#miscommunication galore

[true-blue-sonic]

Since Silver can talk to ghosts, do you think there's a chance of him meeting like, a 3000+ years old ghost and learning a dead language through him/her?

That'd be a cute idea! I think Silver is deterministic enough to find some way to communicate with a ghost he can't otherwise understand, but who clearly has lingering regrets they want him to solve. If he can't figure it out on his own, he'll probably go rushing right to Tails to borrow his translator and see how far he can get from there (Tails for his part is probably bewildered by Silver's sudden appearance but figures this is just some thing or another and is happy to help, even if Silver's explanations are a tad vague XD). I don't know if Silver would really enjoy learning full new languages, but he does strike me as curious enough to be open to learning things about a culture long gone from someone with first-hand experience. And the ghost no doubt is very grateful for his help and efforts!

[thewulf]

Oh, Honey || Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Summary: Request - Maybe a Jake x reader where the dagger squad and jake accidentally make her feel insecure? Like Jake and reader have been dating for a couple months so Jake wants to introduce her to them. So Jake throws a little bonfire bbq at his place and the daggers come to meet her... Read Rest Here

A/N: Changed up the ending a smidge. Hope you still love it!! :) My fav trope - angst to fluff, miscommunications galore!

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Reader

Word Count: 2,000k +

Brushing down your dress for probably the fifteenth time you let out a slow sigh while looking over yourself in the mirror. You were nervous, terribly nervous. You’d been dating Jake for four months now. You’d learned all about his friends at work. The people he spent more time with than anybody. The people he’d grown to love and adore after going on life threatening missions. See, they kept the group together as a tactical unit after their surprising success bombing the uranium facility. Even more so of a reason to bond. They were the best of friends now. And you were the girlfriend.

Being so nervous you hadn’t heard Jake walk in and watch you with cautious eyes. He too knew you were nervous. You were gentle. So damn gentle. That’s why he went for you. He was so tired of going after the same type of girl and getting the same results, nothing. He’d tried for years and years without much success. The over bubbly bottle blonde wasn’t what was going to suit his fancy. No. It was you.

He'd run into you in the last of places he really expected at the library. His sister and nephews were in town, and they wanted to go. So, he obliged. And thank goodness he did. He always counted his lucky stars with how fortunate he felt that he’d met you.

“You look beautiful.” He spoke in a softer than usual voice trying not to startle you into oblivion.

You still jumped. A small smile brushed across your lips as you spotted him in the doorway of his bedroom, “You scared me.” You let out a soft laugh not really responding to him.

He walked over to you and brought you in for a warm embrace, “Sorry darlin’.” A light but breathy chuckle came from above you. Closing your eyes, you breathed him in slowly trying to slow you rapidly beating heart, “They’re going to adore you.” He whispered before placing a gentle kiss to the top of your head.

You nodded gently into his chest, “I sure hope so.” Your wanted to curse as you heard your voice waver unfavorably. Surely, that was going to give you away.

He gave you a gentle squeeze, “You have nothing to be worried about darlin’. If you can handle me you can handle them.”

You giggled at his efforts to calm you down, “You’re quite the handful Jake.”

He hummed, “Maybe so.” He had to agree. But before he could really counter he heard the knocks at his front door, “They’re here.” He clicked his tongue gauging your reaction. Had he calmed you down? Were you going to be okay? Was it too soon? He wanted to collapse in on himself. He’d surely has never been so unsure of himself. He knew how much he liked you. Even loved you. He knew he wanted it to be you. He was so sure of that. But he was so unsure of how to make that happen. Love was always so fleeting for him. He wanted to make sure you would stay. You would always want to be around him. He never knew how to act. But he must’ve been doing something right as you stuck right by his side for the better part of the last four months.

“You don’t say.” You grinned up at him as he pulled away.

He rolled his eyes before giving your side a playful pinch, “Smart ass.”

“Come on. Let’s go get your friends.” You nodded towards the door letting him lead the way. You were trying to put on a brave face, but damn were you terribly nervous.

You heard Natasha’s voice from the side of the house, “I’m really surprised you went for her.” Your breath caught in your throat as you failed to listen to the rest of the comment. ‘She’s so sweet and kind!’ But you didn’t hear that as you back up against the door. Well damn. At least you had thought it was going well.

You heard the group laugh and agree in confirmation. Shit. You really had misread the backyard throughout the night. You thought you and Bob were agreeing on so much. You really thought Natasha wanted to go shopping with you after you told her all the good local spots that didn’t include the gross megamall that swam with people you tried to avoid. You and Javier bonded over your love of the San Diego Padres. But maybe you were wrong. Maybe you’d really misread the situation that badly.

“Agreed! She’s not ridiculously tall and blonde and super talkative.” You could’ve sworn that was Bob’s voice speaking up. It seemed out of character for him. But he clearly didn’t like you. You backed yourself right back into the house. You didn’t hear the ‘She’s an actual human being that can have a real conversation. She’s great Jake,’ from him.

Instead, you frantically grabbed your phone from your back pocket. Thinking too fast you shot Jake a text,

Hey, not feeling super great. Crazy nauseous. Think I’m going to head home.

What you weren’t expecting was his insanely fast response. You thought he’d be engrossed in some conversation or agreement about you. Were you really that bad? Was he agreeing with them? It certainly didn’t sound like he was disagreeing with them.

Hold on darlin. Don’t go. I’ll be right in.

Your eyes went wide as you realized you really didn’t have time to slip out the front door like you’d planned. He’d be walking in the side door any second now. Damn you really hadn’t thought this through. You couldn’t lie to the man. No, you were an awful liar. Terrible actually.

You walked away from the door but just a moment later it clicked open. Jake’s big green eyes softening once he spotted you on the other side of the living room looking more frantic than ill. His eyes scanned your figure for any other signs of what was actually going on. He didn’t waste a second once he’d finished his once over. He walked right on up to you.

“What’s the matter love? My cooking isn’t sending you home is it?” He scanned you again with nothing but concern in his eyes. You didn’t really seem sick. You were just skiddish. He was used to this. Earlier on in the relationship he had to dance around you. Let you get used to his presence. He was so careful with you. And you bloomed right under him into something of your own. You got comfortable with him. Opened up like a book to him. Trusted him more than anything in the world.

“I’ve been feeling a little gross all day.” It wasn’t really a lie. You have felt gross all day. You’d been remarkably nervous over the entire thing.

He cocked his head to the side in slight confusion. He read you like a book though, “Honey, they love you!” He gave your arms a squeeze in reassurance. He seemed so adamant. He didn’t seem like he was lying to you. He seemed so confused. Had you missed something?

“It didn’t sound like it.” It slipped so quickly from your mouth you weren’t sure if you said it out loud or in your head. It was a tossup really.

His face dropped immediately, “What’re talking about darlin’?” His face was laced with nothing but confusion. You’d definitely missed something.

You pursed your lips. Oh well, secrets already out, “She said she was surprised you went for somebody like me.” Your eyes dropped in shame. You felt a little guilty for listening In on their conversation meant for their own ears only.

He pulled your eyes up to look at his, “Then what?” He asked.

You shook your head in confusion, “They all agreed.” You sighed. Why was he making you repeat what you heard.

He shook his head slowly, still holding your chin in his hands, “No love. She said you were sweet. That you were kind. She really likes you. Said she can’t wait for you to take her shopping.”

Well shit. How had you missed that? Your stitched your eyebrows together as you looked for any sign that he could’ve been fooling you. You couldn’t find a sign, “But then Bob said I wasn’t a blonde or talkative.” You repeated trying to justify your actions.

“Oh honey.” He laughed at the situation, not at you. He’d never dream about laughing at you, “You don’t know him well enough to know he was being sarcastic. He said that you were so fun to talk to, could hold an actual conversation.” He ran a hand down your arm trying to give you the reassurance you so clearly needed.

Shaking your head, you felt the nerves bubble back up. You definitely missed that, “I must’ve walked back inside.”

He wrapped you in another tight embrace. This one felt more necessary than the rest. He could feel how anxious you were. How saddened you looked at the thought of his friends not liking you. It warmed his heard at how much you wanted to be accepted by them. You knew how much they meant to him.

“Wish you would’ve stuck around.” He mumbled into your hair while rocking you back and forth ever so gently, “Even had Rooster singing your praises.”

You smiled as you finally started to believe him fully. He wouldn’t have lied to you like that, “Really?” You asked softly. You cheek was resting on his chest as he held you in his comfortable embrace.

“Yeah,” He chucked before pulling you closer into him, “I think they may ever like you more than me. I know Bradley does.”

Your heart swelled with all the love you felt for the man. He always knew what to say. He had a way with words that always left you feeling all the love, “Like that’s hard to do.”

He let out a full belly laugh now, “There she is. There’s my smart ass of a girl.”

“You like it.” You countered, pulling away from his strong hold on you.

He nodded, “I love it.”

You couldn’t help but to smile at that comment, “Noted.”

He hummed before dropping his arms from his hold on you, finally letting you squirm away, “Know what else I love?” He asked. He had a mischievous smirk dancing across his face.

Not having a clue what was coming next you innocently answered his question, “What’s that Jake?”

“You.”

A small gasp escaped your throat. Eyes widening and pupils surly dilated, you gave him nothing but a shocked stare, “What?” Finally squeaked out of your mouth after a few long moments.

“I love you.”

You gaped at him. Now of all times? Now?

“Jake! You dropped that bomb right now?” Your head was dizzy with thoughts. How could you face them again after he just did this to you.

He shrugged, “I think I’ve known for a while. They just helped me realize it.” One of the things you loved about him was the complete lack of pressure to respond to it. He didn’t expect it. He knew you took things slow. He was hardly offended. But he knew he loved you and he needed you to know it.

That was when it all clicked for you too. You loved him too. You loved him beyond your wildest measures. You don’t think you’d be able to live a life without him anymore. He’d changed you completely. Changed you whole.

Your eyes found his again. Yours scanned his pretty tanned face. He was smiling. Patient face on as he waited for your response. Your legs felt like jelly when your eyes finally locked with his, “I love you too.”

The smile that lit his face could make you happy for the rest of your life. God, you couldn’t wait to keep making him smile like that. You knew you were in trouble when he picked you right up in his arms kissing any part of you that he could get his mouth on and whispering sweet ‘I love you’s’ in between. The group be dammed.

Jake Seresin/Top Gun: Permanent Taglist (Message me or comment below if you want to be added!): @loving-and-dreaming @kmc1989 @memeorydotcom @matisse556 @buckylov3r @taygrls @ah-blossom @hardballoonlove @rosiahills22 @djs8891 @mamachasesmayhem

[wlntrsldler]

poisoned mercury | close as strangers (post chb)

a/n: okayyyy so i didn't give them an angst ending but i had to give into the angst monster at least once for this series so here's a bonus chapter for poisoned mercury. miscommunication galore. long distance is hard! two dumbasses in love!

song: close as strangers by 5sos

series masterlist | previous | next

"i'll talk to you tomorrow, yeah?" luke whispered, trying not to wake his bandmates up. the tour bus was large enough to house them while they were on the road, but it didn't really give the privacy he hoped for. chris was just across the narrow walkway from him and luke could hear his soft snores through the thin curtain that separated them. 

luke felt his heart hammering in his chest when you didn't reply to him. he could still hear your breaths through the phone and you were just talking to him a second ago, so he knew you were still awake. you both had equally busy lives which meant that your phone calls were getting shorter and shorter each day. luke knew it was because you were booked with school and tournaments for field hockey and he was always exhausted after each meeting now that the band was working on their second album. luke knew all of this, but it didn't stop him from missing you. he was lucky to get a ten-minute call with you nowadays. 

"baby?" he tried again, chewing on his bottom lip. he turned to face the ceiling of his bunk, the light from his phone casting a shadow on his face as he waited for you to say something. anything. "can i call you tomorrow?" 

you sighed, "i don't know, luke. i have a busy day. it's a travel game tomorrow so i don't know if i'll be up late." 

"oh," he cleared his throat, trying to hide his disappointment. he felt a little stupid that there were tears pooling in his eyes. so you can't talk tomorrow, it shouldn't be a big deal, right? except that luke felt like you were pulling away from him. little by little. and he didn't know how to stop it. it wasn't like he could drop everything to show up at your doorstep and fix things with you. if it was up to him, he would do it in a heartbeat, but you'd probably get mad at him for it, for abandoning his responsibilities as the lead singer of the most popular band in the world. not to mention the boys would be livid and mr. d and his mom would be equally furious. 

"sorry, maybe next week?" 

"yeah, sure," he replied, thankful that you weren't on facetime tonight. he didn't want you to see his face. "alright, i'll let you get some rest. go kill it tomorrow. g'night, five star." 

"goodnight," you said, ending the call as soon as the last syllable left your lips. 

luke groaned quietly, tossing his phone on the foot of his bed. he knew long distance was going to be difficult. it's been months since he last saw you, months since he was at camp half blood, sleeping in your bed and waking up to the feeling of your lips peppering kisses on his face. maybe he shouldn't have gotten so attached so fast, but it wasn't like he had a choice in the matter. 

he got out from his bunk, tucking his feet into his slippers and made his way to the living room area of the bus. he sat on the couch, peering out the window to watch the empty roads ahead. they were on their way to nashville to meet with a producer that mr. d recommended. the second album was almost done, but it was missing something and none of them wanted to put out a record that didn't meet their expectations. 

mr. d was already in tennessee waiting for them. he'd flown in from houston a few days ago with luke's mom and the rest of the poisoned mercury team while the boys were in atlanta for a movie premiere. they decided that a road trip was needed to de-stress after the glitz and buzz of the red carpet. it was nice to have some alone time with the boys. in their tour bus, luke felt like they were back in connecticut, just four friends fucking around, writing music, and eating junk food until their stomachs hurt. 

he turned on the tv, switching to some random channel that he wasn't paying attention to. he just needed some noise to drown out his thoughts, but that didn't seem to work. all he could think of was you, his five star, and how much he missed you. luke wondered if you were having second thoughts about this whole thing. maybe he'd been too optimistic about things; maybe you weren't on the same page as he was; maybe you realized that it was too difficult to be with him. 

a shiver ran down his spine as he spiraled into his thoughts. admitting to himself that something was wrong between the two of you left a bitter taste in his mouth because he didn't want to believe it. he saw you as his endgame, like nobody else in the world could compare to you, and to think that you may not feel the same about him... well, it was a difficult pill to swallow.

he wondered if he came on too strong, showed his cards too early, and seemed too clingy and lovestruck before it was deemed appropriate. you'd only been together, officially at least, for four months, most of which were long distance, but luke knew he was a goner for you way before that. 

he silently cursed as the chill of the december air hit his skin. he should've worn a hoodie. he grabbed the small throw blanket draped over the armchair and placed it around his shoulders. he wished he got to see you over thanksgiving break because maybe you two wouldn't be in this rocky situation right now, but your coach ordered you and clarisse to stay on campus over break to sharpen your skills since you missed summer training. luke and chris were less than pleased with the idea, but they knew it was out of their control. 

luke fell asleep on the couch that night after succumbing to the tiredness in his body. the sun was beginning to rise by the time his eyelids fluttered shut. he hoped that he'd wake up to a text from you, but when he woke up to the sound of the bus screeching to a halt in nashville, he realized it was the hope that kills. 

-

“are you guys going to the fall concert?” silena asked, poking her head out of the bathroom. she was part of the planning committee for the unc fall semester concert and she’d been stressing over the logistics of it for weeks. 

“lena, if we even tried to miss it, you’d kill us,” clarisse chuckled, putting on a coat of mascara. “you’ve been talking about this since we got back.” 

the three of you were getting ready in your dorm. you and clarisse were roommates this year, thank gods for athlete privileges, and silena lived in the building next door in a single since she was an ra. how she had the time to be an ra, be a member of the music festival planning committee, and be a full-time student was truly beyond your comprehension. 

“lena, calm down. it’ll be good,” you squeezed her shoulders as you passed by behind her, grabbing your lipgloss from the counter. “and even if it sucks, half the people in the crowd are either drunk or high or both and will probably not remember it.” 

“true,” she snorted, curling the final piece of her hair. she unplugged her hair curler and gave herself one last look in the mirror, “i’ll see you guys there? i gotta go make sure shit didn’t hit the fan.” 

you and clarisse nodded as silena said her goodbyes. you dabbed on some lipgloss, glancing down at your phone every few seconds. clarisse side-eyed you, unable to hide her smile, “you waitin’ for a text?” 

“shut up,” you rolled your eyes at her teasing tone. she didn't really know that your relationship was a little muddy at the moment. you weren’t the best at talking about your feelings and it felt wrong to talk about your relationship drama when clarisse and chris seemed to be going strong. “they’re supposed to land in los angeles ten minutes ago.” 

“their flight probably got delayed, y/n,” she replied, “happens all the time.” 

“no, i know, but just wanna make sure they’re safe, y’know?” 

clarisse crossed her arms over her chest, “they’re safe or he’s safe?” 

you ignored her question, opting to busy yourself with the weather app on your phone to avoid any follow-up questions, “how are you not checking your phone for a text from chris right now?” 

she shrugged, “he always knocks out on long flights so i don’t expect a text until he gets to their hotel.” 

“how are you and chris, by the way? i know we live together and shit, but i feel like we haven’t gotten to talk about it in detail since we’re always so tired from school and practice.” 

“we’re good,” clarisse hummed, “just miss him loads, though. i haven’t seen him since we left camp– what? four, almost five, months ago?” 

you were in the same boat, kind of. you and luke hadn’t seen each other in months and you were getting antsy. they’d been on the road for the past few months, meeting with producers and fulfilling their contractual obligations. they hadn’t been in a set location long enough for you to be able to fly out to see luke, even just for a weekend. 

at first, there were movie dates where you’d order each other food and eat and watch the movie on facetime together. there were weekly phone calls and daily texts, but nothing compares to the real thing. being with luke in person was something that you were craving. camp half blood spoiled you with having him all for yourself and now that you were back in school and he’s out in the world, it was beginning to weigh on you. 

you missed him. a lot. 

you missed kissing him and feeling his lips break out into a smile when you’d mumble something stupid. you missed feeling his arms around you, hugging you from behind while you got ready for the day. you even missed waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of him scribbling random lyrics on pieces of scrap paper he found in your room when he slept over. 

long distance is hard and sure, luke wouldn’t be the type to cheat or do anything to jeopardize your relationship, but it still didn’t stop a knot from forming in your stomach every time a picture of him or the band popped up on your social media with a gorgeous singer, actor, or model that they ran into on the red carpet. what if he realizes one day that he wants someone who lives the same life as him? wild and adventurous, not tied down by school or sports? 

a part of you felt silly for being so insecure about things. it was too early in the relationship to have this conversation, isn’t it? you knew that your avoidance of the topic was starting to affect your relationship with luke, as much as you wished it didn’t, but what if the minute you voice your concerns, he’ll realize that being with you was more than he bargained for? after all, you weren’t the same five star with all the time in her hands, care-free, and relaxed that he met at camp. there was a chance that luke would call it quits on this if you said anything and it felt like too big of a risk to take. 

your phone buzzed on the counter, indicating a text.

from: luke <3 

‘landed and jetlagged. gonna sleep for a few. enjoy the concert babe!’ 

you hearted the message and slipped your phone into your back pocket after sending him a quick goodnight text. the three dots popped up for a second, then in a blink, they disappeared. read at 8:43 pm. 

