#magic shop has always been and will always be dear to my heart

[cosmicdreamgrl]

you gave me the best of me, so you'll give you the best of you 🩵 [ cr: namuspromised ]

[sitp-recs]

My AO3 Wrapped: 16 Drarry Recs

This year I’ve embraced a change of pace and read way less than I intended to. This made me feel a bit disconnected from fandom but also allowed me to put this list together in record time so let’s not complain too much 😂 this is shorter and lacking my usual commentary but I didn’t want to break the tradition of sharing my fave reads of the year! Be it for their creativity or peak romance, these 16 amazing fics made my heart beat faster and got me even more in love with Drarry. I’ve read most of them in the first half of the year and it was interesting to see so many fics over 40k, as my usual sweet spot is 10k - 20k. I love the mix of tropes featured here and am very excited to rec authors I’m reading for the first time. ps: I haven’t included any Erised fics since the fest is still ongoing.

Thank you dear creators for sharing so many brilliant works with us this year! 2023 wasn’t my best year fandom-wise, but life has been so generous in other areas that I can’t help but feel humbled today. I wish everyone a lovely start to the new year! As always, please mind the tags and take some time to shower these authors with the appreciation they deserve. Oh, and stay tuned for a rare pair list sometime soon ;)

🍆 Snug by @moonflower-rose (E, 6k)

8th year | touch-starved Harry | soft cock kink

Potter can't keep his hands off himself. Draco can't look away.

🧩 Muscle Memory by @corvuscrowned (E, 8k)

curse breaking | partners to lovers | memory magic

There's something just beneath the surface, just at the periphery of Harry's mind. They've been here before — they've done this before. If only he could remember it.

👹 draco malfoy's substitute murder service by @oknowkiss (E, 10k)

odd jobs | D/s undertones | open ending

When Harry joins the Curse Breakers shortly after his twenty-fifth birthday, he’s surprised to find himself assigned to the Department of Creatures, Cryptids, and Associated Calamities.

🏰 the earth from a distance by spqr (E, 15k)

time travel | Wizarding history | only one bed

“Well,” Harry said gamely, once they’d managed to find the Leaky Cauldron – still under construction but mercifully open for business – and he’d turned up a few knuts from his pockets, enough to get them a room for the night, “it could be worse.”

🎚️ O Come, All Ye Faithful by @toomuchplor (E, 20k)

vicar Draco | established relationship | Church of England

Aunt Petunia died, that was what began everything. Or rather, Aunt Petunia was dying. In the act of dying. In which Draco finds faith in the church, and Harry finds faith in Draco.

🎄 Waking Up Slow by @sweet-s0rr0w and @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm (E, 22k)

shop owner Draco | summer romance | light angst

'Twas the night before Christmas, although it’s July / Draco’s a shopkeeper, no-one knows why / There’s hiking and witch caves, freak snowfalls and more / Bad Christmas jumpers, nosy neighbours galore / Narcissa’s here too, but… something’s amiss / And what’s in those chocolates that’s making them kiss?

🚬 Sun Thief by @floydig and BlackRose532 (E, 28k)

slice of life | fast sexual burn | dark humour

It’s 2005, and Draco Malfoy says, “Fuck the Ministry,” Harry works as a handyman in muggle London, and Draco should really stop pissing off the Squib gangs.

🍷 Winner Takes It All by @skeptiquewrites (E, 41k)

break up make up | down & out Draco | hurt/comfort

As with all his friends’ wagers, it starts small. Fifty Galleons for one kiss from Harry Potter is easily done.

🏖️ LA, Who Am I To Love You? by @epitomereally (E, 42k)

Draco in the Muggle World | pining Harry | recreational drug use

Harry’s summer in LA is not going as expected. Pansy Parkinson keeps inviting him to parties in the Hollywood Hills and harassing him to finally go to the physical therapist, Blaise Zabini keeps slipping new strains of his company’s magical weed into Harry’s pockets in hopes of an endorsement, and Draco Malfoy keeps having sex with everyone but Harry.

🫃Shine On, You Crazy Diamond by @lagerloutfic (E, 42k)

fwb to lovers | gay awakening (Harry) | mpreg (Draco)

Harry has probably always wanted Draco, it just took him a few years to figure that out. A story about the joy of discovering exactly who you are and how easy it can be once you do.

🚣‍♀️ Our Objective Remains Unchanged by @citrusses (E, 46k)

rowing AU | enemies to lovers | university setting

Harry Potter, returning member of the Oxford University Boat Club, has two goals for the spring of 2005: beat Cambridge, and beat Draco Malfoy. Perhaps not in that order.

🧶 Polar Night/Midnight Sun by @toomuchplor (E, 54k)

cabin fic | wintery vibes | only one bed

Harry travels to arctic Norway on the trail of dragon egg poachers, only to find he's been assigned to work alongside the only NorMagPol Auror north of sixty: one Draco Malfoy.

🎩 Nights With You by @the-sinking-ship (E, 58k)

holiday fic | fake relationship | mutual pining

Draco is mortified when moments prior to departing for the most anticipated destination wedding of the year, he is cruelly dumped. But when he learns that Harry Potter has, at long last, split with his horrible boyfriend, Draco is certain his luck has changed.

👮🏻‍♂️Rookie Moves by peu_a_peu (E, 75k)

auror partners | slow burn | humour

Aurors Potter and Malfoy crack the case.

🖼️ where all the veins meet by @saxamophone (E, 146k)

sad bois | Grimmauld Place | found family | 8th year

It's the summer of 1998. The battle is over, and Voldemort is dead, but Harry still has more questions than answers. Who is he without a piece of Voldemort's soul in his head? What is he supposed to do now?

📼 Always Already by @aibidil (E, 170k)

time travel | forced proximity | mutual pining

Harry and Draco are perfectly fine, separately minding their business in 2004, when the Unspeakables conscript them into service... in the First War against Voldemort.

[wrightingdungeon]

Dear Diary

Evelyn and George, I love them so much.

ANGST! GET YOUR ANGST HERE!

POV Evelyn’s Diary - shes 19/20 RN - WILL HAVE TIME SKIPS - None of this is cannon beside pop pop blowing up - BTW George still blows himself up oop - Imagine getting snips of her Diary not the whole book - Im not sorry for how I end this - fight me

I did make a kinda sequel right here featuring Alex a lot more angst over here "The Past Reborn"

"Happy ends"

Today is Spring, 8, 1965.

While working in the clinic today, a miner came in, but he wasn't like the other miners. He almost dropped his cap taking it off while trying to introduce himself. His name is George, and he came in for an injury on his hand. The rope he was holding had slipped from his grip, causing a severe rope burn across his palm.

He apologized for tracking coal dust into the clinic, which no miner has ever apologized for before. I don't think their mothers explained how hard it is to get coal dust out of the bed sheets, but it's my job, so I shouldn't complain much. I just hope George will be okay. I told him he should inform his foreman that it's doctor's orders he not work until his hand heals completely.

Today is Spring, 12, 1965

The doctor was out of town today, having a call outside of town. The clinic ran as usual, although I had to tell some people to return tomorrow to see the doctor. Despite a few cases, today was a good day. Mr. George came back, and his hand has healed phenomenally. It still has a bit more healing to do, but it doesn't look like it will leave a bad scar.

I must admit, when I was holding his hand and inspecting his burn, I couldn't help but feel light-headed. George is not a bad-looking man, and his smile is so kind, His miner's cap always tosses his brown hair, and his eyes always have a twinkle in them. I’m afraid I’m a horrid nurse, feeling these things for someone in my care.

Today is Spring, 20, 1965.

George came by the clinic today. His hand looked better, but that wasn't the reason he came. He brought me a bundle of tulips, thanking me for all the care I had given him. I'm looking at them in my window right now, and I can't help but smile. He is such a kind man. I can't quite figure out how he knew what flowers I fancy, but does that matter? They are so beautiful.

I am sad, though, because George's hand has healed fully, and now he has no reason to come to the clinic. I should be happy—he's healed, and I did my job—but my heart aches knowing I won't see his smile or his twinkling eyes again. Like I said, I must be a horrid nurse.

Today is Summer, 4, 1965

I saw George again today. I was at the market shopping for dinner when I reached for a leek, and my hand touched his. His laughter is much more boisterous than his voice, which was a pleasant surprise. It's nice discovering things about him—he is like a book I don't want to put down.

He offered to cook me dinner as a proper thank you for helping him. I should have said no, but I said yes. Now, I'm sitting here, terrified to go to his home. I've never had anyone other than my mother cook for me. My heart is fluttering.

Today is Summer, 13, 1965

I have heard the number thirteen is unlucky, but I believe it to be lucky. This evening, I heard a knock at my door. It was George, dressed nicely with his hair neatly fixed. He handed me flowers and asked me out to a gridball game.

What do I wear? I want to impress George. I haven't been on a date before.

The date went so well! George's team won, and he was so happy. We got sorbet afterward to celebrate, and George took my hand in his as we walked. I really do believe the number thirteen is lucky.

Today is Summer, 28, 1965

It has been two weeks of me and George going steady, and it feels like a dream. When George finishes his shift in the mines, he comes to the clinic and walks me home. He is such a gentleman, nothing like the other miners I have met. Tonight was just magical. As George walked me to the door, I could tell something was off. His hands sweat when he is nervous, and I swear they were dripping.

He looked at me, his face as red as a beet, and asked if he could kiss me. His lips are soft and warm. It's embarrassing to admit, but his mouth does taste like cigarettes. Oh, I think I am in love, and I don't know what to do.

Today is Winter, 20, 1965

I can't believe it… George asked me out again today. He took me to the cliff to watch the sunset. He was sweating again and refused to look at me. When I asked him what was wrong, he just caged up further. I thought he was breaking up with me, but then he grabbed me as I got up to leave. His words fumbled over each other, and he almost fell over as he rushed to his knee.

George proposed to me. He told me I was the most beautiful woman he had ever met and that he couldn't stop thinking about me since he burned his hand with that rope. I'm so excited—I'm going to be George's wife soon. I just wish Mother was still with me so she could see this.

Today is Fall, 14, 1970

I can't sleep. George had an accident today at the mines. It was terrible; they had to rush him to the city. The doctor sent me home, saying I was a wreck. I can't stop crying, picturing him covered in blood and bruises on the operating table. Someone said he dropped dynamite.

Please, Yoba, don't take my George. After losing my parents, he's all I have. I can't bear to be alone again. He's my everything—the love of my life. The house feels empty without him. Every corner holds memories of him, and I can't imagine life without him.

Yoba, you've always answered my prayers. Please, I was so alone after Mother and Father passed, please don't take him from me as well.

Today is Spring, 2, 1971

They finally allowed George to come home from the hospital, albeit in a wheelchair. But that doesn't matter to me. What matters is that he's home and on the mend. It's a new chapter for both of us, one filled with challenges and uncertainties. Sometimes, George can be a bit rude, but I can see the fear in his eyes.

I made a promise to stand by him no matter what: for better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part. And I intend to keep that promise. I'll be there for George, caring for him and cherishing our time together, no matter what lies ahead.

Today is Winter, 2, 1976

This is a happy day! Me and George weren't sure I could become pregnant, but I am! We are so excited to see our child. George has been working in the nursery non-stop, making sure he can care for our baby, not allowing that wheelchair to stop him.

I have decided on two names: Clara for a daughter and Coy for a son. I don't care what we have; I know they will be perfect.

Today is Summer, 10, 1977

Clara is perfect. With George's rich brown hair and my green eyes, she's a sight to behold. Despite her small stature, her eyes hold the same glimmer of curiosity as her father's. I know she will cause all kinds of trouble as she grows up just like her father.

As I watch George cradle her with such gentleness, his protective gaze never leaving her, and the tears of love that well up in his eyes as he whispers soothing words to her, I'm reminded once again of how blessed I am to have him by my side. In moments like these, it's crystal clear that I've married the most wonderful man.

Today is Summer, 13, 2000

I knew the number thirteen was lucky. Today, our grandson Alex was born. As I held him in my arms, I couldn't help but notice how much he resembled his mother, right down to the tiny button nose that mirrored hers when she was born. George was worried about Clara, complaining that everyone was here to see just Alex and not his baby girl. He has always been such a good father; he will be the best grandfather as well.

Looking at my family as it has grown, I’ve gone from an empty home after my parents passed, to a husband, a daughter, and now a son-in-law and a beautiful grandson. I love my family dearly and can't wait for the years ahead of us.

Fall, 16, 2004 This page is heavily tear stained

We took Alex for the day taking him to the fair as Clara wanted him to experience it. I can't believe we got lucky enough to have Alex… George's scream echoes in my mind… Did he scream with that pain when he was blown up?

We thought the phone call was Clara telling us that they would be late picking up Alex. The phone call shattered our hopes—it was the Zuzu Highway Patrol delivering the tragic news. Clara and her husband are gone… Victims of a drunk driver on the wrong side of the road. They didn't survive.

But we have Alex…. We have to tell our four-year-old grandson he can't go home anymore… He can't see his Mother or Father ever again

Yoba, why didn't you shield them?

[captainsophiestark]

Like A Damn Disney Prince

Elijah Mikaelson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for my Year of Olympians and part of a bigger challenge being run by @yearofcreation2023​! It features a ton of other awesome creators and runs all year, so go check it out!

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries/The Originals

Prompt: Aphrodite; Love, Passion, Beauty, Desire, Rose

Summary: Elijah asks the girl of his dreams to accompany him to the Mikaelson ball.

Word Count: 1,396

Category: Fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"Just a second!" I called at the sound of the doorbell. I set down the whisk and the bowl of brownie batter I'd been working on, then quickly wiped my hands before heading to the door. I peeked outside to see who it was and found none other than Elijah Mikaelson standing there, dressed impeccably in a suit as always and with his hands behind his back. I smiled, trying to ignore my racing heart as I opened the door.

"Hi Elijah," I said. He smiled as soon as he saw me, and my heart thumped a little harder than before.

"Hello, Y/N. It's lovely to see you," he said. With that, he brought his hands out from behind his back and held out a rose to me, along with a nice manila envelope. "For you."

"Oh my goodness, thank you," I said, reaching out to take both items from him. He'd brought me an actual rose, while wearing a suit. Like a Disney prince.

"The letter is an invitation to a ball my mother has decided to throw. She asked us each to find a date, and I couldn't think of anyone else I'd rather go with."

"Oh my gosh, Elijah! I... I don't know what to say."

"How about... yes?"

I beamed, holding the rose and the letter a little tighter to my chest.

"Yes. Absolutely yes, I'd love to go with you. I'm so happy you asked."

He smiled. "Excellent. I'd offer to pick you up, but my dear sister beat me to that request. She wanted me to ask you if you'd like to go dress shopping and get ready with her in, say, an hour?"

"Absolutely," I replied with a grin. "Rebekah and I are due some girl time."

"Wonderful. Then I'll see you tonight."

Elijah reached out and took my hand, placing a soft kiss on the back of it before stepping away from me with a smile. My heart melted.

"Until we meet again."

With that, he turned and walked away. I watched him go, waving when he got into his car and gave me one last smile before driving off. I stood on my porch for a few more minutes after he'd gone, a dopey but happy smile on my face. I could already tell this night was going to be magical.

Rebekah showed up on my doorstep an hour later on the dot. She'd just finished asking Matt Donovan to be her date, and although she insisted she didn't have feelings for him I felt confident she was lying. Still, I didn't press her on it as we cruised the shops of Mystic Falls trying on every dress that caught our eye. Once we'd each found the one, we went back to my house to get ready.

"Oh. My. God. My brother is going to have his first heart attack in a thousand years."

Rebekah grinned at me as I twirled around the room in my literal ball gown, feeling just like a princess. We'd done each others' makeup and had gotten completely dressed, and now we were basically ready to go. After, of course, we properly hyped each other up.

"You really think so?" I asked, the heat rising to my cheeks. Rebekah nodded.

"I know so."

"Thanks, Beks. And Matt's absolutely gonna fall over at the sight of you, too."

"You're damn right he is," she said, flipping her hair over one shoulder and holding out her arm for me. "Now let's go, shall we?"

I smiled as I took her arm and the two of us headed out to the car. The last rays of sunlight still stretched over the town as we came to a stop outside Mikaelson Manor. Cars lined the street and every other available parking spot, the party already in swing as Rebekah and I arrived.

"I can hear your heart racing," said Rebekah with a smile as we walked up the steps side by side. I huffed.

"Great. Good to know my nerves will be loudly on display for any vampire in attendance."

"You don't need to be nervous."

She said the words as we came to a stop in the entryway, people pausing to look at us before carrying on with their evening. A little ways up the grand staircase in the middle of the room, I could see Elijah standing and talking to Klaus. When he glanced in my direction and first caught sight of me, however, he froze, mouth slightly open before a smile tugged its way onto his face. He said something to his brother, then started walking down the stairs and towards me.

"See? He's head over heels," said Rebekah, leaning in to whisper the words in my ear. I could hear the smirk in her voice. "I'll give you two some space."

With that, she disappeared into the crowd. A moment later, Elijah stood before me, looking even more handsome than usual (which I hadn't thought possible) in an immaculate tuxedo.

"I'm so glad you made it," he said, his words a bit breathless. He looked me up and down, his expression awed, and I smiled back at him. "You look... absolutely stunning."

"Thank you," I said, doing a little curtesy. Elijah grinned. "You look fantastic, too."

"You're very kind."

He paused, staring at me for another few moments, and despite the noise in the rest of the room I had a feeling he could hear my heart pounding. Finally, he held his arm out to me, grinning with a gleam in his eye.

"Come with me," he said. "I have a few people I'd like you to meet."

We made our way around the room, me holding tight to Elijah's arm as he at last introduced me to the rest of his family. I'd met Klaus and obviously Rebekah, but now I got to meet Kol, Finn, and his mother, too. I got the distinct impression his mother was up to something bad, and Elijah shared similar suspicions with me as we moved back into the crowd. But, for tonight, we decided to put every supernatural problem on hold and enjoy the magical evening together.

