#man I've been away from this blog for like forever

[borderlinebpd]

Hey I'm back lmao

Not much has changed, still worried that everyone secretly hates me lol

[withleeknow]

my moon and stars.

pairing: minho x reader genre/warnings: established relationship, (tooth-rotting) fluff; even tho it's unedited this is still one of my favorite things that i've written on this blog so far !!! gaaaaaaah word count: 1.1k listen to 🎧: lover - taylor swift

as always, i’d appreciate any thoughts or comments you may have, and please drop a like and/or reblog if you enjoy reading ♡

navigation › masterlist › ko-fi

nobody thought jeongin would be the next one to get married, but alas, here you are, at the reception of your friend's wedding, nursing a glass of champagne.

"come on," minho says, snatching the glass away from you and finishing the rest of it in one gulp, before he takes you by the hand and tugs you forward. "let’s go dance."

you can't even be annoyed that he basically just stole your drink. instead, you just laugh, and let the love of your life drag you to the dance floor.

he guides you to move in a slow rhythm, matching the tempo of the song that's playing in the background. it's a song that you would usually think is overrated and has been played to hell and back, but in the moment, drunk on the cozy atmosphere, you think it's nice. you briefly wonder what song you would choose for your first dance at your own wedding.

it's just a fleeting thought. you've been having those all day.

jeongin's wedding was beautiful. everything was done to perfection, and you have no doubt that most of it was overseen by his girlfriend.

nope, correction: she's his wife now.

nevertheless, you've been imagining yourself and minho in a similar setting. you in a stunning white dress. him, dashing in a classy suit. the two of you exchanging vows with teary eyes in front of your friends and families. the cats as ring bearers. sealing forever with a deep kiss and fond smiles.

as you continue to sway along to the music, you wrap your arms around minho's neck and pull him closer. there's something in the way that he's been treating you all day that makes you melt even more than it usually does. he's been more touchy; there's not a single moment where his hands aren't on your body in any way, whether it be a hand on your knee, on the small of your back, or an arm around your waist. minho isn't often overt with his affection like that; he tends to dote on you in the privacy of your own loving bubble, away from anyone and everyone.

then, there's the softness that he's looking at you with in his chocolate brown eyes. it's warm, saccharine; it makes you feel like you two are the only people left in the room even though this is supposed to be someone else's big day.

"i love you," he says suddenly, brushing his nose against yours before leaning in just a tad closer to your lips, "you mean the world to me."

it's rare for minho to say things like this out of the blue. he's a man of few words after all.

he's full of surprises today, it seems.

"what's the occasion?" you ask with a coy smile.

"no occasion. just wanted to tell you that."

you close the distance, pressing your lips against his as his arms wrap themselves tighter around your body. "i love you too," you smile against him.

he mirrors your smile, and kisses you deeper. he's so sweet today, so openly loving with you even as your friends around you watch on.

you have an inkling that maybe, just maybe, he's been thinking the same things as you.

you stay in each other's arms until the song ends, then another one, then a couple more, just basking in soothing glow of love that's covering the air tonight. minutes pass with kisses shared, until it's finally time for the bouquet toss.

minho reluctantly lets you leave his side for the first time since the morning. his eyes follow you as you move to the front of the room, standing a comfortable distance away from the bride. you've never really been interested in this kind of things anyway; you're just doing it for the sake of participation.

everyone else is engrossed in what's about to happen, their eyes fixed on the bride and the peonies in her hands, but minho is only focused on you. you, who's trying to blend in with the group of people and undoubtedly praying that the bouquet doesn't make its way into your hands. you, whom he thinks looks so beautiful, all dolled up for the special occasion. you, who made his heart stutter when you walked into the room in your pretty dress and flashed him a bashful smile. (but who is he kidding? you make his heart want to give out and run away every single morning when he wakes up and sees you peacefully sleeping in his arms.)

just you. always only you.

you, you, you.

you don't hang in the moon in the sky. you are the moon, you are the stars.

minho watches you watch the bride as she counts down from 3, then flings the bouquet up in the air while everyone waits with bated breath. it's a mess of flailing arms from what he can tell, a couple of the bridesmaids practically fighting each other to try and grab the damn thing.

you try to make yourself smaller, to duck lower so that the others could have the honor instead of you. but when the flowers come hurling toward you, you have no choice but to raise your hands and catch it, lest you want to be lobbed in the face with a bouquet of peonies.

some of the people around you sigh frustratedly, but most of the guys around minho suddenly burst into loud cheers. they clap him on the back and shake him by the shoulders but still, he remains transfixed on you and your adorable wide-eyed expression. your parted lips and doe eyes blinking fast as a rosy flush creeps up your skin.

your eyes find him in an instant, and you both just stare at each other for a moment. he reckons that you're trying to gauge his reaction, because the room is now filled with excited squeals of congratulations and half-hearted jokes of how you and minho are going to be the next ones to get hitched.

you look uncertain, still frozen in place with your hands clutching the peonies.

but then he just smiles, and it makes you smile too, your body immediately relaxing as you give him a wave using the bouquet, your shoulders slumping slightly when you release a sigh.

to minho, it doesn't matter whether you caught the flowers or not; neither of you believes in that kind of stuff anyway. it doesn't matter because he's always known that he was going to marry you, that there's no one else he would rather spend the rest of his life with.

it doesn't matter because unbeknownst to you, he's already got a velvet box hidden somewhere in your shared home, with a gorgeous diamond ring inside just waiting for the day it can be put on your finger.

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all rights reserved © withleeknow. reposting, translating and/or modifying is not permitted by any means. [posted 08.01.2024]

[lorelune]

(minors & ageless blogs dni. a piece for @ainescribe for helping me with my theme 💓 cw: predator/prey, hints of dubcon)

"i'll give you a head start."

jing yuan tells you this with a pleasant, easy smile and his hands behind his back. and no context. you cock your head at him from across the little table you share, and take a sip of your cold tea.

"come again, dear?" you knock your ankle against his under the table.

"i'm giving you a five minute head start." jing yuan leans closer and rests his chin his palm. his eyes take on a cat-like glint. "i've already started counting. i'd get going if i were you, sweetling."

you only want more of it.

your chest feels tight all of a sudden.

"jing yuan—"

"i won't be going easy on you." his smile verges on smug as he leans forward. "and i would advise to take full advantage of this time. i think you'll need it."

he leans away from you and tilts his head. it would be cute if you couldn't see the rapidly darkening mischief in his gaze. you jolt up from your little table, clattering your chair on the cobbled walkway. he eyes you up and down like a big cat sizing up its next meal as you step backwards, nearly stumbling.

something in your gut twists, like a hot iron.

you turn on a heel and walk as fast as you can without drawing too much attention to yourself. weaving around the late-night crowds and ducking around street vendors and their burning latterns, your heart pounds. faster and faster.

this had been your idea originally. you just hadn't expected jing yuan to entertain it (though on some level, he entertains all of your ideas.) this desire of yours seemed too risky, too innately... unlike him. at least to you.

this game had been a fantasy. one you'd confessed your interest in a few weeks prior, while luxuriating in a pleasantly steaming bath together. you shared a glass of wine, passed between sips after a slow, tender evening. you'd playfully started a conversation about things to try in the bedroom, and somehow, the Divine Foresight and honey wine managed to wring a few previously unspoken desires out of you.

this is the result, you suppose, as you stumble around a corner, toward jing yuan's estate.

you should've known that jing yuan would spring this fantasy on your unexpectedly. that was part of the allure. the hunt, the chase— you're just prey now, with no time to prepare or plan. the innate helplessness has already stirred something in you, even though jing yuan hasn't done anymore than send you hungry looks and promises.

you're sure five minutes have passed. you're positive that the man is trailing you, even if you can't hear or see him. you don't have the military prowess that he does, you're just a civilian. your footfalls are loud as you break into a run near his estate and its towering walls.

your hands shake as you hold your jade abacus to its lock. the slow 'clunk' of gears opening the gates feels like it goes on forever. your heart is pounding in your ears, like a drum that won't stop. you're out of breath, but force yourself to sprint the moment the door swings open.

you hide in one of his gardens.

jing yuan has many green spaces on his estate. it's situated on a large enough space to allow for a small stream running through the largest garden into the front yard. ponds gurgle nearby, filled with fat, sleepy fish. you wake them as you dash around the greenery and shrubs, uncaring of the dirt that is staining your shoes. the bottom of your outer most garment must be getting torn as it snags on the brush below.

the gate of the estate opens and closes once more, somewhere not far behind you. your heart lurches, your stomach feels cold and hollow and you run.

jing yuan knows his estate better than you, clearly. you don't know where is safe, but in his largest garden, there are large gingko trees and stones that seem okay to hide behind. maybe. you are too anxious, too out of your fucking mind, to use sound logic at this point. you scramble behind a smooth quartz boulder and lay a hand on your chest. panting. tears sting your the corners eyes as you desperately try to catch your breath.

you listen the best you can to see if you can hear him follow you. it's hard to pick up every little sound, breeze shakes the tree branchers into a late-evening song. cicadas chirp to disguise any potential footfalls. it would probably be best to hide somewhere on the edge of the garden. you're in the center of it, not far from the stream. you don't dare peak out from your hiding spot, but you should move— you feel so exposed—

a floorboard creaks nearby. you freeze.

the wind almost stills with the sound. you can't breathe as you strain to hear more. it came from the west, where you know there's an entrance to this garden. you think. probably. your heart pounds so loudly, you can barely hear anything over the roar.

you do another sound, though. the sound of a boot fall, onto stone. there's a path laid with them not far from where you are.

something white-hot, old and feral burst in your chest.

you need to fucking run.

with a burst of energy that makes you feel light-headed, you push off the ground and throw yourself over the rock you were hiding behind, away from the sounds that are surely jing yuan stalking you.

your feet hit the ground and you run. run, run, run—

you swear you can feel more footfalls than just your own, but you can't look behind you. all of your focus is on weaving through the gardens trees and shrubbery, to gain and sort of ground.

you stumble, eventually. it's inevitable that you lose. the game is set up that way.

you trip over your own feet as you near the little stream that cuts the garden and gurgles. your momentum ruins you; you can't right yourself fast enough.

a hand catches the back of your collar and pulls. your breath catches, caught in your throat by the pressure. an arm, his arm, bundle you up at the waist and slams your body into his. your back to his front. the force of it knocks the air out of you.

you still scramble, you can't help it. squirming and kicking, you fight against the unyielding grip he has on you. he's hot against your back, scalding even. the metal bits of his armor and belts dig into your as your struggle fruitlessly.

"what's this?" jing yuan says into your ear, soft and curling. "i thought you would do a little better than this."

you whine. your stomach feels cold.

jing yuan laughs then, rich and low like he always does. but there's a darker edge to it now. you can feel it spread down the back of your neck, your spine, drenching you down to your toes. he squeezes you, and you feel yourself get wet.

(you're fucked.)

"you'll have to try harder next time." jing yuan says. "maybe i did go a little easy on you."

"s-sure you did—"

jing yuan nips your ear. "what was that? i didn't realize prey animals were capable of speech."

you crane your neck, ready to snap at him, but you don't get the chance too.

in a single motion, jing yuan has you thrown over his shoulder. blood rushes too quickly to all of the places it shouldn't be. you feel dizzy with it and whine and sputter with it.

jing yuan doesn't yield, only laughs again, and gives your bottom a few firm (very firm) pats. you gulp.

(lucidly remembering the other details you revealed to jing yuan in the bath that night. all of the filthiest bits of your fantasies. jing yuan hardly had to ply you for them.)

and jing yuan is a strategist. you should have known he would use this new information advantageously against you in such a way.

as you enter his manor, heart still pounding, palms clammy, and feeling like a rabbit in the jaws of a lion, you feel foolish and turned on all once. jing yuan so easily catches you off guard when he chooses. he so easily undoes you, puts you in a place of his choosing and let's you fester there just enough that he can remedy it— either with sweetness or, as he now so adeptly showing you, with something an edge darker.

you gulp, light-headed.

[wholoveseggs]

how about some pre vampire elijah smut with his secret wife maybe skinny dipping in the river

Springs

18+ ---- {Masterlist} {Tag-List}

{Viking!Elijah Mikaelson x Reader} You meet your secret lover deep in the woods, and take him to your favorite spot to spend some time together.

♡♡ Love this idea anon! I decided to change it from a river to a hot spring && Viking Elijah is just a sweetie ♡♡

3.5k words - Warnings: Smutttt, pre-vampire Elijah, shy Elijah, slight breeding kink {its just how the vikings are}, hot springs, lots of Norse mythology, Elijah being protective, steam, snow, Icelandic & lynxes...

@gorgeouslydangerous @starkleila @lydia1369sworld @notleylaaa @vampiresluv

@myanmy @xflowerbombxo @maryvibess @always-and-forever-daydreaming

@spnaquakindgdom @amournoir @meeom @damienmorton @wickedmuse

@cs-please @complicatedandconfusing-25 @youcanhavemybuckanyday @akala6670229 @yeaiamme2

@itsjulzandmydiamonds @witch-of-letters @elijahstwink @rosecentury

@amanda08319 @starshipcookie @li-da-savage @veggie-eggrolls @spideybv28

@sunkissedebony97 @idk00sblog @savannaounana @sekaishell @b1tchy

@loving-and-dreaming @fancycassie-stayfancy @hcqwxrtss123 @iamawkwardandshy @ziayamikaelson

@absolutemarveltrash @darkened-writer @nina6708 @evasmlp

@madeinmyownmind-blog @lovelyy-moonlight @blacknightrises

Soft white flakes were falling from the sky, the sound of them crunching under his heavy boots echoed through the forest as Elijah walked through it. The young man had his hood pulled over his head and his hands in the pocket of his coat, trying his best to keep himself warm from the cold.

You had told him to meet you at your secret spot, the one you had been coming to for years now. It was where the two of you first shared your feelings and had kissed for the first time, it was where you wanted to be when things got too much in the village. It was a place that was just for the two of you. A place you could be free and yourselves, away from the prying eyes of your families.

"I was starting to wonder if you would ever come," you teased, smiling softly at him. Your hair was pulled back out of your face, long braids falling down your back, with a warm fur cape upon your shoulders. 

"Sorry, mother was fussing about the weather and how she didn't want me out in it," he said, smiling back at you.

"She worries for nothing, it is just snow." You shrugged, moving to wrap your arms around him, pulling him closer. "And it is much easier to snuggle with you this way," you giggled, kissing him softly.

Elijah returned the kiss, his hands falling to rest on your hips, smiling against your lips. His perfect pink lips felt soft and warm against yours, as always. His thumbs rubbed small circles on your hip, as the two of you shared a moment together.

"I've missed you my sæt ást {sweet love},” he said softly, looking at you.

You smiled at him, blushing softly, your nose wrinkling up as you did. "I missed you too."

Elijah couldn't help but laugh, loving the little things that you did. He wished he could tell his parents of how happy you made him, but his father would never allow it. Your father and his own had been feuding for years and the thought of the two of you together had always made him angry.

You noticed the change in him, reaching up and cupping his cheek, running your thumb over the stubble. "What is the matter? Talk to me," you said softly.

Elijah smiled softly, nuzzling his cheek into your hand. He loved that you could read him so easily.

"I hate keeping secrets," he said, sighing. "I hate having to sneak around and lie to everyone."

You bit your lip and nodded. "I know...I don't like it either. I grow tired of hearing how much of a disappointment I am."

His eyebrows knitted together. "Why would they say such things?" He asked, frowning.

"Because I'm supposed to find a suitable husband, not spend my time running in the woods like a child," you shrugged.

Elijah's eyes filled with sadness, the thought of losing you made him ache, and he pulled you closer. Even in the deep winter you smelled of summer trees and freshly picked berries. It was a scent he would never get tired of.

"I have a surprise for you, hjartað mitt {my heart}" you said softly, looking up at him.

He arched an eyebrow, the smile returning to his face. "What is it?" He asked, his curiosity peaked.

"Come," you smiled, taking his hand and leading him deeper into the woods.

He admired how quick you were on your feet, no one knew the forest better than you. Elijah had often found himself lost in it, when he would go off on his own. And when you had learned of this, you had spent every spare moment, teaching him where to go and how to get there.

In return he had taught you how to hunt and use a sword, although you would much rather use an axe. He had never met a woman like you before, a woman who was not afraid to speak her mind or try new things. You pushed him to take risks he otherwise wouldn't have, and he was thankful for that. He had fallen hard for you and he would do anything to keep you by his side.

After a few minutes you stopped, the sound of running water could be heard. You led him through the trees, pushing some branches aside as the two of you reached the clearing.

The moon cast a glow over the small pond, the water was crystal clear, and steam rose up from it. Elijah looked at you in shock, and you could only smile.

"I must confess, I've been keeping this place to myself for a while," you said, walking over to the edge of the water.

He watched you kneel down and dip your hand in the water. It was warm. "How is it like this?" He asked, tilting his head.

"A gift from Njord or perhaps Logi himself," you shrugged.

He walked over and did the same. The water was a welcoming feeling and he could already feel his muscles relaxing. Elijah looked over at you, watching as you removed your cloak and let it fall to the ground.

"ástin mín {my love}," he said softly, watching you pull your hair out of its braids.

You turned your head to look at him. "Come, let us enjoy the heat of the water together."

Elijah was hesitant at first, he did not wish to anger your father, or his father for that matter. But, when he saw you begin to undress, all thoughts of going back left his mind.

"You can't come in with your clothes on, my sweet," you giggled, as you slipped off your underdress.

You let it fall to the ground, shivering slightly as you stood in front of him. His face was priceless, his eyes wide, cheeks flushed. You could not help but laugh, shaking your head.

"Come Elijah," you smiled, walking over and undoing his cloak.

He swallowed, his nerves beginning to get the best of him. "But-" he whispered, as you continued to undress him.

"Do you not trust me?" You asked, looking up at him.

His heart pounded as he looked into your eyes. Of course he trusted you. It wasn't that. It was the fact that he was about to be fully exposed to you.

"Yes," he whispered.

You smiled and leaned up, placing a soft kiss to his lips.

"It's not like we haven't seen each other before," you whispered, smiling softly.

He could not help but smile, and he nodded. "Yes, but not...like this."

It was true, you and him had snuck away and had fooled around in the woods once or twice. But, it had never been this intimate before. You never had the chance to be fully exposed, to take your time, it was always a rush of kisses, groping hands and quick pleasures.

You pulled him closer, and kissed him once more. This time the kiss was deeper, and he felt himself melt. You wrapped your arms around him, pulling him flush against your body, as you continued to kiss him.

"mér er kalt {I am cold}" you said, smiling against his lips. "muntu halda mér hita? {will you keep me warm?}"

"Já," he whispered, kissing you again.

"Gott" you smiled, pulling away.

The sight of your naked body sent his head spinning, and his mouth dropped open. Elijah could not take his eyes off you, as he watched you slip into the water, your hair flowing behind you. You turned to look at him, beckoning him in, like a goddess from a myth.

Elijah had never taken his clothes off faster, he was careful to not fall over. He stepped into the warm water, the feeling of it enveloping him, relaxing his aching body. The warmth seeping into his bones, the steam rising up into the cold night.

You swam over to him, smiling, and took his hand, pulling him towards the small waterfall. The water was shallow there, and you sat down on a rock, the water covering most of your body.

His hands came to rest on your waist, and he looked at you, his brown eyes filled with lust. He moved closer, his fingers tracing circles over your skin, as his lips ghosted over yours.

You could feel his breath on your lips, as you reached up and cupped his face, pulling him closer. Your lips pressed against his, his hands roaming over your body, as you tangled your fingers into his dark hair.

The two of you stayed like this for a while, just enjoying the feel of one another. It had been a long and cold winter, and it was nice to finally spend some alone time together.

"How long have you known of this place?" He asked, his voice soft, and low.

You shrugged. "Years," you whispered.

"And no one else knows of it?" He asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No, it's our place," you smiled, wrapping your arms around his neck.

He could not help the grin that spread across his face. It was their place. Something no one else knew about, no one else could spoil. It brought him a sense of peace he didn't know he needed.

"Perhaps it was not Njord or Logi, but Freyja who blessed this spot," he whispered.

You hummed softly in agreement, running your hands over his shoulders, and down his chest.

"Why do you say that?" You asked, your fingertips dancing over his skin.

"Because," he said, his fingers trailing up your sides. "She approves of our love," he smiled.

You shook your head, a smile on your face, as you pulled him closer, you could feel his cock against your thigh, and it only made you crave him more.

"Perhaps," you whispered. "She wants us to have many children, and we can only do that if we have a place to make them."

"Oh?" He grinned, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to your neck.

Your breath hitched, as his lips trailed up your jaw and to your ear.

"You want to have my children?" He whispered, his breath warm on your skin.

You nodded, biting your lip. "More than anything."

He could not help the way his chest swelled, his heart fluttered, at the thought of having a family with you. To be able to hold a tiny version of you in his arms. He knew he would love them as much as he loved you.

"Then perhaps," he whispered, his hands roaming over your body. "We should give her what she wants."

You let out a soft giggle as he lifted you up, placing you in his lap. He sat down on a rock in the shallow end, the warm water coming up to his chest as he held you. He took a moment to look at you, the light of the moon illuminating your skin, making it glow.

"Þú ert svo falleg {You are so beautiful}," he whispered, leaning up and kissing you.

You melted into the kiss, your hands running through his hair. The quiet sound of running water and your soft moans filled the night air, as the two of you took your time with one another.

It was different from all the other times. You had time to enjoy the feel of one another, no longer rushing to be quick. It was a slow and sensual build, as Elijah ran his tongue along your jaw, his lips grazing the sensitive skin.

You were shivering slightly, most of your body was out of the water, but the feel of his body heat, and his warm lips on your skin, kept you from getting cold.

"Elijah," you sighed, your nails digging into his shoulders, as he took a nipple into his mouth.

His tongue swirling around it, causing it to harden. His fingers gently pinching and tugging on the other, making sure they both received equal attention. He could easily get lost in the taste and feel of you, he would worship your body until his dying day.

His eyes were darker than before, filled with lust, his cheeks were flushed. You could feel him twitch between his legs, as you moved closer, his cock brushing against your core.

"Do you remember the first time we were together?" He asked, his hands moving to grip your ass, giving it a soft squeeze.

You nodded, remembering the first time he touched you, how nervous you had been. "I will never forget."

"And do you remember how you asked me to tell you about the stars?" He asked, kissing the valley between your breasts.

You bit your lip and nodded.

"What did I tell you?" He asked, his hands rubbing soothing circles on your hips.

You swallowed, a small whimper escaping your lips, as his hands found your center, his thumb slowly stroking a spot that sent pleasure through your body.

"Y-you said that the Gods gave them to us, so we would have something to look at, w-when we were separated," you whispered.

"And every night I'm not with you, I just look to the sky, and see you," he whispered, kissing along your collarbone. "I know I will be with you again."

Tears welled in your eyes, as you cupped his face, looking into his eyes. They were filled with so much love and devotion, it took your breath away. You rested your forehead against his, positioning yourself above him, as his hands found your hips.

You took a deep breath and nodded, looking into his eyes. You slowly began to lower yourself onto him, the familiar warm feeling of him, sending pleasure through your body. It was the feeling of being complete.

Elijah was lost for words, when the two of you came together, it always felt like the first time. You fit together perfectly, like you were made for one another. He could feel his chest swell, his heart beating rapidly.

You leaned forward, your hands on his shoulders, and kissed him deeply. Elijah was not ready for you to move yet, and he needed a moment to regain himself. You could feel him trembling slightly beneath you, and it made you smile.

"Are you alright?" You whispered, kissing his neck.

"Yes," he breathed, his voice thick with desire.

You smiled against his skin, his scent filling your nostrils. He always smelled of pine and winter air, of comfort and home.

You slowly began to move, his lips finding yours once more. The feel of him inside you was better than you could imagine, the water creating a different sensation than before. Your bodies moved together, the sounds of the forest and the water surrounding you.

He didn't know how long the two of you had been here, it could have been minutes, hours, he was too caught up in you, in the moment. No rush to finish, just the two of you enjoying one another.

The sound of branches breaking made you pause, and your heart jumped in your chest. The two of you froze, peering out into the dark, searching for the source.

Elijah placed his hand on your back, moving you off of him, placing you behind him, as he stood up. You could see the change in him, the warrior within had come out.

He glanced at his sword, left in his pile of clothes, and he cursed himself for leaving it so far away. His body was tense, his breathing shallow, as his eyes scanned the area.

He could hear more rustling, and he felt your hand on his arm, clinging to him. He would not let anyone hurt you, no matter the cost.

The rustling stopped, and Elijah's eyebrows furrowed. His head turned, looking towards the sound, as the branches moved. He could see the shadow of a creature, and he tensed, his fists balling up, as his jaw clenched.

It was too dark to see, the moon had gone behind a cloud, and Elijah was beginning to get frustrated. He heard a soft huff, and two eyes peered out at him, glowing in the darkness.

Your grip on Elijah loosened as the moonlight broke through the trees and illuminated the clearing. A smile tugged at your lips as a large lynx emerged from the woods.

It had been years since Elijah had seen one. Lynxes were rare in the woods, and even rarer to see a fully grown one. They usually stuck to themselves, unless they were protecting their territory, and their cubs. This one was a different color than most, pure white, almost the same color as the snow.

You watched as Elijah took a few steps closer, reaching out his hand. The cat walked over, his tail swaying side to side, his ears twitching. He sniffed Elijah's hand, and nuzzled his nose against it, making him smile.

"You're a handsome fellow," Elijah said, his voice low and soft.

The lynx tilted his head and let out a soft chuff, steam coming from its snout. Elijah scratched behind its ear, the cat closing its eyes and leaning into his touch.

"I've never seen one like him," you said, swimming closer, watching in amazement.

Another branch broke and the two of you turned towards the sound. Your eyes widening, as another white lynx appeared, her fur a little darker than the males. She walked over and bumped her head against his, the two of them rubbing their noses against one another.

The cats walked over and laid down near the water, their coats blending in with the snow. Elijah turned and looked at you, a wide smile on his face, as he swam over to you.

"We're blessed by the Gods," he smiled, wrapping his arms around you and lifting you up into the air.

You could not help but laugh, nodding your head as he pulled you under him, pressing your back against the rocks on the side of the spring.

"Perhaps Freyja is pleased with our love," you said, biting your lip.

"Perhaps she is," he smiled, his fingers trailing over your skin, as his lips found yours once more.  

His hands explored your body, as his tongue explored your mouth. It was soft, yet passionate, a kiss that spoke more than any words ever could.

He spread your legs and eased himself back inside of you, his mouth never leaving yours. You could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and you smiled against his lips. He took his time with you, slowly building up his pace, his thrusts hitting a spot that made your toes curl.

His hands gripped your thighs, holding you in place, as he kissed along your jaw and down your neck. Your moans filling the air, mixing with the sound of the splashing water, the two of you becoming one.

It didn't take long for you to reach your climax, and you were thankful for the warm water surrounding you, because otherwise, you would have frozen. Elijah followed shortly after, his forehead resting against yours, as his hands tangled in your hair.

The two of you were breathless, and you could not stop the laughter that bubbled up. He grinned, pulling you into his arms, and kissing the top of your head.

"I do not wish to leave," he said, holding you close.

"Neither do I," you sighed, wrapping your arms around him. "But, I think the others might come looking for us if we don't return soon."

