#phil Hawkins fanfiction | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

itsnotzka · 1 year

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Hello! Huh, what's this? A silly, cheesy little thing, I'd say ;)

TW: (very mild) alcohol, talking about stalking in a not very serious manner Genre: ...fluff? Silly fluff? Confused fluff? Word count: 5,3k Characters: Jake x Phil You can also read it on Ao3.

Not your stalker

With a quiet, contented sigh and a smile on his face, Phil finally let the last customer out and closed the door of Aurora behind them. He turned around and took a few steps towards the center of the pub, taking it all in. The wooden floors creaked softly under his feet. The air was thick with the comforting scent of dust, cigarette smoke, and the faint aroma of old furniture.

He knew it wasn’t the most pleasant smell for most, but for him, it was everything. To Phil, it was more than just a smell; it was a reminder of all he had, and almost lost just a couple of months back.

Every time he started cleaning up Aurora for the night, he thought about the day he was accused of a crime he didn’t commit and thrown into jail for a few weeks, with basically no explanation. The memories still lingered in his mind, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

For quite some time, nobody really cared about him. They had other things on their minds, such as their missing friends being found. He knew he wasn't a perfect person. People tended to either love him or hate him. However, at that time, those he thought were his friends simply didn't care, while those who couldn't stand him laughed behind his back. There was somehow no in-between.

The bartender couldn't help but smile, still lost in thought. He was released from custody only because someone had paid his bail. Then, mysteriously, his lawyer found evidence of his innocence. Normally, there would be nothing unusual about this—lawyers have their own methods for uncovering the truth and exploiting legal loopholes—but the sudden clarity of this particular situation was nothing short of a miracle. At least it felt that way. Despite the happy outcome, his lawyer seemed eager to sever all ties with Phil as soon as possible. In fact, he refused to even accept any money from him, leaving Phil with a sense of both gratitude and absolute confusion.

He hadn’t told his sisters about it. At first, he suspected they might have been involved, but he quickly dismissed the thought. He knew Jessy and Angela all too well; they were always quick to point out his flaws and mistakes, even the smallest ones. Surely, they wouldn't have helped him without a big, wonderful lecture about his life. So he just told them the case was solved, period.

He stopped caring about it and moved on. At least, that's what he was telling himself. He shook his head in frustration, trying not to overanalyze everything once again.

He walked over to the bar, slowly making his way through the tables, turning off the lights, picking up empty beer mugs, and wiping down the surfaces. Unable to shake his thoughts away, he changed the music to something less modern to keep his mind off things, but it didn't help either. Then he was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of the bell hanging above the door.

“I’m sorry, I already closed the pub,” he said, turning towards the sound. “Come back tomorrow, eh?”

Only then did he look at the person standing in the doorway and frown. He didn't recognize them. He knew basically every face, every name in Duskwood, after all. He knew at least something about everyone. Those were the advantages of running the only pub in town! Rumors came to him, and tourists, if they appeared at all, came early and didn't stay long.

And yet… there was a stranger in front of him.

The man didn’t answer. He just raised his brow slowly, glanced at Phil, and then looked around the pub.

“Look… I'm tired, I've already cleared the tables. I can give you a beer to go, but that's it,” the bartender said again, his tone tinged with a hint of annoyance.

“I don’t drink,” the stranger replied, his voice resonant and clear, his eyes meeting the bartender's.

Phil paused, the corners of his eyes narrowing slightly as he tried to read the stranger's face, but it was particularly hard. “So, can I help you with anything else?” he asked with a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn't sure, but the stranger seemed to give him a small smile. Then the man closed the door behind him and briskly walked down the two steps that led inside the pub.

“I just thought I could finally visit this place,” the man replied casually.

The bartender sighed deeply, trying to keep his composure. "Listen, man… I already told you, Aurora is closed for the night," Phil said firmly, walking over to the door and opening it wide. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you stay here. Now be so kind and get out, or I'll call the police.”

"Oh? The same police that were stupid enough to arrest you?" the stranger’s mocked.

The pub was quite dark, with most of the lamps already turned off by Phil. But at that moment, the light of a street lamp shone in through the open pub door, casting a warm glow on the stranger's face, finally illuminating his features.

As the bartender glanced at his unexpected guest, he noticed the fairly young man was likely around his age, if not a few years older. His all-black outfit, complete with a backpack clearly designed for carrying a laptop, gave him a serious and tidy vibe. Although his nearly black hair seemed neatly combed, it curled in every direction, as if mocking his efforts to keep it in check. Phil couldn't help but notice the man's tired, dark eyes. Yet there was something about his gaze, a level of… maturity that Phil had not expected to see.

“Get out,” the bar owner repeated, but without much conviction.

The stranger laughed softly but ignored his words, calmly and surely walking over to the bar. Laying his heavy backpack on one of the barstools, he sat on another, resting his hands on the counter.

“Could I get some coffee?” he asked, looking over his shoulder at the somewhat confused bartender.

Phil was not a person to be easily upset. True, sometimes he could say too much or react too harshly, but only with words. He was good with words and with people. But for some reason, the stranger didn't seem to care about that… and it was annoying.

“What do you want from me? Didn't you hear what I said?” Phil snapped, his frustration boiling over. He slammed the door shut, the sound reverberating through the room. Turning to the man, he stomped over, his footsteps echoing in the silence. Grabbing the stranger's arm, he spun him around on the stool with such force that he almost fell off his seat.

Phil was surprised when the stranger didn’t react with fear or surprise, but instead looked at him with an understanding gaze, as if he knew something that Phil didn't. The bartender's anger slowly dissipated as he studied the man's reaction, taking a small step back.

"Now, to answer your questions…” the man sighed, shifting on the barstool once more. “First, I'd appreciate some coffee or something else with caffeine. For your other concern… of course, I've heard what you said, but I don't necessarily want to leave. The truth is, I feel like I owe you this meeting… or at least an explanation."

Phil scoffed. "Oh, you think so?"

"Correct," the stranger exhaled. "I should have done it sooner, but somehow, well... To be completely honest with you, Hawkins, I think you were getting on my nerves a bit too much," he added with a lopsided smile.

"So, you know who I am?" Phil's anger was replaced by curiosity in less than a few seconds.

The bartender then quickly bit his bottom lip, refraining from asking the stranger more. He was well aware of one of his greatest flaws and, even though he didn't like to admit it to himself too often, he secretly enjoyed being the center of attention. No matter what.

"So... no coffee then? Well, that's a shame," the stranger rested his hands on the counter once more and pointed to a soda drink on the right side behind the bar. "So let’s put it this way. The truth is, I happen to know quite a bit about you accidentally, even though you probably don't know who I am. Before you jump to any conclusions - no, I am not your stalker; no, I am not trying to extort money from you; and no, I am definitely not involved in any scheme or conspiracy that would require your involvement."

"You know about me... accidentally ?" Phil repeated doubtfully, walking behind the bar and facing the stranger. "What kind of bullshit is that?"

"Oh, well..." he chuckled again, "I wouldn't say it’s bullshit. Not entirely, at least. You see, we both became involved in the same case a while back, and I was actually forced to learn more about you. You understand that I did not do this for my own enjoyment, although I must admit..." he hesitated, then cringed, "You are not very cautious with what you post online; that was so easy... So yes. It was, at least to some extent, accidental."

"The same case...? Wait, wait, hold on..." Phil resisted the urge to grab his own head in surprise. "Are you... that guy? That hacker or whatever. That tech-savvy guy that disappeared after Hannah was found? No way it’s you… Police say he's dead. That he died during the mine fire."

“I have two pieces of information for you,” the stranger leaned forward conspiratorially and spread his hands. “The first one... I’ve heard you were a good bartender. I somehow can’t picture that, you know?”

Phil looked completely confused as the man rolled his eyes slightly and nodded meaningfully at the soda bottle once more. Gritting his teeth, Phil blindly reached into the fridge, pulled out a bottle, slammed it against the counter, opened it with the agility of a truly experienced bartender, and pushed it towards the man, ending with a jazz hands gesture.

Annoyed jazz hands gesture.

The man only chuckled and nodded in approval, taking a sip of his long-awaited drink.

"And the second thing?" the bartender urged.

“The second thing!” the stranger chuckled. “The second thing is… I don't think you trust the police after all the trouble they caused you, so do you think you should trust them if they say that guy is dead? You’re talking about that Ironsplinter mine fire, correct?”

“Yeah… there was no way he survived that.”

“Oh?” the man chuckled, “I think his chances were quite good, actually.”

Phil frowned, “How so?”

"Well..." the stranger spread his hands again. "I'm not an expert, but I know a thing or two about mines. Actually, I know a lot about many things, but it doesn't matter now... I won't bore you with the details because you probably don't care, but believe me, there are many safety features in mines like that one that can help you survive fire, explosion, shockwaves... It's just a matter of knowing your surroundings well. The amount of air can be a problem during a fire like that, but it can also be remedied. So… maybe he didn't die after all. But what do I know?”

“That's… interesting,” Phil concluded, and the stranger snorted.

The bartender fell silent, analyzing every single word the stranger had said. It was already clear to Phil that he would not tell him anything directly, especially not about himself. The man didn't confirm anything explicitly, but he didn't have to. Phil already knew the answer to his question.

“Alright, I get it… So should I call you Jake, then? That was the name of that techie guy, if I remember correctly.”

“Was it, really?” the stranger smirked. “In that case, you can call me whatever you want, Hawkins. Jake is a name as good as any.”

“Really? Okay then, Techie,” Phil placed his palms on the counter. “You’ve said you owed me… why exactly? Why are you here?” he reiterated, still confused by the stranger’s presence.

Jake paused for a moment, his piercing gaze fixed on the bar owner. Phil was not one to be easily intimidated, but there was something about Jake that made him uneasy yet intrigued at the same time. Was it his unwavering confidence, his carefree attitude, or maybe something else entirely?

“I understand that my visit may seem unnecessary, but I felt compelled to come,” Jake responded, his tone measured and deliberate. “You see, there’s something about you that… let’s say, that doesn’t add up to me.”

“Oh…” the bartender nodded, feeling annoyed and somehow disappointed again. “So you want to accuse me of more things, then? Tell me I should rot in jail, like some other wonderful people?”

“No... nothing like that,” the man chuckled nervously, his dark hair falling onto his forehead. He brushed the locks away with a casual flick of his hand, trying to hide the fact that he was clearly troubled. As he paused to collect his thoughts, his eyes darted around the room. Finally, he spoke again, his voice hesitant and uncertain.

“I know someone anonymously paid your bail, and I may know more about that. I may know a lot about that. And I believe it still bothers you, so I think I should share it with you. And, well… I suppose what I'm trying to say is that this meeting has been weighing heavily on my mind. I've been thinking about it quite often, trying to figure out what to say or… how to say it, and I think I still don’t know… I mean… okay, here's the thing. Do you remember the second person who got involved in this case by accident?” Jake continued, “You… you invited her to Aurora. She never came here, but still, you did, and—”

“The girl? Shit… okay, now I think I get it,” the bartender sighed deeply and nodded, as he couldn’t believe it was that simple. It was always that simple when there were feelings involved. “Don’t tell me… It hit your ego, didn't it? You liked her, right? Did you come to tell me I was not only released from the arrest thanks to you, but they actually arrested me because of you in the first place? You got jealous of that girl, and that's why I had a shitty couple of months? Was it your revenge?”

The stranger shrugged, but his awkward smile said it all.

Guilty as charged.

“Great... so you almost ruined my life over some chick I don't even know?! Only because I invited her here? I did nothing wrong! Couldn't you explain it between you two? You had to get me into this… And you still have the nerve to come to my bar and—”

“No, wait,” the alleged hacker silenced him with a gesture. “I mean… you almost got it right. I do feel guilty you were in that arrest for quite some time, but for a different reason…” the stranger rubbed his neck nervously. “What if… hypothetically, of course, what if I knew right away how to get you out of this? I knew you were innocent and I had proof for that? But... she was so interested in you... and you in her! And I didn't want you to be interested in her… I guess I was just… confused about you. Shit, it doesn't make sense, does it?”

Phil frowned, but slowly the meaning of the stranger's words began to dawn on him. He wasn't after the girl who helped solve the case. Techie was after… him.

He was jealous of… him?

Was that even possible?

He knew he should be angry. Furious even! It was about his life! Countless hours wasted in the arrest he didn’t deserve! Yet, somehow… The guilty look on the stranger’s face made it fade away. He'd be lying if he said he didn't wonder who that mysterious hacker was from back then, or why exactly he was involved in the case. He knew back then that the answers to these questions were just beyond his reach, but now, miraculously, he was sitting in front of him, almost vulnerable and almost exposed. His fascination overcame his anger. The stranger's eyes were full of remorse, and for a moment, he felt a twinge of sympathy.

Sympathy and something else, but he wasn’t sure what it was…

Curiosity!

It had to be just curiosity.

“My, my… So I think you are my stalker, after all…” The bartender hummed, taking two steps away from Jake, but somehow couldn't help but smile.

“No. No, no. Nuh-uh! This statement is definitely not true!” The alleged hacker protested immediately, pointing his finger at Phil as he blushed a bit, his heart pounding in his chest. "I know things about you, and I learned them without your consent, that is correct. Good luck to you with suing me. But I— it’s not my fault. And I didn’t— I wasn’t really— I just wanted to understand you better!" He paused and took a deep breath. "Didn't I help you after all?! You got out, didn’t you? And I am not a stalker! Jesus, I think I need a real drink… " he trailed off.

The bartender was taken aback by the unexpected outburst and blinked a couple of times in confusion. However, he soon burst out laughing, unable to hold it any longer. "Wow, you really lost your cool there, man… You’ve just admitted to some weird things…" he said between chuckles, "I didn’t think it was possible! In fact, you sound exactly like a stalker trying to explain himself, you know." The bartender knew his mocking tone only made the situation more awkward and uncomfortable for the stranger.

“Yeah.. Coming here was a mistake, I guess…” Jake scoffed, grabbed his backpack, and was about to jump off the stool and leave the pub, but Phil, without thinking too much, grabbed his forearm. The stranger winced in surprise, but as his dark eyes met the calm eyes of the bartender, he slowly sat back down.

“Alright, okay. You’re not my stalker, yeah?” Phil smiled,letting go of his arm, “But I think you still owe me more explanation. Fair?”

“F-fair,” the stranger muttered.

To Phil's surprise, Jake leaned forward from his stool and across the counter, invading the bartender's personal space as if it was absolutely nothing unusual. The stranger's arm accidentally grazed Phil's shoulder as he gently pushed him away and reached for a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from behind the bar. Before Phil could even register what was going on, the stranger was already sitting back on his stool, pouring the liquor generously into the glasses.