“you ready?” 

you snapped out of your thoughts at the sound of clarisse’s voice. you nodded and grabbed your small purse before heading out the door. you ran into a group of your teammates who were heading to the amphitheater across campus for the concert. the walk seemed to fly by as they cracked jokes and shared stories about random things. you stayed silent for the most part, only laughing along when it seemed like the right time, but your mind was somewhere else. your mind was in los angeles. 

by the time you got to the venue, you and clarisse separated from the group to enter the vip tent, courtesy of silena. a small crowd was beginning to form in front of the stage, taking up the grassy field. charlie was already at the tent, sipping on an ipa when he saw the two of you. his face broke out into a wide smile, giving you and clarisse a quick hug before leading you to the seats he saved. 

“season’s looking promising for you guys, charlie,” you commented, accepting the high noon he offered. “the team’s looking good out there.” 

“thanks,” he beamed, “don’t think we’re on the level of national champs just yet like you guys, but we’re trying!” 

“you guys are doing great,” clarisse chimed in, “the energy in the stadium is electric this year. makes me love college.” 

“are you telling me the papers and tests aren’t what makes you love college, la rue?” charlie teased. 

she snorted, “oh yeah, because i just love staying up until 1 am writing a paper on greek mythology for classics 101.”

the three of you fell into a comfortable conversation about the class you were all taking. it was a prerequisite class that most athletes choose to take because the professor was flexible with deadlines when it came to athletes. it was helpful especially when a team has to play beyond their season for tournaments or championships. about ten minutes before the opening act got on stage, silena rushed into the tent.

“guys, please you need to come with me. i need your help,” she said frantically. she was nervously tugging on her ‘staff’ badge around her neck, already halfway out of the tent as she waited for the three of you to follow her. “please, it’s an emergency.” 

“woah, lena, what’s going on?” you asked, getting up to comfort her. you followed her through the crowd, grabbing clarisse’s hand to keep her close. 

silena shook her head, continuing her march through the sea of people, “just come with me, i’ll explain when we get backstage.” 

you and clarisse looked at each other, feeling bad for silena. she put in her blood, sweat, and tears into this concert and you knew that she would beat herself up over it if something went wrong. silena always put her all into the projects she’s passionate about, but sometimes things outside of her control happen and unfortunately, she blames herself for it. 

in the whirlwind of ‘excuse me’s’ and ‘sorry’s’, the four of you managed to make your way backstage. it was chaotic. people were running around everywhere making sure everything was set for the opening act. the girl who was opening the concert was waiting by the wings, her guitar strapped across her chest as she took some deep breaths. the crowd wasn’t full yet, but you knew that if you were in that position, you’d still be sweating buckets. going out there on stage to perform for strangers was nerve-racking. you didn’t know how luke did it. you admired that about him. 

“lena, are you gonna tell us what’s going on?” clarisse questioned, picking up the pace of her steps to match silena. 

silena stopped in front of a door, slowly turning to face you and clarisse. suddenly, her stressed facade faded as she twisted the doorknob, “why don’t you see for yourself?” 

if you weren’t so confused about what was going on, you would’ve seen charlie lift his can up to his lips to hide his smile at how proud he was of his girlfriend for her acting skills. when the door opened, your heart stopped. 

luke was here. 

he stood in the middle of the room beside chris with a nervous smile on his face. he was wearing a black leather jacket on top of a white tank top and black pants. his poisoned mercury chain hung from his neck, shining under the overhead lights. his hands were stuffed in his front pockets, shy and timid, as he waited for your reaction. 

clarisse screamed when it hit her that chris was actually here. she ran to him and nearly tackled him to the floor. chris wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and laughed as she giggled into his neck. the two of them shared a heartfelt reunion before rushing out of the room to get some privacy. the sound of the door shutting behind you made you blink.

luke cleared his throat, right hand scratching the back of his neck, “hey, five star.” 

the nickname brought you back to your senses. you ran to him, engulfing him in a tight hug with an ‘umph.’ at first, luke was tense under your touch, unsure if you’d be happy with his surprise, but quickly, he melted into you. he buried his face in the crook of your neck, sighing in content as your familiar scent surrounded him. he felt sparks coursing through his veins as you hugged him tighter and all he could think about was how good it felt to have you in his arms again. his mind was still reeling at your reaction. he didn’t expect you to run to him like this, especially not when it felt like you’d been avoiding his calls over the last few weeks. 

“what are you doing here?” you asked him, pulling away to hold his face in your hands. your eyes twinkled as you raked over his face, still in disbelief that he was actually in front of you. “you’re supposed to be in la.”

luke couldn’t stop the lopsided smile on his face, “well, i lied? we were in nashville recording with your dad and he mentioned that he didn’t schedule a session for us this weekend in case me and chris wanted to take a trip to north carolina, so here we are.” 

you ran your thumbs over his cheekbones, whispering, “here you are.” 

“god, i missed you so much,” he said, voice breaking. “you have no idea how hard it’s been.” 

you gulped, your hold on his face faltering a bit. if luke wasn’t on edge, he wouldn’t have noticed the falter in your step, but he felt the slight hesitation in your actions. your warm touch slowly peeled away from his face and he instantly regretted saying those words. here he goes being clingy again. he removed his hands from your waist, clearing his throat. he sat on the couch, motioning for you to sit beside him. he tried to keep his hands to himself when you left a space between the two of you. 

“i still can’t believe you’re really here,” you said, staring at him. you wanted to lean over and hold him in your arms again, but there was a weird tension in the air that made you feel queasy. “i feel like i’m dreaming right now.” 

“i hope you’re not mad that i’m here,” luke looked down at his lap, flexing his hands. he had to keep his hands busy or else he’d surely reach for yours and he didn’t want to come on too strong. he had to keep his distance. he didn’t want to scare you off any more than he already did. “there was just an opening in the schedule and i-i wanted to see you.” 

“i’m not mad at all.” 

“good, good,” he replied. silence. he forced himself to look up from his lap, twisting his body to face you. he bit his bottom lip, trying to build up the courage to ask his next question. “are we okay?” 

“we’re okay.” 

“okay because i feel like things have been different between us lately,” he pursed his lips, looking at you with sad eyes. his tongue poked out the corner of his lips, eyes darting between you and the wall behind you. “i don’t know. i feel like we haven’t talked in ages, y’know? and i know you’re busy and you have a great life here that i’m not really a part of, but uh, i wanna be, y’know? i don’t know much about school or field hockey, but it’s important to you and you’re important to me so i wanna hear about it.” 

he was met with more silence. luke continued, “maybe i’m asking for too much when i ask you to let me be a part of this life, but uh, i miss you? and i just feel like i’m losing you and that’s the last thing i want. so you gotta give me something, five star. tell me what i can do to be better.” 

“if you need me to back off, i’ll do it, you know? you call the shots. you tell me what you need from me, and i’ll do it, okay? i just– i can’t lose this. i don’t wanna lose you,” luke mumbled. “maybe this is all in my head too. i don’t know anymore.” 

you shuddered, lip quivering, “i feel like i’m holding you back.” 

“what?” 

“come on, luke,” you flicked away the tear that trickled down your cheek, “you’re out there in the world doing what you love. meeting new people. living your life and i don’t want to hold you back from that. we met each other when i didn’t have all these responsibilities and who i was at camp is not who i am here and i know you love those impromptu adventures and trips and spontaneity. a-and i can’t give that to you.” 

“you deserve someone who can live this life with you and i’m stuck here for two more years, luke. i can’t do that,” it was getting hard to breathe. your throat felt like it was closing up, cutting off your airflow. you’d been putting off this conversation for weeks. it didn’t feel right to talk about this over the phone, and you thought that you had a few more weeks to figure out what to say to him when you saw him for winter break, but he was here now. “you deserve more than facetime calls and text messages, and that’s all i can offer.” 

“is this–” he paused, licking his lips. “is this not what you want anymore?” 

“what?” 

“this, us? is this just not what you want anymore?” 

an involuntary laugh escaped you as you wiped under your eye, “castellan, i don’t think i could stop wanting you even if i wanted to. and you know when we first met, i really wanted to.” 

luke moved closer to you, just an inch or two, trying to gauge your reaction. you didn’t move away, which he took as a good sign, “i’m confused. why do you sound like you want to end this then?” 

“i don’t want you to settle for this,” you sighed, “i know what you deserve and it isn’t this.” 

“bullshit.” 

you furrowed your eyebrows, looking at him in disbelief, “what?” 

“i’m sorry, five star, but that’s bullshit,” a small smile was tugging on his lips. he reached over to place a hand over yours. his fingers traced your knuckles, running the pads of his fingers across the familiar ridges of your skin. “i don’t understand how after all this time you still don’t realize that all i want is you. it’s ridiculous, really.” 

“it’s ridiculous?” 

“it’s ridiculous,” he chuckled wetly. his other hand rubbed at his eyes, clearing his foggy vision. “our situation isn’t ideal, i know that, but i’d take long distance with you over anything else with anyone else. don’t you get it, five star? you’re it for me. if this isn’t what you want anymore, i’ll accept that. but if you’re only doing this because you don’t think i want this… five star, i want it all with you. long distance. phone calls. text messages. weekend trips when we can get them. distance has nothing on how i feel about you.” 

leave it to luke castellan to make you blush. you shyly looked at him, eyes twinkling with something more than either of you bargained for when you first met in that secret spot you call yours, “how do you feel about me?” 

“i’m not gonna say it right now because i don’t want to have the first time be while we’re in a fight,” luke laughed. the air was starting to clear. “but i have a feeling you know.” 

“i know,” you squeezed his hand three times, “i do too.” 

“will you put me out of my misery and kiss me please?” 

“always so fucking dramatic,” you scoffed, playfully rolling your eyes, but you leaned over and pressed your lips to his.

[desafinado]

Hello! I really love your writings, they're lighthearted and interesting to read. I also love your characterization for the characters! Would it also be alright for me to request some fluffy domestic headcanons for Alhaitham or Kamisato Ayato with their s/o as their wife? Thank you and have a nice day! <3 <3 <3

𓏲 ࣪₊♡𓂃 happily ever afters (?)

°｡⋆ alhaitham, ayato x reader (separately)

°｡⋆ sickening fluff, nicknames/pet names galore, suggestive (omg)

note: hi hi! thank you so much for your support and feedback !!! as for your request, why not both! hope this satisfies your domestic/fluffy desires !! also… i like framing marriages as happy endings with a question mark, because i think that pretty much encapsulates my perspective on it. you hope it is a happy one and you’ll strive to make it such, but you’re never gonna be certain of it.

(alhaitham, ayato) | (zhongli, diluc, kazuha)

alhaitham ♡

i’m desperately thinking malewife, and i will bc these are my hcs so damn it.

he didn’t completely quit his job, but if you work as well… expect him to be babying you just the tiniest bit.

he made a promise to take care of you so he very much will.

cooking breakfast/dinner when he notices you coming home a bit more tired.

buying groceries (most importantly, your favorite snacks) while he's out.

leaving little notes around the house whenever he has to leave for work (whether it be a few hours or days).

you can also expect him to rant more nonchalantly, aka welcome the inner sanctum of his thoughts he must repress in front of higher ups in order to be “polite”.

“i mean what kind of buffoonery must you partake in to even have that idea? the mental gymnastics you must do in order to get from point a to point b is-” “dear, breathe and drink this tea for a second.”

in turn, you’re also often the one to keep him in and check and remind him of his own needs (whether it be emotional or purely basic like eating and sleeping).

in relation to this, you’ve implemented cuddle breaks where if you feel he’s going too far and in too deep, you can drag him into a cuddle session for an hour.

he’s usually silent the whole time, but you can see the clear progression from him grumbling about it to melting into your arms.

also they rarely ever last for just an hour and sometimes it might even escalate (suggestive yes) if he's feeling particularly clingy.

lets address the elephant in the room, alhaitham has been touch-starved for most of his life, so you coming in and giving him all the affection (with no question or judgment whatsoever) is the best thing that has happened to him.

his little smile when you hug him from behind or leave a kiss on his forehead.

anyways, back on track, most people don’t even realize you two are married but you both don’t really care either. it's just funny to hear/see their reactions.

“dinner with someone you're calling your beloved? yeah sure, that’ll be interesting” “you can disrespect me, but i will [redacted] if you so much as think about disrespecting them.”

living individual lives doesn’t stop either of you from being particularly clingy though… whether it be you storming into alhaitham’s office demanding for him to just hold you tight or alhaitham skipping work to have you kiss all his stress away.

you’re both pretty upfront about your emotions, because you don’t want to lose anything to miscommunication… (even if sometimes, it might be a bit embarrassing)

at the end of the day, you two are married… and he couldn’t have asked for a better partner to lay himself vulnerable to.

how can you say no when his eyes are practically speaking for his heart; a vision of longing and yearning so crystal clear. you’re running a hand through his hair, and as every second passes he only leans in to your touch. he looks up at you for a second, debating whether or not he interrupt the comfortable silence; he eventually looks back down, but you’re not one to ignore that and brush it off.

“my love, what is the matter?”

another moment passes before he finally gathers the courage to say the words trapped in his throat.

“i know we’ve been over it, but i can’t believe i’m yours… and you’re mine. i’m just thankful, is all. i hope i can always be the one you can rely on, as you are to me.”

a minor blush dusts his cheeks as you giggle softly at his flustered state. it wasn’t unusual, but it certainly made you feel happy, being able to fluster the stoic and pragmatic alhaitham.

“and you are, my love. celestia could send rains of fire and stampedes of thunder, and i would only ever run to you. i’ve entrusted my soul to yours, whether you know it or not, and you’re not getting rid of me so easily.”

ayato ♡

lord kamisato, this. lord kamisato, that. he does not care, he will take time out of schedule specifically for you and only you.

because no one could compare to the way you call his name, when you wake up first thing in the morning, your voice still groggy, or while you’re both walking in the garden and you spot a beautiful flower.

you specifically request him not to make you any food though, because there's a 20% it will be inedible (the chances are low, but never zero)

instead, he’ll order your favorite pastries and have them delivered every morning in time for breakfast.

once he leaves for work, you both are very reluctant to let go… as if you’re not gonna sneak into his office every hour or so.

having you sat on his lap, arms around your waist while he’s going over documents.

if he has some plans that require him to be out and about, he takes every chance to sneak away and have a secret little moment or two with you.

this only escalates during festivals when his stress levels reach new heights. you steal him away, so you both can actually enjoy the festival the way everyone else is.

hearing him quietly chuckling feels as though you’ve been welcomed into an eternal paradise that only you two know of.

on the rare occasion that you don’t see him the entire day, you change or do things around the house to it feel more like a home for the both of you

ayato’s been complaining about back pain? you spend the day searching for a pillow that fixes that (worse comes to worse, there’ll be a new mattress when he comes home…)

the walls feel a bit bare and drab? you’ll just frame and hang up some of your favorite memories together.

you’ll also often find yourself experimenting with new boba recipes and having him try them all when he comes home; because of this pastime of yours, his favorite milk tea flavor has gone through a variety of changes.

anyways, when he does come home from work, you very much try to leave it outside (unless he truly needs to get things off his chest by venting).

he just wants to spend an evening with you watching a movie, having homemade dinner, or simply cuddling in bed.

the rest of the world fades into obscurity whenever you’re holding him close, face snuggled into his chest.

you’re just whispering compliments and words of comfort, because archons know he doesn’t hear it enough (/srs i feel like he gets used to the courteous praises coming from his colleagues and such for doing a good job, but you telling him how pretty his face is, is simply unmatched)

to hell it be damned, he fought for his marriage to you and he will fight everyday to protect the home you’ve both built together.

“in the kitchen!”

your voice makes itself known as ayato is quick to rush to the kitchen to see what you’re up to. there’s some flour scattered on the counter and floor as well as some unwashed dishes in the sink, and you’re in the middle of it all, giving him an awkward smile.

“i was just trying a new recipe and tried making pearls, i’m sorry about the mess…”

you laugh awkwardly as he only moves faster towards you. the moment he reaches you, he takes both your hands, soft and still covered in flour.

“i’m sure it turned out great. your hard work clearly shows.” he chuckles, bringing a hand up to your face stroking your cheeks. “i think… it’s missing a personal touch though. would you mind?” he closes the gap between you both, his lips barely grazing yours, waiting for your confirmation.

“indeed it does. i’ve missed you… a lot.”

your lips eventually find his and you can’t help the smile that creeps on to your face. its moments like these that you cherish and keep in your heart; these memories of him that belong to you forever more.

requests are open!! please do not repost on other sites.

[stealingyourbones]

Idea for a dp x dc crossover Jason meets Danny before getting to Gotham and ends up completely derailing his plans when Danny while talking about his Rogues to this strange almost Halfa says, "Dear God, I'm thankful Batman has a no-kill policy. My Rogues are bad enough without adding that Clown's ghost to the roster. I just know that the Joker would end up my problem if he was killed, He's bad enough as a human. I'd hate to see how he would be as a ghost"

Jason DID NOT think about that and is now completely back pedaling on his original plans to get the Joker killed, because dear god do the nightmares of a Ghost Joker keep him up at night. His new plan is to somehow convince Bruce to build a prison in space or 10000 feet under the sea to make escape impossible for the clown.

ok holy shit.

Well.

That.

Is something to ponder on.

okokokok imagine

The entirety of the Batman's rogues gallery.

As ghosts.

Never dying. Always pestering Batman, and even worse; they're now Batman's problem.

Jason goes from doing everything in his power to killing Joker to keeping that fucker ALIVE.

okokokok What would his costume be if it isn't Red Hood? Does he still protect the Narrows? Does he still hunt down the Black Mask?

This would absolutely make the Bats think that Red Hood is in cahoots with the Joker. Why else is he saving his hide at every opportunity?

MISCOMMUNICATION AFTER MISCOMMUNICATION GALORE

[ilovepedro]

Deja Vú | javier pena x f!reader

Series masterlist | Main masterlist

Chapter 2 - ‘Cause in my mind I want you here

Rating: 18+ MDNI

Chapter summary: After a long day, you schedule your date with Chris. The next day, you decide you need a distraction: shopping. While shopping for something suitable for your upcoming date, strange coincidences occur throughout the day, including an encounter with Cassandra and Javier.

Chapter warnings: reader has some bouts of deja vu (hehehe), reader spirals a lot in this chapter, flirting, no smut (stay with me now!), miscommunication trope, encounter with Cassandra, encounter with Javi, angst, mutual pining, Javi is still a stupid, oblivious asshole because he's a man, reader speaks and understands Spanish, reader is female, no mention of hair type/skin color/body type, NO USE OF Y/N, translations available at end of chapter.

Word count: ~3.1k

A/N: i know, still no smut, but bear with me! i promise the third and final chapter will be smut galore! i just have to set the story up so they can have narsty, in-love, makeup sex :P not beta’d, all mistakes are my own

Divider by @saradika

You reach your apartment building again, wheeling your cart down through the lobby and to the stairs. Exhaustion creeps up on you as you replay all the events from today in your head, every emotion racing through your mind. You stop yourself before you can spiral, reminding yourself of Chris - eager to have a better night.