Finally, after a toast from the Original family themselves, it was time to take to the dance floor. Elijah immediately found me, offering a hand.

"May I have this dance?"

I smiled and took his hand. "Of course."

Elijah led me out onto the dance floor, twirling me into the dance's starting position amidst all the other couples. All kinds of different friends, foes, and otherwise interesting guests dotted the floor, but I ignored every single one of them. The rest of the room fell away as Elijah and I twirled into the first steps of the dance, eyes only for each other.

"I feel like I'm in a fairytale," I admitted, smiling as Elijah twirled me out and away from him before pulling me back into his chest. The look on his face sent warmth blooming through my chest.

"You certainly look the part of a fairytale princess."

I grinned, laughing a little and leaning my head on Elijah's chest. When I looked up again, I found him smiling at me, and in that moment I couldn't possibly have been happier.

"Says the literal Disney prince."

Elijah chuckled. "A Disney prince, hm?"

"Impeccable manners and honor, a true gentleman, handsome, dresses nice, and brought me a rose to ask me on a date? Yes. A Disney prince."

"I didn't realize I checked so many of the boxes."

"Easily."

"Well then, I'm very lucky to have found my princess."

I beamed at Elijah as the dance wound to an end, his arms wrapped tight around my waist as he held me to his chest. Slowly, just barely, he leaned down and glanced at my lips. I knew he wanted to take it slow for me, which I appreciated, but this was one thing I didn't want to take it slow on anymore.

"May I kiss you?" he muttered, voice low with only a few inches between us. I grinned.

"Hell yes."

"You know, I don't think Disney princesses swear-"

"Oh, shut up."

With that, I closed the distance between us and kissed Elijah, hard. He immediately returned the kiss, deepening it a little bit, although not too much since we were still in the middle of the dance floor. And just like in basically every Disney princess movie, in that moment, with Elijah, I knew I'd found my happily ever after.

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

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury

TVD/TO Taglist: @elenavampire21

[oh-no-my-hand-slipped]

An Adventurer’s Cold

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

An original fic commissioned anonymously

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

Subject: Original Characters By Author

Length: 3,998 Words

Genre: Denial, RPG, Contagion, Stuck Sneeze

Rating: E for Everyone

CW/TW: Slight Food Description, Mild Blood

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

You have entered MARLINE’S MAGIC SHOP.

“Snf…welcobe back, traveler.”

Marline took a worn handkerchief out of her front apron pocket, blowing her nose mightily. She sniffled, leaning against the old oak counter she stood behind.

“Whad can I interest you in today?”

Terra, only half listening, looked at the many mystical items lining the shelves. Dragon’s heart, succubus horns, even a small jar filled with pixie wings for one silver piece each. Not a bad price, considering how hard pixies were to catch.

However, she didn’t have time for browsing today.

“You wouldn’t happen to have a bronze kobold fang, would ya?” she asked, looking through a green eyepiece at the tired shopkeeper.

Marline smiled. “You took thad request for the rabid fairies, I take it?”

“Yep! They’re some nasty critters, but we’ve got a potion that should stun ‘em -”

“Hah-! hhhhp’TSHIEW!”

Marline bent over the counter, her long red hair spilling over her face. She groaned, taking her handkerchief out again. Terra lowered the eyepiece.

“Good health, Mar. Though it sounds like it’s a little late for that.”

Marline blew her nose with a loud honk. “I was bushroom hunting during a rainy spell ereyesterday - snf! I believe I bay have lived to regret it.”

“I’ll say,” Terra said, frowning. “Have any faeleaf? It doesn’t taste great, but it’ll set you right again.”

“Not this week, I’b afraid. I wasn’d the only one who fell ill after the storm. I would harvest sobe byself, bud I…hih! hhh’PTCHIIEW!”

“Hey, no worries!”

Terra reached into her traveling bag and pulled out a small, bitter-smelling burlap pouch.

“I always keep some with me for emergencies.”

Marline shook her head. “You busn’t – hih’PSHIEW!”

Terra set the bag on the counter.

“Listen, if anybody has an emergency, it’s what you’ve got. Besides, I haven’t caught a cold since I was a kid! I don’t think I’m going to start getting one now.”

Marline gave a knowing smile, but took the herbs with no more opposition.

“Stday in good health, kind traveler,” was all she said before stuffing her handkerchief back into her apron pocket.

“I will!” Terra replied, not noticing Marline’s expression. “The spirit of adventure will keep me warm! And a little mead, if I can get it.”

Terra chuckled, and turned on her heel to leave.

“Ah! Your kobold fang!” Marline called after her.

Terra spun around again, putting her hand on her forehead.

“If my bow wasn’t on my back, I’d forget that too,” she said, reaching for her belt. “Let me just get my coin purse, and I’ll -”

Marline shook her head. “No, no, dear traveler, please. Your kindness has been paybent edough.”

She reached into her apron, pulling out a sharp, yellow tooth with a purple tint at the crown. She held it out to the adventurer.

“Don’t mention it,” Terra said, accepting the tooth.

Suddenly, Marline’s handkerchief was retrieved again, and she sneezed into it yet again, sniffling with a quiet groan. Terra suddenly realized that the tooth must have been next to the shopkeeper’s many handkerchiefs throughout the day. That would explain its uncharacteristic shine.

She shrugged, putting the tooth into her satchel. She’d touched worse bodily fluids.

KOBOLD TOOTH is now in your inventory.

“Get some rest, Marline!” Terra called behind her as she left.

“I shall,” Marline said wearily. “Fare thee we-heh! hhhh’PCHIEW!”

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

You have entered the DARK FOREST.

“I believe this is the place, if my master’s geography is correct,” Vin said, peering at a dusty, yellowed scroll. “Though the topography may have changed since he made it.”

“Eh, how much can a bunch of rocks move?” Terra said. She squinted above her, checking the branches of the surrounding trees for glittering wings or beady eyes between the leaves.

Vin adjusted their glasses with a mechanism on the side of the hinge. “Quite a bit, actually. Earthquakes, battles, magical events, even the migration of animals can-”

ENERGY has decreased. You are now FATIGUED.

Terra yawned, rubbing her suddenly burning eyes. Vin scowled.

“You can at least pretend to be interested.”

Terra started. “Huh?”

“We have been walkin’ for a while,” Norif said, hoping to placate the scholar. “We ought to set up camp – it’s gettin’ dark anyway.”

Vin hmphed, but didn’t have any objection.

Suddenly, Terra noticed that there weren't as many sounds of footsteps as there were before. Her worn brogues, Norif’s dwarvish leather boots, Vin’s cork soles…

Terra turned around.

Frederick had completely stopped, and was looking up at the sky, which had just begun to show the pinpricks of summer stars. His wide, moonish eyes stared, unmoving. Then, with a slow motion, he lifted a thin arm and pointed a finger to the trees, his other hand moving inside his cloak. Terra instinctively rubbed her hands together, preparing her magic.

The others soon followed suit, grabbing their own weapons and standing at the ready.

Their preparedness paid off, as, before the party knew it, a swarm of angry fairies descended upon them, snarling and screeching.

Norif swung his ax at the creatures, taking large clouds of them with a single blow. Vin, with a scraping of iron, loaded their crossbow, the many cogs and mechanisms firing the arrows directly into each fairy heart. A thin rope attached to every arrow jerked them back into place with a satisfying clack. The practical Frederick fired his revolver quickly and without mercy, leaving every target a blood splatter on the dark soil.

But even with these efforts, the fairies quickly overtook them. Frothing mouths and gnashing teeth soon surrounded the adventurers.

They had expected this – after all, fairies could only be kept at bay with magic, as was their birthright. They all looked to Terra, their resident mage.

Taking this as her cue, Terra retrieved the kobold tooth from her belt, crushing the hollow bone in her palm until it was a thin powder.

A simple wind spell would spread the tooth, subduing the fairies until Terra could harness lightning to defeat them for good – electricity was the only natural element they had no control over.

Terra took a deep breath, and a howling gust of wind blew through the forest as she puffed out the ground tooth. A white cloud swirled around her. The rest of the party kept their distance, both out of reach from the spell and the rabid fairies. The cloud overcame the swarm, and, as they smelled the scent of their natural enemy, went limp and hovered in the air.

Exactly as planned.

Terra stretched her fingers, feeling the warm pulse of magic flow through her hands. To the knuckles, to the joints, then to the tips it went.

But, before she could cast the final spell, her breath caught.

The KOBOLD POWDER is tickling your throat.

Terra tried to will herself to focus on the spell, but it was no use. The powder was making her eyes water and her throat dry. She hacked out a cough, still holding her hands in front of her to cast. The spell buzzed uselessly from her fingertips.

No matter how much she wheezed and croaked, Terra couldn’t keep upright long enough to cast her spell. The cloud was starting to settle, and one of the bigger fairies shook itself from its haze, baring its fangs. It dived into a thin part of the cloud towards Terra.

“Watch out!” Norif called, but it was no use. Terra could hardly hear herself think, much less anyone else over her hacking.

Terra looked up just in time to see the fairy rear back an arm and sink its claws into her cheek. She yelped, stumbling back. A tree root caught her heel, and she tumbled to the ground. She lifted herself onto her elbows to the fairy growling a low growl, preparing another, deadlier attack. Green venom dripped from its fangs, and its yellow eyes dilated. Terra held her hands in front of her, trying in vain to ward off the creature.

“N-Nice fairy…snf…”

Unbeknownst to the mage, the tickle in her throat had slowly traveled to her sinuses. Her freckled nose began to twitch.

You need to SNEEZE.

“Deh-Don’t…hih-!”

A small group of black clouds gathered above them, and Terra’s hands began to crackle. Thunder crashed. The fairy started, looking up with wide eyes and a whimper. Terra squeezed one watering eye shut.

“A-Almost…gih-!”

The clouds grew thicker, the thunder louder. The tree branches trembled in the wind. The other fairies, still hovering, looked up at the rumbling sky. Terra hitched, curling her fingers.

“HAH-!”

KSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSH!

You used CALL OF LIGHTNING.

Lightning flashed, hitting every single fairy with a bolt of white hot magic. They fell to the ground, singed and lifeless. Barely contained, bolts began hitting nearby trees, giving them black, round burn marks with red centers. If the rest of the party hadn’t gotten out of range of Terra’s magic, they would have surely been struck as well.

It was VERY EFFECTIVE.

Once the spell had run out of targets, it ended, and the dust cleared. All that was left in the now barren clearing was Terra, stunned and still holding her hands in front of her. A light drizzle began to fall.

There was a long pause as the party stood still in front of the clearing, afraid to join the fairies littering the ground.

“Cogs and corkscrews,” Vin murmured, their usually narrowed eyes wide.

Norif gingerly stepped into the singed circle, keeping the blade of his ax above him just in case.

“Y’alright?” he said, taking a torn rag from his breast pocket.

Terra blinked, and a nervous smile shook on her lips.

“I, uh…the spell kind of got away from me, huh?”

“I’d say so,” Vin said, earning him a glare from Norif, who had begun dressing the wound on Terra’s cheek.

“At least the job’s done,” he soothed. “No one in their right head would want fairies caught alive.”

Terra nodded. “Yeah. That’s right. Just - koff! - give me a sec and I’ll -”

ENERGY has decreased. You are now EXHAUSTED.

Terra fell back against the tree trunk, wincing. Norif rubbed her shoulder.

“We’ll make sure the fairies don’ seep back into the soil. You did your part. We’ll do ours.”

Hardly in a position to argue, Terra leaned her head against the tree trunk, closing her burning eyes.

Before she knew it, a pair of strong arms lifted her up from the ground. All she heard before she dozed off was Vin complaining that their glasses would get rusted in the rain, and there wasn’t a blacksmith for miles, and was it really necessary to do a lightning spell of all things…

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

You have entered GWALT’S INN.

“A c-couple rooms, if ya would.”

The innkeeper peered over at the counter at the adventurers. Terra was standing, as she had insisted on entering the inn on her own two feet. However, she had a hand on Frederick’s shoulder for support.

The innkeeper raised an eyebrow. “On whose account?”

Terra looked around. Instead of drunken workmen or soldiers recounting battle, the fine oaken tables were filled with nobles politely chatting over honey mead or aged wine. A few of them had turned to stare at the soaked, mud-covered party in varying degrees of confusion and disdain.

This wasn’t an adventurer’s inn, but a place for those of higher standing to feel a clean ruggedness, a false sense of bravery as they “conversed with the locals.”

This wasn’t a place for them.

However, before they could return to the stormy darkness, Frederick held up a hand and reached inside his cloak. He retrieved a thin card, one side silver and the other gold. A few words that Terra didn’t recognize were engraved into the metal. Frederick laid the card on the counter, pushing it towards the innkeeper with the tip of his finger.

To Terra’s surprise, the innkeeper began to sputter, his waxy face turning red.

“Of course, sirs! Madams! His majesty’s brave battalion!”

The nobles began to whisper among themselves, their disgust turning quickly to awe and reverence.

“I am terribly sorry, no, outraged that you had to travel in such dreadful weather!” the innkeeper stammered, showing them up the stairs with a low bow. “I will have your clothes washed immediately, and perfumed of course! And whatever of our selection of humble morsels you may like, if thou wishes.”

Terra raised her eyebrows, looking at Frederick. He only nodded solemnly.

It wasn’t long before the mage was in a pair of silk bedclothes, laying in a large bed with frilled sheets and a thick quilt.

However, she wasn’t sleeping.

“Ih-! Hih…!”

You need to SNEEZE.

She sniffled, then, with a sigh, blew her nose. Mounds of tissues surrounded her, all provided by the inn staff, of course. However, no matter how much she snuffled and sniffled and rubbed her nostrils with the palm of her hand, she couldn’t bring herself to sneeze – though the need grew ever more powerful.

Unable to doze for more than a few minutes, she tried to plan the next few days' journey with Vin and Norif, but to no avail.

“If we - snf! - take the high road,” she wavered, keeping a tissue at her nose, “w-we can…meh-!...make good time.”

Norif rubbed the end of his beard. “I don’ think we’ll be leavin’ this inn for a while. On account’ve…”

He cleared his throat.

“...the weather, a’course.”

“The rain’s never stopped us before,” Terra said. “A-And we won’t - snf! - have to stop for washing! We’ll just let the rain…c-clean - HI’HIH-!”

“Would you be quiet?” Vin hissed, not looking up from the map. “I can hardly concentrate.”

Norif slit his eyes at the halfling. Terra growled in frustration.

“You made me lose it again!”

She reached for another tissue, but, finding there to be none left, she buried her nose into the neck of her shirt.

“Disgusting,” Vin said, recoiling and putting the map in front of their eyes.

Terra ignored them. “Maybe some of the kobold tooth got into my nose…I’ve neheeded to sneeze since we bagged the fairies.”

She sniffled.

“Or maybe it’s a curse? But what curse makes you n-need to sneeze?”

Before Norif could answer, the door opened, and Frederick came in, arms full with packs of tissues from the innkeeper. He moved carefully around the bed, handing one of the packs to Terra. She ripped them open with one hand – as the other was more than occupied – and put almost half of them to her streaming nose.

“Thangk you,” she said with a blow.

Norif moved the quilt up to Terra’s shoulders, gently pushing her head onto the mountain of silk pillows.

“Well, until this, er, curse passes, it would be best to lay yourself down for a bit. Maybe Vin could find a cure for ya. Yea, Vin?”

Vin raised their eyebrow at the pointed request, but said nothing to refuse.

“I’ll be fine,” Terra said, propping herself up on her elbows. “And we’re - snf! - leaving tomorrow, rain or shine…!”

She yawned, settling back down again.

“Curse…or no curse.”

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

The innkeeper had insisted on breakfast before the party left. An array of meat, pastries, fresh fruit, wine, and mead were brought before them – a king’s feast.

But Terra could hardly touch it.

Having been kept up almost all night by her burning sinuses and aching head, she could only lean against the back of the wooden chair, shivering as the chilly morning air drafted through. Her coat was made to be warm, even in the most frigid northern wind, but it seemed like the cold was leeching into her very bones.

She was only awoken when Norif put a hand on her forehead. The warmth of his rough palm felt her head, then either side of her neck. She heard him whisper something to the others, but the only thing she could hear was her pounding temples.

“Mmn…is it tibe to leave?” she murmured, trying to push her chair back from the table. Her sore joints were too weak, and the chair’s back legs clacked back onto the floor.

“Ah! Not just yet,” Norif saud, an odd tone of urgency in his voice. “We need’ta…er, Vin’s gonna go to a library nearby. T’cure your curse. There’s really no use ‘n you goin’, it’s all dusty books and scrolls.”

“Don’d have tibe,” Terra croaked. “Back to the guild.”

Norif gave Vin a pleading look, and the scholar fumbled with their knapsack, taking out a few tattered papers and maps.

“Eh, w-well, we are a few days ahead of schedule. We needn’t be back for at least another week, and it only takes three days to - ”

Terra was already up from the table, ignoring Vin. Without much choice, everyone else followed suit. After yesterday’s battle, they were afraid of what might happen if they tried to force her back to bed.

The weather had much improved since the day before. Though it was still a bit gray, the sun peeked out between the clouds, sending rays of light through the raindrops still left on the leaves.

Despite her weakness, Terra took the front as usual, plodding alongside Norif. Shivers ran up and down her spine as a cold wind left from the storm began to blow.

As the group walked near the edge of the woods, the clouds grew darker, and the sun disappeared again. Terra put a thumb on the underside of her nose.

You need to SNEEZE.

Terra sniffled and rolled her eyes. As if on cue, her nostrils began to tremble, and a burning tickle flared in her swollen sinuses. But, this time, the urge grew so great that it made the mage stop in her tracks.