“I… thought you said you don’t drink,” Phil observed, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. And I thought you were a self-absorbed, narcissistic, brainless drama queen, and yet here we are, engaging in a somewhat intelligent conversation. How about that?”

Phil chuckled, a bit taken aback, as he watched Jake down his drink in one swift motion, followed by a wince and quiet grunt. With a solid tap, the stranger placed the glass back on the counter, exhaling audibly.

“That’s some terrible whiskey, Hawkins,” he admitted, reaching for the bottle to pour himself another.

“It’s my finest one, Techie,” Phil smirked, “And the most expensive one, too.”

“Still quite terrible, for my sophisticated taste… And don't call me Techie.”

“Then don't call me by my father's stupid name.”

Jake blinked a couple of times, as if realizing something. “Right. I forgot he was an asshole, too. Bigger than you.”

“You forgot— oh, Jesus…” the bartender whined, “Don't tell me you even know about my father? I didn’t post anything about that online… How the fuck? How much do you exactly know about me, Stalker?”

“Again with the stalker…” the hacker poked Phil’s chest with his finger, “Listen, the thing about your father is quite well-known around town, isn't it? It's not that weird that even I know about it… and I didn't have to dig too deep to—”

“Damn it, Stalker.” Phil shook his head in disbelief, “You're a walking red flag. I should have thrown you out as soon as you came here. Why am I even still talking to you?”

“Oh, come on, I've never— I am not that bad.”

“Any other sane person would have handed you over to the police a long time ago, Stalker. You do realize that, don’t you?” Phil finally took the glass into his hand and sipped his whiskey.

“But you won’t do that,” the stranger smiled as he clinked his glass with Phil’s, “You think you’re so much better than me, don’t you?”

“That's very possible. So what do you think about me, then? Besides that I’m a brainless douche, that is…”

The bartender's question lingered in the air for a few seconds before Jake spoke up. His voice was clear and confident, matching the intensity of his gaze, "I have a couple of thoughts, actually," he said, pausing for dramatic effect, taking a sip of his whiskey as well, "Ready? First and foremost, I think that you have an overinflated sense of self-importance," Jake's tone was stern but not unfriendly, "Secondly, you have a habit of getting under my skin. I can't explain it, but something about the way you carry yourself and the things you say just... irks me, but that much you already know. It's like you're actually trying to push my buttons or something!" He shook his head in frustration. "And finally, I think you may be a ginormous asshole, but you're also… intriguing in a way that I don't—don't quite understand." Jake paused once more, letting his words sink in. Then he, once again, angrily poked Phil’s chest with his finger, "And I don't like it. Not. One. Bit.”

“Oh? And you’re very weird, Stalker. You know that, right?” A little pissed off by the stranger's behavior, Phil grabbed Jake's hand and moved it away from his chest, but didn't let it go afterward. Suddenly, he felt a strange warmth spreading throughout his whole body, an electrifying feeling caused by the touch of the hacker's skin on his own. The stranger looked straight at him, his big, dark eyes almost like they were trying to read his soul. The expression on his face reminded Phil of a deer in the headlights and it definitely didn't help him with getting rid of the hacker.

As Phil slowly released his hand, the silence between them engulfed them both. Jake’s Breathing became heavier, and his cheeks, once pale, now glowed with a blush.

The bartender rested his elbows on the counter right next to him. Close enough to feel the slight touch of fabric of Jake's hoodie on his skin. The stranger's earlier confidence seemed to have disappeared, and the bartender couldn't tell whether it was the alcohol or Jake's confessions that had caused this change.

After a brief moment of silence, the stranger spoke up, "I'm sorry," he said, leaning forward slightly.

The bartender furrowed his brows. "What exactly are you sorry for? Because I could name a few things now..."

The hacker smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes, "I didn't mean to be annoying, "he admitted, his hand idly drifting towards the bottle of whiskey on the counter. He rested his hand on it but refrained from lifting it. “I'm not exactly a people person, you see. I just… I wanted to get you out of my head. It didn’t quite work out as I expected…”

Feeling the weight of the moment, Phil gently placed his hand on the whiskey bottle, his fingers brushing against Jake's. The hacker hesitated, his gaze locked onto Phil's intense stare.

In a soft, almost whispered voice, Phil spoke, "Easy there. You're not much of a drinker, and if there's something you want from me, I want you to be clear-headed enough to ask for it. You're already a puzzle without the alcohol. Stick to your soda, Stalker."

Jake's eyes shifted from Phil's to the bottle, as if contemplating its significance.

After a moment of reflection, Phil continued, his voice measured, "Alright, let's lay it out. You're quiet, so let me see if I understand correctly..." He released his grip on the bottle, meeting Jake's gaze with a steady intensity. "You're suggesting that I'm getting under your skin, but I'd argue otherwise. I have a feeling you actually like me, and you're just not sure how to handle it. That’s your dilemma, Techie.”

"Wow, okay. If what you're saying would even be true," Jake said dismissively, "Would that even be a problem? Like, you know… my problem?”

Phil leaned in closer to Jake once more, a small smile forming on his lips. His fingers traced the hem of the stranger's sleeve playfully as he leaned forward more, "Well, we could always make it my problem, too," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper, “Because, believe it or not, you somehow… fascinate me, too.”

“Oh?”

"Don't get me wrong... You obviously have issues, and I have a feeling your mere presence means trouble. But, the thing is, I don't mind trouble. Life’s boring without it, right? And maybe I should keep an eye on you… to stop you from stalking me further. So… which is it? Do you like me or hate me?"

Jake’s dark hair fell across his face, but Phil could still see the glint in his eyes, "I still can’t decide… Can I say it's both?"

Phil’s smirk grew wider, “It never happens, you know. People either love me or hate me. But you…” he shook his head, “You’re different.”

“Is that a compliment? Are you telling me I’m special? It could be good and bad, you know…” Jake chuckled as he playfully pushed him away, his hand lingering on his chest a little too long.

Then Phil realized he was somehow already long gone... The stranger had managed to wrap the bartender around his finger without him even noticing. The mischievous twinkle in Jake's dark, deep eyes was impossible to resist, drawing Phil towards him like two black holes. Phil found himself powerless to resist the pull, feeling as though he had absolutely nowhere to run.

“What?” Jake asked, noticing Phil was staring at him without saying a word, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I have an idea how to help you with your dilemma. Can I… check something?” Phil tilted his “Um, what exact—” Jake wanted to ask, but he didn’t get to finish his question.

Phil was tired of guessing. He sighed, taking the stranger’s face into his hands, his fingers gently entwining with the strands of Jake's dark, tousled hair. As he leaned in, his heart raced, and he could feel the warmth of the hacker's breath on his lips. Yet, to his surprise, Jake tensed up, his eyes widening in a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty. Phil's fingers tightened slightly on Jake's hair, reassuring and firm.

Their kiss was soft, almost tentative, their lips barely grazing each other's. Yet, Phil's tongue slowly found its way into Jake's mouth, and the man welcomed it with a quiet sigh.

That was it. That was what Phil wanted to achieve.

Phil couldn't suppress a chuckle as the taste of whiskey lingered on Stranger's lips, a soft, breathless sound passing between them. He felt Jake's hesitant smile against his own,a silent acknowledgment that he finally realized what it was all about.

The bartender was suddenly glad that there was a bar counter between them, otherwise he would have pulled the stranger much closer.

“Shit… you really did that,” Jake mumbled as they broke the kiss, but they stayed close, “And you know what’s worse? Fuck, Hawkins, I think I liked that…”

Phil's lips curved into a smirk, his voice low and hoarse as he looked deep into the Stranger’s eyes that no longer felt strange to him, “Liked it, eh? Well, well, well... Seems like we've stumbled upon something interesting here.”

Jake exhaled, his reddened lips still curled into a smile, “Don’t get any ideas, Hawkins…”

The stranger leaned back a bit as Phil’s hands let go of his hair. Then he playfully tugged at Phil's t-shirt, the fabric stretching slightly as he did so.

Suddenly, the watch on the stranger's hand emitted a high, short beep, interrupting the moment. Jake’s expression changed immediately as he glanced at the device. He sighed heavily in frustration, and without any explanation, moved away from the bartender, hopped off the stool, and grabbed his backpack.

Phil was left quite confused. He quickly jumped out from behind the bar and grabbed the stranger's arm, wanting at least some sort of explanation, “Hey, whoa… What is it?”

"I have to go. I'm sorry,” the stranger said quickly, his tone tinged with regret.

"Wha— Why?" Phil asked, his grip on the stranger's arm tightening, “Is it because we–”

"No," he replied with a slight smile. "I don’t really want to go. But it doesn’t matter. You wouldn't believe me anyway."

Phil's brows furrowed in confusion. "So.. you're just leaving me like that? After we–" he scoffed. "Will I… will I even see you again?"

The stranger paused, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. Then, he smiled slowly, his fingers lightly tugging at the hem of Phil's shirt once more. "Even if I wanted to come back here, which I do not confirm at all," he said, his voice teasing, "I would… probably come here tomorrow, same time. Purely hypothetically, of course. We could… get to know each other better. Properly. Without any hint of stalking."

Phil's heart skipped a beat at the prospect. He needed to see him again.

"Is that so, Stalker?" Phil said, grinning, “You mean I could get to know you better. You already know all about me, right?”

The hacker snorted, “Oh, come on, I thought we’re past it…”

“But I don’t want you to go,” the bartender admitted, his voice softer.

The stranger smiled in a way that made Phil’s head spin, “Too bad, Drama Queen. I’m already gone.”

“Well then, Techie. I’ll be thinking about our next, hypothetical meeting.”

A snort of amusement escaped Jake's lips, but his eyes betrayed his hesitation as he held Phil's gaze, “See you never. I demand coffee next time. And maybe some better whiskey…”

At that moment, it seemed like the hacker wanted to say or do something, but he only managed to muster a frustrated grunt. He shook his head, allowing his dark curls to tumble with the motion, and reluctantly, after a couple of long, long seconds, he finally let go of Phil's shirt. A sly smile then crept across his face, a spark in his eyes that made Phil's heart skip a beat. Despite his temptation to keep the stranger with him for even just a bit longer, Phil grudgingly let him leave.

With a final glance, the stranger turned on his heels and strode out of the pub, disappearing into the night.

#duskwood #duskwood fanfiction #duskwood fanfic #duskwood phil #duskwood jake #fanfiction #phil hawkins #jail #jake x phil #itsnotzka #iamjake

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slytherinlizzy · 16 days

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Every characters' first sentence in The afterfire

(May or may not be in order according to timeline 👀)

Hannah: "Richy!"

Lyra: "I swear if this is my destiny, I'd like to see the whole script."

Darkness: "It's good to see you kept your promise, little trouble."

Alan: "Good afternoon, Miss Ambrose."

Jake: "Lyra. Lyra, listen to me..."

Jessy: "Hello?"

Cleo: "I don't know."

Dan: "If someone's playing with us right now, I'm really not up to it!"

Lilly: "Jake?"

Thomas: "Dan, shut up!"

Phil: "Having my day ruined by whatever you're about to ask me to do."

Yep, that's all. I'll add more characters as the story progresses (I only have around 19 properly written chapters)

#duskwood #duskwood fanfiction #wattpad fanfiction #jake donfort #mc duskwood #hannah donfort #lilly donfort #jessy hakwins #phil hawkins #cleo duskwood #thomas duskwood #dan duskwood #alan bloomgate #darkness duskwood

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hiramaris · 1 year

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Dusk til Dawn

Part 10

Summary: Following Episode 9. And spoilers for Episode 10.

Author’s note: As Episode 10 is just released I just want to say heads up for those who are not yet finished. Completing the game without spoilers really made a difference, and as much as possible I want everyone to experience that. And for those finished, I’ll gladly welcome you to my domain where MC took a different route.

Disclaimer: I do not own Duskwood or any of the related characters. Duskwood is created by and owned by Everbyte Studio. This fanfiction is intended for entertainment only. I am not making any profit from this story. All rights of the original Duskwood story belong to Everbyte Studio.

Warning: Mentions of blood, suicide, violence, pedophiles, drugs, gun, murder, sex offenders, kidnapping

Gif not mine (please kindly inform me if anyone of you knew)

Y/n's really leaving.

It's the mantra that kept playing over Jessy's head like a broken record player.

As Jake dropped the call, you hadn't had the chance to spare them any more glances as you prepared your things. You had inspect the gun you have with you along with its ammunition multiple times already. You even took out a hunting knife and place it in a holster wrapped around the side of your leg.

She shivered at the thought you even had to use them.

When you confessed about your true self, what she said was true. Nothing had changed about what she thought of you. You're still Y/n, the one she had grown to care and love.

Yes, love. She knew love is such a deep word to use when she had only met you not too long ago. She believed before that finding love online is futile, and it was difficult to establish trust with some strangers she met online. Her boyfriend was able to cheat on her after years of being physically together, what more can someone from miles away where they'll be away from her sight and touch?

But when you came, all these doubts seemed to wash away. The fact you made her feel safer more than anyone else just by merely being on a phone with her, making her feel special just by asking her on a virtual date, making sure she's okay and the occasional sleep calls with you, none of the people she had dated made her feel the same way you do and you weren't even here physically.

There's no room for doubt anyway. Not when you had risked your life for this group many times already.

Now as she watch your back, ready to risk your life for the last time, she realized that you really are determined to go.

And she didn't have the heart to stop you.

She wanted Hannah and Richy back. She really does. But at the expense of you? That's something she finds hard to accept. She knew you were fully capable, but that doesn't do anything to ease her worries.

What if you get hurt?

What if you don't come back?

The mere thought clenches her heart so painfully that breathing felt like a chore now.

"Guys, please don't give me that look."

The cabin was so silent that the request that left your lips seemed louder than ever.

****

The next few minutes of preparation were a lot of crying on the girls and Thomas' end. Dan, well, his tipsy ass kept passing you drinks (that Lilly always takes away from you). You assumed that's his way to say 'Be careful.'

You appreciate what he's doing though. You didn't want to leave them feeling like this. Like they just sent you to your death and they can't do anything about it.

After leaving everyone's safety to Dan, you decided it's time to go.

You were surprised when Jessy volunteered to walk you to the porch. You assumed she wanted to say goodbye properly.

The porch was bathed in moonlight when you stepped outside, casting long shadows on the wooden planks. You turned to her, her red hair illuminated by the soft glow.

"Jess," you began. "I'm sor—"

"Don't," she sniffed, stopping you from your statement. "I'm sorry I'm making it hard for you to leave. F-for... for being selfish." Her voice cracked. "I just... it's dangerous and I— God. I just didn't want you to get hurt. I'm sorry..."

You couldn't help but wrap her in your arms. You held her close, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "You've got nothing to apologize for, baby."

"There's a lot. And a lot to thank for, too," she breathed, leaning into your embrace for dear life. "And I'd like to tell all of them to you once you come back."

