#luca is a tiny dorito

[thatonesongyouretryingtoremember]

woah uh here's a second spooky secret anon whose identity you will never be able to guess

tell me about ur fav el hcs. thats not a request btw, it's a demand >:))

YES YES YES ACHI OF COURSE I WILL <2

She loves the moon. She whispers secrets to the moon and tells her stories and listens to her blissful silence in turn basking in her gentle radiance

She has a journal of sorts which is barely holding on due to the fact she has used about every medium known to man on it depending on how she felt that day, between putting butterfly stickers or writing ten page "letters" or straight up cutting the pages. I once wrote a WHOLE ENTIRE THING on this which has been lost to the ages ugh

Ever since someone pointed it out, she has curly hair <2

Her clothes are full of LOVE! Almost everything my girl wears has been previously owned by a family member a friend or her partners. There are also ones she recieved as gifts or ones she picked out, and they all hold love differently. Hand me down clothes carry a piece of family in them and gifts are full of hope, the ones El picks out herself represent self love <2

LIVES for cutting out shapes of paper okay on the daily grind making tiny hearts to hang on he wall

Got a polaroid camera from Jonathan and takes artsy photos of herself and nature and silly photos of her family <22

Likes Dorito chips.

Has asthma.

Enjoys very much to play musical instruments, much to the dismay of anyone who hears. (Pains me to write as a musician bc she's meant to be just like me /j) Lucas Max Dustin and Jonathan love listening to her actually, even if she isn't considered "good" at music.

Prefers reading aloud over in her head, she really likes novels but the format with the huge block of text sucks ass so she gravitates to comics even though they aren't her preferred stories. She loves nonfiction though, and she got Nancy's animal book that she referenced in ST1 to catch the demogorgon and now El reads it all the time, being more proficient in the specific words. But she also gets new nonfiction nature books from the library (RIP Hawkins library) and knows. So many facts.

Speaking of, she can fairly easily sound out words with a bunch of syllables(even if her intonation is off-putting she's actually pronouncing it right" but she fucking hates silent letters. And conjugating. (<- canon evidence I swear) and whatever the fuck kind of dance though through thou and tough have got going on.

Elumax jocks REAL okay they go skating together play basketball together and hike together.

[therenegadesexualmystic]

After watching The Old Guard for the...6? time, I could see even more clearly Luca Marinelli has a wee bit of a Dorito shape under those goddamn Hanes T-shirts & dad jackets. Not quite as extreme as Mr Dorito Man Himself—Chris Evans in The Avengers—but he’s got quite the V-shape and a nice round tush.

Now while Yusuf is the most beautiful man in the world, Marwan’s ass looks flat in those pants. And while I want to desperately trade places with that blue long-sleeve, his torso is still mostly rectangular. Nicely muscled rectangular but still not as much of a V-shape as Luca.

Brought to you by a proud card-carrying member of Lesbians Drooling Over Marwan Kenzari & Luca Marinelli.

[actualbird]

absolutely themeless assorted bag of hcs for the nxx boys, enjoy

wc: 536

vyn richter

was once contacted to be a brand ambassador for an upscale hair conditioner. he only declined because he knew it would imply to the general public that his hair is as beautiful silky silver smooth as it is due to a product. it isnt. it's just how hes built.

types "www." manually before every website

-

artem wing

the moment he was born into this world as a tiny pudgy flesh human baby, he cried for a grand total of 3 seconds just to let everyone know he was indeed Alive and then he quieted immediately. his mother was like "what???????" Assigned Quiet at Birth

speaking of mothers; artem is the momfriend of the group in general but specifically hes also the one with carrying all the useful stuff in his bag needed in day to day life that people often forget; wet wipes, disinfectant spray, post its, microfiber glasses cleaner (added for vyn, who sometimes leaves his at home), blister packet over the counter pain relievers (for him and then also for the whole team, they get headaches when Think Too Hard), hair ties (added for MC), and just everything else as well.

-

marius von hagen

cant aim for shit. like, he often crumples up sketches he doesnt like and tries to shoot them into a nearby wastebasket and by the end of the day, he shakes himself out of The Zone and realizes all of them missed, he is surrounded by crumpled papers. he once tried to toss a snack in the air and catch it in his mouth and he got hit in the eye with a dorito

actually, hes the ONLY ONE ON THE TEAM whos got this aim problem. canonically, artem is a sharpshooter, vyn is an archer, and luke is a sniper. since mc has been learning stuff from all of them, i assume her aim is great now too. rest in pieces to marius von hagen when the nxx team decide to go team building at a paintball arena or laser tag. hes fuckin DEAD