Elijah let out a sigh, a small pout on his face. "I know," he said, leaning down and kissing you.

A few smaller lynxes ran out into the clearing, their small paws crunching on the snow. Their fur was the same as their mother's, and they were still a bit clumsy, their legs long and unbalanced. They stopped and looked at the two of you, their ears twitching, before darting back into the woods.

"I suppose it's time to go," you said, looking at Elijah.

He nodded, pressing a kiss to your temple, "soon, sæt ást {sweet love}. Let's just stay a little longer."

The two of you stayed cuddled in each other's arms, listening to the sound of the water, the two cats resting by the edge of the pool, their heads resting on their paws. You felt at peace, surrounded by nature, in the arms of the man you loved.

The winter would end, and spring would arrive, but no matter what the season was, you would always have this place. This secret, hidden world that only the two of you knew about. A place where you could come and spend time with one another, without worry, or care.

A place that would always be filled with love, and memories, that would live on forever.

Fun Norse mythology facts!!

Njord is the god of the sea / water. Logi is the god of fire. Freyja is the goddess of love and fertility, her chariot is pulled by two cats, the only large cats in northern Europe are lynxes!

[zeroeightzeroone]

lover of mine - bang chan

genre: angst, hurt/comfort

pairings: idol!bang chan x female reader

warnings: none

notes: if this looks familiar, it was originally posted to my secondary blog @zerothreetwentyfive so i'm republishing everything here on my main blog.

wc ~3k|moodboard

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ｡ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:

"i'll never give you away, 'cause i've already made that mistake,

if my name never fell off your lips again, i know it'd be such a shame.

when i take a look at my life, and all of my crimes, you're the only thing that I think I got right."

lover of mine - 5 seconds of summer

you always thought that the next time chan would be making you cry would be at your wedding ceremony.

initially, you would try to hold in your tears, just enough so that you weren't full-on sobbing and ruining your makeup. eventually failing as the tears flow freely listening to the man tell you the moment he fell in love with you, the moment he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you and the promises he vows to keep forever. chan's eyes would never leave yours as you exchanged vows; in that moment, only you and chan existed, the proclamation and celebration of your love were the only things that mattered.

instead, here you are crying over chan. sitting in the driver's seat of your car, sobbing over the man who once said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you, now not wanting to fight for that future anymore.

…

"you're doing it again."

the sound of your best friend's voice snaps you out of your thoughts, attention now on the girl sitting across from you, "huh?"

she reaches over and places her hand on yours with a sympathetic smile on her face. no words are needed from her to make you realize what you were doing whilst zoning out; fiddling around with your ring finger. a habit you picked up after chan proposed, and a habit that hadn't changed even without the band on your finger; your fingers instinctively moving to spin and twist a non-existent ring.

"right," you clear your throat awkwardly.

your hands slipping out from under hers, sliding them under your thighs hoping that maybe sitting on your hands would work against the habit.

"how are you?"

the word 'lost' feels like an understatement. the word couldn't encapsulate even a quarter of your feelings.

you felt directionless, overwhelmed by the constant switch between emotions: anger, frustration, sadness, and denial, it left you exhausted. day by day, you only grew more emotionally drained, the desire to feel nothing only intensifying.

the mere thought of the dimpled man gave you whiplash, your heart and your head conflicting with each other and your feelings pulling you from one end to the other. you couldn't pinpoint exactly how you felt about him.

god, you wished that you didn't even think about him.

you wished that you weren't plagued by the thought of him at every waking moment. everything reminded you of him, everything brought you back to the memory of how easy it was for him to let you, the person he proclaimed to want to spend the rest of his life with, to watch them walk out the door, to just give up without a fight.

why couldn't it have been easy for you too? why couldn't you just let him go the way he did you? forget him like he meant absolutely nothing?

as much as you wished it was, you knew it wouldn't be easy to move on from chan.

your early adulthood started with chan, moving in with him almost a year and a half after you started dating. he became a part of your routine and you became part of his; there was a time when your day didn't feel complete without hearing a goodnight from him or getting that goodnight kiss. your lives were intertwined, and your future plans were intertwined.

you believed chan was your future. he made you believe that you would write the next chapters of your lives together, that you two would be side by side on the road to forever. you envisioned your future with chan, without him you've hit a crossroads, struggling to navigate where to go from here. you were scared.

scared to learn what the future holds for you, scared to take a step towards a future without him.

on top of all that came public attention.

the news about your breakup hadn't been confirmed by chan or jyp entertainment. regardless that didn't stop the speculations and rumours that came with the lack of seeing you and chan in public together, seeing you without your ring, and other proofs fans would dig up. the algorithm also working against you as whenever you refreshed social media, the first couple of posts would be news articles, headlines and what have you, discussing the speculations.

'did stray kids' bang chan and his long term girlfriend call it quits?'

'fans of stray kids speculate bang chan and his partner have called off the engagement'

'netizens react to alleged proofs that bang chan and long term girlfriend have split up'

'breaking: did stray kids' bang chan and girlfriend split up? here's why fans are wondering about the status of the long-term couple'

your comments were flooded with questions regarding the rumours, mourning fans hoping that they were baseless and haters congratulating you on setting the man free. you wondered why the news hadn't been spoken about by chan or any official representatives but the speculations drove you to log out of social media. the realization that one day the articles and headlines will change from 'speculations' to 'confirmations' the anticipation and anxiety driving you insane.

you look back up to your friend, your lips pursed together in a small smile as you reply:

"i'm fine."

…

"chan hyung!"

the boy pulls the pillow up and over his head, trying to block out the noises from outside the door. hoping that the longer he ignored, the realization that he wanted to be alone would sink in and everyone would leave him be. that hope was short-lived as the door swung open.

"chan hyung!" changbin calls from his spot at the door, "you need to eat something."

from where he's standing, changbin watches chan groan out a response from under the pillow, making no effort to get up and go eat something. changbin's eyes drift to the older boy's bedside table, a picture frame is lying face down (probably a photo of you), and sitting on top of the frame is a gold band with a large diamond: your engagement ring. the sight of the band sitting on chan's bedside table and not on your finger has a small frown adorning changbin's lips.

"hyung, i know it's hard but please. you need to take care of yourself too," the younger boy sighs, "locking yourself in your room won't do anyone good."

of course, it wasn't easy for them to see chan in such a state.

chan had always been the one putting up a strong front, walking around with his head up no matter the circumstances as the leader. but these past couple of weeks, whenever chan was out of the public eye he'd walk with his head down, dragging his feet, no words leaving him. almost like he's being forced to be anywhere outside of his bedroom.

the members in the other dorm were curious about their leader, wondering how he'd been holding up but chan stopped replying to the group chat. it got to the point where the members made a chat without chan, using that to ask jisung, changbin and hyunjin how the older one was doing.

for as long as you were in chan's life, you were also in the member's lives. the news of the breakup came as a shock to them as well. they were all curious as to how you were doing too, but were hesitant to ask you directly for fear of making things harder for you. you met all of them through chan, and seeing their names pop up on your phone may just be another reminder of your ex.

changbin's eyes are on chan as the older boy takes the pillow off his head, slowly sitting up on the bed, feet hitting the floor but making no move to stand up. instead he's slouched over, head in his hands and sighing.

"do you, uh…" chan's voice barely above a whisper, "do you think i made a mistake?"

changbin shuts the door behind him hearing chan's question, realizing right now his friend needed someone to talk to before, maybe, going to eat something.

leaning against the door, he replies, "what do you mean?"

"w– was proposing… a mistake?"

"do you feel like it was a mistake?"

chan shakes his head, "no."

"did you mean everything you said when you proposed?"

"yes."

"then it wasn't a mistake."

chan lifts his head out of his hands, head turning to the younger boy leaning at the door. even in the dim purple lighting of chan's room, changbin can see how glossy his eyes are, how the bags under his eyes have gotten more prominent since yesterday.

"was… was letting her go," chan's voice shaky, "a mistake?"

changbin pushes himself off the door, making his way to sit next to his hyung on the bed. a comforting hand moving to chan's back.

"that's a question only you can answer," changbin's lips are pursed to one side, a sympathetic look in his eyes as he continues, "did it feel like a mistake at the time?"

"i- i thought i was doing the right… thing," chan's voice pitches higher at the end, questioning his own answer, "when i came home, an–and saw the dinner table, full of food she made for us. when she told me everything she was feeling, the look i-in her eyes."

chan loves your eyes, it's by far his favourite thing about you.

looking into your eyes had him falling in love with you before he even knew it. looking into them made it feel as if he was looking into your soul, almost like your eyes could tell him what your words couldn't. chan's day would immediately be flipped upside down just at the sight of your eyes, a shitty day becoming the best day when he caught a glimpse of those radiant, warm pools of life, your eyes sparkling with a zest and excitement for life that sent a wave of comfort over him. whenever he looked at you, that glimmer of hope in your eyes made him feel like everything would be okay.

but that night, the look in your eyes that night is seared into chan's memory. haunting him whenever he closes his eyes, whenever his eyes fall on your ring sitting on his bedside table.

that night when you told him just how lonely you'd been feeling, how you felt like he was treating you like the help and not as his fiancé; those words knocked some sense into chan. the harsh reality glaring him down: he had been falling short in your relationship. he had been so blind to that fact for who knows how long, listening to you had chan wallowing in guilt.

at one point chan felt like he was a third person watching everything go down, but it felt like he was watching you and a whole different person. he wondered why he wasn't saying anything, why he couldn't move, why he couldn't feel anything other than guilt eating him alive.

when he looked into your eyes, that's when everything came crashing down.

the eyes that once gleamed up at him, washing a wave of comfort and reassurance through his body were boring into his own. the contrast had his blood running cold. the sight of your hollow and dull orbs gazing up at him, even the sources of light around you did nothing to bring back that sparkle. the way your eyes looked incredibly sunken in, tired, swimming with distress as they searched his. he wondered how he hadn't seen the change before.

a change that happened because of him. the light in your eyes is gone all thanks to him. he wanted to be the one to preserve and make sure your eyes light up for the rest of your life, but instead he's the reason you look defeated. he couldn't handle the guilt eating him up at the sight.

"i-i broke her," chan whispers, "you could see it in her eyes how my shortcomings, the ones i was too blind and stupid to notice… that broke her. i broke her."

changbin doesn't say anything.

"i thought it would be better for me to let her go… get her away from me who was sucking the life out of her," chan's hands run through his hair, "she deserves so much more than me."

the older boy cries. his thoughts, feelings, everything just clouded with you.

"hyung," changbin's tone is soft, feeling out the atmosphere, "don't you think that it's sucking the life out of her even more, to be away from you?"

this time chan is the one who doesn't say anything.

"she wanted you to stay, she wanted you to convince her to stay."

"convince me to stay… please."

"i'm sorry."

"yes. from what you told us the day after you broke up, she does deserve better."

changbin's words send a dagger to chan's heart.

"but don't you want to be the one she deserves?"

chan's head turns to look at changbin.

"you need to work to be better, to be the one y/n deserves. that's what she wants, she wants you hyung."

"… m-me?"

"she wouldn't have said yes to marrying you if she didn't want you for the rest of her life."

…

your plan for the day was to wake up around noon, order some takeout or ransack your best friend's freezer for some food (and ice cream), chill on the couch and watch some netflix. instead you're jolted awake, at ten in the morning, by pounding at the front door.

rolling your eyes in annoyance, stretching your arm out, feeling around before grasping a pillow and clutching it over your head, trying your hardest to block out the noises and fall asleep. hoping the longer you hold out, it will give off the illusion that no one's home and come back later. a couple moments pass, a sigh of relief falls from your lips when the knocking stops, allowing you to loosen your grip on the pillow around your head.

maybe the neighbours got annoyed and kicked whoever that was out.

at the silence, you roll onto your side and shift your body around to get comfortable in the mattress. another long breath leaving your lips once that optimal position to fall asleep in is found, closing your eyes and getting ready to be lulled back into dreamland.

now you think someone is fucking with you.

the knocking starts up again, for a second you thought you'd fallen asleep and the knocking was continuing in your dreams but no. sadly, you weren't lulled back into dreamland like you hoped, the pounding in your head making it apparent that this was indeed, reality.

on top of all the things happening in your life lately, being woken up by a stranger relentlessly hammering the life out of their fist on your– actually, your best friend's– door is the kicker to a great day. a whine leaving your lips as you roll out of bed, pouting as you trudge to the door of the guest bedroom and continue your trek down the hall, towards the front door.

sure, you wouldn't have minded if your best friend, the person who lives in this unit, was actually home to answer the door. alas, she's at work whilst you're here; straightening out your pyjamas and plastering the fakest smile on your lips whilst you undo the locks, twisting the doorknob and swinging the door open.

"hello, mis—"

your jaw drops. posture immediately straightening due to the wave of tension that rushes through your veins, your mind comes up with two options: hide behind the door or run. your heart begins to race in your chest, tears threatening to spill at any moment but your feet are cemented to the ground. any urge you had to run away and hide quickly depleting at the sight of the man in front of you, a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

"chan… wh-what are you doing here?"

there he is: the man of the hour.

in front of you, in the flesh. standing a couple inches away from you clad in his usual all-black attire. you're avoiding his gaze but can't seem to pry your eyes off the bouquet in the man's hold.

a medley of red and white roses, baby's breath peeking throughout the arrangement.

"i- i needed to see you," chan's voice comes out husky.

shifting awkwardly on your feet, you sigh, "how did you know i was here?"

"multiple calls to your best friend and a long speech," he uses his free hand to scratch at the back of his neck, a nervous smile on his lips.

'she's getting a long speech from me too.'

"okay, well…" you clear your throat, "you saw me so bye."

you go to shut the door but chan stumbles forward, holding it open as he stands in the doorframe. the gush of air from his sudden movements gives you a whiff of his cologne. that along with the closer proximity has a lump forming in your throat.

"w-wait, i wanted to talk too."

"y-you spoke and so did i so, bye," you choke out, trying to close the door again but to no avail as his body blocks your way, "please chan, what more do you want from me? don't make this harder for me."

chan reaches forward at the sight of a tear falling, wanting to wipe it away but you flinch away from his touch. your reaction has chan recoiling, he shifts awkwardly on his feet. you go to turn away from him.

"i made a mistake," he states, his words coming out rushed.

you gulp, angling your body towards the man again. this time your arms crossed over your chest, your gaze still falling away from his face. chan's throat clears when he realizes that you're not going to speak.

"that night, i shouldn't have let you go," he continues, "i should've told you, said something, said anything to convince you to stay… but… fuck. i- i was scared."

your eyes glance up at his face, only to look away just as quickly.

"you're probably thinking, of what?" chan runs a hand through his hair, "but listening to everything you said, everything that i was stupid, ignorant enough not to notice, all those things that i did– or, uh didn't do… that hurt you. it scared me to tell you i wanted you to stay."

your eyebrows furrow in frustration, this time your gaze stays on his face, making no move to wipe the tears running down your cheeks.

"listening to you, hearing how much i hurt you. i- i thought it would've been selfish of me to tell you to stay," chan's voice cracks, tears falling from his eyes as well, "i thought i would hurt you more if you stayed… that you didn't deserve that, y-you deserved so much more than me."

"god, chan.…" a bitter smile on your lips, "you saying nothing, letting me leave… a-and not fighting for me, for us! fuck… that hurt more than anything."

the memories of that night have your heart aching. whimpering as the tears continue to fall, the sight has chan's gradually getting heavier in his chest. he wants nothing but to pull you into his arms and to never let go.

"i know… i know. baby, i'm so sorry," chan's cheeks are soaked with tears but he makes no effort to wipe them away, "i'm so fucking sorry. i thought i was doing what was best for you, but i fucked up, i fucked up big time."

your eyes lock with chan's. glossy, tear-filled orbs gazing into each other, at that moment the tears only build until the both of you are crying a river in the hallway.

chan quite literally launches himself at you. throwing his arms around your body and pulling you into his chest. instinctively, your arms wrap around his torso, nuzzling your head into his shirt. bodies trembling and shaking as the both of you cry in each other's arms.

chan soaks up every single thing about this moment; the warmth of your body radiating onto him, your face nuzzled into his chest, the smell of your hair, the way your hands grip the back of his shirt, the feeling of your body pressed up against his. he isn't even sure that you'll take him back. regardless, he knows he wants to work his hardest to ensure he'll have you in his arms every day for the rest of his life.

in his arms, he holds the person who has been with him every step of the way and supported him day in and day out. the biggest mistakes chan ever made took place on that day: not convincing you to stay, not telling you how he loves you with his entire heart, and holding your engagement ring in his hand while he watched you walk out.

chan wants you to be so much more than just his past and present, he wants you to be his future, his forever. he's always wanted that but he failed at showing you, instead hurting you in ways he was completely ignorant of.

"i love you," chan cries, you can hear his heart racing in his chest, "i love you so much. if you let me, i'll work every single moment of every day to show you that. when i told you i wanted you for the rest of my life, i meant it. i mean it with my whole heart. i fucked up–majorly, but i swear to you! i swear i'll show you that i'm the one you deserve, that i can give you that life you deserve."

chan looks down at you, enveloped in his arms as your gaze naturally lifts to meet his eyes.

chan's heart skips a beat.

there it is.

that sparkle.

main masterlist

[bingwriterxo]

announcement

hello, my little bings.

the time has come for me to make this announcement. i've been avoiding actually writing this, but it's time to give y'all an explanation.

i've been mulling over this idea for weeks now, and i've since made the decision to retire (why do i sound like an old man?). i know i've said time and time again that i would be back to posting regularly, because i truly believed i would be, but i've honestly lost all motivation in regards to writing fics. what once used to be fun for me has turned into something i barely look at, and i do mourn that fact.

i'm sorry to my scholars who were looking forward to part 10 of the shakespeare exhibit, but if we're being honest, that fic is so fluffy there never would have been a set end. i feel happy with leaving it where it stands now as an ending.

this blog will still be up. it'll probably always be up. i want you guys to still be able to have a space to indulge, and i couldn't imagine taking this away from you.

i really am sorry about this. i am so appreciative for all the love i've garnered and the fanbase that has formed around me. i love each and every one of you.

thank you for being around while i was, and for being around after i stop posting.

all my love forever,

bing.

[thankssteveditko]

Sony's PlayStation 5 Presents Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (the third game in the series)

I beat the main story and have enjoyed my time with the game overall! I want to talk about spoilers and things that I liked and disliked in the story, so here's a post with some scattered thoughts.

(Hello! I haven't forgotten that this blog exists! Like I said, no update schedule, I will read more of the Lee/Ditko comics whenever I make time for it. I've actually been sitting on a mostly-complete version of this post since I beat the game in October, thinking that I'd finish the rest of the side quests so I could throw in thoughts on those. But... eh, I'll do that whenever the inevitable DLC rolls around. I just wanna get these thoughts posted.)

Spider-Cop No More

First off: they downplayed the cop shit!!! This was the first thing that really struck me about the game, and I'm stunned that they actually listened to criticism on this. I thought we'd just be stuck with it forever.

It'll never be completely gone, of course. Spider-Man is always going to leave criminals webbed up for the police to take to prison, hoping that they'll do their time and come out the other side as Productive Members of Society. That's just a thing I begrudgingly accept as part of the genre that will probably never go away. But Spider-Man is no longer repairing police surveillance networks. You're no longer beating the shit out of random drug dealers. Gangs of escaped convicts still wearing their orange jumpsuits are no longer terrorizing the streets of New York.

Instead, Peter and Miles are played more as firefighters. Sometimes very literally! They work with firefighters, they rescue people from collapsing buildings, they rush injured people to the hospital. In general there's a huge increase in the number of random onlookers present during the big action setpieces, and the Spider-Men frequently have to save them from harm. One of the major side quest lines is even literally about a cult of arsonists, and you'll routinely find burning fuel tanker trucks you have to extinguish with your webs. It's great! Love this for them.

I also generally liked the side missions in this. There's a lot of good stuff with the Spider-Men being neighborhood heroes willing to help out anyone in need, no matter the problem. Some of them can get corny, sure, but that street level stuff has always been the real heart of Spider-Man to me.

Gameplay

The gameplay's as fun as ever. That probably goes without saying. I will not be spending a thousand words explaining that swinging is fun.

In particular, I really liked the changes to the Focus mechanic. I never loved the way Miles' game made you choose between healing and doing your special attacks, but here your four specials have their own cooldowns, and the Focus meter is spent on either healing or finishers. It still offers that risk/reward element, but those vicious cycles where you can't do any real damage because you keep needing to heal aren't nearly as bad as they were before.

Personally I didn't turn off the swing assist or turn on fall damage, because the streamlined swinging never bothered me in these games, but I'm glad the options are there for people who want them.

Kraven

I liked Kraven in this! I liked the way they leaned into his Hunters being this weird death cult, and him wanting to go down in a blaze of glory against a worthy foe, to the point that he's actually disappointed anytime a foe can't kill him. It riffs on things people liked in Kraven's Last Hunt without being the exact same story. I like that Kraven's gang is renting out this manor or whatever and just being a complete terror to the wait staff. I liked the way Kraven hunting Peter's rogues' gallery clashed with Peter's belief in giving his villains second chances. I liked that they were willing to have Kraven kill off a couple of the minor villains from the first game to sell how dangerous he is. (I know some people hated this, but like, come on. We already fought the Sinister Six. They don't need to do that again.) I like the way Kraven pushed Peter to the absolute brink, turning him more and more aggressive with the Black Suit. Good stuff all around, even if the Hunter enemy types did wear out their welcome a little bit by the end.

The Black Suit arc

I think I liked the way Insomniac handled Peter's Black Suit arc overall, but there's a tradeoff here.

They REALLY lean into the body horror tentacle stuff, with Black Suit Peter basically just being a skinny Venom by the end. The sequence where you play as Mary Jane while the symbiote puppets an unconscious Peter's body around and goes on a rampage against the Hunters was REALLY great at selling how scary Peter is becoming, and it made me completely change my tune on the inclusion of the MJ stealth missions in the sequel. Having to beat an out-of-control Peter as Miles immediately after Peter beats Kraven was also really good. This is all cool!

BUT, the thing is... with the symbiote powers being so freaky from the start, it really pushes my suspension of disbelief when Peter and co. take so long to become wary of it. I guess when you've been bitten by a radioactive spider and given superpowers, and when you live in the same universe as the Avengers and the X-Men, your perception of what's "normal" is going to be pretty warped. But they buy the whole "organic exosuit created to treat Harry's illness" story WAY too easily lmao. How do the self-aware slime tentacles help with his illness, exactly?

And I'm not sure how I feel about giving Peter Anti-Venom powers in the last act. It feels like it's primarily a concession so that they can give players that branch of their skill tree back, but honestly, the designer in me thinks it would be really cool (if risky) to just permanently lock players out of Peter's most powerful skills past a certain point. Yeah, it'd definitely piss people off, but it drives home the idea that Peter's given up greater power because it's the right thing to do. It'd put you in his shoes! Instead he just gets the symbiote powers back, but it's fine because the Venom voice in his head is gone and also the slime tendrils that explode out of his body are white now, which means they're good.

I have to say it. I'm sorry. The glistening white goo... they turned Peter into the Amazing Cum-Man. I changed back to the Classic Suit after rolling the credits and forgot I still had the Anti-Venom skills equipped, so I just saw regular old Spider-Man exploding his white goo everywhere. Terrible.

Assuming Peter is just stepping into more of a supporting role to Miles and not fully retiring after the events of this game, I really hope the Anti-Venom stuff is gone. I get that he needed it to counter Venom, but that's not what I want for Peter Parker.

Miles

Miles is good in this, and I really like his arc where he struggles with whether or not he should avenge his dad by killing Martin Li. I like how all that plays out. Unfortunately, they don't quite stick the landing when it comes to making him and Peter feel like equals in terms of narrative focus. His arc is definitely the B-plot to Peter's for the middle chunk of the story, which I guess was kind of inevitable since they decided to do the Black Suit arc. But Miles does at least get a lot of moments to shine, and by the end he's very much taking the lead as the main Spider-Man.

Becoming the main Spider-Man also gets Miles a new, wholly original suit that ended up being super controversial, and honestly... I kinda like it? Or at least I like what it's going for, even if the actual design could still use some work. It's something totally unique for Miles, and I like spandex/streetwear combo suits like what the Spider-Verse movies have popularized. But showing his hair is really pushing the limits of his secret identity. He hangs around Brooklyn Visions WAY too much for his classmates to not recognize his voice and haircut. And I understand why people would be wary about it becoming his "canon" look moving forward. But I think it's got potential.

On the subject of Miles, though, I will say that while I liked Miles' side missions, it feels like he's often saddled with the game's broad, kinda touristy, kinda token attempts at Showcasing The Diversity Of New York, in a way that Peter isn't.

I like that Miles has a deaf graffiti artist girlfriend that he and Ganke sign with, and I like that there's a series of side missions that explore some local jazz history, and I like that there's a mission where Miles helps a gay classmate ask his crush to prom. I like all these things! I like Spider-Man being involved with his community, and that said community includes such a wide variety of people! I like that this game slows down to savor these types of moments instead of just being all action all the time! But when I step back, I notice some patterns.

Hailey doesn't have a big role in the main plot, especially when compared to MJ, but Miles gets a side mission where you briefly play as her with muffled audio to teach you what being deaf is like. There are no major queer characters in the story - unless you count Felicia showing up for exactly one mission to mention she has an unseen, unnamed girlfriend in Paris now - but you get a side mission where Miles helps out a gay couple at his school, who then never come up again. To put it very uncharitably, they can feel like Very Special Episode missions. It's like the devs going: we're going to give Miles a Gay Mission, and an Impaired Hearing Mission, and a Cultural History Mission, so that we can say we touched on these things, but we're gonna make them all optional and keep them far away from the full-blown Superhero Stuff like fighting costumed villains. Those flavors cannot mix. Meanwhile, Peter gets to have a whole elaborate subplot about teaming up with Wraith to track down fucking Cletus Kasady. There's an imbalance here, and I think it's part of the reason why Peter still feels like the "main" Spider-Man for so much of the story.

I think this was all written with admirable intentions, but as others have pointed out, you can kinda tell that this game was mainly written by some white guys based in California. These attempts at depicting various marginalized groups can feel kind of detached in the same way that Insomniac's map of New York doesn't quite line up with the real thing. But I dunno. I'm not really the one to dig deep into some of this stuff as a white woman from Florida. I would be curious to read others' takes on this.

Maybe I'm just being overly cynical about the writers' well-meaning but corny and kinda out of touch liberal politics because of the podcasts.

The podcasters

I wish Jameson was in this more! They psyched us out by giving him a full character model for, like, two scenes. I like him being MJ's boss, but I wish we saw inside the Daily Bugle offices to get more Jameson.

At least his podcasts are better than the ones in the Miles game, though. Him completely trusting in Roxxon was just too much for me. Here he condemns Oscorp for the symbiote shit, and he also gets some moments where he takes the ongoing crises seriously and isn't just ranting about the Spider-Men. He isn't just a conspiracy theorist crackpot here. Shit like his "fuck Spider-Man, we have a justice system for a reason" speech makes him feel more like a human being with a point of view, rather than just a caricature. Definitely an improvement.