"You mean..." Your eyes widened at her implications.

"Yeah... I'm letting you go." The way she lets out those words seemed like it's physically hurting her. She lets out a watery laugh, "and It's not like my opinion matters this time."

You couldn't believe what you are hearing. You leaned back to her embrace, hands carefully gripping her by the shoulder. Puffy, tear-filled eyes met your own.

But they are not begging you to not go this time, but begging you to come back.

"It matters." You reached out and gently cupped her cheek, your thumb brushing against her skin, eager to make your point across. "It sounds so screwed up and yet," you paused, your eyes boring into her own with great intensity. "you can tell me to stay, and I will."

Whatever may happen tonight is a huge gamble to play.

Lose and you will lose everything.

Win.

That's all there is to it.

Fight and win.

You can't afford to lose. Not now.

"No... No, Y/n." She shook her head gently, her touch on your hands warm and comforting. "We both know that's not who you are."

"Jessy..." Your eyes softened drastically.

"Save Hannah and Richy, okay?" She took hold of your hands on her cheeks, her voice quivering but determined. Despite the tears running down her cheeks, there was a fierce resolve in her expression. "If there's anyone who could do it, it would be you, Y/n/n."

Her words hit you deep, like a surge of energy coursing through your veins. She had an unwavering belief in you, and it only made you more determined to succeed. The lump in your throat grew, and you didn’t trust your own voice enough to speak without breaking. And so, you did the only thing you thought would convey your emotions best at that moment.

Leaning in, you brushed your lips against hers in a tender kiss. It was a mixture of longing and reassurance, a promise that you'd come back to her. There was a softness in the way your lips met, a silent exchange of emotions that words could never fully capture. When you finally pulled away, her eyes were teary but determined.

She tasted like salt from her tears, the faint sweetness of strawberries, and the familiar comfort of home.

"I love you," she whispered as you both separated, her breath warm against your lips. Your eyes widened at her confession, a mix of surprise and joy filling your chest. "Don't," she breathed, eyes still closed. "I'll wait for you to say it back once you come back. I just want to say it."

"You're no fair, Miss Hawkins." A watery laugh escapes you, and you couldn’t resist the pull any longer. You leaned in, capturing her lips in another tender kiss.

"Just want to make sure, Agent," she replied, her voice holding a hint of teasing. "Now go, save our friends, and come back to me."

It looks like you have to speed up the process because waiting for days to say it back is going to kill you, you’re sure.

Despite everything, despite the danger that lay ahead, you found yourself smiling.

You were still under the same sky, and somehow, that thought gave you comfort.

Everything’s going to be okay.

****

"Any updates on Michael's whereabouts?"

These were Jake's first words to you as he entered the car. You didn't have to look to know it was him. The same monotonous voice can be recognized from miles away. The heavy door of the car clicked shut, sealing the two of you in the confined space.

Oh, and of course. How could you forget? The guy loves his comfy hoodie so much, his mask, and his favorite beanie that his mom personally crocheted for his birthday. Even in these circumstances, he still clung to his attire like a security blanket.

"None so far," you settled on as a reply.

You started the engine once again and sped past the mini stop you and Jake agreed upon on. It was a little far from the cabin but it was relatively closer to Jake's hotel.

Tonight was cold and you wouldn't really blame Jake for his chosen clothing. However, this type of cold is something a warm coffee couldn't handle. It was the type where it send chills down your spine, you felt a sense of impending doom, not for you but for Hannah and Richy. Time is against you two and you know from experience that time is an opponent you cannot win against.

"You know you really don't have to do this."

"I have to. It is the best option we have. You have put yourself in danger for long enough. Listening to Michael's demand would be suicide. That is why I cannot allow you to go alone, but at the same time, I cannot allow Hannah and Richy to be in danger. They are both in the Ironsplinter Mine. I can almost pinpoint their exact location. I cannot say how long this will be the case." Jake's voice remained steady, his tone unemotional, though his words conveyed a sense of urgency and conviction.

"I didn't know you'd be this talkative personally," you chuckled. "But in all seriousness, I am glad to be doing this 'kamikaze' mission as Dan would like to say, with you."

"Indeed, we've come a long way, haven't we?"

"Yes, we have, Jake. Yes, we have."

The car ride continued in a comfortable silence. There was an understanding between you and Jake that didn't require many words. It felt weird but right in some way, like two puzzle pieces that somehow fit together despite being from entirely different sets.

Both of you are polar opposites. An investigator and a criminal. Who would have thought both would remain seated in a confined space and talk about the most random things.

If someone would tell you you'd be partnering up with a hacker and probably one of the most wanted criminals in this part of Europe, you'd probably give that person a glare of a lifetime, yet here you are with Jake.

Indeed, you'd come a long way.

****

"Y/n," Jake began after minutes of comfortable silence.

"Yeah?" You turn to look at him briefly, careful to not let your eyes stray for too long away from the road. You wouldn't want to have a repeat of Hannah and Amy's mistakes. The forest was dense, and the road was illuminated only sporadically by dim streetlights. With its numerous twists and turns, you couldn't afford any distractions.

"I wish to ask one last favor of you." He continued as he typed away on his laptop. The hum of the car's engine and the occasional tapping of his keyboard filled the space between his words.

"Sure, what do you want me to do?"

"I would like to ask you to tell Michael that you are on your way to the Grimrock." He looked up at you, his gaze steady and serious.

"Makes sense," you mused. Slowing down a touch, you pulled out your phone and started composing a message to Michael, ensuring to keep your driving steady at the same time.

You grinned at your own antics. You showed your phone to Jake, knowing he shares the same humor as you.

"Seriously?" He lets out a soft laugh, the subtle crinkles around his eyes giving away his amusement. "This should not be a laughing matter, however, I find it really funny."

You snorted, unable to suppress your chuckle. "I just can't miss the opportunity."

****

"I don't get it, you know?" You mumbled aloud, the words escaping your thoughts unintentionally. It felt like you needed to voice your confusion, even if just to the air in the car.

"Hmm?" Jake turned to you with a quizzical look, his attention fully on you now.

"Thomas is right." You muttered after a beat or two, your gaze fixed on the road ahead as the car continued its journey. The cave on the outskirts of Moonvale was getting closer with each passing mile. "I am literally the highest-ranking criminal investigator in the region. I don't get why you're all so protective of me. I am fully capable of subduing someone like Michael. I've been trained for it for years." You voiced your thoughts with a hint of frustration in your tone. "I'm just not used to it," you exhaled sharply, your breath carrying a mixture of resignation and confusion.

"Jessica cares for you," Jake responded slowly, each word carrying weight as if he was carefully considering the impact. "You can be Superman, and be all invincible and she'll still be worrying about you. You cannot take that away from her. The same goes for everyone. They have grown to care for you."

"But what about Hannah and Richy?" you countered.

He didn't respond immediately, his fingers still dancing across the keyboard.

"Just because they don't want you to go doesn't mean they don't care about them. It just means they don't want you to go, however, it wasn't really their choice to make as the situation still demands you to go. It's not really a matter of choice of who is more important than who, and who is more capable than who." Jake's gaze met yours, his expression serious. "Remember your question back then, when Jessy was attacked and you were ready to fly here?"

"How far is too far when it comes to saving a life?"

"Precisely. Life is life, Y/n. No one will be greater than the other. We do not want you to put yourself in danger just because you have the capacity to do so."

"And you're allowed to do the same thing?" You scoffed. You know Jake's response was logical, but it didn't quite quell your frustration. "Why can't the same rules apply to both of us? I have seen that they are mostly relieved to be knowing it will be you who will go rather than me. And I saw their distress when I decided to come along, too, Jake."

You wanted to say it's unfair because it is.

"Y/n, you cannot blame them."

"I am not. It's just not fair." There you said it.

"You have formed a bond with them. A genuine one, it will only be natural for them to be more worried about you." He tried to explain. "I have threatened them and invaded their privacy on multiple occasions. That's why I do not expect them to warm up to me the way they have to you."

You wanted to laugh at the hypocrisy. If they have known you have access to their private data as well, would they have thought of you the same?

You don't even want to know.

You sighed. You're also being unfair to them, thinking about them like this. They have accepted you for who you are, and you having access to their private account seemed to be shallow compared to what you have done, and yet they turned a blind eye to them.

This is some fucked up shit, really.

"But what about me?" You spoke softly, almost to yourself. "You have formed a genuine bond with me. So, my opinion for you not to go doesn't matter?"

"It meant the world to me, Y/n. That you cared for me. But I have already made the decision to protect you at any cost." He said softly. "I have been on the run for four years. One event changed my whole life completely. I lost everything in a single night. My home, my identity. Every single person in my life, Y/n. There was nobody I could trust even though I did not want to."

"I am sorry to hear that." You let out a sigh. "I just didn't want you to think that no one cares about you."

"There is no need to be sorry," he replied, ruffling your hair, which earned a playful groan from you. "I knew what I was getting into. I made that decision."

"But that doesn't mean it's not hard."

"You do not have to sacrifice your life and career for me. I am already used to running away. I also knew you wanted a life here, with Jessica, and the others. I will not take that away from you."

You smiled sadly. Yes, you do want that.

But will the situation permit you? You're not entirely sure.

"Don't you ever have the desire to stay here with Lilly and Hannah?" You questioned back. "And live a normal life?"

"Of course, I do." He answered, eyes growing a bit distant. "However, I know it will be impossible."

"Can you maybe stop predicting things, Jake?"

"You and I both know how this will all end."

"Do we?" You challenged, a small smirk creeping into your features. "Maybe we should start trying for a few alternatives."

"What do you mean?"

****

"Well, here we are," you announced as you parked the car. The headlights illuminated the end of the road, revealing the entrance to the cave. It wasn't exactly a picturesque spot, with a glaring red "No Trespassing!" sign catching your attention. "Looks like it's pretty isolated."

Jake stepped out of the car, closing the door behind him, and took in the surroundings. The air was heavy with anticipation, and the looming darkness of the cave entrance only added to the eerie atmosphere. "Seems like no one's really allowed around here," he observed.

"Hmm, so I guess we don't have any choice. We're going to have to do this the old-fashioned way," you said, stretching your fingers and rolling your shoulders to relieve some of the tension from the long drive.

"By old-fashioned, you mean breaking and entering?" Jake quirked an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

"Yeah," you grinned. "Cleo would be so proud of us."

A soft chuckle escaped Jake. "She does have a reputation for breaking in."

"Shall we contact the others?"

"Yes, that would be ideal," Jake agreed, his expression serious as he retrieved his phone.

****

"Hello?" you greeted everyone, your voice carrying through the phone's speaker.

From the other end of the call, a collective sigh of relief seemed to escape.

"Oh my goodness, there you are!" Lilly exclaimed.

"You've been gone for ages," Jessy added, her voice tinged with concern.

"They were only gone for a little over an hour, Jessy," Dan interjected. "Hey there, Sherlock and Hackerman. How's it going?"

"Oh shush it, Dan. One hour is long enough." Jessy shot back with a playful roll of her eyes. "How are things going, you two?"

"We have reached the Ironsplinter mine," Jake told them.

"Yeah, see this big opening with these do not cross tapes all over it?" You explained, turning your phone's camera to capture the scene. The cave's opening was imposing, shrouded in darkness and warning signs. "That's the entrance. We're going to have to cut through the tapes and climb our way through to enter."

"Yeah," Cleo's voice came through the phone. "So, technically no one should be allowed inside?"

"Exactly," you replied, a playful grin in your voice. "I can now see why you like breaking in."

A burst of laughter echoed on the other end of the call, most notably from Dan. "Good one."

"Seriously, Y/n?" Cleo can only facepalm in exasperation. "I was afraid Dan has already corrupted you, and it was only a few hours since you arrived here."

"Hey! I'm not that bad."

"Anyway, there will be instances where we will be suddenly offline, but don't worry. The reception here is just really unreliable as you can imagine." You informed them.

"I thought as much," Thomas chimed in.

"Thanks for the heads up," Lilly added.

"We're lucky to even have any reception at all," Cleo remarked.

"Be careful, both of you," Jessy's voice held genuine concern.

"We'll keep you updated as soon as we can, okay?" You assured them before ending the call. Turning to Jake, you said, "Now, shall we head inside?"

****

In the dim light of your flashlights, you and Jake ventured into the cave's mouth. The air grew cold and heavy, laden with dampness that clung to their skin like a shroud. The walls seemed to close in, the jagged rock formations looming like the teeth of some ancient, evil creature.

"Comfy," you whistled as the interior of the cave unfolded before you. If the outside was already pitch black, then the inside is pretty much the epitome of darkness. Outside, at least there was the moonlight to help you make out your surroundings, but inside? If you hadn't brought flashlights, you'd likely be navigating blind. "Creepier than I imagined."

"Well, considering its history, it has all the right to be called creepy," Jake mentioned while examining his map. "During my research, I found out quite a bit about this mine."

"Sounds like you," you playfully nudged him.

"I wanted to be prepared, just like you," he scoffed. "I'll handle the tech stuff, while you do your agent thing."

"Jake, I'm everything but prepared." You sighed as you navigated the uneven terrain, moving with cautious grace. Your steps echoing softly. The cave's floor was uneven, a mosaic of rocks and pebbles. Occasionally, you would need to clamber over a protruding rock or duck beneath a low-hanging stalactite. "I just want to get them both back," You added after a while.

"Since when did Dolos come unprepared?" he remarked, his flashlight tracing patterns on the cave's wall.

"Guess there's a first time for everything," you conceded with a shrug. The cave's darkness seemed to breathe, and an unnerving ambiance hung in the air.

"Dolos... the spirit of trickery, a master at cunning deception, craftiness, and treachery," he mused. The glow of the flashlights danced along the tunnel's walls as you both continued deeper into the cave. "I can see why you chose that alias. It has quite fit you apparently."

"I'm not sure if I'll take that as a compliment." You raised an eyebrow. Did he just call you a liar? Just in a metaphoric way?

"It is a compliment," he affirmed as he led you to a tunnel on the right. The narrow passage led you deeper into the heart of the cave, each step echoing softly against the rocky walls. "I was fascinated by you from the start. It's no secret that I have access to all private and public information of this group. But I do not have access to yours." He paused, his tone contemplative. "And I know you only let me access your phone because it's a dummy phone that only has your private messages with them, nothing else." He continued, his footsteps echoing faintly. "You know the basic tricks in hacking, and there are also instances where you've demonstrated advanced techniques. Things that a normal citizen wouldn't have knowledge of."

"I am a covert agent for a reason," you replied, your voice steady in the echoing tunnel. "As a master in psychology, it is easy for me to deceive my targets, which is a vital tool in becoming an undercover agent."