“Hih…? HIH-!”

Attempt to STIFLE? > YES NO

She put her hands over her nose. A slow tingling made its way from her nose to the rest of her body. Soon, the air around her crackled with blue sparks of magic.

“Terra?” Norif said, reaching towards her before thinking better of it.

Terra tried to answer, but it was taking everything in her to keep the magic contained. Thunder rumbled in the clouds as she squeezed one watery eye shut.

“I-I’m…guh-! HUH-!”

She desperately waved to her friends to stand back – she knew that this sneeze was coming, one way or another. The party wasted no time, running behind the treeline with whatever they could carry above their heads to protect them.

“HihihHIH-!”

Terra leaned her head back, the magic coming to a peak inside her. The air was suddenly silent – a calm before the storm. Until –

“HIYA’TSHIIIIIIIEW!”

A circle of lightning flashed around her, and thunder rumbled loud enough to shake the earth. Smoking burn marks smoked around her.

But, before the rest of the party could join her again –

“HYESH’IIIIIEW!”

Again and again Terra sneezed, with each sneeze bringing another ring of lightning and another round of thunder. All of her lost sneezes from the night before seemed to finally come to fruition, and she couldn’t stop for some time.

Finally, though, Terra did stop. She lifted her head, dazed and with singed hair, and sniffled thickly.

SNEEZE COMBO x15!

Snottiness Rank B! Power Rank A+!

Bless you, TERRA!

One by one, her comrades came to join her – Norif first, of course, then Frederick, then, after some convincing, Vin.

The thunder had subsided, but a heavy rain had begun to fall. Terra started to shiver again, her trembling breath visible in blue puffs of steam.

“Ya poor thing…” Norif said, taking off his own fur-lined cloak and tying it around her shoulders. “You really oughta’ve stayed in bed.”

Terra rubbed her nose on the back of her damp sleeve. “Bud…th-the guild…we need…koff!”

She began coughing into her arm, and Norif fastened his cloak tighter around her.

“Ya need do no such thing,” he said firmly, though not unkindly. “You’re sick as a gnome in the rainy season. And almost half as wet –”

“And the sooner you put aside that hero complex of yours,” Vin interrupted, “the sooner we can get inside the inn, out of this weather! I’m already soaking, and we certainly don’t need two people ill in this party!”

They crossed their arms, and lifted their chin.

“Furthermore,” they added, “we wouldn’t want you catching pneumonia. That’s quite a bit harder to treat than that disgusting cold. And I will be significantly more furious with you if I catch it.”

Frederick took off his combat gloves, then put them over Terra’s red-tipped hands. He looked over his glasses and gave her one of his rare smiles. Putting his palms on either side of Terra’s hands, Frederick rubbed them together, trying to warm them.

“Ya feelin’ better, Terra?” Norif asked.

Terra sniffled. “C-Cold…”

“Well, no wonder!” Vin said, scoffing. “Heat is mostly lost through the head. If she had some sort of covering, then, perhaps…she could…”

Vin stopped. Everyone was staring at them. Or, rather, their scholar’s beret.

“I mean…or, rather…” they spluttered, then threw their hands up. “Oh, fine! But it had better be returned to me in the exact condition I lent it. It’s irreplaceable, you know.”

They took off their hat, stiffly handing it to Frederick, as if through ceremony rather than a favor.

“Your sacrifice will be remembered through th’ ages!” Norif said, chuckling.

Vin glared at him. “My patience has already been tested enough. Do not test it further.”

“Aye, aye.”

Terra could feel a slow warmness spread through her, and her eyes suddenly felt heavy as iron.

“Alright, up ya go. Let’s get ya out of the cold.”

Terra was heaved up again, and, surrounded by the warmth of her friends, drifted into a dreamless, sneezeless sleep.

FRIENDSHIP LEVEL +1!

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

You have entered MARLINE’S MAGIC SHOP!

“Welcome back, traveler! Might I interest you in our wares?”

Marline smiled at the returning Terra, who replied by blowing her nose into a pink tissue.

“How’s it going, Mar?” Terra said, sniffling as she looked at the glimmering displays.

Marline’s smile faded. “Are you not well, traveler?”

“I’m weller than I have been. Just a liddle sniffly now. Snf!”

Marline put a hand to her mouth.

“Oh, Terra…it must have been my chill that you caught. And I left you without any faeleaf!”

Terra rubbed the back of her neck. “About that. You wouldn’t happen to have any more of that left in stock, would you?”

“Ah, yes, a fresh bunch! Why-”

Suddenly, a large, dwarvish sneeze came from outside the shop, followed by a chorus of harsh coughs. Marline put her lips together underneath her hand, keeping back a giggle.

“Oh, dear.”

“Yeah,” Terra said sheepishly. “I’ll take three pouches.”

She furrowed her brow, counting on her fingers.

“And a few-”

Another sneeze rang out, this time small and high-pitched.

“Okay, a lot of tissues. We’re gonna need ‘em. Maybe some tea? I guess? That’s what Vin gave me when I was sick, anyway.”

Marline winked. “I know just the thing.”

She disappeared behind the shelves for a few moments, coming back with many packs of tissues, two pouches of strong-smelling tea leaves, a few pouches of faeleaves, and a thick blanket.

“May your party be blessed with a quick recovery,” Marline said.

Terra started to reach for her coin pouch, but Marline stopped her.

“I gave you and the others my cold. I’m going to cure it as best I can.”

Terra opened her mouth to argue, but closed it again. She began to put the items in her bag.

“You’ll have nothing to sell at this rate, Marline,” she said.

Marline tilted her head. “Well, I can always deal in colds.”

Yet another sneeze came from the doorway, raspy and shuddering.

“It appears I’m quite good at it, I’m afraid.”

“I am too, if being an adventurer doesn’t pan out,” Terra said, turning to leave. “See you later, Marline!”

“Goodbye, dear traveler! And good health!”

Marline chuckled as Terra joined the others.

“Though it appears it’s a little late for that.”

[forever-rogue]

your meddling steve fic got me thinking and what if it’s like a very similar concept where steve is trying to help you and eddie realize you like each other by being all extra touchy with you to make him jealous except he’s absolutely wrong. Eddie and you don’t like each other romantically but you do like steve!

AN | They’re fools, but they’re in love - but they don’t realize it, just yet.

Warnings | Language

Pairing | Steve x Fem!Reader

Word Count | 3.3k

Masterlist | Steve, Main

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

There was a smile on your face before you even felt him drape his arm around your shoulders. You’d felt his presence as soon as he walked into the coffee shop, always so in tune with him that it was ridiculous at times. You turned to look at Steve and he placed a chaste kiss on your temple, “I have a plan, babe.”

You turned to him with a confused expression, grabbing the coffees you had ordered for the two of you. He gratefully took the cup you offered him and took a long sip, “Steve….you and plans don’t go together. I mean, at least not well.”

“Quite frankly, my dear, I’m offended,” he let go of you and clutched at his heart, leading you over to the table you regularly occupied.

“Steve. You’ve been my best friend for almost sixteen years,” you reminded him, “when’s the last time a plan according to you has gone well? Plans are my forte.”

“Well, this is going to work!”

“Do you wanna clue me in to what this grand idea is?”

“I will not be doing that,” his grin was megawatt and you couldn’t help but sigh dramatically, “just have to know - how much do you trust me?”

“You know I trust you with my life,” you gently nudged his foot with yours under the table, the two of you grinning like fools at each other. That pretty smile still managed to make butterflies explode in your stomach, despite the years that you’d known him. In fact, you were pretty sure that you fell in love with him a little more every day still, “there’s no one I trust more.”

“Good,” he let out a relieved little breath, “me too. But for now you just have to trust me, and watch it all unfold. It’ll be like magic.”

“Alright Harrington,” you grabbed your cup and pretended to clink it against his, “you’re on. I expect to be fully dazzled.”

“Oh, you will be,” he insisted, pretty bambi eyes glittering mischievously, “don’t worry.”

Your heart felt like it was almost bursting with excitement and nerves. Was Steve finally going to tell you that he felt the same about you as you did him? Would he profess his undying love for you and finally kiss? You could only - dream - of that moment. 

You would just have to wait and see.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Bi-weekly movie and dinner night out with the grownups. You loved your younger little brood of children, but sometimes it was nice to go out with just the older lot. This found you, Steve, Eddie, Robin, Nancy, and Johnathan picking the most obscure movie to see in the theater, followed by a healthy, heaping serving of greasy dinner food. What could be better than that?

The movie had just finished, and to be honest, you’d missed about half of it. It was some gory flick that wasn’t quite up your alley and, needless to say, you’d hidden your face in your hands and Steve’s shoulder most of the time. 

As the six of you were leaving the theater, Steve reached for your hand and laced your fingers together, stepping in front of Eddie and Robin as you all walked down the street to the dinner. It wasn’t odd for Steve to hold your hand, even like this - you both were incredibly affectionate and touchy people. But still…it made electric shivers run up your spine and butterflies explode in your tummy. Something about tonight made things feel different. 

You couldn’t help but turn back to smile at Eddie and Robin, the duo smirking happily as they gave you the thumbs. They were, on top of being too smart for their own sometimes, incredibly perceptive, and it hadn’t taken either of them, the chaotic duo that they were, to clock in on the fact that you were absolutely in love with Steve. And that he was just as in love with you…even if he didn’t realize that just yet.

But this, this outward affection and display of gentle reverence had to mean something, right? And although Steve hadn’t explicitly mentioned anything, maybe he was finally coming around, finally realizing what the two of you had. You felt like a shy girl, trailing after her crush like a little puppy, nothing but stars in your eyes. Oh yes, you were a sucker for your pretty boy best friend.

But that whole evening turned out to be and feel different. Like everything was slowly falling into place. 

“You look so pretty,” he kissed your cheek before all of you shuffled into the booth and ordered your usuals. Your face flushed with warmth as you dipped your teeth and stared at the floor, “I realize I didn’t tell you earlier, sweetheart. And I just had to.”

“Thanks,” your voice was soft and small as you looked across and found Eddie beaming back at you. You put your hand on top of his, admiring how much smaller yours looked against his before giving it a gentle squeeze, “you’re really pretty too, Stevie.”

Even at the table exchanged knowing little looks that silently said finally. 

Finally the two of you had some sense and realized it was almost meant to be the two of you. You looked over at Steve and found him watching you with the gentlest of expressions on his face. Had he always looked at you like that?

He had. You’d just never noticed before, too busy looking at him just as sweetly.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Robin’s birthday came on a beautiful Saturday. Naturally, Steve had planned a huge party to surprise, along with your help. The way her face lit up when she realized it was not a party but a party for her had made it all worth it. Her face when she realized that Vickie was there was priceless….anything to help her shoot her shot was what Steve had declared. You couldn’t help but wonder when he’d finally seal the deal with you; despite his increased affections as of late, he still hadn’t officially made a move. All you could do was wait, you supposed. 

You were chatting with Eddie and the birthday girl herself when Steve decided to join you guys. He came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, resting his chin on your shoulder.

"Hey sweetheart," he practically cooed at you, causing your heart to skip a few beats. Eddie and Robin looked at each other and took long swigs of the beer in their red plastic cups. It was almost disgusting how in love the two of you were, "missed you. You look so pretty tonight."

"Steve," you couldn't help the giggle that naturally bubbled up, reaching up to touch his cheek, "you just saw me!"

"And it's been too long," he sighed dramatically before placing a few kisses to the bare skin of your shoulder, "hate being away from you."

"Okay lovebirds," Eddie shook his head in amusement before motioning for Robin to follow him, "we'll leave you two alone to do whatever it is you're doing and we're gonna smoke."

You watched them head upstairs and once they were gone and out of sight, Steve dropped his arms from around you. The loss of his warm touch felt a little harsh. You opened and closed your mouth a few times, wishing the racing thoughts in your mind would calm down for one second, "hey - can we go outside and talk?"

"Of course," he readily agreed, "good idea."

He held the way to the backyard, you trailing behind him like a lost puppy. Once outside and away from the loud party, things felt a little calmer. You looked at him, the pretty boy that had your heart for so long, unable to stop from smiling.

"Steve-"

"Babe, it's all going according to plan," he clapped his hands together, his whole face lighting up. Your brows knitted together in confusion as you just looked at him. He gently touched your cheek, his smile never faltering.

"P-plan? What plan?"

"My brilliant plan to get you and Eddie together," he sounded confused as to what you were confused about. Your entire face fell as your mouth opened in surprise. Needless to say, this was absolutely not what you had been expecting.

"Steve?" you felt the stinging of tears in the back of your eyes as you blinked rapidly to keep them from spilling over and running down your cheeks.

"My plan," he reiterated, wondering why you were having such a reaction. He was kind of thinking that you would be…happy, "you know, being all touchy and feely with you. So he would get jealous…which he did. It seemed like it to me anyway."

"Me and Eddie," you repeated, completely stunned and heartbroken. This whole time….Steve hadn't really felt that way about you. It was all some weird plan to get you with him. You felt like such a fool; you felt so stupid and pathetic. After all, why would Steve Harrington be in love with you? None of it was real and it had all been a beautiful lie. You wiped away the tears that had rolled your cheeks before attempting to brush past him.

"Babe-" but you were already back inside, making your way through the house so you could leave and go back to your own. You really wanted to be anywhere but here. It felt like your heart had just been ripped out and crushed into a thousand tiny pieces. 

Steve was so upset to see you upset. His heart constricted in his cheek as he went back inside. Maybe the man in question, Eddie, would be able to clear the air.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

It didn't take long for Steve to find the two of them in his bedroom, looking more serious than he had expected. He didn't smell any weed and quickly realized the two of them were sober.

"Hey, I need to-"

"What happened to her?" Eddie cut Steve off before he could even get his sentence out. He swallowed thickly, "she was crying and almost ran out. What the fuck did you do, Harrington?"

"I…I thought I was doing the right thing," he rubbed a hand over his tired face, groaning at himself, "the plan…"

"Care to elaborate, dingus?"

"I was trying to get her with you," he turned to Eddie, who stared at him with wide eyes, "I thought I could make you jealous and finally get you to confess your feelings to her."

"My feelings?" Eddie repeated, looking at Robin in confusion, "what feelings? My…friend feelings?"

"Friend - no, you're in love with her," he insisted and the two of them snorted in amusement, "aren't you?"

"No," Eddie shook his head, "you are. And she's in love with you."

"So…she doesn't like you?" his voice cracked as he slowly came to the conclusion that he had made a big, horrible mistake. Eddie and Robin both shook their heads as Steve groaned, “and you don’t like her?”

"I mean, I like her duh, but only as a friend. Nope, Stevie…she's in love with you," he insisted and realization hit him like a train. Oh. Oh, “it’s so disgustingly obvious. From both of you.”

"I think you have somewhere to be," Robin cooked her head towards the door, "do go and apologize and get your girl."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You were still crying, but your tears had long run out. Instead it was just dry sobs that wracked your body as you curled up in bed. You felt so fucking dumb, and honestly so shitty. This whole time you thought Steve’s affections were real, and that you were both finally on the same page…turns out it was nothing but a game to him, a game in which he pawned you off to someone else. 

You heard the frantic knocking at the front door, but decided to ignore it. It was late and you were in absolutely no mood to be dealing with anyone. You pulled the blanket over your head and continued your little pity party - which was well deserved, thank you very much. 

But just as suddenly as the knocking had come, there was tapping at your window. You groaned as you tossed the blanket off your body, ready to yell at whoever was interrupting you. It was probably Eddie or Robin - the two of them had seen you practically run out of Steve’s. 

To your surprise, it was the very same man that had just broken your heart at the window. You frowned and shook your head, “go away. You’re the last person I want to talk to right now.”

“Sweetheart-”

“Don’t call me that,” you already felt your eyes burning again, fresh tears unfortunately brought back, “please. Just go.”

“I have to talk to you,” he insisted, “it’s important. Please - let me explain.”

“Explain what!?” you threw your hands up in frustration, “how I’m an idiot? How you didn’t mean to fool me into thinking that maybe you could possibly feel the way I do? No thanks.”

“Let me explain,” you could see that he had glossy eyes as well, and that tears had already run down his cheeks. Fuck. Why did he have to do that? You hung your head and sighed, “please, I’m begging you.”

Wordlessly, you closed the little bit of distance that was between the two of you and opened the window so he could climb inside. He landed ungracefully on your floor, breathing heavily as he gathered himself.

“Talk,” you insisted as you sat back on your bed and looked at him. He inhaled deeply before nodding, trying to gather up the courage to spill out his entire heart to you.

“I fucked up,” were the first words that tumbled out of his mouth and you just raised an eyebrow at him, “and I am so, so sorry for that.”

“You…Steve…I…” you stopped yourself, shaking your head before motioning for him to go.

“My plan, this stupid, dumb plan…I thought it was perfect,” he confessed softly, “I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“The right thing for what?”

“For you,” he breathed nervously, “it was supposed to be better for you. I thought that you - you and Eddie - really liked each other. I thought if I put on the affection a little bit he’d get the hint - he’d get jealous and finally ask you out.”

“Steve,” you wanted to be angry, but the boy had such a heart of gold that you found it impossible. He really did have the best intentions even if it all backfired, “I never liked Eddie that way. And he’s not interested in me. I don’t know why you’d ever think that.”

“I guess…I just thought that it would…maybe this is selfish too but,” he was waving his hands around as he did when he got nervous, “I thought it would help me get over you.”

“Well, it really didn’t work,” the fact that he’d basically just confessed his true feelings for you went over your head in the moment, “it just really ended up hurting me, Steve. I thought that you might actually feel the same about me as I do about you. Instead, it just makes me look like a fool."

"Sweetheart-"

"That whole time I thought it was real. I thought that maybe…maybe I was special to you," a few tears of anger and sadness rolled toy cheeks, "that maybe you loved me."