Arriving at your door, you unlock it and lug all your groceries inside. You quickly put everything away and head into the bathroom. You turn the shower on and twist the knob to the hottest setting, stripping down while it heats up. Entering the shower, you bask in the scalding water as it washes off the events of this shitty day. Stepping out of the shower, you wrap yourself in your towel and apply your skincare. Feeling refreshed, you saunter into your bedroom. Normally, you slip on a t-shirt Javi’s left behind, but that’s out of the question.

Sporting a tank top and sleep shorts, you walk into the kitchen and pour yourself a healthy glass of wine. The bottle already opened from sharing it with Javi two days ago on Sunday before hooking up. With all the strength in your being, you push past the urge to spiral. Downing the wine, you refill your glass to the brim - you deserve it.

As you whip around to settle on the couch with your wine and a movie, your phone rings. You roll your eyes, not in the mood to talk to anybody, and sigh as you pick up the phone. “Hello?” Your voice is monotonous and blasé. “Hi. This is Chris Feistl, from the market earlier.” Your eyes go wide at the sound of his voice.

“Oh hi! I’m so sorry if I sounded rude just now! Long day,” you mutter apologetically. “No worries. Trust me, I get it,” he says. “So… were you thinking of me the rest of the day?” You playfully tease, a real grin on your face now. “I sure was, if I’m honestly speaking. You’re just really beautiful and I couldn’t get you out of my head,” he confidently says. 

Heat courses through your veins as you grow flustered from his boldness. It feels nice to be truly wanted, however you can’t help but feel a little guilty for not thinking of him for the majority of the day. Having mostly served as a distraction from Javi. “Hello? You still there?” Chris’ voice pulls you out of your trance. You’ve got to stop spacing out.

“Hi! Yes, sorry, I’m here,” you meekly say. “Sorry, did I come on too strong?” You can hear the confidence waver in his voice. “No, no! Not at all, you’re very charming. I’m just not used to being flirted with so openly,” you tell him earnestly. “Well, hopefully I can change that. A beautiful woman like you deserves to be showed off,” he says, confidence returning to his voice now. 

You smile at his sweetness. “You’re too kind,” feeling bashful. “Are you free on Friday night? I’d love to show you off a bit, if that’s alright with you,” His smile is evident over the phone. “I am free on Friday, and that’s more than alright with me,” you say, biting back your bottom lip. “Awesome. Would you like to have dinner with me? I could either pick you up at 8 or have a car sent to you? Or we could just meet there, whatever you’re comfortable with,” he asks, rambling a bit. “Send a car? Oh, you’re fancy, huh? You didn’t tell me you were rich,” you tease. He barks out a laugh. “No, I’m not rich. My job just provides transportation, so it’s an option if you’d like,” he says through his laughter.

“I’m just messing with you, but I’d love to have dinner with you. And how about I meet you at the restaurant? Then, we’ll see where the night takes us. Who knows… maybe you’ll end up back at my place,” you banter. “Sounds good, like I said, whatever you’re comfortable with. And I like the sound of that,” he smugly says. You can’t help the boisterous laugh that escapes you at his playfulness.

You haven’t laughed all day, so this feels nice - natural. “You have a very pretty laugh,” he says. “Thank you, are you always this smooth?” You meekly ask, his flirting sends another wave of heat through your body. “Only with you.” You smack your lips and roll your eyes, both your smiles evident over the other line as a brief comfortable silence settles over you two. 

“So, there’s this really nice restaurant not too far from my job, I can give you the address whenever you’re ready,” he says, breaking the silence. “Give me one second,” you say while scrambling for a pen and paper. “Okay, what’s the address?” He tells you the name and address of the restaurant, you scribble it down.

“Alright, Chris. I’ll let you go. It was so nice talking to you again. I’m looking forward to seeing you. I’ll see you on Friday at 8,” you tell him, smiling into the phone. “Sounds good. It was nice talking to you again too. Looking forward to seeing you too. See you Friday, pretty lady,” he says, bidding you goodbye.

A dreamy sigh escapes you as you place the phone back on the receiver, Javi forgotten once more. You re-read the name of the restaurant again before plopping down on the couch. It looks oddly familiar, like you’d heard or seen the name of it before. The address definitely sounds familiar. Shrugging, you don’t question it further. You turn on the tv and continue to forget about Javi for the rest of your night.

You wake the next morning, static blaring from the tv and with a crick in your neck as you’d fallen asleep on the couch. Stretching and massaging your neck, you rise to your feet to clean the mess you’d left on your coffee table. You pad into the kitchen to put your dirty glass in the sink, and chug a glass of water. The amount of wine you had created a dull ache behind your eyeballs. You prepare and scarf down 2 eggs and some toast with your glass of water.

Waltzing into the bathroom, you freshen up and get ready for the day. While choosing an outfit from your closet, you realize you don’t have anything nearly fancy enough for the restaurant you’ll be going to with Chris on Friday night. You’re off today, so you decide to go shopping for a new outfit while getting dressed.

You slip on your sneakers, grab your purse and keys, and head out on your journey. You cautiously walk through the stairwell and lobby, in fear of bumping into Cassandra, or worse, Javi. Desperately fighting off any thoughts of the two of them, you stroll down to a small boutique not far from your apartment.

Sifting through the racks for what feels like hours, you begin to feel defeated as nothing has caught your eye or wasn’t what you envisioned when you tried it on. You turn to walk out the store 'til something silky shines from the corner of your eye. A satin red dress glistens in the fluorescent light. You rush to grab it off the rack before anyone else can and ask to try it on. You’re led to a fitting room and hope and pray it fits.

It’s a perfect fit, making you feel sexy - never having owned a dress like this before. You wonder what Javi - Chris. You wonder what Chris will think of it, hoping he’ll love it. You’re going out with Chris. You’re shopping for your date with Chris, not Javi. You hadn’t thought about Javi since yesterday and you’re not about to start now. Shaking him from your thoughts, you slip off the dress and hang it back on the hanger. Getting dressed, you wonder how the hell Javi managed to worm his way back into your brain. You gather your things and go to checkout, paying for the dress and making your way home.

Walking home, you spot your friend and favorite vendor, Ana. She’s the woman you buy cocadas from. You smile and wave to her. “Hola Ana!” You say, politely while walking up to her. “Hola mija! Cómo estás? Cómo estaban las cocadas?” She asks. You tense up at the innocent question, reminded of Javi again. “Bien y usted? Y las cocadas muy bien! Estaban delicioso como siempre,” you tell her, fighting back the urge to frown. “Bien mija, gracias. Y toma un poco más, para ti y Javier!”

At the mention of his name, you see a man in a pink shirt from the corner of your eye - you’d know that pink shirt anywhere. Of course he’d be here when you’re trying to avoid him. You can’t contain the gasp that escapes you as you stare at the man. “Qué pasó, mija? Está todo bien?” Ana’s voice brings you back down to Earth, making you catch a better glimpse of the man in pink. He's wearing sunglasses, but not aviators - and he's shorter than Javi.

Realizing it’s not Javi, you sigh in relief. “Lo siento, Ana. Me pareció ver algo, una niña casi se cae,” you apologize, lying in the midst to avoid explaining what’s going on with Javi. “Está bien. Bueno, toma un poco más por favor,” she tells you, holding out a fresh bag of cocadas. She is too sweet for her own good. 

“Estas segura? Déjame pagarte, por favor,” “No es problema, mija. Eres mi cliente favorita,” she says with a reassuring smile and a wink. Your heart melts at her kindness, reluctantly taking the bag from her. “Muchas gracias, Ana,” you say, reaching to embrace her. “De nada, mija. Que tenga un buen día, ok? Y dale a Javier mi amor,” she says. Your lips pull into a tense smile at the mention of him again and the use of the word 'love.' “Lo haré. Que tenga un buen día!” You say, unintentionally rushing home as your feet carry you faster than normal.

You pull out your keys and open the main entrance. Sighing, you mindlessly rub your hands over your face as you try to process your almost-meltdown earlier. As you walk up the stairs and onto the second floor, you hear a woman laughing from downstairs - that same familiar laughter from yesterday. You still, tensing up in the hallway.

Your feet move before you can realize it and you peek over the railing of the stairs. There she is - the same woman who was with Javi in the lobby. A small gasp escapes you and you move to scurry away, but not before you drop your keys to the tile floor in the quiet building, causing a loud clang and garnering unwanted attention. The conversation downstairs stops, the people looking up to find the source of commotion.

The woman spots you, making direct eye contact with you. She gives you a blank stare while the man she’s talking to says hello to you. “Hola, mija. Estás bien?” Your downstairs neighbor, Mr. Sanchez, greets you. “Hola señor Sanchez. Sí, estoy bien. Lo siento para el ruido,” you politely say, flashing him and the woman an apologetic smile as you pick up your keys. “Está bien, mija. Esta es mi sobrina Cassandra.” 

You shoot her a polite smile. “Hola Cassandra.” “Hola,” she bites, glaring at you. Her coldness catches you by surprise. You suspect she remembers you from earlier. Her uncle scolds her rudeness, oblivious to tension in the air.

“Cómo estás, mija? Hace tiempo que no te veo.” He says with a smile, shifting the conversation towards him. “Yo sé, lo siento. Necesito visitar más pero estoy bien. Y usted?” “Bien, mija. Gracias. Y sí, ven a cenar pronto!” He says enthusiastically. “Eso estaría bien, lo haré. Bueno… que tengan un buen dia, señor Sanchez y Cassandra,” you say. “Gracias, mija. Y usted también,” Mr. Sanchez says with a smile and a wave. Cassandra doesn’t say anything, her arms crossed and her hardened gaze fixated on you.

You turn and exhale a deep sigh, making your way to your apartment. All you want to do is hide away from the world after another weird day. With your gaze turned down to the floor, you don’t see the person in the hallway before bumping into them. You stumble back, a hand catching you before you hit the ground. “Lo siento mu-,” you begin to apologize, stopping midway as you look up. Javi stands before you, funnily enough in the pink shirt you thought you saw earlier.

Gasping, you yank your arm out of his grasp as if you’d been burned. “You okay?” He asks. “I’m fine,” you bite. You want to leave, but your feet are glued to the floor. “How are you, cariño?” He awkwardly asks. The nickname snaps you out of it, taking a step forward. “Why do you care? And stop calling me that,” you grit, pushing a finger into his chest. “Why do I care? So, I can’t ask how you’re doing anymore either?” He asks. “I said I'm fine,” you seethe. “That's not what I meant and you know it. You’re my best friend, and I know when something’s wrong," he says. “Do I know what you mean?" You sarcastically ask, already tired of this conversation. "Huh? I haven’t spoken to you since yesterday morning. I’m just trying to figure out why you shut me out with no explanation,” he says firmly, genuinely offended by your words. "I don’t owe you an explanation, the same way you don’t owe me one,” you respond curtly, attempting to leave. “An explanation? What do I need to explain?” He asks, genuinely confused. You open your mouth to go off on him, but are cut off before you can speak.

“Javier!” You hear that same voice, the one you heard just moments ago. You twirl around and see Cassandra standing at the end of the hall. Javi looks like a deer caught in headlights, unsure of what to do. The bitterness creeps up in your throat like bile. “Have fun with your new best friend, since you only want to fuck them anyway,” you spit, tears welling in your eyes as you push past him. Of course she’s here to see him again. He must be on lunch, seeing her on his break.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tears sting in the corner of your eyes, scoffing at his words as you whip back around to face him. “Please don’t play dumb with me, Javier. Oh, and these are for you, just as promised. Ana says hi, by the way,” you tell him, aggressively shoving the cocadas into his hold. You turn to storm off.

“Querida,” he says, defeat and confusion lacing his voice. “Stop! Just… please. Leave me alone, Javier,” your choke out, voice hoarse and trembling, barely above a whisper. You practically sprint to your apartment. Javi internally battles the urge to go after you, ultimately choosing to leave you alone. His brain short-circuits as he tries to figure out what your words meant. He recalls your words from Sunday night, confused as you’d said he could see other people. “Hola, Javier,” Cassandra purrs in his ear, pulling him out of his trance. “Hola, Cassandra,” he sighs, giving her a hug and a peck on the cheek. He sneaks one last look down the hall.

You reach your apartment. Regrettably, you steal a glance down the hallway. You feel your heart crack into a million pieces. Javi and Cassandra stand there in an embrace, his lips brushing against her cheek as she smiles. Javi looks down the hall and makes direct eye contact with you. Your bottom lip wobbles as his brows scrunch together and his lips droop. You run inside and throw the bag that contains your dress on the counter, finally allowing the tears you’ve been holding back to cascade down your face. Rushing to your bedroom, you plop down onto your bed and curl into a ball as sobs wrack your body.

Your mind races with a million thoughts. How did Cassandra meet Javi? She obviously has family members who live in the building, but how did they meet? How long have they known each other? Why is this whole thing bothering you so much? Do you have feelings for Javi? Is that why? And does he have feelings for her? Why does he not have feelings for you? Not that it’d matter. Are you not good enough to be in a relationship with him? Is he embarrassed to be seen with you? What does Cassandra have that you don’t? Why did he lie? Did you do something to upset him? You knew having that conversation two nights ago was a mistake - you knew it wouldn’t go in your favor.

You unintentionally sob yourself into a deep sleep, giving your brain and heart a break from everything. You stir from your slumber, glancing at the clock. It’s 7 o’clock. You accidentally slept for 4 hours. Your head throbs and your eyes burn. You rub your temples to soothe the ache. A knock at your door grabs your attention. Rising from your feet, you pad to the front door and peer into the peephole. No one is there, but you see a bouquet of flowers resting on the floor.

Reluctantly opening your door, you reach for the bouquet and see that there’s a small note attached to the flowers. You remove the note and read what it says, confused as to who would leave you flowers. Chris doesn’t have your address so you have no clue who these could be from.

“I’m sorry for whatever I did to make you so upset with me. I hope we can fix things and go back to the way things were. I miss my best friend. -Javi.”

You can’t contain the bitter scoff that leaves your lips, rolling your eyes and angrily laughing. Taking a step back, you slam the door and lock it. He thinks he can fix everything with fucking flowers? How could he be so oblivious? Rage boils in your blood, shaking as you rip up the note. You toss it in the trash along with the flowers. How fucking dare he?

Dragging yourself to the tap, you pour yourself a glass of water and chug it. While rummaging for ingredients to whip up a quick dinner, you spot the bag with the dress you bought earlier on the counter - before your day went to shit. It reminds you of Chris and the date you have with him in 3 days, a genuine smile makes its way onto your face.

You pull it out of the bag, dinner forgotten as you go to try it on again. The red satin flatters you, feeling sexy as the hem stops mid-thigh and reveals your chest and back. Javi once said red was your col-, you immediately shake that thought from your head. He doesn’t deserve any of your energy. Twirling in the mirror, you feel giddy anticipating your date on Friday. You can’t wait to see Ja - Chris… Chris’ reaction when he sees you in the dress.

Translations:

Cómo estás? - how are you?

Cómo estaban las cocadas? - how were the cocadas?

Bien y usted? - good and you?

Estaban deliciosos como siempre - they were delicious as always

Toma un poco más, para ti y Javier - take a few more, for you and Javier

Qué pasó, mija? - what happened, mija?

Está todo bien? - is everything okay?

Lo siento, Ana. Me pareció ver algo, una niña casi se cae - i’m sorry Ana. i thought i saw something, a little girl almost fell

Estas segura? - are you sure?

Déjame pagarte por favor - let me pay you please

No es problema, eres mi cliente favorita - it’s no problem, you’re my favorite customer

Que tenga un buen día - have a good day

Dale a Javier mi amor - give Javier my love

Lo haré - i will

Lo siento para el ruido - sorry for the noise

Está es mi sobrina - this is my niece

Hace tiempo que no te veo - i haven’t seen you in a while

Necesito visitar más - i need to visit more

Ven a cenar pronto - come over for dinner soon

Eso estaría bien - that would be nice

Javi is such a stupid jackass, i’m sorry y’all 😭

but i hope y'all are enjoying the buildup! the third and final chapter is when shit is going to hit the fan! 🤭

tag list: @undrthelights @gracieheartsspedro @jenispunk @nostalxgic @mandoisapunk @party-hearses @bastardmandennis @tinygarbage @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin @daydreamingmiller @javierpena-inatacvest @chaotic-mystery @amanitacowboy @factualfic @pascalpvnk @joeldjarin @kirsteng42 @pedrohoe04 @callmecath1 @sydneyinacoma @persephone-girl @suagmiller @honey-dip-24 @lizlil @thevoiceinyourheadx @harriedandharassed @xthejazzdalorianx @antifragilejpn @evangelinemedici @innerpersonunknown @vickie5446

if your name is crossed out, it means i couldn’t tag you ):

[hauntedhokage]

Established!Kirishima/F!Reader & Kirishima/Bakugou

Slow burn Bakugou/F!Reader for eventual poly!Kirishima/F!Reader/Bakugou

series summary: you’re a successful news woman in a very happy relationship with top 5 hero Red Riot…who’s boyfriend is very hard to read and you low key think he hates you. Eijiro knows him better, though, and knows that Katsuki just has a crush but doesn’t have the emotional capacity to do anything about it. All it takes are some well placed nudges, and a little patience.

series warnings: slow burn (like…very slow), Bakugou & Kirishima have an open relationship, miscommunications galore between reader and bakugou, smut in part 04 (so far)

{ao3} | [tumblr masterlist] | {ko-fi} | [spotify playlist]

New chapters posted weekly on Wednesdays - chapter list below the cut

01: Stolen Shirt

02: Introductory Lunch 

03: Awkward Encounters

04: Date Night

05: Corrective Measures

06: Fight Night

07: Aftershock

08: On the Mend 

09: Planted

10: Patching Up

11: Dance

12: Early Mornings

13: The Date

14: Proposals

15: Proposals pt 2

16: Delivery

17: Smitten

....other parts TBA

Said "sugar make it slow and we'll come together fine"

All we need is just a little patience

[steddiecameraroll]

They Keep (Just) Missing

ao3

Rating: M - WC: 13,760 - AU Modern, Angst with a Happy Ending, miscommunication galore, four times they should’ve kissed but didn’t, and one time they finally do.

First Time

“What are you doing here, Steve?” Eddie stares at the man standing before him.

“I came with Robin?” Steve doesn’t understand the hostility being daggered at him.

Eddie shoves his hands in his pockets and tries calming his breathing. It’s been a few years since Eddie’s laid eyes on the slender, ever-beautiful man across from him. The hallway of this very small, very smelly, cramped bar wasn’t making it any more comfortable.

“You ok, man?” Steve takes a cautious step forward.

“Yeah, uh sorry, thought I was seeing a ghost.” Eddie runs his hand over his face trying to remove the clear emotions from his expression. “It’s good to see you.” Eddie tries to lift his tone to pretend he isn’t nervous as fuck.