"What I am saying, Y/n is that you're the only one capable to subdue Michael." He paused for emphasis before continuing. "Play with his brain the way Dolos would."

"Roger that." You smirked. "Though it surprises me you'd known about Dolos a lot already."

"Maybe Dan is not the only biggest fan of yours."

****

"I must say, it's quite smart of him to use this mine to hide Hannah and Richy," Jake commented as you both treaded cautiously through the depths of the cave.

"Because it's so extensive," you nodded, the beam of your flashlight cutting through the darkness.

"Correct," Jake affirmed. "The Ironsplinter Mine has a total length of more than 60 miles. The main entrance in Terrendale has turned into a museum, with a part of the tunnels accessible to visitors." He gestured at different parts of the map. "However, most of the tunnels beyond that point are blocked off and in danger of collapsing. I'd estimate that Michael has about 30 miles of tunnels at his disposal."

"A perfect place to hide," you agreed, a thoughtful expression on your face. Then, a realization struck you. "Jake, what if he's been hiding here from the beginning?"

"Then we must assume that he knows his way around quite well," Jake said through gritted teeth. The tension in the air grew as you both continued your journey, maintaining a brisk pace while staying alert.

Your eyes scanned the surroundings, your hand never straying far from your weapon. Being ambushed by Michael Hanson was not a situation you wanted to find yourself in.

Suddenly, Jake came to a halt, his flashlight revealing a hole in the ground with a ladder leading down. "Looks like a shaft," you commented.

"Indeed," Jake replied.

"Let me just update the group."

With your phone safely secured in your pocket, you turned your full attention to Jake. "Anything else I should know before we head down? It felt like you deliberately left something out when talking to the others."

"It's kind of unsettling how you can pick up on that," Jake sighed. "According to my research, the ladders in this shaft go down for about 200 feet. In case any of the ladders are damaged or missing—"

"Hmm we're fucked, right?"

"I was going to say our plan will fail but I guess it's the same thing."

****

Upon midway in descending the ladder, your phone began to vibrate incessantly in your back pocket. The unexpected vibration caused you to falter for a moment, your grip on the ladder tightening instinctively to prevent any accidents.

Once your feet were firmly on the ground, you retrieved your phone and checked the screen. It was flooded with notifications, indicating that you and Jake had been exploring the mine for a longer period than you had realized.

"We have to be thankful that the ladder was relatively stable," Jake mentioned, his gaze fixed on the map in his hands once again. "However, they have been exposed to constant moisture for years and are quite rusty."

"I think we should seriously reconsider using them on the way back," you remarked, a shiver running down your spine at the thought of relying on rusty ladders above a 200-foot drop. "The last thing I want is plummeting straight into the abyss."

"Right, especially if there are four of us."

"Is there any other way out?" you inquired, your eyes scanning the intricate network of tunnels that surrounded you. Without a map on hand, getting lost in these winding passages seemed like a very real possibility.

"Yes, there is. However, they come with some extensive detours."

