spilled over. Your body and voice trembled as you shook and rode your orgasm on his fingers. When your body calmed and you flinched at his touch, he pulled his hand away and buttoned you back up. He relaxed again, triumphant this time, and you curled up close to him and drifted to sleep in an instant. 

        Daryl was the first to wake the next morning, but given your position sprawled across him, you were quick to get up with him. The two of you went outside to assess the storm damage. Trees had fallen in the night, narrowly missing the barn itself. You made small talk as you wandered the area, occasionally taking out a stray walker. When you went back inside, hand in hand, the rest of the group was awake and shuffling around. Maggie was the first to notice the way Daryl held your hand so casually, then Sasha, then Glenn and the rest. Nobody knew what to say, but they all stared and exchanged glances amongst each other. Daryl shifted a tad, uncomfortable with the sudden attention, but he braved his anxieties and stood firmly beside you. He cleared his throat. 

         “Damage is pretty bad out there. ‘S a miracle then damn trees didn’t fall right on us.” He said.

        “Huh.” Rick hummed, nodding, still perplexed. He nodded down at your hand entwined with Daryl’s and raised his eyebrows. 

        “Oh.” Daryl shrugged, holding your hands up and looking down at them. He realized the two do you never really established a relationship, especially not completely openly. He figured the way he told you he loved you back in that train car at Terminus would have been a dead giveaway, but tensions were high back then. Maybe it went unnoticed. He shrugged again. “Yeah.” 

        You stifled a laugh and shook your head. Your family all smirked and smiled sweetly, but didn’t press further, save for Carol, who spoke in a ‘told you so’ kind of tone. “It’s about time you two quit playing footsies and took things to the next level.” 

Masterlist // Taglist

tags: @kissmeunicornbaobei @thesadcatt0 @clairealeehelsing @duckybird101 @tmntfixationxreader @ryoujoking @blackvelveteen1339 @yondus-girl @ladylincoln @sunshinebug9 @saylum559 @yoowhatthefuck @duffmckagansbandana @celtic-crossbow @virginsexgod69 @dazzling-roaring-20s @l0kilaufeys0n7 @uhnanix

[cutielights]

Hey pookie!! I luv ur work sm and I was wondering if u could do a rottmnt boys x spider woman reader ab them reacting to her stopping a collider like miles did? Idek if u watched into the spider verse but maybe something like that if not u could wing it if you'd like tysm hope u have a good day/night! ❤️

>>:] yes. For the purposes of writing, im going to act as if you were a spider person for at least a year before this. Not supposed to be Miles’ story, but pretty similar (if that makes sense)

i waNT THE THIRD MOVIE. Frikin dying of miles morales deprivation over here, hand over the sunflower boy with in tact parents

@moonchhu THE OTHER SPIDER PERSON ONE TAG LIST

That Really Big Earthquake

LEO

“Heyyyy, I haven’t seen you in twenty four hours which truly is a record for us, I missed you, did you miss me? I bet you did right? Go on tell me aaaalllll about it.”

“So, I was just kinda minding my own business, y’know, thwipping and thwapping and going about being an awesome hero when I bumped into myself? Kinda. They looked like me, but they were different, and didn’t look like me, but, I knew they were me! Because my spider sense went off and they could do stuff I could do, but also some different stuff! And then we freaked out for a little bit before I went to auntie May to show her and she showed me four more other me’s who were hiding out in her basement and then we tried getting them home and we had to sneak about in this fancy restaurant wearing bow ties, and we cried and they went into this collider thing, also it turns out my favourite cousin was working for the evil genius corporation and he’s dead now and it feels like my fault, I’m so totally fine don’t worry about me. Howwasyourday?”

“Haha, what.”

“Stopped the collapsing of the multiverse.”

“Oh it sounds so simple when you put it like that.” Yeah okay sarcasm queen

Made you some tea after that, let’s just, take a breath for a minute, m’kay?

He has decided it’s a self care day now, at least he did after thoroughly checking you for injuries

How you do not have a concussion will always escape him, not one broken bone? Seriously? After all that?

Please remind him you’re an actual super hero and not a pane of glass

“Wait what was that about your cousin?”

RAPH

“Hey! How was your weekend?”

“Crazier than yours.”

“Okay, Bet.”

One explanation later sponge bob narrator voice

“Wait, so you’re telling Raph, that huge earthquake that happened, happened because of you and five alternate versions of yourself?

���That’s excluding a lot of things I just told you but, I am telling Raph that, yes.”

Huge bone crushing hugs are in order, according to him at least. And I mean, is he wrong?

Not letting you out of his sight for ages, please, Raph, let them go home

“Why are you so worried? I did it, I won!”

“It’s more the fact that it happened and less the fact that you’re mostly fine.”

DONNIE

Othello Von Ryan: Stay home, S.H.E.L.LD.O.N has picked up on some strange (possibly universal fabric destroying) activity. Also there has been some earthquake activity in the area you were in yesterday, not that I have a tracker on you. Because I don’t.

Only Two Legs: I handled it don’t worry :D

Othello Von Ryan: ?

Othello Von Ryan: Traverse to My Lab.

“Heyyy Deee.”

“Stop. Explain. This better be your attempt at humor.”

There was silence for a long while after you had messily glued together words to describe the past 24 hours, before he took a deep breath.

“First, How dare you stop the multiverse from collapsing without me that’s incredible rude. Second, therapy. Third, that earthquake and power surge destroyed My Lab, thankfully I have backup backups to my backups, but I couldn’t use the internet for an hour straight.”

“Y- You’re more concerned about the internet?”

“Not what I said. Now let me check you for a concussion.”

MIKEY

“Hey they took down those art displays.”

“The what?”

“Oh you weren’t here, BUT there was these reaaaallllyyyyy cool art statues along this street! Look, hey, look, I took pics!”

“Oh cooollluuuhhh that’s not an art display that’s five different fire hydrants merged into each other.”

“Haha yeah it does kinda look like that doesn’t it? I thought it was supposed to be a dog.”

“Mikey, no-“ You pulled him aside into an empty alleyway, trying to explain what had happened over the past twenty four hours.

It was an interesting experience, but you got there eventually.

Best believe this boy is giving you the biggest hug ever, and then buying pizza.

Oh, and Dr Feelings is going to be paying you a visit. Multiple. You can’t escape him.

“So they weren’t art displays?”

Speedily bulk writing and scheduling rn bc im going on a holiday with zero internet.

[steviesbicrisis]

Stranger Things S2 rewatch thoughts

I finally finished rewatching S2 and this is everything I've written down as I was watching lmao

KEITH USED TO WORK AT THE ARCADE?? Also the arcade is right next to family video so Keith just moved next door in season 3 lmao

Steve omg you’re so cute stop

FINALLY MAX IS HERE

Okay Billie is bad, yes? We all agree Billie is bad, right? But Dacre IS SO HOT I CANNOT HE TOOK A “PORCA TROIA” OUT OF ME LIKE IT WAS NOTHING

Honestly they’re so dope for dressing up as ghostbusters and going to school with matching outfits

Ugh Nancy and Steve are so terrible for each other

Steve’s face during the bullshit scene really broke my heart 🥺

People being annoyed at Joyce for being super protective of Will like what?? That boy was proclaimed dead, they had a funeral and he turned out to be in another dimension??? I dare you to not be at least a little paranoid

I’m getting the gayest vibes ever from this basketball + shower scene I’m not even joking, Harrington 100% felt what it is like to be a girl objectified in a nightclub

Billy calling Steve pretty boy is so fucked up like are you Eddie Munson? No so imma need you to back off ✋

Jfc no wonder Vecna chose max she’s a walking gold mine for therapists

One drive with Billy would be enough for me to become a target for Vecna I swear

A part of me will always blame Dustin for the cat’s death 🥲

Stranger things is so good I cannot fucking believe my eyes sometimes

First Nancy, now Hopper… can they like, stop going inside creepy ass portals all by themselves? FFS

OH MY GOD ERICA WAS SO SMALL HOW CUTE SINDFKJDF

Lucas telling Max “if I tell you the truth, you could be arrested or killed. Do you accept the risk?” Hits different now

FINALLY THE DUSTIN/STEVE DUO IS BORN

I was today years old when I realized Nancy broke up with Steve in S1 for a month but then she got back with him because she got tired of waiting for Jonathan

Dustin’s proud smile when Steve told him “good call dude” I CANT IM WEEK IM CRYING ON THE FLOOR

I will never get over Dustin’s pure adoration for Steve in this season

JUSTICE FOR BOB

BOB NEWBY THE SUPERHERO 😭😭😭

Everyone: it’s like the mind flyer! Steve&Max: don’t speak nerd in my presence pls

I’m sorry but Mike holding that small trophy as a weapon LOL

I CANNOT BELIEVE THE KIDS WERE AT THE WINDOW WHEN BILLY CAME ARE STUPID

I cannot believe they wanted to leave a beaten-up and concussed Steve behind, are you crazy???

I totally forgot that Steve, in a span of a couple of hours, pushed his girlfriend to be with another guy, got beaten up defending kids he barely knows and then went down - all beaten up and concussed - the upside down tunnels just for said kids?? ARE U EVEN REAL MAN?

Will turning to Mike when that girl asked him to dance 🥺

Nancy is so fucking right, those girls are so stupid turning Dustin down like fuck you who do you think you are????

Jopper at the end, I love my parents so much

Here my thoughts on S1!

[foreverrandomwritings]

Hi M! Congratulations on 100 followers! 🥳 (101 now because I just realised I wasn't following you! 😱 Silly me!)

I would love to request Bob Floyd and “do you see her laughing? okay, then. stop.” from the defending a lover prompts.

I hope you have a fabulous day 🥰

Laser Tag

Summary: Laser tag had been all fun and games until an entitled prick decided to ruin it. But you can always count on your boyfriend Bob to save the day.

Pairing: Robert "Bob" Floyd x afab!Reader

Warnings: Uhmmmm, assualt, harrasment, swearing, uhm kinda gets a little dark so beware.

Word count: 1325

Masterlist M's Hundred Celly Masterlist

You and your boyfriend Bob and the aviators from his squad and their significant others had all been trying to figure out something fun for the group of you to do. Dog fight football, beach days and the hard deck were definitely something you all enjoyed doing but it was also something you had all grown kinda bored of. So that’s how you found yourself at laser tag. It was supposed to be everyone and then you guys would break off into teams and go against each other. 

But the day of, you got a call from Payback that all three of their kids had gotten strep so they would be home taking care of them. Then Harvard texted and said he was too hung over to attend. Omaha texted saying he was having car trouble. Then Yale didn’t want to come because Harvard wouldn’t be there. Halo called to say that her fiance had fallen off a ladder and they were on their way to the ER to check for a concussion but that he was acting pretty fine. Then Fritz was on a mission so he wouldn’t be attending either. So it was just you, Bob, Phoenix and her girlfriend, Hangman, Rooster, Fanboy and his girlfriend and Coyote. With the uneven numbers they threw in a single player to one of the groups. 

Hangman, Rooster, Coyote, Fanboy and his girlfriend were all in one group. Which left Phoenix, her girlfriend, Bob, you and the random guy on a team. He gave you the creeps immediately. He looked seedy and like daddy’s money had gotten him anything he wanted in life. His hair, teeth, skin and clothes were all just too perfect. The way his eyes seemed to undress every woman in the room made your skin crawl. You figured you could just finish this game and then you’d never have to see him again. 

The bell rang and everyone ran, some trying to find hiding spots, some trying to find vantage points to shoot their opponents. It had all been going so smoothly and had proven to be a lot of fun. You had managed to shoot Rooster and Hangman a handful of times when you had caught them making out rather than playing the game. Your team had been up by about a hundred points for a while now. Bob was extremely silent and made quick work of sneaking up on people. Every once in a while you would see each other and fist bump or high five, big mighty grins on both of your faces. 

Rounding the corner of one of the walls you found yourself at a dead end. You turned around to find a different way to go when you were pushed back. You stumbled catching yourself with one of your hands on the walls. Your gun clattered to the ground loudly snapping away from your vest as you were pushed again. You could barely make out the person in the darkness of the large room. If it wasn’t for the glowing blue lights from both of your vests you weren’t sure you’d have been able to make them out at all. 

Immediate panic rose in your body as you laid your eyes on the guy that had been added to your team. He had a large smile on his face as he caged you in against the wall. You tried to duck under his arms but that made him pull your hair harshly slamming it against the wall. You hissed loudly at the feeling of your head meeting the wall. You opened your mouth to scream but he covered it quickly. He had dropped his gun as well, the object swinging from where it was tethered to his vest. 

“Now now baby, don’t want anyone to catch us having fun now would ya?” Tears were coming down your face as the reality of what was going to happen set in. You closed your eyes as his face came towards yours he buried his nose into your neck and inhaled deeply. You could hear your heart beating in your ears as he licked a strip up your neck. You shuddered at the gross wet feeling. Silently you were pleading for someone, anyone to find you.

“You’re gonna keep real quiet and we’re gonna play okay?” You shook your head vigorously, eyes snapping open, begging for him to let you go. He licked his lips in response, his hand going to the vest you were wearing. He tried to unclasp it and he almost had it when he was ripped off you. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” Your eyes found your boyfriend standing there with the guy pinned to the wall. He cursed very rarely so hearing him do so sent a shiver down your spine. You had never seen Bob as angry as he was right now. 