“Yeah, you too, man. Glad to see you’re still with the band. That’s cool.” Steve leans casually against the wall and crosses his arms.

Eddie’s stomach flutters at how gorgeous Steve looks. He has a little bit of stubble gracing his jawline and is wearing a tight white crew neck shirt under an unbuttoned yellow dress shirt covered by an oversized denim jacket. Eddie has to bite his cheek to keep his eyes from raking over Steve’s body.

“Yeah, still plugging along. Things are picking up, though. It’s been fun. Glad you’re here. So you’re in town then?” Eddie nervously finds his chain wallet hanging from his side and starts rubbing his thumb over the clip attached to his belt loop.

“Yeah, for Thanksgiving. Joyce invited me down, and I didn’t have anything else going on, so I thought I’d accept.” Steve watches Eddie carefully. He’s trying to understand the mood happening between them.

Eddie seems nervous, and Steve can’t understand why. When Steve left Hawkins about three years earlier, their relationship could be defined as friends, they’d gotten closer, but it wasn’t like they were best friends or anything. Steve didn’t keep in touch, but neither did Eddie. It felt like their friendship faded to what it was meant to be, just casual acquaintances. When someone would bring up the other one, they would smile and listen all about what was going on, like a fondness for a past life, but that was it.

“Oh right, the whole reunion of sorts. Very cool, um, maybe I’ll see you there.” Eddie needs to return to the band but can’t pull away. He wants to soak up every possible second with Steve because he knows he won’t get to see him again, and it’s been a while since he’s recharged his Steve fix.

“For sure, uh, do you need to get ready?” Steve makes a motion with his thumb back behind him down the hallway.

“Right, yeah.” Eddie looks behind Steve and sees Robin heading down the hallway toward them.

“Eddie! Oh my god, I’m so excited for tonight. Look who joined me,” Robin puts her hand on Steve’s shoulder and gives him a little shake.

“Yeah, yeah, I see that. You didn’t tell me.” Eddie narrows his eyes at her, trying to communicate silently.

“It was a surprise,” she widens her eyes and leans forward.

“Sure fucking was,” Eddie’s fake smile starts to slip.

Steve’s picking up on something between them and turns to look at Robin with his brows furrowed.

“What’s going on?” 

“Oh, nothing,” Robin beams at him and then turns back to Eddie. “Gareth was looking for you.”

“Right, yeah, so I gotta find him. Glad you’re here, Steve. Good to see you.” Eddie heads down the hallway and bumps into Robin purposefully. “I’ll talk to you later.”

*****

“I thought you’d be happy to see him,” Robin admits to Eddie after he cornered her by the bar.

“Uh, sure, but maybe a warning would’ve been nice. Now I’m fucking nervous as shit and gonna fuck up this whole show.”

“Don’t you think you’re being dramatic?” Robin crosses her arms and leans against the bar top.

“No, no I don’t. He looks so fucking hot, and I hate you for that.” Eddie doesn’t feel Steve coming up behind him, and it’s too late for Robin to warn him.

“Who does?” Steve slides in by Robin.

“Uh,” Eddie almost chokes on his tongue, trying to find a responsible answer.

“One of the bartenders.” Robin butts in and gives Eddie a tight-lipped look.

“Yeah, yeah,” Eddie quickly agrees.

“Oh, who is it?” Steve starts looking around.

“He’s in the back.” Eddie tries to cover it up.

“Point him out when he comes back. I wanna know the kind of guy Eddie Munson thinks is hot.” Steve found out Eddie was gay years ago and, to Eddie’s relief, was just as fine with it as he was with Robin.

“Uh, ok?

“Have you asked him out?” Steve grins wide.

“No, no, I don’t think he likes me.” Eddie keeps looking at Robin, seeking assistance.

“Y-yeah, he’s still feeling it out,” Robin adds, hoping to help.

“So, the idea is to feel it out? See if he’s into guys too?” 

Eddie nods, “mhm.”

“Are there like signs or something to look out for?” Steve looks between Eddie and Robin.

“Flirting, flirting is one.” Robin points out.

“I know flirting,” Steve wiggles his shoulders.

“No, you don’t, dingus.” Robin scrunches her face at him.

“Shut up, yes I do.” Steve crosses his arms.

“While you two argue about that, I’ve gotta go.” He grabs his beer from the bar, nods at the bartender, and walks up towards the stage.

“So point him out, ok?” Steve says to Robin.

“Who?”

“The bartender.” Steve reminds her.

“Oh, oh yeah. I’ll see if he’s still here.” 

“What does he look like?” Steve starts looking around the room.

“Why are you so interested?” Robin tilts her head at him.

“I just, I don’t know, was curious what his type was like,” Steve replies, flustered.

“You wanna know his type?”

“Sure, why not?”

“I don’t know.”

“So what is it?”

“Dorks,” she rolls her eyes.

“Like nerds? I mean, I guess that makes sense.”

“No, no, not nerds, but giant idiots. Who usually can’t get their shit together and are oblivious to reality.” Robin doesn’t even try to hide it.

“Ok, that doesn’t really help.”

Robin rolls her eyes, takes her drink from the bar, and walks toward the stage.

“Just tell me. What does he look like?” Steve follows close to her.

“You seem interested in the kind of guy Eddie wants to bang, dingus.” Robin takes a sip and gives him a suggestive glance.

“No, pfft, I was…I was just curious.” Steve lifts his beer to his mouth and stares at the ceiling avoiding eye contact.

Robin pointedly turns and faces Steve. “He has a type. His type is a little Ryan Reynolds-like, probably a jock or was one in high school. Tall, prefers brunettes. Likes a man in tight jeans. I hate it. When we hang out, he’s always comparing every dude to this one guy, and it makes me want to sock him in the mouth. He won’t shut up about him, and it’s been fucking years.”

“Years?” Steve furrows his brows.

“Yeah, years.” She runs her eyes over him and then sighs and turns back to the stage, taking another sip of her drink.

“Wait, years? So do I know him? Who is it?” Steve starts wracking his brain through everyone from school. Steve must know him if he likes guys that are into sports. Unless he played baseball, Steve wasn’t on the baseball team. Although he could’ve because those little league games and his bat-swinging skills were monster-killing worthy.

Robin doesn’t reply but rolls her eyes again and is relieved when the lights turn down and the crowd starts cheering.

The other band members of Corroded Coffin come spilling onto the stage, waving to a few people in the crowd and getting themselves situated with their instruments. After a long beat, Eddie steps out of the darkness to a spattering of hoots and hollers, gives a wicked grin to the crowd, and grabs his guitar from the stand, slinging it over his shoulder.

“Hey, we’re Corroded Coffin, and I hope you’re ready for a life-altering dick-tingling experience tonight.” Eddie catches Steve’s eyes at the end of the sentence and sends him a flirty wink. He always feels more confident on stage.

The crowd cheers and hangs off every word. Steve starts understanding how rock stars can be worshipped. The way the spotlight frames Eddie’s face creates a halo glow in Eddie’s hair and brings a sparkle to his brown eyes. Steve thinks he looks utterly celestial.

The band played one of the best sets they’ve had in months. Whatever the fear and nervousness Eddie felt with Steve being there, he channeled and pushed himself through to perform his best version. When they were finished, Eddie was dripping in sweat, exhausted but running on excitement and adrenaline. The band started unhooking their instruments and heading off stage to the back, letting the next band set up.

“Can we go back there?” Steve asked Robin.

“Backstage?”

“Yeah, y’know, just to tell him… them that they did a good job?” Steve’s body was buzzing with the show’s after-effects.

“You wanna go back and tell Eddie he did a good job?” Robin asks teasingly.

“Shut up, never mind.” 

“Come on,” Robin grabs Steve’s hand and pulls him to the back door.

No one stops them or confronts them, and Steve is surprised at how simple it is for anyone to walk to the back.

“Munson, you have a new groupie.” Robin shoves open the door to an office, and the band is mingling around in the room.

“Rob! Oh do I?” Eddie turns to the door while wiping his face off with a hand towel. When he pulls the towel down, his eyes meet Steve’s, and his stomach drops at the look he’s giving him. “Steve,” he swallows hard and tries to pull himself together quickly. “You gonna come on tour with us and hang out in the bus dressed in almost nothing, with your tits hanging out?”

Steve’s mouth goes dry as he feels Eddie’s eyes look over his body as if Eddie is thinking about Steve wearing an outfit like he’s describing.

“I’m gonna get another drink.” Robin leaves the room, pretty sure neither of the boys heard her.

Eddie moves closer to Steve, and Steve feels like he’s prey and Eddie is stalking him. It sends a chill down Steve’s spine straight past his shoulders to his hips.

“Yeah, you’d like that wouldn’t you?” Steve crosses his arms and cocks an eyebrow at Eddie.

“Maybe,” Eddie winks and then turns back, wrapping the towel around his neck and grabbing a bottle of water. “Enjoy the show, Harrington?”

While Eddie is turned away, Steve takes in the man’s form and lets his eyes rake over his entire body.

Has Eddie always been this sexy? Shit. 

“Uh yeah,” Steve clears his throat and diverts his gaze. “It was great. Glad I was here for it.” Steve tries to sound as casual as possible.

Eddie turns to Steve and leans his hand on a nearby table, shifting his body weight and casually leaning on one foot. Steve tries to ignore the shudder rolling through him at the view.

“What are you doing later, Harrington? There’s an after-party at Gareth’s. You should come.” Eddie is trying to hold onto the confidence being on stage brings him.

“Uh, yeah, sure.”

Eddie puts his hand out, “give me your phone.” 

Steve’s stomach drops, and he pulls his cell out from his back pocket and moves closer to Eddie, handing him his phone. Steve can smell sweat, cigarettes, and something faintly amber and musky coming from Eddie. When Eddie finishes, he glances up at Steve and offers the phone back.

“Now you have my number. I’ll text you the address. See you later, Stevie.” Eddie presses his tongue to the tip of his tooth while grinning wickedly at Steve.

Steve can’t find his voice and nods. His hand is tingling, and he wants to look at his phone, but he waits until he steps out of the room. Pulling the door shut behind him, he leans against it and sighs loudly. He looks down at the screen and swipes it open, seeing the last screen appear and the text Eddie sent to himself.

Favorite Metalhead ❤ 

Steve: I’ve never told you this before, but I think you’re the sexiest guitar player in the entire world 

“What are you smiling at, dingus?” Robin appears holding two drinks and hands one to Steve.

“Oh, nothing.” Steve clicks his screen off and slides his phone into his back pocket. “Eddie invited us to the after-party. Wanna go?” 

“Shit, can’t. I have the opening shift tomorrow. This show was late enough. I can’t be up until 3 am. But you should definitely go.” She clinks her drink against his and gives him a goofy smile.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun. Hang out with Eddie for a while.” Steve feels his phone buzz in his pocket, making him jump a little.

“Uh, you ok?” Robin looks at him, concerned.

“My phone just buzzed. It scared me.”

“Let’s go back out, finish this drink, and listen to this last band. Then I’m gonna go home.” Robin starts walking to the main area, and Steve pulls his phone out and slides it open.

Favorite Metalhead ❤: why Stevie, I had no idea you were so obsessed with me 

Steve bites back a wide grin and shoots off a quick reply.

Steve: In your dreams, Munson 

Steve sees the bubble appear that Eddie’s already replying.

Favorite Metalhead ❤: you hanging out in my dreams? 

Steve: I don’t know what goes on in that head. It’s probably safer to stay out of there. 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: for you? definitely. but I don’t know what you’re into. you might like it 

Steve doesn’t realize he’s grinning at his phone when Robin looks back at him.

“Ok, who is it? You keep smiling at your phone.” She leans over, trying to read who’s on the screen, and Steve tilts it away from her view.

“No one, just reading something.” He clicks the screen off and slides his phone back into his back pocket.

******

Steve: You already leave? 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: yep, bout 5 min ago. you ditching our date? 

Steve: I didn’t realize this was a date. Would’ve worn something nicer 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: you looked nice enough to me 

Steve sighs and feels himself blush at the compliment. He doesn’t understand what’s happening but doesn’t want to stop.

Steve: You checking me out? 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: like everyone else at the show 

Steve: No one was checking me out 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: you’re delusional, hurry up and get over here. i’m bored 

Steve: You’ve only been there 5 mins 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: that’s long enough 

Steve: Send me the address 

Steve clicks the link and pulls up the directions. Gareth’s house is only about 8 minutes away, and Steve’s relieved he drove separately from Robin. 

“You ready to get out of here?” Steve taps Robin’s shoulder.

“Yeah, this band sucks.” She sets her watered-down drink on the nearby bar top, and they head outside.

“Oh shit, my ears.” Steve rubs his palm against his ear, trying to pop it.

“Well, have fun at the party, and be safe. Take an Uber if you get fucked up.” Robin opens her arms, inviting Steve in for a hug.

“Yes, mom.” Steve squeezes his best friend tightly.

“Tell Eddie I said hi,” Robin winks at Steve and waves back at him.

Steve: I’m leaving now, see you in 10 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: can’t wait 

Steve: Sounds like you’re the one obsessed with me 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: in your dreams, Harrington 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: *my 

Steve pulls his keys out of his pocket and jumps into his car, following the directions through town. He parks down the street and can hear the thump of music floating through the air. When he gets to the door of the house, it’s cracked open, and he can hear many voices. He pushes the door open and looks around. There is smoke in the air, a mixture of marijuana and cigarettes pluming around. People are walking around with red Solo cups filled with something.

Steve: Where are you? 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: i’m out back 

Steve walks through the living room and lets his instincts guide him in a direction he feels is toward the back. He steps into the kitchen, notices a sliding glass door to a backyard, and walks through the darkness.

“Steve!” Eddie’s voice calls for him from somewhere to his right.

Steve turns and squints to see a red glow coming from that direction. He assumes it’s Eddie and heads over to it. His eyes start to adjust to the darkness, and he sees Eddie sprawled out on a ratty chaise lounger holding a joint to his lips.

“Still look good, Stevie.” Eddie motions to Steve’s outfit.

“It’s just something I threw on.” Steve runs his hand down his shirt and sits on the equally ratty chaise next to Eddie. “Why you out here alone?”

“Waiting for you.” Eddie offers the joint over to Steve.

Steve takes it and leans back in the chaise, looking up at the stars glowing above them. He wraps his lips gently around the paper and takes a pull, holding the smoke in his mouth for a second, then easily sucks in and holds it again, then slowly releases the smoke into the sky. Eddie watches in awe.

“Here,” Steve offers Eddie the joint back.

“Do you smoke?”

“I got my med card a while ago.” Steve sighs and enjoys the weed slowly spreading through his veins. “Anxiety, nightmares, I’m a fucking mess.”

“Shit, I’m impressed.” Eddie takes another hit off the joint and then passes it back to Steve.

“You sounded really good tonight.”

“Thanks, man. Yeah, we’re finally getting our groove.”

The two pass the joint back and forth as they continue their casual conversation. Once they’ve finished up, Steve notices Eddie’s shivering.

“Why didn’t you wear a real jacket? It’s November, dude.” 

“My leather jacket is real. Shut up.” Eddie wraps his arms around himself, trying to warm up.

“My jacket is toasty. Mmmmm, so warm over here.” Steve antagonizes Eddie playfully.

“Don’t rub it in, Stevie. I shared my weed with you.”

“Come over here, man. I’ll keep you warm.” Steve slides over on the lounger and pats the small space next to him.

“Fuck, ok.” Eddie jumps off his seat and onto Steve’s, casually flinging his body over Steve’s. He wraps his leg around Steve and then slides his hand inside Steve’s jacket across his chest. His head curls onto Steve’s chest, and his whole body shakes.

“Your hand is fucking cold.” Steve curls his arms around Eddie, pulling him closer.

“You need to warm it up.” Eddie casually slides his hand up under Steve’s shirt.

“FUCK, dude, not cool.” Steve jolts at Eddie’s cold touch.

“Shhh, just your skin will warm me faster.” Eddie nuzzles closer into Steve.

Steve doesn’t know if it’s the weed, the alcohol from earlier, or Eddie being this close to him, but he’s in heaven. He shifts his body and turns a little. Eddie’s leg slides further between Steve’s, and their bodies face closer together. Eddie’s face is now just below Steve’s. Steve opens his jacket and tries to wrap it around Eddie’s body.

Eddie’s hand slides around Steve’s body and presses against his back, still under the shirt.

“It’s probably warmer inside.” Steve mumbles.

“You wanna go inside, Harrington?” Eddie looks up, and Steve’s stomach flutters.

Shit 

“No,” Steve says honestly, surprising himself and Eddie by the look on his face.

Eddie buries himself into Steve’s chest, and Steve is sure he sees a peek of red flush Eddie’s cheeks before hiding it.

Steve is no stranger to a man’s body. Over the last few years, he realized some things about himself that Robin had been trying to tell him for a while, and since then has spent many nights in men’s arms. He’s mostly had one-night stands or casual flings. He never felt comfortable enough or had a real connection with any of them for a full-fledged relationship. For some reason, Eddie wrapped up under his coat, their legs tangled together, and sharing a lounger feels more intimate than any sexual encounter he’s had in the past three years.

Steve holds his hips back, making sure instincts, or just human nature, don’t completely embarrass him. He doesn’t even know if Eddie knows he likes guys too. If he did, he probably wouldn’t be nuzzled into his chest.

He can feel Eddie taking slow, calculated breaths, not filling his lungs completely, and wonders if he’s nervous too. Steve’s chin rests on the top of Eddie’s head, and he inhales one long breath, filling his lungs with the smells of his favorite Metalhead.

“Are you smelling me?” Eddie’s voice rumbles against Steve’s chest.

“It’s called breathing.”

“Uh-huh, sure. Do I smell good?”

“No, you smell like you were sweaty earlier.”

“I didn’t realize you recognized the smell of a sweaty man.”

Steve pauses and thinks about what he should say. This is his opening. Does he tell him? Should he say something?

Fuck it 

“I’ve had plenty of sweaty men in my arms before.”

Steve feels Eddie freeze, and Steve holds his breath, waiting for his response.

“W-what do you mean?” Eddie keeps his face covered in Steve’s chest.

“I’ve been with enough guys to recognize the smell of their sweat.” Steve continues to hold his breath in anticipation.

Eddie pulls back and stares up at Steve in shock. “I’m sorry, what?” Eddie starts to disentangle his body from Steve’s, and Steve begins to panic.

“It’s just…I, uh, yeah, thought you knew.” Steve stutters and wants to pull Eddie back into his arms, but he’s now standing next to him, staring at Steve in disbelief.

“No, I think I would remember that.” Eddie wipes his hand over his face while Steve tries to hold his panic back. “Uh, I’m gonna go inside. Fucking cold out here.” Eddie diverts his eyes and heads back inside.

Shit 

Steve pulls his phone out of his back pocket and slides open the screen to pull up Robin’s messages.

Steve: I fucked up 

Rob: You’re lucky I’m still awake. What did you do? 

Steve: I told Eddie that I’ve been with guys 

Rob: Is that how you said it? 

Steve: No, but he freaked out. We were hanging out, and then he got all weird and left. I didn’t think he’d react like that. I mean, I know he’s gay. Why would he get freaked out? 