You sighed, a sense of fatigue settling in. "Oh, boy... this is going to be one hell of a night."

~~~~~

A/N: Hello! First of all, I want to apologize for making this fanfiction under WIP for months. I have read your comments and everything and I want to thank you for spurring the author in me once again. School has been a pain in my ass and it has been a hassle juggling life and boosting my GPA along with some personal issues. To make it short, it had emotionally and mentally burned me out to the point I can't even write anything. Not to mention I was bombarded with paper works so I really have to force myself to vomit words just to survive the semester so yeah, I think that sums it up. My apologies again because I have to cut this part out upon reaching 4.5k because I feel like the whole part will be far too long and I wouldn't be able to put a breather between scenes. The next part will be uploaded soon after this, don't worry.

Question tho: what are your thoughts on my writing style? Because I feel like I'm stretching out the storyline more than it probably needs, adding details that might not be entirely essential. I want to hear what's on your mind.

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madaboutmunson · 2 years

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Don't Stand So Close To Me - Part 10 - Poison Arrow

Part 9 | Part 11 | Chapter list | Eddie Munson Fanfiction Masterlist

Warnings: Swearing, crude humour, romance, angst, bullying

Summary: Eddie’s very recent discovery of his feelings towards Lyra causes further awkwardness between the two of them. A trip to the mall forces Lyra to confront her past.

Word Count: 7.5K

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Lyra sits in Algebra, waiting for the last bell to ring. She was looking forward to spending time with Clara and Eddie but did have concerns about the mall.

It was a place out of her comfort zone. It was unpredictably loud, busy and overwhelming in many other ways. She hadn't been back since everything went down at her last school. Even then, she didn't go that often due to the anxious fear her parents had drilled into her about kids going missing and how they or Phil could get things for her, or they knew a much nicer place to take her shopping.

They didn't understand that though it was just a giant structure full of consumerism, it was, in some ways, a modern right of passage. It was just something you would do with your friends, often and mix with other people your age. Shop at stores geared explicitly to your demographic and not just a shop that sells the kind of thing you'd wear in a family portrait.

Maybe this time, they thought the friends she was hanging out with would be a bit more streetwise, so she'd be safer? Or would Phil be keeping track of her from afar?

Either way, she'd be out of this torture device of an undergarment as soon as she had something new to wear.

The bell rings, and she gathers up her arm full of things and totters out of class. Some people even let her go ahead of them, which was a courtesy she wasn't accustomed to at Hawkins High School, that's for sure.

As she walks through the door, Eddie falls into step beside her, a little out of breath, "Hey! Sorry, I thought you had Chemistry and was in the wrong place."

Lyra notes that it's the first time today Eddie hasn't reached for her hand or arm as they walk. It wasn't a bad thing. She should feel relieved, really, shouldn't she?

"Oh, was the schedule hard to read? Sometimes my cursive can be a bit scrawly," she smiles.

"No, nothing like that. Liam, who I was in my last class with, said you two had chemistry together..." Eddie trails off, looking like he's just realised something important, "Son of a..."

"The British guy?" Lyra, a little confused, notes the annoyance on Eddie's face, "Everything alright?"

"Oh yeah, I'll have a word with him tomorrow about it." Then Eddie falls silent, which is unusual for him. He was humming, singing, or fiddling with something even when he wasn't talking.

When they eventually get to Lyra's locker and pause, she asks again, "Are you sure you're feeling ok? We can do this another time, you know?" Lyra reaches out the back of her hand to feel his forehead, and Eddie, much to her surprise, steps backwards away from her. She'd say he flinched away if she didn't know any better.

"Oh no, we need to find you something new to wear for tomorrow. Like as soon as possible, really," Eddie says, looking over her outfit until he meets her gaze again, and quickly turns to the side and starts examining the locker next to his head, "You know, because you said you were uncomfortable, right? And we don't want that, right??!" He says with a weak laugh.

Lyra feels more than a bit concerned about Eddie's behaviour right now. She was sure something was troubling him, but it didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it. Maybe she'd ask in a more private setting. "I couldn't agree more. It is deeply uncomfortable now," She says, opening her locker with the key and this time, when she hits her locker with a thump, it makes that satisfying pop sound. She looks around at Eddie in excitement, but his thoughts seem elsewhere.

There are a few more notes in the locker, so Lyra scoops them onto a book and tosses them in the trash.

"You aren't gonna read any of those?" Eddie asks, his voice gentle and calm. His eyes were soft and maybe a little sad. Nothing like the awkward tone moments ago when he couldn't face her.

Lyra looks at him confused, "Eddie...it's a prank, like you said earlier, remember? Why would I read them?" She searches his eyes for comprehension, but they look a little glassy like he might be ill.

Lyra decides she will have to be a bit pushier about this. Something was definitely wrong here. Examining his face a bit more, his pupils were large, and he kept swallowing, probably dehydrated from illness, or wait, maybe he was high? "We should raincheck the mall. I don't think you are well at all. I can call-" Lyra starts reorganising before Eddie stops her.

"No! We are going. Nothing is wrong with me." Eddie says urgently and then thoughtfully says, "Well, at least nothing that can stop me going to the mall anyway. Oh shit! Clara! Wait here", he says before running off to presumably find her.

Lyra gathers the things she needs to take home and waits by her locker for Eddie and Clara to turn up.

Whilst she's waiting, Liam walks over, "Hey, sorry to bother you, luv, but could you do me a massive favour?"

"Erm, I guess it depends. I'm waiting for someone to get back." Lyra says, looking around for Eddie and Clara.

"Oh, it's easy peasy. Won't take a minute. I'm trying to impress someone, and I just thought if it looks like I'm making you laugh, they might, I dunno, actually notice me." He says, leaning the locker next to Lyra's, propping himself up with his arm.

"Is this about noticing you, or are you trying to make someone jealous? Because I want no part in that." Lyra gestures to the words on her locker, "As you can see, I'm already in someone's bad books."

"Well, looks like you're in trouble anyway but, Nah, not at all. It's definitely about being noticed. Like, if you just laughed whilst I'm talking to you, that would work lovely jubbly. I dunno, maybe if I...." He starts, but Lyra is already laughing, covering her mouth.

"What did you just say? Lovely jubbly?" Lyra doesn't think she's ever heard anything so bizarre outside of nonsense poetry.

"Wha? Lovely Jubbly?" He has a massive smile on his face and starts laughing, too, "Sounds funny when you say it."

Lyra remembers sitting outside with Eddie discussing the word haberdashery, how he said it, that she and it might be included in one of his beloved games. Her heart flutters thinking about his smile in the dusk, how his eyes went wide and sparkled when he was learning something new. A giant grin erupts across Lyra's face, lost in memory.

"Wow, ok, thanks. That'll do it. I think they'll definitely notice that performance," Liam says, looking down the hallway, then moves his confident lean closer to her.

"Wait? What? No...I wasn't ready. I was thinking about someone-something else," she stumbles over her words.

"Someone, eh? Interestin'! Well, I hope they feel very lucky to make a lady such as yourself react like that." Liam looks Lyra over, "Do they even know?" He asks quietly.

Lyra starts looking up and down the hall for rescue, "I don't think I know what you mean, Liam. I was just thinking about something funny."

"Yeah, course you were. Something so funny you completely zoned out, sighed and hugged your books. Come on, who is it? Or shall I start guessin'? " Liam says, smiling at her.

"Liam, I think you're really reading too much into this", Lyra tried to put on a front, but she could feel his eyes boring into her. She'd messed up. No one could find out about this.

"Hmmm, well, I can sadly rule meself out, cus I'm already 'ere. How about...Jason Carver?"

"Look, stop this stupid game, Liam. There is no one," Lyra snaps, she doesn't mean to start getting annoyed, but she wants him to leave her space and stop snooping around. She could feel herself tensing up and building up those walls again.

Liam was unfortunately not getting the hint and was moving around her, trying to look at her eyes, and moving again when she turned away as he reeled off a bunch of names.

"Adam? Chad? Jesse? Carl? Pete? Fred?" No matter where she turned, he was looking at her, determined to find the answer.

"Ready to go?" Eddie's voice sounds out next to Lyra. She finally relaxes her shoulders and could just turn around and squeeze him with thanks, "Liam." Eddie nods at him in greeting, but his stare is weird. His fingers are twisted up in the chain on his cuff, squeezing it tightly, his jaw tensed.

Clara soon falls in beside Eddie, a little out of breath, "Jesus Christ! You could have warned me that running was gonna be involved, Eddie."

Liam raises his eyebrows at Lyra with a small smile and then redirects it at Eddie and slaps him on the shoulder, "Eddie! What a surprise!" Liam says with a smirk looking between the two of them.

Lyra is struggling to read this situation. It was clear Liam had annoyed Eddie today somehow. That may be why Eddie was acting differently.

She looks to Clara for assistance, who smiles and says, "Come on, let's go trade this hellscape for another", and links Lyra's arm, walking her out to the parking lot towards the van. Eddie follows a little behind most of the way but then jogs ahead when they get to the van to slide the door open for them.

Clara holds out her hand to help Lyra get in the back seat and bundles in after her. Eddie slides the door shut and gets into the driver's seat, "Alright, let's get outta here!"

He fires up the engine, and the stereo blares out some loud, aggressive music as the van screeches out of the parking lot and trundles its way to the mall.

Lyra takes a look around the van. The ride was a little bumpy sometimes, but it didn't look all that bad. In the back were a few cardboard boxes, some fabric hanging up against its walls, and a few posters.

She cranes her neck a little further to look at the van floor, which she almost immediately regrets. Cut-offs of carpet adorn the floor, and propped up against the side is a small mattress doused in blankets and cushions.

Lyra's mind races about why it was there, she tries to convince herself it might be for camping purposes, or maybe he got kicked out of his house, but her imagination has other ideas, making her look over at Eddie thoughtfully, perhaps for too long.

She wonders how many people he's had back here if any. If the rumours were true, there were too many to count. Lyra tries to shake it out of her mind, but she can't help but wonder what it would be like to be so charming you could convince someone to hop in the back of their van with them.

This time she decides to look away entirely to try to empty her mind of these inappropriate thoughts and start a conversation with Clara, as Eddie was frowning at the road.

"So what kind of places do you like to go to at the mall? I haven't been in a long time. I'm kinda nervous," Lyra confesses, twisting the cuff of her lace gloves with her other hand.

"Nervous about the mall?" Clara peers over the top of her book at Lyra.

"Er yeah, I guess that's totally lame, right? I just haven't been back to it since I got expelled. I was worried about bumping into people," Lyra says, worry lacing her voice.

Lyra leans over to whisper to Clara in the hope that the music and general van noise would prevent Eddie from hearing, "Also, Eddie seems mad, sick or both. I tried a few times to bail, but he was adamant we go today."

Clara looks at Eddie and then Lyra, "I think he'll be ok. He seemed fine at lunch. Probably just eager to get away from school."

Looking at Clara, Lyra thinks she detects a little deceptiveness from her but figures it's not a huge thing to worry about. Maybe Clara didn't know what was wrong with Eddie, or perhaps she was protecting him.

"Hey, no whispering in the van, ok?" Eddie finally speaks.

Lyra looks at him in the mirror, "Well are you gonna let us know what's going on? You seem upset."

"Jesus H Christ! I am fine! Let's just go to the mall and get this over with," Eddie snaps back.

Lyra slumps back in her seat and looks down at the floor.

"Eddie! Geez," Clara disappointedly says, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I just...this afternoon has done a number on me, ok?" Eddie says much more gently, "I just got frustrated with being asked if I'm ok, and it's not something I wanna talk about right now. It wasn't fair to snipe at you like that."

Eddie pulls into a parking space and turns around to Lyra and Clara, "Slushies on me?" He asks with a cautious smile.

Lyra was kind of taken aback at how quickly he had recognised his behaviour, expressed himself and apologised.

She finally looks up at him, "Sorry for asking the same thing over and over. I know first-hand how testing that can be." she forces a laugh, "I just misread you."

The expression she receives in return feels complex, but she doesn't push it again. A half-hearted but appreciative smile on his lips, his brow pushed together in a sort of apologetic regret. His eyes are cast down as soon their gazes meet, and he hurries out of the van to open the door for them.

Lyra is trying to take Eddie at his word, but her instinct is that something is very wrong here, but she can't figure it out. He may need some space.

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

Eddie opens the van door and braces himself to help Lyra and Clara from the van.

He could do this. He would have done this anyway. It's just courtesy. Everything is fine and normal. Just relax, Eddie. He coaches himself as he extends a hand out for Lyra to use, but instead, she uses the handle. Clara, however, does take it and eyes Lyra curiously as she drops down.

Eddie wonders if this is what Lyra felt like all those times she snapped at him. How crushing it feels to be standoffish or mean to the last person on the planet you want to be mean to just so you can create space between you both, whether for your sake, theirs, or both.

Eddie sighs and tries to think logically. Whatever thoughts he has does not mean he has to act them; they certainly aren't Lyra's fault. He just felt unbelievably frustrated with himself. For months he'd been trying to get her to the safety of Hellfire, and the day he finally achieved it, his brain and hormones decided to betray him.

Do you know whose fault this was? Liam's, he'd been fine before he'd spoken to him, right? Well, nothing to be done about that now. He just needed to focus on what this all was about. Helping Lyra. Getting her out of those clothes...Fuck! Stop thinking like that. What he meant was finding her a new wardrobe for school, so she could be more comfortable and maybe so would he.

It hadn't helped his mood that not only was his body betraying him, but also maybe he'd finally pushed his luck too far with his recklessness with himself. The stench when he last went to the bathroom was disgusting. Potentially a clinic visit was in order. Probably some sort of UTI, well, at least that's what he'd been hoping.

"Ok, I don't know what's going on with you two, but can we at least talk? Waiting in silence looks really weird." Clara breaks the silence.

"Sorry, Clara, just feeling nervous, is all", Lyra says, looking up at the vast building.

Eddie can see the girl from earlier today is a million miles away from the girl in front of him now. The mall's lights reflect on her widened, fearful eyes, and she swallows nervously. He thinks back to the jacket. No more playing a part. Be Eddie.

He steels himself and flanks Lyra. He looks across at her. In her heels, they were roughly the same height. "Hey, you've got nothing to worry about, ok? We're just gonna go in, get some outfits, get some food, and get outta here, alright?" He asks with a gentle tone and smile.

Lyra back at him, right in his eyes and smiles back weakly, "You're right, and I'll probably feel much better once I have something else to walk around in."

Eddie looks away, "Yeah, exactly," he says as positively as he can muster as they enter through the main doors.

"Oh! I almost forgot!!" Lyra rushes up to the first drinks machine she sees, hurries back with a bottle of water each, and hands them out with a big smile.

"Erm...thanks?" Clara says, a little perplexed.

"Is this an indication that this shopping trip will be thirsty work?" Eddie smiles.

Lyra looks confused, "Um, it's for the asparagus. I got so caught up in being weird about what I was eating I didn't warn you both. It can make your pee smell, which can be very alarming if you aren't expecting it. The sooner you flush your system of it, the better. Apologies if that's a bit too much information, but you should know."

Eddie's legs nearly give way. He is so relieved and surprised to see a sigh of relief from Clara, too, as they both chug their water bottles. Then look at one another and laugh heartily.

"Jesus! I thought I was rotting from the inside! Please warn me in advance next time," Clara says between laughs.

The laughter eases the tension between them all.

"So where is the best place to get an entire outfit. You know, just to walk around in?" Lyra asks.

"Well, Merry Go Round has a bit of everything," Clara advised.

"Oh yeah, that's the one with the Slade song on the advert, right? I prefer the Quiet Riot version myself," Eddie says, only to be met with two blank faces, "I swear a new rule of Hellfire is going to be music education at least once a month. It's shameful you're so uncultured" he adds in earnest.

They get to the store, and Eddie can see Lyra's eyes darting around the store, not just at the clothing but also at the people and the decor. She looked like she wanted to move towards things but was hesitating. She almost didn't know which way to go first.

That's when Eddie notices how people are looking at her. It was similar to what happened at school but more worrisome, like predatory. Eddie was used to funny looks around Hawkins, mostly disdain, fear, and maybe aggression, but this was something else. Were they going to rob her or pounce on her, or both?

Eddie sidles up to Lyra, "So maybe try focusing on one thing, and the other stuff will just fall into place" he looks to his left and picks up a hanger, "Like a pair of jeans, right? Pick some and do your clothing magic around it."

"Or a feature piece like a leather jacket?" Clara offers, holding up a dark blue biker-looking leather jacket with a black diamond embroidered in strips on the back.

"I mean, is that gonna help me fade into the background or am I gonna stand out?" Lyra asks, looking over the jacket.

"The colours are pretty dark, almost like a signature thing. You can tell it's Eddie across the room because of the giant Dio patch, or you can tell it's me because of my long duster jacket, but it's an outer layer you can remove and underneath it, just normal." Clara advises.

"Oh, ok, I get it. Ok then, sure, the jacket," she takes the jacket from Clara, "and jeans," she takes the jeans from Eddie "right, so I need..." And that was it. Lyra buzzed around the store like a little worker bee, picking up clothing instead of pollen, and then went to the fitting room. Bitterly disappointed, she couldn't take everything in at once, and it made Eddie smile. He wonders if this is what he looks like to people when he's in his special interest environment.

Sometimes it felt like Lyra was from a completely different planet. Whether it was her food, clothes, opinions and how she analysed things for information, like a robot, she'd churn it all up and produce something else. She was...different.

After a few minutes, she bundles back out again and puts back the jeans and jacket they gave her to try. Lyra smiles at each of them sheepishly, "Sorry they just didn't feel very me, but thank you," and then bustles over to the counter, arms laden with clothing items.