"Please, just let me-"

"Instead it turned out all wrong," your voice cracked, "and I'm afraid that we're never going to be the same. 'Cause now you know I'm in love with you. And you don't feel the same."

"But I-"

"Maybe I should have told you a long time ago but-"

"I'm in love with you." 

"And I - wait," his words finally settled in your bones as you realized what he said. You turned to Steve and looked at him, eyes wide and nervous as your heart beat wildly in your chest, "what did you say?"

"I said I was in love with you," his voice almost cracked as your face softened.

"Stevie?"

"I'm in love with you, honey," he repeated as you stood up and moved closer to him, "I have been for a long time. I, ugh, I didn't know you felt the same. Otherwise I would have…said this a long time ago."

"So let me get this straight," you held up your mind as your mind tried to process everything, "I love you and didn't think you loved me…and you love me and didn't think I loved you? So you tried to get over me by getting me together with Eddie?"

“I thought that maybe seeing you with someone else would finally get to me and I’d finally get into my head that you aren’t mine…you weren’t meant to be mine,” he avoided your eyes and looked at the carpet, studying it intently, “that you loved someone else.”

“Steve Harrington,” you put a hand under his chin and turned his face towards you, “you are a good, kind hearted person that always wants the best for others. But you are so blind sometimes. Steve, I’ve been yours…I’ve always been yours.”

He wrapped his long, slender fingers around your wrist, his thumb stroking the back of your hand as he looked at you intently, “do you mean it? Truly?”

“Yes,” you nodded, offering the pretty boy a teary eyed smile, “I realized just how much I’ve loved you that day you gave me your ice cream after I dropped mine. It was your favorite flavor and I remember how much you’d been looking forward to it. But you didn’t hesitate.”

“Honey,” he let out a small laugh, one filled with years of love longing, “we were ten. I remember that afternoon. But that was so long ago.”

“I know,” you nodded gently and Steve felt like his face was about to break in half with happiness. Every dream he’d ever had was suddenly coming true. 

You slowly pulled your hand back, but Steve’s hands settled on your waist as he pulled you into his frame. Everything about him was overwhelming and all consuming; the warmth from his body, his smell, the soft sounds that escaped his lips. He was completely yours and he’d never even realized; until this moment…until he’d almost lost you. 

He looked at you for just a moment before he leaned in and crashed his lips onto yours, kissing with a soft, but fervent passion. His kiss was saccharine but contained so much pent up love and adoration. He wanted to bathe you in it, wanted to make sure you’d never question his love again. Steve would have gone through hell a million times over before anything happened to you, before the smile left your face.

You practically melted into him, letting him kiss you until you were dizzied and drying for a breath of air. You looked at him with a happy anticipation, ready for him to take you back in his arms and kiss you until the end of days, “I love you, Steve. So much.”

“I love you,” he whispered before moving to kiss you again, “forever and endlessly.”

[lousypotatoes]

I've Got A Smile On My Face

Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4 Pt. 5 Pt. 6 Pt. 7 Pt. 8 Pt. 9 Pt. 10 Pt. 11

Song Recommendation:

Always - Irving Berlin

Warning! This chapter contains depictions of panic attacks, and graphic violence! If this triggers you or makes you uncomfy in any way shape or form, please read with caution.

90 years ago...

It had been six months since Alastor kissed Y/N on her front porch. As expected, the two of them were now an item.

During the span of those six months, everything was absolutely perfect. The flower shop was thriving, Alastor's radio show was more popular than ever, Jasper didn't come by the shop since their interaction, and most importantly, Alastor and Y/N were so very much in love, Y/N felt that she fell more in love with him every time she saw him.

The only thing she didn't like about their relationship was the big secret she had to keep from him.

There were times that she oh so badly wanted to tell Alastor that her real job was killing people, and that running the flower shop was a cover up, but she was terrified that he was going to be disgusted with her, and leave her.

And Y/N didn't know what she would do if Alastor left.

It was mid afternoon, almost noon. The weather outside was very rainy and very stormy. Y/N was arranging the shelves, making sure the flower buds were facing the front.

It always annoyed her when customers would look at flowers and not put them back the correct way.

When she was done, she walked to the register and counted the money.

She sighed. Business was very slow that day, obviously because of the rain. She had almost considered closing the shop up early and going home, but felt it was better to just stay, just in case any customers came in after the rain cleared up.

Sitting down the chair behind the counter, Y/N put her head in her hands, bored as ever.

Hopefully Alastor would come and visit her. He always did, but Y/N thought he might not today obviously because of the stormy weather.

To her surprise and delight, she heard the bell ring, signaling that there was a customer.

"Hello can I help yo-Alastor!"

"Hello, my love," Alastor said, swooping down to catch Y/N in a kiss.

Y/N would never get tired of kissing Alastor, no matter how many time she did kiss him. It was like magic every time.

"How has your day been?" Alastor asked as he pulled away.

"Very slow, but much better now that you're here," Y/N smiled. "How was yours?"

"As slow as molasses," Alastor sighed. "I had to cancel all my broadcasts today because of this damn weather."

"Oh, that's a shame," she said. "It seems like this weather is bringin' everybody down."

"You can say that again," he said. "You thinking of heading home early?"

"I was thinkin' 'bout it," she replied. "I think I'll stick around for a few more hours."

"Well, if you're not busy tonight," Alastor said, grabbing onto her hips. "How about dinner at my place?"

"Depends," Y/N said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Are you gonna be the one cookin'?"

"Of course," he chuckled.

"Then I'll have to take a rain check on that," she giggled. "Dinner sounds nice, what time should I swing by?"

"I prefer around six," Alastor answered..

"Six it is," Y/N said. "You gonna head back home?"

"I suppose so, yes. I gotta tidy up a bit."

"All that for me?"

"Only the best for you, my dear," Alastor said, sincere. "I'll catch you later tonight."

"Aw, alright," Y/N pouted. "If I ain't there by at least seven, you better come and get me and drag me back to your place."

"Alright, I will, I promise," he laughed before leaning down and placing his lips on Y/N's.

The kiss was sweet and loving, as it always was. The way their lips perfectly molded against each other, like they were made for each other, made Y/N's heart feel like it was about to burst.

The only reason they broke apart was so they could breath air.

If Y/N could, she would make Alastor her air.

"Goodbye, Al," she smiled up at him. "I love you."

"I love you most," he said, before letting go of her.

He gave her one more smile before walking out of the shop, the bell ringing, signaling his leave.

Y/N walked back behind the counter, a dreamy smile on her face.

"I'm going to marry that man someday," she dreamily said to herself.

Even though it was rainy and story outside, nothing could ruin this perfect day.

It was 5:45 in the evening. Y/N was counting the money in the register for the twelfth time that day.

Besides Alastor, only three other people came in the shop that day.

Screw the rainy weather. No one even likes rain that much anyway.

Looking up at the clock, Y/N decided that she was going to stop working, and head over to Alastor's

Going into the back room, she put the money into a safe under a fake floorboard, checked her nightly schedule for that week (thankfully she only had to kill two people that week), and grabbed her umbrella and her raincoat, preparing to go into the cold rainy weather.

Walking out of the back room, she was stopped dead in her tracks, a look of fear and despair on her face.

"J-Jasper," she choked. "What are you doin' here?"

The two of them hadn't interacted since the incident in the flower shop six months ago. Y/N had hoped that Jasper had taken the hint and decided to leave her alone.

But this was Jasper we're talking about, and things never were easy with him, no matter how big or small the situation was.

"Just came to say hi," he said, a sadistic and gleeful smile on his face. He was holding something behind his back, but Y/N didn't know what.

"It's been a while since we've seen each other, thought we could catch up a bit."

He started to walk closer to Y/N, she started to back up.

"So now you're with that mama's boy, Alastor Altruist, huh?" he said, still grinning. "Didn't think you would be into a weirdo like that, but oh well."

Y/N didn't say anything, too frozen in fear to say a single word.

Jasper then revealed what was behind his back. It was a long, thin, razor sharp blade, the kind that Y/N would use when she didn't feel like using any of her guns.

If you wanted to kill someone real quick, you would use a blade like the one Jasper had.

Y/N's eyes widened in fear and terror.

She had a small pistol in her office, but there was no way she was going to be able to get it without putting up a fight.

"Y'know darling," he drawled, creeping very slowly towards her. "I didn't quite like the things you said to me the last time we talked.

Y/N gulped, slowly inching herself towards a shelf holding a dozen flower vases.

Jasper didn't notice. "Not gonna say anything, huh?" he asked, eyes glinting sinisterly.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you, I'm just gonna spill your fuckin' guts out."

Jasper lunged at Y/N, ready to strike.

Quickly, Y/N grabbed one of the vases on the shelf, and smashed it over Jasper's head, glass shards and flowers going everywhere all over the floor.

"You bitch!" Jasper snarled. He stopped in his tracks for a moment, clutching his bleeding head.

Y/N took this opportunity to try and run out of the front door.

She decided that it was stupid if she locked herself in her back room. If she ran out the front door, she could just run to the nearest public place and get help.

She was just a few feet from the door, when Jasper grabbed onto her wrist, twisting it hard.

Y/N turned around and was getting ready to punch him in the jaw, but that was replaced with a cry of pain and anguish.

Jasper had stabbed Y/N in the stomach, just above where her belly button was.

Y/N's eyes widened in surprise and fear, crying out again when Jasper stabbed her a second time.

"How does that feel?" he whispered. "Doesn't feel too good does it?"

"F-" Y/N stuttered. "Fuck you!"

With a snarl, Jasper stabbed her in the shoulder.

Blood was oozing out of all three of her stab wounds, staining both her and Jasper's clothes, and staining the white marble tile.

Jasper dragged her away, propping her in a siting position behind the counter.

"No one's gonna find you right here," he smirked. "Besides, you'll die in at least thirty minutes anyway."

Y/N knew that wasn't right, but didn't say anything, scared out of her mind.

What was she going to do?

She wasn't ready to die.

She didn't want to die.

What would happen to her shop?

What would happen to precious dog, Honey?

What would happen to Alastor?

As one last 'fuck you', Jasper bent down, kissed Y/N's sweaty forehead, and walked out the front door, the bell chiming.

As soon as he left, Y/N tried to get off the ground. She tried at least five times. But each time she tried, she failed, she fell back onto the ground with a painful wail.

After the fifth time, she stared up at the ceiling, wondering what would happen when someone found her body.

Maybe this was karma for all the people she had killed over the fifteen years she had been an assassin, she thought.

As Y/N thought about it more, she actually didn't feel like she was going to die. Yes, it was painful, but it just felt like she hadn't had any sleep in a really long time.

And she really wanted to sleep.

She looked up at the clock. It was 5:58.

She laughed dryly. If only she had left a little bit earlier, even if it was just a minute, she wouldn't of been on the floor bleeding out.

With one last sigh coming out of her mouth, she closed her eyes, succumbing to the darkness, and passed out thinking about Alastor and her dog.

In no way she was ready to die, or wanted to, but she accepted that there was nothing she could do, and that this was karma.

She deserved to die, she thought

CLIFFHANGER

i wont be uploading any time this weekend or next weekend because i'll be in disneyland

i'm so excited

stay safe and drink lots of water <33

xoxo, Izzy

Taglist 💋

@maksdust @trippoverrt @slytherin4ever @lucifers-silhouette @a-small-tyrant

@mo-0-o @cutiebimbo @mommymilkers0526 @mikariell95 @al-of-the-stars

@martinys-world @bibliophile-yomna @mysticwitchcraftco @notsoaverageguy-1997 @flamewriterr

[mai-mai-lim]

"What do you wish for?"

An all-dialogue birthday work for Ashley Jang.

A/N: yup, i am.... very late on this. It was supposed to post a week around her actual birthday (July 20th) and what day is it today? ... yeahhhh

and because im actually proud, here's the post that only has the artworks.

--- “Saengil chukha hamnidaaa~”

“Happy birthday Hye-chun! Make a wish yea? What do you want?”

“I-i want-”

“Shh, dont say it out loud, or else your wish wont come true!”

“Alright, do it like this. Close your eyes and say your wish, not out loud. And then blow it all out.”

“You did it!!! Now we can eat the cake!!”

“Yaaayy!! Cake time!!”

"Alright, here give these to the elders first, these should be enough.”

“Oh look who’s coming for the cake!! So eager, its not your turn yet, Seung-jae.”

“Aw.”

“Auntie!! Have a cake!”

“Its alright, you can give it to Seung-jae.”

“Bleh, he has to wait! Mama said so!”

“Hey!!!”

“Haha, kids these days…”

--- “Do you like your lunch here?”

“I love it!! I’ve never been to a buffet here before. It’s quite nice!”

“Glad you love it. Also, we ordered a slice of red velvet cake for you. Happy birthday my girl.”

*gasps* "Thank you!!”

“So do you wanna make a wish? I mean, we can ask for a candle-”

“No need, I can just wish in my heart and just, eat the cake you know?”

“Oh yes yes. Haha, you are growing up, don’t feel like doing that anymore isnt it?”

“Y-yeah…”

“Hm? What’s wrong, dear? Are you ok?”

“Oh, it’s just…, I was thinking of the old times back then. There was a time when Uncle Ethan brought us to the island for my birthday years ago! It was really fun.”

“That was years ago? Time sure flew fast… ” 

(How long… did the accident happen? Hold on, this year is… oh. They were gone… for more than a year…)

“...I, I actually miss them, it’s just not the same anymore…”

“Y-yeah, I miss them too.”

“*sighs* let’s not think about that today, alright?”

“Sorry, I sort of brought down the mood on my own day.”

“No no, dear, you didn’t. It’s understandable. Come on, the cake’s not gonna get eaten by itself, no?”

--- “Heeeeeeyyyy!! Happy 21st Birthday Ashley!!!”

“There it is, the magic number!! Now can fully do whatever you want liao!”

“Whoa, you guys…”

“21 leh! I see people always make 21 years old extra special one, so we also made it like this for you, with balloons, deco, food, also matcha cake, one of your favourites!”

“T-thank you.”

“Wait, actually back in your home, you are considered 22 is it? Must be confusing.”

“I mean, I’m studying here, may as well follow how you guys count.”

“Well, fair enough. Also I just noticed you got your hair dyed! Looks pretty!”

“Thanks, been wanting to do that for a while.”

“So, any wishes you made?”

“I dunno man, I just wanna survive another school year, then it’s off to… wherever we go after grad-”

“Shush!! Too early to think bout the future! Let’s just celebrate your day, afterwards we go for karaoke, k?”

“It’s more like, are we gonna stay in touch after grad?”

“Like I said, it’s too early to think that! Course I hope we stay in touch, but who knows?”

“Ok ok fine, soooo, I heard karaoke just now~”

“The cake can wait then, let’s go!!!”

--- “Hey, you guys actually know Ashley’s birthday is coming up soon?”

“Wait really? Huh, never knew that. She didn't really tell anyone that.”

“Ooo, why dont we gave her a lil’ surprise then?”

“And that’s what im thinking about! Let’s start planning…”

- “Haaaaaaaaaappy birthday girlypop!!”

“Heard today is your special day, gurl! We planned this few days ago just to give ya the best of the best!”

“... oh my god…”

“Yup, I asked around and got your favorite cake flavor too!”

“Red velvet, eh, I guess it’s alright…”

“*whispers* He found it from the finest cake shop and stole it.”

“What the- Don’t tell her that!!!”

“There are also presents given from some of us who couldn't come, but they wished ya too."

"I... I didn't expect this, all of this really. T-thank you, all of you..."

"Aw, don't mention it! You are one of the coolest people I met here, may as well returning the favor. By the way, did you wish for something?"

"Bet it's gonna be loads of plushies- ow, hey!!"

"Uh you are completely wrong. I'm not telling you all then."

"BOOOOOO"

. . .

(Besides, that wish had already came true, and they are right in front of me.)

---

Formatted text for whose speaking: Pink - Ashley, Blue - Seungjae, Orange - Brutus, Green - Cameron, Non-colored text in part 4 - Jinjer

[iamnmbr3]

i love your taste in hp fics. what have you been reading lately?

why thank you! :) here you go!

Heart of Emeralds by Phantomato (words: 10,200 | rating: T | Regulus Black/Tom Riddle | Major Character Death)

The locket horcrux has his own agenda: reunite the soul, rejoin the main body. When Regulus’ defection gives him an opportunity to set this in motion, he finds himself relying on Regulus’ questionable loyalty.

The customer is always right by Metalomagnetic (words: 7,200 | gen | unrated)

In the summer of 1945, Caractacus Burke hires a new assistant to help with the shop. His son doesn't know what to make of Tom Riddle, the young charismatic man that doesn't seem to mind working hard for just a handful of coins.

Inhuman Resources by Asenora (words: 4,210 | rating: G | gen)

Speaking from the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room, Sirius Black will assure his godson that Dolores Umbridge is definitely not a Death Eater. How does he know? Well, he's seen the paper trail...

of all my demon spirits by basketofnovas (slashmarks) (words: 1,730 | rating: T | Gen)

After the end of term, Ginny gets a new diary and struggles with the events of her first year.

The Shack at the End of the Lane by Asenora (words: 4,156 | rating: G | gen)

It was an unconventional choice, on the part of the universe, to make Tom Riddle's victims meet his mother the moment they arrived in the afterlife.

Gilderoy Lockhart: Dabbling with Dark Lords by Math_and_Lunacy (words: 1,826 | unrated | gen)

He didn’t know who this Harry Potter person was, but surely Potter wasn’t half as brave and heroic as Gilderoy. Where, after all, were the series of books detailing Harry Potter’s adventures? Where were Potter’s fans?

Amulette d'amour by The_Carnivorous_Muffin, Vinelle (words: 97,035 | Tom Riddle/Alphard Black | unrated)

Tom is commissioned to repair a magical amulet.