“We were just fooling around, man. It was just a little joke. Get off me.” The guy tried to shrug off the grip that Bob had on his vest. But that only made Bob angrier and he slammed him into the wall. The anger was radiating off of his body as he seethed at him. 

“Do you see her laughing?” Bob’s eyes darted to yours, softening as he took in the tears on your face. The guy tried once again to get Bob to let him go. But Bob held him steady, being the same height made it easy for Bob to keep his grip on him. 

“I said, do you see her laughing?” Bob’s country drawl was thick with his words. 

“No.” The guy whispered out, he looked down at the ground seemingly ashamed. But you knew he was ashamed at what he did and was going to do, just that he had gotten caught. 

“Okay, then. Stop acting like what you were about to do was consensual in any way shape or form.” You saw Coyote coming up on the three of you. He had dropped his gun as he saw Bob holding the guy against the wall. 

“What’s going on here Bob?” He asked the backseater eyes flicking between the guy, Bob and yourself. 

“Take him to the lobby and don’t let him go until I get there.” He pushed the guy towards Coyote and then he was turning to you. You shuttered as he cupped your cheeks in his hands. 

“How’d you find me?” You asked him through your tears that were still steadily working down your face. He brushed them away soothingly, studying your eyes. He was back to your soft, gentle Bob now. 

“I hadn’t seen you in a while and got a little worried. I asked everyone if they had seen you and Phoenix’s girlfriend said she saw you around here. I headed this way and saw that guy. I knew he was bad news when I saw him in the lobby.” His voice got low as he finished the sentence. Regret filling him that he hadn’t said or done anything when he first had the gut feeling the guy was creepy. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner sweet girl.” You could see tears in his eyes, the fear coursing through him of what could’ve happened to you if he was any later.

“It’s alright Bobby, you got here right in time.” You pulled him towards you, giving him a small peck on the lips. You both walked towards the front and called the local law enforcement. Once they got there the guy tried to deny what he did multiple times. He also tried to bribe the officers to which they scoffed. You had learned that his dad was an admiral at the base they all worked at. That this also wasn’t the first time that he had done something like this. His dad would typically get him out of it but you guys were gonna make sure he got what he deserved this time.

A/N: I'm sorry that this literally took me forever to post! Thank you so much for this request and I hope you are also having a fabulous day.

Tags(open): @wkndwlff @sylviebell @princess76179 @loving-and-dreaming @eternallyvenus

[throwing-in-the-towel]

you are actually a hero lol. All us people who can’t see the show are desperate for info. I’ve gotten lucky in that I got a playbill sent to me, scoured the internet until I found a copy of the script, and finally got a full audio recording of the show but no videos. It’s unhealthy the amount of times I’ve listened to it 😬 I know you said there’s no reunion scene between the brothers, but in the script is says during Hoods Turned Hero’s Soda runs to Pony and hugs him, then Darry kneels down next to him, clearly apologizing, and they hug. Did they cut that or is it just lost in the chaos of the song/ acting out the fire. Can you tell us more about how the fountain scene plays out?

thanks again for being so kind and taking the time to share! I’m glad that there are other Brent Comer/ Darry fans too. I ADORE him, but may be a little biased since we actually went to college together!! Sadly never met as he was 2 years older but I’m pretty sure I saw him in a school production of Parade, I lost my playbills though so can’t quite remember!

of course! i try my best to describe things as accurately as i can for you guys but it still doesn’t do justice to how amazing the production is!

for the “hoods turned heroes” bit that you’re referring to, that may have been part of the la jolla production from last spring. that was not in the broadway previews version of the show or the current broadway product.

the fountain scene is some of the most awesome staging i’ve ever seen. it’s done very well. the socs come on stage in the corvette right after “far away from tulsa” ends. they confront pony & johnny and bob slams pony’s head against the hood of the car, which gives him a concussion. the sound design for this is amazing, everything starts to move in slow motion and the sound goes muffled in the theater to simulate pony’s head trauma for the audience. they take pony’s head and dunk it into the tire (which has a pool of water in the middle of it) and again the sound in the theater makes it sound like the audience is underwater, it’s amazing. during that johnny moves in slow motion, beating up the soc that’s holding him back, then moves to stab bob. we see johnny stick the knife into bob’s side. then a white light flashes and the entire theater goes dark. after a few seconds, the lights come back on and you see bob bleeding out reaching for help. then the light flashes, goes dark again. then the lights come back again and bob is hanging over the side of the tire, dead. it’s extremely immersive.

and im more than happy to share this info! i acknowledge how lucky i am to be able to experience the show as often as i am and that is not lost on me. i want everyone to be able to enjoy the show in any capacity possible! :)

[laneynoir]

I'm here with a writing idea - reuniting after a battle, reader x your favorite LOTR character(s), you choose which ones 🥰 the more the merrier 😍💛

Word count: 2271

A little polyamory for your dash?

Thorin/Bilbo/reader.

Also some very pointed Dwalin/Ori, but if you skip from ~ to ~ you can ignore it I guess.

"You utter arse"

Bilbo's head jerks up from it's spot on the bed, once determining that it is not him to whom you speak he relaxes, but only just. "He cannot hear us, I dont think. He spoke to me on the ice, but..." His voice trails off miserably, and your scowl lessens slightly.

He turns back to Thorin as you settle at his side, oblivious to the discomfort of dirt and gravel digging into your knees. "Will he?"

The Hobbit's matted curls bob slightly as he shakes his head. "We don't know. Thranduil did what he could, but he was pierced through the chest and," the breaking in his voice shatters you, and you grip his hand in support. "And he lost so much blood that we can't yet be sure either way."

A sob breaks from his throat, a desperate sound, as unnatural from him as an evergreen in the dessert. You pull him into an embrace, which he relaxes into for a brief moment before jerking back with an expression of horror.

You frown in confusion, "Bilbo? What's-"

"You. Are. Injured." He growls out, holding a bloodied hand and sleeve up.

"It truly isn't that-"

Once again, Bilbo interupts in a way that would have shocked Bungo Baggins with its lack of manners. "No. No, I cant loose you, I wont let you die on the floor while I still wait to know weather he too will die. I do not know how much more I can loose y/n, just think for a momment what this would do to me."

Your mouth falls open, before shame fills you. "You are right of course, I realize that. But I could not think of my own injury when Thorin lies as if dead."

Bilbo stands with a nod. "Right, you will stay right where you are, no moving, in going to find Oin." After you confirm with a grunt, he races from the tent, soft footsteps quickly fading.

When he is out of sight, you return your attention to Thorin, who lays just as still as death, face pale from blood loss. You push yourself up to sit on the edge of the bed, careful as to not disturb him. It takes a while to fully take stock of the inflections, the most obvious being the badgage wrapped around his chest, white fabric bleeding crimson. 

The next is a large gash on his exposed thigh, closly followed by an undisclosed hurt on the foot. In addition, his skin is littered in cuts, bruises, and what looks suspiciously like broken ribs.

At this moment, you hear the tent flap smacked open, giving you the opportunity to ask, "What on earth happened to his foot?" Still gripping Thorin's hand you turn expectantly to the new faces at the entrance. Bilbo scoffs from beside Dwalin,

"The fool got himself stabbed." You try to figure how that could have been possable, and so are distracted enough for Oin to grab you away from Thorin's side and onto a bed of your own. As you protest, Bilbo tuts. "Oh no you don't, the bed isn't going to hurt you, and" He draws a shuddering breath.

"And you need not cause Master Baggins further worry by being foolish. I pulled you from beneath two dead trolls not twenty minutes ago, I think you can handle a bit of prodding from our healer."  Dwalin speaks with a smirk, which only increases as the residant Hobbit's face goes compleatly neutral.

You eyes blow wide and you send desperate glance to Ori, who (the traitor) simply shrugs.

Oin, shockingly, comes to your defense. "Because either of you can talk? I had to restrain you, Bilbo. And son of Fundin, dont think that I haven't seen you favouring one foot and trying to hide the wound on your stomach."

Ori glares at Dwalin before shoving him onto a bed of his own, the latter shooting a glare more heated than a forge at Oin. Bilbo just shrugs. "I only got knocked out for a bit, it wasnt important."

"You're concussed. No hold still, he's fine for now." You grumble at the half deaf dwarf, but it quickly becomes a hiss of pain as he pulls fabric from a half dried gash on your shoulder. "Hmm, that may hurt."

Your 'no shit' face is flashed before you return your attention to Bilbo, who is glancing between you and Thorin. "Bilbo?" He jerks his head. "Would you sit with him?"

He smiles gratefully before once again settling next to Thorin, taking the dwarve' s hand in his own. You smile bengiantly at the picture, before flinching violently when a burning substance is pressed to your skin. Oin sighs. Then barks: "Hold on, Ori!"

Ori, in the proses of pulling Dwalin's shirt off, looks up, seems to take an unsaid command, and darts from the tent. You stare at Dwalin in the bed oposit yours, and the two of you hold an awkward silence, both half dressed. Without warning you both start laughing at the absurdity of the situation.

Ori stumbles back through the entrance with a canteen in hand and a rope tangled around his ankle. As the healer pours you a cup of the sweet smelling brew, Dwalin inquires as to the state of Ori's boot.

Ori dismisses it with a shrug. "I tripped and it got tangled, a man standing a ways away laughed at how a rope could best a dwarf, so I snapped the rope and kept it." He blushes at the warriors aproving laugh. "It wasn't a very good rope beforhand really."

You take a sip of the drink, far to sweet for anything the grumpy dwarf could make, and wince. "Poppy?"

Oin grunts, "And some elvish concoction. Smells off to me, but it does the job." You nod, and nod, and find you head bobbing up and down.

"Wa's go'in on?" Your voice slurrs, tounge numb, and your eyes drop shut. You only have time to complain that this was working far to quickly for a poppyflower brew, when you fall into a deep sleep.

~

"Did you just drug y/n?"

Ori can't help but giggle at Bilbo's offended tone, for yes, you have fallen unconscious, your last words hardly intelligible. Dwalin makes a clicking sound beneath his hand, somthing the scribe has come to recognize to be, from Dwalin, the equivalent of a screech of pain from another.

Feeling rather like Dori, he apologises and lightens his touch. The larger dwarf snatches his wrist and meets his confusion with a smouldering smirk.

"You dont have to be so cautious, little one."

Ori fidgets with the rag, refusing to meet the others gaze. "I wouldn't wish to hurt you," And he must have offended Mahal somehow, because really no one should look this attractive whilst wounded and half dressed in torn cloth.

"Oh," Says Dwalin, "But what if i should like you, and only you, to hurt me? Remind me I live?" Ori gapes and lets loose a small 'pardon?' "What do i call you, Have you noticed?"

The scribe frowns, thinking. "Usually 'scribe' or 'little one', which is slightly offensive, I am not quite that small."

Tattoos rippling mesmerizingly as he moves, Dwalin cups Ori's face. "I thought you'd apreciate the word game, my scribe. Little one."

Comprehension dawns visibly on the younger's face. He squeaks. "I'm your one? I mean to say... I."

"My one, my scribe, my heart, my treasure."

Ori's face goes strangly calm, and he tugs on a braid in his hair. "Bilbo is grinning at us, Oin is laughing at us, Dori is going to kill us, and I have admired you for far to long." He abruptly locks his gaze with the blue eyes in front of him. "I am going to kiss you, and if you have any- umf"

Bilbo cheers from his spot on the floor and Oin cackles while stabbing your poor body with a needle. "About damn time."

~

Bilbo is slumped over in the chair, exhausted and worried. A month and a half has passed and still Thorin does not wake. To be fair, he had stirred during the journy back into the mountain, mumbling nonsense when he'd been nearly dropped damn Iron Hill dwarves but he'd not done more than such.

Bilbo is stuck feeling guilty for having to feed his love what is essentially baby food, mashed to the point of luquification and forced down his throat.

He doesn't mean to, he never does lately, but he falls asleep, folded nearly in half with his head on the mattress.

"You should not rest in such a position, it will do bothing for your back."

The deep voice rouses him from slumber "So Y/n has been saying for over a month-" his brain catches up with the situation belatedly. "Wait, Thorin your awake. Your awake!"

He is awarded with a rumbling laugh, cut off by a flinch and hand to the chest. "Where is our y/n?"

Bilbo streatches a bit while gesturing to the bed behind himself. "We had to drug them again, refuses to stop working, and it's not helping the infection." At Thorin's outraged question Bilbo sighs. "Slashed during the battle, the blade had the same poisen as the arrow Kili was shit with. If Tauriel hadn't been on hand..."  He allows his voice to trail off, knowing Thorin will understand.

"The elf has been rewarded?"

Bilbo looks offended. "I took care of it myself, with assistance from Balin and Daín of course." Thorin raises a questioning eyebrow and Bilbo winces. "Now you are not allowed to throw a fit, no matter how much you disagree."

"For saving my one, nothing is to much."

Bilbo cocks his head, looking far to cute for someone who claims to be middle aged. "I've been wondering about that,how can you have two ones? Only, it seems a bit backward to me."

Thorin smiles, and Bilbo near melts. Far to long has passed that the majestic face has been set as stone. "'Tis a problem of translation, a Dwarrow's one is who compleates them, when together they are whole. The Legend is that when our Lord Mahal forges our souls, he makes them imperfect, and split so that the shards are mixed with our family, and eventual love's. Some dwarves souls are only scattered a little, and they will never love as deeply as another. My soul was forged hard enough that my heart rests in two others." He gratefully accepts the water that is offered.