Unfortunately, I still find The Danikast grating. I'm sorry, Ashly Burch. It's not your fault. The quirky heckin' wholesome millennial podcaster lady who catches you up on current events and then reminds you to drink 64 ounces of water a day in the same breath is just too much for me. At least she doesn't have any lines as bad as her throwing in a "damn" and then going (direct quote here) "That's right - no censoring! That's how REAL I'm being right now!" like in Miles' game. Instead they give her this, like, almost psychic insight into the main plot to try and make her the angel on Peter's shoulder. The second Peter gets the symbiote she's like "Wow, y'all. Have you seen Spider-Man's new black suit? Something's different about him. He's been giving me such bad vibes lately. #NotMySpiderMan" Also she's supposed to be this, like, underdog independent podcaster who started her show on a whim and has become the voice of the people... but she's got billboards plastered all over the fucking city. Which makes her feel like an industry plant lmao

Again, there's a detachment with the writing. This is, like, some middle aged white liberal game dev guys' idea of what a modern leftist teenager would think is a Cool Activism Podcast. Unfortunately, because Insomniac thinks Danika's a hero, Mary Jane's triumphant ending is that she quits her job at the Bugle to become a podcaster, too, delivering a thinly veiled monologue about the pandemic to kick off her new podcast literally titled "The New Normal." She's going to save the world with podcasting, because that's the highest form of activism, I guess.

Venom

So! Venom! Venom was... okay.

Surprising no one, Harry Osborn is Venom. Harry's okay both as himself and as Venom, but I'm not sure his arc is a smooth one. He starts out as Peter's comically perfect best friend who returns to reminisce about the good ol' days and hand him his dream job on a silver platter, and then later he becomes a little ball of rage over the fact that Peter gets his symbiote and can't/won't give it back. I'm not sure that pivot is handled the most convincingly. You kind of have to write it off as the symbiote messing with their heads, I guess.

When he actually becomes Venom, I'm... mixed on the execution. On the one hand, the cool factor is absolutely there. He's a very cool big monster, and Tony Todd is great in the role. But he also wants to take over the world and make everyone a symbiote, and aside from any lingering resentment towards Peter, that's really all there is to him. It makes for a good video game to have a bunch of symbiote enemies and creepy symbiote nests and symbiote tentacles climbing up the sides of buildings in the last act... but is that really what I want out of Venom? Probably not. But he sure does look cool as a big monster guy to fight, and I was happy he was briefly playable.

Suits

Part of me feels like there's something lacking about the suit selection here, but almost every suit I liked in the previous games is back, and also I'm the type of person to give Peter the Classic Suit the second I unlock it and use that for most of the game. So does it really matter for me?

Peter's selection feels dominated by the various live action movie suits, but I get that those are going to be some of the suits people want to wear the most. I wish he had the Peter B. Parker skin to go with Miles' Spider-Verse alts, though. No idea why it's missing. Really I think I mainly just want more of the Spider-Verse designs.

Also I've complained about how most of the original suits designed for these games make Peter and Miles look like they were bitten by radioactive Alienware products, but I can just, you know. Wear other suits.

Misc thoughts

Everyone's already made this joke, but it's extremely funny that the Avengers didn't help with the symbiote invasion. Took one look at that and decided it wasn't their problem

On the subject of other superheroes, I do wish these games would acknowledge the Fantastic Four more. Peter's close relationship with that team feels woefully underutilized in his various adaptations

I like the trope of a boss fight that's a heightened version of a personal conflict between two people who are close, where throughout the fight the boss is airing out their grievances while the hero tries to get through to them emotionally. That especially works for Spider-Man! But WOW has Insomniac played that card a lot of times by the end of Spider-Man 2 lol

They're teasing the addition of Silk, I guess? I'm gonna be honest, I don't know shit about Silk, but I guess it was inevitable that they'd give us some form of Spider-Woman at some point. Gotta work all those costumes in somehow, and they're not brave enough to let one of the boys cosplay as Spider-Gwen.

They WERE, however, brave enough to let Harry say he loves Peter. I liked that little moment. They presumably meant it platonically, but clearly ol' Yaoi Lowenthal knows what's up

Post-leak addendum

So, obviously, by the time I got around to finishing this post the big Insomniac leak happened. I wish the game industry wasn't so secretive that it took a massive, dangerous data breach just to get our hands on some very basic info that would be public knowledge if Insomniac was a film studio, but here we are.

We now know that Insomniac spent somewhere around $315 million making Spider-Man 2 - triple what the first Spider-Man game cost to make. A quote about this from a leaked presentation has been stuck in my head ever since I first saw it on Twitter. “Is 3x the investment in [Spider-Man 2] evident to anyone who plays the game?”

To be honest, I'm not sure it is.

I liked Spider-Man 2, but I'd probably say that overall I liked it about as much as the first game. It's certainly a somewhat bigger game, with marginally more realistic looking graphics thanks to the power of the PS5. But I think I could do without ray tracing and more realistic hair rendering and whatnot if it meant that these games didn't take like five years and hundreds of millions of dollars to make. I could not give less of a shit if the swinging animations were recycled between games. I'd be fine with them being shorter, too.

I like these games, but as we look at that leaked project lineup and realize that Insomniac is turning into The Marvel Game Studio, I think about how many smaller, more original games that those resources could go towards if they scaled back the Marvel stuff just a bit. How many Ape Escapes or Patapons or Gravity Rushes could get made for the budget of just one of these massive AAA tentpole games of Sony's, which are apparently barely even breaking even? How many could be made for the budget of the "smaller, cheaper" Miles Morales game, which somehow cost $156 million to make despite using an updated version of the same Manhattan map from the first game? Hell, how many smaller games could have been made with the $39 million that went into remastering the first Spider-Man game for PS5 a mere two years after launch? How many people will lose their jobs if any one of Insomniac's upcoming Marvel games underperforms - which, in this case, could mean selling "only" 5 million copies? And would hardcore PlayStation fans even accept those smaller games at this point, now that they've been trained to only appreciate mega-budget Prestige Games with cutting edge graphics and treat everything else with disdain? How much worse will this get as the graphical arms race continues?

I think I just miss Japan Studio. Fuck Sony. Uhh but anyway the Spider-Man game this post was supposed to be about was good, some writing complaints aside. 8/10

[chaoticharrington]

Chapter Five: The Club and Terrible Timing

***BEFORE YOU READ ANY FURTHER THERE IS GOING TO BE SEX, HEAVY BDSM THEMES, AND OTHER GENERAL NSFW THINGS. IF YOU ARE A MINOR/A BLANK BLOG/ A BLOG WITH NO AGE PLEASE DO NOT INTEREACT! IF I SEE IT, I WILL BLOCK IMMEDIATELY! THANKS!<3***

Pairing: Professor! Steve Harrington x Best Friends Dad! Eddie Munson x Fem! Reader

Warnings: SOOO much angst in this chapter IM SORRY! smut! oral f receiving, dry humping, kissing, alcohol consumption, slight inspection kink,dirty talk, also lots of fluff!!! Eddie and Steve are in their early to mid 40s and reader is in her mid 20s

Summary: Violet tries to get over her break-up by taking you to clubs all across Indiana which you happily oblige. Your latest adventure not turning out how either of you had planned.

Author's Note: Hi my loves! I hope you're all doing well! i'm sorry for not uploading in a month, i've not had the motivation or the energy... and i've re written this chapter a bunch! but i hope you all like it! plenty more chapters to come! 9k

**Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four**

(banners and headers by @cafekitsune)

“Okay I gotta go Eds, I’m gonna be late” you say, pulling yourself off the older man’s lips. Eddie’s grip being too strong, pulling you back into his arms.

“Nuh uh, this is a crime of the highest order, a King needs his Queen!” He announces dramatically. You giggle into Eddie’s skin, breathing in his scent. You thought of abandoning school all together today, and spending the day with him while Violet was at work. The two of you barely got any time together in the basement anymore now that Violet wasn’t over at Quinns anymore, or away at her mom’s. You snuck in sleepovers when she would be  working overnights. Otherwise you and Eddie squeezed into your tiny apartment, spending every second together that you could. As if the universe knew exactly how to punish you, your phone rings. 

“Hi babe” you answer kindly.

“Hi, so we’re going out tonight.” Violet announces bluntly on the other end of the phone.

“Where are you taking me now?” you ask, a slight amusement in your tone. Violet had been doing her best to get over Quinn by taking you out to various bars and clubs across the state of Indiana. You weren’t really the type to go to a new bar every weekend. But you love Violet, if this was helping her stop hurting, then you’d do it forever for her.

“A bar in the city, I’ll come pick you up at 7!” she says excitedly before hanging up. You sigh, putting your phone back down on the bed, smiling at Violets infectious energy. You felt guilty at the tug in your stomach, disappointed that you didn’t have another night to yourself with Eddie.

“Alright mister I gotta go, I can stop by after class” you say reluctantly, going back to moisturizing your face.

“No stay” he protests scooping you up in his arms, and showering you with kisses all over your face.

The two of you had just spent a very domestic morning together, eating breakfast in the basement while Eddie worked on a new campaign, the two of you getting ready in the bathroom. You had just put on your bra and panties while Eddie was shedding his clothes to get into the shower.

You watch him pout from the mirror, your back turned to him. You didn’t really want to leave him, but you wanted to go to the library before class and now that Violet was taking you out tonight, you needed to get it done now. You blew a kiss to him as he reluctantly got into the shower, tail tucked between his legs like a dog.

You sneak peaks of your beautiful boyfriend in the shower while you brush your teeth. You never could get over just how good looking he is, body covered in tattoos, his greying curls, his slightly toned arms from playing guitar all his life, and his long fingers currently running through his hair. You tried to fight it, but you were now a full blown Eddie Munson addict. Addicted to his touch, his smile, his laugh, the crinkling around his eyes from years of smiling, his kisses, and most importantly the way he made you feel. You could feel your body heat up with desire, a storm at your center.

Your eyes meet Eddies, a smirk plastered across his face, eyebrow raised playfully. You roll your eyes lightly in response, shaking your thoughts of Eddie out of your head. You try to hide a smile that’s threatening to seep onto your lips.

Half naked you start to head back into Eddies room to get dressed for the day. When a pair of wet hands grab your waist pulling you for a hug. You scream out in surprise, wrapping your arms around Eddies very wet ones. You can hear his giggling in your ears, your resolve diminishing, giving into your boyfriend antics and laughing alongside him.

He slips the few items of clothing you were wearing off quickly, pulling you into the steaming hot shower. Eddie’s more beautiful up close under the water, his long eyelashes glittering with water droplets, and his lips red and plump from the steam.

Not being able to resist him anymore you go onto your tippy toes to kiss him, his arms scooping you up bringing you closer to him. The kiss was one of softness and affection. Not like times in the dungeon where his kisses were rough and bruising. These ones were like he was trying to show you how much he cared about you. Soft but firm, passionate but not dominating. You smile against his lips, feeling his smiling right back at you, savoring this moment.

“You’re so beautiful” he says breathlessly as he pulls back, pushing some of your now wet hair out of your face.

You cringe at his words; you’ve been working on trying to believe him but it’s hard. You shove your head into his chest, allowing him to encase you. Tears threatened to spill from your eyes, you felt safe, you couldn’t remember the last time you felt this safe and at home. Not even when you were a kid or when you got a hug from either of your parents, it was something entirely different. If only you could stop this moment, and live in it forever, or go back when you were feeling sad. You realize now what people mean when they say, “When you know you know”, it just feels different, it feels easy.

Guilt always followed this feeling, how could you feel so deeply for someone and not be able to tell your best friend. It was starting to eat away at your heart and soul. You and Eddie had decided that you were going to tell her tomorrow, and you were both excited and terrified at the same time. You just hoped that over time she would be able to see just how happy the two of you made each other.

Eddies hand forces your face up to his, letting the water wash away your guilt and be present with him. He smiles at you warmly, you smile back, the entire world in his eyes. Reminding you that everything was going to be okay. He holds your head in one of his hands caressing your cheek, bringing his lips to your forehead and leaving a kiss there. How did he know you so well that he knew what you were thinking without you even having to tell him? You swoon at his action, redness spilling onto your cheeks.

He turns you around, dips your head back so the running water drenches your hair. He massages slow circles into your scalp, forcing a moan from your lips. You let him lather your hair in shampoo and massage it into your scalp. He takes his time, being meticulous not to miss a single strand of hair. Leaving little kisses on your neck in between lathers. Even simple acts like this, no sexual touching or tension, just the two of you together. It was enough to quiet your brain for the rest of the day, he knew how to calm you down when your brain was working too hard or when your mind needed a break.

Once your hair was squeaky clean and conditioned, Eddie took a washcloth and started washing the rest of your body, scrubbing soap into every area of your skin, being just as meticulous as he was with your hair. Touching you gently and affectionately, you could feel all the unsaid feelings and words by each touch of his hands or body on your skin.

You turn your attention to him, asking him to bend down so you can get the curls at the top of his head, he grandiosely kneels down for you to properly reach the top of his head. The two of you giggling at the action. Your fingers get to work trying to mimic the massage he had given you, making him moan into your chest, leaving open mouth kisses on your tummy. Your body tensing slightly, all your negative body image issues threatening to pour out of your ears. But Eddie’s strong hands grab your waist softly, quieting those thoughts once more. You marvel at his touch, forcing yourself to concentrate on washing all the shampoo from his hair. His curls feel silky and soft in your fingers, the grey marbled into his curls like a galaxy.

You finish conditioning his hair and washing his body, the two of you stand under the water together, completely clean but not ready to get out of the shower. You have your arms wrapped around his waist, and his around your shoulders, resting his head on top of yours.

Eddie eventually turns the water off and gets out of the shower, offering you a hand. Taking his hands in yours letting him help you out of the shower and wrap a fluffy towel around you.

“Thank you for stayin’ with me” Eddie says softly, leaving a kiss on your forehead.

“Thank you for making me stay” you mutter into his chest, as much as you wanted to go to the library, you could never pass up time like this. You hear Eddie hum around you, his chest vibrating against your face, warming your insides.

You let Eddie dry you off and dress you, leaving kisses on your bare skin before putting each article of clothing on. Then you do the same for him. Each kiss to open skin, every piece of clothing, a sign of devotion to the other. So many words not said but shown instead, you didn’t know for certain if Eddie felt the same way you did, but your heart hoped that he did.

The adoration for him seeping through your pores, it filling you up threatening to burst, three words stuck in your throat. THE three words almost slipping off your tongue, but you couldn’t let yourself say them. Not before Violet knew, not until you weren’t a secret anymore.

 Plus, the two of you had only been together for a few months and you didn’t want to jump the gun and make a fool of yourself. Eddie just made you feel important and cared for, which just made it harder to hide it.

“Earth to Y/N,” you hear Eddies voice, pulling you from your thoughts. His rich brown eyes looking at you like you put the sun in the sky, paired with his goofy as ever smile, Forcing a smile onto your face.

“So, listen as much I’d love to see your cute little butt after class. I promised a friend of mine I’d help them out with something. But text me at any time if you need a ride or if you need anything tonight, okay?” he says, his voice kind but slightly serious. You know that he really would drop anything if you really needed him. A pout forms across your lips, you were hoping to stop by and thank him for the sweet morning the two of you were having together, thoughts of his cock on your tongue swirling in your brain.

You reluctantly give Eddie one more kiss before heading out the door for the day. The day was dragging on, classes were almost over for the semester and for the most part a majority of your professors had given up actually teaching or just droned on about upcoming projects that you were due. Sociology was never the same after Steve left, you noticed some students had even dropped the class, you didn’t blame them. It made you sad, thinking about Steve, you know what he was likely doing right now, probably drinking himself to the bottom of another bottle.

 And it was all your fault, if you hadn’t had stupid crush on your teacher, Steve would still be doing what he loved. At least the semester was almost over so you wouldn’t have the burden of being reminded multiple times a week in class. The second your new professor dismissed you all, you hurried out of the room quickly not wanting to be tortured any longer by the images of Steve at home, slumped over his desk with tears in his eyes.

You had re played that moment so many times since it had happened, trying to make sense of it, trying to figure out why you felt so deeply about him. When Eddie made you the happiest you had ever been. You felt so guilty feeling so strongly about someone else, especially after the morning you and Eddie shared. Your heart just couldn’t help but ache for the man you left in that big house, all alone, drinking his sorrows away.

I’m a fucking monster

You pinch your eyebrows with your fingers, willing all the scattered pieces of yourself back together. You blow out all the air in your lungs and push your key into the ignition, driving away from school, leaving all thoughts of Steve behind.

Violet had decided to come to your place early to get ready, it reminded you of when the two of you used to get ready for school dances together when you were younger. She insisted on the both of you wearing the least amount of clothing as possible, much to your dismay.

“Since when did you become a prude? We are both hot, young, single women. We deserve to have men and women alike ogle at us from time to time. It builds self-confidence!” she declares assuredly.

Not single Not single Not single

Violet decided on a black lacey strappy dress that hugged all of her curves just right, her eyes sultry lined with two smokey black wings, and her purple hair curled to perfection sitting right above her butt. She looked like every nerdy guys gothic dream. You decide on something a little less scandalous, but still approved by Violet. Wearing a black bralette with a black mesh long sleeve over it, extenuating your breasts, pairing it with a short black mini skirt with a slit going half way up the side; and your black combat boots.

 She had convinced you to take a few shots before going to the bar, your head already delightfully buzzed. You were just putting one more coat of lip gloss, when you hear Violet call out from the other room.

“Ubers here!”

The two of you squeeze into the back of an uber and head to the bar. Violet told you on the way that evidently it was a new bar in town that everyone has been talking about and posting all about over social media. Violets extensive knowledge of the bar scene completely going over your head.

The Uber let the two of you off in front of a building covered in red neon lights, you could already hear the loud music coming from inside of the building. Violet grabs your hand and the two of you head inside. The bar was more crowded than you expected, all of you smooshed into the building like sardines. The floor vibrated with how loud it is, the music combined with people chattering away made your head hurt. You make your way past other patrons and head towards the bar, Violet sits down confidently, flipping her hair behind her back.

“I’m gonna see if I can get someone to buy us some drinks, follow my lead.” She ushers the two of you closer to a group of guys who looked like they have had one too many beers already.

“Hey boys,” Violet says slyly, she was always good with getting her way. She never acted spoiled or threw a fit if she didn’t, but you always admired how confident she was and how good she is with people. She never went home with or even danced with any of the men she flirted with, her heart still stuck on Quinn, just using them to keep her mind off of her broken heart. You look around at the rest of the bar, uninterested in any of the men that were stood before you.

The bar was dimly lit, with a few candles placed on various tables around the room. The actual bar took up a majority of the back wall, filled with any kind of liquor you could possibly want. The people occupying the bar varied in age, some younger, some older, all seemingly having a good time. Couples held up in the corners of the room, talking quietly, kissing or other various salacious activities. On the right side of the room was a small dance floor, where patrons were dancing, some more lewdly than others.

When you finally returned your attention back to Violet, she handed you a drink and fluttered her eyelashes at the group of men before whisking you away to the corner of the room.

“Why are men so gross? I swear I could barely get one of them to look me in the eye, like I know my tits are great but they aren’t THAT great,” she slurs slightly, the shots catching up to her already.

The two of you sit in a corner of the room, finishing off your very strong drinks. You sat back in amusement at every guy that would pick up the courage to stop by at your table, trying to pick up one or the both of you, some more pathetic than others. You looked over at Violet every once in a while, making sure that this wasn’t all for nothing and that she was having a good time.

Violet put up a good front, it was pretty easy with her eyes disguised in black eyeliner, but you could see through to the sadness underneath it all. Beneath all of her confidence and extroverted tendencies, was agony. The type of sadness that sits in your stomach and rots, eating you from the inside out. You tried not to push her too much, asking if she was okay and told her that you were here whenever she needed to talk. But she brushed you off every single time. But you knew, she didn’t even need to tell you how she felt.. you could feel it ripping her apart on the inside. You see her smile fading slightly after turning down yet another guy. You see and in and you take it.

“Vi.. are you okay? Like really? And please no more bullshit, if I have to hear one more “I’m okay” or “I’m fine” I’m gonna scream,” you plead with your best friend.

Her shoulders drop, all hints of happiness leaving her face, behind her eyeliner she looked tired. Not just physically tired, the tired you get from pretending to be okay when you’re not, not sleeping at night because your mind won’t shut off. She turns towards you, wetness forming in the corners of her eyes, her mask finally off.

“No, I’m not, and I don’t know when I will be, I keep waiting and waiting that one day it won’t hurt so much.. I just thought that if I pretend, that eventually one day it won’t hurt so bad... but it hasn’t. For fucks sake I thought we were going to get married!... Well I wanted to get married,” she sniffles.

You grab her hand and squeeze it tightly inside yours, just grateful that she was letting you in. She looks at you gratefully and pulls you into a tight hug. You didn’t have any words to make it better, to numb her pain.. you just squeezed her tightly back and hoped it was enough.

“I dunno what I’d do without you bubs, you’re literally the only reason I’m holding it together right now,” she admits.

Guilt floods your system like a tsunami, even more unsure now how she was going to take the new about you and Eddie. Not only would you be rubbing your very happy relationship in her face, but it’s with her fucking dad, her fucking dad. No, she deserved to know. No matter what happens now, Eddie is just as important to you as she is, and you weren’t going to let him go. Violet would just have to understand.

“Alright no more sad talk, we’re here to have fun!”

She grabs your arm and takes you back over to the bar, ordering another round of shots for the two of you. Tequilla burning your throat as the two of you stumble onto the dance floor.

 It’s a blur of sweat, glitter, and bodies. The two of you sway your hips back and forth to the beat of the music, giggling at one another, the alcohol officially taking effect. More and more people gather onto the dance floor, filling the room with sweat and haze.

You and Violet smile at each other, holding hands and singing obnoxiously loud to the songs playing. You can see the worry and the sadness evaporate off Violet’s face, you smile to yourself, wishing all the happiness in the world for your best friend.

After a few more songs, Violet excuses herself to go to the bathroom. You linger at the edge of the dance floor, not wanting to dance by yourself. You take the time to people watch, looking at the various patrons at the bar, guys trying to score, girls laughing with their friends, older men sitting at the bar nursing their drinks, the bartenders running around behind the bar like chickens with their heads cut off, and Eddie.

Wait.. EDDIE?!

You do a double take and then a triple take to make sure your alcohol goggles weren’t skewing your vision, and you weren’t imagining your very sexy boyfriend at a random bar with some guy. You smile and start to walk over to the table where Eddie was at to say hello. But you stop in your tracks, the closer you get, the back of the other man’s head becomes increasingly more familiar. Steve fucking Harrington.

Your body freezes, your brain working a million miles a minute.

Steve knows Eddie?

Eddie knows Steve?

How?

Why?

Your body stiffens even further when you see Steve’s large hand envelop the upper part of Eddies thigh, traveling farther and farther up his leg. Your breath caught in your throat, a lump making its home there.

How could he?

What the hell?

What the fuck is going on?

Eddie looks at Steve, kind of sad but also startled, his eyes wander behind Steve’s head and locks eyes with you. His mouth hung open agape. That’s the last thing you see before the tears cloud your vision. You push past the crowd of people in the bar, making your way to the front door. Pushing the door open, the cold air forcing goosebumps across your skin.

Unable to hold the tears anymore, you let them flow freely down your face. You look around you and you don’t know what to do or where to go. You can’t leave, but you don’t want to stay either. You wrap your arms around yourself, trying to self soothe and protect yourself from the cold.

That’s when you hear the loud music from inside the bar followed by the front door closing, you hear a familiar voice call out to you.

“Y/N, it’s not what you think-, “ Eddie says desperately.

“What was his hand doing on your leg? I thought you were helping out a friend tonight?” You cut him off, trying to keep your voice level and hold back anymore tears.

You knew it, you knew Eddie was too good to be true. He’s too nice, and warm, you felt too safe around him. Every happy moment with him comes crashing down in an instant, you never really mattered to him. You were always just his daughter’s best friend, a little kid, someone to mess around with. How could you be so blind, your own stupidity kicking you in the face and knocking the air out of your lungs. You didn’t even know who you were madder at, Eddie, or at yourself.

“Fuck I was! I mean I am!” Eddie says, panic setting in his voice.

“So, him feeling you up, that’s you helping out a friend? How charitable, Eds” you spit back. You could allow yourself to be angry, but you wouldn’t break, not right now. Not if you had to go back inside and face Violet.

“Yes! No, I- we are JUST friends, baby I promise” Eddie pleads.

“I’d say we’ve been more than friends Ed” you hear another familiar voice, as Steve steps out into the midnight air.

Your heart could crumble into a million pieces by Steve’s confession, you’d fall to the ground if your brain wasn’t working so hard, buzzing like a million bees working overtime.

“You need to tell me what’s going on right now or I’m grabbing Violet and I’m never speaking to either of you ever again.” The hurt in your voice noticeable, you bite your lip to stop your lip from quivering. Eddies rubs his hands across his face, trying to find the words to explain.

“Wait, you two know each other?” Steve says, hands on his hips, all three of you looking at each other with so many unsaid questions.

“Yeah, we know each other very fucking well Steve,” you seethe, trying to hide your hurt. Steve flinches slightly, looking guilty.

“Eddie, what the fuck is going on… If-if I was just going to be a little fling for you, a heads up would have been nice! I-I let you in, I let you see every part of me and then you do THIS? I’ve been hurt in the past, but I never, ever, thought I’d be hurt by you” you choke back a sob, as angry tears start streaming down your face. You know by now that your mascara and make up were completely ruined, you felt more vulnerable than you had ever felt in your entire life.

Your heart might as well have been ripped from your chest and stomped on right in front of you on the cold hard pavement. You look at the two faces staring back at you, Steve still utterly confused and bewildered, and Eddie, well Eddie’s face mirrored yours. His eyes misty, you can see his Adams apple bobbing in his throat. Steve runs his hands nervously through his hair before speaking.

“Look this is all my fault, okay? I, shit, I’ve been so hung up on everything that happened between us that I just wanted to feel good. Eddie and I, we used to have something in the past, but it’s not happened in a long time. I don’t really know what I was thinking, I was just being stupid.” Steve admits, looking down at his shoes, his cheeks red in embarrassment.

“Between the two of you? What the fuck happened between the two of you?” a fire lit up behind Eddies eyes.

You sigh, not having it in your heart to be angry with Steve, he must have just not known that the two of you were together, or maybe Eddie hadn’t mentioned it yet.

“Remember that guy.. that kissed me... and I came over to your house crying?” you say defeated; you point over at Steve. He raises his hand with a sympathetic look on his face.

“Guilty is charged,” Steve says lightheartedly, trying to lighten the mood.

“YOU kissed her? Jesus Christ this is so fucked up” Eddie says, pacing between the two of you, trying to clear his head. Steve nods his head, his eyes moving back and forth trying to put his thoughts together.

“Did I kiss you when you guys were together? Did you come over and check on me while you were with him?” Steve’s finger pointed at Eddie, his eyes sadder than they were a minute ago.

Eddies eyes now huge wildfires and looks at you, crossing his arms.

“What the fuck is he talking about Y/N, when did you go and see him?” he spits.

Now it was your turn for your mouth to open and close, your brain no longer able to form any words.

“No Steve, we weren’t together when we kissed. Eds listen it wasn’t like that, I just felt bad and was worried about him because he stopped coming to class. When I got to his place he was drunk and I just helped him clean up his house that’s all.” You reassure Eddie, but his expression was blank and his eyes cold.

“I asked when Y/N, when did you go over to his house?” he mutters quietly.

“3 Days ago,” you admit apologetically, looking anywhere besides Eddies disapproving eyes.

“You mean the day after we had sex? The day after “I” let YOU in?” Eddie fumes.