-

luke pearce

so bad at on the spot giving of words. adjectives, verbs, nouns, all of em. this is vaguely canon already (SSR Alluring Gaze where he was undercover and then was asked for his name and, of all names, said he was LUCAS. despite the fact that his CLEARLY VISIBLE NAMETAG ON THE OUTFIT SAYS SHERLOCK, LUKE, PLEASE. it is absolutely also my sub-hc that for NSB undercover missions, his cover name and persona is drafted beforehand so he can get acquainted with it early on so improv is a bit more minimal since hes got ahold of The Character) but i want to take it further, like, if mc asks him on the spot to describe like, a cake, off the top of his head, his answer is gonna be "cake-y"

while artem is the momfriend with the normal things that could be needed, i think luke is the one whos got stuff of the genre thats like Why Do You Have This? just look at his jacket. ive pointed out the visible pockets and noted down possible contents

[visforvengeance]

Robin Buckley: I thought I dreamed her

Requested by: no one :)

Notes: hi. Hello. I’m back from the dead with some gay. Am I too late? I absolutely adore robin and this has been sitting in my drafts since s3. Now. The conversation where robin confessed her feeling to reader is an actual convo I had w my best friend. And this was kind of dedicated to her. Idk if she’ll read this but anyway. I hope you like it. This was inspired by hozier’s work song too.

Warnings: none. Cursing. Just really gay fluff.

Y/N’s POV

Having a summer job at the mall was tiring. Until she walked in. She was shy and hardly spoke. When I first saw her, I ruined a customer’s ice cream cone. Chocolate was all over my hand and my boss yelled at me for the third time. “Stop being so distracted! Those condiments cost and I don’t pay you to stare at boys,” she said. Boys? Yuck! And she barely pays me anything. ”Y-yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.” I never stutter. But her laugh made my knees go weak and my heart burst with joy.

Steve was working there already. They’d both gotten super close. Always laughing and hanging out, it made me jealous. Why couldn’t she be like that with me? Steve never even acknowledged her in school. But me? I noticed her every move. Not in a creepy way, but in an “I completely adore you” way. Her favorite drinks and how she never ate the school pizza because it had cheese on it. She hated cheese, but she ate Doritos and things. It was cute.

She was so cute in her sailor’s hat. How bored she looked when Lucas’ little sister and friends demanded they get more ice cream or they’d tell our manager. When Steve wasn’t around, she’d speak. But nothing more than “what are you eating for lunch?” If I wasn’t so fucking awkward, maybe we could’ve been friends. I’d rather have her as a friend than not at all.

In school, I’d see her giving heart eyes to the back of Steve’s head. God, I wish it were me instead. He genuinely sucked, and she deserved better. I started leaving notes in her locker. Notes like “you looked pretty today” and “you’re an Aphrodite in a garden of snakes.” I watched her read them and her smile stay plastered on her face until the end of the school day.

When Steve noticed that I was working there (after 3 months?) he invited me to hang out with them after work. And Robin insisted that I come and that she won’t take no for an answer. Remember now, I never stutter. But when her attention was on me, the connection between my brain and my mouth went out the window.

We sat at the swings in Hawkins Memorial Park. Steve stood against the pole, while Robin and I swung. We all engaged in a conversation, but Steve kept getting left out. He went home and it was just us. We had a mini fight on who was walking who home (she won). On the way to my home, we talked and talked. Time sped past us and we were on my doorstep in no time.

When I got to work the next day, I expected her to not want to talk to me. But she stopped her conversation with Steve to come and hug me. She smelled of vanilla mint perfume. It made me fall more in love with her than I already was. Our conversations carried on throughout the day and then we walked home together.

Soon, we became really close friends. We had sleepovers and gave each other hugs that seemed to last forever. She told me she loved me for the first time when we were in my bed. The fairy lights on my wall captured her silhouette perfectly. We were laying face to face, so close that I could feel her breath on my skin.

And then we were practically inseparable. I had replaced Steve in a sense. But not in the way I wanted. I didn’t want to be her friend, I want to kiss her lips. I couldn’t tell her that, though.

I’d overheard a conversation between her and Steve. She was talking about someone, a girl. She mentioned how she thought she was the cutest girl she’d ever seen. And that she just wished she felt the same. I couldn’t listen anymore, so I announced my presence.

After a few months, we grew apart. It worried me. If I ever lost her, it’d be like losing a part of myself. By now, I was maybe in love with her. We’d say ’I love you’ at least 3 times a day. And we held hands all the time. We were extremely close, maybe too close. If I was ever sad, she was always there. And she made me feel better instantly. I thought about her constantly and everything reminded me of her. I’m scared of losing her.

And then came to my house at 12:30 am. “I think too much about you,” she whispered. “Is that bad?” I asked curiously. “I don’t know. I want you in my life. But is it that simple or is there more to it?” I shrugged. “We’ll just have to see.” She nodded and turned over to sleep.

She quietly called my name, asking if I was sleeping. When I responded and turned to look at her, she was already facing me. “Please don’t hate me after this but I think I might be in love with you. We say ‘I love you’ to each other all the time and I truly mean it. And I can actually picture myself marrying you. I can’t picture my life without you.”