"You are sure that your One can be found in another race?" Both jerk around to see you sitting on your bed, fully awake. Thorin grimaces at the pain to movement causes. "Oh dont look so surprised, the dosage wasn't as large as usual."

Thorin traces Bilbo's ear, sending a shudder through the hobbit and enticing you to smirk. "Yes. I have never been more sure of anything in my life. But my dear Hobbit is avoiding the question, what did you pay the elf?"

You pull yourself from the bed (not whining in pain, thank you.), and slump into the second chair while Bilbo is answering. "Well, belive it or not, her King banished her in the midst of battle, then unbanished her after she nearly died of heartbreak, and ah..."

Thorin looks utterly confused, a sight you wish you had Ori to lut on paper.

"He told her to do as she would, as Thranduil knows heartbreak all to well. And uhm, she really is devoted to Kili. And she keeps him in line most of the time."

Understanding begins to appear on the Dwarf King's face. "Bilbo, what did you do?"

"The council agreed with me that we should let her stay in the mountain." Thorin is silent, so Bilbo clarifies. "To live."

Not a majestic bead quivers, he's gone compleatly still. Slightly concerned, you pipe up. "I agreed that this was a good choice, both on a personal level and a diplomatic one. Letting an elf into the mountain shows that we are not holding grudges so sevearly that we are distrustful. Thorin? Hello?"

His head has bowed, and when his sight raises, he has that unfairly beautiful smile on again, eyes glittering. He chuckles while his head shakes back and forth. "I suppose I cannot deny my nefew the same love that I treasure so. Nor can I deny my heart anything they wish."

Bilbo grins, and of course kisses the deprived dwarf. "I am glad you say so. Though let us not go over bord, Gloin has told me of the worth in my Mithril."

Thorin shrugs -wincing horribly at the movement, and yes we all saw it- "you are worth every single link three times over, never doubt it." This is of course true, and you grasp Bilbo's hand to support the proclamation, Thorin notices that you use only your left arm, despite the right one being closer. "And what is this I've heard about an infection?"

"I'll be happy to tell you, my love, when you explain how in Morgoth you managed to kick a blade so hard it pierced you boot and through your foot."

Bilbo laughs, at last seeming at home.

[threespacemonkeys]

Star Trek: Enterprise

Day 4 of posting my little bits and bobs of fanfiction that won't ever go into a full stories. Are they random? Yes. Out of order? Yes. Written today, yesterday, or a long time ago? Yes.

A little more insight into Lt. Reed and his military family. Brother’s ghost comes for a visit during a time of trouble.

Enterprise was eerily still in space. The corridors and other parts of the ship were the same. Nothing was moving on board, except for a certain dark haired tactical officer, who was just starting to pick himself up off the floor.

His head ached and he reached for the console in front of him. He misjudged and if it wasn’t for a well placed chair, he would have crashed back to the floor. The motion jarred his already aching head and he wished for the second time today that he’d just stayed in bed instead of dragging his already aching body to the bridge.

It was cold season onboard Enterprise and though he was the last to get it, it still didn’t make things any more pleasant. His cold aside, Malcolm Reed steadied himself on the chair and managed to get a hand on the elusive console and heave himself to his feet.

What he saw made him wish that his bed was still an option. His stomach dropped as he realized that out of the crew members on the bridge, he was the only one awake. The rest of the crew was passed out in various states on the bridge deck.

There was no vibration from the deck plates which meant that they weren’t moving, thank god. There was no way to tell how long he’d been unconscious as a quick tap on his console confirmed that it was dead, along with all the other consoles on the bridge. He forced his feet to move and slowly made his way over to his commanding officer.

Archer was just as unconscious as all the rest and even several well placed shakes couldn’t wake him. The same results were repeated in all the other officer’s on the deck. Not a single one was moving. His head swam and he had to sit down on the edge of the decking. “Bloody hell.” He muttered sinking his head into his hands.

It was a concussion, it had to be the way his head was pounding and his stomach was misbehaving.

[blvckqwz]

The Cure

“I’d like to propose a toast,” Abraham raised his glass as the dim light of the candles made his red hair even more red.

Isabelle tugged the cloth wrapped around her arm nervously as she rested her head on her uncle’s arm. Her arm was broken, Sasha’s boyfriend Bob had fixed it by immobilizing her arm with a cloth and using a stick as a makeshift splint. He said that if she had hidden it for a bit longer, her arm would have forever been deformed and she could have died because of infections. He didn’t say that to her, but she could hear him whisper to her father while she was supposed to sleep. He also said that she had a concussion thanks to the asshole who banged her head against a table. So that was why she was currently sleeping even more than little Judith.

“I look around this room,” Abraham continued, “… and I see survivors.” Survivors. Isabelle felt the urge to scoff but that would be very rude. Why were they survivors? Because they were willing to kill? Because a series of lucky turns? 

Why was she a survivor? Because she killed that man before he could do the same to her? Because she listened to her mother when she told her to run and left her behind? 

“Each and every one of you has earned that title.” The man said.

Isabelle didn’t feel like she deserved to be called a survivor. She didn’t feel like she deserved to be a survivor.

Abraham raised his glass above his head, “To the survivors.” He spoke. 

And everyone raised their glass and cheered. Isabelle didn’t have a glass for obvious reasons, and even if she did she wouldn’t be able to raise it. Her right arm was broken and it felt weird to do stuff with the other one. So she kept tugging the cloth around her numb arm as she watched the people around her.

It felt weird to see so many people together. It looked like something from the world before. Warm food, warm building and warm hearts for the first time in months. 

“That’s all you wanna be?” Abraham asked, “"Wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse and repeat?" 

Isabelle knew where this was going, and she didn’t like it one bit. Abraham wanted to go to Washington so that the goofy man he kept dragging along would find the cure to stop the dead from rising. She knew that it made her selfish, wishing that things didn’t go back to how they were, but she didn’t know if she would be able to go back. How could she be able to go back to her old trailer? To sleep in her old bed? To go to school everyday and get her braids pulled by the kids and see the other girls whisper things in each others’ ears when she walks past them? 

She was thirteen, maybe fourteen, years old, but to her it felt like her life had started just two years ago when a turned Naomi walked into her yard. The world before wasn’t made for her, it had nothing to offer. 

And for the first time her dad cared about her. It was still a forging feeling, his callous fingers running through her hair as she slept or his voice speaking to her like it would to a normal person and not a dog, but it was good. Isabelle wasn’t sure if he would still care if they weren’t in a life death situation anymore.

"'Cause you can do that," Abraham said, "I mean, you got the strength. You got the skill. Thing is, for you people, for what you can do, that's just surrender.” He turned to the strange man, “Now, we get Eugene to Washington and he will make the dead die and the living will have this world again. And that is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip. Eugene, what's in DC?"

"Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this fubar magnitude. That means food, fuel, refuge. Restart." Eugene explained.

He had an odd way of speaking, and Isabelle envied him a bit because it made him sound very smart. But it also made his mound a bit foolish and Isabelle didn’t eny that.

"However this plays out, however long it takes for the reset button to kick in, you can be safe there. Safer than you been since this whole thing started," Abraham spoke again, now turning to look at Rick  "Come with us. Save the world for that little one," Abraham continued, looking down at Judith. "Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there... who don't got nothing left to do except survive."

Isabelle didn’t think about Judith, but Abraham was right. They had to make things right for the little girl in Rick’s arm. She was selfish for not thinking about it before, but now she did, and everything changed. Judith had to stay safe. 

She looked up at her uncle, who was looking at her dad. Wherever her dad went, they would follow. It had always been like this. Because they were family. Her dad was looking at Rick. Isabelle figured that he would follow Rick, so they also would have to follow Rick. She guessed that made them all a bit of a family.

It was good, because then she would be with Carl. And she would get to talk to him everyday. But if things went back to how they were, the Grimes would go back to their old house with white picket fences and where moms made pancakes every Sunday, and they couldn’t follow them. And Rick would be a cop again, and he would have to arrest her dad and her uncle. 

The thought made Isabelle sick. But if things went back to normal Judith would be able to go to a real school and have a real future. And Maggie would find her sister again. And everyone would be safe again.

Maybe having to go back to normal was a little price to pay for everyone to be happy.

Judith cooed in Rick’s arms, making the man laugh, “What was that?” He asked as he watched with adoring eyes his daughter. Everyone laughed a bit at the interaction, including Isabelle, even if she was basically half asleep at that point.

“I think she knows what I'm about to say," Rick said. Judith cooed again, as to prove Rick’s point. "She's in. If she's in, I'm in." He announced, “We're in."

Cheers erupted as everyone clapped. It was good to see everyone happy, even if Isabelle wasn’t so sure if she shared the same feeling. But it was like Rick said, they were in, even if she didn’t like that. 

“I’m goin’ out for a bit.” Daryl said as he walked in front of her. Isabelle knew it was a code for Merle to say to look after her, and even if she wanted to say that she didn’t need a babysitter, she kept her mouth shut. Lucky for her Merle didn’t seem to want to babysit her either.

“Okay, let’s go.” He said as he got up, “Wha’? I ain’t stayin’ here while ma baby brother is out there in tha dark.” Daryl just shrugged, “Didn’t say anythin’” He grumbled before he went towards the door. He turned around to look at Isabelle, who was already looking at him, “Stay uh… stay out of trouble, yeah?” He murmured.

This whole parenting shit was new for him, Isabelle figured, which made her just as awkward. So she just nodded before turning on her heels and going towards Carl, who was sitting in the back of the church. 

Isabelle tapped on his shoulder, making the boy turn around before she slipped next to him on the other side and stabbed a few of the beans he was eating with her fork, eating them.

“Hey! Those are mine.” The boy protested as he turned around again to give a dirty look to the girl next to him.

“God says that you have to share.” She said as she took another bite of his food, “Plus I’m sick, I need proteins.” 

Carl scoffed, “You are so annoying it’s unbelievable.” He shook his head. 

“Hey, when you were sick I helped, the least you could do is feed me.” She replied, “This is the Lord’s house.” “Then ask him for some beans.” He mumbled, “Where’s your dad?” He changed the subject.

To Carl it felt a bit weird to think that Isabelle was a Dixon, but it did explain her quirks. Like the total disinterest of what was socially acceptable, for exemple eating someone else's food. 

But Isabelle said that her dad was an asshole, and even if Carl wasn’t really close to Daryl, he never thought he was the kind of asshole to leave his children behind. Carl had heard a worried Maggie telling Rick something about Daryl a few days ago, something about how he treated Isabelle, but his father had sent him away before he could really understand what it was about.

“I dunno.” Isabelle replied, “I don’t think he likes stayin’ in a church.” 

“But this isn’t a church anymore.” The boy argued.

She shrugged, “Maybe it’s because we are like twenty people all in one room.” Her dad was just like that sometimes. He hated small places, he hated being in one place for too much time. He was a bit of a nomadic person, Isabelle thought.

“Isabelle?” Carl called, making the girl snap out of her thought to look at him. She hummed in response as he watched the boy nervously fidget with his fingers. 

“Are we friends?” He asked.

“Yeah of course we are.” 

Friends. 

She wondered what friends did. She had only one friend, but it was a girl and it was her babysitter so it really didn’t count. What did friends do? She couldn’t answer that, especially in times like these. But she liked being friends with Carl, even if they didn’t do anything in particular. Maybe that's what friends did, they just hung out doing whatever. 

“Okay.” Carl said, “I have to tell you something… but you can’t tell anyone.” 

Isabelle shifted closer to the boy as she waited for the secret to be spilled. She was good at keeping secrets, at least she thought. She never really had to keep a big secret before, except for when Naomi told her about her boyfriend and running away. And Isabelle didn't say anything, so she must be good at keeping secrets. 

“I… I saw something. Outside.” Carl admitted, “It was written on the wall.” He said, “No it wasn’t really written… more like engraved.” “What did it say?” The girl asked. 

“You will burn for this.” He replied, “Why would someone write that?” 

“Maybe…” Isabelle trailed off, the anxious monster in her stomach waking up, “Maybe he isn’t a good person.” She whispered as she watched Father Gabriel talk to Rick. 

“But what if he is?” Carl shook his head, “Not everyone can be bad.” 

“Carl, why would someone write that if he was good?” 

“I don’t know but he doesn’t seem like someone capable of doing bad things.” Isabelle could hear that he genuinely meant it, but she wasn’t sure if she could share the same hope. 

The doors opened with a thud, revealing Merle on the other side. Something wasn’t right, Isabelle thought as she said goodbye to Carl and hurried to her uncle.

“Where’s dad?” She asked as she looked up to him. He seemed angry and shaken, and if Isabelle didn’t know better she would say that he was drunk. 

“Outside.” He just said, “He needs to think ‘bout a few things.” 

“Whut happened?” 

Her uncle rubbed his hand over his face as he sighed, “I jus’ gave ‘im a talk.” 

“Bout what?” The girl questioned. It was odd to see her uncle act like a big brother to her dad after all.

“Grown ups business.” He replied, “Go to sleep.” So Isabelle just nodded and went to sleep, noticing that the church looked more empty. Bob and Carol were also outside, she realized. She could hear the door open as she drifted off to sleep. Maybe it was her father.

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

Filler aaa chapter fr. But I needed to feel the void and I didn't feel like writing about Gareth and his gang yet.