You bite your lip and look at him, searching for your Eddie, searching for the warmth in his eyes. But you saw nothing, he didn’t even look like himself, his face contorted in anger.

Eddie takes a few steps towards you, a frown on his face and hurt in his eyes. You flinch at his expression, you have never seen Eddie look so mad and upset, it’s so jarring. You rarely even heard the man yell.

“So, let me get this straight, you kiss Steve, and then you came running over to my house, and you let ME kiss you? And then when after we have sex, pretty fucking good sex I might add, you go over to HIS house? Un-fucking-believable Y/N,” he snarls, his voice breaking at the end.

You slump your shoulders, you needed to make him understand, to know how much he means to you.

“Eddie, I- “

“You’re fucking my dad?” You hear a voice call out from the entrance of the bar.

All the blood in your body turns to ice, this is not how you wanted her to find out, you and Eddie had a whole plan. That plan likely now in the trash, you didn’t even know if Eddie was going to forgive you.

“Violet, please not now” you hear Eddie say tiredly.

“No wait let ME get this straight” she says, stepping closer to the three of you, tears swimming in her eyes.

“Not only are you fucking my dad, YOU my best friend since middle school, AND you kissed my uncle Steve?!” she says, her lips upturned in a fake smile that was like a slap to the face.

“We were going to tell you tomorrow Vi, I promise I wasn’t trying to hide it from you. I just-“ you knew any words that you said to her right now weren’t going to matter, you could tell by the look on her face that she’s already made up her mind. You stifle a sob, looking at Eddie for help.

Eddie turns towards you, but the Eddie you had come to know wasn’t there. Almost no emotion in his eyes, he looks at you mournfully, almost like he pitied you.

“We were waiting until we knew it was serious Vi, it’s not all her fault either, take it easy,” he warns.

“No stop talking, I’ll deal with you later” she snaps, dismissing her father.

“So, what are you some kind of slut? You kiss someone else while you’re with my dad? What kind of fucking monster are you? I don’t even know who you are anymore!” she wails tears like waterfalls down her pretty face.

You didn’t know the answer to her questions, but you knew she was right. You are a monster, you’re like a hurricane that bulldozes everything it touches.

“Violet please, I’m sorry I promise I didn’t mean to hurt you, I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. You’re all the family I have, just please let’s go home so we can talk this all out.” your legs wobble, threatening to give out below you, sobs wracking in your chest. Your entire world was crashing down around you, and there was nothing you could do to stop it.

“No, we’re done, I can’t even look at you right now. Stay the fuck away from me and MY family,” she warns.

Violet turns and walks away from the three of you and the bar, you go to follow her, but a large hand envelops your shoulder.

“You probably shouldn’t,” Eddie says flatly.

“But I need to, I need to make things right, I can’t just leave it like this!” you plead with him, fresh tears blurring your vision.

Eddie nods his head knowing you well enough by now to know why you feel this way. “I think its best if there’s some space from the two of you… and us for now.”

“Wait what? Are you breaking up with me?” you squeak, the words pushing the rest of the air from your lungs. By this point your legs are numb from the cold air, anxiety filled your body making you shake like a leaf and your teeth chatter. You couldn’t even feel the cold anymore, your body feels like it's on fire, threatening to explode from the inside out.

“Eddie please, please don’t do this, don’t do this to me” you plead, begging with everything you have in you, every breath every feeling, every kiss re playing in your brain.

I can’t lose you I can’t lose you I can’t lose you please please please please don’t go

Eddie rubs his hand behind his neck, he looks tired, his eyes rimmed with tears of his own, he blinks them away and looks at you.

“I just need some space, maybe someday we can revisit this, but I can’t do this right now, I need to make things right with my daughter. She comes first, I’m sorry” he explains.

You nod your head in understanding and defeat, of course Violet comes first. Your head was so clouded in panic you forgot about how this would affect his relationship with her.

Eddie looks at Steve and then looks at you, he gives you one final nod before he walks away into the night looking for Violet.

You sink onto the cold hard sidewalk, you put your head on your knees, your back shaking harshly while all the held in tears and sobs come out in droves. You cried for what felt like hours, occasionally hearing drunk people coming out of the bar. Before you knew it the muted music playing in the bar stopped and the lights on the inside went out. You lift your head up to rest on your knees, your eyes surely swollen from all the crying, your whole body hurt. Partially from sitting so long, but also because you don’t think you’ve ever cried so hard in your life. Your eyes hurt, your chest ached, and your throat felt like it was on fire.

You see movement to your left and look to see Steve sitting next to you patiently on the pavement. His arms on his knees, he turns his head to look at you, his eyes full of worry.

“Sorry if I startled you or something, I just- I didn’t like the idea of you being downtown all by yourself in your state. I hope that’s okay” he says kindly.

His warmness making your chest hurt, you didn’t deserve his kindness, or anyone’s kindness after everything that happened.

“You don’t have to stay with me, I’ll just call an uber or something...” you say softly, wiping the rest of the tears from your face.

Steve doesn’t say anything, he just stands up and at first you think he’s going to take you at your word and leave. Then you feel his hand on your back, ushering you up, you start to protest. But he just ushers you silently towards his car. He gets in the driver’s side and turns on the car, then he gets out and helps you into the passenger side, holding you gently.

“I turned the seat warmers on, feel free to turn the heat up, you must be freezing.” He says softly. He shuts your car door for you and then ruffles around in the back seat before opening your car door again and wrapping you up in a warm blanket.

“I have this stashed for emergencies, seems like the right time to use it.” He states, fussing over you making sure you’re completely covered by the blanket.

New tears well in your eyes, your heart spilling out of you, it’s all too much. The whiplash of the argument with Eddie and Violet and now Steve being the sweetest man in the world to you. As if you aren’t the worst person to ever exist. You didn’t deserve this, you should be locked away for your crimes . Not wrapped up in a blanket and handled with care, it wasn’t fair to Eddie or Violet.

“We really were going to tell her, ya know? And- and I didn’t mean for things to happen with Eddie after we kissed, it just happened. It’s all so messy and it’s all my fault, I fucked it all up!” You sob.

Steve looks back at you mournfully.

“I know, honey, I know,” he says softly.

 The two of you sit in some more silence while you cry, then you feel his warm hand start rubbing little circles into your back, which only makes you sob harder, but even so, you find yourself leaning into his touch. Leaning into any type of comfort, your heart hurt too much, you couldn’t take it, you need it to go away.

Eventually, you stop crying and Steve gets in the driver side to drive you home, you just look out the window, allowing your body to thaw under the blanket. You eventually give Steve directions to your apartment, and go back to looking out the window, your eyes getting heavier and heavier the longer you were sitting wrapped in your blanket cocoon.

When you wake, you hear the car door opening and feel Steve’s strong arms scoop you against his chest. You smell his intoxicating cologne; you hadn’t smelled it in so long, but it awoken something in you. You blinked slowly, taking in your surroundings. He had not taken you home, to your lonely apartment filled with the memories of you and Eddie. Instead, you were being carried through the front door of his house and entering a very familiar foyer. Steve sets you down on a comfy couch in a room you assume is the living room.

You stare at him in confusion, your brain fogged over from tonight’s events. He looks a little nervous, his knee bouncing up and down.

“Uh sorry, you fell asleep, and I didn’t like the idea of you going home and being by yourself. I can still take you home if you’d like, I just I dunno...I was worried about you,” he confesses, his honey brown eyes staring up at you expectantly.

You wipe away the sleep and the dried tears from your eyes, you sit up sorely, your body punishing you for sitting on the hard pavement for so long. You feel more vulnerable than you’d like to admit, in Steves house with barely any clothes on. You rub your arms trying to soothe yourself, wrapping yourself up tighter in Steves blanket.

“Thank you” you squeak, your voice hoarse from crying so much. He smiles slightly and nods, scratching the back of his neck before he speaks next.

“You’re welcome to stay...if you’d like, I have plenty of guest rooms for you to sleep in. No pressure though,” he says hurriedly.

You mull over his offer, the idea of staying over made your stomach feel sick with guilt but also burn with curiosity. Then you thought again about getting back in his car, and going back home to your apartment, alone with your thoughts, replaying tonight’s events over and over again.

“If it’s alright with you... I think I’d like to stay,” you say meekly, fidgeting with your hands.

The anxiety on Steve’s face diminishes, nodding at you eagerly. “Please, mi casa es su casa,” he gestures to his house and chuckles lightly to clear the air.

You look at him gratefully, the two of you make some light small talk before he gives you the grand tour of the house. He explains it used to be his parents’ house before they moved to Florida after his dad retired. He went on to tell you that he wasn’t very close with his parents, they always resented him for never marrying or having any kids of his own. You felt even more guilty now, not only had Steve left his job because of you, but that meant more time stuck in this house, thinking about what a disappointment he is to his parents. The self-pity spiral is starting to grow bigger and bigger inside your head once again, the spell only broken when Steve puts his hand on your back, and your mind goes silent.

Focusing on the warmth and pressure his hand is leaving on your back. In contrast to all the shitty things that happened this evening, you’re allowing yourself this one nice thing. It reminded you of simpler times, when you just had a little crush on your sociology professor, before the kiss, before everything with Eddie. You remember the first time he put his hand on your back, it was the first day you went into his office when he helped you take care of that parking ticket. You remember how your insides twisted and turned with excitement. Then, when you became his TA, it was something you looked forward to when the two of you were alone together.

“And this is one of the many guest bedrooms, feel free to pick anyone you like there’s plenty to choose” he states cheerfully.

Steve shows you the rest of the house, your mind boggled by how big the house really is, castle might be a better word for it.

Steve escorts you towards one of the many bathrooms on the second floor leaving you alone to shower and freshen up, the bathroom stocked with the fluffiest towels you’ve ever felt in your entire life. The guest bathroom alone seemed bigger than your whole apartment. You let the hot water envelop you, hugging every part of your body.

You sit on the cold tiles of the shower, trying to figure out what to do. You think about Violet first, the person who ha been your best friend for as long as you can remember, the only one who has always been in your corner, now gone. You feel tears at the edges of your very sore eyes. Then you think of Eddie, the sweetest guy to ever exist, and the only one to ever make you feel worthy of love.

How did you fuck this up so badly?

You let a few more tears fall, meeting the warm water down the drain. You rub your eyes, the skin around your eyes raw from all the crying, you can’t remember the last time you cried this much. It made you feel so small and fragile, like if someone breathed at you the wrong way, you’d crumble into a million pieces. You let a few more tears fall before you take a deep breath and finish your shower. You shake away your thoughts, thinking about how differently this day had started versus how it was ending, everything taken away from you so quickly.

You were grateful for Steves kindness, it felt nice to not be in your apartment. To be away from the mess you had made, you could almost allow yourself to forget.. almost.

When you walk into the guest bedroom you see a pair of plaid boxers and a big grey t-shirt left on the bed for you, you pick up the t-shirt laid out before you and bring it up to your nose. Your shoulders relax as the scent fills your nostrils. The scent of Steve, not even his cologne, just him. It made your brain dizzy. Once you finish getting dressed you hear a knock on the door.

“Come in!” you call out. Steve emerges from the other side of the door, holding a glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol. He shakes the bottle in his hand and comes to sit next to you on the bed.

“Oh gosh Thank you so much” you say gratefully taking the glass of water and taking two Tylenol.

Steve waves you off, you will be forever in awe of the way Steve is able to make anything seem like a piece of cake. He never made you feel like a burden, something you are always concerned about. It made you feel a little more at ease.

“You really didn’t have to do all this for me, it’s my own mess that I gotta figure out how to clean up, I feel bad that you went through all this trouble for me” you confess, guilt already filling your chest again. These were the consequences of your own actions, and you needed to deal with it. You think about how unfair you’ve been, not only to Eddie or Violet, but to Steve as well. None of them deserved to be caught up in your hurricane, but yet they all paid the price somehow.

“You’d do it for me...you have done it for me” he says quietly, looking at his hands.

You turn your head, studying his face, he seemed slightly embarrassed but mostly sad.

“You didn’t have to come over and check on me, especially not when I drunk texted you like an idiot. You were so kind, and I was so pathetic.” He runs his fingers through his hair, shaking his head slightly.

“Anyone would have done that Steve, really it’s okay, I didn’t mind helping. Everyone needs some help every now and again,” you say dismissing him.

“Exactly, so why don’t you take your own advice and let me help you?” he counters, sticking up one of his eyebrows in retort.

You try and find a reason, but you couldn’t think of a good one. Your brain is exhausted, you need comfort.. a hug, something.

“C’mere” Steve mumbles, opening his arms to you, like he could read your mind, but knowing you, your face doesn’t hide much. Your pain was probably written all over your face. You didn’t have anything left in you to deny yourself any longer, that left when Eddie did. You crawl into Steves arms and let out a deep breath for one of the first times tonight. He wraps his strong arms around you, the two of you sit like that for a bit. Steve never pulling away, just letting you cuddle up against him for as long as you need.

You sigh in his arms, allowing yourself to fully relax, you wrap your fingers around Steves shirt. Bringing him impossibly closer to you, taking in his intoxicating scent once again. His heartbeat against your ear warming you more than the shower did, making your body relax completely against his. After today’s events, this little bit of affection was like a drug, a drug that was filling your body with need. Desire brewing inside you, begging you to forget, pleading with you to give into your deepest needs.

You pull back from Steve's embrace, just enough to be a couple inches from his face, you could feel his breath on your cheeks. You look into his eyes, but he's not looking at you. He’s looking at your lips, you can see his brain fighting the urge to kiss you. And that diminishes the rest of your resolve, you lean in closer to his lips. Steve eagerly meets you halfway, his lips a hungry attack on your own. Not like the way he kissed you back in his office so many weeks ago, that kiss was swift and innocent. This kiss was one filled with passion and need, he grabs the back of your neck, almost like a promise to himself that he wouldn’t let you go this time. You entwine your fingers into his silky locks at the nap of his neck, pulling him closer to you. That elicits a groan from Steve, only making your need for him grow stronger. His moan makes your brain short circuit, the most primal part of you coming out of its cave, ready to play. You couldn’t even count how many nights during the start of the school year you would imagine what he sounded like, with your hand between your legs.

Steve grabs your waist and pulls you onto his lap, you mindlessly grind against his lap selfishly trying to find any type of friction against your core. You moan into each other’s mouths, a song of your combined desperation for each other. The two of you are a tangled mess of hands, lips, and tongues.

Steve grabs at the edges of your (his) shirt, pulling it up and over your head. It takes Steve no time to start his assault on your chest. Leaving open mouthed kisses on your skin, nipping and sucking on your nipples, making you grind down harder on his lap.

“Damn... you’re so fucking beautiful,” he moans into your chest, his voice making you throw your head back in pleasure, answering him with a moan of your own. His eyes wild in lust, slightly bloodshot from the previous events, but still trained on you, like you’re the only thing that mattered in the world right now. Steve's grip on you was firm but not bruising, another way he showed you how much he cared for you, even now. You hold onto his shoulders for support, grinding down faster into his lap. The head of his cock rubbing deliciously against your clit, you could feel your arousal soaking the cloth of Steve’s boxers, you’d be embarrassed if you weren’t so incredible turned on.

Wanting to see more of him you tug his shirt off too, running your hands through his dark brown chest hair.

He guides you to lay down on the bed, his weight on top of you only adding to the feeling of his cock in between your folds. You moan loudly, pushing your hips against his, the pleasure building deep inside you.

“You sound so pretty baby, so so pretty” Steve praises you, leaving little kisses along your pulse point. He makes his way down your body, leaving kisses on every open patch of skin he could find. Reaching the hem of his boxers hanging lowly on your waist, looking up at you, his eyes asking permission to move forward with his thought. You nod your head quickly, in your hazy state you’d probably let him do about anything to you right now. He leaves a kiss right below your belly button as a thank you as he slides of your (his) boxers, pushing your legs open to fully expose yourself to him.

Steve lets out a pained moan, spreading your lips, inspecting every inch of your center like it was painted my da Vinci himself.

“Jesus christ baby, look at you.. soo wet” He admires, barely audible to you, almost like he was talking to himself. Steve leaves chaste kisses on your thighs, making them slightly in anticipation.  Finally Steve licks a long stripe from your center to your clit, flicking your clit with the point of his tongue.

“Fuck Steve oh-oh my god,” you whimper, you were already so needy and you barely started.

Steve goes to town like a man starved, if it didn’t feel so damn good, you’d be worried that he wasn’t coming up for air. His tongue darting expertly in and out of your core, his handsomely pointed nose rubbing up against your clit making you see stars.

Your legs threaten to close, unable to hold them open any longer, smushing Steve's face. His hands guide your thighs open wider than before, getting impossibly closer to your heat. Your body hurtling embarrassingly fast towards your release already, you grab a fist full of his hair to steady yourself.

Free of consequences, and pain, it’s ecstasy.

Steve moans deliciously into your core, the vibration sending another wave of pleasure down your spine, rolling your hips into his face.

“H-holy shitt, look at you baby, makin’ such a mess for me, such a good girl,” he coos at you, making you clench around nothing. The whole bottom half of his face glistening with your arousal, not that it seemed to bother Steve. He looked like a kid in a fucking candy store, greedily sucking, nipping, and licking every drop you gave him. He’s a man possessed.

With every lick of Steve’s tongue, you were getting closer and closer to pure bliss. The headboard behind you rocking back and forth against the wall obnoxiously, you look down below you to see Steve's hips rocking against the mattress as he was buried deep in between your legs. What a fucking sight.

He's so pretty

That image alone brings you right at the edge, your hips grinding fervently against his face, your combined moans filling the room

 “Yeah, right there, fuck right fucking there!” you wail.

His hands tighten around your thighs, doubling down between your folds.

“Fuck Fuck Fuck I’m gonnna... I’m gonna cum!” you scream as your vision whites out and euphoria floods your system. Your ears ringing, the only thing you can hear is the mixed moans of you and Steve. Your on cloud nine, your brain thanking you, your mind clear of Eddie and Violet, only Steve. Steve's hands, mouth, lips, tongue, everything Steve.

Once you come down from your high, you look at Steve hungrily, sitting up to capture his lips with yours. Your release tangy on his tongue. He wraps his arms around you, smooshing you back onto the bed.

“Your turn” you say with a smirk, flipping him over onto his back.  

“Uh.. no need” Steve says sheepishly, looking down at the wet spot that formed in his grey sweatpants. Your mouth hung open in an “O” shape. Steve just came from eating you out

… holy shit...

“Holy shit” you say, your eyes unable to move from the mess he made in his pants.

“Yeah, holy shit” he chimes in, clearly a little embarrassed by his actions.  You didn’t want him to be embarrassed, he had no need to be. He is just one of the sexiest men alive that’s all, no big deal. You look up at him with lust still in his eyes, and lean over his mess. You leave open mouth kisses on the fabric, licking lightly with your tongue. You taste bits of Steve's release, making you moan wishing for more.

“Jesus- Fuck!” Steve hisses, his hips buckle at the sensation, still sensitive from his climax. You look back up at him innocently, giving him a light kiss on the cheek.   

“What am I gonna do with you, you naughty girl” he smirks, shaking his head back and forth. The question hanging uncomfortable in the air...

What the fuck were the two of you going to do? What the fuck was that?

Eventually the two make your way to the bathroom, Steve leaves momentarily to change into different pants and leaves you to clean yourself. Upon his return he brought you a new pair of boxers and you thank him gratefully. The other pair completely pathetically soiled.

Looking at Steve post orgasm should be its own art exhibit, his grey-brown hair messy from being pulled and tugged, his eyes still slightly blown in lust, his lips pink, and his chest delightfully bare. How could he get even more beautiful? You wished your mind to take a picture to remember this.

Steve walks you back to your room and sits next to you on the bed, so many unsaid words hung in the air. Firstly, you didn’t want Steve to think this was some kind of a rebound, of course it felt good, but you had been wanting Steve since the first day he set foot in the classroom. Then there was Eddie, your wound still fresh from your breakup. You really do care for Eddie, he was the best boyfriend you’ve ever had, but that didn’t diminish your feelings for Steve. You knew that if Eddie found out about what the two of you had done, you’d just hurt him even more than you already have. You stomach started twisting in knots, the mess you made growing bigger by the hour bringing in more casualties. Your brain is even more confused than it was a few hours ago, if that’s even possible.

“This doesn’t have to be a thing, you know? We don’t have to talk about it ever again. Scouts honor,” He confesses, smiling warmly at you.

“I’m so sorry Steve, I didn’t mean for this to happen, I- I don’t know what happened, I just...”

“You’re sorry? I should be the one who’s apologizing, I feel like a fucking monster. You were a little drunk, and so was I, and I didn’t stop it even though I should have. You don’t have to explain yourself to me at all Y/N, okay?” he interrupts.

You feel some tension leaving your shoulders, although you didn’t think it was Steve’s fault at all. But all the energy you had to argue with him, had been squashed by the orgasm Steve so wonderfully gifted to you, your body now beyond exhausted, begging you for sleep. You bring your knees up to your chest and yawn.

“Okay Stevie,” you say, your eyes fluttering, fighting to stay open.

Steve smiles warmly at the nickname, “Alright, well I’ll let you get some rest, I’m just down the hall if you need anything”

You watch Steve get up and walk towards the door, anxiety filling your head watching him leave. You didn’t want him to go. You remember how nice his arms felt around you not an hour ago, and how calm your brain is when he’s around.

“Steve?” you say barely audible.

“Yeah?” he says his eyes showing a hint of concern and anticipation.

“Stay with me?” you beg pathetically. You know its not right, you know you shouldn’t want him, or crave him. What about Eddie, what about fucking Eddie. But your heart ached with the thought of sleeping so close but so far from him, the need for him ached deep inside your bones.

Silence fills the room, the two of you looking at each other, knowing the answer to your question could change everything. You open your mouth saying you’ve changed your mind, feeling stupid again for the hundredth time tonight.

But as you’re about to say something, Steve closes the door and sits next to you on the bed. Steve's eyes are tired, you look at the clock next to you and it’s nearly 5 am, Steve had the patience of a god. You let out the breath you were holding, the bubble of anxiety dissipating from your chest.

“Go on, get comfy, I know you’re exhausted” Steve orders, motioning towards the covers. You wrap yourself up under the very expensive looking blankets, Steve tugging the blankets up higher making sure you were comfy before settling in behind you. He envelops you with his arms, pulling you closer, your back now flush with his chest and your head resting comfortable under his. Steve is so warm, like the sun, filling your body with its heat, your eyes eyes getting heavy. He rubs soothing circles into your bare skin that’s open to him.

“’s this okay?” he breathes quietly into your ear.

“Yeah.. perfect,” you whisper, alright on the verge of sleep.

Dreamland finds you not long after, the dull ache in your chest soothed by the warmth of Steve’s body next to you in bed.

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The Heat of Each Season | E. M

Eddie x Fem!reader

Warnings: S.Ex: p in v, blow!ob, p.ssy eating, unprotected sxx (this is a fic, people. Be intelligent). C:ckwarm:ng. Publ!c s$x. Whipped cream. Vulgar vocabulary. And let me know if I forgot something. No mentions of body type, race, hair or eye colour. I MADE THAT BANNER FOR MY BLOG FOR THE +18. I'M PROUD. I'M PROUD OF BOTH EDITS HERE, OKAY??? Hope you like them too.

Word Count: 10K.

All Rights Reserved. The author, me, does not allow any type of copy or adaption.

BIG MASTERLIST

SPRING

The touch of the sun's gentle rays stirred goosebumps on Eddie's arms, creating an otherworldly sensation of quiet comfort. As the sun's intimate presence made him yawn, he closed his eyes in bliss and stretched his arms towards the sky, attempting to shake off the encroaching weariness. His t-shirt rode up, allowing the sun to kiss his belly, igniting a warm, tingling sensation that coursed through his body.

"Done!" If he hadn't known it was his girlfriend speaking, the angelic voice that reached his ears might have seemed like a delightful illusion on this beautiful April day.

Kneeling a few feet away, you carefully arranged a white blanket on the lush grass. Your face radiated the broadest smile he had ever seen, and your hair and eyes sparkled even more brilliantly under the magnificent sunlight.

Eddie's attention was captivated by your presence. You looked stunning in your white sundress, giving the impression of a fairy or, with the right accessories, a charming pirate. The sundress gracefully ended just above your mid-thigh, with short puffy sleeves that added a touch of playfulness.

One of your dearest wishes had always been to share a picnic in a picturesque field with Eddie, complete with a basket of delicious food and a cake. Eddie had gone to great lengths to fulfil your wish, asking his friends for recommendations on idyllic picnic spots. However, their initial response was laughter, as they struggled to picture Eddie in such a colourful, romantic setting. But deep down, everyone knew that when it came to you, Eddie was willing to make the extraordinary happen.

"Are you hungry?" Eddie's gaze almost had to shield itself from your radiance as you looked up at him. "I've brought a feast." You remained kneeling on the white blanket, and your wooden basket rested nearby as you began to unveil its contents. Eddie was indeed famished, but not just for food.

He hummed with delight, sitting down not too far from you, unable to resist the magnetic pull of your presence. His ringed hand gently found its place on your bare leg, and as he noticed your subtle reaction, a mischievous smirk crept onto his lips. "What delectable treasures have you brought?"

"Strawberries, cherries, croissants," You recited as his thumb, drawing gentle circles on your leg, sent shivers through your skin, and he sensed your deep breath. "Blueberries and pineapple." All the fruits had been meticulously cleaned and chopped before you embarked on your picnic adventure.

"Sounds delicious," Eddie said, shifting closer and parting his lips. He wordlessly conveyed his desire for a strawberry, and you obliged, placing one in his mouth. With intention, he allowed his lips to graze your fingers, and the tip of his tongue traced the path of the strawberry into his mouth. After a moment of savouring the fruity delight, he inquired, "What about the cake?"

"I bought one!" Eddie was well aware that you had taken care of the cake, securing it in his van to ensure it remained pristine during the journey. "It's a strawberry cake with whipped cream and fresh strawberries on top," you added, your eyes shimmering even brighter. Eddie wondered how an angel like you could have fallen for a man like him, but he considered himself fortunate and committed to cherishing you forever.

"Sounds amazing." Eddie's posture exuded calm confidence, which, in turn, made you squirm in your seat. The nervousness you had felt on your first date with him seemed to resurface, making it a challenge to meet his gaze.

"I have another surprise." Eddie's eyes widened slightly as his free hand, the one not touching you, selected a couple of blueberries and popped them into his mouth, inadvertently making a sour face, most likely after encountering a tart one.

You shifted your weight, retrieving a small rucksack you had brought along. Eddie grumbled playfully as his hand slid off your leg. "Look!" You laid out the items you had prepared, and Eddie, initially puzzled, quickly realised what you meant. "I asked Dustin for advice on creating my D&D character."

Eddie erupted into laughter. "No way!" He had been meaning to create a character for you for a long time, especially since you'd been with him at Hellfire Club, observing everyone else playing. He had wanted to involve you but was always too nervous to ask. Now, finally, you were going to be part of it. Even though there might be some protests from others about him assisting you, he was sure it would happen.

"What do you think?" Your grin widened as you saw Eddie's delighted reaction. He, however, didn't respond with words. Instead, he leaned in, forcing you to rest on your elbows as he kissed you passionately, his weight resting on top of you; lips pressed together. "I thought about being a Kenku?"