I moved to kiss her. She wasted no time placing her hand on my waist. My hands were tangled in her hand and my body was warm all over. I’ve dreamt of this moment so many times. You could hear the soft beat of Just Me and You playing on the radio.

When she pulled away, I got lost in her eyes for a second. “I take it, you feel the same way?” I laughed and nodded. “More than you know, Buckley.” I spent the rest of the night in her arms.

The next day, we arrived at Scoops Ahoy. I hadn’t eaten, and I would’ve been starving. But when I watched my girlfriend smile at the tiny customer when taking his order, my body was so full of love that I could barely eat.

[theem0fangirl]

The new girl in Hawkins (Mike Wheeler x OC)

POV: It’s a sunny day in Hawkins Indiana, a normal school day for many. Jupiter is the new girl in Hawkins and today she’s starting her first day in Hawkins high school.

“Jupiter“ her aunt called out “Jupiter, wake your ass up!“. Jupiter groaned against her pillows, she clearly didn't want to wake up and go to school. “If you don’t wake your ass up in five minutes I will come in here and whoop it“ By that warning she woke up faster than lightning “Alright, alright, i’m up. Jeez“ she mumbled. 

“First day of going to hell as a junior“ 

She made her way with a zombie walk, up to her bathroom. She lived in a rather wealthy family with her aunt Cici in a place in Indiana where a lot of people couldn't afford to live. 

“PUT DOWN THAT RACKET, JUPITER!“ aunt Cici yelled. 

Jupiter groaned, her music wasn't even THAT loud. She had placed a record from band Guns n’ roses, her favorite album appetite for destruction.  

She wore a long sleeved striped shirt, over it a black nirvana shirt, black fishnets,  black skirt with too many chains on them, boots with platforms, choker with necklace, rubber bracelets, metal rings, etc. 

Jupiter wasn't much of a makeup girl, like any other day, today she wore mascara, filled in her eyebrows, eyeliner on her eyes and a nude shade of brown matte lipstick on her lips. 

She grabbed her backpack and walked down the set of fifteen stairs that led down to the living area, took a left and arrived at the kitchen where her aunt as making breakfast. 

“Well, well, someone is trying to make a good impression for their first day of school“ her aunt chuckled. Her aunt wasn't that big of a fan of her choice in style or music but still loved her regardless. 

Her aunt placed a plate of pancakes drizzled with Nutella and tiny slices of strawberries. Her aunt makes her natural smoothies everyday. Today’s smoothie was mango and papaya. 

“Are you sure that you want to do this?“ her aunt asked, she was driving Jupiter down to the school which was only fifteen minutes away “I can always contract tutors and have you study at home. I just don’t want you getting in trouble, JuJu“. JuJu was the nickname her mother gave her, she swore to never use it again. “I’ll be fine, okay?. I’m seventeen years old, aunt Cici, I should be doing things that normal teenagers do“. 

Normal was understatement. Jupiter was far from normal. 

“Oh, and remember that you’re walking back home from school“ they waited behind the long line of cars that dropped their kids in front of the school. “I love you, JuJu“ Jupiter rolled her eyes “Love you too“ she said dryly before hopping out of the car. 

She made her way inside the school, the intoxicating smell of overbearing jocks saying weird words and stuck up bitches was too much for Jupiter. Even the chattering was too loud for her liking. 

“Hello there!“ a rather cheerful girl greeted Jupiter “You must be the new girl, right?“

“Is it that obvious?“ the cheerful girl nodded “Really obvious. You were all that everyone was talking about for the past week. We never had a rich girl from New york come here to live in Indiana!“ 

Jupiter was starting to get really annoyed by this cheerful girl. 

“Leave her alone, Jenna. Your overwhelming positivism is making her want to punch your face“ a random red head girl intervened, Jenna, the cheerful one wore a disgust looking face before she walked away. “Thanks for saving me“ the red haired girl smiled “No worries. Jenna is just, overwhelming to say the least. You must be the new girl, I’m Max“ she extends her hand “Jupiter“, Jupiter gladly shakes Max’s hand. 

“Jupiter?, huh, never heard anyone with that name. Come with me I’ll show you to your classroom“. 

Max seems to be nice, Jupiter thought. Turns out that Max and Jupiter took the same classes at the same time. Jupiter mentally sighed, she was grateful to have someone to hang out with the rest of the day. 

“For the love of God, Mike, get over it!“ Lucas was tired of hearing Mike mope over his failed relationship with El/Jane. “It has literally been almost two years since you guys broke up and you’re still moping over her?“. Mike had broken with Jane Hopper almost two years ago, due to the distance and everything they couldn't keep up with each other and decided it was best to end everything. 

“How can i NOT mope, Lucas?. El was my girlfriend and she was the best girlfriend i ever had!“

“And the only girlfriend you ever had“ Dustin numbled. 