[i-prefer-base-twelve]

AI-Less Whumptober - Hiding an Injury

This is one continuous story. Intro | Drugging (Tendi) | Isolation (Boimler)

RUTHERFORD

When the shaking stopped, Rutherford felt dizzy. No, not dizzy. Floaty. Oh no, was he concussed? Or lightheaded from blood loss? He knew he'd gotten thrown around, but didn't think it had been THAT bad--

His HUD lit up against the darkness, detailing his injuries in a cheerful scroll down his field of vision:

> SPRAINED WRIST (R) > MINOR SCRAPES TO ARMS, LEGS > BRUISES TO ARMS, LEGS, BACK

And in the corner, the little status icon was giving him a smiley face, so the implant was still working perfect. He breathed a relieved sigh.

"That could have been WAY worse. But wait, then why do I feel so floaty?"

Because you're floating, dummy!

"No."

He opened his eyes to find that yes, he was actually floating, bobbing around weightless in the middle of the tube. His stomach lurched violently for a second before the implant cut it off.

"Oh, no, the gravity," Rutherford groaned, bracing against the walls of the tube and propelling himself over to the panel he'd left open. He shot right past it--he'd never been great at 0g. Reaching out to stop himself with his bad hand--

"OW!"

And slammed into the wall as pain shot up his arm. He rebounded backward and awkwardly caught a handhold with his left hand. "Wow, that really hurt. That's just a sprain??"

> UPDATE: HAIRLINE FRACTURES, WRIST (R). SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION

"Don't worry, I will." Thoughts of medical attention of course led to thoughts of Tendi. Not in a I hope she's ok sense, because of course Tendi was ok. Tendi was tough. Knowing her, she was elbow-deep in some exotic alien triage right this very moment. When this was over, she'd tell him every last gory detail, and laugh every time he got squeamish.

Smiling despite the pain, Rutherford gingerly nudged himself back to the open panel and peered inside.

"Oh..."

This was no mere whoopsydoodle. This was not even in the ballpark of aw nuts.

"...oh, fuck."

Some of the partially decoupled interfaces had arced, shorting themselves out in what had probably been a very impressive explosion. Every exposed interface had melted into one big lump of burnt polymer. Which meant... which meant gravity was out for at least half the ship. No way to fix it from here, either. Engineering would need to install a full replacement.

He tapped his comm badge and pain shot all the way up to his shoulder.

"OW! Rutherford to Billups."

A faint metallic pinging echoed down the tube, some piece of debris rebounding off the wall.

"Rutherford to engineering!"

Then he realized--he'd been distracted by the pain. The badge hadn't engaged. Comms were down. He'd have to carry the message to engineering the old fashioned way.

He asked his implant: can you override my nerve impulses so I don't keep trying to use my bad hand?

> RIGHT ARM NEUTRALIZED 👍 SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION

And sure enough, his right arm flopped to his side, dead weight. He tried to wiggle his fingers; they didn't respond. 

"Not exactly what I had in mind, but I guess it'll work. Well... let's go!"

Bracing his legs against the walls of the Jeffries tube, he shoved off in the direction of engineering.

[sallysgrancanwrite]

Chapter Fifty Seven

Masterlist

The next morning Michael told Martha that while Chloe was in the hospital he would need her to take Emma to school and pick her up everyday. When she questioned what happened he just said she had an accident. Michael left for work and Emma sat down to eat her breakfast. Martha saw how down she was.

“Honey, I’m sure your Mother is fine and will be home before you know it.” Martha told her.

“No, she won’t. Daddy hurt her badly this time. He tried to kill her and threw her from upstairs,” Emma said, starting to cry.

Martha couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could Michael do such a thing? This poor girl, to have seen such a thing.

“Oh Emma, I'm so sorry. When you get home today let’s make something for your Mother. Does that sound good?” She asked Emma.

“Okay,” said Emma, drying her tears.

“Now let’s get you to school before late,” said Martha.

Martha dropped Emma off and then went to the hospital to see Chloe. She was like a daughter to her. This was all very upsetting to her. She couldn’t wrap her head around it. What was Michael thinking? Had he lost his mind of gone mad? Why would he want the mother of his dead?

When she got there Edith, Bob, and Beth were all there as well. She hugged them and told them how sorry she was about what happened to Chloe.

“Have you heard how bad it is?” Martha asked.

“She has broken bones in several places, including her back, which may need surgery, and she has a severe concussion. She is still not waking up, which has me worried.” Edith said.

“Oh no!” said Martha “I will definitely be praying for her. Emma told me Michael did it. Did she tell you that?” She asked them.

“Yes, she had called us right as it happened and told us what was happening and then after she came back to the phone she told us what he had done. I told her to call 911.” said Edith

Martha said, “I think she is in shock but can’t stop crying. I wanted to keep her home today but she isn’t mine. Can y’all get custody of her? I don't mind taking care of her but she needs a family and I can’t always be there.”

“I think we should try,” Beth said.

“I have a lawyer friend I can talk to,” said Bob. “Edith and I will go there later today or maybe tomorrow.”

“Martha, why don’t you go see her first. I know you need to get back to the house and get things done.” said Edith.

“Thank you, I won’t stay long, so y’all can be with her.” Martha replied.

She walked to room 147. She wasn’t sure what to expect but was shocked by what she saw. Her leg was in a cast. A splint on her ankles and casts on her wrists. She was wrapped in a brace to support her broken back and was badly bruised. She looked like she had been in a war.

Martha started to cry. Her heart broke for her. She had been raised to be a strong woman, and it took a lot to make her cry, but these circumstances did. She wiped her eyes and sat next to the bed. She touched Chloe’s face.

“Chloe, it’s Martha honey. We’re all here for you. I’m taking care of Emma real good. Please don’t worry about her. I’m so sorry for all of this. I have to go but I’ll be back.” Martha told her, in hope she could hear her.

Martha started to cry once again thinking of all the pain Chloe had been in, was in and how painful the recovery would be. As she left the room she wiped her eyes and ran her hair softly across the gray French twist in her hair to straighten it. She slowly walked back out to the waiting room trying to figure out how to prepare them all for what they would see. There was no way to, she decided.

“Edith, she is in bad shape, prepare yourself. There are a lot of casts and bruising. Just so you know. Let me know what I can do. Will you be here all day?” Martha asked.

“Yes, we’ll be staying up here. In case she should wake up.” Edith told her.

“I’ll bring some food up for y’all later then. Maybe he’ll let me bring Emma up.” Martha said.

“Don’t put yourself out on account of us Martha.” Edith told her. “It would be nice to see Emma though.”

“It’s no trouble. Goodbye for now.” She said as she left.

“Goodbye, Martha,” they replied.

The three of them, Edith, Bob and Beth now went in to see Chloe for the first time. They were horrified. What had he done to her? They were angry, justifiably angry.

Beth walked over to her best friend and laid her head down and sobbed.

“Chloe I’m so sorry. Please be patient, okay, wake up.” Beth cried.

Edith came over and hugged Beth.

“It’s going to be okay. The law is onto him. It will catch up to him. Be patient.” Edith consoled Beth.

All Bob could do was stare at her and shake his head then look out the window.

They spent all day there watching and praying over her. Hoping for a miracle.

Martha did her usual cleaning and cooking a meal and making sure it would be warm when Michael got home from work. She picked Emma up from school and Emma decided she wanted to make her Mother a card to go with the plant from school that they had been growing. It was a purple petunia.

“Emma, your Mother will love it.” Martha exclaimed.

“I hope so. Said Emma.

When they got home Martha took out all the crayons, markers ,colored pencils, and paper and let Emma draw a card for her Mother.

She made a beautiful picture of a sunny day at the park with her mom, flying kites and riding bikes. As she drew her picture she started to cry.

“Is my Momma going to die?” She asked Martha.

“No. Don't you think like that. She just needs rest, like I’ve said. She’ll be better before you know it.” Martha said, hugging Emma.

“Can I take this to her now?” Emma asked.

“Sure. Go get your jacket on, it’s chilly outside.” Martha told her.

Martha cleaned up the paper and crafting things Emma had used and grabbed her purse and keys.

“Don’t forget your beautiful plant too.” Martha reminded Emma.

As they left for the hospital Martha noted the time so she could have Emma home before Michael got home from work.

[ayyponine]

florida man gets absolutely destroyed by his colleagues

[havecourage-darling]

Right Side Up // 6 (FINAL CH.)

Princess Peach Series

Ch. 5: I'd make him swap our places || AO3 || Masterlist

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Female Henderson!Reader

wc: 6.4k

warnings: cursing, mild smut, S4 spoilers, angst with a happy ending

A/N: and that's how the cookie crumbles! Because a few people have asked: 1) I will be going back to updating Firsts (I think I've got like 3 or 4 more to add?) 2) I'm going to work on the Just Like Heaven AU, I promise! This + RTTB kind of took over my mental capacity lol 3) I have a few random one-shots coming up soon, so stay on the look out for those!

edit: y'all I am SO sorry I forgot the read more line lmao, pls forgive me

Ch. 6: There is thunder in our hearts

“She’s got her memory back,” Dustin said, sounding relieved, “I only got like five minutes with her alone before Hopper showed up. He kicked me out and said they needed to get their story straight before they spoke to anyone.”

“But she remembers everything?”

“Yeah, she remembers everything again.”

Eddie almost melted into a puddle on this stupid fancy couch. Steve was glancing at him worriedly but Eddie just closed his eyes.

After they’d crawled out the gate and ran for help – it’d been clear that the right side up had also felt the effects of Vecna’s death. There had been a small ‘earthquake’ with minimal damage and almost no casualties.

Lucas had rushed to explain everything that had happened after you’d been taken to the hospital. And while Eddie wasn’t exactly glad that Jason had been one of the few casualties of the earthquake, he wasn’t crying over it. In fact, if he ever saw that stupid jock who’d tackled Erica, he’d be more than glad to give him someone to fight that was his own size. Although, considering the purple eye he was sporting, she did alright on her own.

It’d taken Steve, Nancy, and Robin to convince him not to race over to the hospital. He wouldn’t be allowed to see you anyway. He’d tried to climb out a window halfway through the first day and Steve had caught him. Robin threatened to handcuff him to a chair. So, here he was – at Steve’s house – hiding, yet again.

Dustin had been at your side when you’d woken yesterday and to everyone’s surprise, you’d asked where your dad was. When he was retelling everyone what’d happened, Dustin had squeezed his arm a little tighter and Eddie knew that had cut deeper than Dustin would admit.

Apparently, amnesia after suffering the type of concussion that you had was normal.

Jesus, you had a concussion. You’d been shot. Eddie just couldn’t wrap his head around it.

And if everything wasn’t chaotic enough, apparently Chief Hopper wasn’t dead? He’d emphatically avoided the man previously, so while he wasn’t as ecstatic as Steve and Nancy had been – Eddie knew you’d be happy to know the Chief was okay. If not looking a little slender. 

“I’m not sure what’s happening but Jonathan is on his way over to you guys with some supplies. She won’t need surgery and when I talked to her, she said her bruised ribs hurt the most,” Dustin said and Eddie wanted to throw something. “She asked for you today.”

“Did you tell her – I’m – if-” Eddie stammered.

“I told her, I swear – I told her you’d be here if you could,” he said. “If I’m ever allowed back in there without my mom I’ll try and get the walkie in.”

“Thanks man,” Eddie sighed and closed his eyes. He couldn’t help it – he was picturing the worst when he thought of you. By the time they’d made it to the Creel house, everyone had been taken to the hospital. He just wanted to see you – he had to see you before he went crazy. “How’s Max?”

“Pissed,” Dustin snorted, “she’s mad they won’t let her visit my sister either. I already signed her cast.”

“Alright, thanks.”

“Yeah. I’ll call again if we get an update.”

Eddie placed the walkie onto the coffee table in front of him and resisted the urge to scream. Steve might actually follow through with Robin’s threat and tie him up somewhere.

“She’s awake, that’s good,” Steve said, bobbing his head. His shoulders fell, head falling back and a deep exhale echoing in the room.

Sometimes Eddie forgot just how long you’d known Steve and Nancy. You’d all grown up together, your house a few minutes away from Wheeler’s. He tried to imagine if Jeff had been shot, he’d also be worried sick. Which reminded him he needed to let Jeff know he was okay…

“She’s going to be fine, she’s awake and she’s going to be fine,” Eddie said, attempting to comfort Steve but ending up reminding himself.

“Yeah,” Steve said, glancing at Nancy, who stood by the fireplace – chewing her nail.

“Maybe I can go down and take a look?” Nancy asked, wringing her hands together.

“Hopper told us to stay put,” Steve reminded them, wary eye on Eddie.

“Which is fucking bullshit,” Eddie said, for what felt like the hundredth time that hour.

Nancy sighed, her shoulder dropping. “I know, I know it is,” she plopped down onto the sofa next to him. Her warm hand on his shoulder surprised him and she smiled. “Have you cleaned the scratches today?”

He groaned and Steve snickered. Steve and Robin had been unbearable over the past few days with making sure any and all scrapes he’d gotten via demobat be disinfected daily. Any time he protested; Robin would respond with a shrill: “Do you want rabies!?”

Eddie felt like he should somehow be a little worried about it but he couldn’t find it within himself to care too much. Not when he was still trying to clear his name and couldn’t visit his fucking girlfriend in the hospital because he could go to jail.

“Come on,” Nancy said. Eddie groaned but he hauled himself to his feet and followed her lead into the bathroom. Halfway there, the doorbell echoed throughout the house.

Steve’s head popped out from the living room and the three exchanged a panicked look. Nancy shoved Eddie into the nearest room, the kitchen, and hid with him.