His imagination quickly conjured an image of those creatures—hideous, selfish, and driven by greed for riches and power. It didn't seem right for you. "What about an Aasimar?" You frowned, unsure if you had heard of it before or simply couldn't recall. "They have celestial heritage." A flush crept up your cheeks, reminding you of the angelic nickname Eddie had given you. Eddie proceeded to explain more about Aasimars, and the choice became clear. "All right now," Eddie said, shifting about and grabbing a set of dice. "We use these dice to determine the outcomes of actions and events." He pulled out a twenty-sided die, a d20, and displayed it to you.

Once your character was created, you both reclined on the blanket. Eddie explained some game elements that you had already picked up from watching him play.

He stretched out on his back, his left arm behind his head, basking in the sun with his eyes closed. As you lay on top of him, your body seemed to meld with his; your head resting on his chest, your hand tracing his pectoral, and one of your legs intertwining with his.

"This feels like heaven," Eddie said, his chest expanding as he inhaled deeply. Your proximity allowed you to feel the comforting warmth of the sun above you. Eddie's body felt even warmer as you lay on top of him, his arm curved around you, gently massaging your back. "I never thought I could enjoy the sunlight so much." His words prompted a laugh from you; he sounded like a vampire. "But it feels healing." Indeed, it did. Your stomachs were content, and the sun seemed to cleanse your spirits.

You shifted your head away from Eddie's chest, supporting your weight on your elbows as you gazed at him. His eyes were closed, his long eyelashes casting delicate shadows on his cheekbones, resembling the graceful legs of a spider.

A faint blush tinged Eddie's cheeks, evidence that the sun, though less potent than in summer, had managed to kiss him with its warmth. You realised you'd forgotten to remind him to wear sunscreen or, better yet, to apply it to his face.

Your left hand tenderly swept away the errant locks from his brow, evoking a delighted moan at your soothing touch. Your fingertips caressed his cheeks, their soft strokes like a gentle caress.

Eddie had an inexplicable notion that his cheeks were slightly too round and that they might look better if they weren't. It puzzled you how he could entertain such a thought, as you cherished every aspect of him just as it was. In truth, you found his cheeks utterly endearing and didn't believe they needed any alterations.

The hand that had been stroking his cheek gently cupped it. A tingling sensation coursed through Eddie as he felt your breath brushing against the corner of his mouth. A shadow shielded him from the sun, heightening the anticipation of your face drawing nearer. As your lips met his, his hand descended to your lower back.

The kiss was a slow, passionate dance. Your lips tenderly moistened Eddie's lower lip before playfully nipping at it. He sighed contentedly, eyes closed, unable to resist wrapping his other arm around you. Both hands squeezed your hips firmly through the soft fabric of your white sundress, drawn into the captivating rhythm of your languid kiss.

The kiss gradually intensified as tongues joined in, a harmonious exchange of warmth and desire. There was no battle for dominance, only an insatiable longing to explore each other's mouths and taste each other's warmth and shared passion.

What could anyone possibly dislike about Eddie? You could never get enough of him, never be too close, never be too pressed against his warmth. And, in truth, he felt the same. If it were possible, he would envelop himself in your presence for all eternity.

Eddie unconsciously widened his legs, allowing your lower body to fit snugly between them. As the kiss intensified, an involuntary rhythm developed, and both of you caught up in the magnetic pull of desire.

He pulled you closer to him, his legs parting slightly and his hips instinctively moving in response to the mounting desire, his fingers lightly crinkling the fabric of your dress. He was ready and eager to take control and explore your desires in more profound ways. He intended to see you flushed, your voice pleading for his name. But just as he was about to flip you over, you broke the kiss.

"Let's have some cake," you said, separating your bodies. In seconds, he found himself gazing at the sky, somewhat bewildered. "C'mon, Eddie!"

He sat up, making a conscious effort to quell the urgency stirring within him. He didn't want to give the impression that something was amiss, despite the intense moment you had just shared. As he rose to sit on the picnic blanket, his attention was momentarily drawn to the sight of your bare back, and he couldn't help but notice the alluring way his hands had ruffled your dress, causing it to slip slightly and revealing a teasing glimpse of underboob. He noted that you weren't wearing a bra; the strategically placed pads on the dress ensured that your nipples remained discreet beneath the fabric.

Eddie's heart raced even faster, his body cold and slightly sweaty as he wrestled with his inner impulses. Nevertheless, his left hand's fingers strayed to delicately graze your underboob through the exposed part of your dress at the back. His finger gradually rose, cupping your breast with a gentle squeeze.

You let out a quiet groan, your eyes briefly closing before reopening as Eddie's touch ignited a passionate response. "Eddie," you whispered, almost pleadingly. When you glanced over your shoulder, you noticed that his gaze was fixed on the area he was exploring. "The cake," you reminded him, bringing the focus back to the original intention of your picnic.

"Fuck the cake, angel." His other hand reached your other side, cupping your breasts and squeezing them so hard that he drove your body towards his. Your back met his chest. "You look more appetising." His comments were followed by his tongue licking, sucking, and biting on one of the sides of your neck.

Your glance darted about, checking to see whether there were any other people around. But, even though it was a lovely setting, you were the only ones there. "What if someone comes here?"

"No one will." His mouth climbed, softly nibbling your earlobe and tugging on it with his teeth.

Your head dropped back, resting on one of his shoulders, as he kept licking and nibbling as his hands squeezed, forcing your breasts together, apart, and in circles. Eddie adored your chest. Size didn't matter to him; all that mattered was that they were yours and lovely.

And you wanted him just as much as he wanted you. You were drenched.

"Ride me." He'd stopped nibbling your ear to mumble those words, and his hands had dropped, now fiddling with the hem of your panties. "We don't even have to take off all of our clothes." His fingers slid into your underwear, stroking your clit once and making you moan. "I know you want it as well. I can smell you, and I know you'll be wet if I go any further down." He didn't wait for an answer before doing precisely what he stated, searching for the pool between your legs.

"Gosh, Eddie." Your eyes were already moving to the back of your skull. His words, touch, and hip pushing upwards were all compelling. "Uh," the sound came from between your lips as you immediately straddled him, causing his hands to fall from your breasts to your bare thighs, the dress slipping up owing to the position you two were in.

"Which panties are you wearing?"

"Simple white ones."

"Perfect." Eddie's tongue flew out of his mouth, licking his bottom lip, and in an instant, he yanked your underwear off you from one side, the other loosely hanging over your left thigh but allowing him the access he craved.

"Eddie, what the..." He didn't respond or glance at you as his hands moved quickly—really quickly—to remove his trousers and underwear. And he was already erect, the tip crimson, and ready to drop a pearl of cum.

"Ride me, baby." His voice quivered with urgency, and any further delay in reaching the exact location he desired would likely lead to him breaking down in tears. "Please." As his gaze shifted, his attention was captured by his hands firmly grasping your hips, deftly gathering your dress, and at last, my lord, granting him the long-awaited sight of you bare. Eddie didn't mind that you were gleaming and shaven. He adored everything you did down there. Sometimes you had a bush, sometimes you trimmed it, and sometimes you let it bare.

You placed your hands gently on his shoulders as your gaze followed his, and without hesitation, you positioned yourself atop him. Your right hand shifted to his shaft, holding it, squeezing it slightly, and causing him to gasp before pressing his tip against your clit. You were dizzy just from his flesh on yours. "Put it inside, c'mon, angel." Eddie urged you.

As you descended, a magnificent symphony of emotions and sensations blossomed within you, his cock pulsating inside you as you took in all of him. Eddie was slender and long, with a small curvature that appeared to strike your sweet spot. Nevertheless, he comprehended precisely how to respond to your body's cues.

You were poised to shift your position with your knees on the ground, but Eddie's grasp on your hips tightened. "Hold on." His sparkling eyes refocused on you, and he couldn't resist planting a tender kiss on your lips. "Just give me a moment, or I'll lose control right away." You couldn't help but smile at his words, savouring the influence you had over him, mirroring the effect he had on you. "Tits."

You swiftly lowered the top of your dress, uncovering your chest while still wearing your sleeves. Eddie attached his lips to your right nipple and began to suck on it, and as his tongue left it to attend to your left one, he gave you the signal to begin moving.

And so, you acted upon your desire. Your lips parted, but no words escaped. His mouth also opened, granting greater access to your left breast.

"Gosh." You could feel his robustness, warmth, and even the little veins that adorned his shaft. "I feel so full."

Your initial encounters had been characterized by timidity. The first two times you shared this intimate connection, you were both inexperienced, bashful, and awkward. However, by the third encounter, the dynamics had drastically changed. You had become inseparable, insatiable, and brimming with a multitude of desires and experiments you longed to explore together.

Eddie let out a low, guttural groan and closed his eyes, allowing his back to fully recline against the ground as you continued riding him. Because of your position, you were able to move your hips sensually and hard. Eddie's hands naturally returned to your hips, as your own gently settled on his chest.

Your soft whimpers compelled him to open his eyes, anticipating a flushed expression, but what he found exceeded his expectations. Your brow was glistening with sweat, and your hair clung to it, adding to the intensity of the moment. As you bounced on him, your eyes closed and your lips parted as petite whimpers abandoned you while your tits bounced in an addicting and hypnotic manner. The sun had dipped just slightly, casting a wonderful light upon your back, creating the illusion of a radiant halo enveloping your entire form. It was as if you were an angel descended from the highest reaches of heaven. Or perhaps, in Eddie's mind, you were Lucifer's favoured, sent to beckon him into the depths of Hell. Truth be told, Eddie didn't need much convincing. A simple word from you was all it took.

"Fuck, sweetheart. You look stunning." You were ruining him, wrapping your arms around him, and dripping on his balls. He was going insane. "Does it feel good, angel?" His hands rose once again, both squeezing your nipples. "I can't have my angel not feeling like she is back in heaven." You let out a loud moan and your motions grew frenetic. "Of course, sweetheart, use me. Use me to blow yourself up. Make use of me to obtain what you desire." 

"Fuck, Eddie. Please, more."

He chuckled, sweating as well. "Do you want more? What exactly do you want me to tell you?" You spoke, but it sounded like unintelligible gibberish to him. "Do you want me to tell you that I'm insane right now? That if it meant being buried within you for the rest of my life, I would surrender my soul to whomever? That I'm holding myself back so I don't pound you down because I want you to come first?" Eddie's right hand instantly ditched your right breast to hold the hair on the back of your head, forcing you to look at him. "That I can't wait to unleash my load in you?"

"Please, Eddie. Please don't hold back." You seized his cheeks and, momentarily pausing your actions, initiated a passionate, demanding kiss. Your tongue delved into his mouth, leaving him breathless. Eddie allowed this for about two minutes before impatience overtook him, and he couldn't resist the urge to be more assertive and respond in kind.

Eddie had your back in seconds and grasped your hips so tightly that you were certain it would leave marks. "Fuck yeah." His thrusts were relentless, full, and brutal. In that intense moment, you questioned whether you were quivering or if the entire world was trembling along with you.

Sensing him within you, the touch of his skin against yours, even though it was slick with sweat, transported you to another realm. It wasn't until several minutes later that you became aware of something sticky on your back, causing you to chuckle. "Shit, Eddie."

Upon hearing your giggle, his gaze seemed to momentarily break away from the euphoria you were both sharing, only to unveil something white on your shoulders and in your hair. He had accidentally smeared cake on you.

Eddie grinned at the scene, but his thrusts continued unabated. He spotted the crushed cake beneath your right shoulder and quickly scooped up a small piece, playfully bringing it to your lips. "Open." He gently nudged your lips with his knuckles, causing the piece of cake to slide into your mouth. "Is it good?" Your lips encircled his fingertips, your tongue twirling around the cream and sucking his fingers clean. "Is it?" His second query was accompanied by him burying himself deeply and viciously in you because you had not answered his initial query. A strong push.

"Fuck yeah." Your back arched, enabling him even more access than seemed conceivable. "It's so good, Eddie." The cake and him banging you.

He laughed, and the hand that had placed the cake in your mouth took another piece, spreading it on your breasts. His face then neared them, licking and sucking you clean. "Mmmh, best cake I've ever tried." He then licked his hand clean of any cake remnants and swiftly let that hand drop to your clit, stroking it with his fingers. The sensation of the rings added a hint of coolness and a subtle edge to the mix, enhancing the overall pleasure.

"I'm so close." You groaned, your hands grasping and toying with your chest. "Oh my God, Eddie. Oh, Eddie, please." Your whimpers grew louder, evolving into unintelligible sounds of pleasure. The intensity of your arousal was so overwhelming that it felt as though you were on the brink of losing consciousness.

You were soon fluttering around him, achieving your intended climax, and Eddie continued thrusting as you hit your peak. His hand then left your clit after ensuring your satisfaction and curled around you, and his hip motions got sloppy. "Shiiit." The climax seemed to stretch on as his breathy words brushed your ear. He could sense your climax washing over him, and with a low, guttural grunt, he joined you, a burst of light flickering across his vision as your fluids and his intermingled. He then collapsed on top of you, and your hands slipped beneath his shirt to tenderly stroke his back, both of you overcome by exhaustion. Meanwhile, his throbbing and pulsating member remained nestled inside you.

Another gasp escaped your lips as your fluids trickled from within you, running down your slit and brushing against Eddie's tightly pressed testicles, nestled against your labia.

His mouth left a mark on the sensitive spot on your neck, a blend of affection and desire. "I hope this picnic was everything you had hoped for."

He planted a tender kiss on your lips, and you replied, still catching your breath. "It was even better than I imagined."

"I love you," he whispered, affirming his feelings.

You smiled. "I love you too."

SUMMER

"Hey, kids, watch out!" Max and Eleven playfully hurled handfuls of sand at Mike, Will, Lucas, and Dustin as soon as they stepped onto the beach. Steve couldn't help but shout, "Did we really think this was a good idea?"

Steve chuckled and scratched his head, scanning the beach to find a suitable spot for the two large beach umbrellas you had brought. "Definitely not."

Jonathan, grinning, pulled off his shirt and gave Nancy a quick kiss before lending Steve a hand with the umbrellas.

Steve's new girlfriend, April, quietly helped Robin and her girlfriend, Vickie, arrange the bags and coolers on the sand.

Eddie, ever the straightforward one, growled as he yanked off his shirt. "I'm not here to babysit. I'm here to swim, roast in the sun, and admire my stunning girlfriend in her new bikini." Robin couldn't help but chuckle at his blunt honesty.

The kids, filled with youthful enthusiasm, sprinted into the water, their laughter and shouts echoing in the warm beach air. It was a delight to watch them revel in carefree joy, with Nancy and Jonathan following suit and Steve and April not far behind. Meanwhile, Robin and Vickie relaxed on a towel in the sunshine, their hushed conversation blending with the sounds of the sea, basking in the golden glow of the setting sun.

Eddie had already changed into his swim trunks and was comfortably settled in a reclining beach chair beneath the shade of one of the beach umbrellas. You, on the other hand, swiftly discarded your skirt, allowing an oversized shirt of Eddie's to drape over you, its hem skimming your mid-thigh.

Concern laced your voice as you asked, "Eddie, did you remember to apply sunscreen?" His squinted eyes, due to the forgotten sunglasses at home, gave you an immediate answer. With a small sigh, you retrieved the sunscreen from your shared beach bag and joined him.

"You're going to get a nasty burn," you warned as you took the sunscreen, squeezing a generous amount into your hand. Eddie's mischievous grin seemed undeterred as you carefully covered his chest and abdomen. Then, you ensured that his back and shoulders received thorough protection.

As Eddie reclined, after positioning himself behind you, you nestled against him, and the soothing sound of ocean waves accompanied the moment. "So, when can I see that new bikini of yours?" Eddie's hands rested on your thighs, tracing gentle circles.

You couldn't help but smile at his eagerness. "You've already seen it. The black one with those tiny red flames on the edges."

Eddie chuckled softly, his voice low and intimate. "It's going to look even better now."

"Why's that?"

"Because the light here is different, and you'll be glistening from the water, and..." Eddie paused momentarily, confirming that Robin and Vickie were still engrossed in their private conversation. With a whisper in your ear, he confessed, "I should stop talking now because I'm going to get hard."

Your gaze met his over your shoulder, a sly smile playing on your lips, and you bit down on your lower lip in response to his words.

"Where are the board games we brought?" Max was the one who disrupted the flirtatious glances exchanged between you and Eddie, with a hint of passion simmering beneath.

Eddie glanced at Max, noticing her shivering from spending too long in the water. Swiftly, he plucked a towel from your shared bag and tossed it her way. Max wrapped it around herself, attempting to quell the chills. "They're probably in Dustin's bag," Eddie nodded in the direction of Dustin's bag, sheltered under one of the umbrellas.

The kids commandeered one of the beach umbrellas, drying off with towels and grabbing sandwiches and drinks, eager to commence their games. Laughter filled the air as Dustin protested loudly about Will's alleged cheating during the games, and then the two acted as if nothing had happened. You and Eddie couldn't help but chuckle along.

"Eds," you turned your head to meet Eddie's gaze, which was already locked on you. "It's getting scorching out here." The unrelenting sunlight and Eddie's embrace, especially with your clothes on, made you sweat. "Should we take a dip in the water?" He nodded and planted a gentle kiss on your forehead.

"Hey, lovebirds." It was amusing that he used the moniker for Robin and Vickie when you were both the same all the time. Occasionally keeping to yourselves and uttering promises and needs that were only for you two. "You coming in the water with us?"

Robin paused for a moment before turning to face both of you. "And leave these kids on their own?"

"Won't be." Jonathan appeared with Nancy under his arm. He instantly grabbed the nearest towel, wrapping her in its softness and warmth before hugging her with his own arms. "We got cold in the water."

Robin's eyes briefly met Vickie's, and with a reassuring smile and a nod from her, you felt encouraged to shed your shirt. As the fabric fell to the sand, Eddie's gaze intensified, his eyes tracing your body as if it were a discovery, despite his intimate knowledge of every contour, every inch, and every possible blemish. The sun's heat may have been scorching, but the intensity of his gaze added a whole new layer of warmth to the moment.

"Shit," Eddie muttered under his breath, his voice thick with desire, as he took a decisive step closer to you. His proximity brought him so close that he was practically nose-to-nose with you. His hands gently cradled your cheeks as he initiated a passionate kiss that seemed to ignite a powerful chemistry between you two.

His lips broke away from yours, and he panted softly, "You better walk in front of me." The heat in his cheeks and the somewhat glazed look in his eyes indicated his heightened arousal. A quick downward glance confirmed your assumption.

"Seriously?" He pouted, clearly struggling to contain his desire, and stomped his right foot in the sand before using his hands to pivot you around by your shoulders, placing you in front of him and concealing his arousal.

Laughter filled the air as Vickie noticed you and Eddie heading towards the water. She playfully elbowed Robin to draw her attention, and the mischievous glint in her eyes sparked some teasing aimed at Eddie. In response, Eddie playfully lifted you and tossed you into the water with a chuckle. You emerged from the water, laughing at him, and then Eddie himself dove in, landing belly-first in a splash right next to Vickie, thoroughly drenching her.

Eddie's next target was Robin, whom he tackled and playfully held underwater until she swiftly elbowed him in a particularly sensitive area. He let out a moan of agony and shot Robin a mock glare while promising some form of retaliation. "Holy fuck," he groaned, his pout and wide eyes failing to earn sympathy.

You, though slightly annoyed at being tossed into the water earlier, couldn't stay mad for long. Eddie flashed a grin that had a magical way of dissipating your anger. He showered you with multiple kisses, successfully diverting your attention from the water incident and leaving you with nothing but a smile.

As you and your friends made your way to where Steve and April were standing, it was evident that they weren't bothered by the slightly cool seawater. Steve and April seemed to be enjoying the beach, and their carefree attitude was contagious.

Vickie, April, Robin, and you engaged in a lively discussion about the plan to rent a couple of cabins in a snowy location for December. This trip was meant exclusively for the older members of your group, with each couple having their own cabin for privacy yet coming together for activities like hiking and snowboarding. The idea had been brewing for several months, and you all were eager to turn it into reality.

Meanwhile, Eddie and Steve were engrossed in various conversations. As you glanced over at the man you loved, who was standing right next to you, you noticed a shiver ripple through his body. It was likely that he was starting to feel the cold from the water.

Quietly, you moved behind Eddie, wrapping your arms around his waist in a tender, comforting hug. You didn't want to interrupt either of the ongoing conversations, so you simply nestled in behind him, feeling the warmth of his body against yours.

Your arms enveloped him, and you gently pressed your chest against his back, seeking to calm the occasional shivers that coursed through him. Your forehead found its place in the centre of his back, and you inhaled deeply, savouring the tranquillity of the moment. His familiar scent, mixed with the sea breeze and the aroma of sunscreen, enveloped you, creating a sense of serenity amid the beach's activity.

Eddie's hands moved gently, caressing your arms as he continued his conversation with Steve. He leaned his head back, planting a tender kiss on your forehead, when you stole a glance at him. The affectionate gesture reassured you and made you feel even closer to him.

As the conversation shifted and the girls joined in, Steve's attention was no longer solely on Eddie. When the topic circled back to the idea of renting cabins for the winter, Steve chimed in, sharing that he had been actively researching and reaching out to potential sites. It seemed like the plan for the winter getaway was progressing, and everyone was excited about the prospect of their upcoming adventure.

Your left hand started to gently glide up and down Eddie's stomach, following the trail of hair that led towards his abdomen, while the other fell to the line of his swimwear, ready to slip inside them. You were bored with the talk and feeling somewhat courageous, even though the seawater was covering you up to your chest. Eddie, on the other hand, firmly grasped your hand and gave your wrist a stern squeeze as a warning.

In a hushed tone, you whispered, "Let me, Eds. I know this excites you, and I want to make you feel good." Your words were followed by a subtle nip on his shoulder, emphasizing your desire as you continued, "Let me pleasure you, my love."

After a few seconds, Eddie allowed your hand to slip inside his swimwear with a trembling sigh. Your hand reached him, and the simple brush of your fingertips across his member was enough to harden him.

Eddie cast a furtive glance towards the water, ensuring that your actions remained concealed from onlookers. Despite the limited view from his position, he managed to discern the activities below the surface. A sense of relief washed over him as he shifted his focus towards the others since they couldn't observe anything transpiring underwater.

Eddie nibbled on his lower lip, his breath quickening, as your fingers gently encircled his arousal. Your thumb teasingly caressed the sensitive tip, tracing circular motions before firmly gripping his shaft.

Your grip tightened around him as you sensually moved your hand up and down, desiring to use your other hand to caress his testicles, fully aware that such an action would likely bring Eddie to climax within seconds.

Steve's question abruptly drew Eddie's attention away from the intense pleasure you were providing, heightened by the adrenaline rush of the risky situation he found himself in. "What do you think, Eddie?" Steve reiterated, underscoring his distraction. "Should we hire an instructor to learn how to snowboard or just go freestyle?" Steve inquired, bringing the conversation back to their original topic.

Eddie's body shivered involuntarily from your touch, but with all eyes on him, he skillfully turned the reaction into a nonchalant shrug. "So, how much money are we looking at for the instructor?" he inquired, attempting to steer the conversation towards practical considerations.

"Depends on how many hours we want and the instructor's rates."

"I don't know," Eddie replied, and all the while your hand increased its pace. He gasped, finding it difficult to concentrate with your rapid movements. "I mean, it's not like we'll master it in just two hours, so I'd..." You sped up even more, causing Eddie to lose his train of thought. "I'd say no," he managed to say between breaths, as your actions left him breathless.

Robin gave Eddie a strange look before concurring, "I agree, cabins are already too expensive."

Eddie's voice dropped to a whisper, his head lowered, and his eyes closed. He bit his lower lip, struggling to contain his pleasure as your hand continued its motions. Before long, he began to gasp, and as your second hand slipped into his swimsuit, clutching and gently massaging his testicles, he couldn't help but moan, "Oh, fuck."

"Eddie, are you okay?" Vickie asked, noticing Eddie's downward gaze and his increasingly laboured breath, signalling to you that he was nearing the edge.

He quickly nodded and tried to force a smile, though it came off more like a grimace.

"You're sure?" All the attention was now on him, making him feel uneasy as he felt himself reaching the climax, his hips involuntarily moving underwater.

Eddie struggled to nod again, gasping as he neared his peak. "Yeah, I just..." He gasped once more, and while others thought he might be struggling to breathe or in pain, you knew he was simply attempting to control his emotions and urges. However, he couldn't hold back any longer and succumbed to his pleasure.

Turning to face you, Eddie's gaze locked on the mischievous gleam in your eyes. "You okay, Eds?" you asked, your eyes revealing the truth of the situation.

"You okay, Eds?" Eddie turned to face you, his gaze fixed on the mischievous glimmer in your eyes.

"Yeah, angel," he replied, using a term that conveyed a stark contrast to your recent activities. "It might be the heat. All I need is to get in the van and rest for a few minutes." The others nodded, still concerned about Eddie, but Robin gave you a knowing look, leaving you feeling slightly uncomfortable. "I'll go rest." Eddie gently took your elbow and urged you to accompany him, his grip not painful but playfully mad.

"Need to rest, uh?"

Eddie's hand left your elbow and playfully swatted your buttocks. "Yeah, preferably with you on top of me," he said with a teasing smile.

AUTUMN

"Eddie, why are you still at work?" you asked, dialling the number to the mechanic shop from Steve's house phone in frustration after realising Eddie wasn't at Uncle Wayne's trailer when you called.

The raucous party noise nearly drowned out Eddie's response, prompting you to request him to repeat himself. "Sorry, babe," he shouted over the cacophony, "an old woman had car trouble, and we had to go pick her up and bring the car back to the shop." Although you and Eddie weren't particularly fond of parties, this one was a Halloween costume party, and you both had the perfect outfits for it.

"I'll be there in less than 30 minutes, okay?" You hastily nodded, even though he couldn't see you, and then you hummed to emphasise caution when driving over because it was pitch dark outside. "You too, okay? Don't wander too far from Steve and Robin." Steve typically invited people he knew from school, but some brought their partners and such. Unfortunately, last time, he had invited a girl he knew from class whose boyfriend had tried to put his hands under your shirt when Eddie had briefly gone to the bathroom. Of course, Eddie nearly ended up in a brawl with the guy.

"Is he coming soon?" Steve inquired, casting a proud glance at the meticulously crafted Ghostbusters outfits he and April had worked on for several nights. Their costumes looked fantastic.

"I think so," you replied, having to raise your voice to be heard over the deafening party and music. "He had some trouble at the store."

Steve's eyes widened in astonishment. "He's working today?" You quickly nodded and explained that an elderly woman was having car trouble and needed immediate assistance.

"Alright," Steve said, accepting the explanation. "April and I will grab some drinks and find a place to sit. You're joining us, right?" It was then that you noticed April, who was practically glued to Steve's side, giving you a charming grin. You quickly returned the smile.

You nodded in response to Steve's invitation, immediately following them while chatting with April about your outfit. "I love it so much," you admitted, your confidence bolstered by Eddie's compliments. Any doubts you had about your appearance seemed to vanish into thin air.

You were dressed as the final girl, the survivor in horror films who manages to escape the killer. Your costume consisted of tattered denim pants and a shirt Eddie was about to discard due to bleach stains. You had carefully created wounds here and there, splattering fake blood all over your arms and clothes. To complete the look, you carried a fake knife with you. Eddie, on the other hand, was going to be dressed as the murderer, making your costumes a darkly intriguing pair.