Escape by SofiaDragon (words: 50,231 | rating: M | Gen)

Harry Potter reacts much differently to the Dementor attack on his cousin and it causes a cascade of changes in the lives of everyone he knows. He runs away to France to escape the English Ministry's bias and gets a solicitor (lawyer) to deal with his legal issues. Part one of a book 5 and on re-write that can be read stand-alone. Featuring: Snape's POV. People making decisions for Harry without talking to him about it first. The Horcrux in his head influencing Harry's mind. Professional psychologists/mind healers doing good work. Snape using cannibus. He would not go back to Privet Drive without bringing the law. He’d lose his temper and end up in Azkaban. Even with aurors at his back, he was likely to hex dear old Tuney into next week if he had to interact with her again. The fines would be worth it.

[beezusvreeland]

dear reader - chapter 3

summary: Miguel took the reader’s love and friendship for granted. Something he learns reading her column, when it’s too late…Or is it?

ship: miguel o'hara x f!reader // matt murdock x reader

______________________________________________________________

Chapter 3

Two weeks passed, but it might as well be an entire lifetime. Edinburgh suited you very well. The cold early mornings that turned into very nice afternoons and ended with you making sure the heater was on for the night. You woke up at the dorms provided by the school, made yourself a nice Earl Grey tea, got ready and walked your way to class. 

You picked a different path every day, but there was no denying that walking by Victoria Street in the Grassmarket area was your favorite way to get to university. It was just so charming: bright colored walls, cobblestones and unique shops. You had even read somewhere that it was the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter books. There really was something magical about that city.

A couple of mornings a week, you had a writing workshop titled “The Self and Others: translating feelings into words”, which you couldn’t even believe was a real thing. There were a few familiar faces in the class, but you were drawn to Jessica Drew, the girl you met on your first day, and a younger kid who she took under her wings called Miles Morales. The three of you would always sit next to each other. It was kind of nice.

The workshop was led by professor Otto Octavious, whose passion for writing was infectious. So much so, that your peers affectionately called him “the last romantic” behind his back. 

“Today is a beautiful day to increase your word count”, the teacher joked, making the class erupt in laughter. “Usually we start the day with a discussion, but I’d like to do something a little different today.”

“Always keeping us in our toes, huh, professor?”, Miles teased.

“You know it, mr. Morales”, professor Octavious said, a smile on his face. “Most of you have been writing for a long time, so you probably have already learned about one of the biggest challenges a non fiction writer faces: most times, what happens in real life is so unbelievable, it doesn’t translate well to the page.”

The professor gets up from his chair and writes the name “Dani Shapiro” on the chalkboard. “That’s the name of one of the most prolific non fiction writers today. She has a quote about our craft that I always carry near my heart: ‘Writers are outsiders. Even when we seem like insiders, we’re outsiders. We have to be. Our noses pressed to the glass, we notice everything. We mull and interpret. We store away clues, details that may be useful to us later’.”

The room was quiet, except for professor Octavius’ voice. You could tell, even without looking to your classmates, that what he read had resonated with all of them. It was a perfect description of a sentiment you always had, but were never able to describe. You just thought there was something wrong with you. But there wasn’t. And you were not alone. 

“Let that sink in for a moment”, the teacher smiled. He knew exactly how the students felt the quote deeply. “Today I’d like for us to do something different. For the next hour, I want you to write about a detail you kept to yourself for a long time. The idea is to describe it and explore the reason you shelved it into your minds for so long. It can be about anything, as long as it is meaningful to you and that you allow yourselves to dive into your own vulnerabilities.” 

After the hour passed, you and your peers would share what you wrote with the rest and discuss it.

You opened a new document on your laptop, taking a deep breath. Obviously you had a whole storage of small details inside your head. But you felt uneasy, something you kept shoving to the side slowly creeping back to you. Or rather, someone. 

As if reading your mind, a notification appeared in the corner of your screen. A new email from no one other than Miguel O’Hara. 

Hey there, how are you? How is Scotland treating you? I hope you are drinking as many pints and visiting as many castles as you can. Congrats about the scholarship, by the way. It’s a big deal and you deserve it. I’m sorry about the whole dinner thing, I really fucked up and haven’t been a good friend to you. I’m sorry about that too. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but if you do, I promise I will do better. 

Anyways, enjoy your time there as much as possible — Hobie and Pav have been complaining that you haven’t sent them pictures so far, thought you should know. 

Miguel

PS: Do you remember my roommate from college I told you about? Peter B. He’s back in town and just the other day showed me an interview you did with Mary Jane Watson. It turned out really good. You always ask very thoughtful questions. 

And just like that, the Miguel area of your heart exploded again.

***

Dear reader,

Just the other day I was talking with my girlfriends about the romantic gestures in books, TV and movies that made us create insane expectations about love. The impromptu declarations, the running in the airport, the showing up unannounced — any decent human being knows you have to at least send the other person a text saying you are coming by. 

I have always been more drawn to the caring gestures and the acts of service. Maybe because that is my own love language. There is a scene in Say Anything… (1989) where Lloyd is walking Diane, the girl he has loved throughout high school, home after a party. They are talking and he is paying so much attention to what she has to say. All of the sudden, Lloyds stops her. There were pieces of glass in her way on the floor. He kicks them to the side and keeps walking, as if it was nothing, just the way things are supposed to be. It gets me everytime. 

I love to bring my friends coffee or even bake them food when they are having really intense weeks at work, helping them out with some errand or impossible shore. Sometimes I feel really silly about it. Especially when it comes to the guy . I know I shouldn’t, but when it comes to him, I feel insane. 

I feel insane because I always have his favorite ice cream in my freezer and the drinks he likes in the refrigerator. In my love drunk brain, these can be excuses to ask him to come up to my apartment, to have him stay more, even if it is just for a few minutes. This is not a tip, by the way. If anything, it is a warning: seeing the person you love enjoying their favorite dessert can make you lose your mind. Be aware.

Once I planned a Fast and Furious marathon. But only from the 5th movie on, when things get out of hand and the franchise becomes something else entirely. It was a way to spend a rainy sunday with snacks and drinking games. I spent saturday cleaning the apartment and buying everything the two of us would need. Imagine my face when some of our other friends showed up as well, because he had invited them. And I love all my friends, but only wanted to spend time with him.

There is also another fictional gesture that has been stuck in my head since I was a pre teen. Before the show, the Gossip Girl books were a huge deal, and I read almost all of them. Each chapter was told from a different character's perspective and Blair’s were my favorite. When she is mourning her relationship with Nate, who was in love with Serena, Blair remembers what they had gone through together. Once, wanting to impress him, she sewed a heart pin inside the sleeve of a sweater she gifted him for a special occasion. It was a way to show him that he literally had her heart under sleeve. It was such a simple and meaningful gesture. Except Nate never noticed. Not while they were together, at least. Isn’t that always the way?

Maybe we were supposed to focus some of that energy on ourselves. The hours of disappointment for the retribution that never happens won’t come back to us. 

I wish I had a more uplifting message today, but this is all I could manage. I hope you understand. 

Meet you here next week. And remember: never take advice from someone who’s falling apart.

Love, 

The writer

***

Miguel felt anxious about your lack of response to his email. He kept trying to reason it in his mind: you were probably really busy…or you were still mad at him. He was sure the fact it took him so long to write to you didn’t help. But the constant checking of his emails and all social media and waiting for a life sign from you was exhausting. Is that what addiction felt like?

Miguel tried to distract himself by taking more workloads and secretly reading your columns. It was fascinating getting to know that side of you, and he wondered why it was so new to him. You were more reserved, of course, but never failed to be there or show interest in his life. He couldn’t remember the last conversation you had that wasn’t about him and his work. It felt horrible knowing that maybe there was a lot you wanted to talk about and he never gave you space to or asked questions about you. Miguel asked himself when he had become that person, or if he had always been that way. And what he could do to make things better, because an apology didn’t seem like enough. 

He took a break from his spreadsheets to check his email inbox and social media. Nothing. So he went back to Bliss ’ archive and read another one of your older columns, the one where you wrote about romantic gestures. That last part had him so confused, he decided to ask for help. Miguel was that desperate.

“Lyla”, he called on his office phone.

“Yes, boss.”

“What is Gossip Girl?”

Lyla remained silent. Miguel was about to call the thing of, saying it was a joke, when she answered, her excited and teasing tone coming through:

“Why do you ask?”

“It’s classified.”

Lyla chuckled. She had noticed her boss had been acting weird lately, but couldn’t quite point her finger at why. 

“Is it for an Alchemax project?”, the assistant tried to keep her language professional. 

“It’s for…a personal one”, Miguel regretted everything, his eyes closed in embarrassment, even though Lyla was in another room.

“Okay…What exactly do you want to know about Gossip Girl?”

“Who are these people, Blair, Nate and Serena? What’s the story?”

She laughed. He should’ve known his assistant would have too much fun with it.

“Lyla…”, Miguel complained.

“Okay okay, sorry, boss, it’s just these are names I never thought I’d hear you say.”

“Just tell me the story.”

“It’s a big one, actually. The show has six seasons.”

“Does Blair end up with Nate?”

“Hell no”, Lyla scoffed. “She marries Chuck.”

“Who the hell is Chuck?”

“Nate’s best friend who, in his own twisted way, actually gave a shit about her.”

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<< chapter 2

>> chapter 4

all chapters

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dear reader playlist

[mooshymello]

nothing at all

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*Warning for spice and dangerous amounts of domestic g/t fluff ;)*

Word count: 3.5k

It wasn’t fair. The universe must have been feeling especially cruel when it decided to drop Ezran into Tova’s life, because there was no way anyone should have this much power over her. 

And yet here she was, absolutely bowled over by something stupid as him handing her a pen.

Well, she’d give herself credit, it was a little more than the pen. 

It was late. Tova was sitting on the tiny table that folded out from the giant table Ezran sat on, looking over a mess of paperwork for different properties. Nothing could go unaccounted for. After all, this was it, the dream she’d clutched to her chest like a life preserver, the life she’d fought tooth and nail for. This was her flower shop. 

It had to be perfect. Tova wanted it too long for it not to be.

Truthfully, the flower shop was only half of the business. The other half was the magic plants shop. She bought a mirrorstone, an enchanted stone that would create a duplicate of the building she could place in any magic city. Many magic markets had empty lots between buildings, as if someone had cut a slice from the block, ready to be refilled with a new business. All Tova had to do was pay rent for the lot and place the mirrorstone in a doorway of the flower shop, creating a  portal to its magic twin. She had a few lots in Ogendale in mind. 

Everything was going smoothly except for one tiny, itty bitty thing: deciphering property laws was actually fucking impossible. 

So much fine print and conditions…If this were a magic building, she could challenge the owner to a duel and win it, but according to Ezran’s dad, dueling wasn’t “a legal way” to acquire property. 

“How’s it going?” Ezran asked.

“Meh?” She shoved a clump of documents toward him. “We can afford the one by the bowling alley, but who goes by the bowling alley for flowers?” She held up another equally disastrous cluster of pages. “The one on main street would be a great spot, it already has a cooler and everything, but it's pricey. I mean, I could ask my parents for a loan, but-”

“Nope.”

Tova barked out a laugh. “Woah, I didn’t know you liked them so much.”

“I’m sorry, I just don’t like the idea of them controlling any part of your dream. They spent your whole life crushing it.”

“I know. I agree.”

“And I know they changed or whatever, but they’re still so judgy. I can’t ask them for directions without them staring into my soul. Like I’m a bug or something. You know, like-” He squinted and pursed his lips at her.

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about, dear. It’s not like I spent my entire childhood being terrified of The Look”, Tova said, dropping her expression  into a perfect replica of said Look (It was more of an unimpressed glare down the nose than a squint, with the upper lip curled up a little to the left). 

Ezran shivered.  “How do you do that?” 

“TaChauer family magic, baby. Don’t give me a reason to use it on you.” She wiggled her fingers at him, cackling evilly. 

He rolled his eyes, smiling slightly. 

“But okay, no parents. They’re my last last resort, after giving a fae my firstborn. Hm. I wonder if Jamie was serious about that offer..”

“Jamie wants nothing to do with kids, you’d have to pay him to take it. And you are not trading our firstborn.”

“Boo, you’re boring.”

“And you’re crazy.”

Ezran sighed and leaned across the big table, closing 20  feet of distance between them in seconds, to peck her on the forehead. No matter how long they’d been together, her mind always went blank the second he kissed her. Her thoughts just sort of melted when the all-encompassing  warmth of his lips.

He picked up her coffee cup on the way to the kitchen. She marveled at how tiny it was between his fingers. He stood, her heart skipping as he loomed dozens of feet above her, impossibly big and never terrifying, his footfalls shaking through her as he disappeared around the corner. Funny as it was, she forgot he was a giant sometimes, until his tiniest movements gave her that particular thrill. 

The faucet hissed to life. Tova would never understand why he didn’t just use magic to do the dishes. Old habits from his normal life, she supposed. At the sound, her familiar Lil Dacey emerged from under the table, trotting after Ezran into the kitchen. She’d grown to the size of a small dragon, probably because Ez wouldn’t stop feeding her. 

As if to prove Tova’s point, she shoved her snout into the back of his knee, almost knocking him over, and gave him puppy eyes, whimpering pathetically. Ezran reached for the jar of treats on the counter, stopping to meet Tova’s eyes and pout.

“Look at her. She’s starving, Tova.”

Tova eyed the familiar’s pudgy belly and arched a brow. But now both of them were giving her puppy eyes. So Tova huffed and shook her head, but turned the other way as Dacey gobbled up the treat from his fingers. Spoiled little thing. 

She turned back to the table, where the paperwork waited. She chewed on her cheek, tapping her wand on the side of the table while she read. Paper stars started popping from her wand, a tick she’d never been able to shake since graduating, until eventually, the paper stars blanketed the paperwork, making it impossible to see anything. 

Tova groaned, hiding her face in her hands and sliding down onto the table. She could hear her brain grinding in her skull.

“I can’t even read this. I feel like a stupid,” Tova groaned. 

“Maybe you feel like a stupid because it's 3 AM and your brain is mush. You can’t figure stuff out with mush brains.”

Tova puckered her lips, hiding her face behind a papers. 

“Tovanni.”

“Ezran.” She sat up, wagging her pen at him accusingly. “Actually, don’t you have an early shift at the facility tomorrow? You shouldn’t be up either,”

“Yeah, but I have this girlfriend who’s, like, insanely stubborn. And I’d feel like a jerk if I let her stay up alone.” 

Her playfulness deflated into guilt. Sacrificing her sleep wasn’t supposed to come at the cost of his. Working at the creature care facility, as much as he loved it,  tired him out. He really didn’t need to start the day tired. 

Tova made grabby hands at him. Ezran sighed. He turned the sink off and dragged a chair from the other side of the big table, bringing it behind her. He folded his arms around her and gave her a sleepy smile when she kissed his cheek.

“Ten more minutes,” she promised. 

“Mmhm.” He laid his head down. “Ten more minutes. And if you don’t come with me after that, I’ll just have to kidnap you.”

Tova chuckled and leaned back on his cheek while she worked. Ezran would chime in every so often, small tips from watching his dad run the facility, but he didn’t understand the business side too well either. It made her feel better that she wasn’t the only confused one.

Then it happened. 

Tova let herself nod off for a second, lulled by the steady rhythm of his fingers stroking her hair, and her grip loosened on her pen. It landed with a clatter that made both of them flinch awake. 

She rubbed the crust from her eyes. Tova reached down to grab the pen only to realize it had rolled off both her smaller table and the big table, now dozens of feet below. A retrieval spell would do the trick, but Tova’s brain was so foggy she was afraid she’d mess up the spell and turn the floor into pens. Again. 

“Can you get that please?” 

“But you dropped it,” he yawned. 

“Only because you’re too comfortable and I fell asleep. So technically it’s your fault.”

Ezran shook his head but obliged her. He tried reaching for the pen too, but it had rolled under the table, so he got up. Tova didn’t notice how warm he was until he swept all the heat away. 

She hugged her arms and refocused on the papers. Her extra ten minutes hadn’t done much good. Her brain only managed to blurt out a few gibberish notes on a coffee-stained napkin. Tova brushed the paper stars away and started organizing the documents for tomorrow.

In the middle of sorting, one paper slipped out. She absentmindedly slipped it on top of the pile, doing a double take. This one was a picture.  It was a concept for the flower shop, a very simple square building with vines on the walls, shelves of flowers in front of a glass storefront. Ezran titled it “Tova’s Plants and Things” on the bottom, and Tova had replicated it in the cursive sign hanging above the door. They’d drawn the picture when she first decided to open the shop.

Simple as it was, the drawing was enough to set her imagination alight, like flowers bursting out from between endless black rows of legal text. 

She could see it now. Sandwiched between plain storefronts, a spot of color like a jewel catching rainbows in the sun. Caroline jessamines and blue morning glories climbing the walls, an arch of jasmine at the door-no, white wisteria. 

Ezran would help her set up the trellises, the wood enchanted to prevent the flowers from becoming overgrown, and she’d probably spend the whole day ranting about all her ideas. He wouldn’t tell her to shut up because he never did. He always just nodded and gave her the sweetest look, like she was an angel, like she was the most precious thing in the universe, and sometimes that was enough to make her shut up anyway.

It was the same look he gave her when he returned with her pen, albeit dulled by exhaustion. He didn’t fully stand, staying on his knee and offering it to her. “Are you ready?”

It was such a stupid thing to get worked up about. A pen. 

But it wasn’t the pen. 

It was the fact that she used that pen to draw the concept with him, to draw the climbing vines that were going to be yellow and blue because they reminded her of his favorite scarf. It was the pen that cemented the name “Tova’s Plants and Things” for her shop because he hand-crafted her a sign for their first Christmas together. It was remembering being awake with him at 3AM 100 years ago, whispering about the things they’d do after graduation, when Tova was sure the shop would stay a dream and Ezran was sure he’d come buy her flowers every week, and it was being awake with him again at 3AM, just because he didn’t want her to do it alone.