“Should I answer?” Steve whispered, tone sounding a little panicked.

Nancy shoved her head past Eddie’s shoulder and waved a hand in the air. Eddie groaned. This was a fucking mess.

“What did that mean!” Steve hissed.

“Oh my God,” Nancy muttered.

“Steve! It’s me!” A man’s voice filtered through the door. Nancy’s eyes brightened and Eddie assumed by the speed of which she darted to the door that it was safe to stop hiding.

“Jonathan!” Nancy beamed, curling her arms around his neck. Jonathan Byers, Eddie had a faint memory of him and his little brother, stood at the door.

“Hey, I’m Jonathan,” he said once he spotted Eddie.

“I’m Eddie,” he said, awkwardly shaking his hand, “and not a murderer.”

Jonathan laughed lightly, as if that had been actually funny. “Yeah, we know.”

“We?” Steve said, peeking over his shoulder.

A girl stood there, her head shaved, and she grinned brightly when she saw Steve. Who, in turn, returned her grin. They all greeted each other and Eddie sunk back into his spot on the sofa – eyes glaring at the walkie.

He didn’t want to seem bitter but, the idea that everyone else seemed to get their moments just reminded him that he didn’t have one with you. The sofa dipped with the weight of another person and Eddie’s eyes snapped up to meet the brown ones of the girl.

“Hi,” she said, eyes darting all over him.

“Hi?” Eddie said, tone making it sound like a question. “I’m Eddie.”

“I know,” she said.

Well, okay then.

“You’re the girl with superpowers?”

She nodded. “Eleven.” With a smile she pointed to the ring on his finger, the one you’d given him a few days ago. “You’re the boyfriend.”

Eddie smile half-heartedly. “Yeah, I’m the boyfriend.”

“I have a message for you,” she said quietly, eyes deepening as her brows furrowed.

A message? He quirked his brow and pushed some hair out his face. “From who?”

“Henderson.”

“Dustin?” Eddie was confused, he’d just spoken to Dustin. His eyes wandered and he realized everyone was watching them.

“No,” she said quietly, hand coming up to his. “She said you would be worried.”

“Who?”

Eleven’s eyes darted down to their hands and Eddie felt the knot in his chest tighten. “She told me to tell you that she loved you. That she was sorry and she’d see you soon.”

“My Henderson?”

She nodded. “I know she will be okay. She’s just healing.”

Eddie’s mind completely went blank.

“How did you talk to her?” Nancy interjected, her eyes worried.

“I was piggybacking to Max and saw her. She…saved them,” Eleven said to the rest of them, “she said she hoped you kicked bat ass.”

Her cheeks flushed, but her eyes remained steady on Eddie’s. He’d known her for about sixty seconds and understood what you’d meant when you talked about her. There was something endearingly earnest in the way she spoke.

With an inhale, Eddie threw his head back and laughed. The entire room seemed to exhale at the sound, chuckles coming from the doorway and Eddie pictured you relaying your message.

“Eddie? Do you copy?” Dustin’s voice echoed.

Nancy scrambled for the walkie, hands getting there before his and he almost smacked it out of her fingers.

“It’s Nancy, we’re here.”

“Hopper says Eddie’s cleared,” Dustin said, elation evident, “I repeat, Eddie is cleared. He can come by!”

Everyone seemed to glance at each other before Steve was already scrambling for his keys. “Shit, okay come on!”

His heart was stuck in his throat and without really knowing how, Eddie found himself in the passenger seat of Steve’s car.

“Fucking step on it!” Eddie shouted.

“Do you want to be pulled over?” Steve exclaimed, despite the fact that he did speed up.

After a few tense minutes, Eddie saw the hospital in sight and threw open the door before Steve had come to a full stop.

“Jesus Christ!” Steve yelled. Eddie barely heard him; his feet took him to the receptionist desk.

“Hi, I’m looking for Henderson – she was brought in a few days ago-”

“Eddie!”

Dustin’s voice had Eddie’s head snapping to the left and he thanked the nurse before jogging down the hallway. “She’s in there man, she just woke up,” Dustin said, grinning, “Hopper said you’re all cleared – she’ll tell you the rest. Where’s everyone else?”

“Parking,” Eddie said faintly, squeezing Dustin’s shoulder.

“I’ll keep the wolves at bay for a while,” Dustin said, shrugging when Eddie shot him a grateful look. “My mom’s eating lunch in the cafeteria, I say you got like fifteen minutes.”

“Twenty and I’ll tell you how to beat Gareth in our next campaign.”

“Deal!”

Eddie smiled, pushing the door open slowly. His eyes immediately sought yours out, as if by habit. The first thing he saw, however, was a soft cast around your elevated ankle. His eyes widened as he saw the bruises climb up your leg and disappear into your dressing gown.

“Hey you,” you said, voice hoarse. Eddie’s eyes darted up to yours and his heart stopped.

Your left eye was a little swollen and the skin around it purple. The bandage at your left temple wrapped around your head and your right wrist had a splint on it. He frowned and felt a slow simmering rage build within his stomach. He wanted to scream, punch someone, rip a hole in the universe and put you into it so no one would ever be able to hurt you again.

At his silence, you shifted and immediately whimpered. Your good hand flew up to your ribs and you winced. Seeing pain flitter across your expression broke his paralysis. With quick steps, he was at your bedside, heart in his throat. “Princess, what…what did you do?”

“I kicked his ass,” you said, grinning up at him, eyes widening. “Wait, shit, is that horrible to say of someone who died? Oh my God, I’m an asshole.”

Eddie snorted, only you’d feel horrible about speaking ill of the dead. “If he was alive, I’d smother that asshole in his sleep.”

“He’s dead, Eddie,” you hissed, looking towards the half-closed door. “Besides, Hopper basically pinned everything on him to have you released. You’re the hero of this town, Munson.”

“Fuck this town, and fuck Jason Carver,” Eddie said fiercely, annoyed by your easy forgiveness. “He shot you.”

You waved your hand in the air, like a bullet hadn’t pierced your body. “He was a bad shot, both bullets barely grazed me. See?” You shifted your left leg, bandage on your knee the smallest of them all.

“Are you trying to excuse your almost-killer?”

“No!” You said, lowering your voice. “But, I mean, maybe let’s not harp on it.”

“Oh, I’ll harp – I’ll harp on it for the rest of our lives,” he said, all the energy in his body swooping out of him. He stumbled to the chair by your bed, slumping into it and dropping his head to your hand.

“Eddie?”

He waved his hand in the air. “I just need a second,” he said, taking deep breaths. He hadn’t known what he was expecting – but you arguing with him like you hadn’t been shot wasn’t it. He knew you had a rough road ahead of you, but it could’ve been worse. Much worse. And you were okay, you were really, really okay. “I get it,” Eddie said eventually.

“Get what?”

“Why you didn’t tell me about the other things – with Will and Billy,” he replied, and he did. If the other times all ended this stressfully, he got why you wanted to keep him as safe as possible.

“I’ll be okay, sweetheart,” you murmured softly, fingers scratching softly against his scalp.

Eddie exhaled, his worry no longer choking him. “Yeah, some superpowered buzzcut girl told me.”

Your face brightened and even with the bruises and bandages, you lit up the entire room. Air swooped from his lungs and you truly took his breath away. “You met Eleven? Isn’t she great?”

“She’s cool.”

Eddie watched your eyes find the long-jagged bruise across his neck, the one Robin harassed him to keep clean, and smiled when you frowned. “Oh, Eddie, you’re hurt.”

“That’s what you’re worried about? You’re in a hospital bed and you’re worried I’m hurt?”

Your small smile made his heart slam against his rib cage. “I’ll always worry about you, Munson. Someone’s got to keep you in check.”

Letting out a surprised laugh, Eddie narrowed his eyes at you playfully. “You’ve got some fucking audacity Henderson. After all that shit you gave me about being safe and not risking yourself. You had to go ahead and be the hero.”

“I know,” you patted his hand, “but you have to admit you’re the more reckless one between us both.”

Eddie gaped and his hands stretched out to the room. “Hospital. Bed.”

“Potato, tomato,” you brushed off.

He couldn’t help but smile, Jesus Christ you were going to send him to an early grave.

“I love you,” you said before he could continue bickering. “A lot.”

“Yeah?” Eddie said, shaking his head before leaning down for a kiss. “I love you too.”

Beaming, you patted the space at the edge of your bed. “Come on, I’ll tell you what the official story is so we all get it right. I stayed off the good stuff while the police came in to talk to me and the nurse just passed by to pump me fully of drugs. I want to tell it right.”

“Drugs?” Eddie said, sitting and clutching at his chest. “I cannot be seen with someone who’s involved in drugs.”

“Don’t make me laugh,” you said, hand coming up to your side again, “it hurts.”

“Sorry, sorry,” he said, his own covering yours. “What’s the wrist splint for?”

“It’s a light sprain,” you murmured, “the recoil on Jason’s gun was intense.”

“And you were talking shit about his skills,” he joked. You shot him a withering glare and he fought against the laugh building in his chest. “I’m sorry, that was the last one. Go ahead.”

Eddie could see your eyelids getting heavier and heavier with each minute that passed, the IV hooked up to you clearly doing the job. The sharp edge of pain in your expression seemed to lessen and Eddie couldn’t seem to let go of your hand.

“Did that make sense?” Your words stumbled together. “Hopper can answer any questions if you have them before the police interview you.”

“You know, I’ve never officially met the ol’ Chief.”

“Really?” You asked, surprised.

Eddie raised his brows. “You do know my occupation, right?” You snorted and Eddie took your lack of pain as a good sign that the meds were doing their job.

“He said he wanted to be in the room with you when they interview you, so don’t feel too nervous,” you assured him.

“Princess, now that I’ve seen you – I could not care less what happens to me.”

Your brows furrowed adorably and Eddie couldn’t help but smooth them out with his thumb. “I care, a lot,” you mumbled, eyes fluttering. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Never,” Eddie promised, serious for a moment. “I’m sure Dustin is barely holding back the whole group. Did you want me to tell them to wait after you sleep some?”

“No, I want to see everybody,” you said, stubborn as always.

“Peach….”

You rolled your eyes. “Just help me move the bed’s incline, if I’m lying down, I’ll just drift off to sleep easier.”

“Which is what you should be doing-”

“Edward.”

“Alright, alright,” he said, trying to figure out the remote wired to your bed. As he heard Steve and Nancy’s voice get louder in the hallway, he saw you smile from his peripheral.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

He turned to you, smiling at your obvious chortle. “Princess, it’s not nice to not share with the class.”

Your eyes found his, and despite the medical haze around them, he saw the undercurrent of mischief and lucidity that made him smile. He turned back to the remote and frowned. Why was this so complicated?

“I heard you dedicated your song in the upside down to another girl. Should I be jealous?”

Eddie choked, eyes flying back to yours and you were biting down on your bottom lip – hand on your side – trying your best not to laugh in his face. You were messing with him. While you were in a hospital bed. After being shot at.

Fuck, he loved you so much.

The months following your discharge and Eddie’s record being cleared, were hectic to say the least. Despite finally gaining back your mobility with your boot - and your ribs healing - you still always dragged your feet when it came to your recovery. More specifically, your physical therapy.

“He’s a sadist!” You’d huff, annoyed before giving in and trailing behind Eddie. Turned out, despite being only grazed by a bullet, twice, you still needed to rehab your body. Your left side would likely ways be your weaker one but you’d refused to let it stop you. Eddie had watched you grab life by the balls and goddamn if he didn’t love you more for it.  

After a whole week of doctor’s appointments, job interviews, graduation, and Robin’s birthday, you’d both declared Friday a date night.

Eddie didn’t miss you exactly - he spent most, if not all, of his time with you since you left the hospital - but you’d both been pulled in ten different directions that having dinner and a movie was nice. Finally being alone together for longer than a night was nice.

You navigated his, new, house with ease with your new cane. You’d been so excited to ditch the crutches, and Eddie was glad to see you move around with more confidence.

Although, since you’d gotten back from Steve’s house this morning - you had been acting strange. Your head was tucked onto his shoulder, his palm on your waist, pulling you into him. After another moment, you shifted your weight again and he narrowed his eyes at you.

Eddie watched you glance at the phone on his wall for the hundredth time in the past hour. When you shifted again and looked up, he opened his mouth to call you out on it when it rang.

What the fuck? Before he could process it and go to pick it up, you jumped to your feet. Squeaking when your boot wobbled, your arms flailed before regaining your balance and you grabbed the phone.

“Jesus Christ, be careful!” He hissed, a little tendril of panic gripping him at the memory of your bruises.

You ignored him, of course, and muttered into the phone. He rubbed a hand down his face and took a deep breath. The receiver slammed down onto the hook and he looked up at you. Eyes wide, and a little anxious, his stomach flipped. “What now?” He groaned.  

“Steve needs our help,” you said, hands flying to your bag by the entrance. “We gotta go, now.”

Eddie’s hands were reaching for your cane and his keys before he realized. “Help like help, help or help like we’re under attack again? Because you haven’t recovered from the last one. And to be super honest, neither have I.”

“Regular help, I think, I don’t know – he just said we had to get over there right now.”

At your glare Eddie sighed and nodded. “Alright, fuck it, let’s go.”

Trying to pull more answers from you, but receiving none, Eddie just watched your leg bounce up and down nervously. He’d driven a little over the speed limit, getting to Steve’s neighborhood in record time.