Rob: Oh dingus. You poor poor innocent soul 

Steve: What? What does that mean? What do I do? Is he mad at me? Should I just leave? 

Rob: No, he’s not mad at you 

Steve: How do you know? You didn’t see him. He was upset 

Rob: I may have just gotten another text 

Steve: Is it him? Is he pissed? 

Rob: At me? Yeah. But not at you. 

Steve: At you? Why is he mad at you? 

Rob: Doesn’t matter, just know he’s not mad at you. Maybe give him space, just needs to adjust to this new information. 

Steve: Why does he need to adjust to it? Nothing changes 

Rob: Everything changes for Eddie 

Steve stares at his phone. What does that mean? Insecurity seeps into Steve’s veins as he sits outside in the cold dark winter air. He thought they were closer than that. He thought Eddie would understand. He thought it would be him if anyone would, but now it changes everything?

Steve pushes himself to his feet and slides his phone back into his pocket. He needs to get out of there. He keeps his head down as he enters the house and pushes his way to the front door. He doesn’t feel a pair of dark brown eyes following him through the crowd.

Second Time

Eddie doesn’t text Steve, and Steve doesn’t text Eddie. They both think about it. They both want to. They both hold their phones and stare at their messages multiple times over the following four days, but they do nothing.

“Is he going to be weird?” Steve asks Robin as they drive to Joyce and Hopper’s for dinner.

“I mean, weirder than he just is naturally? I don’t know.” Robin tries to stay neutral, but she’s squarely in the middle of the two of them. She’s trying so hard to let them work it out themselves and just be good friends to the pair, but each day that goes by tests her resolve. “Just stay away from him if you need to. There will be plenty of us there, so you’ll be fine.”

They pull up to a ranch-style home surrounded by large pine trees tucked into a culdesac and see multiple other cars parked outside.

“Alright, let’s get this over with.” Steve pushes his passenger door open and exhales. His nerves are shot, and he’s on the cusp of throwing up.

Robin saddles beside him and wraps her arm through his, pulling him to her side. She shakes him gently, trying to help calm him down. He appreciates her kindness.

Joyce pulls the door open with a broad smile and hugs them both.

“Oh you two! Steve, I’m so happy you could come down. Come in, come in. Everyone’s out back.” She steps aside and lets them enter the cozy love-filled home.

It smells amazing when they step indoors, and Steve cannot help but close his eyes and inhale deeply. It’s been so long since he’s had a decent home-cooked meal, let alone Thanksgiving. The holiday of holidays for fantastic cuisine.

“Wow, I love this place.” Steve looks around the house and sees some of Will’s art framed and hanging on the wall. His pieces have become gallery-worthy, and it warms Steve’s heart to see them proudly hung on his mother’s walls.

“Oh, that’s right, you’ve never been here. Let me show you around.” Joyce slips her arm around his, and Robin smiles at him and heads outside to join the others. “Thank you for coming down. The kids have missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed them too. It’s quieter in Chicago, too quiet sometimes.” He squeezes her arm and follows her throughout the place as she shows him the bedrooms, bathrooms, basement, living room, dining room, and sprawling kitchen. He looks around at the dishes cooking on the stove and inside the oven and doesn’t notice someone join them.

“Eddie! I didn’t hear you come in. Come give me a hug.”

Steve spins on his heels to see Eddie nervously approach Joyce, his eyes watching Steve. When Steve catches eye contact, Eddie tries to give him a nervous smile, so Steve gives one back. Steve realizes this may be a really long day.

“Have you two caught up yet?” Joyce motions to the two men.

“Yeah, Steve was at the Corroded show on Saturday.” Eddie twists one of the rings on his left hand, and Steve catches the anxiety motion.

“Oh great! That’s nice that you were down early enough to see him. I heard your shows are getting bigger and bigger. That’s very exciting.” Joyce runs her hand down Eddie’s arm, and Steve sees the pride blushing in her eyes. He loves this woman. She’s a gem and is grateful she’s accepted all the kids as her own. He couldn’t have asked for a better surrogate mother, and he’s relieved she shares this with Eddie.

“Yep,” Eddie avoids looking at Steve again.

“Well, everyone’s out back. Why don’t the two of you join them?” Joyce begins ushering them out towards the back door, and they end up squeezing through awkwardly side-by-side.

Steve doesn’t speak. He doesn’t want to cross a line he’s sure Eddie drew the other night. They’ll be civil for the kids, he knows, but over the last few days, he’s started to accept maybe he didn’t know Eddie like he thought he did, and perhaps they weren’t the friends he hoped they were.

But Eddie speaks and puts one tiny crack into the wall between them. “Hey, man.”

Steve doesn’t know how to answer and stumbles on a response. “Heeey-hi.” Steve sighs a sense of relief when his eyes find Robin seated at the picnic table. He dips away from Eddie and rushes to her side.

“Hey, please save me.” He flops next to her, and she rolls her eyes.

“From what? We just got here.”

“Eddie.” Steve leans over and puts his forehead on the tabletop.

“What happened?”

“Nothing,” he rolls his head over and presses his cheek down, looking up at her.

“Steve!” Dustin comes bounding over, and Steve hears exclamations from the other teens.

“Oh shit. Hey, bud.” Steve groans when Dustin throws his arms around his shoulders from behind.

“When did you get here?”

“Just a few minutes ago.” He chokes out through the aggressive hug. “I just saw you yesterday. Why are you trying to kill me?”

“You’re gonna leave soon, so I need to get all the physical contact when possible.” Dustin releases Steve with a huff and then slides into the bench next to him.

“Ok, weirdo.”

“Can I sit here?” Eddie nervously asks while sliding into the other side of the picnic table.

“It’s the cool table now.” Dustin beams brightly.

“Eddie, hey, man.” Mike puts his hand on Eddie’s shoulder while he slides in next to him.

Steve sighs, and Robin nudges him privately.

“Food’s ready. Come on, dish up.” Hopper calls out from the other side of the yard.

“Thank god,” Eddie pushes himself away from the table, and everyone follows suit.

The large group lines up to pile heaps of homemade food on their plates. Everyone gathers around the three different tables and digs into their meals. Robin, Steve, Dustin, Mike, and Eddie return to the picnic table.

“Shit, this is good,” Eddie says to no one in particular as he shovels mashed potatoes into his mouth.

“Joyce always kills it,” Steve adds.

Eddie’s eyes flick up, and he finally looks at Steve, giving him a small smile. Steve hopes that’s another crack in the wall. After everyone’s had seconds and sometimes thirds, the group begins to help clean up while Jonathan and Eddie sneak around the corner of the house unnoticed. Steve walks around with a garbage bag cleaning up paper plates and napkins, and when he has two full bags, he heads to the trash cans on the side of the house.

“Oh shit, hey.” Steve almost bumps into Jonathan’s side as he turns the corner. 

Jonathan is holding a joint to his lips and lighting it carefully. Eddie is leaning against the wall, waiting his turn.

“Harrington,” Eddie says with an even tone.

“Just throwing these away.” Steve lifts the two bags up, steps around the others, and deposits the bags into the trash cans.

“Jonathan!” Joyce’s voice calls from the backyard.

“Shit, here, take this.” Jonathan hands the joint to Eddie and disappears, leaving Eddie and Steve alone.

“Wanna join me?” Eddie holds the joint up, offering it to Steve.

“Yeah?” Steve cocks his eyebrow.

“Yeah, come on.” Eddie lights the tip making a perfect cherry, and takes a long pull. When he hands it to Steve, he releases the smoke into the air.

“I have missed this while in town.” Steve takes the joint and leans his back to the wall next to Eddie.

Eddie’s eyes stay up towards the sky, avoiding looking at Steve directly.

“I know a guy,” Eddie smirks, and Steve rolls his eyes.

“I think I also know a guy.”

“Oh yeah? Is it the hot guy?” Eddie jokes as they pass the joint back and forth between each other.

“Maybe, do we have the same taste in men?”

“Doubtful, Harrington.” Eddie sighs, and they let the silence grow between them.

“Shit, I’m already high. Your guy has pretty good weed.” Steve blinks a few times, trying to focus.

“The best in town.”

Steve takes the opportunity to turn his head and look over Eddie’s face. He’s never really looked before. Sure, he’s seen him, sure he’s glanced, sure he’s noticed, but he’s never honestly looked. He can see the smooth curve of his bottom lip, those full soft, looking lips. Has Eddie always had perfectly kissable lips before? Steve’s eyes drop down over Eddie’s chin and follow a taut neck muscle down to his collarbone. It looks good enough to bite.

“See something you like, Stevie?” Eddie can see Steve watching him from his periphery.

Yes 

Shit 

Really? 

Oh, no 

“Really good weed. I should stop, or Robin will have to roll me into her car.”

“I can take you back.” Eddie tilts his head to look at Steve. “Where’re you staying?”

“Robin’s parents’ place.”

“There you are,” Robin’s head pops from around the corner.

“Eddie’s gonna drive me back.” Steve blurts out.

Robin looks pointedly at Eddie and raises her eyebrows. “Oh is he?”

“I’m very high,” Steve admits.

“Yeah, you are. Alright, then I’ll see you back at my place. There’s pie out here if you two stoners want dessert.”

Steve’s eyes go wide, and Eddie snubs out the joint. They both rush around the corner, almost knocking Robin over.

About 45 minutes later, the two boys leave the party a little sobered up.

“Wanna finish this joint before you head back?” Eddie holds it up between them inside his van.

Steve’s eyes fall to Eddie’s mouth for a split second before answering.

“Yeah,” his response comes out breathier than he’d hoped.

A sly grin squeaks across Eddie’s mouth. He turns the key in the ignition, and the vintage van roars to life. They pull into a relatively empty park a few minutes later, and Eddie backs his van into the parking spot. When they hop out, Eddie throws the back doors open and motions to Steve to take a seat. Steve hops up, letting his legs dangle over the edge. Eddie joins him and sits closer than Steve expected. He’s not complaining, but it is causing a buzz through his body.

Eddie pulls the partially completed joint from his pocket and starts searching for his lighter.

“Hold this.” Eddie hands the joint to Steve and then leans into his space to search behind them in the van.

Steve’s mouth goes dry because Eddie has had to twist his body toward Steve to search further in the van, and Eddie’s knee is pressed into Steve’s thigh, while the side of Eddie’s chest is pressed into Steve’s arm. Steve’s starting to feel lightheaded.

“Here!” Eddie moves back and smiles wide, holding his prize between his fingers.

Steve awkwardly smiles and nods. Eddie gives Steve a nod, motioning to put the joint between his lips and offering to light it. Steve nervously places the joint between his lips, and Eddie’s hands move to the snubbed paper flicking the lighter and holding it close. Steve puffs a few times, getting it lit, and that lightheadedness worsens.

Eddie pulls his hands back when Steve’s sufficiently lit and watches. Steve feels like he’s being scrutinized or inspected.

“What?”

“Just watchin’.”

“See something you like?” Steve jokes, calling back Eddie’s comment from earlier.

“Yeah,” Eddie admits, and it makes Steve’s stomach twist. Eddie squeezes the joint between his thumb and index finger, carefully pulls it from Steve’s mouth, then slides it between his lips slowly. “You gotta share, Harrington.”

Steve hums a sound of acceptance and then watches as Eddie expertly puffs out a plume of smoke.

“When are you going home?” Eddie asks, keeping his eyes pointed forward.

“Tomorrow, before traffic is stupid driving back from the holiday travelers.” Steve leans back on his hands and kicks his legs back and forth.

Eddie hands the joint back to Steve and moves his body similarly. Eddie’s eyes slide over Steve’s body.

“You do realize you’re one of those holiday travelers?”

“Yes, yes I do.”

“So, no big Harrington family holiday dinner? You get the year off to visit little ‘ol Hawkins?”

Steve takes a hit and then passes it back. “The Harrington’s don’t do holiday dinners. Never have. My parents travel out of the country on vacation over Thanksgiving. This is the time of year they think Fiji or New Zealand sounds nice.”

“Really? Then what do you normally do over Thanksgiving?”

“This, or the last three years, I stayed in Chicago. Just a free Thursday off to me.”

“What about when you were a kid?” Eddie is trying to understand what Steve is sharing.

“Well, when I was really little, I got to go on vacations. But I usually stayed in the room with the nanny or whoever they brought along to keep me busy. Once I was a teen and could stay home alone, I’d go to Tommy H’s place or even Nancy’s for one year. Then Dustin’s a year. Dustin’s mom makes the best pumpkin pie. What about you? Did you and Wayne go all out?”

Eddie waits before responding, letting Steve’s answers digest for a minute. “Yeah, sometimes. He didn’t have to work those nights, so we’d eat later than most families and go all out. We aren’t great cooks, but I got pretty good at making mashed potatoes. I still don’t know how to make gravy, but we’d fancy up the packets pretty well. We’d have leftovers for a week, and he’d get to eat well at work.”

“That sounds nice,” and he meant it. A tradition like that sounded heavenly, sending an ache through his heart.

“It was. I’m sorry you didn’t get that.” Eddie nudges his shoulder into Steve, and their bodies jostle pleasantly together.

“It’s alright. I didn’t know any different.” Steve’s feeling fuzzy, and he doesn’t know if it’s from the weed or proximity of Eddie’s body.

“But still.”

Steve only responds with a shrug. 

The pair sit silently, letting the weed pleasantly cloud their thoughts. Steve thinks he can feel Eddie’s fingers brushing against his, but he doesn’t want to look, just in case.

“I guess I should take you back, huh? Robin will think I kidnapped you.”

“Hmm, yeah, send out a search team and everything.”

Steve doesn’t want to get out when Eddie pulls out in front of Robin's place a few minutes later. They both sit there for a beat, thinking of anything to say to prolong the conversation.

“Well, thanks, man. Had a good time.” Steve’s the first to break the silence.

“Yeah, good to see you, Harrington.” Eddie keeps his hands on the steering wheel but turns to smile at Steve.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Eddie.” Steve nods and then pushes the passenger door open.

“Happy Thanksgiving.”

Third Time

Steve hears the familiar ping of his phone and pulls it out of his pocket to see a new text notification.

Favorite Metalhead ❤: hey 

Eddie? 

It’s been 11 months since Thanksgiving at Joyce and Hopper’s, and the two haven’t spoken. Steve doesn’t want to admit that seeing Eddie’s text causes a surge of something deep in his stomach.

Steve: Hey 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: Corroded has a show in Chicago tomorrow night. If you’re not busy, two tickets are waiting for you at will call 

Steve glances over to his sleeping boyfriend, curled up on the other end of Steve’s couch. He looks back down at his phone and rereads the message. He doesn’t know why it feels like he’s doing something terrible. Eddie’s not flirting with him. There’s nothing implied in the context, but it still makes Steve nervous.

Steve: Yeah, that sounds great, man. Send me the details, and I’ll see you then 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: can’t wait 

Steve squeezes his eyes shut for a moment willing his heart to slow down, and when he opens them, he sees the text bubble popping up and then disappearing, then popping up and disappearing again. He holds his breath as he sees the bubble pop up and disappear three more times before it finally stops.

Steve: Eddie texted me 

Robin: What did he say? 

Steve: He’s gonna be in Chicago for a show tomorrow night and invited me 

Robin: Are you going? 

Steve: I kinda said I would 

Robin: Is Jake going? 

Steve: I don’t know. He’s asleep 

Robin: Are you going to ask him? 

Steve’s thumb hovers over the screen of his phone, waiting to reply. Was he? He should, right? But it’s not Jake’s scene, and he’s never met, Eddie. But it does feel like he’s sneaking around. Why does it feel like he’s sneaking around?

Robin: Steve? 

Steve: I’m figuring it out 🤦 

Robin: I thought you liked him 

Steve: I do! I do 

Steve: but 

Steve: it’s Eddie 

Robin: I thought you were over that whole thing 

Steve: So did I. Then I get a text from the man and my stomach is doing fucking Olympic sized flips 

Robin: You’re hopeless. Invite Jake, you like him, you’ve been together six months, and you’re having a good time. It’s just a concert and Eddie’s only there for one day. Don’t mess up a good thing over some guy you’ve never even kissed. The two of you are such a shit show 

Robin: Oh look at that. Eddie just texted me to say he texted you. I swear 

Steve: What did he say? 

Steve: Rob? 

Steve: Come on 

Steve: ROBIN 

Steve: Fine 

Steve: Ok, I’ll invite Jake 

Robin: Goodnight, dingus 

******

Steve nervously hands his ID to the bouncer, who checks his list and nods Steve and Jake inside. Jake has his finger hooked into Steve’s belt loop and smiles widely at him as they enter the dark club. Steve’s eyes dart around the room, hoping to see and avoid a certain curly-haired metalhead.

“This place doesn’t look what I thought it would.” Jake has to yell over the music from the speakers mounted above them.

“Yeah,” Steve tries to smile naturally at him in response.

“Hey, wanna drink?” Jake leans in towards Steve’s ear.

“Yes, can you get me a rum and coke with a lime?” Steve turns his head as Jake leans in and kisses Steve’s cheek just as Steve’s eyes meet Eddie’s from across the room.

The happy, excited smile Steve was blessed seeing, for a split second, immediately fades into confusion and something else Steve can’t put his finger on. Steve’s chest aches to bring the smile back, and he lifts his hand to give Eddie a wiggle of his fingers in a wave. Eddie nods back but turns around and heads out of view.

Jake returns a few minutes later to Steve, still standing in the same spot and staring across the room. Jake offers the drink to Steve, who takes it and gives him a kind smile. When he takes his first sip, he feels Jake slide his hand across his back, making Steve want to pull away.

“Have you seen your friend?” Jake starts bopping his head to the music, looking around at the crowd.

“Uh, yeah, for just a second. Just waved, though. He’s busy.” Steve tries to occupy himself with his drink and finishes it too fast. “Uh, I guess I was thirsty. I’ll go get me another one.”

Steve pulls away from Jake and heads to the bar. He leans against the edge and sets his drink down. He pulls out his phone, hoping to see a text. When he doesn’t, he sends one of his own.

Steve: Hey, thanks for the tickets. I can’t wait to hear the band again! It’s been too long 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: yeah glad you could use both of them 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: enjoy the show stevie 

Steve squeezes his eyes shut and inhales deeply.

“What can I get you?” The bartender brings Steve back to the moment.

“Uh, rum and coke with a lime.” Steve slides the empty glass over to him. He nods and walks away to mix Steve with a new one.

Steve: Saw Eddie and he saw Jake 

Robin: Steve 

Robin: Please don’t do this. I can’t do 3 months of this all over again. Enjoy the show with your boyfriend please for all that is holy. OR for once in your life actually have a conversation with Eddie and tell him WHAT YOU’RE FEELING 

Steve: Fine 

Robin: To which part? 

Steve: The first part 

Robin: Ok, then don’t text me again until it’s after the show and you’re telling me about the fantastic time you had with your boyfriend 

Steve sighs and slides his phone back into his pocket just as the bartender arrives with his drink. Steve hands over his card, and the bartender gives him a wink when he hands it back.