It was the realization that he’d become so deeply entwined with her life that she could pick any aspect of it and find him there.

So Tova laughed. To herself, because he would never understand how impossible that was to her. This was their flower shop. His, and hers, and theirs. The thought sent warmth surging through her, until she felt like she’d burst into stardust. All she wanted was to wrap him up in that feeling, make him feel as breathless and adored as he made her feel.

Actually, she probably could. Or at least something close to it. 

An idea popped into her head and Tova smirked, plucking the pen from his fingers. She scribbled “hey can I kiss you :)” on the back of the concept drawing. She put it on the big table and slid it toward him with her foot, keeping it far from the edge of the table. 

He squinted at the note(she wrote it extra small so he’d have to get closer)and gave it a bemused smile. “Uh, sure…?”

By then, Tova had already taken the opportunity to take her wand out and run her hand over his. Tova whispered a shrinking spell and tapped her wand on his nose. There was a distortion, the way heat wavers in the air. She felt magic simmer in her blood, seeping through her hand and crackled over Ezran’s skin like static electricity. 

One second, Ezran was peering down at her with wide-eyed confusion, the next, a glittery cloud poofed around them and he was leaning on her human-sized table, swaying unsteadily. Tova slipped her hand into his and waited for him to regain his balance with a giddy smile. 

“What was-” He closed his eyes and swallowed thickly. “What was that?”

“That was you saying I could kiss you.” Tova ran her fingers up his arm and curled them around his face, rolling onto her toes to whisper in his ear. “So I’m kissing you. Is that okay?”

“Okay.” He let out a breathy laugh, melting into her touch. His hands snaked around her waist and he touched his forehead to hers. “Weirdo.”

Tova giggled. She tilted his head down and pressed her lips to his. Her eyes fluttered shut.  His lips were impossibly soft as they captured hers. They tasted sweet and warm, like hot cocoa, because he refused to drink coffee past 3 PM. She was torn between wanting to cherish them or absolutely ruin them.

His hands found their way into her hair, pulling her closer. His touch set fizzling poppers off in her belly, made her blood all sparkly and tingly as it rushed to her face. God, she was addicted to him. The moment he kissed her she couldn’t think straight.

Which was probably why she forgot the shrinking spell left him woozy and made the mistake of leaning into him. He wobbled backwards, futilely trying to regain his balance, but by the time Tova pulled away he was already falling. Seeing as he was tangled in her hair, that meant he took Tova down with him. She broke the kiss off with a yelp, narrowly avoiding smashing their teeth together by ducking her face into his chest as they crashed onto the ground.

Ezran hissed, rubbing the back of his head. “Ow.” 

“Sorry, sorry sorry,” she blurted. 

She recited a quick healing spell and brought her wand to his temples. Their eyes met. Tova was suddenly aware of their position, going red and looking away. So much for being romantic. 

He tried to choke back laughter, followed by Tova giggling into his collarbone, ending with both of them bursting into laughter. They stayed there for a minute, simply enjoying being a mess on the table.

Not one to miss an opportunity, Tova propped herself up on his chest, tracing the scar on his face. “Wow Ez. I can’t believe you’re still falling for me after all these years.”

“You’re gross.”

“You love it.”

He rolled his eyes again, but didn’t disagree. He hugged her close, kissing her forehead and burying his face in her hair. “You’re extra mushy today. What’s up?” 

She turned her face into the crook of his neck. “Nothing. I just missed you.”

“Missed me? I’ve been here the whole time.”

“Exactly, and I haven’t paid any attention to you at all.” 

A devilish smile bloomed across her face. Tova skimmed her hands over his chest and up his arms, linking both his hands in hers. She knew it drove him crazy when they held hands at this size. But she could do one better. In one smooth motion, she shifted her knees to straddle him, positioning herself above him. She hooked her thumb under the scarf on his wrist, taking both his hands and pinning them above his head. 

She trailed a line of slow kisses up the side of his neck. He shivered. Any time he tried to kiss her back, she pushed him back down, teasing her teeth along his delicate skin. She smiled at the little noises he made when she laid gentle kisses on the marks, the way his pulse sped beneath her lips and his hands tightened in hers. Pulling back, she surveyed her work with a satisfied hum. 

Ezran was going to have to actually use his scarf after this. 

“T-Tova?”

She lowered herself so their chests were touching, her hair curtaining his flushed face.  “Don’t you think you deserve a little attention, baby?”

“Um…” His wide eyes flickered to her mouth. He bit his lip and turned his burning face away. “...fuck.” 

Tova puffed a breath through her nose, amused. She ran her thumb along his jawline and made him look at her as she ghosted his lips, tilting her head and parting hers just a bit. Tempting him. With a butterfly’s  touch, she ran her hands down his sides, reveling in the shivers that followed her fingertips, and she snuck the tip of her thumb under his waistband. 

Just to be cruel, she slid her hips down, the heat of him pressing on her inner thigh. The intoxicating heat of his moan bloomed across her lips. 

“Needy, needy, needy~” She laughed, an equally breathless sound. “But stars, I want you so bad.”

She waited. Her heart was thudding in her chest. Her stomach was somersaulting. The only sound between them was heavy, expectant breathing. Right when he started to shift impatiently, inching closer, she reeled back, planting a chaste kiss on his nose. 

“Okay,” she said. 

“Okay?”

Tova let go of his hands and lifted herself up on her knees so she wasn’t touching him. Almost immediately, the air wavered, and glittery clouds burst around them. When she opened her eyes she was kneeling on his stomach, and he was his normal size, splayed on his back across the big table.

He stared at the ceiling, taking a moment to readjust to his new perspective. Once he did, he peered down at her, bewilderment swirling in his eyes. 

“...what?” 

“I said I wanted to kiss you. You have been kissed.” She flopped onto her side and folded her hands under her head. “Bedtime!”

Ezran looked at her like he was waiting for the punchline. She refused to look at him. Tova was fighting to hold back laughter. 

“You asshat,” he said when he realized she wasn’t taking it back. 

The walls of his hands rushed into her peripherals. He scooped her off his stomach, scooting off the table. He turned off the lights and marched towards the bedroom, keeping her close to his chest. She could hear his heart thundering against her back. 

“This is a really aggressive way to go to bed. I thought we were supposed to sleep now,” she said, feigning innocence. 

“We were before you jumped me like that.” 

Ezran gently put her down on the pillow. He set his arms on either side of her, brushing her hair from her face and running his thumb along her jaw. The intensity of his eyes made her stomach flip. 

“You’re crazy if you think I’m letting you get away with that, Tovanni.” 

“Maybe I’m-”

He immediately cut her off with a kiss. She sucked in a breath, her back arching in surprise. He slid a finger behind her, pressing her closer to his lips. She hummed, feeling her whole body turn to mush in his hands. Her hands made a beeline for his face. 

And then he stopped. He pulled his hand away and folded his arms in front of her, watching her pant.

“What was-”

He kissed her again, this time pressing her into the pillow. She was literally breathless. He had her lightheaded, seeing stars. The second Tova reached to hold his face, he cut it off. 

Tova gave him a questioning look. “What are you do-”

Another kiss, his hands cupped behind her and entwined in her hair. She moaned and tried leaning into it only for him to pull his hand back, dropping her back onto the pillow. 

Tova narrowed her eyes at him. She knew what he was doing. Either she stopped being sassy and got no kisses, or kept being sassy and got half a kiss, which was worse because as much as Tova liked teasing, she hated getting teased. This was payback.

The worst thing was that it was working. Tova tried holding out, too. She tried not to think about how perfect his lips were, and how they were right there. Instead, she crossed her arms and stared at him. Right in the eye. Right in his big, beautiful bitter coffee eyes, all softened with affection for her, even though she was a mess, and bright with smug amusement because she could see herself cracking in their reflection. Those eyes.

He leaned forward, his curls tumbling onto her shoulders, lips brushing her reddened face. “Tovaaa~”

No. She refused. Because there was no way she was that fucking clingy. 

Except she absolutely was and he knew it and it absolutely was not fair.  

“Ez,” she finally whined, exasperated. 

He grinned, cupping her in his hands. He peppered her face with kisses, like he was trying to connect a constellation on her freckles, until Tova was breathless and flushed, and both of them were laughing their asses off.

The exhaustion hit them not too long after and they settled down. Tova slid off the pillow, crawling over to his hands. They curled around her, bringing her to his chest.

“Tova?”

Tova hummed, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt.

He curled up, bundling her closer. His voice was thick with sleep, rolling through her like an ocean wave. “I love you.”

Tova doubted he could see the way she looked at him in the dark. Ezran was the first person to ever say he loved her. She’d never told him that. She thought about it every time he said it. It was more pathetic than it sounded, she'd had people who cared, but none who were so open about it. She never doubted it with him.

Maybe that was the part that made her tear up.

She wiped her eyes, smiling into his shirt. “I love you too, dork.”

[thikkiesixx]

Another Eddie Munson Fic Rec

This is my 3rd fic recommendation list, and i could probably make so many more.

Smut = *

May contain some Steddie fics, I cannot lie i love them.

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the "yes" policy ~ summary: After a lifetime of questionable decisions, you moved from the big city to the sleepy town of Hawkins with your best friend, and took the first job you saw: answering phones for the most boring auto shop in the dullest place on Earth. It wasn't exactly the adventure you wanted it to be.. but attempting to win over the jaded mechanic who insisted on ignoring your existence proved entertaining. im a WHORE for mechanic eddie, add single dad eddie?? nothing can get better than this. multipart fic! written by @pinkrelish

seeing stars * ~ summary: A new girl with a mysterious air to her and a questionable past comes to Hawkins. She’s armed with a gauntlet of jewelry and the sharpest wit Eddie’s ever come across. After a chance encounter at a party, Eddie becomes a bit smitten with her. The problem is, she’s an unreadable brick wall when she’s sober. Will Eddie’s attentive persistence help him break down the walls she’s put up to protect herself from not getting hurt? Or will Eddie be the one who ends up with wounds to hide? A story about learning lessons the hard way when it comes to letting people in. Vulnerability and honesty will always be rewarded. Even if it doesn’t feel that way at first. posting this one again bc honestly it is so good and i feel as if it is completely underrated. this author is so so good at writing and is also just a sweet person. PLS READ IM BEGGING. written by @boogiewrites

rumor * ~ summary: you share with Eddie, your older neighbour, the rumours you've heard about him. They might not be all fictitious... pretty spicy. eddie has a tongue ring and a dick piercing. written by @msgexymunson

i put a spell on you ~ summary: Eddie stumbles upon a house in the middle of the woods that contains something he never expected. What happens next is a lot of crazy shit, that takes him on a rollercoaster of emotions. But what he got out of it was a pretty great girlfriend and confirmation that magic was real, and badass. written by @farfromharry

simple rules ~ summary: eddie doesn’t have his life together any better than the next person, but for his daughter, he fakes it well. all he really needed was balance, but he wasn’t sure that even existed—not until you. im such a sucker for dad eddie. its so cute. will hit everytime. written by @munsonquinns amazing writer, their stuff never misses.

bad things *~ summary: You’re the head cheerleader and you fuck Eddie Munson in a bathroom at a Halloween party. written by @goldenbuckyyy

camera shy * ~ summary: eddie’s a popular camboy, along with your best friend steve. one lucky introduction manages to turn your life upside down, arguably, for the better. camboy eddie is near and dear to my heart. written by @munsonquinns

say yes to heaven * ~ summary: when you don’t know what to be for halloween, eddie gives you the perfect idea without even knowing it. he always calls you his angel, so you decide to become one and surprise him for halloween. the events that take place after he sees you are far from angelic and show the devilish side that eddie brings out of you. written by @lilacletter

love bites* ~ summary: eddie munson is super weird. he holds your hand too tight, he has a fascination with your neck, and he can’t give a hickey to save his life. good thing you’re super weird, too. vampire eddie. written by the amazing @luveline anything written by this author is simply phenomenal.

this town’s for the record now ~ summary: 'we’ve been friends since childhood, and I’ve accepted that we’re just not meant to be. I’ve moved on and encouraged you to follow your dreams. I didn’t know that your dream was me.’ written by @harringtown

pretty persuasion * ~ summary: You are the proud owner of Hawkins Records and have been for some years now, but dwindling sales mean that you might be forced to close the store that you love so much. Help comes in the form of Eddie Munson, former friend and frontman of a very successful band, but since the two of you hadn’t parted in the best way 12 years ago there is no telling what will happen when you reunite again. absolutely fuckin LOVED THIS HOLY SHIT. pls read. so cute. written by @serasvictoria

somethin unholy* ~ summary: steddie smut, her boys, their girl, it was time to give in. written by @upsidedownwithsteve

fuck me like you hate me* ~ summary: reader begrudgingly ends up crushing on eddie and she is forced to admit it to him in the middle of some very steamy hate sex. written by msgexymunson

rainbow lights ~ summary: A bad trip at your local bar has you seeking out Eddie Munson for help. And he'll be damned if he can't make you feel better. written by @retrobutterflies yall already know this author is so good. i think theyve been on all of my rec lists

the black cat* ~ summary: you and eddie are practically in love with each other, but don’t dare admit it. When the two of you run into each other at steve’s halloween party and he catches a glimpse of your costume, the dams holding back your guys’ pride, break. written by yeonjuns-beanie

do you wanna touch me?* ~ summary: When you and Eddie take a different route in the Upside Down, you come across a strange fungus that leaves you with some unintended side effects. i <3 sex pollen storylines. written by @chestharrington

headliners* ~ summary: Eddie Munson was famous. And an asshole. You were also famous. And a Bitch. You had both been reading each other's lives through headlines for the last five years, so then what happens when you both start to miss out on life milestones? THIS IS SOME GOOD SHIT. JUST READ IT. written by @sequincowgrrrl

forbidden fruit* ~ summary: something that is desired all the more because it is not allowed—you find yourself torn between the idea that even though eddie is in a position of authority as your professor, he’s still what you crave the most. written by @munsonquinns

the jar* ~ summary: Reader had a friends with benefits relationship with Eddie. Eddie finds the “hookup jar” after one of their nights together. written by @sweetyyhippyy

faster* ~ summary: Reader goes to watch one of Eddie's most important races but when a dangerous maneuver almost ends in disaster, she helps Eddie calm down in the only way she can. racecar driver eddie???? are you kidding???? thats so sexy. written by @pxrxcxa absolutely love this author omg

kaleidoscope ~ summary: after the death of your father, you and your fourteen year old sister move into the forest hills community. your neighbor, eddie, is very kind, very helpful, and very pretty. things between you and your sister are tense as you learn how to take care of her and how to allow her to grow. written by @newlips

i hate you ~ summary: You and Eddie Munson know exactly how you feel about each other. Until a moment changes everything and you embark on a journey of discovery about your relationship. written by @violetrainbow412-blog

made for lovin you* ~ summary: after years of silently pining for your best friend, you finally accept a date at your favorite dive bar. but things never go as planned, do they? alternatively, jealous eddie, too many whiskey shots, and a friendship shattering, almost confession that leads to some delicious smut. written by @xechowritesx

all i ever wanted ~ summary: Eddie has always been your best friend, the person you'd much rather spend your time with than going out on dates, but he swears he never wants to get married and likes to play the wingman for you, so you've come to terms with the fact that things will always just be platonic between you...or will they? written by @denim-mixtapes

friday the 13th ~ summary: you and eddie have a standing best friends date every friday the 13th to watch your favorite horror movies. after you get asked out on a date for the same day, eddie is worried you forgot about him. written by @satelliteddie

disjointed* ~ summary: Nurse!Reader is reunited with her high school crush in the emergency room. written by @boomhauer

this is how it starts* ~ summary: you’re an aspiring writer who gets a chance to interview the frontman of corroded coffin. he’s not shy about taking an interest in you. written by @chainsawmunson

no other will do ~ summary: You're home from college for the holidays. Eddie's playing a show and he wants you to be there. How can you say no to the boy you've been in love with since freshman year? written by @sanguineterrain

i want your video* ~ summary: You had to make your ex pay for what he did, to you and his former fellow Hellfire party member. There's only one person that can truly help you with that. written by @thefreak-thebanished

a special surprise* ~ summary: Reader surprises Eddie by wearing lingerie for him… for the very first time ever. written by @whoahoney

cherry stems and strawberries* ~ summary: When your brothers best friend takes you by surprise after a interesting movie night. written by @86-babyy

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do you guys like steddie??? bc i can make a whole separate post with just steve x eddie.

[mehoymalloy]

Alert: The Judicator AU now has plot-relevant KINK !

Gone are the days of an entire spin-off series for smut, folks, because through lots and lots of brainstorming, worldbuilding, and just generally going feral over the blorbos that are imotohan, @inomakani and I are creating a story that's 60% plot, 40% porn, and a whole lot of arcane fuckery (innuendo absolutely intended) with a sprinkling of good ole fashioned tension (of both the scary and the sexy kind).

But for now, have a cute and silly little backstory snippet we came up with when fleshing out how Imogen becomes the total kinkster she is in this AU.