As he hopped out and rounded the car to try and help you down, he heard a bike brake over his shoulder.

“Robin?” You called out, as if you’d been expecting her. “Did you bike the entire way here?”

Eddie handed you your cane, eyes on Robin’s red face. She nodded, hand coming up to her chest as if that would help her catch her breath.

“Buckley are you okay?” Eddie asked, trying not to smile at her comical glare.

She dropped her bike on the lawn and leaned over her knees. “Steve called me saying it was a code red, my mom wasn’t coming home for another hour. I didn’t want to wait.”

With a nod, Eddie walked up to Steve’s door and rang the doorbell. After a few beats, no one answered, and Robin huffed. “The lights are all off, what the hell?”

“Let’s go around back maybe?” You suggested, lagging a little behind. When Eddie turned around to look at you, you waved him off. He’d preferred to be between you and whatever it was anyway. Robin caught up, walking shoulder to shoulder when he rounded the corner. Harrington’s backyard was dark – even the pool lights off – and he fumbled for the motion sensor light he knew was by the fence. As it turned on, it seemed like the rest of the backyard switched on with it.

“Surprise!”

Eddie scrambled back, heart jumping to his throat, and his hand immediately went towards Robin.

The entire backyard was filled with his friends, family, and everyone had confetti in their hands.

“What the fuck?” Robin screeched. “Mom?” She slid through the fence and ran towards her family. Everyone laughed and music blasted from the speakers by the grill. A hand came up to his shoulder, startling him a little, and your concerned eyes swam into his vision.

“I’m sorry, was surprising you too much? Oh, you hate it!” Your hands came up to his waist, eyes widening. “I’m so sorry, it was Dustin’s idea and I thought why not, you know? You deserved it but I should’ve known you wouldn’t-”

You rambled on, right hand waving around in the air nervously, and Eddie’s heart flipped at the rush of affection he had for you. Of course, you wouldn’t have just wanted to go out for dinner for his graduation. His eyes slid from your nervous ones and towards the yard. Jeff and Gareth waved at him, both brightening, and the little sheep all beamed his way.

“Sweetheart,” he said, cutting you off. “This wasn’t too much. Thank you.”

“I just – you graduated! You know? I’m so proud of you and I know everyone else here is too, you’ve come so far and I just…wanted to celebrate you – and Robin, obviously.”

Eddie’s heart burst from his chest and hopped back into your hands. “I love you, Peach.”

The grin that you shot him, felt like looking into the sun. “I love you too, Munson.” Your hand came up to his wrist and with a confident step, you pulled him into the chaos. “Come on, we’ve got games, food, presents.”

“Presents?” Eddie asked, eyebrows wiggling.

The sparkle in your eyes as you glanced over your shoulder at him almost took his breath away. “Well, I can’t give you my present in front of everyone. I don’t think you’d appreciate your best friends knowing what I’m wearing under this.”

Eddie’s blood immediately started pooling into his lower half. “What are you wearing? Princess, princess!” He hissed, pulling you into him. “You little…I’ll get you back, you know that.”

Your teeth grazed his neck and Eddie shivered. “Oh, I’m counting on it.” The look in your eyes made Eddie contemplate how rude it’d be if he hauled you back into the van.

“Eddie!” Wayne’s voice came from his left and you laughed at his torn expression.

“Come on, pervert,” you teased, “you’ll get me all alone soon enough.”

“It’s your fault, this is what you’ve turned me into,” he griped, smacking your butt and laughing when you squeaked.

“That’s called victim blaming!” You said, having the last word as you were separated into the crowd.

“I can’t believe you kept this from me,” Eddie said to Wayne, who had a beer in his hand and a wide smile on his face.

Wayne shook his head. “That girl of yours is pretty convincing, she’s been running around getting everything just right for almost two weeks now.”

“Two weeks?” Eddie shouted.

Lucas’ father walked up, smile already widening, and he shook Eddie’s hand. “Congratulations son, heard you managed to pass most of your finals with flying colors.”

“I wouldn’t say that much,” Eddie snorted, rubbing the back of his neck.

“He got a B on all his finals,” Wayne said proudly, tossing his arm around Eddie’s shoulders. “It was mostly Henderson and Wheeler helping but he got there eventually.”

Eddie ducked his head and listened as they made small talk about the upcoming game. His eyes glanced around the lawn and Eddie had to admit, it felt…nice to have so many people that cared about him.

After Vecna, after…everything, the town had completely turned around. People would still stop him in town and thank him for what he’d done. While he still wasn’t Jason’s biggest fan, he felt a little uneasy about the sudden positive attention. Considering he’d been the town pariah for most of his high school life.

But that wasn’t it – it’d been after he’d met you. You’d brightened his life in every way that mattered.

Your laugh floated down to him from where you were sitting on the back deck, leg already elevated. Nancy was sitting next to you, her smile wide as you talked.

He watched your eyes trail down to him and you brightened when you saw he was looking back. You curled a finger, patting the seat next to yours and Eddie excused himself.

If anyone would’ve told him a year ago, that this was where his life would’ve ended up – he would’ve laughed them out of this town. Now? As you curled into his side and he was surrounded by his friends – he had to admit, it was nice.

“I shouldn’t have eaten that last bit,” Eddie complained, flopping out onto the couch next to you.

Rolling your eyes, you turned to him and grinned. “I told you not to,” you said, watching him sigh dramatically.

“I told you not to,” he mimicked you, voice high. His lips came down to your bare shoulder, teeth nipping at the skin. You squirmed, laughing, and shoving him away.

“I don’t sound like that,” you insisted, poking his arm. He grinned and your eyes darted over the affectionate look on his face.

Eddie pulled you into his chest and you laid your head onto him. “So, we finally made it.”

“To our one year anniversary?” You asked, mildly insulted.

At that, he choked, laughing loudly. It echoed throughout the air, both of you on the back deck with the hot tub heating up for a dip later tonight.

“No,” he said, chuckling still, “I meant, we’re made it to Lake Monroe.”

“Oh,” you grinned sheepishly. “Did you think we weren’t?”

Eddie tilted his head and pretended to think. “I mean, when the entire town thought I’d murdered a few of my classmates, you were shot, and I was running for my life from demobats? Yeah…that did make me hesitate.”

“Wow, so what you’re saying is you had no faith in us?” You joked, smiling when he squeezed your arm. “I’m glad we made it too. I’m also glad I can finally say that nothing hurts.”

He shot you a look and you sighed. “Besides my ankle every once in a while. I work on my feet and you need to stop hovering protectively eventually.”

“I don’t think I will, there’s something about seeing the love of your life in a hospital bed with a black eye – it sticks with you.”

You raised a brow and bit you smile back. “Love of your life, huh?”

Eddie grinned at your, evidently, pleased expression and kissed you. “Yeah, Princess, did you think you weren’t?” He teased, echoing your words.

“After a year and the upside down? I better be,” you grumbled, wrapping your arms around him. “I know it took us a while but I am glad we’re here. It’s beautiful.”

Most of the first day had been spent hiking and swimming in the lake. You’d both stayed close to the shore, the reminder of the last lake you’d swam in still too fresh, but it had been fun. Eddie’s nose was a little red from the sun and your legs ached from the walk but it was so…peaceful.

The sound of screeching feedback had you both wincing suddenly and then the music boomed across the water and towards you two.

Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth?

Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth

They say in Heaven, love comes first

The only time the both of you had managed to get time off in September was throughout the week – and thanks to that, most of Gareth’s uncle’s neighbors were away for the season. Almost everyone. The neighbors to directly to your left, apparently, were best friends on a small getaway. They’d introduced themselves to the both of you when you’d pulled up, offering up anything should you need help.

Eddie had thanked them and you’d teased him the entire day about how they couldn’t keep their eyes off of him. “They’re old enough to be, like, our moms.” He shuddered. It still made you laugh. They had been nice though, but were prone to random bursts of blasting music at ground shattering levels.

“For the love of sweet Jesus,” Eddie groaned.

While you genuinely hadn’t minded the music most of the time, you liked the songs, Eddie – on the other hand – was ready to throw himself into the water. It seemed your neighbors had a particular love of Belinda Carlisle.

You bit down on your bottom lip, trying to keep your face neutral as you sat with your bad leg stretched out. Eyes focused on the water - your cheek twitched when Eddie narrowed his gaze in your direction.

“I can see you trying not to laugh.”

“Me?” You said, overshooting and your voice coming out a little too loud. “That is…that is a gross accusation.”

“Mhmmm.”

“I mean, what’s so funny about a song? A simple little song?” You said, examining your nails pointedly. Your head bopped to the melody. “It’d only be funny if you were…somehow…a bit of a patronizing little punk about music. But, of course, you’re not – so…nothing funny here.”

Eddie’s eyes narrowed and you only had a few seconds to disentangle yourself from his arms and run towards the open sliding doors. 

His arms curled around you before you fully made it passed the kitchen island and your laugh bounced off the walls.

“I’m sorry,” he said, voice mock hurt, and barely audible above your laughter, “did you just call me, your boyfriend, a punk?”

When you didn’t answer, his fingers danced alongside your hips and your laughter ricocheted up. “I didn’t! I didn’t!” You said, squirming out of his hold for a brief second before he trapped you again on the wide sofa by the windows.

You were both breathing hard and you felt his knees cage your legs in. His hands pinned your wrists above your head and your chests were bumping with each breath you took.

“I could’ve sworn I heard you,” he murmured, pupils darkening.

Always the instigator, you bumped your hips against his and grinned when his eyes narrowed and his breath hitched. “Actually,” you said, licking your bottom lip, “I called you a patronizing little punk.”

Eddie blinked and after a beat laughed. “You little shit,” he grunted, hands releasing your wrists. You wrapped them around his shoulders and brought him closer to you.

“Why don’t you teach me a lesson?” You asked, wiggling your brows. The current between you two crackled as his hands trailed down to your hip, the shorts you were wearing loose and easy to pull down.

His hand tapped against your ribs and his eyes softened a little. “Considering we thought we’d broken the bed this morning-”

“-I heard a crack, I swear!-” You insisted.

“-do you feel up to a round…”

“Four?” You said, laughing and wiggling under him. “Come on Munson, I’m fine. I promise, if any one of my various ailments hurts I…still probably wouldn’t tell you because I really want you, right now.”

Eddie grinned, shaking his head at your wide-eyed innocent look. “You’ll be the death of me.”

“Ah, probably,” you said, pulling your shirt off and flinging it to the side. Your hands pushed his shirt up and you grinned when he willingly let you pull it off him. “But wouldn’t it be a way to go?”

“Yeah,” he said, fingers trailing across your bare chest, “it would be.”

The earnest tone of his voice made the fire inside you dull down to a more manageable level and you pulled him into a deep kiss. His hips started to press down into yours, his right hand pushing your shorts down lower onto your thighs.

Children, behave

That's what they say when we're together

The music floated in through the open sliding doors, a little lower than when you were outside but the lyrics still just as audible. You couldn’t help but smile into the kiss and Eddie pulled back to glare at you. “What?” You said laughingly. “It’s a good song! Appropriate too.”

Pulling your hand from between your bodies, you pretended to hold a mic and sang along with the music.

“I think we're alone now. There doesn't seem to be anyone around.” You could tell by the mirth in his eyes that he was trying hard not to laugh but the longer you sang, the more of his smile you could see.

“Alright, alright, I’ll give on the timing,” Eddie admitted and you cheered at the win.

“Where’s my prize?”

With surprising speed, you watched Eddie fish for a condom by the side table.

“You left some on the table?” You laughed, surprised.

Eddie held one up triumphantly and shot you a knowing look. “Considering it’s us, yeah, Princess – I left them everywhere for easy access.”

“That’ll be nice for Gareth’s uncle to find after we leave,” you said, breath stuttering as his hand slid beneath your underwear to peel it off.

“I can assure you, we’re already running low,” he said, his breath fanning over your ear. “Less talking, you’re supposed to be learning a lesson.”

You grinned at his silly expression. “Promises, promises.”

“So, our first vacation,” you mused, catching your breath now that your soul had returned to your body. “Despite the delay, I’d say it was a success.”

“Definitely not our last either,” Eddie said, joining you on the couch again after throwing out the condom. “London is our first stop.” He stretched his arms out, hands behind his head.

The muscles in his arm caught your attention, your eyes dragging down the veins as they disappeared by his elbow. The smirk on his face let you know he’d caught you.

“Our first road trip too,” you added, ignoring his knowing look. What? He was your boyfriend for a reason.

Edie snorted, his eyes roaming over your face. “I think there’s a lot of other firsts we have on the list.”

“Yeah?” You said, excited about the possibilities.

“Hell yeah, first apartment?” He said, grinning. “Because this whole having our own space was really nice.” He said eyes trailing down to your naked chest.

You grinned, immediately picturing what an apartment that was just yours would look like. “Stop it,” you smacked his hand as it snaked up to your chest.  

“Who checked who out first?” He laughed when you rolled your eyes. “Our apartment would have a clothes ban.” Eddie pulled you into his arms.

“A clothes ban?”  

“Yep. They’re restricting,” he said, index finger trailing up your spine. You shivered, closed your eyes, and dropped your ear to his chest. The steady beat of his heart bounced in your ear as you both went back and forth, laughing at the more outrageous firsts you could think of.

“First time I make you laugh so hard you snort out soda,” Eddie said and you huffed.

“You’re not that funny,” you joked.