Whilst Lyra is engaged with the sales assistant, Clara takes this opportunity to engage with Eddie, "Hey man, please don't bite my head off, but is everything ok?

"To be quite honest with you, Clara, no, it's not, but at least I know I don't have a fuckin' STD. So there's that positive, at least." Eddie sighs.

"Can I be frank with you?" Clara asks, lowering her voice and stepping a bit closer.

"As long as I can still be Eddie, Frank," Eddie smirks.

Clara rolls her eyes and puts her hands on her hips, "Look, you like..like-like her, ok? It's pretty loud to me, Eddie. What's the problem? Why have you been blaring that out of you for the past few days and half of today? But this afternoon, you just shut down? Just turn on your usual charm and go get her. I highly, highly doubt she'll turn you down, dude."

Eddie is a little alarmed at Clara's forthrightness and feels exposed. He looks at Clara, shakes his head and then over at Lyra and, in his sigh, admits defeat in several ways. "I just wanted to be her friend, you know? I didn't want any of that other stuff. She doesn't need it. Not with my reputation and how people have labelled her already. I just wanted to keep her safe. Honestly! And then Liam said something, and I thought maybe I did like her that way, and I panicked, alright? I worried I was gonna fuck this all up just as we got to a good place." Just saying it out loud made the weight a bit lighter for Eddie.

Generally speaking, Eddie would speak his mind, but when it came to his own complex feelings, he'd bottle it up until it became a problem, like today, Tuesday night, and countless other times.

"It's not about being turned down. It's about doing the right thing." Eddie tries to explain, and this is a half-truth. He did want to do the right thing and lean into the hero rather than the villain, but he also couldn't ignore the voice that told him he'd never be enough.

Shit. If he wasn't enough for someone like Tabatha purely based on looks, how could he ever be enough for someone with a lifestyle like Lyra? Their lives were polar opposites, yet he often recognised himself in her. He wished one of these elements could be different to give him an even footing, but there were too many insecurities at play.

"What if...now hear me out...what if she felt the same as you? would that change your mind?" Clara asks slowly, Eddie can detect the caution in her voice, and his heart begins to race.

What did Clara mean? Did she know something? Could someone like Lyra feel like that about him? He thinks back to her apology for touching him without permission earlier. What if pushing him away wasn't just to stop rumours about her, but Lyra thought she was trying to protect Eddie, of all people, from having something else to be tarnished with too? No, that was ridiculous. He needed clarity.

"What do you mean felt the same way as me?" Eddie asks nervously as he brings his hands together to twiddle his rings around a few times.

Clara reaches out and turns Eddie away from looking at Lyra at the counter to face herself. "Eddie, my dear friend. What if Lyra liked you more than just this but was afraid of fucking up too? What if she has her own frustrations because someone showed her kindness, and that's all she wanted, but now it's more, and confusing too? What then?"

Eddie gives Clara a small smile, "I appreciate what you're doing, but there is just no way. I'd know. I'd be able to tell. I know how to tell if someone is into me, Clara."

"You didn't answer my question. What if she felt the same as you? What would you say to that?" Clara repeats encouragingly

Eddie blinks quickly and feels awkward. He drops into a more confident stance to rise above it with a hand on his hip and stands up to his full height, "I guess I would...well...you know...um...I'd say ok," He manages.

"Ok?? That's it? Ok?! What does that even mean?" Clara erupts loudly, gesticulating wildly, sending Eddie reeling backwards in alarm. Yes, it was a vague term, but honestly, that's all he had. He would be ok with it, but he needed to figure out where to go from there. How do you even navigate that space of I like you, but I'm worried I'll ruin your life?

"Um, is everything alright?" Lyra's voice rings out beside him.

He turns and smiles, "Everything is fine. We were just talking about the game tomorrow, right, Clara?" He looks over at Clara with a little forced smile.

"Yeah. Anyway, how did you get on?" Clara quickly changes the subject looking at Lyra's change of clothing and hat, plus the many bags hanging from her hands.

"Well, I think I have enough mix-and-match items plus accessories. Do you think it's ok to have got it all from one place? Will it be like the whole catalogue thing again? Or can we go get something to eat now? Since I can breathe again, I've realised there is, in fact, room for food," Lyra asks, sounding genuinely worried.

"I think you'll be fine", Clara advises kindly, "and if not, you know you can always pick up something another time?"

"Right," Lyra says, very relieved, "So where to? We can go anywhere you like, and you can have as much as you want. It's my treat."

Clara and Eddie look at one another with a smile and say in unison, "Scoops!"

"Ok, sure, lead the way."

Even though Eddie isn't a massive fan of the mall, it was generally overcrowded and full of judgemental assholes. He still helps Clara with the tour guiding on the way to the ice cream parlour. Pointing out some other places that might pique Lyra's interest, specifically Sam Goody's.

When they finally get to Scoops, they all get in line together and talk away as usual. Maybe it was the outfit, Eddie thinks. This is much more relaxed.

"Um, tell you what. Why don't you both grab that last booth over there, and I'll order what you want and bring it over" Lyra says quickly, "Whatever you want." Lyra smiles over at them quickly, offering Eddie the shopping bags.

"Oh, U.S.S Butterscotch, please," Clara says excitedly.

"Hell yeah! Mint choc chip for me," Eddie agrees wholeheartedly.

"Tutti Frutti for me," Clara says with a big smile.

"Ok, cool. I got it," Lyra says, grabbing a baseball cap from one of the shopping bags Eddie was now holding and putting it on her head.

Eddie thinks it's odd behaviour but writes it off as she's eager to try out some of her new clothes.

He places the bags between himself and Lyra as they shuffle into the booth.

"Who's that?" Clara juts her chin at the small group of girls talking to Lyra.

Eddie looks over. He doesn't recall seeing them at school, "Dunno, maybe they are from her old school?"

Eddie watches the girls wave goodbye to Lyra and walk out of the store, whispering and giggling to one another and occasionally looking back at Lyra and laughing louder. He sees Lyra's shoulders slump, and his heart just breaks for her. Whoever these people were, she'd tried to hide from them and failed.

He watches Lyra approach the counter, and like a switch, she's smiling and joking with the girl behind the counter, who had started off less than impressed but seemed happier as their conversation continued.

Lyra turns back towards them, and Eddie quickly grabs a menu to read it over. Lyra sits down empty-handed and puts her hat on the seat beside her.

"Lyra," Clara says, trying not to laugh, "Where is the sundae?"

"Oh, yeah, I placed the order, and the sales assistant said she'd bring them over. So I gave her a tip for her trouble." Lyra plays with the new rubber bracelets on her wrist.

"Them?" Eddie asks, "What do you mean them? We're gonna split one of those boat things, right?"

"Erm...Oh...I think I misunderstood..." Lyra starts to say when the uniformed sales assistant walks over three glass-bowled, banana-hulled ice cream boats with waffle sails, drowning in sauce and whipped cream.

"Tutti Frutti and two mint choc chip," the Sales assistant says as the desserts and spoons are placed on the table.

Lyra looks disheartened, "I'm sorry, I should have looked at the picture and used my brain."

"Are you kidding me? This is amazing!! I don't have to share???" Eddie reassures her. He can't stand to see her face look like that. The face of repeatedly getting things wrong.

"Really?" Lyra says with a weak smile that lasts for a split second. Eddie kicks Clara under the table.

"Oh yeah, we could have been clearer about how we were gonna share," Clara adds, putting down her book, picking up her spoon, and tucking it into her sundae.

For a minute or two, there is almost silence at the table because of eating. Eddie eating at lightning speed, only pausing to narrowly avoid brain freeze. Clara eating normally, eyes still partially on her book. Lyra poking at her sundae, seemingly just moving it around. Eddie hasn't been watching her the whole time, but he doesn't think he's seen her eat any of it. She must feel him looking, and her eyes quickly flash up to his, and she eats a spoonful and forces a smile back.

Eddie is about to engage her in conversation when he hears a little commotion at the door. The same girls are back, but in tow with them is an older preppy-looking short-haired blonde guy, and he's heading towards their table.

"Hey! Beverley said you were here. I didn't believe it. I had to come and see with my own eyes. You disappeared on me, baby. Not a phone call. You didn't even RSVP to the party at the croquet club, which broke my heart. After everything, we've been through. Are you even listening to me?" the man lectures at Lyra, who hasn't even lifted her head to look at him. The guy hasn't even acknowledged the existence of Eddie or Clara.

"I have nothing to say to you, Curt," Lyra says quietly.

Who the fuck is this guy? Could this be THE Guy?

Curt bends down next to the table to get eye-level with Lyra.

"Look, Lyra. I had to say all that in front of my mom, you understand, right? My job was on the line. You weren't aiming for ivy league anyway, were you, baby? You know, I had a path mapped out. I was on my last chance. You could do your little costumes from anywhere. I miss you so much. I've missed you so much. I just couldn't call, you know, because if my mom found out? You understand, baby, right? "

Eddie's insides feel like they are beginning to coil around one another. This was the guy. This was that fucking asshole. He was excusing his fucking cowardice and then shitting on her dreams. Every pet name he used on her levelled up Eddie's brand new hatred towards this fool.

"I'd really like it if you just left, ok?" Lyra says quietly. Eddie can see her spoon trembling in her hand.

"You don't mean that, honey. I know you missed me too," The man says, reaching for Lyra's face.

Eddie slides over in his seat, puts his arm around Lyra, and hits Curt's hand with the back of his spoon, "Ah-ah-ah buddy. The lady said she'd like you to leave. So why don't you just turn around, regroup your minions and go away, alright?"

Eddie can feel how tense Lyra is with his arm around her shoulders. He feels that tremble against himself and wonders if she's shaking with fear or pure rage.

Curt looks at Eddie and then back to Lyra, "Baby, we've got nothing to stop us now we aren't at the same establishment. Come on, honey. You know you're my number one girl, right?" Curt tries to shift closer to Lyra, and Eddie takes the spoon and hits him with the back of it, firmly in the middle of his forehead.

"Are you hard of hearing? She asked you to leave. So leave." Eddie says sternly. He knows enough to not get violent with this guy. Not because he couldn't take him but because this guy was richer and more well-connected than Eddie, and though Eddie enjoyed pushing boundaries, he was not looking to wind up in jail. So these playful antics though harmless, finally got his attention on Eddie.

"Who the fuck are you?" Curt gets to his feet and sneers at Eddie, who sends back a satisfied smile, but before he can do anything else, Lyra stands up.

"You are harassing my friends and I. The whole store can see you. Isn't it enough you ruined my life? Please leave me alone." Lyra says this loud enough for other people in the area to turn and face Curt.

Curt stares down Lyra, "Is this what you've become? Some fat whore for trailer trash?" Gesturing at Eddie and herself.

Eddie stands up, "You wanna watch your mouth, asshole," he says through gritted teeth, trying to push past Lyra to get to Curt, but Lyra reaches for Eddie's hand. It's a sudden movement, but her touch is gentle, and her fingers intertwine with his. It's enough to surprise and stop Eddie in his tracks as she pushes back between them.

Curt shakes his head at Lyra, "Have you lost all of your self-respect? My mother was right about you. You are a disgusting slut, hopping from one guy to the next. Is this loser why you haven't called?" Curt looms over Lyra, trying to intimidate her.

Eddie hears those words and lunges forward, only to be blocked by Lyra again. Who was this prick thinking he was to speak to her like that? He doesn't let it show, but the insult aimed at him crushes his spirit a little. Reaffirming what his inner voice had been trying to tell him all afternoon. That he wasn't good enough, not for Lyra, not for anyone.

He feels Lyra's grip on his hand tighten, and she stands up straighter and looks this guy dead in the eyes. She has Curt's full attention and says quietly, "Go ahead, say whatever about me, say whatever makes you feel better for what you did. Running to your Mom with your tail between your legs" she steps forward and loosens her grip on Eddie's hand, he doesn't know what possesses him to do so, but he instinctively squeezes her hand back into his.

Lyra gets inches from this guy's face, her jaw tensed, teeth gritted, "But you don't get to say shit about him. He's a hundred times the man you'll ever be in your wildest dreams. Now, why don't you fuck off before I make a phone call to your mommy."

Eddie's breath gets stolen clean out of himself at her words. Could she mean that, or was it just to belittle this guy? His eyes go to Lyra and then back to Curt, who is looking between Lyra's eyes in disbelief. Then Curt's eyes land on Eddie angrily, then back to Lyra, "You're making a huge mistake here. You know we're meant to be, baby. What we had was something special. This guy, he's just a rebound."

"I've had to speak to many people about 'what we had', Curt, and I learned about what you did to me. You took advantage of someone young and naive to meet your own controlling needs because anyone your age thought you a loser. A young girl who didn't know anything about anything was perfectly mouldable for you, but you dropped me like a bad habit when you got caught. Because that's what I was, a disgusting habit you shouldn't have indulged in. I see you're up to your old tricks again, befriending girls younger than you. Who's next on your list, Curt, or are they not dumb enough to be manipulated like I was?" Though she's keeping her voice down, Eddie can hear Lyra annunciate every word, she wants them to hit this guy like a machine gun, but he can also hear her voice starting to break. Eddie tightens his grip on Lyra's hand to say without words he is here. She wasn't alone anymore.

"You. Disgust. Me." Curt prods into Lyra's chest. Something snaps in Eddie. He picks up Lyra with all his might and forces his way past her, so he's between them both.

Eddie clenches his fists and shifts his weight, "Do that to me. I fuckin' dare ya," Eddie growls in Curt's face, staring intensely into his eyes with pure rage.

To Eddie's surprise, without Lyra between them, this guy looks like he might piss himself through fear.

"Hey, that's enough machismo. Thank you. It's time you left, blondie," the sales assistant chimes in, "Or do I need to call the cops?"

Curt looks at her with a sour look on his face, then to Lyra, "We are not done", and then he storms out, pushing through the group of girls waiting in the doorway, glaring back at Lyra occasionally.

Once he's out of sight, Eddie finally sits down. Clara is just looking at Lyra wide-eyed, and as soon as Eddie sits down, Clara exchanges a concerned look with him.

Lyra is sat down, her head hung low, and she's muttering something repeatedly.

He reaches out to touch her arm, but just before contact, she flinches away and suddenly draws in a sharp breath as if it stung her.

"Hey," Eddie says quietly and gently, "You want me to take you home? We can go whenever you want. We're done here anyway."

It looks to him like Lyra is trying to make eye contact with him but can't bring herself to do it and just nods.

"Ok, let's grab all our stuff and get out of here." Eddie knows how it feels to be hit with unexpected trauma, and just tries to move slowly around her and overexplains everything, "We're gonna gather up our stuff, go back to the van, we'll drop Clara off because she's on the way and then straight to yours, ok? That's the plan. Do you want hot cocoa or some ice, Lyra?" Eddie is trying to remember all the things he can think of that help him when he crashes like this.

She shakes her head in a no. Eddie shoots a concerned look back at Clara.

"Ok, let me carry those, ok, and we'll be right next to you" Eddie gathers the bags in his hands and shuffles out of the booth waiting for Lyra and Clara.

They speedwalk out of there toward the exit and hurry into the van.

Eddie puts the keys in the ignition but turns around to face Clara and Lyra, "You're safe now, ok. It's just us three in the van." Clara clicks in Lyra's seat belt for her.

Lyra tucks her knees up to her chest, squeezes them against herself and mumbles "I'm sorry" into her new jeans. Her shoulders shake, and Eddie can tell, although inaudible she's crying. Clara goes to reach her hand to Lyra's back, and Eddie stops her and shakes his head silently.

He turns back in his seat to start driving and clearly and loudly says, "Ok, like I said, we're gonna drop Clara off at her house. Then straight to yours. Nothing is gonna hurt you in here, ok. She's a hallowed sanctuary." He says, tapping the roof of the van above him.

Eddie thinks for a moment. He knows he'd be exposing himself doing this, but what the hell. Eddie ejects his current cassette and puts in a different one. It's just the sound of the ocean. The tide rushing in and out. He always used it for himself on particularly bad days. He must have at least 5 copies of this tape dotted around his life in case he couldn't find one in a panic.

They get to Clara's house, and she frantically scribbles something in her notebook and puts the paper in one of Lyra's shopping bags, "In case you wanna talk later, Lyra. Thanks for the ice cream. See you both tomorrow."

"See you, Clara. Thanks for coming" Eddie smiles warmly as Clara exits and turn back to Lyra.

"Hey, sweetheart, you wanna sit up front, or you wanna stay there?" He gets no response, so he returns to the road and starts driving.

He's guessing where she might live, but he'll have to ask eventually. Finally, after a while, he asks, "Um, Lyra, can you give me some direction, so I can get you home?"

There is no answer, so Eddie continues to drive, and then without warning, he's wrapped in a hug from behind. Lyra's arms squeeze around him with intensity. He can feel her face leaning against his back, dampening the back of his hair and neck. He takes one hand off the steering wheel and puts it where her hands are clasped together.

"It's gonna be ok," he says softly, "You're safe here". He feels her nod against his back.

"Thank you, Eddie. I'm sorry." She mumbles as her voice stutters the words out.

"You don't need to apologise. You've done nothing wrong ok?" He strokes the back of her hand with his, and he doesn't think he's ever felt something so soft. She gives him another, lighter squeeze. He knows it's inappropriate to think about it, but being wrapped in her arms feels so good he says nothing for a while.

"We do need to get you home, though, Lyra." He feels her grip around him loosen, and he clings tightly to her hands. He feels his heart thump in his chest and tries to breathe slowly and deeply to calm it down.

He wracks his brain for things he's wanted to hear. "I'm not trying to get away. I'm not weirded out. What he did in there was not ok. Your feelings are totally valid, ok? I just want you to be in your safe place. I won't leave you until you want me to. I swear." He clasps his hand around hers and taps them against his chest, "I'm right here. Just let me know where I need to go."

"Ok", she mumbles into the back of his neck. As her breath moistens against his skin, it sends a shiver right down his spine. Fuck! That felt insane. He just wanted to help her and be kind. Finally, he manages to wrangle his thoughts back to a safe place.

Lyra moves her head, so her chin is resting on Eddie's left shoulder, still embracing him with one arm around his chest, which Eddie still has hold of when he can, whilst she uses her other arm to point out the turnings as she directs him audibly.