“Come on Mike, you’re sixteen years old, almost seventeen, i think it’s time that you moved on just like El did“ Lucas had a point, Mike did need to move on and forget everything about El. 

“How about her!“ Lucas pointed to Jenna. Mike scrunched up his face “Too happy“. Lucas and Dustin both tried searching for a girl to match Mike’s liking but all of them were just not like El. 

Lucas groaned and gave up. “Wait” Dustin kept punching Luca’s and Mikes arms “What about her?” he pointed towards Jupiters direction, she was walking next to Max who was buying lunch. “Who’s that?” Mike asked “I have no idea”. 

Mike stared at Jupiter for a while, He took notice how wildly different she was from everyone, it wasn’t that hard to notice. When everyone was wearing cardigans, pink makeup and glossy shoes, she was wearing shiny chains, black makeup and boots with platforms. 

It did peak Mikes interest the way that she looked. 

“Mike?“ Lucas called out “Mike!“ he snapped his fingers in front of Mikes face. Mike snapped away from his daze, he noticed that Jupiter was sitting across him, he couldn’t help but bite his nails in embarrassment. 

Jupiter quietly chuckled “It’s okay, i seem to be getting those a lot today. But who can blame them?, i stick out like a soar thumb”. 

Jupiter stared at her lunch which consisted of doritos and chocolate chip cookies. “I’ll be right back, I’m going to go buy a soda from the machine”. When she stood up to go buy the soda she couldn't help shaking the feeling that someone was staring at her ass. 

“Do you need help?“ Jupiter turned around to see a rather tall jock looming over her small figure “Not really. I just came to get a soda“ she wanted him to go away but the jock was persistent “I’m Caleb“, “Jupiter“ the jock stood confused “Like the planet?“ Jupiter nodded her head, she bent down to grab her soda. 

“Listen, can you do me a favor?“ Caleb nodded “Tell your overbearing dickbrained friends to stop staring at my ass before i kick them in the balls“

Jupiter sat back down on the table with Max and the boys. 

“What was Caleb doing talking to you?“ Jupiter rolled her eyes “I have no idea but his smallbrained friends were staring at my ass. I gave him a little message to send his friends“

“Which is?“

“If they kept staring at my ass I would kick their balls“ 

Dustin and Lucas almost busted out laughing. “You are quite the daredevil new girl, what’s your name?“ Lucas asked “Jupiter. My name is Jupiter“. 

Mike liked the sound of her name. It was unique. 

“I’m Dustin and this guy over here in Lucas and mister stares a lot is Mike“ 

Oh, so he’s the guy that was staring at me when i was getting my lunch with Max, she thought. 

“Well it’s very nice to meet you all“ she started to munch on her doritos as Lucas and Dustin chattered something about going to the arcade. 

“So, Jupiter, what brings you to Hawkins?“ Mike decided to break the silence between him and Jupiter. “Uh, personal problems. My parents got divorced, neither of them wanted to keep me so my dad sent me away with my aunt in New york.“ 

Lies. 

Jupiter didn't want to exactly tell him the real truth of why she was Hawkins, it was too dark. 

“So, if you lived in New york why did you come here?. New York is far more better than Indiana“ 

“My aunt wanted a fresh start. You see, she’s a physician and back in New york she wasn’t liking the environment much, people kept belittling her work“ Jupiter returned her gaze to the chocolate chip cookies in front of her “I must’ve already bored you to death“ Mike aggressively shook his head “No, no, not at all. It feels nice having someone to talk to that never lived in Hawkins“. 

Jupiter offered him one of her cookies to which he happily took one. When Mike took a bite of the cookie he closed his eyes to soak in the savory taste of the drizzling chocolate. 

 “Woah, did you make these?“ Jupiter nodded her head “I like to bake when I’m bored“.

Mike and Jupiter got to talking about their favorite type of music. 

“No way, you like nirvana?“ Jupiter scoffed and pointed at her shirt “I like any type of indie and rock band. As long as i hear a good guitar riff, you have me sold“ they both burst into small giggles. Mike was captivated by the bright smile that Jupiter had. 

“Hey Jupiter“ Max called out “Me and Lucas were thinking about walking back to our homes, we thought that maybe you’d like to join us?“ 

“I would love to. Where do you guys live?, I live in Rosecherry road“ 

Dustin and Lucas stopped chattering, Max had widened her eyes and Mike almost choked on his food. 

“You live in Rosecherry road?“ Max said it as if it was impossible for people to live there “Only the most richest of people live down that road“ 

Jupiter hated the word ‘rich‘, she didn't like to be called that word.

“Can you guys please, not call me that name?, It’s uncomfortable“

Neither of them questioned why it was uncomfortable for her to be called rich but they let it slide. 

By the end of the day Jupiter was outside the school gates waiting for Max and Lucas since they promised to walk with her to their homes. 

They never came. 

She rolled her eyes and started to walk out the doors. 