Great 

When he turns around, Steve sees Jake swaying back and forth to the Deftones cover band on stage. Jake’s holding the straw of his drink to his lips, and Steve thinks maybe Robin is right. He moves up behind him and slides his hand around Jake’s hip, pulling him to his chest. Steve rests his chin on Jake’s shoulder and kisses the side of his head. Jake looks over his shoulder and gives Steve a big smile before returning to the stage.

A few songs later, the band was waving to the crowd and moving off the stage, and Steve recognized a couple of the following band members moving equipment, and he knew Corroded Coffin was up next.

“This will be them,” he tells Jake.

Steve’s mouth goes dry while his entire body feels each second tick by in anticipation. He feels Jake slide his fingers through his hand and pull him close to his side. The dichotomy of emotions fighting inside Steve’s chest is making him nauseous. Steve swallows hard when the lights come up and watches as Eddie confidently struts onto the stage. His guitar is slung over his shoulder on his back.

Steve’s mouth falls open as he takes in Eddie’s appearance. He’s wearing tight black pants with a wide, almost bell bottom base and a black button-down long-sleeved shirt with four buttons undone, exposing his bare chest. A white vest covers the shirt, and Steve sees a glint of sparkle from two chains strung over Eddie’s neck. His hair is fuller and longer on the ends, but layers are added to give it texture. His bangs have grown out, and he’s got a pair of sunglasses on the top of his head. A smudge of eyeliner is swiped along his eyes, oozing sex appeal. He’s the epitome of mouth-watering, and Steve is gone for it.

“Is that?” Jake’s also taking in Eddie’s appearance. “Is that your friend?”

“Huh? Yeah, yeah, that’s…Eddie.” 

“He’s hot,” Jake laughs and turns to Steve catching him gawking at the gorgeous man on stage. Steve doesn’t notice the scrutinizing gaze. “Did you two…hook up?”

“What?” Jake’s question breaks the spell. “No, no, we never…I didn’t even realize, no.” Steve shakes his head profusely, hoping Jake believes him.

The band sounds better than ever, and Steve’s entranced by their frontman, much like everyone else in the audience. Eddie is not short on fans. Women and men alike stare up at him as he owns the stage. His fingers glide effortlessly over his guitar, and somehow, he moves his body to the music. He’s perfected the lead singer persona, and it suits him. Steve wants to kiss him. He wants to inhale his scent and lick every inch of his sweaty body.

Fuck 

When they come to their last song, Eddie pulls his electric guitar off his shoulders and sets it to the side of the stage. The rest of the band filters off, and Eddie picks up an acoustic sitting nearby.

“This is our last song, and about an hour and a half ago, I almost cut this from the setlist, but I’m a masochist. This is the only show on our tour to hear me sing this song. Enjoy, Chicago.” Eddie’s eyes slide upwards, and he immediately finds Steve’s.

Steve’s breath catches in his chest, and his fingers start to shake as Eddie begins to strum the song’s first few notes.

“A hundred days have made me older 

Since the last time that I saw your pretty face 

A thousand lies have made me colder 

And I don’t think I can look at this the same 

But all the miles that separate 

Disappear now when I’m dreaming of your face."

Steve feels caught in a trap. Something has him glued to the floor, and his shoes are stuck. He can’t look away as Eddie keeps staring directly at him as he continues to sing.

“I’m here without you, baby 

But you’re still on my lonely mind 

I think about you, baby 

And I dream about you all the time 

I’m here without you, baby 

But you’re still with me in my dreams 

And tonight, it’s only you and me, yeah.” 

Eddie finally pulls his gaze away at the end of the chorus, and Steve’s heart sinks to his feet.

Oh 

When Eddie finally makes it through the rest of the song, he and Steve both have matching silent tears. Eddie’s glint in the bright stage lights while Steve’s fall anonymously.

Steve makes an excuse and rushes to the bathroom after Eddie’s left the stage, but he’s confronted with a long line. He sees an exit door down the hall and pushes himself through. The crisp fall air catches his skin off guard, and he shutters from head to toe in chills. He exhales hard and leans over, putting his hands on his knees, and huffs a few hard breaths. He startles when he hears someone to his left clear their throat and speak up.

“Hey.”

Steve thinks he’s seeing a ghost when his eyes fall on Eddie, leaning against the wall with a cigarette between his lips.

“Hey, uh, good show.” Steve’s crossing his arms in front of his chest, trying to calm his nerves. “You sounded… the band sounded good. That was really good.”

“Glad you could come, Stevie.” Eddie takes a slow drag off his cigarette, and Steve stares at his lips wrapped around the filter, noticing the tears drying on his cheeks.

“Eddie?” Steve’s voice shakes nervously

“Steve?” Jake pushes the back door open, searching for Steve. “There you are! I was worried. Oh, hey, man.” Jake sees Eddie leaning against the wall. “That was an amazing show.” Jake wraps his arm around Steve’s waist and pulls him closer. Steve feels detached and lets his body be jostled.

Eddie flicks the cigarette down on the ground and stubs it with his toe. “Thanks, man.” He licks his lips, and his eyes rake over Jake’s body, inspecting him. “Glad Stevie, here, could bring you. I’m Eddie.” He reaches out and offers it to Jake, who innocently juts his hand into Eddie’s and responds pleasantly.

“Hey, I’m Jake, Steve’s boyfriend.”

Steve sees Eddie’s smile drop for a millisecond before adjusting back to a neutral position.

“That’s so great,” Eddie looks over to Steve. “So great. Well, it was good to see you, Steve. Nice to meet you, Jake. I gotta head back inside. Just so great. I’m happy for you.” Eddie’s smile dips again, and Steve can see Eddie fisting his fingers together as he moves away and yanks open the door, heading back into the cacophony of music.

“Hey, uh, I-I kinda have a headache. Can we go?” Steve feigns illness and rubs his fingers across his forehead.

“Of course, babe. Let me take care of you.” Jake bites his lip and gives Steve a playful wink.

“Oh, I um, actually, it’s pretty bad; it feels like one of my migraines. I’m just going to bed, so you don’t need to come back to my place. I gotta get up early anyway.”

“You sure? I don’t mind.” Jake rubs his hand over Steve’s arm, trying to comfort him.

“Y-yeah.” Steve feels unnerved and needs to get away from the club and Jake as soon as possible. His body feels like it can sense Eddie inside, pulling him toward the source.

“Ok, well then, I’ll see you this weekend?”

“Mhm, Saturday.”

Jake leans in and presses his lips carefully against Steve’s, who tries to respond naturally and kiss him back. 

“Text me when you get home, ok?”

“Yeah, night.” 

“Love you, baby.” Jake winks at Steve.

Steve hesitates for one millisecond before responding. “Love you, too.”

Steve feels rotten when he finally steps into his dark apartment 35 minutes later. He sends a quick text to Jake, letting him know he’s home, and then collapses onto his couch.

He swipes open his screen and clicks on Eddie’s messages. Maybe Robin was right; maybe it was time he said something, anything, to Eddie. He notices the bubble appear that someone was typing on the other end and sits up on the couch, clutching his phone closer to his face.

“Come on,” he whispers. He thinks about typing something, so Eddie sees the bubble on his side too. He doesn’t think about what to say because he’s going to delete it, but he just starts typing.

I’m sorry things got weird. I hope you don’t hate me. I almost didn’t bring him, but that would’ve been weird. I mean, he is my boyfriend. I’ve liked you for a long time and thought I had no chance. But then, tonight. You looked incredible. Fuck I wanted to kiss you. I bet you taste so good. I bet you feel even better. I’ve jerked off to you so many fucking times. I wish you were here. I like Jake. He’s good to me. But he’s no Eddie Munson. My fantasies about you are better than his and my sex life. You’re not even really there, and it’s fucking better! How is that possible? Does that mean if you were, my brain would explode? I bet you’re really good with your fingers. Fuck. Now I’m thinking about your fingers inside of me. No, I have a boyfriend. I have a boyfriend who I think I love. I don’t know. If I did, I wouldn’t be thinking about you fucking me. Fucking me. You. Fucking. Me. God, I bet that’s good. What do you sound like? I bet it’s hot. I bet you’re vocal. I bet you talk dirty. God, that would kill me. Shit, Eddie. You don’t even live here. What is wrong with me? 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: I see you 

“Shit.” Steve’s stomach drops, and he accidentally hits the send button out of muscle memory.

When the text moves from the box up to the screen, his brain recognizes what he’s done and, in slow motion, starts to panic.

“Oh god, NO, NO, SHIT. Uh, fuck fuck fuck.” He quickly presses the message and fumbles to delete it. The message disappears, and the notification that he unsent a message appears. His heart is beating a million miles a minute, and he prays that he caught it before Eddie saw it.

Favorite Metalhead ❤: what was that? 

“Shit,” Steve squeezes his eyes shut, hitting himself in the forehead with the edge of his phone.

Steve: Nothing 

Steve: Accident 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: it didn’t look like nothing 

Steve: What did you see? 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: something about me not living here and you asking what was wrong with you 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: but that was a lot of text 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: is there something you want to tell me Steve? 

“Yes,” Steve whispers to himself.

Steve: Just that I’m sorry, things got weird between us and it was really nice to see you. You looked 

Hot 

Sexy 

Fuckable 

Steve: good 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: you looked 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: good too 

Steve: I liked the acoustic song 

Steve: It was beautiful 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: then I’m glad I didn’t cut it 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: and that you didn’t miss it 

Steve wants to ask him and make sure, but this moment feels too fragile to risk.

Steve: When are you going back to Indiana? 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: tomorrow 

Steve: Too bad I couldn’t stay tonight. We could’ve caught up. 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: yeah but you and jake had to get back to your perfect little life and ran out of here 

Steve: It’s not perfect. He went home. I needed to be alone 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: you’re at home alone? 

Steve: Yeah 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: what are you doing? 

Steve: Just hanging out on my couch 

Steve sees the bubble appear and disappear a few times before Eddie’s subsequent text comes through.

Favorite Metalhead ❤: why’d you wanna be alone? 

Steve: Just had some stuff on my mind. Wanted to think about it 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: what’s on that pretty little mind of yours stevie? 

Steve: I don’t really know 

You 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: then you should’ve stayed. I could’ve helped you forget all about it 

Steve: I don’t know that weed would help this situation 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: I never mentioned weed 

Steve stares at Eddie’s text, his heart thumping against his ribcage. He thinks he knows what Eddie is implying and hopes he does.

Steve: How do you know you wouldn’t make it worse? 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: would helping you forget all your troubles and make you feel good instead really be worse? 

Shit 

Steve sighs while his body betrays him, sending a few sparks to his midsection.

Steve: Maybe 

Steve: Especially if it’s really good 

Steve throws his arm over his eyes. What is he doing? What are they doing? What is even going on? They haven’t spoken in almost a year, and now? They’re what? Flirting? On the verge of sexting even? Steve groans, tosses his phone on the couch and heads into the kitchen. He ignores the ping from his phone as he peruses the contents of his refrigerator. After a few seconds of staring at nothing in particular, he slams the door shut and turns back to stare at the couch. He can see his phone screen lit up, antagonizing him.

He hears a second ping, pulling him back like a sea siren tempting passing sailors. He grabs his phone from the cushion and reads Eddie’s messages.

Favorite Metalhead ❤: I could come over 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: if you wanted company 

And oh god, does he. His dick is betraying him as the thought of Eddie coming to his door in the middle of the night, maybe pushing him against the wall and grabbing his throat, consumes his mind. He presses the heel of his palm into the hardening bulge in his pants, trying to adjust himself.

Steve collapses back onto his couch and stares at his phone. Why was this happening now? After Thanksgiving last year, Steve realized he didn’t just think Eddie was attractive, he didn’t just think he was sexy, but he realized he had a massive crush on him. Sure he wanted to fuck the shit out of him, but he also wanted to hold his hand. He wanted to brush his hair out of his face. He wanted to hear him talk about what kind of D&D dice he bought or what guitar strings were the best. He wanted to spend time with him. He wanted to hear him laugh, but instead, they had this partially constructed wall between them that made things awkward and weird.

Steve spent months talking to Robin about everything. He’d dissected every interaction, every breath, every side glance that happened that week he was in Hawkins, and eventually, she told him to stop. She couldn’t continue listening to Steve pine after someone he refused to speak to. She pointed out that he could find all these answers if he talked to Eddie directly. But Steve couldn’t do that. What if Eddie laughed at him? What if Eddie told him he was an idiot and then joked about it in front of Dustin and the boys? Or worse, what if he was disgusted? Steve couldn’t risk it, couldn’t risk his heart.

So he moved on. Then he met Jake, and things got better. Jake was fun, he made Steve laugh, and they had a lot in common. They listened to the same music. They have the same taste in food. They even both played sports in high school. It made it easy to find common ground between them. And Steve thought Jake was sexy. He was a little shorter than Steve but had an athletic build. He had blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Steve noticed as they sparkled when he smiled. He made him feel comfortable, safe even, and easy. But Steve was still hiding things from him. Steve couldn’t tell Jake about the trauma. He couldn’t explain the constant continuous nightmares he had this many years later. He couldn’t properly explain the scars and why movies with Russian characters were always off the table. But it was ok; Steve was still pretty happy. It was fine.

Steve: You don’t have to do that. I’m 35 minutes away from where you are 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: still closer than 4.5 hours 

Steve: True 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: say the word stevie 

Steve hesitates and doesn’t know what to say.

Favorite Metalhead ❤: or I could just text it to you 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: tell you instead 

Steve’s skin sizzles at the idea, but his stomach twists in knots. As badly as he wants to read exactly what Eddie is implying, he can’t do that to Jake.

Steve: You don’t have to do that 

Steve: I can imagine it pretty well 

Steve: I should go to bed anyway. I gotta wake up early in the morning 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: then I guess we’ll just stay in our imaginations 

Favorite Metalhead ❤: goodnight, Harrington 

Steve: Night, Eddie 

Fourth Time

Steve’s phone rings and he is surprised to see Nancy Wheeler calling him.

“Nance?”

“Hey! So, Robin’s birthday is coming up, and I’m trying to throw a surprise party. Would you be willing to head to Indy next Saturday? You can crash at our place.”

“Shit, yes I’m in. What do I need to bring? Or when do you need me there? I will adjust my schedule.”

Nancy and Robin got closer after the Upside Down. They both moved to Indianapolis for college and developed feelings for one another. Steve was a little uncomfortable with that at first because he always viewed Robin like a sister, so her dating his ex-girlfriend was weird. Eventually, though, he realized the two were a much better pairing than he and Nancy ever were. They’re both geniuses, match energies, fall into the perfect yin and yang, and now he could never imagine them with anyone else.

“If you wanted to come up Friday, you could, but you can’t stay here that night. So that’s up to you, but after Saturday, you could stay as long as you wanted if you didn’t care we had work and school to go to.”

“Well, I’ll shoot for Saturday then, and we’ll go from there. What time can I come to your place?”

“Any time after 11, and you’re good.”

“Perfect.”

“Oh, um, just so you know. Eddie’s coming, and he’s bringing someone.”

Steve’s stomach drops. He hadn’t even thought about Eddie maybe being there, and now Nancy’s telling him he will be and bringing a date? Great.

“Oh, ok. Cool, yeah, thanks for telling me. That’s cool. Cool. Yeah.” It was clearly not cool, but he was trying to convince himself otherwise.

“You gonna be ok?” Nancy asks gently.

“Me? Yeah, I’m fine. It’ll be great. I haven’t seen him since his show back in October. We didn’t get to hang out that night, so it’ll be great.”

Steve hadn’t told Robin about the texts from that night. He already knew what she was going to say, so he didn’t see any point. Steve did end up breaking it off with Jake. It took him a few weeks, but it was apparent that Jake wasn’t the one. Eddie and Steve haven’t texted again since. Every once in a while, Steve will open the messages, reread them, and wonder what could’ve happened. What would’ve happened if he’d invited Eddie over. Steve tells himself it’s ok, though. It’s for the best. He and Eddie just can’t get it together, and now that he’s apparently dating someone, they miss their timing again. Maybe it’s just not meant to be, but that’s ok.

“Good. You know she’s worried about you?”

“Rob? Tell her she doesn’t need to. I’m good.”

“You go on any dates lately?”

Steve knows she’s fishing.

“No, it’s been nice. I need the break.”

“You’ll meet someone, Steve. You deserve a storybook romance.”

“Thanks, Nance. I’ll see you next week, ok? Text me if you need me to bring anything or pick something up that day.”

“Will do. Oh hey, we’re gonna have karaoke, so make sure you warm up your vocal cords.”

“Oh great, can't wait to listen to Robin’s drunken rendition of Melissa Etheridge’s I’m the Only One. Again.” He emphasizes the last word.

“Yeah, me either.” She replies in a thoughtful tone.

“I don’t get it. Alright, well I’ll see you next Saturday.”

“Bye.”

Steve busies himself between then and Saturday and ends up showing up at Nancy and Robin’s place around noon with an armful of balloons. He helps Nancy finish setting up with a few of their college friends, and when the rest of the guests arrive, he directs people to hiding spots. He had kept himself so busy that day he’d forgotten Eddie was supposed to be there.

Around 7 pm, Robin turned her key to the apartment door while everyone was hiding in the dark.

“SURPRISE!” 

15 of Robin’s closest friends jump out and scare the crap out of her. She drops her purse and clutches her chest while holding her right hand out as if she were gripping a weapon. She wasn’t, though, so it looked like she put her fist out in front of her body, holding an invisible wand.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” She yelled, and when her brain registered who everyone was, she dropped her hands to her side and let her head fall backward, exhaling loudly.

“Shit, babe? Oh I’m so sorry. We just wanted to surprise you.” Nancy rushes to Robin’s side and puts her hands on her shoulders.

“I know, I know, and I love you for that, but holy crap, Nancy.”

Steve steps over to them and puts his hands carefully on each of their shoulders. “You ok?”

“Oh god, Steve, you’re here? Oh, Nancy.” Robin looks up at Steve, and tears start to fill her eyes.

“Of course, I’m here. I’ve driven over here for way less. The least I could do was be here for your surprise party, dummy.”

Everyone laughs, and someone in the room turns the music back on. As the group disperses and starts enjoying the party, Robin wraps her arms around her girlfriend and best friend. They squeeze each other tight and then feel another set of arms wrap around them.

“I’m glad I didn’t miss group hug time!” 

They break apart and see a wide-grinning Eddie Munson beaming brightly.

“OH EDDIE!” Robin flings her arms around his neck and squeezes him tight. Eddie’s eyes find Steve’s, and he gives him a polite smile, and Steve nods in response.

“Hey, I want you all to meet Zach.” Eddie bites his lip and turns to grab the wrist of a man standing behind him. “Zach, this is Robin, the birthday girl. Nancy, the girlfriend of the birthday girl, and Steve, the best friend of the birthday girl. Everyone, this is Zach.”

Steve’s heart thuds as he recognizes the smile Eddie is giving Zach. He’s seen it before pointed in his own direction, but being in the presence of it while it’s pointed at someone else, hurts more than he could’ve imagined.