You couldn't wait to see Eddie in his Ghostface costume, and you felt a bit guilty for confessing that something about Ghostface made you feel an unusual surge of excitement, making you clench your thighs, bite your bottom lip, and flutter your eyelids like a fucking character in a cartoon.

Eddie still hadn't arrived at the party when you finished a drink in leisurely swallows. You used it as an excuse to sneak away from the crowded room. However, given that you didn't know many people at the party, you decided to ask April if she'd accompany you to the bathroom. Steve tagged along, declaring he'd wait in the corridor to keep an eye on April while she waited by the bathroom door, ensuring no one entered since the lock was broken.

You completed your business in the restroom and began washing your hands when the bathroom door swung open, revealing yet another person dressed as Ghostface — you'd already seen a couple of others in similar costumes during the night.

"What the-," you started to exclaim when you locked eyes with April from outside the restroom. Your eyes widened, and your mouth fell open as she had a mischievous smile on her face, which left you utterly perplexed until you took a closer look at the person standing in front of you.

He was wearing Ghostface's mask, but his outfit set him apart from the others. It had been meticulously shredded to resemble a satanic symbol, exposing portions of his chest and abdomen smeared in fake blood. You immediately recognized some of your boyfriend's tattoos peeking through the torn fabric, confirming your suspicions. "Eddie?" Your gaze dropped to his hands, and even though his distinctive rings were there, you would have recognized him without them. "When did you arrive?"

Eddie swiftly lifted his mask, confirming what you already knew, and just as quickly lowered it again. "Just now," he replied, affecting a raspier voice. "You did this to me," he added, pointing to his chest with a theatrical gesture. Then he wedged a small piece of bathroom decor against the door to keep it locked, effectively blocking anyone from entering. Eddie moved closer to you.

You couldn't see his face behind the mask, but you could sense a threatening yet slightly amused and mischievous expression in his posture. "Hello, angel," he said, making you take a step back, your lower back hitting the bathroom sink as he advanced in slow motion. He now had a voice changer. "Do you like scary movies?" His eerie appearance sent shivers down your spine. "What's your favorite scary movie?" He leaned in closer. "You're not scared, are you?"

You shook your head slightly, looking down at his chest one last time, even though you were indeed feeling a mix of terror and adrenaline. "You did this to me," he repeated, pointing to his chest. "Trying to escape from me, so it's only fair I punish you, right?" You could only manage a shrug, your lips dry from the intense arousal Eddie's act had stirred in you. "You really thought you could escape from me, my little angel?"

"I'm sorry," you whispered, your voice trembling.

He made a disapproving sound with his mouth. "That's not what I taught you, angel." Shaking his head, he allowed his fake knife to graze your jawline.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ghostface," you continued, playing along with the macabre charade. He chuckled, and with a nod of his head, he indicated that you should continue. "Please spare my life."

"You know what to do then."

You did.

Within seconds, you found yourself on the ground, fortunate that your pants provided a cushion for your knees as your right hand clasped Eddie's dick. Your hand moved with a leisurely and languid grace, while you gazed at him with innocent eyes. His silence was palpable, his lower lip clearly caught between his teeth as he observed you intently.

"I can't see your other hand, angel." As his deep, modified voice whispered to you, your other hand quickly made its way to his testicles, delicately massaging them so as not to give him too much pleasure.

"Like this, Mr. Ghostface?"

He shook his head, and that simple gesture conveyed his clear discontent. "This isn't how I taught you." He thrust his hips forward. "Mouth." It was difficult not to squirm around, enthralled by the scenario. Your tongue came out to leave a path of saliva around the head after your mouth placed a delicate kiss on the tip. "That's what I meant." His gloved hand ended up on the back of your head, fingers gripping your hair as he pushed himself into your mouth, causing you to gasp and your eyes to widen. "Mmmh, just like that." You hollowed your cheeks, hoping to pump up the sensation.

His other hand also settled behind your head, drawing you closer to him and restraining you from pursuing the desired rhythm. He was exerting pressure, insisting that you match his preferred pace. The one who was driving him insane and making him want to burrow himself deep inside you

Eddie believed you were stunning, and even while on your knees, wearing torn, blood-smeared clothing and tears glistening in your eyes, you appeared angelic.

"Get up." He hadn't come because he didn't want to. No, not yet. Gently, his hand made contact with your cheek, signaling for you to stand up from your prone position. "Hands on the bathroom sink, eyes on the mirror. Now." You followed his instructions, catching a glimpse of your reflection in the mirror with Eddie, also known as Mr. Ghostface, standing behind you.

"Please." Your voice was barely a whisper, but it sent shivers down Eddie's spine because it carried an unmistakable desperation, and that desperation was all about him. It revealed the depth of your desire for him, making him feel reassured that he had ignited a passion in you as intense as the one he felt.

"Please, what, angel?" He was acutely aware of your desires. His fingers deftly worked on the hem of your jeans, unbuttoning them effortlessly without diverting his gaze, and he continued to unzip them while waiting for your response. "I don't remember you having your tongue cut." As both of his hands held the hem, he lowered your jeans until they were at your ankles. "I'm waiting."

"Please." He met your gaze in the mirror, grateful for the mask concealing his face, as his hair clung to his brow, and his cheeks flushed a deep crimson, not because of his outfit, but due to the intense heat he was experiencing in that moment. This roleplaying thing was amazing, especially watching you so desperate while completely forgetting you were at a party. He was immersed. "Please, fuck me." You had spoken similar words countless times, yet each time, a sense of shyness washed over you. It made you feel hesitant until you gained confidence and continued to repeat them.

"Is that what you want?" You hastily nodded in response to his query. "Fuck that, then. Who am I to refuse such a thing to a lovely woman like you?" His hands moved quickly, causing your panties to come to a halt in the same place as your jeans. "You want it fast and hard, don't you? There is no time for foreplay." His remarks nearly made you sob. "And you know what? You can let all those pretty sounds come out because the music is loud and no one will hear you getting wrecked." You agreed again, hoping you could see his body but being turned on by the fact that he was going to fuck you while disguised as if he were Ghostface. "Are you going to scream for me?"

Although you couldn't see his body, the frantic movements of his right hand revealed that he was dropping his trousers and underwear. His other hand firmly gripped your hip, as if he needed the support to stay upright. For a brief moment, Ghostface seemed to transform into the persona of Eddie. "Did you go back to taking the pill, angel?" His voice was unsteady yet pleasant, serving as a poignant reminder that the man behind the mask was the one you loved, intensifying the charged atmosphere between you two.

"Yes." You mumbled in response, overwhelmed by his reminder that you had discontinued taking those medications due to unpleasant side effects. Thankfully, you had found alternatives that worked perfectly without causing you any discomfort.

Eddie was soon deep inside you, not even allowing you to acclimatise to him as he began snapping his hips. His hands were firmly entwined with yours, gripping, squeezing, and quite possibly leaving imprints to serve as a lasting reminder of this memorable day for a while.

"We have to be quick, angel." His thrusts were so forceful that you could see yourself bouncing around in the mirror. Eddie fucking you from behind was incredibly hot. "Our friends already know we are here and if we take long they are going to know I'm wrecking you in this bathroom." Your only answer was a guttural groan. "Do you like that? Won't you be flustered when we come out?"

"Please, Eddie. Go faster."

He chuckled, surprised. "Faster, angel?" "Would you like me to nail you in the sink?" His language was vulgar, yet it had you captivated. Truth be told, even though it had only been a few minutes, you were both so close. "Are you going to walk around the party with my cum inside of you?" His question was jarring, and the way his left hand firmly held your chin, compelling you to maintain eye contact with your own reflection, even as your head hung low, eyes shut and lips agape, was equally unsettling. "Fuck, I'm coming."

Amidst your moans and his grunts, the loud banging on the door intruded upon your intimacy.

For the two of you, it felt like only moments had passed when in reality the knocks had persisted for minutes, prompting Eddie and you to undertake the walk of shame out of the restroom. He quickly removed the mask and handed it to you, wearing a proud smirk, his cheeks flushed, and his face and forehead glistening with perspiration. And you, hot behind the mask, with damp, warm panties, accompanied him, equally flushed with the intensity of the moment.

Steve complained for months, knowing you two had fucked in his bathroom.

WINTER

The bone-chilling cold persisted as you and Eddie returned to the cosy cabin you had rented for your winter getaway with your friends.

It was truly astonishing to witness Eddie's rapid progress in learning snowboarding over just a few hours, impressing you and the rest of the group with his graceful movements. His motions on the snowboard were almost hypnotic as he effortlessly carved through the snow, sending powdery plumes into the air as he descended the mountain. You all watched in awe as he executed spins and jumps, finding it hard to believe that Eddie Munson had such skill in a physical sport, even surprising himself.

In contrast, your own experience on the slopes proved to be more challenging. The hills and mountains presented a formidable opponent, and you found yourself spending a considerable amount of time on your backside. Eddie reacted to each mishap with a good-natured smile and a helping hand. Despite numerous falls, he remained patient, encouraging, and unwavering in his support, making the experience both exhilarating and memorable. On the other hand, Steve struggled just as much as you did, unable to stay on his feet for more than a couple of minutes. However, while you had Eddie's encouragement, Steve received nothing but sarcastic chuckles from your boyfriend, who relished outperforming him, likely because Steve had expressed such confidence in his snowboarding abilities on the way to the mountain.

The day of snowboarding had left both of you utterly exhausted and drenched to the bone. Your clothes were sodden, and the cold had penetrated deep into your bones. As you approached the cabin, Eddie gallantly held the door open for you, allowing you to step inside first. His warm smile and the genuine affection in his eyes were enough to melt your heart. He leaned in for a soft, tender kiss on your forehead, his lips a stark contrast to your chilled skin, sending delightful shivers down your spine this time.

Once inside the cabin, Eddie sprang into action. Without any hesitation, he headed to the small living room, where a rustic fireplace awaited. The room exuded a cosy, rustic charm with its wooden beams, soft rug, and a wide, inviting couch that promised relaxation and warmth. Eddie knelt down, and you followed suit, carefully arranging logs in the fireplace and positioning the kindling just right. His hands worked with confidence, and soon, the fire came to life, casting a flickering, welcoming glow on the cabin walls.

"Oh my goodness," you exclaimed, relieved to see the flames dancing and hopeful that they would soon warm your chilled bodies.

"Come here," Eddie said, seated on the ground in front of the fireplace. As you sat down in front of him, he gently removed your gloves, taking your hands in his freezing ones and rubbing them together as he drew closer to the fire. "Feeling any better?"

"I'm still freezing," you replied, and Eddie chuckled, nodding in agreement as you both shared a laugh.

"Let's get out of these wet clothes." With those words, he swiftly began removing his own attire, without hesitation and without even bothering with his underwear. You followed suit, and Eddie fetched a thick, warm blanket from the couch, draping it over both of you.

The increasing warmth from the fire provided a striking contrast to the cold that had chilled you earlier. Gradually, the room filled with the gentle glow of the flames, dispelling the chill and replacing it with a comforting and serene atmosphere. With its wooden interior, soft lighting, and the crackling warmth from the fire, the cabin became the perfect haven for two weary, wet snowboarders seeking refuge from the winter's cold embrace.

Eddie and you sat together, naked beneath the large, cosy blanket, while the fire crackled and radiated its comforting warmth throughout the cabin. The juxtaposition between the roaring flames and the tranquil intimacy of the cabin was striking. The weariness from the day's skiing adventure had finally caught up with both of you, and the silence between you was occasionally broken by the crackling and hissing of the logs.

You felt the soothing heat of the fire seeping into your chilled bodies as you nestled close to one another. Eddie's arms encircled you in a loving and protective embrace. The blanket enveloped you both, shielding you from the last remnants of cold on your skin. The closeness and shared warmth acted as a balm for your tired bodies and weary spirits.

At this moment, there was no need for words; the tranquil stillness said it all. The day's adventures had been exhilarating, but now it was time to relax and rejuvenate. You both leaned in, finding solace in your shared experiences and the simple joy of each other's company. The only sounds within the cabin were the gentle rise and fall of your chests as you breathed in unison and the subtle crackling of the fire, creating a serene and intimate atmosphere.

Eddie and you decided to recline in front of the fireplace on the soft rug. The plush surface cradled your exhausted bodies, offering a serene place to unwind after a thrilling day.

While lying there, you couldn't resist the urge to explore the contours of Eddie's chest. Your fingertips followed a leisurely and meandering path across his skin with a delicate touch. Your caress was feather-light, almost soundless as it glided over him, yet it left behind a trail of tingling sensations.

The crackling fire provided a soothing background to this tender moment, and as you continued tracing patterns on his chest, the two of you felt a deep sense of connection. The shared stillness and your gentle touch spoke volumes, conveying a profound affection and closeness that went beyond the day's events. In the flickering light of the fire, you discovered a tranquil and intimate bond that required no words, only simple and loving gestures that conveyed comfort, trust, and the warmth of your hearts.

Eddie, his eyes brimming with affection, shifted his position and settled on top of you. With a gentle touch, he brushed a strand of hair away from your face, tucking it behind your ear. His caress was tender, his fingers radiating warmth against your skin as he gazed deeply into your eyes with a profound sense of love and connection.

His presence above you was a comforting weight, a reminder of the strength of his love and his desire to be close to you. His fingers trailed down to softly stroke your cheek, his thumb tenderly brushing your lips as he continued to sweep your hair aside.

He bestowed a soft and lingering kiss on your forehead, a charming and kind gesture that warmed your heart. His lips then descended to your cheeks, placing gentle kisses along the way, each one brimming with love and affection.

Eddie's touch was tender and considerate as his lips journeyed across your breasts and down to your tummy. He knew that his love could comfort your weary body and soul. His lips caressed your skin, leaving behind a path of warm, lingering kisses. The sensation was electrifying, igniting a fire within you that was distinct from the one flickering in the hearth.

"What are you doing?" you asked as Eddie persisted in his actions, his kisses descending a little further each time until they reached your navel. There, he playfully nibbled around it, and then, with a mischievous glint in his eyes and a glance upwards, he continued downward, taking you by surprise as his breath brushed against your sensitive area before planting a quick, teasing kiss on it. "Eddie?" you gasped, your voice filled with surprise and desire.

"Just trying to help you sleep better," Eddie replied, kissing the same spot again, this time with more intensity, eliciting a gasp from you. Your exhaustion was evident, but your anticipation for Eddie's touch was equally strong. "Is that okay?" he inquired, his voice filled with desire and concern.

In response, you let out a contented hum, your left hand supporting your chin, while your right palm descended to gently tangle in his locks.

Eddie's tongue embarked on a slow and sensual dance with your labia. There was no rush, and in the privacy of the moment, your moans and groans went unheard. It was an intimate, indulgent, and unhurried time when the two of you revelled in expressing your profound love and adoration for each other.

He continued for a minute or two, the moist sounds of his tongue intermingling with your own arousal, intensifying the heat between you. Soon, his tongue found the right spot, delicately delving into your core, igniting waves of pleasure that surged as his thumb skillfully teased and caressed your clit in various ways.

You let out a playful giggle as your focus shifted to his thumb, trying to decipher the patterns he was tracing. "Are you writing with my clit that I'm your property?" you teased, your voice laced with humour and desire.

His mouth left you momentarily for you to respond. "No," he said, "I'm writing that I'm yours." Without delay, his tongue returned to its rightful place, and his thumb resumed its sensual strokes.

You bit your bottom lip, your eyes gleaming with desire as you watched your lover pleasure you with all his skill. Eddie's adept movements always had the power to make you reach the pinnacle of pleasure. Even when his actions were deliberate and languid, he could still bring you to ecstasy. The sensual scenario was becoming even more enjoyable than you could have imagined.

Eddie sensed you were nearing the peak when he heard your soft yet trembling voice. However, he maintained the same rhythm. He didn't quicken his pace, nor did he become more forceful. He simply continued with the steady, sensual cadence until you finally reached a mind-blowing climax seconds later.

Eddie lazily lapped at your essence, murmuring as if savoring the most delectable honey ever produced. He licked his lips to ensure not a drop was missed, and then he planted a hasty kiss on your forehead.

Eddie inched himself against your labia, gradually penetrating until he was fully immersed within you. There were no words exchanged, only a silent language of longing and intimacy conveyed through glances and tender touches.

The motions were deliberate and potent, and the heat from the fire had nothing on the intense warmth that passed between his body and yours. There were no kisses exchanged because you both yearned to gaze deeply into each other's eyes and communicate in a language only the two of you understood.

Eddie felt amazing inside you. His warmth and the way he filled you up made it seem as if you had been empty all along. And for him, the sensation was just as pleasurable, if not more so: being enveloped in your warmth and wetness was a pure delight.

It could have been the breathtaking scenery, the promise of many more adventures together, or the thoughts of a shared future that occupied both of your minds, but no words, kisses, or wandering hands, whether on his back or your breasts, were necessary. Nothing else mattered but your togetherness.

Eddie's rhythm intensified, and both of your breaths grew more laboured, creating wisps of white air in the room, if the fire hadn't been ablaze. But it was. Now, in addition to the crackling of the wood and the dance of the flames, the sounds of skin meeting skin, the sensation of wetness, and the rhythm of your breathing all melded to create a harmonious symphony within the cabin.

"I'm close," Eddie murmured, lowering his head to place a brief, gentle kiss on the tip of your nose as the words slipped from your lips. You began to tighten around him, reaching your climax, your eyes clouded, vision blurred, and body trembling with pleasure. The whispers around you grew more melodious.

Eddie felt his balls tighten, on the verge of bursting. He filled you with passion, his mouth near your ear, softly groaning to keep their volume low. Perhaps it was because this moment felt too intimate to express both of your delights openly.

Eddie settled atop you, still inside, and the two of you drifted off to sleep by the warmth of the fire and the heat of your bodies.

.

.

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Those who asked to be tagged <3 : @ali-r3n - @callmeyn - @zestychili - @hehehhe1d - @kassy-munson - @hideoutside - @tlclick73 - @take-everything-you-can -

[barrenclan]

I was about to say ‘maybe Malmo would suit Barrenclan’ but uh Rainhaze isn’t looking too hot and youch

ANYWAYS I think the song Malmo by Moon might suit Barrenclan as I mentioned before, specifically the popular part (it’s always the popular part)

Three of us sleep next to three others

(Not sure who it’d match)

It's hot and we rot in this oven

(referring to Barrenclan’s environment)

Now there's something about the language

(followed by next part, but maybe Rainhaze about the welcoming of death or injury in Defiance)

Something about these people

(Pinepaw with the new scar or maybe Corm or maybe Rain. I think they could all decently match??)

That look an awful lot like me

(Same as before, Pinepaw with the new scar or maybe Corm or maybe Rain. maybe even talking about Slug right now too)

I'm surprisingly accepting of this discomfort

(Why I said Rain is at this point (right before death but close enough) is because he didn’t seem to mind it anymore)

But I'm not trying to be much of a person right now

(don’t know)

I'm just trying to get some sleep

(Pine with the nightmares and now grief. also with the shock.)

Not sure if these actually match but they seem close enough and I’m very tired anyways OH MY RAIN HOLY BDDBXBBBDB

Wow, Paul Dano is in this band? That's cool. I like your analysis of the lyrics!

Why it's an absolute classic! In terms of characters I think it fits Deepdark a bit better than Rainhaze, though.

Do I even need the lyrics for I Can't Decide?

ANOTHER classic! I like this one sort of swapping off between Slugpelt and Rainhaze, where he's trying to get her to come back to him in their youth, but now it's flipped the other way.

Achilles, Achilles, Achilles, come down Won't you get up off, get up off the roof? You're scaring us and all of us, some of us love you

The self is not so weightless, nor whole and unbroken Remember the pact of our youth Where you go, I'm going, so jump and I'm jumping Since there is no me without you

This one's been suggested a couple times, but I still really like it with Slugpelt, so here it is again.

I don't this it has! Ah, I recognize it from IncuriousCat, of course. They're very popular on this blog it seems. Rainhaze is a good character for song about making bad deals.

I'ma make a deal with the bad wolf So the bad wolf don't bite no more

My enemy is a friend of mine in a friendly place to be seen, hey You know I'll run away for a couple years just to prove I've never been free

Has Ride the Cyclone has a re-emergence? I feel like I've seen it a lot lately. It's nice to have a song with old BarrenClan anyways, before all the tragedy and drama.

What the world needs Is people like me To keep it all spinning around I'm the mover, I'm the shaker, I'm the headline-maker

He put it into words, and it's plain to see We need a little less of them A little more of me!

Yeah, I think you could chuck this in a Rainhazeward direction!

All this time, I've felt like my time to go would arrive That it can't last forever; I've been decaying Moldy scaffolding, ritual strangling No matter what I try, I seem to stay alive

My body should be cold The eyes of maggots gazing through to my soul I left so long ago Behind me are the tears I couldn't control

HOORAY! I'm a big Pink Floyd fan. It'd be so cool to see a "Trial" scene with him as Pink and all the other characters as the other roles.

Day after day, the love turns gray Like the skin of a dying man And night after night, we pretend it's all right But I have grown older, and you have grown colder And nothing is very much fun any more

Oooh, Bauhaus! Also a big fan of them. That's a good alternate voice claim for Deepdark, too.

Thank you, it is! I'm always taking more song asks, of which I have got quite a few. I'm glad you like the comic!

May you die wide awake With a look of great surprise May your eyes be taken just Before you can weep As you see what you stole stolen from you <- yuuuup rainhaze

Aww, that makes me sad. But it does fit well with them.

I dreamt I found you hanging I didn't know what it meant Your eyes would follow me through Everywhere I went

The window on the fifth floor Shattered as you wept What am I witnessing? What stories have you kept?

Damn ran outta links, I thought I got it this time

[aszles]

since my first pinned post had a tierlist of csm characters, i decided to redo it as a tierlist of Fujimoto works instead! (i had only read csm when i made this sideblog) it's a lot less ever-changing so i feel a bit safer keeping something like this at the top of my blog lol...

within the tiers there is no specific order, they're just the things i happened to put in first. if you wanna make one here's the template! (made by yours truly)

because i'm a nerd you can read my opinions about each work below the cut~

S TIER

Chainsaw Man - i mean, csm is just awesome. in all honesty, this manga has changed my life. i KNOW that sounds silly and corny but it's genuinely true. i have been able to get past a lot of my struggles and develop so much as a person since starting this manga. as a fun bonus i feel like i've finally started improving my art again (or at least changing it enough to feel fresh) after like 3 years. i can't really describe how much csm has done for me, but if i had told myself from 2021 that this would happen i would never believe it (especially because i had written off this series for some personal reasons...lol) but yeah. i think i'll forever be grateful for what Chainsaw Man has done for me.

Look Back - i think Look Back is seriously the best piece of media i have ever experienced. i don't think i have ever seen a story so beautifully crafted as this manga, it made me sob when i read it. i remember having to move the manga away from myself so i wouldn't get tears on it. at the time of writing this i am SO SO excited to watch the movie, whenever that will be. i will cry and throw up watching that thing LOL.

Nayuta of the Prophecy - ok maybe i don't TECHNICALLY believe this is an S tier work, but Nayuta is just such a lovable character that i can't possibly rank her any lower. Fujimoto was right to adapt her into csm because she deserves it!! however despite that, this oneshot is the only one that i genuinely wish he would make a sequel to. i think oneshot Nayuta and csm Nayuta are pretty different, so they still don't feel like the same character - i would love to see oneshot Nayuta's personality and relationship with her brother continue to develop!

A TIER

Sisters - one of the few other works i had heard anything about before i started exploring Fujimoto's other stuff, and i definitely felt apprehensive about it. but wow, the fact that Fujimoto is able to take the concept of "girl non-consensually paints her sister naked and it gets displayed on the school wall for everyone to see" and NOT make it weird is crazy! a sweet oneshot that i enjoyed, and love the nuance that was able to be created in such a short amount of time.

Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome - a really cute take on a silly trope that can often be handled... oddly. i love how much the characters in this really feel like teenagers, doing stupid things but being completely earnest all the while. (Spoilers) i really like how it ends with Toshihide being adamant that he is still male, and also Rie still loving him as he is. very sweet!

Love is Blind - it's no wonder Fujimoto won an honourable mention for this, it's such an adorable and funny oneshot. i was giggling the whole time reading it! i don't really have much to say about it, but i definitely enjoyed it.

Fire Punch - i don't really know where to start with Fire Punch, but wow. it is seriously so impressive to me how good Fujimoto is at tackling such sensitive topics, not shying away from them while also clearly not glorifying them. i also think a big place where Fire Punch shines is character relationships, especially Agni and Togata. they fucked me UPPPPP. it goes off the rails a bit near the end, but i also never got the feeling that it WASN'T what Fujimoto intended with this series. i may not quite get the ending, but it didn't ruin anything for me and i think the rest of Fire Punch is really good at what it does. plus the art is AWESOME ?????

B TIER

Goodbye, Eri - ohhh people might not like me for this one... i'm sorry guys, i just honestly didn't get this manga. i'll definitely reread in the future (me and my sister still haven't finished our sticky notes to read it blurry/clear) but for now i can't rank it any higher. i didn't feel much reading it, and the ending definitely confused me a lot lol. love the art though!

Shikaku - this one's interesting! i thought the story was quite cute, and Shikaku herself is completely adorable. though Yugeru is ummm... not my type let's say. i also do wonder if Makima took any inspiration from Shikaku - she looks similar to her, which to be fair for Fujimoto works probably doesn't mean much (as a lot of his character's look similar to each other /pos), but a clearer comparison is both characters presenting eyeballs they stole from people. (also... if Makima is inspired by Shikaku, is Barem then inspired by Yugeru? yuck) anyways just my speculation, back to the point. the reason this doesn't make its way into A tier is because to me it doesn't really feel like a Fujimoto work? i'm not sure why, but yeah.

C TIER

Mermaid Rhapsody - this one's definitely cute, but as a result of Fujimoto trying to create a "normal story" it unfortunately loses all of the charm of Fujimoto works!! i want it to be weird and fucked up damnit!!!!! though he did succeed in his goal of creating a normal story, so i can't complain too much lol.

Sasaki Stopped a Bullet - i don't have anything against this oneshot, but i think it just doesn't particularly appeal to me. unfortunately nothing in this story grabbed me

D TIER

A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin' in the Schoolyard - it's no real surprise this is here, considering it's Fujimoto's first work. overall it was pretty cute, but i'm not all that into aliens..? not much to say lol

if you read all this then thank you >_o

[nshtn]

Currently obsessed with creep ed and I've been obsessed with your blog for forever!!😋

Does creep ed show physical affection and how?

ohhhh anon wish you'd show your face so I can plant a big kiss on it... aww geez...

tw kidnapping, being bound, psychological trauma, edward's inherent C-PTSD, suggestive

He absolutely adores physical affection from one person and one person only.

You.

Even then, he's very sneaky and underhanded about it; it's very frightening to have the man who has imprisoned you lift you up and haul you into his lap for Crossword Time. It probably phased you something awful when he first nabbed you, but after the days have ticked into months, your resolve has worn from fur-thick to needle-thin - especially when you see how sad and lonely he is, how every non-hostile reaction he could have is some mental or physical portrayal of cowering in fear of being hit if it isn't a rhetorical battering ram. You may have sat their listlessly before or squirmed around, but now... you just keep guessing what word is next.

You can't tell if you're tricking yourself into thinking it's pleasant anymore or you're simply unwilling to imagine how insane you've become to enjoy spending time with your captor. Maybe you're sick... maybe you're sick, too.