“Jupiter!“ Mike shouted from the humongous crowd in front of him. 

Jupiter turned to see a running Mike heading towards her. 

“Wanna go get-“ Mike was trying to finish his sentence through his labored breaths “Ice cream?“  was all that he could manage to say. 

“I would love to“ Jupiter’s heart did small leaps.

“Then come on new girl, we can’t miss the bus that goes to the mall“

Jupiter could tell that she was going to enjoy her time with Mike.

[robinskey]

Lover (Steve Harrington x Reader)

A/N: GUYS as you’ve probably noticed, I’m incredibly excited about the release of @taylorswift‘s new album. IMO, Lover is one of Taylor’s best songs to-date, and I thought it would fit perfectly with a fluffy, domestic Steve one-shot. 

Warnings: Mild language, heavy fluff. Story under the cut.

We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January

This is our place, we make the rules

And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear

Have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years?

It wasn’t until you and Steve moved into your first home together that you realized how deeply in love he was with holiday decorations.

You had started the process of moving your belongings into the new place at the end of September. By mid-October, Steve had begun pestering you about shopping for Christmas decorations. You reminded him that you hadn’t even unpacked the last box yet, and Halloween hadn’t even occurred yet. Steve was persistent that you needed to get the lights up as soon as possible to “maximize the Christmas spirit.”

After a lot of convincing, Steve had finally agreed to wait until November. By then, you figured, he’d forget about it. I mean, this was the guy who couldn’t remember his social security number and occasionally wrote it on his stomach (“because I’m not dumb enough to keep it on, like, my hand, Y/N, where everyone can see it.” When when you suggested he just carry his social security card with him, he told you he didn’t trust himself not to lose it.) Surely, that guy would forget all about it, right?

Wrong. On November 1st, you were nursing a Halloween-candy hangover when Steve dragged you to Goodwill. You returned home with enough decorations to light up a mansion and spent the rest of the afternoon stringing them all around your tiny one-bedroom house. After dinner, you and Steve headed outside. As the sky faded to black, Steve wrapped an arm around your shoulders, and he watched in wonder as your small townhouse transformed into a winter wonderland.

“Look at that, Y/N! We did that,” he said. The various colors of the lights reflected in his eyes as he gazed down at you.

“I didn’t know King Steve Harrington could get so excited over Christmas lights.” Your smooth teasing was foiled by a strong gust of wind that left goosebumps on your arms and caused you to shudder.

“I’m full of surprises,” Steve said as the two of you started back towards the front door. “For example, you probably didn’t know, but I can make the best cup of hot chocolate in the state of Indiana.”

“Oh, really?”

“Oh, yeah. Grandma Harrington taught me her secret recipe.”

Even though you’d known Steve for years, you learned new things about him every day. You wondered if you’d ever run out of things to learn about the boy you’d known all your life.

Can I go where you go?

Can we always be this close forever and ever?

And ah, take me out, and take me home

You're my, my, my, my lover

We could let our friends crash in the living room

This is our place, we make the call

And I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you

I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all

Dustin Henderson started referring to your place as “our house” before you guys even moved in. He dropped by several times a week with updates on the newest happenings at Hawkins Middle or questions about how to handle a Suzie situation. At least once a month, Dustin crashed on your couch after a weekend movie night. 

On one occasion, you and Steve returned home from a date night to discover half a dozen adolescents gathered around the television in your living room. A curly-haired kid carried around a bag of chips in one hand and waved cheerfully with the other. He flashed his infamous toothy grin, which you met with a half-scowl, half-squint of confusion.

“Dustin? How did you get in here?”

Dustin spoke through a mouthful of Doritos. “My mom dropped us off. And then I used my key.”

Your glare switched targets. This time, you directed it at Steve. He clamped his hand down on his face; you weren’t sure if it was to avoid your gaze or express his frustration.

“Dude, I gave you that key for emergencies only.”

“This was an emergency!” Dustin threw up his hands, sending an army of cheesy corn chips into the atmosphere. After falling back to earth, bright orange triangles wedged themselves into your new white rug. “The season premiere of our favorite show is tonight, and we didn’t have anywhere to watch it.”

You crossed your arms over your chest. Your eyes scanned over the gang sprawled across your couch, armchairs, and carpet. Judging by the boxes of candy and cans of soda littered across the floor, Dustin must have raided your pantry. Apparently, the kitchen wasn’t the only place he infiltrated, since almost your entire linen closet was spread out over the living room. Lucas and Max shared the recliner beside which Dustin was currently standing. Will sat on a pillow with his back against the coffee table, his attention still focused on the television screen. You turned your attention to Mike, who was curled up next to El under a crocheted blanket you’d received from your grandmother. 

“Doesn’t your family have a TV, Mike?” 

"Yeah, we do, but my mom kicked us out so she could watch a soap opera or some shit. She and Nancy love that crap.”

Nancy. 