Growing up with full access to the Aydinlan Seminary’s extensive library, Imogen had stumbled upon the book Mistress’ Magical Manual of Kink as an older teenager while curiously browsing the ‘personal health and hygiene’ section (the standard wizard sex ed class didn’t quite answer all of her questions). Hardbound in a royal purple fabric, with cursive lettering gilded with gold, the title on the spine had quickly caught Imogen’s eye. She had cautiously glanced around to ensure she was alone before she then pulled the book from the shelf, immediately intrigued by the illustration depicted on the front cover. A slightly plump woman, beautifully rendered in an abstract, stylized manner, was bound and suspended in elaborate ropework that wove through the words of the title above before finally curling to shape the first and last ‘S’ of the word ‘Mistress.’ Other items of interest were also subtly integrated throughout the rest of the title: a collar, a leash, a flogger, among others Imogen couldn’t quite identify yet. She had been pleasantly surprised to see a body much like her own. All soft curves, gentle swells, and rolling folds, slightly straining against the delicate embrace of the surrounding ropes. Imogen had discreetly checked the book out, then renewed it, and then renewed it again—until tiny conjured slips of parchment began appearing in the book, always between the pages she had last left off when reading, politely informing her of the impending due date that would not be extended again. Quietly mortified, Imogen resolved to purchase her own copy. Shrouded in a heavy cloak, she absconded to Yios’ one and only ‘adult entertainment’ shop, creatively called Amoryios. However, to her horror, the merchant had gently informed her that this particular book was only available by special order. With one moment of courage, a handful of gold, and hardly a day passing, Imogen then found a discreet package in her campus postbox. The title page of her own personal copy had even been signed by ‘the Mistress’ herself: ‘Dear Imogen, I am honored to offer my guidance on your journey into this wide, wondrous world of sensual possibilities. Much love, Mistress.’ The grandiloquence of the short note had admittedly pulled a genuine snort of laughter from Imogen; but despite the lofty turn of phrase, she somehow felt they were sincere nevertheless. Amusingly, the ‘i’ in the moniker resembled a flogger, much like it did on the cover title as well, with tendrils curling up to dot the letter with a tiny heart—perhaps even the author of a veritable encyclopedia of kink knowledge had their favorites? In keeping with the discreet packaging, the large book even conveniently came already enchanted: a helpful illusion spell that could be activated to alter the outer cover from its eye-catching rich purple and glittering gold to instead appear bland and brown, entitled Marie’s Manual of Household Management. While this enchantment worked wonders to help the book to blend into any bookcase, it crucially did not alter the book’s contents. Imogen would never forget the moment her mother, having popped in for a quick chat, abruptly plucked the book from its perch face-down at the end of the shelf. She had skimmed the blurb on the back, flipped it over to read the title, and then raised an eyebrow as she slowly dragged her pointed gaze around Imogen’s messy dormitory. Then, finally, she replaced the book on the shelf without bothering to open it. In the years following, Imogen was far more careful with where she left her beloved copy of Mistress’ Magical Manual of Kink.

[scotianostra]

Happy birthday Lena Martell, born May 15th 1940 in Possilpark, Glasgow.

Born Helena Thomson, she began singing at the age of 11 with her eldest brother’s band. After his untimely death, Martell decided to pursue a career in music as a tribute.

Her rising popularity among the easy listening elite allowed for the release of Lena’s Music Album in 1979. The record spawned a number one hit, One Day at a Time, written by Kris Kristofferson and Marijohn Wilkin, it helped launch Lena’s career. Producer and bandleader George Elrick and Martell continued to release records throughout the 1980s, she recorded more than 30 albums, some of which went silver, gold and platinum, including By Request, Beautiful Sunday , Love Songs, and Feelings, before her retirement in the early ‘90s, for a decade Lena also had her own Saturday night BBC TV show with over 12 million viewers. Lena worked with Liza Minnelli and understudied for Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl on Broadway.

She has been through a lot in the years since her hey day, She almost lost her voice with cancerous nodes, has had a double mastectomy, had two nervous breakdowns and the death of her mum after caring for her through the ravages of Alzheimer’s, she has also had surgery to replace a valve in her heart, and in March 2008 underwent a triple heart bypass operation- Lena is really one of life’s survivors.

In 2004, her comeback CD My Homeland outsold Kylie Minogue and Britney Spears in Scottish record shops and went gold.

In 2012 she celebrated 50 years in show business with a tour that kicked off in Glasgow. Sean Connery quoted at the Edinburgh Festival in 2004; “The best singer not to record a Bond soundtrack was Lena Martell”

I’ve chosen a great tune from Lena's album My Homeland.

I’ve seen the snow that falls across Alaska I’ve watched the sun go down on Galway Bay The Pyramids and all the “Seven Wonders” I’ve danced the night away in Monterrey But my Homeland, your beauty shines forever It burns like some eternal flame So hard to put in words how much I love you I’m so proud at the mention of your name

Scotland the lion roars inside of me My Country, my Home, my only one The City of Glasgow I was Born Scotland I love you and I’m proud to be your son

The world is full of magic and of wonder The sights I’ve seen just take my breath away But when I return home to Caledonia My heart is here, and here I’ll always stay

Scotland the lion roars inside of me My Country, my Home, my only one The City of Glasgow I Was Born Scotland I love you and I’m proud to be your son

Every Scotsman and Woman hold your head up high Thank your Father’s for the land they held so dear Sing these words with pride when you think of home Sing them loud,so all the world can hear.

Scotland the lion roars inside of me My Country, my Home, my only one The City of Glasgow I was Born Scotland I love you and I’m proud to be your son

Scotland I Love You,And I’m Proud To Be Your Son.

[allari-ammayi]

Butta Bomma

A. Bahubali x Reader x B. Deva

#2

The New World

Synopsis: When Y/n visits her ill grandmother, she is given an ancient red amulet along with a few cryptic last words, before her grandmother's death. Following her Grandmother's funeral, Y/n is inspecting the amulet when the starts above aligned in a mystical way, opening a way for Y/n to get sucked through worlds and find herself, unconscious in the middle of a hunting ground in a world she assumed was fictional. Watching a strange woman magically materialise in front of him, Bhallaladeva is starstruck and decides to take her into custody and seek her medical attention to find her identity and intentions.

3.9k Words

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In the midst of her routine, Y/n's world was abruptly disrupted by a phone call. On the other end of the line was Gowri, her closest friend and her grandmother's devoted caretaker.

“Gowri, what’s up?” Y/n asked casually as she balanced her phone on her shoulder, leaning her head down, sideways to keep it in place as she carried boxes.

“Y/n… I’m getting really worried about Grandma… She’s looking worse tonight than she usually does.” Gowri’s quiet and unusually worried voice, caused Y/n’s eyebrows to scrunch up in confusion as she placed her boxes down and held her phone using her hand.

“What do you mean?” 

“She just looks very fragile. I mean- She always does, but tonight it’s just… You should come visit her.” Gowri said.

Y/n wasn’t one to argue much, and she wasn’t one to decline an invitation to visit her grandmother either.

“Alright, don’t worry, I’ll be there soon,” Y/n answered, determined. 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

After closing up the antique shop for the day, Y/n hurried to visit her beloved Grandma, entering her room with a sense of deep concern etched across her face.

There, she beheld her grandmother, who appeared extremely frail and unwell, yet her spirit remained as mischievous as ever.

"Grandma… How are you feeling?" Y/n asked softly, her voice filled with genuine worry. Grandma mustered a weak but warm smile. 

"Oh, my dear Y/n, you worry too much. I'm just an old woman catching up with time." Her eyes twinkled with that familiar mischievous charm.

Y/n couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. She had been raised by her grandmother and shared an unbreakable bond with her. Seeing Grandma in this state was deeply painful.

The two talked for a while, reminiscing about old stories and cherished memories, their laughter occasionally punctuating the conversation.

It was a bittersweet moment, knowing that time was slipping through their fingers.

"Remember when you were just a little girl and I used to tell you stories of brave warriors and epic adventures?" Grandma asked, her eyes distant yet filled with nostalgia. Y/n nodded, her eyes misting with tears. 

"Yes, Grandma, those stories were my favourite."

Grandma's gaze became more intent, her voice gaining a note of urgency. "Well, my dear, I want you to have something special. Something that will keep those stories alive."

With a feeble yet determined hand, Grandma reached beneath her pillow and retrieved a small red amulet, placing it onto Y/n's palm. Y/n looked at the intricate design and felt its smooth surface against her skin.

"Grandma, what is this?" Y/n asked, her curiosity piqued.

"It's an heirloom, my child," Grandma whispered. "An ancient amulet that has been passed down through our family for generations. Keep it close to your heart, Y/n, for it holds a power beyond imagination."

The red amulet, a mystical relic, hung gracefully from a golden chain. Its circular pendant, meticulously crafted, bore a diamond-shaped pattern on its top. The gem, encased in a thick, pure-golden outer layer, radiated an otherworldly enchantment.

The surface of the golden casing was adorned with inscriptions in ancient text, weaving an aura of mystique around this cherished heirloom.

Y/n looked down at the amulet in her hand, its intricate design fascinating her. 

"But what is its significance, Grandma?"

"Dear one, this amulet you hold carries the whispers of forgotten worlds. In time, it may become your guide to a realm where dreams and destinies entwine."

Y/n's eyes widened with intrigue. 

"What do you mean, Grandma?"

Grandma continued, her words measured and enigmatic. "When the stars align, trust the heart that beats within. Decipher the path it chooses."

Y/n felt a shiver down her spine as the weight of Grandma's words sank in. 

"Grandma, this all sounds… foggy. What should I do with it?"

Grandma's eyes held a deep wisdom as she replied, "Keep it close, my child, and let your heart be your guide. The amulet will reveal its purpose when the time is right. It is a connection to something greater, something beyond our understanding."

As Y/n clutched the amulet, a sense of curiosity and anticipation filled her.

“Remember my words dear one. This amulet you hold carries the whispers of forgotten worlds. In time, it may become your guide to a realm where dreams and destinies entwine. When the stars align, trust the heart that beats within. Decipher the path it chooses." She repeated one last time.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

As Y/n left her grandmother's room, she clutched the amulet, her mind still swirling with the cryptic message.

Her footsteps were slow and contemplative as she walked back home.

Seconds turned into minutes as Y/n reached her own doorstep. She was deep in thought, trying to make sense of the cryptic message her grandmother had left her. The world outside was quiet, and she was about to unlock her door when her phone rang again, and it was Gowri.

Y/n picked up the phone, her voice hesitant. 

"Gowri? What's wrong?"

Gowri's voice, although filled with sadness, was more despondent than terrified. 

"Y/n, you need to come back to Grandma's place. Now."

Confusion washed over Y/n as she struggled to comprehend the urgency in Gowri's tone, barely being able to understand anything Gowri was saying through her choked sobs and tears. 

"What do you mean, something happened? Is Grandma okay?"

Gowri hesitated for a moment before delivering the heartbreaking news. 

"I'm so sorry, Y/n. Grandma... But you have to come immediately! Now!"

Y/n's heart seemed to stop. Y/n sprinted back as fast as her legs could carry her. When she arrived at her grandmother's place, her heart sank as she saw Gowri sobbing uncontrollably over Grandma's limp body. The room seemed to blur, and Y/n's world shattered into a million pieces.

She dropped to her knees beside her grandmother's lifeless form, her hands trembling as she reached out to touch her. The realization hit her like a tidal wave—Grandma had passed away in the few minutes that Y/n had been away.

Gowri's tear-filled eyes met Y/n's, and there was no need for words. The pain, the grief, the profound loss—they hung heavy in the air. Y/n's throat tightened, and her chest ached with the weight of her sorrow.

The amulet, once clutched tightly in her hand, had fallen to the floor unnoticed. In that moment, all that mattered was the emptiness left by her grandmother's departure.

The world had gone silent and still, and Y/n could do nothing but sit there, her heart shattered, as she mourned the loss of the woman who had raised her and who had left her with the amulet that now seemed insignificant in the face of her overwhelming grief.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Y/n found herself engulfed in an overwhelming sense of loneliness. She longed to see Grandma once more, to hear her voice, and share a comforting embrace.

In her solitude, Y/n's thoughts turned to the amulet Grandma had entrusted to her.

Y/n took it into her hands, its surface cool and familiar, carrying with it the memories of their cryptic conversation and Grandma’s confusing last words.

As Y/n examined the amulet, a celestial phenomenon unfolded in the night sky.

The stars above aligned in an inexplicable and peculiar way, as if nature itself was preparing for an extraordinary event.

The amulet, sensing the emotional whirlwind within Y/n – her grief over Grandma's death intertwined with the deep connection she had developed with the character Bhallaladeva – began to radiate with a mesmerizing light.

The glow emanating from the amulet grew brighter, casting an ethereal illumination in the room.

Y/n watched in awe and astonishment as the amulet's light danced and flickered, responding to the depths of her emotions and the celestial alignment above.

In that moment, Y/n sensed that something extraordinary was unfolding. She felt a connection, an invisible thread linking her to an unknown destiny.

As the celestial alignment painted the night sky with its rare and dazzling display, the amulet's latent magic awakened in response to this once-in-a-lifetime event.

It was as if the amulet had been waiting for this very moment, a convergence of cosmic forces that would set its mystical powers into motion.

In an instant, Y/n found herself transported through space and time, leaving behind the familiar world she had known, with nothin but the amulet inher hand.

The kingdom of Mahishmati materialised before her, or rather she materialised in front of it, its grandeur and mystique unfolding in breathtaking detail.

It was a bright, clear afternoon, with the sun ascending to its zenith, casting long, dramatic shadows that stretched across the majestic landscape.

When she materialized into this unfamiliar realm, Y/n found herself standing in the heart of a sprawling hunting ground that sprawled on the outskirts of Mahishmati.

This hunting ground was a wilderness of immense proportions, a realm where nature reigned untamed and untethered. Dense forests, their canopies reaching skyward, embraced the landscape, their shadows playing intricate games with the golden sunlight that filtered through the leaves.

In contrast, lush meadows rolled out as far as the eye could see, their verdant carpet interrupted only by the vibrant bursts of wildflowers that painted the scenery in a riot of colours. Nearby, a meandering river glistened under the radiant sun, its waters sparkling with a life of their own.

This sprawling hunting ground had long been a favoured haunt of the royal family, a place where they ventured for grand hunting expeditions.

But today, it served as the stage for an unexpected twist in the narrative, as Y/n, an outsider from another world, stood amidst its awe-inspiring beauty, an unwitting participant in the epic tale of Baahubali.

In the blink of an eye, she materialized out of thin air, as if summoned into existence from the very ether itself. One moment, there was nothing but the serene expanse of the hunting ground, and the next, Y/n stood there, disoriented and utterly perplexed.

“This way, I think I hear some kind of deer approaching.” 

“Over there!”

“What in the world…”

“My goodness…”

“This- This can’t be real…”

Bhallaladeva, a formidable presence leading a hunting party through the untamed wilderness of Mahishmati, and his hunting team were the first to witness Y/N's abrupt and mystifying appearance.

The very air seemed to ripple around her as she materialized before him, and for a moment, his keen eyes could scarcely believe what they beheld.

His initial reaction was one of sheer shock and alarm, his instincts as a warrior flaring to life.

In an instant, he brought his mighty steed to an abrupt halt, the powerful beast rearing up as it obeyed his command. The soldiers who followed in his wake did likewise, their horses snorting and whinnying in a chorus of confusion.

Y/N, meanwhile, still reeling from her sudden and inexplicable arrival in this foreign world, crumpled to the ground, falling unconscious on the lush green grass.

Bhallaladeva, his gaze fixed on this intruder, was immediately on high alert. His knuckles clenched tightly around the reins of his horse as he pondered the situation before him.

The soldiers under his command mirrored his uncertainty, their hands hovering near the hilts of their weapons. They could not discern whether Y/N posed a threat or if she was the unwitting victim of some dark and malevolent sorcery that had brought her here.

“What do we do Your Highness?”

“Should we perhaps lock her up?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! She could be an angel! Look at her clothes!”

“Or she could be a dark magic practitioner!”

“Maybe- Maybe a fairy of some kind? She sure looks the part.”

“Really? A fainting fairy? What’re you, six years old? Clearly, she’s some kind of evil witch!”

“Maybe use your brain for once. What if she is a poor subject to a dark magic practitioner? Look at the poor girl…”

Bhallaladeva’s soldiers argued as he stared at the girl in silence, pondering what to do. 

As the seconds ticked by, the hunting party remained suspended in a tense tableau, caught between wariness and curiosity.

Bhallaladeva, a complex figure known for his strategic prowess and unyielding resolve, faced a conundrum that defied easy answers.

With a composed demeanour, Bhallaladeva made a decisive choice. He decided to take Y/N into custody, not out of suspicion, but rather to determine her identity and intentions. Such a measured approach was characteristic of him.

“Let us take her into our custody,” He ordered, “There, we can determine her intentions and her identity.” Bhalla took a look at the unconscious girl, feeling an odd sense of concern for her. “Till then, one of you needs to safely take her to the medical house and seek her immediate medical attention.”

He issued a firm command to his soldiers, instructing them to handle the unconscious stranger with care and delicacy. Y/N's still form was carefully lifted from the ground, and she was secured onto a horse-drawn litter.

As the hunting party set out toward the palace, the news of this mysterious appearance spread like wildfire among Bhallaladeva's retinue.

Questions swirled like leaves in a tempest. Who was this stranger, and what brought her to this ancient kingdom? The attire she wore, so distinctly strange and unheard of, baffled those who caught glimpses of her. How could she have seemingly appeared out of nowhere, defying the very laws of reality? Was she truly an angel?

♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡

Taglist: @vellipo-mellaga, @mellaga-karagani, @vayari-bhama, @bitchy-bi-trash (To join the taglist, let me know in the comments, and you will be added to future ones!)

[frostandflamesfanfic]

Light Up My Life (Steve Harrington x Reader)

Light Up My Life (Rated T)

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader

Word Count: 3.7k+

Warnings: Brief language and some suggestive situations, but mainly fluff!

Summary: For Stevemas Day 12; Your and your boyfriend, Steve, have been dating for some time. Although time has never been on your side, the two of you are determined to spend the holiday together this year. When you decide to have an early Christmas date night, Steve comes up with a way to make it even more magical...

You sighed to yourself as you stared over the counter to the parking lot outside, hands toying with a random piece of scrap paper. The sun had just started to set for the night, casting shadows against the asphalt and sending vibrant hues of orange sunlight through the windows. For the Christmas season, you would think the bookstore would be even busier. People would pass in and out to pick up whatever cheap new release there was for the friendly bookworm. Come January, loyal customers would come in to exchange the attempt to connect for the new book title they were really interested in.