This is The Riddler. What does that make you?

Anyways, one of his favored methods of sleeping when you are pliant and tolerant of him - or simply guilted by his lonesome sobbing - is with you nestled into his chest, his hands guiding themselves through your soothing locks well into the first pivots of dawn. You're like water, you know? You're so... clear, and tangible, bright and clean.

He makes sure you're clean.

He loves to brush your hair, to touch your eyebrows, to pet you and wash you and dry you and hold you. He is made content by you, whole in your arms, delivered from evil by your comforts. You are his creature comfort, you are what he dreams of coming home to whenever he is away.

In another universe, perhaps he is granted reprieve and you are domestic partners.

Edward projects a lot of his traumas onto yours, overlays them until the lines are blurry; he cares for you to stitch and sow your heart just right, though he must keep you bird-in-cage to stop them from tearing out.

You can never know the extent of this, for he fears that knowledge is power and power will be used to the exploits of your escape; it is all he knows. This city's sickening, endless underbelly is full of canary bones. To lose you would be to lose the vestiges of his sanity and his anchor to reality.

That would end his life.

You are linked now, woven like sweetgrass. There is no escape for you. You will be loved as you should have been, you will be wanted and cherished, and not a day will pass that you will go undesired. This is Edward's love; it is obsession, and need, and it is corrupted from a once-pure source long dead, awakened by you too late and without your input.

He is beyond saving, but you prolong him.

He hopes you forgive him.

He hopes he will be visible to you even when he is gone.

He often trades your touch for monetary wants. You want a certain food? You can trade in anything from a quick snuggle to hours of oddly sensual cuddling and the occasional sniff, arms and legs mixing into a pile of limbs.

Sometimes you're bound. That makes Edward flush a little when he holds you. That makes you flush a lot when you are held by him. His wind-up laughter will giggle delicately, feigning ignorance, pressing into you.

It's very hard to object when you're secretly flattered and mortified at your own reaction, and the person who is holding you has memorized your reactions before you were even relocated into his care. He's like a top private investigator, preying on you to pry into you. There is nothing your body warmth hides. He becomes very adventurous when you react like that, testing how far you'll let him roam. It's all wrapped up into a package not as shy as it should be, considering your power level in relation to his own, especially considering his status. The reality is that he has no ego of his own to bloviate, so you only need to worry about how far someone who perceives their actions as actions of service will go when your reactions are a gleaming green.

You cannot deny that you have never stopped him, and it has not been out of fear of any sort of consequence.

There is something so privately alluring about having the attentions of an invisible genius, someone who has delved twenty pages deep into your Google, someone who swiped all your history, who knows your passwords, who could single-handedly dominate the authorhood of a Wikipedia article about you...

You must be very careful, though, because letting him dig his roots into you will change the concept of your being entirely; letting him get too handsy will result in furthering his addiction and altering how he perceives your physical boundaries. You won't get a moment of peace, he's a physical learner. He'll keep wandering and wandering until you're situationshipping.

[archiveikemen]

Elbert Greetia Main Story: Preview

I do not own any of the Ikemen Series content being uploaded on this blog, everything belongs to CYBIRD. Please support them by playing their games and buying stories. Not 100% accurate, expect mistakes. Not proofread.

read this before interacting with my posts

My evil is — a means of atonement.

…

Elbert: You’re different from us… you shouldn't have come to this place.

Elbert: … Evil doesn't suit you.

A sorrowful prince with unrivalled beauty — Elbert Greetia.

His curse was that of the “Greedy Queen”, and he was a man unsuitable for sin.

…

Elbert: — You don’t have to watch. Having bad memories can easily kill you.

He kept me far away from sins, as if he were fearful of something.

Whenever I felt sad, he would pull me into a gentle embrace, as if trying to share the pain.

…

Kate: If you don’t feel like being alone when you’re sad…

Kate: Please call for me, if you don’t mind.

Elbert: …

Elbert: … Thank you.

I found myself captivated by his extraordinary amount of kindness, and the occasional fleeting smile I would catch on his face…

(I never want to see his sad face. I want him to smile more often.)

I had unknowingly started wishing for that.

And yet — I didn't realise it.

…

Kate: Of all of the things in this room, which ones are precious to you?

Elbert: There’s… nothing here that’s significantly precious to me.

He collected all things he thought were beautiful and put them away in his bedroom.

How deep, dark, and heavy was the sorrow he was filled with?

…

Alfons: Those meaningless acts of atonement are tormenting El, but they save him at the same time.

Alfons: If you don’t want to end up breaking him, I suggest you don't try to take them away from him.

…

Elbert: Maybe... you're the one I've been searching for.

Elbert: Kate— I want you.

(If I never want to see this sad look on his face ever again, I shouldn’t let myself belong to him.)

The more I tried to break him free from the sins that tie him down and force him to atone for them… the harder it became for me to resist the dark and weighty feelings of obsession I had towards him.

…

Elbert: … I want to kiss you.

Elbert: I want to touch you more… I want to hear your voice, your breathing, and feel the warmth of your body.

Elbert: The more I look at you, the more it hurts. … It’s like a poison that’s spreading through my body.

Elbert: If you belonged to me — this pain would surely disappear.

“The beautiful prince was freed by the power of true love from the shackles of the evil spell, and lived happily ever after.”

I dreamt of such a happy fairytale ending.

— But I knew that it was not that easy for his wounds to heal.

…

(It’s like… Elbert can’t hear my voice.)

Elbert: … It’s unforgivable.

Elbert: … I need to make you mine as soon as possible.

Elbert: Before you belong to someone else.

…

Kate: Sir Elbert, please… stop.

Elbert: … Now I understand why I thought you were beautiful.

Elbert: It’s because you're… what I stole.

Hurting and being hurt — it was a kind of love that felt like you were drowning in a sea of sorrow.

(Despite that, I still want to stay by your side.)

I want to be happy while with you — even if it means I’ll be in the dark at the very bottom of the water.

…

Elbert: I want to forever long for you, struggle for you, suffer for you, and die for you.

Elbert: … That’s my kind of happiness.

We were trapped by the most “beautiful” love in the world — at the bottom of the sea of sorrow.

[bettyfrommars]

hi loves

a wee announcement/bit of reflection below the cut

nothing heavy, just some thoughts & updates

First of all, I want to say I love this fandom so much. Truly I do. It has carried me though possibly the hardest, loneliest year of my life (and this ol' girl has been though some dark times). I've made friendships here that I hope to cherish for the rest of my life.

I came into fanfiction in October of last year, after not writing anything substantial for almost a decade. My dear friend at the time said she was looking for a specific Eddie Munson story, so I wrote it for her. I wrote it in first person because I didn't even understand how "reader perspective" was a thing, that's how wet behind the ears I was to this world. My friend, on the other hand, is a well-versed fic reader, and I distinctly remember messaging her like, "okay, what the hell is a Y/N??"

I spent that entire dark, cold winter writing and passing it to her in parts like notes in a classroom. The rush of getting back to something I loved so deeply after so much time away turned me into a monster. I lived and breathed that story. We sent endless messages back and forth every day about what each character would do next, imagining ourselves in that world, with Eddie. We made playlists, we cried. We screamed and giggled and kicked our feet when they finally kissed. We mourned the loss when it ended and moped around a bit before going back to read it all over again. Some 40k words and four months later I realized, holy shit, I think I write fanfiction now?

In a way, fanfiction saved my life. It brought me back to a part of myself I had buried, a part of me that worried it might never see the light of day again. It came crawling out of the ground, gasping for air like, "you better stretch your fingers bitch because I have a lot to say."

In April, I started posting here when the fandom was notably beginning to wane, but I was happy to see there were so many still going hard for our man. I kinda creeped in, like a little scuttling crab, and was grateful to find that a handful of you embraced me.

Long story short, I am NOT leaving, not at all. I know the tone is there, but that is not what this is, lmao. I will hopefully keep this blog for as long as you will have me. I plan to finish writing I'm on Fire and Death Becomes Us, as well as maybe another bit for gargoyle!Eddie, and nightmare!Eddie, but the other series I've started (or planned to start) will stay on hiatus for a while, possibly forever. I will continue to post blurbs and hc's and whatnot, but I won't be committing to any new series or long fics.

My masterlists will remain intact for the time being for those who want to enjoy what is there. That being said, The Nightmare Factory and Stop the World and Melt with You, might be taken down in the future only because I plan to re-work them into original stories. I have a second non-fandom blog in the works that is dedicated to monsters, nightmares, and magic realism, and I will let those who are interested know about it when the time comes.

Mostly, I wanted to let you know that, even if you notice some changes, I will continue to persist with "My 2 Joe's" delulu era, possibly until the earth swallows me up. I am no longer taking requests, but my asks will always be open for thots, blurbs, obsessions, etc. You know how much I love hearing from you.

That's all really. Perhaps this is simply one of those "end of year" thought dumps, but I also wanted to say a heartfelt Thank You to those who continue to support me, enjoy my work, and share it. My Ride or Die monsterfuckers and biker Eddie enthusiasts. My nightmare Eddie dreamers, my Twilight Zone Eddie pineapple heads. My gargoyle Eddie romantics who cheer on our Stone Boy, and my Hybrid Steve lovers who leave their windows open at night. My True Blood friends who appreciate a vampire Eddie who is nothing like Bill Compton. My darlings, my fellow rebel rousers and misfits, my friends.

This is a very symbiotic relationship, and I could not/would not do this without you ❤️

[leonwifey]

hello! i've just found your blog but totally think your works are really beautiful! As your requests are open, can I ask for some angst? (if you don't feel like it, feel free to ignore) Like Leon and reader are happily married but she can't help but feel like Ada is still on his mind (maby he murmurs her name while having a nightmare or is too eager when someone says even a word abt her). Happy ending or not, just whatever you feel comfortable with. Thank u in advance!

"𝑯𝑬𝑹 " — there is no use in getting her off leon’s mind.

˚୨୧ genre — angst

˚୨୧ word count — 1,203

˚୨୧ note — WOW... as an aeon lover and supporter, this was painful to write!! i ate the request up though. maybe i just love making our dear reader miserable. anyways, thank you for requesting!! i had so much fun. i also wrote this with RE6 leon/ada in mind because they are very married in that game. and for everyone else here for the pain, my requests are open!

There is this thing that likes to consume you and your thoughts. It lives to eat at your mind and all of the parts that keep you sane. There is this thing that squeezes you in unyielding doubt like a snake, strangling you with insecurity. It is a thing shrouded in alluring mystery and temptation, you can only wish that it had been a dream all along. Even when you try your damndest to place it away, hidden in a dark room at the deepest depths of your mind, that woman will always be there lurking. 

There is a certain Ada Wong. 

And it seems she likes to live in Leon’s mind, too.

The moment Leon returned from his mission in China, things immediately felt out of place. You had felt the chill the second he stepped into the house and dropped his bags. A chaste kiss at your temple and nothing more. Left stunned and speechless in the dimly lit hallway, you felt like a stranger in your own home as you watched your husband make an immediate march into your shared bedroom. 

You told yourself that he was tired. Leon saw things beyond your imagination, felt emotions you could never endure, erased faces you’d never meet. Those hands had done the unspeakable and still did you make a promise to have and to hold them forever. You knew all too well that the world he lived in was just nowhere near the one you did. Some things were meant to stay unknown. Yet desperately so, you had wanted to believe in him. To believe that it was merely pure exhaustion that loomed over him and hid beneath his heavy eyelids. 

Not the ghostly memory of a love he had lost countless times.

Reunited in the bedroom, you found Leon lying on his back with his arm draped across his face. It seemed that he was still awake, you watched his bare chest rise and fall slowly. This was something you’d seen before, nothing of his was unfamiliar to you anymore. Some nights would be quieter than others, filled with loud thoughts and moonlight. Silently, you crawl back into bed without a word.

A shift in the bed, a toss and a turn, a heavy sigh. Familiar warmth crept beneath your shirt and hooked itself around your stomach, pulling you closer and snug against a beating chest. You felt his lips linger near the shell of your ear, leaving a trail of kisses down to your shoulder. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, fingers searching for yours underneath the duvet.

“It’s okay,” You didn’t make an effort to move, deciding to shut your eyes instead. “Just get some rest, baby. You’ve had a long trip.”

Thinking that that was the closing curtain, you were surprised to be turned around and face the man you had been missing for months. Even in the dark could you see the way those misty blue eyes shimmered. Leon had a face you could never tire from, one that would follow you to the end. You could never be angry at such a face.

“Can’t sleep?” You offered lamely, unsure of what to make of the look he gave you.

You watched as he studied you, for a moment before releasing an exhale. Your hands slipped out of his arms to play with the strands of blonde that had long grown since the last time you had seen him. At your touch, he dipped his face into the crook of your neck. “I missed you like crazy, sweetheart. Couldn’t sleep much without you.” 

 “You poor thing,” You coo, running your fingers through his hair. “I bet you couldn’t sleep on that plane to China.”

He lets out a dry laugh, tickling you with his stubble. “Yeah, you have no idea.”

“I'm just glad you’re home. Finally.”

“Mhm,” Leon lets out a small yawn, almost resembling a tired puppy. “I love you. You know that?”

You twirl a strand of his hair around your finger, pulling your nose against his. “I think I know more than you’ll ever know.”

“Hey,” His nose nudges you sleepily. “Say it back.”

You laughed softly, biting your lip at having his playfulness back. “I love you, too.” 

After the two of you had shared a few laughs and drowsy stories of your time without your other half, you were finally able to bask in the peaceful silence. Finally, were you able to sleep happily, wrapped in the strong arms of your lover in a bed that would no longer remain cold. Smiling at the reassuring sound of Leon’s soft snoring, you slowly wiggled your arm out of his embrace to stretch your hand out in front of you.

In the quiet bedroom with only the moon’s light serving as your night light, you wiggled your fingers in a silly dance. You watched bashfully at how the moonlight caught onto the stone on your fourth finger, a shimmering beacon of hope. Turning your hand in every direction, you were enchanted at the silver band’s lone twinkle in the darkness, a sight almost much like you. 

What rested on your finger was meant to serve as a promise, a symbol of endless days filled with love and sacrifice, an unbreakable key towards forever. And you were so supposed to be happy. 

A low murmuring takes you away from your thoughts. Lowering your hand, you listened carefully, wondering what your husband could be dreaming about. His mumbles had never been hard to decipher, you knew the agent too well. After all, Leon was your husband. Yet you felt your heart crumble when you had realized that what might have been Leon’s dream, was your nightmare.

“Ada…” He groaned, eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t leave.”

Frozen in his hold, you didn’t know what to do. Of course, you had heard of this certain Ada before. It was hard to escape the subject when at times you’d hear stories from Chris or mentions of her during calls with Hunnigan. Leon would always seem too eager when it came to her.

That woman had always been some sort of mystery to you. You wondered about the beauty she held, the circumstances in which she met your husband, how she fell in love with him. Ada Wong was a piece of Leon’s story you will never be able to uncover. 

The thought frustrated you, annoyingly enough. That there would always be another woman sitting in the backburner of your husband’s mind. Someone who had seen parts of him you would never witness, someone who he offered his heart so willingly to. Although Leon promised to choose you as his for eternity, you couldn’t help but wonder if in another life, Ada would be his. 

With a heavy heart and a sigh, you stroked Leon’s head with a shaky hand. Your eyes studied every feature of his face, every detail that you could call yours. Were they Ada’s, too? In the midst of your sleepless night, you listened to the lonely beat of your heart. All you could do was sooth away his aches and fears, holding him close as his body shook. 

“It’ll be okay,” You sorrowfully whispered. “I promise, Ada is okay.”

[riizegasm]

We Love, We Lose || H.SH and P.WB

❀ pairing: Park Wonbin x fem!oc x Hong Seunghan

❀ genre: apocalypse!au, angst, slice of life, minor fluff

❀ word count: ~7.9k

❀ warnings: explicit language, suggestive scenes, minor character death, difficult conversations around grief, mild gore (description of major injury), poly!hanibani

❀ summary: In the new world, the group dwindles bit by bit. However, in the midst of chaos, loss, and grief, it's hard not to be selfish. Desire always seems selfish when death lurks around every corner.

❀ A/N: Although this is far from my first work on tumblr (find my old works @golchaworld), welcome to the first work on my new blog! I've been sitting on this piece since about December, so it is truly my baby. As always, likes, reblogs, and replies are always welcome. I hope you enjoy!

Part 2 || masterlist

Jaeri didn’t get the funeral she deserved. She didn’t die the death she deserved. She didn’t live the life she deserved. All eight of them were very aware of the fact that they would meet the same fate. None of them would get to live the lives they deserved to live, and all of them would die deaths that didn’t matter. It was a simple fact of their circumstance. 

Joohyun watches as Sungchan falls to his knees next to the raised mound of dirt. Eunseok had been kind enough to find a few white flowers to rest on top of it until the grass grew back. Joohyun wonders if the water from Sungchan’s tears and the decomposition of Jaeri’s body would be enough to nourish the soil, or if the patch will forever be barren.

Shotaro has his hand on Sungchan’s shoulder, holding him steady as his body shakes with sobs. Joohyun can hear Anton’s soft sniffles from somewhere behind her, always easily upset. She imagines that all of them should be crying the way he is. There should be streams of tears and strangled sobs and harsh sniffles, but Joohyun just can’t find it in her to shed another tear.

Eunseok is the first to walk away, stoic as always. The group slowly scatters after that, until only Sungchan and Shotaro are left behind. Sungchan because he loves Jaeri; Shotaro because he loves Sungchan.

Joohyun finds herself following a familiar path out into the orchard, surrounded by trees and low-hanging fruit. She already knows that Seunghan will want to come by tomorrow to pick the apples. He had always described it as the perfect date. Joohyun would have agreed three years ago, before everything happened. Now, though, she thinks that any date is pointless.

They were here to survive, and that’s it.

She finds a familiar figure seated atop one of the tree stumps that they had cut during the summer. Wonbin’s broad shoulders have shrunk, sitting crouched over himself. A crisp breeze ruffles his inky black locks, leaving his hair akin to a bird's nest. He looks up when leaves crunch particularly loudly under the weight of Joohyun’s steps. His eyes are red-rimmed and glossy, seemingly holding onto tears that well up but never fall down the man’s face. Joohyun knows the feeling.

“I’m not sure Sungchan will ever get over this,” Joohyun says softly, joining the boy on the log.

The stump is barely big enough for the both of them, and Joohyun finds herself pressing into Wonbin’s side. The boy slings an arm around her waist, a familiar weight against her light flannel. When he breathes, Joohyun can feel the expansion and collapse of his chest. She finds it all too easy to join his rhythm.

“He will,” Wonbin sighs out. “We all will. It’s just going to take some time.”

Joohyun feels wetness in the gentle kiss that Wonbin plants on her forehead. The action releases a knot in her stomach, and suddenly, the woman is tearing up again. She remembers when Wonbin placed his lips in the exact same spot as they stood over their first body, blood pouring out from the bullet hole that Joohyun had placed in its forehead. 

“He just loved her so much. Is that what happens to those we love?” Her voice cracks.

Wonbin shushes her, tucking her smaller frame into his chest. “We can’t help who we love. That may be all we have left in this world.”

“Even if it just dies like everything else?”

The chest beneath her head expands, then deflates in a shaky exhale. Joohyun looks up, fully expecting the tear tracks that have started to stain Wonbin’s face. His wide eyes reflect the light sunlight around them, holding the tiniest bit of warmth.

“Yes, baby. Even if it dies.”

.           .          .

Shotaro is the one who wakes Joohyun up, gently shaking her shoulder as he whispers her name. It’s more than enough to rouse the girl, who has become quite the light sleeper. She sits up in a panic, breathing deeply and scanning the room. When her eyes focus on Shotaro, she exhales. The man has a sad smile on his face, smoothing his hand down the expanse of her arm.

“You’re okay, Joo,” He soothes. “Seunghan just asked me to wake you up. I think he wants your help picking the apples.”

Joohyun nods, swallowing thickly. “Yeah, of course. Let him know I’m coming.”

The woman stays put well after Shotaro leaves the room, attempting to regulate her breathing. Her eyes flick over to the empty bed on the opposite side of the room, perfectly made up and smeared with a bit of residual blood. Joohyun sighs, finally pulling herself from her own bed and crossing the room. She lightly thumbs against the most visible bloodstain at the head of the bed. When she feels her stomach lurch, the remnants of last night’s dinner threatening to make an appearance, she quickly turns away to start getting ready.

It’s minutes later that she meets Seunghan in the kitchen, who is chatting away with Anton. Their youngest is puffy and red, the remnants of his tears still drying on his face. Seunghan, contrastingly, looks well rested, the only signs of distress being the wrinkle that has formed around his mouth and his chapped lower lip, bitten raw.

“Good morning, princess,” Seunghan coos from across the room.

Joohyun turns to Anton in lieu of an answer. “How are you feeling, ‘ton?”

The boy just shrugs at the question, letting out a heavy exhale. They have all gotten quite good at reading between the lines, knowing that their faces tell each other much more than words ever could. Just from looking at the younger boy, Joohyun knows how hard he’s taking the loss. It’s more than just sadness; it’s guilt.

At the lack of response, Joohyun crosses the room, gathering Anton into a tight hug. The boy returns it forcefully, underestimating his strength as always. Joohyun coughs a bit from the pressure at her ribs. When they pull away, Seunghan has an eyebrow cocked at the pair, clearly concerned.

“Are you alright?”

Joohyun simply waves the man off. “I’m fine.”

“Sorry,” Anton has a sheepish smile spread across his full lips. “I didn’t mean to squeeze you like that.”

“It’s okay, ‘ton, really. I’ll be a stress ball for you whenever you need it.”

The comment seems to pull a genuine chuckle from the boy, a smile taking over his face easily. Pride blooms in Joohyun’s chest, happy to finally see some positive emotion from the younger boy. She sighs in relief. 

“Do you wanna come with me and Seunghan to pick the apples? They’re looking really good.”

Joohyun ignores the tense look that Seunghan shoots her from his position at her side. She instead chooses to focus solely on Anton, whose gaze flickers back and forth between the two. Although Joohyun has no idea what Seunghan looks like right now, she imagines he’s cursing her with his eyes. 

“No thanks,” Anton mumbles in that muted way of his. “I actually wanted to spend some time with Sungchan. I wanted to make sure he’s okay.”

A slow smile blooms on Seunghan’s face. “You’re such a good kid, Chanyoung. Let us know if you or Sungchan need anything, okay?”

The minute that Anton promises to do so, Seunghan grabs Joohyun by the hand and practically pulls her through the back door of the farmhouse. He doesn’t let go through their journey down the porch steps, through the farm beds, and around the lake, until they are surrounded by apple trees laden with fruit. He produces two canvas bags from his pocket, holding one out for Joohyun to take. The minute she does, the man reaches over to peck her on the cheek. 

“Our first solo date,” Seunghan muses, “apple picking—how romantic.”

Joohyun just scoffs, reaching for the nearest ripe apple and snapping its delicate stem. “You’re the only one who’s considering it a date.”

Seunghan scoffs, beginning to pick his own apples. “You told me back in school that this was a really cute date idea. You said that you would die if someone took you apple picking. I’m surprised Wonbin never did.”

“That was years ago.” Joohyun feels heat rise to her cheeks, attempting to bury her face deeper into the collar of her flannel. “You never asked me out then. It definitely doesn’t count now.”

Seunghan turns to face the woman, apple in hand. He’s quick to place it into his bag as he approaches her, a cocky smirk poised on his face. Joohyun is disgusted by how much she wants to kiss him. She knows that she is the only thing stopping herself. 

“Princess, you and I both know that I have been in love with you for at least five years. I have asked you out at least twice. Both times, you claimed that it wasn’t the time for romance.”

Joohyun rolls her eyes. “You didn’t ask me out before everything went to shit, and that’s what matters.”

The tip of Seunghan’s nose is pink, matching the tips of his ears. Joohyuk wonders if it’s from embarrassment or the autumnal breeze that has winded its way through the trees. Based on the thin fabric of Seunghan’s worn sweatshirt, she assumes it’s the latter. 

“I think it matters even more now,” Seunghan whispers, winding a muscled arm around the woman’s waist. 

When he pulls her closer, Joohyun goes easily, lost in the fondness in his gaze. There’s a peek of sunlight through the trees, illuminating just one of Seunghan’s eyes. The glow extends across his face like a broad gash, ending right before his jawline. Joohyun reaches a hand up to trace along its edge, dropping her bag of apples in the process. 

“You know we shouldn’t be doing this,” Joohyun chides, hyper aware of the way Seunghan eyes the movement of her lips. 

“Not without Wonbin, you mean?”

Joohyun shakes her head. “At all.”

“You don’t mean that.”

Joohyun knows she doesn’t. She knows that she wants nothing more than to be showered in Seunghan’s constant affection. She craves his fingertips gently tracing the dip of her hips, his lips leaving brands along the column of her neck, the sturdiness of his thighs underneath her weight. She knows that she desires way too much, but is helpless to stop herself. 

Seunghan waits for Joohyun to move first, gently craning her neck up to meet his lips. Her movements are timid, restrained, as if trying to mask her desire. Seunghan lets her keep up her facade, gently connecting their lips and following her lead. When they part, Joohyun’s eyes remain shut. They’re close enough that Seunghan can count her eyelashes, admiring the way they cast gentle shadows on her cheekbones. 

Joohyun forces herself to open her eyes, slowly letting the early morning sunlight infiltrate her gaze. Seunghan still has that beam of light across his face, lips twisted into a soft smile. She feels a gentle warmth rise in her abdomen that travels all the way to the rosy apples of her cheeks. At her blush, Seunghan’s smile only grows. He leans forward to place a kiss on her forehead, identical to where Wonbin kissed her the day prior. Joohyun wonders if there is a permanent mark on her forehead that leads the two men to kiss her in the same place. She wonders if they read her like a map and X marks the spot. 

“Come on, princess. Let’s go pick the rest of the apples and then make something delicious with them.”

.         .         .

Sohee is leaning his head against Wonbin’s shoulder when Joohyun finds them, the two of them hunched over an old map spread out on the living room floor. They speak softly, as if trying not to disturb the rest of the life in the house. It’s useless, Joohyun thinks. They would all be able to hear each other a mile away.

Joohyun clears her throat, making her way over to sit across from the two. She is only able to meet Sohee’s gaze, eyes shrunken around a smile. He doesn’t move from his position next to Wonbin, instead nuzzling further into his side. Joohyun blinks rapidly to negate the green that begins to cloud her vision.

“What are you guys doing?”

Sohee lights up at the question. “We’re looking for new sources! Wonbin was just saying that it’s time for us to go out and get some more supplies. But obviously we can’t go back to where Jaeri and Sungchan went, so…”

Sohee’s voice trails off sadly, leaving the room with a tense air. For the first time, Joohyun finds herself looking over to Wonbin. She isn’t surprised to see that he had already been looking at her.

“We need more medical supplies,” Wonbin begins. “We used just about everything we had on Jaeri. We could also use some more canned goods and food products before winter sets in.”

“That won’t be for at least another two months!” It’s not like Joohyun actually knows, since calendars became useless during the first few wars. 

“Eunseok thinks the last harvest for the crops will be in a few weeks. We need to be prepared before then.”