That name ignited the flame of jealousy in your chest. You knew it was totally irrational; she and Steve hadn’t dated since high school. They’d both moved on-something Nancy did almost instantaneously. Steve had told you the whole saga of their mostly-one-sided relationship, and you were fairly certain Nancy never really loved him.

Still, Nancy was Steve’s first serious girlfriend. She was the first girl-the only girl, other than you-to whom he’d said “I love you” and meant it. Nancy was, and would always be, Steve’s first love. There wasn’t anything you could do to change that.

“Y/N? Hey, babe, you good?”

Steve’s voice jolted you back to reality. You shook your head slightly to clear it, then nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”

You pretended not to notice the way his mouth twitched downward slightly in concern.

“Great. So we can stay?” Dustin interrupted. The hopeful gleam in his eyes was too much to resist.

“I guess,” you sighed, earning a chorus of triumphant “yeah!”s from the kids. “Your show’s probably about over by now, anyway, isn’t it?”

Dustin furrowed his thick brows, as though that was the most blatantly incorrect assumption you could have made. Lucas let you know that “it doesn’t even start for three more hours.”

“Won’t that be, like, midnight? Your parents aren’t going to freak out if you come home at two in the morning?” Steve asked.

“Actually...” Dustin drew out the word until he finally ran out of air. Then, he spoke the next few words in one breath. “We were hoping you’d let us spend the night here?”

You and Steve exchanged glances. Between your schoolwork and Steve’s work schedule, the two of you hadn’t been able to spend as much quality time together. You’d finally both managed to secure a responsibility-free night and a cheesy rom-com to watch while cuddling on the couch. (Steve pretended to hate those movies, but he almost always teared up at least once during the show.)

None of that mattered now, though, because your boyfriend could never say no to his favorite child-or so you thought.

Steve scratched the back of his neck. He glanced at you out of the corner of his eye before saying, “Actually, Dustin, tonight’s not the best night for a sleepover. Y/N and I kind of had plans.”

Lucas raised his eyebrows suggestively. “Plans, huh? What kind of plans?” he said, earning a smack on the arm from his girlfriend.

Color rose to your cheeks; Steve picked up a pillow someone had haphazardly tossed on the floor and launched it at Lucas’s head. Instead of hitting its intended target, though, the cushion collided with Max’s face. Ever the hothead, the ginger quickly contorted her neutral expression into a deep frown. She chucked the pillow back toward Steve with tremendous force, along with a few other throw pillows. Only one actually hit Steve. The rest rained down on you.

And, as a mature, homeowning adult battling literal children, you knew there was only one correct response: to hurl each and every one of those pillows right back.

It didn’t take long before the scene devolved into utter chaos. Fluffy rectangles flew across the living room, smacking into bodies or simply into walls. The kids outnumbered you and Steve three-to-one, so you were doomed from the start. However valiant of an effort you two gave, the party still overcame you, burying you and Steve under an avalanche of pillows.

“Clearly, we won this fight,” Dustin said as he loomed over you. Steve had tried to act as your human shield, so he laid beside you on the floor. “I think that means we earned the right to stay.”

“Dustin-“

“No, Steve, it’s okay,” you said, turning towards him. “I know it’s not what we originally planned, but maybe a sleepover with the kids would be fun.”

Steve looked at you with admiration glittering in his chocolate eyes. “Yeah?” he asked softly.

“Yeah.” You shifted a few pillows to get closer to Steve and plant a gentle kiss on his mouth. He smiled as your lips brushed his, and for a moment, you forgot about the gang of gangly tweens in your living room.

Then, a symphony of “ew”s and “aw”s and “can you not”s and “I think it’s sweet”s erupted throughout the room.

Steve shot into an upright position, pointing his finger in the general direction of the sitting area. “Hey, this is my house, and my girlfriend, and if I want to kiss her, I will. And if you dweebs want to stay here to watch your stupid show, you’ll keep your mouths shut.”

“As long as you keep yours shut,” Dustin quipped. “I think I can speak for everyone when I say we’d rather not see you and Y/N sticking your tongues down each other’s throats.”

You tossed the last pillow throw of the night at Dustin but agreed. You and Steve kept the PDA to a minimum that night. They were just kids, after all, and you didn’t want to corrupt them. However, when Nancy came to pick up Mike the next morning and Steve waved to her from the porch, you didn’t hesitate to flounce out the front door in your robe and draw Steve into a passionate kiss.

You just had to make sure Nancy knew what was yours.

Can I go where you go?

Can we always be this close forever and ever?

And ah, take me out, and take me home

You're my, my, my, my lover

Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand?

With every guitar string scar on my hand

I take this magnetic force-of-a-man to be my lover

My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue

All's well that ends well to end up with you

Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover

And you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me

And at every table, I'll save you a seat, lover

Your favorite part of the day was coming home to your best friend.