Eddie’s indignant yelp made you laugh and he lifted an arm into the air. “See! I make you laugh all the time!”

He wasn’t wrong. A faint thought floated to the front of your mind. “Oh, I’ve got a good one!”

“Hit me.”

“Your first sold-out concert,” you said, imagining it in your head. A whole stadium with screaming fans and the music so loud you could feel it in your chest. Eddie with his guitar and, knowing the guys, some pyrotechnics.

Eddie laughed. “We only just booked a new venue and now we have the ability to sell out a concert?”

“Yeah,” you said, like that was obvious. “It’ll happen, mark my words.”

“Well, if this year has taught me anything it’s that you’re usually always right. So, I’m believing you on this one,” he said, “or at least, I’m hoping.”

“That’s a good lesson to learn,” you joked, “and anyway, whatever firsts that are on the list – I can’t wait to do them all with you.”

“Even our no-clothes allowed apartment?” You laughed, your body shaking and Eddie grunting at the movement. “Yeah, perv’, even that.”

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

i love your metas! I just discovered them today and have spent all afternoon reading them. I have two part ask, if that's okay. Firstly, do you think a sensible version of bella could survive if she recognised early on that keeping on Edward's good side was her only survival option? and secondly, on the flip side, just how unhinged do you think bella could be before edward rejected her?

Ooh, both interesting questions, anon. Let's do this.

Sane Bella and the Yandere Simulator

Last time, on The Carnivorous Muffin's ridiculous blog, we covered what would happen to a sensible Bella who realizes the Cullens are not fluffy bunnies she should take home.

The long and short, Edward eats her.

Edward's romantic interest in Bella, the thing that has him fighting his own baser nature to keep her alive, is dependent on a few things.

One of those is Bella's interest in turn.

In time, if Bella truly was not interested in him, he would eat her. Alice tells us there's only two paths for Bella: death or vampire. Leaving her and walking away is never a true option for Edward.

So, Sane Bella loses Yandere Simulator because she doesn't realize the key aspect of Yandere Simulator: You Never Say No to Yandere.

However, you point out something interesting here, that this is a sensible Bella.

Sensible people do not immediately think they're playing Yandere Simulator. You don't run across people like Edward often, there aren't many of him, and while there are red flags early in Twilight Edward did a pretty good job of making them not particularly visible.

By the time we hit Eclipse he's pretty much thrown pretending to be nice and sane out the window. Luckily for Bella, that doesn't appear to bother her as much as it should.

Bella thinking "if I don't play along with this inhuman whack job he'll eat me", is paranoid lunacy. It is not the first conclusion a reasonable person would jump to.

That it happens to be the right conclusion is irrelevant.

But alright, I'll play ball.

Paranoid Bella and the Yandere Simulator

Bella is utterly paranoid and wearing her tin foil hat when she enters Forks. She remembers Biology very well and when Edward comes back and pretends to be nice she gives him a strained smile and thinks, "This motherfucker will eat me the moment my back is turned."

Bella considers travelling back to Florida, but that would be leading Edward to her mother, more it would be very easy to find Bella if he truly wished to.

Florida isn't an option.

Bella tries to keep her distance from Edward, hard when he sits next to her in Biology, but he seems willing to ignore her. Bella calms down a little, maybe this will work out.

Bella is nearly crushed by a van, desperately pretends she definitely did not see Edward fold that van like a pretzel. Nope, no siree Bob, Bella is concussed! She then stays awake all night in terror and OH GOD HE'S CLIMBING THROUGH HER WINDOW! HE'S GOING TO EAT HER IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT! HE KNOWS THAT SHE KNOWS!

Bella pretends to sleep, horrified, and Edward stays there all night. Staring.

(Edward, meanwhile, is realizing he's in love.)

Bella enters school a nervous wreck, waiting for that fateful Biology class and... Edward is studiously ignoring her. He doesn't even say hello.

Bella would be relieved, except he keeps sneaking into her bedroom at night, staring. Bella gets no sleep for weeks.

Then the blood testing happens and suddenly Edward is talking to her. He tells her they shouldn't be friends and he doesn't want to be friends, GREAT, EDWARD, THAT'S GREAT. But then it's very clear that he's after something, and Bella's spidey senses are tingling.

Edward doesn't want to be friends.

Oh, oh shit.

Suddenly, Edward sneaking into her room at night takes on a whole, new, sinister twist. First he'll rape her, then he'll eat her (or who knows, maybe vice versa, Bella certainly doesn't want to find out).

Bella is driven home by Edward (he insists) and enters the house to wheeze into a paper bag.

She thinks over her options.

Edward can crush cars, Bella trips over asphalt. Even if she wasn't Bella, there's no way she could outfight him even if she wanted to.

Edward was very concerned when he suspected that she knew, he likely still suspects and Bella's not a very good liar. Bella doesn't want to find out what happens to her if Edward realizes she really does know.

Edward appears to have a romantic interest in her. Does Bella really have the option of saying no?

Bella, still wheezing in her bag, comes to what seems like an inevitable decision. She must humor Edward at all costs. For the sake of her family, of her own life, she must play into his romantic overtures. Bella can't act but now, her life depends on it.

Well, Bella still can't act, but luckily for her Edward doesn't care.

Edward just thinks Bella's very jumpy, a little nervous and shy, and just plain weird (given he thinks Bella's just plain weird in canon this is not too far from normal events).

So Bella gets to live in terror for things like the meadow, where Edward talks about how easy it would be to eat her, how he contemplated murdering Biology in cold blood to eat her in the most efficient manner, how he loathed her for daring to smell delicious, how Alice warned him there was a good chance of him eating Bella in the meadow today, all while pressing his cheek against her hammering heartbeat.

"AH HA HA HA HA, EDWARD, YOU'RE SO CHARMING."

Edward invites Bella to the house. These creepy, man eating, people all meet her with smiles. Edward has composed her a lullaby. One of them, Alice, tells Bella they're going to be best friends.

"AH HA HA HA HA, EDWARD YOUR FAMILY IS SO NICE."

In other words, somehow, all of Twilight still happens because Bella is terrified of saying no.

At least, until Volterra. Given Bella's being hunted by Victoria, even had Bella not gone cliff diving eventually Alice would see her eaten and then black out as the wolves chased off Victoria instead.

Bella spends New Moon having a great time. Mostly. The Cullens are finally gone, she's free, she spends weeks on edge thinking they might come back.

Just when she starts to relax, fucking Laurent shows up and learns Victoria's trying to kill her. Because of Edward, because of course, it's always about Edward. WHY ARE VAMPIRES ALWAYS TRYING TO KILL HER?!

Regardless, Alice shows up and goes, "Bella, my god, you're alive!" And Bella dies inside. Alice Cullen is back. Oh no.

Bella pretends she's thrilled to see her. Alice, her best friend, her favorite demon. Hurray. Alice fills Bella in on the New Moon scoop, Bella pretends to be very invested. Then Alice gets the vision.

Edward has decided to commit suicide via the Volturi.

Bella has no problem with this, unfortunately, she realizes that Alice clearly has a problem with this. Alice fully expects Bella to run off to Italy to save Fucking Edward.

Once again, Bella isn't sure she's allowed to say no.

Bella runs to Italy, finds herself saving Edward's life, and then she's brought before the Volturi where she might very well be executed because Edward Cullen happened to involve her in this mess.

BELLA NEVER WANTED TO BE HERE.

Bella snaps. She's crying, she just can't take it anymore, and she finally loses her shit at Edward. SHE NEVER LOVED HIM! HE IS SCARY AND WON'T LEAVE HER ALONE! IF THEY'RE GOING TO KILL HER JUST DO IT NOW BECAUSE SHE CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE.

Aro watches Bella's mental breakdown in utter amazement. Naturally, while Marcus suspected something was funky with those two, Aro did not see this coming from Edward's perspective.

Aro offers Bella her out, it is unfortunately death or vampire, but vampire is very much an option and Aro will offer Bella sanctuary in the Volturi.

Bella takes that offer and runs with it.

Edward is devastated and blindsided.

Somehow, neither he nor Alice saw this one coming.

But to answer your question: Paranoid Bella survives Yandere Simulator By Defecting to the Volturi

How Unhinged Does Bella Have to Be For Edward to Dump Her?

He won't.

Remember, Edward in canon thinks there's something legitimately wrong with Bella. She doesn't think like normal people, she always makes the least rational choice, and he can't hear her thoughts.

Edward doesn't think Bella's gifted just that she's... different. (Bella, hilariously, immediately picks up that Edward's calling her a freak. Edward backtracks hard on that one.)

Bella's decisions also become increasingly ridiculous as the series goes on.

She stabs herself in the middle of a battle, she insists on having sex with him while human, she consorts with shapeshifters (to Edward this is lunacy), she picked up motorcycle riding, she threw herself off a cliff, she ran from his sweet protection to the reservation, she believes he doesn't love her, and she doesn't want to get married.

I imagine Edward thinks there isn't anywhere left for Bella to go. She's left the planet, unhinged is her middle name.

But none of that matters.

I already linked the Edward/Bella post I always link near the top so I'll just recap. For Edward, it's all about the blood, the silence, and the projection.

An unhinged Bella is still a delicious and silent Bella. He can still pretend she's Carlisle.

Even if Bella became addicted to cocaine, and ruined that sweet scent, it wouldn't tarnish her memory. He'd nurse her back to health, then eat her so she never relapses.

That's the trouble with Edward/Bella, it's not about Bella, not at all. You could replace her with sweet smelling cardboard and Edward would not notice a difference.

[ushittyoldman]

sweetheart like you

request.  hiii welcome! my brain is empty rn but some spike fics would be so amazing! i’ll probably be back when i have an idea but for now maybe just some first kiss with Spike and up until then they had just been flirting:)

pairing. spike x fem!reader

warning. language, mentions of s ex, & just a whole bunch of fluff

a/n. my first spike request eeeeee here u go anon! i hope u like it, it’s still taking me a while 2 pin down his characterization so i kinda just went w how i thought he’d b in a situation like this. nevertheless, i hope u like it thank u 4 this cute asf request (fun fact! spike always reminded me of bob dylan bc of his hair so this title came from a bob dylan song) 

"Found him,” you mumbled discreetly into your ear piece, your sunglasses sliding slightly down your nose.

“Attagirl,” you heard Spike’s smooth drawl through the ear piece, and you attempted to conceal the slight smile that had made its way to your face.

“Careful, Spike, looks like I’m doing your job for you,” you teased, still keeping a watchful eye on the slimy suspect who happened to hold a handsome bounty on his head.

“Can’t really complain when you look so much better doing it.”

“Just fuck already so I don’t have to hear this everyday!” Faye snapped, and this time you couldn’t help the soft blush that colored your cheeks. You tightened your jacket around yourself, attempting to alleviate some of the embarrassment you felt.

“It’s not like that—”

“You know you’re always welcome to join us, Faye,” Spike retaliated, and this time you couldn’t hold back your giggle. Had you turned around, you wouldn’t have missed Spike’s smile widening upon hearing the musical sound.

“I’d rather die.” Faye deadpanned, and you had to remind yourself that you couldn’t laugh too loudly due to the delicate position you were currently in.

“One day... just one day of peace and quiet. You think that’s a lot to ask for, Ein?” 

Silence followed Jet’s tired question, and you realized you’d have to once again step up and apologize on behalf of you three. You softly mumbled into the earpiece, “Sorry, Jet, remind me to buy you a new bonsai tree to make it up to you!”

You could hear the smile in his voice as he enthusiastically said your name. “Anyone ever tell you you’re an absolute sweetheart?”

“Once or twice.”

Before anyone could respond, movement from the corner of your eye caught your attention. The man you had been tailing had stood up from his seat on the couch, paying the stripper who had clung to him for the majority of the hour. You began to subtly gather your things and pay for your drink at the bar, preparing to follow him out of the club.

“He’s on the move,” you angled your head to your left, eyes searching for familiar brown eyes, “I’m gonna follow him.”

Once your eyes met Spike’s, an understanding passed between you two. He had been sitting on one of the couches towards the back of the dimly-lit room. His long legs were spread as his arm was casually draped over the top of the couch, and a cigarette loosely hung from his lips. His long hair was pulled back slightly, since it was styled to mimic the type of men who frequented the club, and you smiled at the memory of you and Faye attempting to tame his hair in the bathroom right before you three departed on the mission. Though he was attempting to pass off as a regular civilian enjoying the strip show, there was something about Spike that made him stand out from the rest of the crowd. Realizing you had probably spent an abnormal amount of time admiring him, you met his eyes again and decided to ignore the look of blatant amusement that so clearly danced within them.

You simply nodded once and you silently applauded yourself on being able to catch the subtle nod he gave you in response in the dimly-lit room. His lips quirked up slightly, and you somehow felt more reassured in your ability to pursue the criminal.

Gulping down the last of your drink just for that liquid confidence, you delicately placed the payment on the table, and adjusted your top as you followed the man out the door. As you left the strip club, you noticed the shadow of the man’s trench coat as he leisurely walked towards the darker side of the already extremely shady town. You inhaled sharply before wrapping your own coat around yourself tighter. Suddenly, the man took a sharp left turn into a narrow dark alleyway between two buildings with impossibly bright neon signs.

“He went down an alley— that’s gotta be a dead-end. It’s almost too easy!”

Spike quickly yelled out your name, an odd edge to his words. “No! We’re sticking to the plan.”

“But I can—”

“Spike’s right, it’s too risky,” Faye interrupted evenly, though her tone showcased her own concern at your irrational thinking.