It’s at times like this that Joohyun hates the way Wonbin speaks. He’s blunt and factual, not caring to let any amount of emotion cloud his words. The two of them are too similar in that regard, always presenting their thoughts in an unintentionally harsh manner. She frequently wondered if the similarity would break them up, forcing them into brutal fights that would end their relationship. At least everything changed before it had the chance to.

“I think it’s too dangerous to send anyone back out there after what just happened to Jaeri,” Joohyun protests, a hot feeling blooming in her chest. “We can’t just let someone go.”

Wonbin sighs. “It’s not like we’d be going to the same place that they went. That’s why we’re looking at new possible sources. So when we go, we won’t run into that same issue.”

“We?”

Wonbin’s eyes widen, sensing his mistake. Joohyun’s arms are crossed in front of her chest, lips pulled into a thin line as she stares back at the man across from her. At the change in demeanor, Wonbin finally pulls away from Sohee, shooting the boy a kind smile.

“Can you give us a minute?”

Sohee just nods, instantly scurrying out of the room. Wonbin’s gaze follows the boy as he exits, only turning back to the woman in front of him when he is sure that they’re alone. Joohyun’s right eyebrow twitches repeatedly, a sign of just how stressed she is by the news. The woman’s stony expression reminds Wonbin of everything they craved to leave behind when they came to the farmhouse. The angry twist to her lips is all too reminiscent of her reaction to a threat. Wonbin craves to soothe it with his kiss.

“Baby,” Wonbin coos. “I can't ask Sungchan to go back out there after what happened.”

“So you plan to go instead.” Another eyebrow twitch.

“I wouldn’t go alone.”

“Then with who?”

Wonbin sighs. “Probably Seunghan.”

In the blink of an eye, Joohyun is on her feet, crossing the small space in search of an exit. Wonbin scrambles after her, barely catching her arm before she can move into the kitchen. Her long, dark locks slap him in the face as she turns around, venom in her eyes. Wonbin would be scared if he hadn’t been in this exact position so many times before.

“Let go of me,” she seethes.

Wonbin does as told, but steps closer into her space, knowing that another escape attempt is likely. Joohyun has always been flighty when it comes to standing her ground. She chooses not to fight unless she has to, preferring to run away from the situation and never look back. Somehow, Wonbin has prevented her from escaping. 

“Can you just listen to me before you storm off like you always do?”

Hurt clouds Joohyun’s expression before she steels it again. The scar on her right cheek aches with the effort of remaining emotionless. It’s throbbing, hot and angry. Joohyun feels a phantom pain of the knife sliding across her skin, deep enough to reveal the cheek fat below. It still stings. She wants nothing more than for Wonbin to kiss the pain away.

“There isn’t shit you can say that would make this better.”

Wonbin rolls his eyes. “Somebody needs to go. Sungchan obviously can’t, not right now. So Seunghan volunteered and I couldn’t let him go by himself. I wouldn’t forgive myself if something happened to him. You wouldn’t forgive me if something happened to him.”

“And what if something happens to both of you? What then?”

When Wonbin reaches for Joohyun’s hands again, she relents with only minimal resistance. The man gathers her hands in his, pulling her impossibly closer. Like this, Wonbin can see the minute rhythm in the twitch of her eyebrow, the throbbing of her scar, the wetness pooling in her eyes. Not a single tear falls.

“Nothing’s going to happen to us,” Wonbin soothes. “We’re going to be fine, baby.”

Joohyun lets out a shaky exhale, eyes squeezing shut as she breathes. She is reminded once again why she was never able to really break up with Wonbin in the past. He was too good at tearing down her walls, too good at minimizing all of her worries, too good at soothing her and talking her down. Of course, in the harshness of the end of the world, she embraced his comfort and level-headedness. But it’s different now. She won’t let him talk her down again.

“That’s what Sungchan told Jaeri, and look at what happened to them.”

.         .         .

The temperature drops as the sun falls lower and lower in the sky. The once pleasant breeze has taken on a nose-nipping chill, making Joohyun shiver despite the thick blanket wrapped around her. The rocking chair creaks as it sways forward and backwards. It’s a gentle rhythm that could lull her to sleep, but the body in the chair adjacent to her makes sure that doesn’t happen. 

“How is it to sleep in your room?” Eunseok asks softly, chair swaying in a rhythm similar to Joohyun’s own. 

“It’s fine.”

Sleep has never been the best for Joohyun. Once the wars broke out, she was kept up all night from anxiety. When everything collapsed, and she found herself fleeing, she always offered to keep watch while others slept at night. She would stay awake for days on end until Wonbin noticed and made it his personal mission to get her to sleep. It was mostly unsuccessful until they got to the farmhouse. It was the first real bed Joohyun had slept in in months, so she slept for twelve hours straight that first night. 

Of course, having Jaeri sleeping peacefully across from her always helped. When Joohyun woke up with a scream, sweating from the effort of escaping her night demons, Jaeri would crawl into her bed and soothe her. She would keep her in an embrace and sing softly until Joohyun fell back asleep. 

Now it takes a good five minutes for someone to make it to Joohyun when she wakes up screaming.

“Are you sure it’s fine?” Eunseok prods. “I can see those bags underneath your eyes.”

Joohyun scoffs. “We all have dark circles.”

Eunseok hums, considering the fact. “That’s true. But you’re the only one out here with me while everyone else is upstairs sleeping.”

“They’re not sleeping. Or at least Seunghan and Wonbin aren’t.”

Eunseok outright laughs at this, leaning back fully in his chair. The sound is deep and familiar, planting a seed of a smile on Joohyun’s face. 

“Declined their invitation to join?”

Joohyun rolls her eyes, ignoring the way Eunseok continues to laugh. “I really just can’t deal with them right now.”

“Well, not to be crass, but,” Eunseok shrugs. “Nothing will put you to sleep better than a good orgasm.”

Now it’s Joohyun’s turn to laugh, rocking chair creaking as she leans forward. “You’re right, I guess.”

The pair settle into silence, another gust of chilly wind rustling the chimes near the door. Joohyun peers out into the expanse of darkness that surrounds them, wondering if there’s something unseen that’s looking back at them. In reality, she knows that it’s just patches of crops until you reach the lake, and then the orchard just beyond that. But something in her wonders if there’s something stalking in the small cornfield, eyes tracking her every move.

“You know,” Joohyun says softly, voice barely audible over the squeak of the chairs. “There’s still some blood on Jaeri’s bed.”

“Does that freak you out?” Eunseok takes a swig from his metal canteen.

“No,” Joohyun replies truthfully. “I just wonder how her last moments were. She was bleeding out on the bed while I was screaming in my sleep. It couldn’t have been the most peaceful way to go.”

Joohyun remembers being woken up by Sungchan, who had come to check on Jaeri in the middle of the night. Joohyun thrashed and screamed, eventually elbowing Sungchan in the nose while he tried to calm her down. When she finally settled, they both looked over to Jaeri’s bed. She was already dead.

“It’s not your fault,” Eunseok muses. “We’re all going to die an uncomfortable, untimely death whether we want to admit it or not. Jaeri just met her fate before the rest of us.”

“Because of me.”

Eunseok makes a noise in protest. “Because some scumbag shot her in the leg with a rusty bullet. That’s not on any of us.”

As much as Joohyun knows it’s the truth, she can’t help the feelings of guilt that brew in her stomach like a potion. She had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. She was supposed to stop them. But she didn’t, too convinced that Jaeri would be safe in Sungchan’s care.

His yells for help still echo in her mind late at night. She remembers seeing them approach the farm in the darkness, Jaeri laying limp and bleeding in Sungchan’s arms. She remembers how they placed her on the kitchen counter and tried to fish out the bullet with a butter knife. She remembers the greenish-yellow pus that began to leak from the wound in the coming days. She remembers the screams that could be heard from miles away as they tried to amputate her leg with a butcher’s knife. She remembers the blood that Jaeri began to cough up, so frequent that she was unable to speak.

Sungchan still placed a final kiss on her lips, cold and stained with her own blood.

“Do you think that she and Sungchan got too careless because they were in love?”

Eunseok shakes his head almost instantly, and Joohyun wonders how he doesn’t get dizzy with the motion combined with the rocking of his chair. She knows that Eunseok finds it hard to think sometimes, head permanently hazy from the impact of the concrete. Joohyun remembers when they found him in the rubble, clearly concussed and barely able to speak. She is awed sometimes by how eloquent he still manages to be. 

“As much as love is reckless, it is equally as cautious. They both had more to lose.”

“But they lost it anyway.”

“They did,” Eunseok clears his throat. “They lost it anyways.”

.         .         .

Shotaro calls a house meeting the next morning. Everyone is slow to gather in the living room, taking seats upon old, worn furniture. Joohyun wonders how old everything was before everything happened. Now, it’s too hard to put a date on things, especially since the entire world has been covered with a fine layer of dust. 

Sungchan is the last to join the group, long limbs moving lethargically as he crosses the room. Joohyun winces at the dark purples and reds sitting underneath his eyes, almost like bruises. His hair is untamed, splayed messily across his head. There’s a paleness to his skin that screams dehydration, along with a smattering of pimples forming along his cheek. He even looks thinner than usual, settling onto a chair in the corner without so much as a sound. 

“So I know that these next few months are going to be shitty,” Shotaro starts. “But we’ve gotta plan so that we can make it through.”

Shotaro’s gaze flickers back and forth between Sungchan and the rest of the group, hoping to remedy any tension with his eyes alone. If there is any resistance, he doesn’t pick up on it, choosing instead to continue with his ment. 

“Eunseok says that the last harvest should be in about four weeks, meaning that we will have fresh crops for another two months or so. We still need to go out for canned goods and medical supplies. Both are crucial to us making it through this winter. Thankfully, Wonbin and Seunghan volunteered to make the run for us.”

Anton perks up from his spot near Sohee, visibly confused. “Why would we send two more people for supplies after what just happened?”

“Because we need to survive,” Eunseok chimes in. “We can’t do that without food and supplies.”

Shotaro nods softly. “Exactly, so it’s better that we do all of this now so that we’re not scrambling right before the first snow hits.”

“I think that’s a stupid fucking idea,” Joohyun seethes. “It’s like we’re just sending people out to die.”

As Joohyun surveys the room, it becomes more and more apparent that she’s fighting a losing battle. The only one who seems to be considering her point is Anton, who has always erred on the cautious side. Most of the group, however, still sits silently in their various positions around the room, eyes trained on the stained carpet beneath their feet. 

“We’re not going to die,” Wonbin mutters. 

“You don’t know that.”

They’re the first words that Sungchan has uttered in days. His voice is rough from lack of use, syllables slightly slurred as if they were thick in his mouth. The man clears his throat, but clearly makes no move to speak again. In the silence, Shotaro speaks up. 

“They are not going to die,” he presses. “We’re not going to lose anyone else. Not to something like that.”

Sohee cocks his head curiously. “You said that last time.”

They could make a list of all of the people that they’ve lost since they first moved as a group about two years ago. For each one, Shotaro gave a similar speech, saying it wouldn’t happen again and that would be the last one. It never was of course. Before they found the farm, they found themselves burying a new person just about once a month, death appearing cyclically like a menstrual bleed. 

Shotaro simply sighs at the reminder, pinching his nose bridge between his index finger and thumb. His obvious frustration is somewhat funny to see, reminding Joohyun of when they would spend hours in the multimedia lab, being scolded over the tiniest mistakes in the yearbook. It’s odd to see the same exasperation in such a different setting. 

“Listen, I know we’re all scared after what happened to Jaeri, but it’s not going to happen again. Seunghan and Wonbin are going to be extremely careful and come back to us safe and sound, okay? We’re not going to lose anyone else.”

Although Shotaro’s comment seems to appease some of the younger members of their group, Joohyun can’t help but feel a little unnerved by his stance. She would have to send the two people she loved most out into the world, not knowing if they will ever make it back in one piece. She swallows, dread settling in the pit of her stomach like an anchor. 

Everyone seems to take that as a dismissal, slowly starting to scatter. Sungchan remains rooted in his spot, eyes downturned. He picks aimlessly at a loose thread in his sweatpants, not caring that destroying their clothes isn’t a luxury they have. Joohyun watches as Shotaro leans into Sungchan’s space, whispering something into the younger man’s ear. Sungchan doesn’t look up, just nodding his head a few times before leaving. 

As Joohyun watches the interaction, a hand begins to comb through the length of her hair. She doesn’t need to look to know exactly whom the hand belongs to. Only Seunghan would attempt to comfort her in a time like this, the others all too used to Joohyun running away from their touch. 

“You okay?” Seunghan asks softly. 

Joohyun is sick of everyone asking her that. 

“You know we’re just worried about you, princess” Seunghan states, as if able to read her mind. “We just want you to be okay.”

Joohyun finally turns to face the man. “If you wanted me to be okay, you wouldn’t go.”

Seunghan sighs, rounding the couch to settle beside the woman. He gathers her hands in her lap, rubbing over her pulse point with his thumb. He looks tired, mouth twisted in a grimace that pains Joohyun to see. 

“We’re going so that everyone can be okay.”

The couch dips on Joohyun’s other side, the furniture groaning with the added weight. A hand reaches across her lap to join the pile of hands in Seunghan’s, the familiar callouses a soothing addition.

“We have to be there for everyone, baby.” Wonbin’s voice is barely a whisper. “I know you’re worried, but you have to trust us. We’re going to be fine. We’re not going to end up like Jaeri.”

Joohyun’s tongue has suddenly grown to weigh one hundred pounds. She struggles to swallow down the sob that’s clawing its way up her throat. Seunghan squeezes her hand slightly, and it’s enough pressure to force the first few tears out of her eyes.

“I just don’t like this,” Joohyun admits. “None of us know what’s out there anymore.”

Wonbin presses a kiss to the side of Joohyun’s hair while Seunghan continues to stroke their hands. Something about the affection makes Joohyun feel like crawling out of her skin and running for the hills. If she could see through her tears, she imagines she would. She would tear her body apart to escape their affection if she could. But she stays, remaining frozen in place as the boys attempt to love her.

“We don’t,” Seunghan agrees. “But that can’t stop us from providing for you all.”

Back in school, Seunghan was always the provider. He would come to yearbook committee meetings with his arms stacked with sweet treats and individualized coffee orders. When someone had a particularly hard day, he would bring a smattering of their favorite foods, showering them in whatever he could to make them feel better. If it didn’t work, he would gather their hands in his and let them vent. Joohyun wonders how many times she had done this before, in a much different context.

Being smothered by Wonbin’s kisses was something that Joohyun was much more used to. When words were too harsh for either of them, they worked it out through heavy touches and steamy kisses. Even when they involved Seunghan, who was always words over actions, the couple had a hard time giving up their ways.

“Just promise me,” Joohyun manages out, breath stuttering in her chest. “Promise me that you guys will get out of there the minute you sense any danger. Don’t try and do any noble shit and stick it out.”

Seunghan chuckles, squeezing the intertwined hands once, twice, three times before he lets go. “Trust me, our priority will be to get in and out as quickly and as safely as possible so that we can come home to our princess.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Joohyun emphasizes.

Wonbin presses another kiss to her hairline. “We know you will be.”

.         .         .

Even though the two are set to head out at sunrise, Joohyun can’t help but let them spend hours pressing her into the mattress the night before. As they seal marks into her skin and love her body gently, her vision begins to blur. She’s unable to see past the sea welling up in her eyes, ebbing and flowing until it streams down her face in clear rivulets.

Her waterworks seem to trigger the same in her lovers, and soon all of their kisses take on a certain salty tinge. For a moment, Joohyun fears they will drown in their love. It would be a silent death, much like Jaeri’s. Unlike Jaeri’s, however, this would be a death that Joohyun would be more than happy to fall victim to.

When the three tire, Joohyun finds herself sandwiched between two warm bodies, both in a deep slumber. The syncopation of their heartbeats is enough to keep Joohyun awake and on edge, counting each arrhythmic beat. It reminds her of the sound of footsteps when someone trips. They constantly try to right themselves, but are stuck in an endless fumbling of limbs that hit the ground at odd times.

Joohyun’s eyes remain trained on the ceiling until a hint of light creeps up on the horizon. As the light begins to paint their room in a blue-ish hue, she turns to wake up the men on either side of her, suddenly shy when she takes in their nakedness. She watches as their figures bumble about in the low light, appreciating the stretch of their limbs and the strength in their cores. She reminds herself that she needs to drink it in, since this may be the last time she ever gets to experience it.

No one else is awake to send them off. Just Joohyun stands on the back porch of the farmhouse, barefoot and wrapped up in a blanket that smells strongly of Seunghan. She watches as the two boys check each other, making sure they have all the weapons and supplies they will need for the day ahead. When both deem themselves ready, they turn back to the woman before them.

“We‘ll see you tonight, princess,” Seunghan says with a forced grin.

He seems to hesitate for a moment before reaching out and pulling Joohyun into his chest. His arms are snug around her midsection, almost crushing her if it weren’t for the woman’s sturdy build. The pair part only a minuscule number of inches before Seunghan swoops down to press a kiss to her lips. 

This could be the last, Joohyun reminds herself. Don’t enjoy it too much.

Wonbin’s eyes are wide and glassy when Seunghan and Joohyun part, arms twitching at his side. When he hugs Joohyun, it’s much softer, almost timid. He kisses her forehead before leaning down into a proper kiss. He’s never been the best with words, so he uses his mouth in other ways instead.

He doesn’t look at Joohyun when they part, only whispering a small ‘see you later’ before barreling down the steps of the porch. Seunghan follows him closely, looking over his shoulder just once to blow a kiss to the woman left behind. 

Joohyun watches as their figures disappear past the orchard before bursting into tears, evaporating like the morning dew as the sun comes over the horizon.

.         .         .

“They should be back by now,” Anton mumbles. He has yet to stop pacing on the porch, arms crossed firmly over his chest.

Eunseok, just watches from his position on the rocking chair, swinging back and forth in a distinct rhythm. “They’ll be back soon.”

“You said that an hour ago,” Joohyun spits, fingers fumbling with the chain hanging from her neck. “Shut up if you’re not going to say anything that’s true.”

“Joo,” Shotaro scolds.

The woman just huffs at the mention of her name, not taking the scolding to heart. The others don’t understand. They don’t get how it feels to be stuck in Joohyun’s place. She was tricked into love just for it to possibly be taken right away from her.

She wonders if she ever really had a choice in the matter. She wonders if Sungchan did, or if he was tricked just like she was. When she thinks about the way Jaeri smiled, or the soft coo of her voice, it seems like a no brainer. Everyone was a little bit in love with her. Sungchan just fell harder than others.

For a moment there’s silence, the only disturbance being the soft thump of Anton’s feet against the wooden planks of the porch. There’s a soft breeze that ruffles leaves, tall corn stalks swaying in the darkness. If Wonbin were here, he would be playing the guitar, strumming a soft melody that would have Sohee trying to harmonize with the sounds of nature. 

But there’s no melody here, just a faint crunch of leaves. Then, another crunch. The crunches grow more frequent, each one louder until they are interrupted by a groan. Joohyun is down the stairs and halfway through the corn stalks before anyone can stop her.

Their yells for her to return are nothing over the sound of her own blood rushing in her ears. It’s hard to tell her own footsteps apart from the ones approaching her, her own scrambling loud as she pushes through rows of crops. She can’t see through the darkness that surrounds her now that she is away from the house.

Joohyun doesn’t realize she has run into something until she is knocked firmly on the ground, winded from the force of the fall. Wide eyes peer down at her, a hint of white in the darkness.

“Baby,” Wonbin says. “Are you okay?”

“You’re back,” she breathes out scrambling to her feet.

She can just make out Seunghan next to Wonbin, the man leaning almost all of his weight on the older. He lets out a soft groan as he shifts his weight, seemingly unable to put any pressure on his left side.

“Are you okay?” Joohyun’s voice wobbles as she takes in the pained expression on Seunghan’s face, illuminated by the tiniest bit of moonlight.

“I’m fine, princess,” Seunghan rasps with an attempted smile. “Why don’t we just get back to the house. I’m sure the others are worried about you.”

Joohyun nods in agreement, instantly moving to support Seunghan’s other side. Although it’s only a few yards back to the house, it feels like miles as the three hobble along. It’s clear that both men are tired, Seunghan’s head hanging low between his shoulders. Wonbin grunts with just about every step, muscles straining with the additional weight.

Once the trio emerges from the cornfield, they are greeted by a cacophony of relieved cries. Eunseok and .Shotaro are quick to rush over, relieving Joohyun and Wonbin from their positions supporting the obviously injured boy. The minute the weight has been lifted from Wonbin, he falls to his knees, panting heavily.

“Fuck,” he pants. “We made it.”

Joohyun finds herself running her fingers through the man’s dark locks, pushing sweaty strands away from his face. She releases a shaky exhale, pressing her thumb into the soft skin behind her lover’s ear. Her stomach lurches as she looks at him, heart pounding wildly in her chest.

“Come on. Let’s get you inside,” she whispers, resisting the urge to plant a kiss on his hairline just like she knows he would if the roles were reversed.

When the pair enter the house, they are greeted with the sight of Seunghan laid atop of the kitchen counter. For a moment, Joohyun thinks she’ll be sick. But she takes in the lack of blood and the fact that Seunghan is talking animatedly with Sohee and the nausea settles. 

She sidles up to the boy on the counter, instantly smoothing a hand down his arm. She glances down at his body, not noting anything out of the ordinary. It is only when Seunghan stutters out a gruff curse that Joohyun realizes that the injury is deeper than expected.

Shotaro gawks at the sight of Seunghan’s ankle after he wrangles off the younger’s hunting boots. The joint is smattered with a nasty collage of purples and blues, the injury pulsing as it rests in Shotaro’s hands. His ankle is about the size of a football, and Joohyun feels nausea bubble up in her core once more.

“What happened out there?” Shotaro asks, ignoring Seunghan’s hisses of pain as he pokes and prods at the wound.

Wonbin sighs as he drops his backpack in the ground with a soft thud. “It was honestly fine. Everything was going well and we got all the necessary supplies. But we heard people coming and started running and that one fucked up his ankle when we were hopping a fence.”

“So you did this to yourself?” Eunseok snorts.

Seunghan just rolls his eyes, not dignifying the room with a proper response. Shotaro smiles down at the man on the table, moving away slightly to grab an ace bandage from a drawer across the kitchen. Joohyun finds herself letting Seunghan squeeze her hand as Shotaro wraps the injury.

“Is it broken?” Seunghan asks.

“You know I’m not a doctor,” Shotaro quips back. “But it looks like it. I don’t think you’re gonna be back on your feet for a while.”

Seunghan lets out a groan that isn’t in pain for once. He turns watery eyes towards Joohyun, squeezing her hand for dramatic effect. The force of his stare makes the woman avert her eyes, but Seunghan squeezes her hand until she returns eye contact again.

“I’m sorry we won’t be able to go apple picking for a while, princess. I’ll find a way to make it up to you, I promise.”

If she didn’t know any better, she would think the gag from across the room came out of her own mouth.

.      .     .

Joohyun ascends the stairs slowly, prolonging her journey to Sungchan’s door as much as possible. She felt her heart begin to pound the minute she was tasked to retrieve Sungchan for dinner. She desires nothing more than to not have to face the broken man upstairs. More than anything, she wants to avoid the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that she has every time she is around him.

Sungchan opens his doors after a few knocks and a long pause, eyes sunken and red-rimmed. His lack of a shirt highlights the protrusions of his ribs, visible under the paleness of his skin. He sniffles instead of a greeting and Joohyun curses the sinking feeling as it begins to make an appearance.

“Eunseok asked me to come get you since dinner is ready. I think he made soup or something.”

Sungchan sighs. “I’m not hungry.”

Before the door can slam in her face, Joohyun sticks a foot in the doorway, cursing loudly when it’s inevitably crushed. Sungchan is quick to open the door back up, looking down at the intrusion.

“Eunseok said not to let you say that,” Joohyun blurts. “He said you have to come down, even if you don’t eat anything. It’s important, apparently.”

Sungchan lets out another sigh, rolling his swollen eyes. “Fine. I’ll be down in five.”

It’s more like ten minutes, but Joohyun counts it as a win when she sees his slight figure enter the kitchen. It’s Anton who actually seems the most excited to see the older man, immediately bounding over to him and smiling widely in his face. She’s sure that he’s saying something about being excited that Sungchan is joining them, but she can’t bear to listen with the warmth crawling up her throat.

Dinner itself is mainly silent, the group deciding to eat scattered across the porch. Seunghan is inconveniently using both rocking chairs, his injury propped up on the smaller one. The wind that blows has a hint of a chill, more so than last week. If Joohyun squints, she can see some apples dropping from the trees on the other side of the lake.

“Guys,” Sohee asks softly, his normally bright expression pensive. “We’re going to be okay, right?”

It’s Sungchan who responds, speaking from his perch on the railing. “I don’t know.”

“None of us do,” Wonbin agrees.

“But,” Shotaro interjects, ever the positive one. “We’ve made it this far. Even though we don’t know what’s gonna happen, we’ll get through it, whatever it is.”

Sungchan snorts, hopping down from the railing. Without a word, he leaves everyone on the porch, letting the back door slam behind him. There is a soft clang of the bowl hitting the sink and then silence, only interrupted by a gust of wind. Across from them, the corn stalks sway, moving in a rhythm much like Seunghan’s rocking chair. Back and forth, back and forth.

.         .         .

Seunghan is walking with only a slight limp by what they estimate to be Thanksgiving. He seems eager to be back on his feet, hobbling back and forth through the kitchen as he tries to help Sohee and Eunseok whip up dinner. Every time he moves too fast, or makes a sharp change of direction, Joohyun finds herself biting back a gasp. She grips the edge of her seat, constantly ready to take action if the man reinjures himself.

“Calm down, Joo,” Sohee giggles. “You look like you’re about to have a stroke.”

A smile instantly breaks out on Seunghan’s face at the comment, rounding the kitchen island so he can wrap an arm around his lover’s shoulders. “Aw, is my princess worried about me?”

Joohyun’s fingers itch with the urge to punch him in the ribs. “Shut up.”

Seunghan leans forward to steal a quick kiss before parting to help the others cook once again. Joohyun hides her face as a rosy blush crawls up to the apples of her cheeks, trying to tame the zoo that has erupted in her core. 

She’s brought back to the very first time that Seunghan had kissed her. It had been after a particularly nasty fight with Wonbin, where Joohyun wanted nothing more than to make him hurt as much as he had hurt her. What better way to do so than kissing his best friend and teammate?

She remembers how all of her blood rushed to her face, lighting her up like a stoplight. There was a pulsing in her stomach that wouldn’t stop, eventually giving way to molten hot desire as the two continued to kiss. As they progressed even further, Seunghan left bruises all over the expanse of her throat and chest, leaving white hot pain in his wake. She remembers pressing down on the bruises the next morning, marveling at how the placements were extremely similar to where Wonbin liked to mark her up.

She remembers how the bruises were still there when she and Wonbin made up. She remembers how he kissed over the bruises, darkening them with firm bites. When he whispered into her skin and asked her who left them, she was left to only answer truthfully. At the mention of his best friend’s name, Wonbin just pulled away, smiled, then kissed her harder.

Joohyun continues to trace Seunghan’s figure with her gaze, extra mindful of his unsteady gait. She’s stifling a chuckle as Seunghan flicks pumpkin seeds at Sohee when Shotaro comes rushing in the room. His face is flushed and hair tousled, clearly flustered.

“Guys,” he pants. “Someone’s here.”

.FIN.

Part 2