Steve more or less memorized your schedule. You arrived home around the same time every evening, so Steve knew when to start listening for the sound of gravel crunching under the wheels of your car. He would then meet you on the porch with a “hello” kiss and a “how was your day, honey?” You always feigned indignance as he took your bags, murmuring something about how weak he must think you are to not be able to carry them two more steps. But, secretly, you spent your entire commute home anticipating the interaction.

This was especially true on the stressful days, the ones you felt would never end. Even though Steve was completely clueless in most situations, he could typically tell when you were in a foul mood. Those were the times he pulled you a little closer to his heart, hugged you a little tighter, loved you a little extra-just in case you needed it.

Today, you really, really did. It had been one of those days where everything seems to go wrong. You couldn’t wait to crawl into bed with Steve and snuggle all your sorrows away.

As you pulled into the driveway, your heart beat faster in anticipation. You watched the front door swing open. It took you a second to realize that the figure standing on the porch wasn’t your boyfriend. Rather, it was a short, stocky kid with a halo of golden curls. If it hadn’t been for the unmistakable hair, you might not have recognized him; you’d never seen him sans ballcap but plus a paisley-print bowtie around his neck and certainly never with dish rag was draped over his arm.

“Hey, Dustin,” you said. When he responded by simply smiling back at you, you asked, “What...what’cha doing here, kid?”

“Hello, Ms. Y/L/N. I’ll be your server for the evening,” he responded without missing a beat. 

“My server?”

Dustin bent his head slightly in what he must have considered a sophisticated spin on a nod. “Indeed. Now, if you’ll follow me, ma’am...”

You kicked off your shoes and set down your purse before wandering after your guide down the dimly-lit hall. Something crinkled under your footsteps. You quickly noticed small ovals scattered across the wood floor. As you stepped on one, it felt like silk against your bare feet. 

Petals?

You were too busy staring at the flowers scattered across the hall to realize you’d reached your destination. Dustin stopped, and you ran right into his back. You stumbled before regaining your balance and taking a look around the room.

The “server” had escorted you to your own kitchen-a place you were quite familiar with, since Steve couldn’t cook a decent meal to save his life. (To be fair, though, you weren’t much more skilled with the stove, so approximately 90% of your diet was comprised of takeout and peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches.) However, you’d never seen the kitchen quite like this.

It was the cleanest it had been since move-in day. Not a dish sat on the counter or even in the sink. The crumbs typically scattered across the floor had been replaced by rose petals. Sparkling white Christmas lights stretched across the room, and Elvis Presley crooned over the record player in the corner of the room. You didn’t even know Steve owned a record player. (As you later discovered, he didn’t. He’d borrowed it from Jonathan Byers.)

In the center of the room, your cheap card table was draped with a lace tablecloth. Wedged between two covered silver platters that looked like they belonged in a castle, a flickering candle cast shadows on the face of the boy sitting beside it. As soon as his eyes fell on you, he scrambled to his feet and over to you.

“Hi,” Steve said, winding his arms around your waist. He sounded breathless, even though he’d literally just walked a few feet.

“Hey.” Your eyes flicked from his slicked-back hair and freshly-shaven face to his crisp button-up and newly-polished shoes. “What’s-um-what’s all this?” you asked, vaguely gesturing around the room.

“Oh, you know.” Steve pressed a quick kiss to your lips before taking your hand and leading you to the table. “I just thought I’d do something special for you tonight.”

"That’s...really sweet.”

Steve scooted your chair in before placing himself back into the seat across from you. Dustin disappeared into your pantry, then returned with a bottle of sparkling grape juice. As you watched the teenager carefully pour a splash into each of your glasses, you asked whether Steve had bribed or tricked him into spending his Friday night playing restaurant.

“This is my full-time job, ma’am. This is how I earn my living,” Dustin answered dutifully before breaking character. “Besides, four of my stupid friends are on a double-date, and Will’s sick, so I had nothing better to do.”

“Way to sell us on the idea that you want to be here, dipshit,” Steve remarked.

“Hey, show our waiter a little respect!” you teased, gently kicking Steve under the table.

“Thank you, Y/N. But, actually, I prefer the term server,” Dustin corrected. He proceeded to produce a notepad from his pocket and read you the specials-or, rather, special, considering there was only one: spaghetti with meatballs. “On our regular menu, we also offer a wonderful noodle dish with a marinara sauce for the same low price as the special-zero dollars.”

You quirked an eyebrow. “So...just spaghetti again?”

Dustin clapped a hand over his heart in mock offense. “Excuse you, madam. It’s spaghetti without meatballs, which is a completely different experience.” Dustin glanced around as though someone might overhear before quietly adding, “Personally, I would recommend the spaghetti with meatballs, unless you want grubby hands digging around in your dish to pull out the meatballs, which may or may not already be incorporated into the pasta.”

You rolled your eyes but laughed nonetheless. “I guess I’ll have the spaghetti with meatballs, then.”

“Excellent choice. And for you, sir?”