Deciding to prove them wrong, you furrowed your eyebrows and tightened your grip on the concealed gun. You let out a soft exhale, your breath visible in the frosty night. You immediately turned the corner, prepared to take the man by surprise, yet you stilled in shock when you were suddenly slammed against the brick wall. You could faintly hear your sunglasses clatter on the ground. You saw stars the moment your head hit the wall, and you were almost positive you were dealing with a concussion. You internally grimaced at the earful you’d undoubtedly be receiving from Spike, Jet, and Faye.

“What do you think you’re doing, you sneaky little bitc— ooh,” he mockingly cooed, “You’re pretty.”

“Oh, for the love of—” you heard Spike groan in your earpiece, most likely realizing you deliberately disobeyed the plan.

The man’s rough hands began playing with your hair, and you tried your best not to cringe at the feeling. Briefly, you conceded that Faye and Jet may have been right when they voiced their concerns over you working alongside the bounty hunters on this mission. You were the Bebop’s resident medic, and you had an alarming lack of experience with guns and self-defense in general. The two facts paired with your intense hatred of harming people, and you were most definitely the least qualified person to be on this mission.

Momentarily, you wondered why you even pushed so hard to join your friends and leave the safety of the Bebop. You suddenly thought of Spike. Spike with his lazy smile, as he encouraged you to join them. Spike and his untamable hair as he taught you how to use a gun. Spike and his warm hands as he softly caressed your cheek the first and only time you had managed to take him down in your self-defense classes.

You groaned internally as the realization hit you harder than the concussion.

Stupid Spike.

Deciding not to succumb to death just as yet, you abruptly realized there was a technique that Spike had taught you for this very occasion. You groggily tried to remember the technique, and you urged yourself to remember quicker when the man began to trail his hands down your body. Belatedly, you realized your coat was now on the ground, drenched in the wet snow, and the unforgiving cold air was nipping at your exposed arms and legs.

“Gonna take you on a ride, girly,” he wickedly mumbled in your ear, and you tried your best not to flinch.

Through the cloudy haze of your brain, you managed to mimic Spike’s exact movements as you replayed the memory of his lean body demonstrating what to do. Lifting your knee to kick the suspect in his groin, you cringed as he let out a yell of pain. He bent over, and you took advantage of his momentary distraction by lifting yourself up and gracefully (you’d like to think) wrapping your thighs around his head, letting out a quiet grunt as you used all of your weight to flip the two of you over and onto the cold pavement. You shakily landed on your feet, but you heard a sickening crunch as the man’s face was the first to make contact with the concrete. The guilt almost bubbled to the surface, but you decided he was one of the few who deserved what he got.

You let out a quick huff as your ample chest heaved up and down with every breath. You could feel that your hair was a tousled mess, and your skirt had ridden up considerably. 

“Holy shit.” 

You looked up quickly and belatedly realized Spike had been standing there, casually leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. He had a small smile on his face, though there was also an uncharacteristic red tint to his angular face.

“Spike?” you breathed out. Despite his relaxed expression, you were momentarily worried that he would be annoyed with you not following the plan.

“Quite the little badass, aren’t you?” he responded, no heat and all fondness.

You took a step towards him, though you swayed slightly. You grimaced at the idea of your bare knees hitting pavement, but more so at the fact that you’d be embarrassing yourself in front of Spike. Your confusion grew when you realized that you were suddenly gently lifted in someone’s arms. Perplexed, you looked up and made eye contact with warm brown ones.

When did he catch me? you silently thought to yourself, and you figured the concussion was a lot more serious than you had previously thought.

“You with me?” Spike softly mumbled your name, and you noticed the concern clouding his eyes. You suddenly realized how close your faces were.

“Concussion,” you quickly responded and you internally slapped yourself at the stupid response, “I, uh. I have one.”

Spike’s face broke out into his typical shit-eating grin, and you felt yourself lighten at the familiar expression.

“You’re cute,” he casually spoke. Spike’s smile widened at the pretty blush that had colored your cheeks.

Just then, a particularly relentless gust of cold air blew through the ally, and you unknowingly shivered. You boldly cradled yourself further into Spike’s broad chest, and his smile dropped upon remembering your current situation.

“Faye,” he snapped into the earpiece as he angled his face slightly away from you, “thank you for taking your sweet time.”

“Pleasure’s all mine, jackass. I’m almost there.”

Your shivering worsened, as the cold air nipped at your exposed arms, legs, midriff, and cleavage. Softly shifting your body so that you were comfortably held up with his one arm, Spike quickly pulled off his jacket with his free arm, and moved you so that he could hold you with his other arm as he completely took off his jacket. You hadn’t noticed, mainly due to the softness of his almost imperceptible actions, and so you were completely surprised when you suddenly felt a warm blanket cover your entire body.

Your eyes snapped open when you realized that it smelled way too good to be a blanket. You looked down at the familiar navy blue jacket that dwarfed your entire body, and you looked up into amused brown eyes. 

His yellow shirt was casually rolled up at the sleeves, and the button-up was tightly fitted across his lean yet muscular figure. His arms flexed underneath your weight, and you relished in the feeling of his warm arms caressing the bare skin of your own legs and arms as he held you bridal style in the dark alley. Your stomach erupted into butterflies as the weight and intimacy of the situation set in. You were brought out of your thoughts when you realized he had caught you subtly checking him out again.

“Stop laughing at me,” you huffed as a wayward strand of your silky hair landed on your forehead.

“Why would I be laughing at you, pretty girl?” he mumbled, a smile dancing on his lips.

His lips.

They were so close to your own, and you were once again filled with the insatiable urge to kiss him. You blinked quickly at the thought. Your concussion must have been doing a real number on you.

Your internal confliction grew stronger with each passing second. A large, large part of you wanted to close the distance between you two and finally kiss Spike, consequences be damned. But the small, louder part of you was terrified. You were terrified of rejection, of your insecurities coming to light, of being just another meaningless fling to Spike. Your thoughts grew cloudier, and you were overtaken with the sudden urge to sleep.

Your eyes grew heavy, and your head began to loll against his broad chest. Noticing this, Spike’s smile dropped once again and he began to silently curse Faye and her damned time management skills. He hurriedly mumbled your name, his distress clearly evident in his deep voice.

“C’mon now don’t go falling asleep with a concussion,” he teased, and some of his worry for you was quelled when he heard your quiet, breathy laughter in response, “Careful, doc, looks like I’m doing your job for you.”

Your smile widened upon his teasing remark, mocking your words from earlier, and you rolled your eyes in response. “Smartass.”

“Never said otherwise.”

Once again, his lips were just the right distance from your own, and you felt an instant surge of confidence. You swallowed, and squashed every single worry and fear you had, reasoning that this was Spike, your Spike, and he wouldn’t hurt you. 

“There is... there is one thing you can do to help the concussion,” you shyly said, your cheeks burning brighter than the red neon sign that loomed over you two.

Spike’s eyes widened and his face turned serious and desperate as he nodded. “Tell me what you need, and I’ll do it.”

Butterflies erupted once again upon noticing how prepared he was to help you, and you smiled up in pure adoration at the tall man. Your eyes quickly darted to his lips then back up to those enchanting eyes. 

“You have to come closer.”

Spike blinked once. A second time. And then he smiled softly at you. Understanding flashed in his eyes, and you swore his cheeks held the faintest of blushes. He leaned in closer. 

“This close?” he knowingly teased, an encouraging lilt to his soft tone.

“Closer.” 

You swore you could feel your heart in your throat as it sporadically beat faster the closer he came. His face was now right in front of yours, and you nervously swallowed. You licked your lips, and he looked down at them, mesmerized with the action.

“How’s this?” he smiled up at you, his usual playful smile on his handsome face.

“Spike,” you half moaned and half whined, frustrated with having him so close, yet not being able to finally get what you want.

His breath hitched at the sweet sound of you moaning his name, and he couldn’t help it before he leaned in slowly and met your soft lips. You closed your eyes and relished in the ecstatic feeling. The kiss itself wasn’t very long, yet everything about it was already burned into your brain. Your lips molded against his for a few more seconds before you softly pulled away and let out a dreamy sigh.

Your nerves attempted to get the better of you, yet you surprisingly felt reassured in your feelings for Spike. You silently looked up at him, but he was already looking down at you with nothing but warmth and fondness on his face. He softly reached down and tucked the wayward strand of hair behind your ear, before softly caressing your cheek. You leaned your face into his warm palm as you closed your eyes once more, and he felt his heart ache sweetly.

“You really should get concussions more often,” Spike cheekily said.

“Shut up,” you responded as you closed your eyes again to nuzzle your face into his chest. There was no heat in your response, and Spike couldn’t help but silently admire you. 

He moved closer to you and gently kissed your forehead before straightening himself up. He tucked you closer into his chest and tightened his jacket around your figure.

Somehow, you weren’t as cold anymore.

“About damn time.”

Your eyes opened, and you mustered up as bright a smile as you could at your friend. 

“Faye!”

An unamused expression donned Spike’s face, and he turned around to pointedly glare at Faye. “I could say the same thing to you. What, you saw a mirror on your way here?”

Faye had restrained the suspect at this point, her heeled shoes digging into his back as a way to alleviate the anger she felt at the man for what he did to you. She looked up and genuinely smiled at Spike, adjusting her coat. 

“Jab all you want, Spike, but thanks to you, I won the little bet I had going on with Jet!”

Faye’s amusement grew when she saw your smile drop and Spike’s glare turn into a lofty smile almost simultaneously. You looked up at Spike, yet you flinched at the sudden movement, as the pounding in your head worsened. Concern washed over Spike, yet you shook your head in reassurance, before continuing. 

“Spike— the earpiece!”

“You just had to make a move now,” Spike mockingly chided, though you knew he wasn’t as bothered as you were.

“Concussion!” you reminded him, and he cooed at the pout you gave him as his gaze softened.

You gulped before guiltily mumbling Jet’s name. “…Jet?”

“Two bonsai trees, you hear me? You owe me two bonsai trees now.”

[ostensiblyfunctional]

Heartless travel pack sizes, biggest to smallest

Protags

1. River. Lugs around a gigantic military-issue backpack that you could probably fit a body in, if not for all the medical equipment and various climate-appropriate gear inside. Everyone is constantly surprised that she can carry something that’s practically her body weight

2. Alchemy. Do not let the handbag fool you. He’s just compressed his suitcase into a smaller form, and she is willing and able to concuss you with it. None of the weight is reduced, after all (EDIT 10/10/21: I’ve decided that Alchemy compresses the suitcase into one of those tiny backpacks instead of a handbag because I don’t want them to mess up their shoulders)

3. Doppel and Glass. They share the no. 3 spot because they’re mirrors of each other, including what’s in their bags. They both have satchels that contain various bits and bobs they’ve stolen, as well as hoarded food

4. Eira. After leaving Gwyneira, Moira gives him an old backpack that’s gradually but eagerly filled with clothing and souvenirs the others get him. Eventually, he starts getting knickknacks on his own, and the backpack becomes more well-loved than it already is

5. Flint. Have you ever seen Japanese knot bags? That’s what Flint has. It’s plain brown but very durable; his older sibling made sure of that when they sewed it because they knew Flint would inevitably use it to hit someone in the face

6. Heartless. He’s got a tiny sling bag that fears no god; it was commissioned from the same shop of seamsters and tailors that also make most of what he wears. It’s very durable: waterproof, fire-resistant, and it has patches of layered fabric so it won’t fall apart easily. But a witch Heartless met in passing also turned the bag into a magical item, giving it extra durability to the point of being able to catch blades

Wonders

1. Lorelei. She tends to have a plethora of suitcases full of fancy, shimmery outfits, as well as things for her hair, makeup, and skin

2. Dock. His bags are usually taken care of by Jury healers acting as his helpers, but they’re full of various pain- and death-inducing things, as well as practically a full operating table’s worth of medical items. His main bag is, of course, a doctor bag

3. Diana. On her horse Ceryneia (yes she has a horse, she rootin’ tootin’ and this is a hill I will die on), she has a multitude of saddlebags, full of provisions and hunting equipment

4. Alastor. Mainly, he stays stationary for a long time (health concerns and his ability to be an utterly terrifying enforcer combining to make him stay a long while in towns), and when he does move he usually doesn’t carry his bags himself, but they’re mainly just a plain black suitcase and briefcase

5. Bandy. A lot of the time, he just stashes his belongings in hard-to-get places and swaps them to him when he needs them, but he has a checker-patterned bucket bag to swap said belongings into and loves to baffle people by pulling out items they’re very sure he didn’t pack

6. Lance. Like hell he needs a bag when he’s got hoarding abilities and is able to bring his belongings out of a fricking pocket dimension. Bags are for the weak

Others

1. Guard Girl. She too has a gigantic military-issue bag that could fit a body in it. She likes flopping it on top of captives to keep them pinned, since the bag usually contains rather heavy armor

2. Krome. A big, patchy camping bag that’s seen better days, but is full of belongings and secrets

3. Moira. Often carries around a toolbox on her repair jobs, and for jobs that take her out of town, she has a duffel bag for anything she needs

4. Arthyr. He doesn’t usually get out and travel from the castle, and even when he does, he doesn’t have bags of his own, just a retinue of people taking care of his belongings for him

5. Murphy. No bag, only mouth that occasionally drops a dead cockroach before Moira’s feet (which is honestly a miracle, considering how little life skills Murphy possesses)