Zach gives all three of them a nervous wave, and Steve feels Robin slide her fingers into his hand and give him a comforting squeeze. Zach was handsome, Steve would fully admit. He looks exactly how you’d imagine Eddie’s boyfriend would look. His hair was dark brown, clearly dyed and fading from black, a little longer on the top but shaved tight at the sides. Steve bets with a little bit of product, it becomes a mohawk. He has a nose ring in his right nostril and an eyebrow piercing. He’s wearing a worn-out Suicidal Tendencies tee and a studded belt. There’s not a single thing on the man that resembles Steve. It’s glaringly obvious Steve never had a chance.

“Where’s uh….” Eddie snaps his fingers, trying to remember someone’s name. “Jack? No, Jake, where’s Jake?” Eddie’s asking casually, but Steve wonders if it’s more than that.

“We broke up months ago.” Steve awkwardly replies.

Eddie’s eyebrows shoot up, “oh, sorry.” Then Steve notices a quick glance Eddie gives Robin before looking back at Steve.

“It’s fine. Good to see you, man. Nice to meet you, Zach.” Steve smiles pleasantly, trying to hide the jealousy coursing him. Steve doesn’t see the knowing glance pass between Nancy and Robin.

As the night progressed, Steve threw caution to the wind and leaned hard into ‘fuck it.' He was doing shots with anyone that wanted to join him. He tried to get a beer pong competition going, but he just drank all the beer instead when no one participated. He’d avoided Eddie and Zach the rest of the night. Every time Eddie started to come near him, he’d immediately stop whatever conversation he was in and walk away. When Nancy pulled out the karaoke machine, Steve was willing to be the first volunteer. 

“I’m gonna go first, me, gimme.” Steve grabbed the microphone from Nancy and smiled wide. He found the song he needed to sing and looked around the room as the first few notes played.

“Shit,” Robin exclaims quietly as she sees Steve from across the room. 

“Guess mine is not the first heart broken 

My eyes are not the first to cry 

I’m not the first to know 

There’s just no getting over you”

By the end of the first verse, the whole room had quieted while listening to Steve belt out his rendition of Hopelessly Devoted to You. His words were slurring, but everyone could still understand him. His voice was surprisingly beautiful. Everyone was entranced not by the disaster that usually happened during birthday karaoke but by the surprising talent performing in the middle of Robin’s living room. But the only person Steve could see was Eddie. He had been leaning against the wall in the kitchen talking to Zach when Steve started, but he’s moved a few feet closer by the end of this verse.

“I know I’m just a fool who’s willing 

To sit around and wait for you 

But baby, can’t you see there’s nothing else for me to do? 

I’m hopelessly devoted to you”

Steve’s head is swimming, and he has to lean against the wall behind him to keep his balance. Eddie’s gaze is digging deep inside of him and making him weak.

“But now there’s nowhere to hide 

Since you pushed my love aside 

I’m out of my head 

Hopelessly devoted to you 

Hopelessly devoted to you 

Hopelessly devoted to you” 

Steve doesn’t notice as Robin heads near him. She sees her best friend breaking down in front of everyone in that room and wants to protect him. Tears fall from his face as he tries to continue the song. His voice is getting shakier, but he can’t tear his eyes away from Eddie’s face.

“My head is sayin’, 'Fool, f-forget him' 

My heart is sayin’, 'Don't let g-go.'”

At that moment, Robin slides up to his side, wraps her arm around his waist, and takes the microphone from his shaking hand. He smiles at her weakly and nods. She finally cut the invisible cord from Eddie’s eyes. The room watches silently as Robin guides Steve to her and Nancy’s bedroom. Robin looks for Nancy and is relieved when she hears the music come back on and cover up Steve’s crying. When Eddie tries to approach them, Robin shakes her head at him and tells him ‘not now.’

“Here, lay down, ok?” Robin carefully sets Steve on their bed and helps him untie his shoes. 

“Why am I not good enough?” He quietly asks.

Robin presses her hands on Steve’s shoes and feels her heart rip apart.

“You, Steve Harrington, are more than good enough, and if he can’t see that, then fuck him. Lift your foot up.” She guides Steve’s legs as she removes his shoes and helps him lay back on the mattress. “Shhhh, just go to sleep, ok? It’ll be better in the morning. I love you, dingus.” She runs her fingers through his hair, brushing it off his forehead.

“Love you, too.” He murmurs as he quietly fades asleep.

Robin looks up at the door and sees Nancy hugging her chest. When Robin stands up, her girlfriend slips into their bedroom and pulls her into a firm hug. Nancy squeezes Robin tight through her tears and understands. Neither of them hears a quiet ping hit Steve’s phone.

Favorite Metalhead ❤: 💔 

Last Time

Steve never replied to Eddie’s text. When he’d woken up the following day in Robin’s bed with one of the worst hangovers he had in years, he pretended nothing had happened. He didn’t remember anything, so for him, it was easy, but Robin filled him in. He vowed never to show his face around her friends again and promised not to mix alcohol in her presence.

Now, six months later, Steve was headed back to Hawkins for Max’s 21st birthday party. He’d checked Corroded Coffin’s show schedule and was happy to see they would play that Saturday night. He couldn’t bring himself to text Eddie, but he needed to see him. He would sneak into the show and watch from the back, avoiding anyone he might know. Max’s official party was Sunday afternoon, so he was secretly showing up one day early. He’d rented a room at a motel since Robin, Nancy, Dustin, and his parents had all moved out of town. Max was still living at home with her mom, and it would’ve been inappropriate to ask her to crash there.

He brought a few outfits to wear to the concert. He knew he was supposed to be in hiding, but he wanted to look good just in case he got caught. He blamed it on being out, being at a concert in general, but it was obviously for Eddie. It’s been almost two years since Steve came out to Eddie while wrapped together in his jacket. It feels somehow longer and shorter at the same time. Robin told Steve when Eddie broke up with Zach. He knows she did it in hopes of pushing him to finally say something to Eddie, but it felt too late to Steve.

He’s been busy with work, school, and volunteering but has remained single. He needs to put more time and distance between his feelings for Eddie and other people on the planet. He knows if he does it too soon, they’ll only be compared to that Metalhead and never stand a chance. 

Steve slides his brown suede jacket over his denim button-down shirt. It’s a lighter shade than the straight-leg jean he has rolled up over a pair of light brown boots. His hair has grown a little longer again. It’s swept to one side, and he can feel a curl wrapping around his right ear. He inspects himself in the adequate motel mirror and adjusts his belt carefully. When he feels happy with the view, he sprays a few spritzes of his cologne across his chest.

Ten minutes later, he parks his car and heads inside. He shows his ID to the bouncer at the door and moves up to the bar.

“What’ll it be?” The bartender asks.

“Rum and coke with a lime.” When the bartender walks away to mix Steve’s drink, Steve leans against the bar and looks across the room.

There are plenty of people already milling about. The music is loud, but there isn’t a live band playing yet, so it’s not crowded.

“Y’know, if you’d told me you were coming, I would’ve gotten you in for free.”

Steve turns to find Eddie standing right behind him. He didn’t feel him come up. He didn’t feel him invading his space. He was so busy searching for him that he missed him completely.

“Shit, uh, hey. I know, but I didn’t want to bother you.” Steve’s heart was racing.

“That’ll be $8.50.” The bartender sets Steve’s drink down on the bar, and Steve has to turn away from Eddie to pay his bill. He uses the brief opportunity to take a deep breath and collect himself before turning back.

“You could never bother me, Stevie. It’s good to see you.” Steve watches as Eddie’s eyes graze over his body. “You look good.”

“Yeah, thanks, so do you.” Steve’s grateful it’s dark in the bar, so Eddie can’t see his blush.

“I’ll look even better later.” Eddie grins and gives Steve a playful wink.

“Yeah?” Steve attempts to lean into the flirting.

“Oh yeah. What are you doing in little ‘ol Hawkins, Steve?” Eddie puts his hand on the bar next to Steve and leans over, invading more of Steve’s personal space.

“Uh,” Steve’s mouth goes dry. “Max’s birthday tomorrow.”

“And came a night early just to see me?”

Yes 

“I saw the band was playing, so I thought I’d come down.” Steve’s lungs are filled with Eddie’s scent, cedarwood, and amber mixed with something citrusy. He could swim in it.

“What are you doing after the show?”

“I was…nothing,” Steve shakes his head.

“Hmm, for now. I better get backstage.” Eddie pushes himself off the bar and stands in front of Steve. “I gotta add a sudden last-minute song to the set.”

Steve swallows hard as Eddie takes one last leering glance at Steve. His nerves are shot by the time the band gets on stage. Now that he’s been caught, he doesn’t feel the need to stand near the back. He moves closer to the stage and takes his position in front of Eddie, a few people back. He’s not right up front, but he’s close enough to be seen.

Eddie wasn’t lying when he said he would look better later. When he waltzes on stage wearing tight leather pants and nothing but a leather jacket over his bare chest, Steve is sure he will have a heart attack. His hands are laden with chunky metal rings, and a lone dagger earring hangs from his right ear. He was fucking hot.

Eddie winks at Steve throughout the concert, sending shivers up his spine. His whole body is on fire, watching Eddie in his element. Every time Steve enjoyed seeing Eddie on stage, it was a different experience for his senses. This one felt like the first time he was actually seeing him. It was an incredible turn-on.

“Ok, this is gonna be a change of pace. The band is gonna take a quick break while I hopefully don’t make a fool out of myself. They’ll be back, and you fuckers will love it.” Eddie turns to the band members, and they all slide off stage. Steve sees one of them smirk and roll their eyes.

Eddie motions to someone in the room, and music comes over the speakers. Steve thinks he might faint.

“Guess mine is not the first heart broken 

My eyes are not the first to cry 

I’m not the first to know 

There’s just no getting over you ”

Even though he didn’t remember singing that night, Robin gave him every ounce of detail so he could create a memory in his mind. He bites back a laugh while the rest of the crowd murmurs in confusion. Eddie nervously sings and tries to keep eye contact with Steve, but it’s obvious he’s anxious about how Steve will react to the song.

“I know I’m just a fool who’s willing 

To sit around and wait for you 

But baby, can’t you see there’s nothing else for me to do? 

I’m hopelessly devoted to you ”

Steve finds it easier to move closer to the stage as the crowd moves around to refill drinks and take bathroom breaks during the unique genre change. Eddie uses Steve’s actions to build his courage and shift his tone from nervousness to a confident frontman.

“But now there’s nowhere to hide 

Since you pushed my love aside 

I’m out of my head 

Hopelessly devoted to you 

Hopelessly devoted to you 

Hopelessly devoted to you”

When Steve finally makes it directly in front of the stage, he looks up at the man who’s been ruining his life in the most absurd, frustrating way for the past several years. Eddie moves forward, his toes at the edge of the stage, towering over Steve. They both exist in the space as if they were all alone and not surrounded by a couple of hundred strangers.

“My head is sayin’, 'Fool, forget him'

My heart is sayin’, 'Don't let go

Hold on to the end', that's what I intend to do 

I’m hopelessly devoted to you”

Eddie moves his body and kneels to get closer to Steve. Steve can feel his heart fluttering like a hummingbird in his chest. His mouth falls open, and he doesn’t know if he’s even breathing. Eddie’s hand reaches down and brushes against Steve’s cheek sending sparks flying through his veins.

“But now there’s no way to hide 

Since you pushed my love aside 

I’m outta my head 

Hopelessly devoted to you 

Hopelessly devoted to you 

Hopelessly devoted to you”

As the music fades and a smattering of applause breaks out in the room, Eddie drops the microphone and grabs Steve’s face, leaning down and crashing his lips onto his. Steve feels his chest constrict and reaches up to hold Eddie’s face as they pull each other toward their mouths. Just as they are about to forget they’re in public, the room erupts in applause. There are whistles and cheers and encouraging clapping surrounding them. Steve’s eyes shoot open, and he hesitantly pulls back, staring at Eddie, who grins wide.

“I should’ve done that two years ago, actually shoulda done that five years ago,” Eddie whispers. “I’m gonna finish this show, and afterward, this time, you’re gonna let me make you feel good. Ok?”

Steve silently nods in easy agreement. 

Notes:

1. The acoustic song Eddie sings is Here Without You by 3 Doors Down. 2. Steve singing Hopelessly Devoted to You was inspired by jayshifts on TikTok saying Steve would have a beautiful singing voice and sing open mic night at the hideout. I took personal liberties with that idea but fell in love with it and Harry Styles' rendition during his Halloween show that she plays under her TikTok video. 3. They leave the show and have some of the best sex of their lives and live happily ever after, because I said so

[mysticalsoot]

✭masterlist✭

introduction/guidelines here

wip list!

I wanted to revamp my masterlist, so here yall go!

〘 ♥ 〙

dadbur headcanons to feel something || x

fluff, headcanons, gn/afab undertones cc!wilbur x reader pregnancy/health issues, swearing

he said he'd cure all your ills (but he did and he always will) || x

hurt/comfort, angst with fluff, warped reality cc!wilbur x gn!reader // 2k swearing, derealization, manipulation, cheating

he said he'd cure all your ills (but he didn't and he never maybe will) || x

angst, warped reality, yeah that's it cc!wilbur x gn!reader // 2.7k swearing, manipulation, bittersweet ending, heights, cheating, wilbur is an asshole, please don't do what reader does

marry the idiot on the stage (request) || x

fluffy marriage proposal!! thats it!! cc!wilbur x gn!reader // 2k swearing

this is it, this is what joy feels like, doesn't it? || x

hurt/comfort, little angst lots of fluff cc!wilbur x gn!reader // 5.3k swearing, one undetailed kiss, mentions of alcohol and drinking

too, more and most || x

very dark angst with a redeeming fluffy end, hurt/comfort, warped reality they/them // cc!wilbur x gn!reader // 3.3k alluded death, mcd but not permanent, swearing, derealization, hallucinations, flat out death, swearing probably!

guitars and domestic bliss || x

so much fluff! cc!wilbur x reader // 2.4k swearing, kissing, thunderstorms, sliiiightly suggestive, tickling

sick at space camp || x

my space camp boarding school au, tooth-rotting fluff cc!wilbur x gn!reader // 2.5k swearing, a cold, whiny and clingy wilbur

mission sims and missing cues || x

another bs au fic, flirty pinning friends they/them // cc!wilbur x gn!reader // 6.3k swearing, pinning galore, suggestive ish sorta

my darling, husband || x

domestic bliss, relationship/marriage reveal?? he/him // cc!wilbur x male!reader // 2.3k swearing, suggestive at the end, lots of physical affection (wholesome), tickle fight woo!!

miscommunications and mistakes || x

slightly angsty, will they/won't they, gay pining, another another bs au fic- he/him // cc!wilbur x transmale!reader // 4.2k swearing, kissing, slight make out, mentions of anxious thoughts, wilbur says he's gay in this- I think that's it?

don't lock yourself away || x

request, hurt/comfort, shit mental health, depressive episode, supportive bf wilbur they/them // cc!wilbur x gn!reader // 1.5k swearing, depression, unaliving ideation, please tread lightly- that's it

peer pressure and canned beer || x

hurt/comfort, miscommunication ish, peer pressure, cheating, asshole drunk wilbur they/them // cc!wilbur x gn!reader // 3k swearing, underage drinking, peer pressure, kissing, cheating, homophobic undertones, alchehol (please read that as is, its supposed to be funny)

goodnight, my sweet || x

little hurt/big comfort, autistic coded reader, best bf wilbur they/them // cc!wilbur x gn!reader // 1.7k mentions of possibly fainting, lots of kissing, all of its wholesome kissing, lowercase intentional, not proofread

you changed, it's good || x

mini hurt/big comfort, old feelings, wil is a dad, willow my dear<3 they/them // c!revivedbur x gn!reader // 1.8k swearing, child, inaccurate depictions of lore, suicidal mentions perhaps?

tomorrow you can fly || x

fluff, minor angst, makeupbur!! they/them // cc!wilbur x gn!reader // 3k anxiety, separation anxiety, brief mention of will being shirtless, sorta suggestive, so fluffy it hurts, overuse of petnames, autistic coded reader/wil

halloween costumes & anxiety || x

wilbur helps reader when he panics over negative words thrown at him by fans, halloween costumes included (pt 1 of glances of love) he/him // cc!wilbur x male!reader // 3.2k one sfw use of daddy, lots of petnames, anxious autistic coded reader, so fluffy yet angsty, some assholes in the lvjy fanbase, maybe swearing?

i prefer life with you, than without || x

wilbur gets a bit self conscious about his relationship with reader but you're quick to reassure him ! (pt 2 of glances of love) they/them // cc!wilbur x gn!reader // 2.4k possible swearing, mentions and vague descriptions of parental fighting and childhood trauma, food mentions (no EDs), implied age gap (do what you will with that)

i love you, you know? || x

request // wilbur disappears from his office and so when reader goes looking for him, he only responds to daddy. then reader threatens him to not shave (beardbur my beloved) they/them // labrat dr!wilbur x gn!reader // 1.8k sfw playful uses of daddy (literally the whole point of the fic), maybe swearing, mentions of burning alive (its a joke i-), threatening wil to not shave! beardbur coded bc- I love it (the last stream's beard specific), mild seperation/abandonment anxiety

someone to (not) watch me die || x

wilbur's been distant lately but when you finally convince him to spend some time with you, your life takes a dramatic turn. he doesn't always keep his promises. they/them // lmanbur x gn!reader // 2k hurt absolutely no comfort, MCD !!! incredibly implied suicide/assisted suicide (going into a battle knowing he's not coming back), swearing probably, overuse of baby (sue me), reader kinda wants to off themselves at the end but uh who wouldn't? implied age gap

someone to live with || x

part 2 of previous fic // after wilbur's death and a too long to think, you ask your sister to help you. she does but maybe her methods work a bit too well. they/them // reivivebur x gn!reader // 3.1k slight hurt/big comfort, suicide mentions, kissing, easily forgiving reader, ghostbur goes to a happy limbo, probably swearing

heaven is you (godbur au) || x

after a few (actually, many) instances where you risked your life in order to reach your beloved wilbur’s world, you have a final disagreement that brings him to a few realizations and maybe some more effort to bring you want you want they/them // godbur x gn!reader // 2k kinda hurt but comfort at end, illusions to suicide but not flat out said, probably swearing, is there an unbalanced power dynamic? probably, uses of baby (i’m sorry i’m a sucker for it-)

an angel to you || x

you and wilma live outside of a small town and on an off day decide to have a sleepy day in they/them // witch!wilma x gn!reader // 1.1k fluff, fluff, fluff. maybe implied age gap? dont remember. a gay guy writing for a woman is enough of a warning i think.

this is reality || x (also on ao3)

kind of sbi and autistic wilbur au, angst (non reader) autistic!wilbur // 5.4k anxiety, panic, swearing

[desires-of-chain]

reader from a/b/o universe do be accidentally unlocking kinks for other links lol like scent kink, dom/sub, breeding, etc

But also this gave me an idea where the chain arent aware of what reader had been doing instead like reader has been scenting them and all and reader is confused why they havent even kissed yet or mated yet or why people still keep approaching the links despite the heavy, heavy scenting that screams 'MINE MINE MINE STAY AWAY' (*cough* cultural misunderstandings galore!)