“I’ll have the same,” said Steve.

“Well, you’ve both made this very easy for me. Pardon my reach,” Dustin said, leaning over to pluck the covers off the platters. A heaping hill of noodles, red sauce, and meatballs lay underneath. 

Dustin took the lids and disappeared into the living room. You weren’t sure if Dustin was just trying to stay out of the way or if he was going to attempt to wash them in the bathroom sink. It definitely wouldn’t have been the weirdest thing he’d done in your house; once, you and Steve caught him trying to explain morse code to a squirrel in your backyard. That kid was truly an odd duck. 

And speaking of weird behavior, you were still seriously questioning what was happening. Steve was a sweetheart, and he did everything in his power to make you happy. This definitely wasn’t the first time he’d surprised you with a thoughtful gesture, but it was probably the most all-out he’d ever gone. The last time he even attempted to cook for you was during senior year of high school, when you first started dating. As an after-school snack, Steve had popped some pizza rolls in the microwave and promptly forgotten about them...until, of course, the kitchen appliance burst into flames.

As strange as it was, you didn’t want to ruin the moment by verbally expressing your curiosities. You simply swirled slightly-soggy spaghetti around your spoon and savored the small talk. Eventually, Dustin reappeared to clear your plates and ask if you wanted dessert. 

“What are my options?”

Dustin’s excellent waiter facade faded for a second. He glanced at Steve with wide eyes. His gaze begged for guidance-which Steve failed to provide. He simply squinted at Dustin as if to say, Figure it out for yourself.

The entire ordeal lasted about fifteen seconds. It was too long for Dustin to turn back to you with a tight-lipped smile plastered on his face as though nothing had just happened between them.

“The final course is-the dessert, uh-it’s a surprise.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you could have sworn you saw Steve offer a nod of approval.

“Okay...” You drew out the word as your mind jumped to every conclusion possible. “Is it a good surprise? Or is it, like, a somewhat-edible science experiment that might actually poison me?”

“Oh, no, no. It’s a good surprise. You’ll like it. I promise,” Dustin said. “I-uh-I’ll go get it,” he said, then disappeared once more. 

“Steve, why did Dustin just head toward the bathroom? I swear, if he made Jell-O in the toilet or something, I’m going to lose it.”

Steve just shrugged. He avoided your gaze, and a few beads of sweat had broken out across his forehead. That pretty much solidified your suspicions that Steve and Dustin were pulling some weird sort of prank on you.

Dustin returned a few minutes later with yet another silver platter. (Seriously, where was he getting these things?) This time, though, there weren’t any noodles on the plate he unveiled. Instead, a small velvet box sat on the metal.

The next few seconds happened in a blur. You recalled Steve rising from his chair and reaching for the box. Then, suddenly, he was on one knee in front of you. The box opened like an oyster. Instead of a pearl, though, its treasure was a glimmering diamond ring. 

Tears began clouding your vision before Steve’s lips even parted. As soon as he spotted the water in your eyes, Steve started to get choked up, too. He tried to power through, but his voice became more strained with each syllable.

“Y/N. These past few years with you have been the best of my life, and I never thought...shit." Steve blinked rapidly, attempting to clear away the tears. “I never want to spend my time with-with anyone else-damn it,” he murmured as a drop of water finally escaped his tear duct and rolled down his face. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I had this whole speech prepared, but now I’m a mess-”

You stopped his ranting by placing a gentle palm on his cheek and a kiss on his forehead. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I love you for the whole-ass mess you are.”

Steve leaned into your touch for a moment and whispered, “I love you, too, Y/N.” Then, he straightened up, cleared his throat, and softly asked, “Will you marry me?”

“Of course.”

Steve barely had the patience to slide the ring on your finger with his shaking hands before he picking you up and swinging you around. He kissed all over your face, and your happy tears mixed with his in a joyous saltwater solution. 

The kiss fest didn’t end until Steve, caught up in all the excitement, accidentally pressed his lips to your nostrils. The two of you burst into a fit of giggles amplified by the ecstasy of the emotions you were feeling. Your hysteria lasted for several minutes and ended with you and Steve laying on the floor, lungs devoid of oxygen and limbs tangled together.

“Are you guys really that happy, or are you, like, on something?”

You both glanced toward Dustin, whose presence had completely slipped your mind. Luckily, Steve had a response ready. It was cheesy and cliche, but nothing could have fit the situation more perfectly:

“No, dude. We’re just high on life.”

Can I go where you go?

Can we always be this close forever and ever?

And ah, take me out, and take me home (Forever and ever)

You're my, my, my, my

Oh, you're my, my, my, my

Darling, you're my, my, my, my lover

***

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[therenegadesexualmystic]

So we all agree that Yusuf Al-Kaysani is the most beautiful man in the world, yes? (Followed closely by Luca Marinelli and Marwan Kanzari in some order, maybe a tie depending on hair & face scruff).