Except this year, it seemed paperbacks were replaced by whatever the latest technology was. Even Dustin Henderson had charted a new course on his voyage of curiosity that all but left the world of Dungeons and Dragons guides and physics textbooks behind. Mrs. Peterson was the lonely lingering customer in the corners of bookshelves. Her eyes flickered between a paperback copy of The Dead Poets Society or a leather-bound collection of Emily Dickinson’s works. 

She was one of your regulars, the bookworms with heart, as you called them. Every Christmas, Mrs. Peterson would show up to the store with a mission to find the perfect book for every person on her shopping list. 

You couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face as you crossed the store to help her. “Mrs. Peterson,” you called over. “Doing some last-minute shopping? Anything I can help you with today?”

“Oh, hello dear!” the older woman glanced up from the covers with an endearing smile. She held out the two books in your direction. “I’m trying to find something for my great-niece, Dariah. She wasn’t supposed to be coming to Christmas dinner, since she needed to fly in all the way from California. She started college there, did I tell you? Southern California University…no, wait. That isn’t quite it.” 

She paused to raise an index finger to her lower lip in thought. A moment later, Mrs. Peterson’s face lit up as she gave a small exclamation. “University of Southern California! Yes, yes,” she jabbered on with an eager series of nods, “that’s it! She’s been studying literature there. Told me herself that she wants to get published, maybe even work in the publishing world.”

“Oh wow, that’s fantastic, Mrs. Peterson!” you tried to sound excited for the older woman. Truly, you did. “You must be so proud! California isn’t a bad place to study.”

You glanced over to the large clock affixed to the wall by the checkout counter. 6:55, it read. Your boyfriend was supposed to pick you up after close – sometime after seven o’clock. He worked across the street at the local video rental store, Family Video, so it wouldn’t be too far of a trek. The last thing you wanted, though, was for him to have to sit and wait for you to finish with a customer. 

“Yes, well,” Mrs. Peterson agreed, “but I wish she didn’t live so far away and then decide to come home on a spur of the moment. Now I’m having a hard time figuring out what to get her.”

“Hmm.” You let your eyes wander around the store, the seemingly endless rows of books new and old. You tilted your head and started to walk through the shelves, dodging and weaving until you found the nonfiction section. Personally, you never really visited this section for leisure, but you had a vague idea of what hidden gems lurked amongst the shelves. “You mentioned she was looking to be published?”

“Oh yes,” Mrs. Peterson replied. “She’s always been writing ever since she was a child. I mean, the stories she’s come up with–”

 “I’m sure they’re lovely, Mrs. P,” you tried to politely reroute the conversation back to the original topic. Reaching up, you plucked a dark-blue covered book and held it out to the woman. “On Writing Well by Micheal Zinsser. It was published just this year and we’ve already had numerous orders of it from the local universities. She might get something out of it in terms of writing.”

As she took the book from you, she gave a small tut of appreciation. “Oh thank you, dear. Somehow you always know exactly what I’m looking for.”

You chuckled and shrugged your shoulders, taking the other two books from her hand and walked over to place them back in their rightful places. “Sometimes it’s less about finding the perfect book for a person, and more about the perfect person for the book.” You gestured vaguely over your shoulder toward the register. “What do you say we get you all checked out and you can head home to finish up those last-minute preparations for Dariah, yeah?”

“I mean it, dear,” the woman said as she walked over to the counter. “I don’t know how you manage to do it every time. You’re quite the young person. More people should be like you.”

“Well,” a familiar voice cut into the conversation, “as much as I appreciate your compliments here, Mrs. Peterson, if there were more people like your favorite employee over here, I would be a very jealous man.”

You glanced up to catch the hazel-eyed stare of your boyfriend leaning against the front door of the shop. He jerked a thumb toward the handle. “You forgot to lock up. Gotta be careful, sweetheart. You never know who will come barging in after hours.”

“Oh, Steve,” Mrs. Peterson smiled as you rang up her purchase, “you’ve found yourself quite the keeper.”

“That I have, Mrs. Peterson.” Steve said as he strode into the store. He ducked down under the counter flap to wrap his arms around your waist and placed a resounding lip smack against your cheek. “Hey there, sweetheart.”

You shivered at his show of affection, which caused Mrs. Peterson to chuckle. “Don’t let this one slip away.”

“Oh, I don’t plan on letting this one go for a long, long, long time,” your boyfriend promised. 

You turned your head to catch his gaze. “A long, long, long time?” you teased.

“As long as you’ll have me.”

A hot flush crept up your neck and tickled your cheeks. It wasn’t that you were embarrassed by his comments. Steve had a way of making you feel like the most important person in the world. He never did it to make you uncomfortable. Over the last five years you dated, you had come to find that every word he said he meant. The fact that someone would say these things about you, much less mean what they said, was difficult to comprehend at times. It had only taken a few months for the first “I love you” – something that you had never done before. But with Steve, it was easy. 

He made things easy and you could spend every day finding new ways to fall in love with him. 

“Get ready for the long haul, then, Harrington,” you mumbled as you reached over the counter to hand a receipt to Mrs. Peterson and waved goodbye. 

Your boyfriend hummed and sent his own goodbye to your customer, opting to stick his face into your neck once the door shut behind her. Another thing you learned about Steve over the years was how clingy he was. No matter what you were doing together, Steve always had to touch you in some capacity. A hand clasped in your as you shopped for groceries in town, lips pressed to your temple as you sat in his lap while Dustin explained his latest theories. His fingertips would slide their way up under the hem of your shirt when he was just standing next to you, tracing random shapes into the skin. 

“Ready for our date, sweetheart?” Steve mumbled into the junction of your shoulder. He pressed a kiss to the area and hummed when he felt you shiver under his touch. 

“Just about,” you responded absentmindedly. “Just have to clean and lock up before we can go.”

“I can help.”

You shot him a frown, eyebrows knit together in confusion. “You sure?”

Your boyfriend nodded and released you from his grip to pick up a stack of books off the counter. “Babe,” he said with a tsking sound, “I sort tapes for a living across the street. I think I can manage a few books.”

“Yeah, but there’s a certain order-”

“I got this,” Steve tried to calm you. “Go get ready to lock up. The lights of Loch Nora are waiting for us. Don’t want them to burn out before we get there, yeah?”

A little hesitant at first, you finally agreed to give Steve a stack of books meant for the fiction section. Your hope was that even if he didn’t recognize or understand the sorting system of the store, he would at least be able to rely on his skills from the video store to help him out. To no one’s surprise, Steve handled the stack with ease. You would be lying if you said you hadn’t waited a moment just to take in the view of his chin holding the stack in place, his free hand putting book after book back on the shelf. 

“Hey babe?” he called out after a few moments of sorting. “Where’s your horror section?”

“Over by the romance.” You used the stepstool to replace the leather copies of The Hobbit and Fellowship on the collectors’ shelf. Why your boss thought it would be a good idea to sell ninety dollar editions of the classic stories was beyond you. None of your typical Hawkins customers could afford it, unless they won the lottery. “Don’t ask me to explain the system. They’re just in the same area.”

“Aaaaaaand done!” Steve clapped his hands together and emerged from the back of the store a moment later, a small paperback clutched in his right hand. “Hey, do people really read this shit?”

At first, you couldn’t tell what the book was. Being in a literal bookstore made it difficult to narrow it down. However, when Steve held it up to the light, you caught sight of the title and your stomach dropped: After the Stars Fall. The cover image was simple enough, depicting a man and a woman as they embraced in front of a fireplace.

“I, uh,” you stuttered. “I think we’ve sold a few of those. Not recently, though. It’s a couple years old.”

“Huh.” Steve glanced down at the book in his hands. “Is it any good?” 

Even though you hadn’t read the book yourself, you knew the reputation these novels had. Karen Wheeler in particular always seemed rather flustered whenever she picked up her latest installment. You thought that was a pretty clear sign to steer clear until the later stages of life. 

“I mean,” you chuckled half-heartedly, “those two look pretty cozy. Probably just got some quiet time by the fire after they put the kids to bed. Domestic bliss; must be nice.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Steve’s voice sounded distant. When you glanced back up at him in concern, you noticed he was staring at you. Yet, as you looked closer, you noticed he was staring past you. He was lost in a dreamworld of sorts, allowing his mind to wander in ways you would most likely never understand. 

“Steve?” you asked timidly, hand placed against his bicep. “Babe, are you okay?”

 All of a sudden, Steve flinched and his eyes flickered to yours. A smile graced his features as he nodded and pressed a kiss to your cheek. “Yeah,” he soothed. “Yeah, I’m okay. Let me go start the car and we can go, alright? Don’t want you freezing that cute little butt of yours off waiting for the heat.”

You laughed and gave a little wink as you walked to grab your jacket from the back room. “Something tells me I’d have something else to help keep me warm.”

⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ 

Growing up in Hawkins, one could find themselves becoming desensitized to the small-town charm. Who wouldn’t? Being around the same stores, the same people, the same town…a change of scenery started to sound nice after a while. You tried to get out about four years ago. After graduating high school in the summer of ‘85, you followed the Byers out west to attend University of California, Berkeley. It was a tough transition, especially without your boyfriend. The two of you made the long distance work as best you could over the year, relying on phone calls, letters, even the occasional surprise visits when you could. 

After spring break freshman year, you knew the next three would drag on if you stayed in California. You couldn’t let Hawkins go. Your family was here— both biological and otherwise— so was your home…and Steve. You couldn’t let it go, not again. 

So you didn’t leave. 

After the earthquake, you made the decision to move back to Indiana for good. You transferred to Indiana State University, finished your degree, and took up a job doing something you loved in the process. It had taken you some time, but in between loan payments, you and Steve were able to put rent down on a lease. The apartment itself wasn’t grand by any means, but it was home. 

This year marked the first Christmas you and Steve would spend without the stress of finals or scheduling conflicts. The two of you made sure to request the day off in advance, going as far as taking additional shifts to cover the expenses. It was tough, but you knew it would all be worth it to wake up on Christmas morning with Steve by your side. 

You rarely found yourself traveling through the Loch Nora neighborhood during the rest of the year. The big houses were daunting and the people who lived inside were even more so. People said Hawkins was cursed, plagued by a mystical evil that corrupted those who went looking in the wrong places. Once upon a time, you thought that to be true, too. Now, as you see the displays of red, green, and gold lights strung up over houses and fresh trees neatly dressed with popcorn in people’s yards, you only saw the magic. 

As Steve drove through the streets of your small home town, you felt yourself begin to relax into the leather seats of your boyfriend’s car. The sound of Christmas carols wormed its way into your ears from the stereo speakers, pairing nicely with the low hum of Steve’s voice as it sang along to the lyrics. 

“I can’t remember the worst December,” Steve sang quietly, both hands still situated upon the wheel. “Just watch the icicles form. What do I care if icicles form? I've got my love to keep me warm.”

You felt a flush heat your skin while it crept up your neck at the sound of his voice. Almost as if sensing your bashfulness, Steve tilted his head toward you when he pulled up to the next stoplight. Ever the flirt, he gave you a small smile and quick wink as he continued to hum along with the tune. “Off with my overcoat,” he sang a bit louder now, another cheeky grin at the corner of his lips, “off with my gloves. Who needs an overcoat? I’m burning with love.”

 “Okay, now you’re just being mean,” you bemoaned. Without another word, you leaned over to lower the volume of the radio.

“Those are just the lyrics, babe,” your boyfriend defended. On any other occasion, you would have taken pity on him and let the situation go. Although, the grin which refused to remove itself from his face only made you smack him or cover your tinted face in your scarf. Maybe even both.

“Not the way you’re singing it. Just shut up and drive, Harrington.”

“Oh, well, isn’t someone bossy…” Steve snickered. “Maybe I like this new side of you. Where have you been hiding this one?”

He made another turn, this time onto a street that you were more familiar with. Through the early days of your friendship-turned-relationship, you would take this street to pull into Steve’s driveway when nightmares kept him up in the wee hours of the morning. His parents were hardly ever home, so it wasn’t like you needed to sneak in. Though now that the two of you had your own place, 

“What are we doing here?” you questioned, frowning at your boyfriend.

Steve merely smiled in response as he pulled up into the driveway and cut the ignition. He undid his seatbelt and gestured for you to do the same as he got out of the car. You couldn’t help but smile as he bolted over to the passenger side to open your door with a mock bow. It was such an old fashioned gesture, but it still felt entirely like Steve: an old soul with a big heart. “I want to show you something,” he said.

Steve held out his hand, which you were quick to accept. He took that as an opportunity to swing your interlaced fingers back and forth. Shoving his free hand in his pocket, he brandished a pair of keys and led you to unlock the back garden gate. It was darker than usual, the only light streamed from inside the pool. The two of you still knew your way around the yard, even in the dark. You allowed Steve to guide you along for a moment, before he suddenly stopped and rested his hands against your shoulders. 

“Alright,” he said. “Just– just wait here, okay?”

He pressed a kiss to your forehead before he stepped away, leaving you alone in the darkened backyard. You suddenly felt nervous for no apparent reason. Even though it had been a few years since the last interaction with the Upside Down, you remembered hearing about what happened to Barb in Steve’s backyard. You knew you could fend for yourself. It wouldn’t be your first tumble with the beasts from Hell. You also knew Steve wouldn’t let anything happen to you if there was a surprise intruder. 

Then why were you so anxious? 

Your thoughts were cut short by a flood of bright light which practically blinded you in the process. As you blinked away the initial shock, you were met with an even larger surprise. A gazebo was now tucked into the corner of the Harrington family’s backyard. It was illuminated by bright strands of warm yellow twinkling lights wrapped around the railing. Little paper snowflakes dangled from the ceiling, held up by invisible wire.  

Steve stood in the middle of the structure. An embarrassed smile stretched across his face and a flush burned bright pink against his cheeks. “Surprise?” he said weakly.

“Steve,” you trailed off in utter surprise. “What– what is this?”

“Well,” your boyfriend came closer to pull you under the overhang over the gazebo, hands tightly gripped against yours. “My, uh, parents always wanted a gazebo and I wanted to make this special, so I, uh, I guess two birds, one stone, yeah?”

You frowned and furrowed your brow. “You…you did this?”

Steve nodded and swallowed. His eyes shifted from one side of your face to the other, as though he was searching for something. After a moment, he cleared his throat. 

“I, uh, I had a whole speech prepared,” he admitted. “I wanted to tell you how much I love you, how much I want to be with you. I wanted to tell you about all the plans I had to make this Christmas as special as possible. But being here, now, today, that all flies out the window. Because, in the end, I know the flowery words won't matter. Because right now, all I see and all I feel is you.

“I know with everything that I have, that I want to be with you forever. I know that I will never stop loving you. I told you when you went off to college, I didn't care that we were only able to see each other during your breaks. That didn’t matter to me because it would be so worth it for you to come home. I guess the point here is I will never stop waiting for you, because you are my everything. You're everything I need, sweetheart.

“And right now, I really only have one thing left to ask you,” he continued, a teary and hopeful smile against his lips. As you looked over at him, you gasped as he knelt one knee onto the floor of the gazebo and produced a small box from his jacket pocket. “Will you marry me?”

“Oh, Steve,” you gasped and covered your mouth with two gloved hands. You felt the tears as they welled up in the corners of your eyes. 

“Yeah, sweetheart?” Steve asked gently. He scooted a bit closer to reach up and wipe the tears from your eyes. “Are you okay?”

You eagerly nodded. “Yeah, yeah,” you answered. “Yeah, I’m okay, Steve.”

A sigh escaped your boyfriend as his body released its tension to relax. “Okay, good,” he said with a nod. “That’s good. But, uh, I kinda need an answer here, babe.”

Not wanting to wait any longer, you slowly fell onto your knees to give him a kiss. Steve almost immediately melted into it. His hands wrapped around your waist as yours found the small tufts of hair at the base of his neck. Despite the cold chill of the December air, you felt as though you were sitting in front of an open fire. When you finally broke apart, a smile nearly threatened to split your face in two. 

“So…” Steve drawled out between huffs of breath. “Was that a yes?”

You kissed him again with a grin, much more quickly this time. “Yes,” you affirmed. “Yes, I will marry you. In every way and language. Oui, si, da, yes. Yes.”

You couldn’t believe this moment was really happening. After years of knowing each other, defeating monsters, and finally coming together, Steve was asking you to spend the rest of your life with him. You knew it wasn’t going to be perfect, but you knew it would be worth it. 

When you looked into your future, you saw the two of you finally living the lives you dreamed of. Whether it was in Hawkins or anywhere else, you didn’t care. The only thing that mattered is that you would be with Steve. He was your home, your family, and your future.

And you couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. 

============

Author's Note: And that officially concludes our Stevemas celebration. I can't believe this is the end. The last two weeks have sped by in a blur, but I couldn't be happier to have seen all the nice comments about this little event. I'll be honest when I say this started out as a completely self-indulgent challenge, but to see you all on every fic (and seeing some new faces, too), it really made my holiday season. I really wanted to make this last story special and I'm really happy with the end result.

That being said, thanks for sticking with me over the last 12 days. If you liked this fic and event series, and want to see more like it on my blog, please consider commenting, tagging a friend, and reblogging this post. Not only does it help motivate me to keep putting out new content, it also helps spread the word about my works. Likes are appreciated, but it's really these three interactions that help the most. If you want to get updates on any of my future stories, maybe consider giving my blog a cheeky follow. I promise I don't bite and won't spam you too much with mine and other creators' amazing work!

Until next time, my little sparks <3

Wishing you all a very merry christmas and an equally wonderful holiday season regardless of how you celebrate!

Taglist: @bakerstreethound, @theelmgrove, @maddipoof