Also: the chain thinking that reader is just joking or exagerrateing when they say that their heat/rut is coming and since reader says it's a monthly thing that lasts a week most of them just assume it's their period. (Maybe some confusion and frustration when they start trying to build a nest lol...angst???)

then the heat/rut finally happens and everyone is just scrambling around in panic trying to make things comfortable for reader and taking turns on providing reader some relief because reader is very much insatiable the entire week and by the end of it everyone is just exhausted lmao they end up having a long, long talk about this and correcting misunderstandings

-🎀

Ohh, poor reader. The miscommunication is gon be heavy with all of them. There will be a lot of making up before continuing with the ?poly relationship? with reader. Just taking it slow before diving back into all of that. Yeah, so many kinks will be unlocked because of their heat/rut.

[lgbtpopcult]

lgbtpopcult book club

Teaching Hope

American high school teacher Ava Stanford has been betrayed in the worst way possible. So she takes a temporary job at a village school in England. She’s definitely not running away, but even she admits she’s got nothing to go home to.

School receptionist Hope Perkins is hardly at her peak. She’s a single mum, living with her own mother, and battling her ex for custody of little Alice. It’s not exactly the life she pictured in close-knit Whitebridge. Add in a new neighbor, who hates Hope’s cat, and things couldn’t get much worse.

But when a miscommunication results in child-allergic Ava teaching six-year-olds, it soon becomes clear that the only thing standing between her and disaster is Hope. And as irritating, annoying, and downright rude as Hope finds Ava, she soon starts to develop other feelings too.

Opposites definitely attract, and with cats galore, children running riot, interfering mothers and blue-haired bookstore owners, it’s hard to escape Whitebridge unscathed. Because once a town adopts you, you’re there for good. Providing Ava finally lets down her guard enough to let Hope in, that is.

[wordstro]

[11:50 PM] + natural disaster apocalypse au + road trip au + "what are we supposed to do now?"

a/n: 3.2k words, gender neutral reader as always, san x wooyoung x y/n :), lots of implied hooking up and sexual relationships but no descriptions of it, fwb san, red flags galore, miscommunication, insecurities & anxiety, drinking, mention of the dating app tinder (derogatory) and the terrible nicknames that come out of that lmao, environmental disasters and existential crises go hand in hand lol, i have wips to finish but i wanted to write this rippp please lmk if anyone wants more though

taglist: @leeknowsalot, @hither-to-undreamt-of, @not-everything-is-so-primitive

-

you’d made it a point to never stay the night. san and your arrangement was almost clinical in it’s execution. if one of you wanted to blow off steam, you’d text - never call - and the other would show up at the asker’s doorstep if they were up to it. no kissing on the mouth. no excessive cuddling. nothing too intimate. outside of that arrangement, you both remained friendly - you had to when you both shared so many mutual friends.

still, despite the rules, san was polite, and he treated you with a kindness you did not expect.

“why are you being so nice?” you’d asked once, after that first time, when you’d both danced at hongjoong’s birthday party and ended the night in san’s bedroom. you were sprawled out on top the towel he'd laid out over his sheets, sweaty and trying to return to your senses.

san paused in the act of opening the water bottle he’d plucked from his mini fridge, his brows knitting together. he’d already handed you a washcloth and your clothes, and now he sat at the edge of the bed frowning at you. he said, “aftercare isn’t optional, y/n. “

you’d blinked, and his frown deepened when you said, “i guess not.”

it had been, for your previous partners, but you did not want to elaborate on it so you’d only sat up and taken the water bottle. san did not ask, but his brows remained furrowed. after that, you never asked. neither of you asked each other much about your personal lives. it was as if it was an unspoken rule, to remain as uninvolved as possible. friends with benefits, with as little possibility of attachment as possible. frankly, the two of you were barely friends, only ever spending time together outside of your arrangement in group settings.

they say, however, you learn a lot about someone just from sleeping with them.

you’d never touched on personal matters too much, but sometimes he texted you and his touch was angrier and rougher than usual.

sometimes, you had eyes. you saw the way his eyes followed mingi during seonghwa’s monthly bowling tournaments for months. the way his jaw clenched, and the way mingi avoided the group for a while, until one day mingi showed up to a board game night with a six pack of beer and san and mingi bumped fists, and everything was back to normal.

you saw the extra toothbrush he’d left in the bathroom - used and obviously not meant for you - and the familiar hoodie hanging from the drying rack while you tugged your jeans back on - “i don’t think you’ve met wooyoung yet, have you y/n?” hongjoong said once at a random thursday night happy hour, dark eyes fixed on you as he threw an arm over your shoulders, dragging you close. wooyoung wore a black hoodie that he fiddled with the strings of, rolling his eyes as hongjoong whispered in a conspiring tone, wooyoung's warm brown eyes lingering on your face, your stomach flipping at his lopsided grin and twinkling eyes, “woo is san’s college sweetheart.” - and the wrapped christmas presents sitting on the counter that you were never a recipient of - “can i grab a croissant on the way out?” you'd asked san, pausing at the door, and san only waved at you over his shoulder as he flipped open his laptop.

despite learning too much about him, despite wondering if some of the flags you'd noticed and blatantly ignored made you the bad person, for months and months and months, you never stayed the night.

one summer night, you’d sat with your knees tucked to your chest, squished between hongjoong and wooyoung, an empty soju bottle in front of you and a slice of pizza halfway to your mouth. your face was hot from the alcohol you hadn’t meant to down so much of.

summer nights were usually not so hot, but lately the weather had been absolutely dreadful. hongjoong blasted the a/c and seonghwa dragged a fan into the little living room and the blankets you’d usually use were tossed aside. the sweaty skin of your knee stuck to wooyoung’s but when you looked over at him to elbow him so he'd give you some space, you caught a glimpse of san’s hand resting on wooyoung’s bare thigh, above his tattoo. san's thumb circled over the skin there. your stomach flipped at the sight. you’d looked up then, and san's attention was fixed on the drama hongjoong put on. you tore your gaze from san's profile, glancing sideways, only to -

wooyoung smiled at you. it was a wide grin, all teeth and twinkling eyes and a knowingness that had your stomach churning. the churning in your stomach was not new. you'd always felt that way about him, since the day hongjoong introduced you two, but this time, you felt...caught.

you blinked at him. wooyoung dropped a hand to the curve of your knee, and pat it with the lightest of touches. your breath hitched.

you did not know the details of san and wooyoung's relationship. the rest of your friends did - a side effect of joining a friend group formed entirely during their college years, long before you ever met any of them - and hongjoong seemed to have taken a liking to eyeing you strangely whenever you interacted with san in a public setting.

hongjoong was always the nosy type. it was why you'd ended up a part of his friend group the way you had. you met hongjoong while the two of you were working at a coffee shop after graduating from university, bonding over the struggle of finding a real job (as your parents loved to put it). hongjoong was focused on producing music during his free time, while you applied to every entry level corporate job you could find. the two of you spent a lot of time going to bars to unwind or trying new food places, until hongjoong introduced you to his friends.

there was seonghwa and siyeon. the twins and the bane of hongjoong's existence, according to hongjoong's grumbling every morning over the espresso machine. you'd taken it seriously the first few times he said it, until siyeon and seonghwa showed up to the coffee shop with lunch for hongjoong and hongjoong's entire expression lit up before he even saw the food in siyeon's hands. later, you learned they were all roommates. then there was seulgi, siyeon's girlfriend, who had a penchant for ordering too many rounds of tequila shots and staying over at seonghwa, siyeon, and hongjoong's apartment more than she stayed at her own place - another complaint hongjoong liked to grumble about even though he tended to complain more if seulgi wasn't staying at the apartment. it was ironic, really, but you'd learned long ago not to question it. then there was mingi and san. they were roommates first year of university and refused to live with anyone else since then. mingi liked to study in the coffee shop you and hongjoong worked at, and you'd taken to having his regular order ready for him before he even walked in the door. a year later, wooyoung moved to the city and you liked the way he smiled, the way he got on with everyone as if no time had passed at all, and most of all there was an unexplainable ache in your chest whenever you saw wooyoung cuddled up with san. when you saw the tattoo on wooyoung's thigh one summer at the beach - nearly identical to san's - you'd felt that ache again, joining the butterflies in your stomach whenever wooyoung smiled at you, or san did something as simple as holding the door open for you in public.

you refused to unpack that ache, any of it really, but hongjoong was nosy and perceptive, and one night hongjoong pulled you into his kitchen, the sounds of siyeon and seonghwa bickering in the living room loud, grating almost, and hongjoong crossed his arms over his chest as his gaze bore into your skull. he asked, "are you fucking san?”

you’d sputtered, stepping away from hongjoong as if he'd smacked you. he might as well have, because you thought you and san had done an incredible job of hiding your arrangement. but hongjoong was nosy and perceptive, and you should have known he'd catch on. you should have known the moment he threw his arm over your shoulders and introduced you to wooyoung the way he did.

hongjoong crossed his arms over his chest and sighed at whatever he saw in your expression. he hadn’t given you the chance to answer, only dragged a hand through his hair as he leaned back against the kitchen counter and said, “i had a feeling you were, but...i thought you knew better. woo and san have been a thing for ages. they're...complicated, but they're them.”

you'd wondered, sometimes, when you saw wooyoung's clothes on the drying rack, or his christmas presents on the counter, or even when san handed you a shirt to wear if he'd ruined yours and you'd recognized it clearly as wooyoung's if you were blatantly in the middle of something. you'd wondered if wooyoung knew about you. that thought often kept you up at night, for more reasons then you'd like to admit.

you frowned, “why would i get hurt? we're not serious.”

hongjoong raised a brow in disbelief.

"we're not," your voice raised, echoing through the kitchen. siyeon and seonghwa were no longer bickering. you worked to lower your voice, "why do you care anyway?"

hongjoong blinked. once, twice. he dropped his arms to the side, and he frowned at you as if you were an idiot. maybe you were, for asking such a question. you'd only known hongjoong for a couple years, while hongjoong knew san and seonghwa and siyeon and mingi and seulgi and wooyoung for so much longer. you were always the new one. the one left out. the one listening as they recounted old college stories. the one on birthdays feeling as if your gift was too surface level. it was a stupid thing to feel bad about - the history - but sometimes, you felt so far behind and so far removed. it always felt like you versus them, and the way hongjoong said them about wooyoung and san - it made your chest ache something awful.

"because i care about you."

hongjoong said it kindly, softly, and it reminded you of how nice san was to you. it made your chest tight.

you said, "i know what i'm doing. it's...it's not serious. i'm fine."

hongjoong opened his mouth to say something, but then his eyes swept over your face and he clamped his mouth shut. he only nodded, said, "okay."

then he turned and grabbed wine glasses from the cabinets.

hongjoong proceeded to shove the empty wine glasses into your limp hands and wave you back to the living room. siyeon pat the spot next to he on the couch, and seonghwa only smiled, and hongjoong never brought up san again.

that was nearly a year ago.

now here you are, one of too many sweltering summer nights, with wooyoung's warm hand resting on the curve of your bare knee, and his eyes twinkling, and you refusing to acknowledge the butterflies churning at the pit of your stomach, or the way you glanced slightly to san, his jaw and the curve of his nose and the way his gaze remained fixed on the television screen and his hand on wooyoung's upper thigh and the slight disappointment that joined the butterflies at the fact that he did not even care to glance your way.

you did not know how to react - that was a constant with you really - so you put down your half-eaten pizza and poured yourself a shot of soju.

wooyoung nudged your shoulder. you could not ignore that.

you nudged him back, raising a brow as you downed the shot.

wooyoung's eyes flickered over your face, watching as you swallowed the shot before he said, "not going to offer me any?"

your eyes flit to his thigh. san stopped drawing circles there, his grip tightening slightly. you made a face, "you seem preoccupied."

wooyoung laughed, and the sound was a loud boisterous thing. san looked over. he smiled politely at you - it was always so polite in public, so clinical - before his eyes landed on wooyoung. wooyoung tossed his head back on the couch behind him.

hongjoong shushed him, "shut up. it's getting good."

you giggled. san's gaze flickered to you then, before it returned to the television.

wooyoung's hand remains on your knee. it's distracting. you take another shot, returning to the television.

in that moment, your heart is a wild thing in your chest. you'd stayed awake one too many nights wondering why your heart raced the way it did whenever you were around wooyoung. he'd do something as simple as smile, and you'd find yourself thinking of it over and over.

wooyoung simply reached over, picked up your half-eaten pizza and took a bite. without asking.

before you could turn on him, the television blared. the siren was a terrifying thing, loud and grating and too loud, too loud, too loud.

you yelped. wooyoung dropped the pizza on his lap. san's hand dropped from wooyoung's upper thigh. hongjoong shouted, "what the fuck."

seonghwa dropped the pizza box in his hands. the pizza went everywhere.

~.~.~.~.~

six weeks.

forty two days.

the television flickered through the quiet apartment. it was muted, the news anchor's expression solemn as she spoke, as clips of floods and the sun and long lines outside grocery stores - all things you'd seen on social media from around the world for last few months - blared behind her. sweat stuck to the back of your shirt.

you stared at the empty soju bottles in front of you. seonghwa and hongjoong had left long ago, to the convenience store, after the announcement. they hadn't asked. seonghwa merely said, "i think we need more soju" into the impending silence.

hongjoong shot to his feet, his keys jiggling. seonghwa took the pizza box with him, and you watched his hands tremble.

you don't know how much time passed. your ears were ringing. wooyoung's thigh was no longer pressed to yours. he sat across from you.

san was pacing. back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

you met wooyoung's gaze over the green soju bottle, and he held you there in his gaze.

forty two days.

six weeks.

"maybe they're wrong," san murmured, and you thought he'd pace a hole into the carpet at the rate he was going. "the sun can't just explode. we can't just...there has to be some way to stop it. they have to be wrong."

"they wouldn't announce it like that if they weren't sure," wooyoung said.

a car alarm blared in the distance. screaming. shouting.

you closed your eyes.

a beat of silence, before you felt a hand on your shoulder. you opened your eyes, looked up, and san peered down at you. he smiled politely once more. even with the world ending, he was always so polite. so kind.

you tore your eyes from his, to wooyoung across from you. there was a look in his eyes you couldn't quite place. it was a mix between softness and an edge, that was only intensified by that perpetual twinkle in his eyes.

you said, "what are we supposed to do now?"

wooyoung shrugged, "anything we want?"

but the way he looked at you then, the way his gaze flickered up to san, before returning to you, it made the butterflies at the pit of your stomach morph into a flock of birds, into a problem. the tension grew so thick, you were afraid to even move. san's hand remained warm on your shoulder, grounding, while wooyoung's gaze made you float.

before you could formulate a response, though, a series of beeps echoed through the apartment, and the door swung open. mingi stumbled in, still in his work uniform, hair a mess, and his smile was a solemn thing as he spoke into the silence, "we're going to die."

san sighed, scowling at mingi. the tension disappeared so quickly, you wondered if you imagined it. "do you have to say it like that?"

"is there any other way to say it?" mingi asked, kicking the front door shut behind him.

"you're lucky siyeon isn't here right now. she'd kill you for kicking her door."

mingi turned to inspect the door, wiping at where he kicked, before he spun on his heels and gestured all around you both. "look, you don't understand. this is an opportunity you guys."

"to do what exactly?" wooyoung crossed his arms over his chest.

"quit work, take a road trip, go the fucking beach, anything." mingi gestured all around them, his eyes wide and his smile wider, and he said, "it's the end of the fucking world, and we can do whatever we want."

"aren't we supposed to, like, reflect on our decisions and shit? see our parents maybe?"

mingi pointed at you, grin widening, "technically yes, but doesn't a road trip sound more fun."

you raised a brow at mingi, suspicious, "where do you want to road trip to?"

mingi grinned, all teeth and charm, "well i was thinking busan."

wooyoung laughed, said, "does this, by chance, have anything to do with the guy you matched with on tinder? what did you save him as? busan babe?"

the door to the apartment opened once more, hongjoong and seonghwa stumbling in with clinking plastic bags.

"okay," mingi drew out the word, still grinning, "maybe busan babe invited me to an end of the world party. but i thought, hey why not propose a road trip with my best friends and get laid? two birds, one stone, right?"

"mingi's getting laid? who would want to do that?"

"you want to go on a road trip?"

hongjoong frowned at mingi, while seonghwa dropped his bags on the table between you and wooyoung.

"you do realize the earth is going to blow up in forty two days, mingi."

"and what better way to die then doing what you love?" mingi raised a brow, matching hongjoong's body language.

seonghwa frowned as he tossed the plastic bags in the kitchen drawer, "you want to die partying?"

"i want to die getting the life sucked out of my -"

wooyoung and san's laugh drowned out the rest of mingi's words. you couldn't help but join, the laughter contagious.

in that moment, as seonghwa placed more shot glasses on the table, you could only think of how in a way mingi was right. the world was going to end in forty two days. six weeks. the world was ending, and you could do whatever you wanted.

you had to. your gaze flickered over wooyoung, to san with his head resting on wooyoung's shoulder.

"maybe," you said, "a road trip isn't a bad idea."

a smile tugged at hongjoong's lips as he downed another shot and said, "yeah, maybe it isn't."

wooyoung's voice was quiet, a sobering thing, when he said, "what else do we have to do anyway?"

the muted television flickered behind him as he said it, and the apartment was still too-hot, and you all nodded as you took another shot.

truly, what do you have to lose? the sun would explode in six weeks whether you wanted to believe it would or not.

-

[whentheynameyoujoy]

The thing with soaps is that they kinda require miscommunication to be a major part of the plot to justify the ridiculous length but with YSBLF it gets especially funny because the misunderstanding is the man getting up for work thinking “Today’s the best day of my life, the day when I will fool everyone into thinking I’m not actually nepotism’s fail baby and when I will boot the fiancée I don’t care about and instead publicly declare that I’ve never known love until I met this adorable little gremlin who’s been cooking my books for me, whereupon I will of course make sweet, sweet love to her.” And then the woman’s haunting the hallways like, “This incompetent shit who never loved me basically confirmed he’s sticking to his plan of taking me out back and shooting me like the Old Yeller, time to reveal him for what he is and destroy everything he holds dear!” And it all takes place in a single room and takes like six episodes to get through and they’re all sitting and talking fraud and there are tortured googly eyes galore and it makes me remember the best part of my childhood and by god it is kick your feet as you suffer glo-ri-ous.

I live for this.

[stealingyourbones]

Short DPXDC Prompts #434

Miscommunications upon miscommunications galore, Danny fully thinks that the Green Lanterns are some form of ghosts.

[infinitystoner]

For the WIP game -

5. Bad Habit (angst)

crashes violently into your askbox, slams into your coffee table, breaks 73 lamps and 25 windows

Angst?! TELL ME MOOORRRRRRRE!!!!!!

Angst, it calls to you, like a beacon in the night. Fear not, friend. I will not lead you astray (even though you just broke all my lamps, wtf). 😂

Bad Habit is my attempt at Lovers to Strangers, featuring an Avengers-adjacent Loki. It's one of my lesser-developed WIPs and probably a bit darker than what people normally expect from me? There will be miscommunication and unresolved conflict and chaos galore! (Allegedly.)