Eddie doesn't think he's been this close to Lyra for this long before. Her voice is quiet and gentle, like a songbird in his ear. The warmth from her body that the seat wasn't obscuring felt so comforting and safe. Even though it had been he that needed to provide her with that.

They finally hit a long gravel drive lined with trees on either side.

The drive spreads into a driveway wide enough for five of Eddie's vans. At the end of it was a gigantic house. It was primarily wooden siding apart from the bottom clad in stone, with two garage doors and a balcony above that. Eddie glances to the right and sees almost another house again attached to it.

"Ho-ly fuck", he whispers. He doesn't mean to say it out loud, but it just falls out of his mouth.

"Bit weird, huh?" Lyra says nervously and releases Eddie as the van rolls to a stop.

"A little, yeah," he says, still in awe of everything, before getting out and walking around to help Lyra with all her bags.

"Successful shopping trip?" a Scottish voice booms out of the intercom. The surprise of which nearly makes Eddie fall to the floor in shock. Instead, he clutches at his chest, "Jesus Christ."

They get to the door, and Lyra takes out her keys to unlock it, "Um...did you wanna come in? You don't have to. You've done more than enough today, honestly."

Part of Eddie feels very inadequate standing at the door. Part of him wants to say he's got somewhere to be. But part of him wonders if he leaves now if the step forward in the van (that he hadn't even instigated) would be forgotten tomorrow. He wanted to know if Clara was right. What if Lyra did feel the same? Though pushing her for any answers or anything else today would be a pretty shitty thing to do.

"It kinda would be a shame to come all this way and not get a grand tour, right?" he gives her a gentle smile and looks at her hopefully.

#eddie munson #stranger things #eddiemunson #eddie stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #fanfiction #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson oc #eddie munson x oc #eddie munson angst #eddie munson imagine

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intoduskoutofdawn · 2 years

Text

About last night

Jessy, Phil x MC

Genre: mostly friendship but there's a spicy part

Jessy and MC are having brunch after MC spend the night with Phil. Sorry I played jump rope with the time line, it just came out like that...

Warnings: smoking, alcohol, sexual content

„Do you need help?!“ MC shouts down the stairs from where she can hear rummaging noise and clinging glasses. “No! I got this...just sit down.” answers Jessie's faint voice.

It's a warm Sunday morning, perfect for realizing the plan Jessy and MC made in the Aurora bar last night: coming back in the morning and have brunch together.

The Aurora Bar is situated on the ground level of a very old and strange building, on the left side of the second floor is the quieter part right above the storage area of the bar – that is where bar owner Phil had set up his apartment a while ago. The other part of the second floor is empty and still not renovated, no walls just wooden joists and floors with a large old fashioned window to the front side – a perfect place to sit and relax on a sunny morning like this.

MC opens the window and some of the old brittle paint is snowing down, she dusts off the sill with her hand and sits down, her back leaning on the frame with one leg out of the window. The sun spills warmth over her face. She can hear a door slamming from downstairs and steps coming up, Jessy smiles at her, holding up a tray with two glasses, a bottle and something in a paper bag.

“Voilà! Our brunch.” she said with a triumphing look. She puts the tray right in front of MC and sits down on the other side of the window sill, so the two girls are facing each other - toasting with the glasses and each take a sip.

“Uahh!” MC shakes her head and flinches. “I don't really like sparkling wine.”

“Me neither. Bah!” Jessy stretches her tongue out. “So why are we doing this?” reluctantly MC takes another sip. Making a smart face Jessy answers “Well, you said you wanted brunch and on all the pictures of brunching people, they are drinking sparkling wine, or actually it might be champagne but we cannot afford that...” she laughs and puts down her glass. “That is true and they also have food in those pictures, don't they?” MC tries to copy the smart face of her friend.

“Say no more!” Jessy opens the paper bag with a grand gesture. “O, Doughnuts!” MC sighs and takes the one Jessy is handing her. “Mh'erfect!” she mumbles through the first bite and powdered sugar is dusting out of her mouth making Jessy laugh.

“We are really bad at having brunch!” Jessy comments and both girls burst into laughter. “Well it seemed to be a perfectly good plan yesterday.” MC brushes the sugar off her leg.

Suddenly Jessy's face changes and she looks at her fried with serious eyes, MC meets her look with surprise “What's wrong?”

Jessy takes a long breath before she speaks again and her voice takes on a very different and serious tone. “Speaking of ideas one would have in a bar...” Suddenly MC is hit by a sinking feeling in her stomach, it is dawning on her where Jessy is going with this.

“...I couldn't help noticing, you were here before me this morning and I found my brothers shirt on the banister and a lot of grapes on the floor, which is weird – buuut anyway, detective that I am...” she hesitates, her look is begging for her friend to answer without her having to ask. MC turns her face away and lets her look stride out the window over the house fronts on the other side. Her mind went back to how last night ended...

The way out of the back of the bar and upstairs was kind of a blur, she just remembers the cold wall against her back when he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They never broke the kiss, just for a second that it took her to pull his shirt over his head.

The very messy kiss that started an avalanche of passion, two hands grabbing her by the hip, sweeping her vigorously off the counter she was sitting on. A burning heat rising up and an almost painful hunger for his touch consumed all her senses. Her hand messing up his hair, sliding down and clawing into his shoulders, trying to devour him. The room around vanished and all that remained were his lips on hers and his hands sliding firmly and curiously over her skin.

He guided her up the stairs, stumbling as they crushed into each other over and over again, never losing touch. FInally they reached the apartment and he spun her around, kissing – more biting – the back of her neck. She took this opportunity to scan the unknown room, everything seemed to be in a haze. She fought down the urge to close her eyes again and melt away under his touch. With blurred vision she spotted the edge of a bed through a gap of one of the doors, lighted dimly with street light that must have been streaming in through a window.

In that moment she decided, that it was her turn now and she grabbed Phil by the waist band off his pants pulling him towards the bedroom while undoing his belt. As they reached the side of the bed, he moves behind her again letting his hand slide down from her waist - entering her with two fingers. Gasping she let her head fall back on his shoulder, arching her back. Everything around her started spinning and she could feel her legs giving in, forcing her to sink in his grip while he held and played her like a precious instrument, curling his finger and causing her to gasp and moan louder. Just before she lost it, she lifted her head with fury and stopped his fingers from moving by grabbing his wrist. She turned around and met his confused look with a seductive smile.

“Sorry...” she whispered through another kiss. Taking him by surprise, she pushed him onto the bed quickly lowering herself on top of him and pinning his arms down. “...but this is my ride.” she smiled down at him, covering his lips with hers before he could even answer.

“Ouh...gosh! Really MC?!” Jessie's whimpering is tearing MC out of her reminiscence, she looks at Jessy and slowly nods her head. Jessy covers her face with both hands and sobs through her fingers “I knew it! I knew this would happen sooner or later. That stupid brother of mine! Couldn't just leave you alone could he? Argh, what the hell did he...” - “Jess.” MC interrupts her softly, leaning forward “Look at me. I'm fine. It wasn't like that...” With a shy smile she tries to get Jessy out of her distress. She watches her slowly lowering her hands and suddenly MC is feeling terribly angry at herself – not for one second she thought about what kind of affect her night with Phil would have on Jessy. Now MC buries her face in her hands. “I'm so sorry, Jessy – I really didn't mean to make you feel like this. I don't want things to be awkward between us, please forgive me. We don't have to talk about this, let's just forget about it.” she looks up with begging eyes.

Jessy wrinkles her forehead, she looks like she is struggling with a bad taste in her mouth but finally she nods her head.

“Yes...I mean no! We have to be able to talk about this. You are my best friend and I have to deal with this.” She swallows hard and now a helpless smile appears on her face, she seems calmer. “We cannot suck at having brunch and awkward conversations!” That statement causes MC to chuckle - Jessy is indeed an amazing friend. “Okay.” Jessy takes another sip of her glass and sits up straight “Let's rip that band aid right off! Tell me what happened... no wait!” She raises her hand just as MC wanted to answer. “No details! Can't handle it... Just tell me, what happened after I left.”

For a moment MC falls silent, thinking what exactly kicked off the events of last night.

“Do you remember, that I told Thomas and Dan that I just finished my internship at the newspaper and that they offered me a job? And Thomas said something like 'Wow, that's so great, MC, how you always got everything figured out.' And even Dan agreed with him, he said ' That's our little success, always sticking to her plan!'”

MC shakes her head frowning and continues “That just didn't sit well with me at that moment. That's not at all how I want to see myself, you know? I used to be so spontaneous and fearless and now I'm Miss All-figured-out? Through the last time I was so wrapped up in my work, I always held back and I don't want to end up like that. I mean, I wanted to become a writer to experience life and not just work my days away and stick to a plan.”

Jessy nods her head to show MC she is with her so far.

“Anyway, I started brooding about this yesterday and realized, that I really always held back from being just me - for my studies and the job and so on. And suddenly I felt a very consuming urge to break out of that.”

Jessy tilts her head looking MC directly into the eyes. “MC, I don't think the guys meant anything by saying that and even so, I would have to disagree. You are a spontaneous, creative person, you just had to get some things done and in order. And you are still one of the most unpredictable people I know – that doesn't change just like that. And it's not like you have to take the job. Why would you even worry about that?”

MC answers with a shrug and with an abashed smile she continues the story. “Well it bothered me a lot yesterday, so I just stayed in the bar after everyone left – still brooding and obsessing. I know that might sound absurd, but I just didn't want to go home. I thought I could start breaking my routine with drinking all night.” Jessy suddenly chuckles and MC looks at her with surprise. “Sorry, for a moment I almost forgot where this story is heading. So what did my brother do to you then?”

MC shakes her head looking down on her hands. “Phil didn't do anything to me, the poor guy was just there while I was obsessing about my life being stuck. Not pleasant, believe me. I think he asked me if I am sure to finish the drink, since he overheard that I wanted to meet up with you in the morning. And he couldn't know but that was just oil on the flame. So I started a fight, I tried to provoke him, I was pissed....it wasn't really serious.”

...What happened last night...

Phil is busy cleaning behind the counter and starts to put all the bottles back on the shelves. He looks over his shoulder at the full glass of whiskey in front of MC.

"That's still full, are you gonna make it?"

MC, who has been just staring at her drink with a rather sinister expression, lifts her head and slits her eyes. "Why wouldn't I make it?"

Phil just shrugs without interrupting his work "Just asking, you said you want to have brunch here with my sister in the morning, it's getting late..."

"So? You're not my mother, are you? Since when are you so patronizing?" MC snaps. Phil turns around slowly with raised brows and crosses his arms while MC chugs half of her glass and shivers under the burning taste.

"See." She points a finger at Phil - "I'm not just chasing after security, sticking to the plan, jobs and...mini vans. Screw the plan, I just chugged down the plan! What are you gonna do about that, Mr. Hawkins?"

A slightly irritated smile flickers over his face while he lights his cigarette, he doesn't dare to answer. MC just keeps ranting on.

"Of course, how would you know, what it feels like? You can just do whatever you want, you really got that whole 'bahaad boy' thing down, don't you?" She gestures with both hands.

- "Will you marry me?" Phil asks smiling and shuts MC up. Brought out of concept, she shakes her head and starts laughing, covering her face with both hands.

"Ouch, I'm sorry, Phil. I don't know what got into me...except for this." She holds up her glass and drives a hand through her hair. Phil turns around again and pours another glass of whiskey. MC lifts her eyes "Thanks, but I still got some left."

"Good." Phil pulls up a stool behind the counter and sits down right in front of MC.

"That one is for me. I kinda have the feeling I will need it." He says with a wink and takes a sip. "So..." he reaches over and pushes a strand of hair out of her face "What's up with you, MC? The bar tender is listening." Tired and sad she smiles back at him.

"Ouh, I don't know. It just came to my attention, that I got myself in a rut. I worked so hard the last year in school and at work and for what? I feel like this just eroded my spirits, I didn't write a single line in forever and I'm just...stuck. How did I become such a boring person?" She takes the cigarette out of Phil's hand and looks at it as if the answer is somewhere hidden in the smoke. His deep chuckle draws her attention back. "What's so funny?" Phil leans back pinning his dark eyes on her.

"You are really hot when you are losing your marbles, did you know that?" He shifts forward and steals his cigarette back. "Now why would you say something stupid like that? Who would ever call you boring?" MC shrugs and mumbles in her glass "Well they didn't use the exact word, but..." Phil starts laughing again shaking his head.

"Okay, enough now with that nonsense! You, Miss MC, are the furthest from boring as a person can possibly be. Seriously, a job offer doesn't disrupt the big bag of crazy that you are. Look at you having a personal crisis and obsessing about nothing! Like a real writer! And hands down, you are one of the most exciting people I've ever met and you know, that I cannot bear to be bored for a second. Come to think of it, you might even be the second most exciting person in this bar right now." He winks and points at her ironically, causing her to laugh out loud. "Definitely, I'm the second most stupid one here..." MC sighs and this time the smile remains on her face. "Thanks for cheering me up, Hawkins. Still, I feel like I should do...something." She looks at him for a while with an intriguing expression and big eyes.-

"Let's go to Vegas! You and me, let's do that, like right now!" Phil meets her inviting look with a raised brow, he nods his head and finishes his whiskey.

"Alright - you got it, might just be a bit late for that at the moment." He gets up and opens one of the fridges under the counter, coming back up with a bowl in his hands. "For now...wanna throw grapes at the bar mirror? That's what I do in times of crisis."

MC jumps up "Aw yes!" and sits down next to Phil on top of the counter. She grabs a grape out of the bowl chucking it way to high on the wall.

"Missed." Phil comments and takes one himself and throws it right in the mirror where it leaves a purple-ish smudge.

"See, like a real pro." He pinches MC in the arm and she takes another shot.

"Hah! Right in the middle." She raises her arms in a winners pose. "Doesn't count." Phil shakes his head and MC protest "What? I aimed right at your reflection there, mister!"

Phil slides down from the counter and points at the mirror. "See that? My smudge is at least two inches higher than yours, that means I win." He turns around and builds himself up in front of MC "Sorry, kiddo, rules are rules..."

...

"And then I kinda just grabbed him by the neck and... kissed him." MC looks at Jessy who was listening fascinated and a little frightened. "I think I spare you the rest." MC concludes and now waits for her friends reaction.

Jessy looks out the window for a few very long seconds and then sighs deeply, MC askes softly “Are you alright?” and Jessy starts nodding. “I will be. I guess the question is, do you know what happens now? I mean, was this... a one time thing?”

"That would be a shame and technically it was more than one time already..."

"Ah shush!" Jessy lifts a finger as a warning. "You know what I mean."

MC scratches her chin. “Well in the spirit of not having a plan – I really can't tell you. Who knows.”

“And you are okay with that?”

“I am.”

“So you are really fine?”

“Absolutely. Are you?”

“I think so.”

Jessy stands up from the window sill and stretches herself like after a long run.

“I think I did good.” she looks satisfied with herself. “I got through this conversation, didn't throw up once and my MC is fine. This could have been a disaster but we got through it.” She smiles down at MC who feels relived.

“I love you, Jessy.”

“I love you too, MC.” Jessy points a finger at her friend. “But I gotta tell you, you are one crazy broad! I have to go now, we will work on that brunch thing another time.” She puts on her jacket and picks up her bag.

A door opens on the other side of the room and Phil is leaning in the door frame, wearing a leopard printed blazer and sun glasses. Jessy locks her arms and looks frowning at her brother, then she turns around to MC. “I don't even want to know!” she says and bends over to kiss MC on the cheek, then she just waves a goodbye to Phil and flies down the stairs.

MC throws her legs from the window sill to take in the sight of Phil still leaning there, she approves finally with a smile.

“Nice. Are you ready then, Sailor?” she asks.

“Taxi will be here in 20 minutes.” he answers holding up his phone.

“Alright.” says MC and jumps up from the window walking over to him with a little dance in her step...

“Let's go Vegas!”

#duskwood phil #duskwood fanfiction #duskwood #duskwood everbyte #duskwood phil x mc #everbyte duskwood #duskwood game #duskwood jessy #phil hawkins #jessy hawkins #everbyte studios #phil x mc #duskwood mc

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duskwoodstories · 2 years

Text

BETWEEN THE CODES

DUSKWOOD FANFICTION

When the police suddenly raid MC's home, forcing her to leave for Duskwood with them, the young girl faces doubt and despair as she is forced to leave her home and find her virtual friends; while, at the same time, trying to find a desperate way to get in touch with Jake.

Why were they taking her, anyway? What evidence could the policemen have against MC? And, most importantly, would Jake come to her rescue?

Embark on this journey now to find out.

CHAPTERS:

Chapter 1 • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3

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non-binaryzombie · 3 years

Text

𝔐𝔞𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔱

⫸ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ

��𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐞

𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥

(I accept requests from all characters, but for now these are the ones that contain published stories)

⫸ᴅɪᴠɪꜱɪᴏɴ

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬

(smut = ♡)

◥༒۝𝔇𝔞𝔯𝔨𝔫𝔢𝔰𝔰

★・ONE SHOT・★

𝙶𝚒𝚏𝚝 ༻ you have a gift to your forum friend.

𝙽𝚘, 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚢! 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 ༻ you finally move to Duskwood and get a job at Aurora, being in a relationship with Darkness, some things don't go so well.

𝚂𝚘, 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎? ༻ you try to explain what love feels like to someone who have never been in love, until now.

𝙼𝚛. 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 ༻ sometimes it's good to be the "teacher's pet" especially when your teacher is someone you know, but better than anyone else.

𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 ༻ the first time that you say that you love someone, can be a little embarrassing and make you nervous, but not this time.

𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 ༻ everyone has secrets, it’s up to you, decide if someone is going to know about them, or is it?

★・SERIES・★

★・ʜᴇᴀᴅᴄᴀɴᴏɴꜱ・★

𝙶𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚜 ♡ ༻ just my headcanons about Darkness

𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚍𝚎 ༻ headcanons about wat would be a day with Dark

𝙽𝚂𝙵𝚆 𝙰𝚕𝚙𝚑𝚊𝚋𝚎𝚝 ♡ ༻ nsfw headcanons about Dark, again

☕𝔍𝔞𝔨𝔢☕

★・ONE SHOT・★

𝙹𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚢 ༻ you and Jake were able to find Hannah, but not everything is roses.

𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚔 ༻ when you help Jake to find his sister, he sees himself obsessed with you, and in find out how you where able to do such a thing.

𝙰𝚙𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚒𝚎𝚜 ༻ you're sick of doing what Jake wants, and decide that everything has to chance.

ツ𝔓𝔥𝔦𝔩ツ

★・ONE SHOT・★

𝙳𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚜? ♡ ༻ just a small talk with your barman, or maybe something more.

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straykidsworldwild · 3 years

Text

Duskwood

Phil x MC pregnant (part 2/4)

Plot : MC has the important discussion with Phil.

(I don't own any of those pics or the characters. I just own the collage.)

This morning promises to be pretty interesting and nerve-wracking... But I have to do it. I have to face him. I have to face the situation...

~ An hour later ~

- Hey! I greet Phil with the best smile I can pull up despite the tiredness and the fear I've been feeling. I didn't sleep much last night as I kept rummaging. No matter how hard I tried to get an idea of how this meeting will go and what I'll say to him, more always came to my mind, adding thoughts over thoughts. I'm so nervous about today's conversation with Mr. Aurora aka Phil. Usually, when we're together in a place with the other, we don't talk much. Our eyes talked more than words. Mine at least... I just keep wondering what he thinks about this... What is he going to tell me? Will he be open to the conversation? Or is he making me come to his bar to tell me he doesn't want it? Are we going to find a solution together? Will I have to do everything by myself? I don't know... All I know is that now I am outside the Aurora, standing before Phil, feeling more than nervous.

- Hey, please, he says as he steps to the side to let me come in. I smile and walk inside the Aurora. Phil closes and locks the door behind me before stepping back towards the bar. I've never been in here while nobody was in. Usually it's crowded of people so I don't pay much attention to the decoration. It's really pretty! Thank you for coming, Gorgeous. Do you want a glass of water or a juice? Coffee maybe? He thanks before offering me something to drink without alcohol. At least, he tries... It's a good sign, right?

- Coffee isn't good for pregnant women but thanks for asking. If you have a juice, I'll take that, I gently answer to the man. I can't stare into his eyes. I don't avoid them but whenever he looks at me, it just makes me feel this crazy sparks... His eyes are so mysterious and so intimidating.

- Of course. Here, he says as he gives me an apricot juice. My favorite! How does he know? I smile and thank him. So... Are you okay? He questions, sounding unsure of what he should be asking me first. Or maybe he just doesn't know how to start a conversation? I know I don't...

- So far, just fear and confusion, I reply sincerely as I grab the glass full of juice. Ugh, what that's smell? Phil nods as I see him playing nervously with the ring around his finger. He isn't smoking... I'm surprised!

- MC, I would like to know what decision you took about the baby. I'll respect whatever decision you took but I would like to talk about it with you first. I thought about it all night, thinking about all of the possibilities... But I want to know what you think first, he tells me seriously, yet, seeming not confident in himself. I've never seen this side of Phil before... He's usually so confident in himself. As I listen to his talk, I lift the glass up to my lips. Ugh! The smell... I don't feel so good... I was about to drink the juice but I rapidly put it down before covering my nose and my mouth. I can feel my heart beating so fast down my chest as my hands starts to shake. Not now... You're okay? He asks me with a confused and concerned tone.

- Yeah, I'm... I started to say when I feel my mouth getting watery. Ugh no... I get up rapidly, making the chair fall down as I rush to the bathroom. Thank God I know this place by heart. I just had time to open the toilet before emptying my stomach. Great... Just the right time... Suddenly, soft hands pull my hair back. Then, as my hair are being held back, I feel Phil rubbing my back softly, giving me comfort. So embarrassing... Imagine throwing up in front of your crush... I flush the toilet but keep my head above it. I'm sorry, I apologize to the man as I take deep breathe in and out.

- Hey, I'm pretty sure I'm the cause of this sickness, so don't worry, Gorgeous, He tells me with a comforting tone as his hand on my back never stops rubbing it. Ugh... No! I throw up one more time, letting my body rejecting all fluids, before flushing the toilet a second time. I hate this so much! Avoiding Phil's sight, I get up not too quickly and go to the sink to wash my mouth. Disgusting! I pass some water over my face when I notice my hands shaking. I said it, I hate it. Hey... Tells, Phil, as he sees how shaky my hands are.

- I hate throwing up that's... Why. It's kind of a phobia, I confess to Phil, avoiding his eyes. The man nods understandingly before he turns around and leaves the restroom. Oh... I sigh and look down before going back to the toilet. I think I should stay close to it... That's be wiser... I sit on the floor, next to the toilet, and close my eyes. I feel disgusting and ashamed... The one person I didn't want to see me throwing up, did... I hide my face in my hands, trying to forget this nauseous feeling. That's what morning sickness is...

- Here, I suddenly hear Phil's voice. What...? I didn't even hear him coming back in... I look up and see Phil holding a glass of water for me. Oh...

- Thanks, I thank him with a shy smile. Phil nods and sits down across from me, joining my sides. I take a sip of the water before closing my eyes for a few seconds.

- So... Have you decided? He asks me, sounding unsure whether he should ask his question now or not. I don't look at him and I don't reply immediately. What should I say? I don't even know myself if I have decided or not... I stay quiet for a moment, giving him my answer that way. Phil stays silent as well as I see him weakly nodding his head up and down.

- I was so scared and nervous... When I took the pregnancy test and saw it was positive, I didn't know what to think or do... I just... Sank on the floor and cried out of fear, I admit to my best friend's brother, half whispering, half speaking up. Daring to look up, my eyes meet Phil's as he was staring at me. Despite the way he makes me feel, there's something in him that makes me feel comfortable talking to him about myself. I... I'm... Scared. I’m scared to make a decision... Because I don't want you to make me the promise to make me keep this baby when, in the end, you'll just walk away. I don't know if I'm ready for this. I don't know if I'll be a good mother... I continue to confess my feelings about this situation as I placed my hand over my stomach. While speaking I could feel my vision beginning to get slightly blurry. I just... I'm tired of feeling so lost and unsure about everything. Ugh, again... I quickly get back on my knees and hold my head above the toilet, feeling like I'm about to throw up again. Phil gets up without wasting time and comes holding my hair again. He hand rests on my back.

- MC, I'm not going anywhere, he tells me softy with his deep voice as I feel him rubbing gently my back. Really? Is he being sincere or are they just words he knows I want to hear so bad? I take a few deep breathes before sitting back down on the floor. I didn't get sick again at least... For now...

- Yeah, I'll need proofs. Because this baby will need a good mother and a father to be there for him... Or her. I can and I will try to be the best mother I can be if I keep it, but I can't give him his father if he doesn't want to be part of our life, I respond seriously to Phil as our eyes never disconnect from one another. Staring at him this way, I still wonder how everything happened for us to be in this situation. I mean... No. I know how it happened but... I was just a girl he never noticed, he was the popular barman and the womanizer of Duskwood, and here we are now.

- I'll give you some proofs, MC. I promise you, he replies sincerely and immediately after I finished talking. He didn't hesitate one second... I stare into his beautiful eyes, seeing the seriousness and sincerity in them. He wants it... He wants me to keep the baby... I can tell just by the sight of his eyes. I didn't think he would want it to be honest... I don't know what it is to be a father since mine was an ass and never here. But I do know I'll never be like him. I'll never abandon you or our child. And I'm not and I won't run away, Gorgeous, he says with the same tone as before, sounding as if he is trying to convince me. I sigh quietly as I let my head rest on the wall behind me.

- I thought about keeping the baby, you know? I tell him as I look down at my belly. I would love to be a mother, even though I don't know how to be one, I look back up at Phil. The man moves from his spot and sits closer to be next to me, barely letting space between us. His scent instantly consumes me. And there’s going to be so many changes and it’s a huge responsibility. I need to find a second job... I say, already feeling the tiredness coming from this potential second job I'm seeking for. It's already hard without a baby. What will it be with one? And while carrying one?

- Why? He questions gently to me, interrupting me.

- I don't have enough money. My apartment is way too small so I would need to find a new home. I'll also need to pay the bills and the groceries, the supplies for the baby, the gas for my car,... I take a deep breath in as I abruptly interrupt myself into the list of everything I need to pay. And yet, there isn't everything yet... It's going to be a lot of money and I clearly don't have it at the moment. Without counting all of the hospital taxes after giving birth. And the potential of unexpected accidents that could come on the way, I finish to summarize, showing him that I have thought about absolutely everything. This is giving me a lot of stress to be honest.

- I can help you, MC, he says with his deep voice as I feel something warm covering my hand. I look down at it to see his hand holding mine firmly. His touch is so comforting. This baby is also my responsibility. I want to be part of both of your life if you want to keep it. I want to be there for you when the moment comes and after it, he admits with seriousness. I look up at him, noticing how close our faces are. He looks so fine. And I'll prove you that, he whispers with such sincerity in his voice. I weakly nod. I'd like to come when you'll go have your first ultrasound, he tells me, sounding more like he is asking my permission for him to come. He does...? I'm a bit surprised. I know he said he wanted it but I didn't think he would want to bother himself with medical appointments.

- it's in a month, I tell him.

- I'll be there, then, he answers with a smile. A beautiful smile I have to say... I can't help but to gaze at his face. I've never been this close to him except when that night happened between us. He is just so... His eyes, his lips... That damn jawline... Everything is beautiful about this man. As the two of us stay quiet, Phil brings his hand towards my hair and push a lock behind my ear. His touch... Even a simple touch is so comforting. Oh...! Time's running.

- I have to go. I need to go get some food for my lunch and then I have to go to work, I tell Phil as I see him nodding quietly back to me. I start to get up but instantly groan. I felt better with my butt on the floor...

- Are you sure you want to go now? He asks me with a light chuckle. That sound... Even in a state like this one, he manages to make me crack a smile.

- Huh... Is it okay if I stay five more minutes? I question him as I sit back on the floor, next to the toilet.

- Of course, Gorgeous. Stay as long as you need, he kindly tells me. I give him a smile, appreciating his words. The man turns around to leave the restroom, but I stop him before he could go somewhere else.

- Phil, can I come see you through the week? Or call you? I demand him, half using a pleading tone. The man faces me with a smile.

- You come here whenever you want, MC. My door is always open for you. And you call me whenever you want. You have my number. I'll be here, he responds sincerely and with seriousness as he gives me one of his famous smirk. I smile once more at him before letting him go do his job. He's supposed to open soon. And I have to go do mine... Ugh, I don't feel well...

~ Four days later ~

I enter my home and lock the door behind me after what felt like the longest day ever. I don't particularly enjoy working there, but today was above every other days. Honestly, it shouldn't be allowed to work with people this cruel... Besides making me feel useless, like the dumbest person in the world, and talking crap in my back... And not so discretely may I add... My day was fine otherwise. Well, with the exception of the morning sickness, but it's just a detail...

It's been four days since I have talked with Phil. I had him twice on the phone, but nothing more. I didn't go back to the Aurora and I didn't see him either. I think we don't really know what to say to each other and we still aren't sure about what is going on in our lives lately. The fear must be an obstacle as well. We're still young after all...

I take off my shoes and go immediately take my shower. I need to relax after this day... Physically and emotionally. Or maybe I should eat something first? Fries... Fries and Chantilly!! Oh...! I didn't have time to go to my kitchen that I hear someone knocking on my door. At this time...? Who could it be? I wasn't waiting for someone. I approach the front door and look through the bull's eyes. A familiar figure is standing outside. Okay, after a crappy day, why not adding some nervousness? I take a deep breath before opening the door.

- Phil? I call him with surprise and confusion. The man is leaning against my door frame, arms crossed over his chest. Some hair are loosely falling in front of his perfect face as the rest of it is attached in a messy bun.

- Hey, I closed the Aurora for tonight and I wanted to know if you'd like to go eat something, he gently tells me, giving me a soft smile as he pulls himself up from the door frame. He tries to hide it, but he obviously looks tired... He must have had a tough day too...

- I'm already pregnant, Phil. There won't be any sexual activity between us, I reply with a playful tone while giggling. I cross my arms over my chest, feeling the fresh air from the hall coming inside my apartment. Phil softly laughs at my comment.

- Damn! He exclaims with an exaggerated and a fake disappointed tone. The two of us laugh together, staring shyly into each other's eyes. I know you finished early today so I thought we could eat together somewhere or... Anywhere you'd like, Gorgeous, he proposes kindly with a more serious tone. He knows my schedule? I'm surprised...! I know Phil is a gentleman with women, but I didn't think he was this kind of gentleman. I thought it was an image he wanted to give himself to make girls melt for him... I misjudged this side of him.

- Sure, I'd love to. But can we get something and eat it here, at my place? I'm tired of my day. And so do you, apparently, I demand him with a point of shyness before stating my words. Phil smiles once more as he quickly looks down. He wanted to go somewhere?

- Anything you want, Gorgeous, he replies with his smirk. The boy definitely knows what he's doing... I smile and look away as I felt my cheeks starting to hit up. What would you to eat? He asks me.

- Okay, huh... It's not very gastronomical but I'm actually craving for fries and nuggets right now. Lots of them. Oh!! And I'd like chocolate too, please, I tell him my "order" as I just already imagine all of this food in front not of me. So good! Phil chuckles and nods while stretching himself.

- Give me 20-30minutes and I'll be back with all of this, he tells me with an amused tone. I nod understandingly before watching Phil step out from the building to go get our food. Okay... I guess I can go take my shower in the mean time!

Almost half an hour passes when Phil comes back with our food. The smell is just incredible! My mouth gets watery just by this scent. We set everything on the living room table and take place on the sofa. I have a small apartment so I don't really have much space. At least, not enough to get a proper dining table with chairs... Wearing a short, I cover my legs with a warm and comfy blanket and let him distribute the food. Fries! Nuggets! It's heaven!! I smile and thank him for the food before we start eating.

- Oh, I love you so much, I say before eating one of the fries. I've waited this for so long!

- You're talking to the fries? Asks me, Phil, smiling amused.

- Yeah, I reply before chuckling. Phil smiles and takes a bite from him hamburger. Weirdly, I don't feel as nervous as before. I'm not used to be around him alone, but I'm not all crazy nervous either. I mean there's still this little point of nervousness, but it's not as intense as before. So, how was work? I question the man, trying to make some conversation. It's not what I'm good at, but I'd rather try. Phil finishes his mouth before giving me an answer.

- Okay, I guess. Regulars were here as always and some clients also came. I broke two glasses and ran out of ice towards the end. And Jessy stopped by a few minutes before I closed, he responds softly with his deep voice, telling me his day. He sounds so calm. It's very relaxing to talk with him actually. How can he always be so calm? Well, this isn't as bad as having the talk we had at his bar days ago...

- How's she doing? I ask him, grabbing a nugget from the box.

- Good. She was annoyed though because Richy lost the last pen they had. She had to go get new ones at the store, he tells me, not looking surprised of the boy. Though, he seems amused. And I have to say, I'm not surprised either by Richy. Nothing surprises us from him anymore...

- Not surprised, I reply as I smile amused.

- How was your day? He then asks me before proceeding eating. I look up at him, our eyes meeting. Mmh...

- Long, I reply while letting a long sigh out. I had one of those girls who not so kindly pointed out that I am not worth much compared to her and that I should work twice harder if I want to have a pay, I tell him, recounting briefly my day in a few words. It's not that I don't want to relive it but... I don't. Phil looks down for a second, looking slightly upset. Or... Maybe he tries to hide that he is upset? Still, I can see it bothers him.

- You're already working twice harder. And you're worth more than any of those girls, Gorgeous, he answers with a sincere and serious tone. I stare at him for a second, appreciating the kind words. It changes from what I heard all day long... Kind, gentle, gentleman, deep voice, good looking, and knows what to say to cheer up people... Perfect guy. Hearing him saying those words makes my heart beating slightly faster.

- You should tell them that, I reply playfully with a faint smile.

- Sure, I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning and I'll go pay a visit to your boss and those girls, he says with a dead serious tone. Yet, I can tell he was joking just by the smile he cracked while looking at me. The two of us laugh together and enjoy the rest of the night. I haven't had a good and relaxing evening like this one for a long time...

~ A month later ~

At the hospital, I am sitting in the waiting room, waiting for a doctor to come get me. I have my first ultrasound today. I'm so nervous. Even having the talk with Phil didn't make me this nervous... Speaking of, I know Phil and I talked about keeping the baby or not. And I know it might be too late to change my mind if I don't want it. But, even today, I have to admit that I'm still unsure of what I'm doing. But I hope it will change today... I don't know how or if it is possible to make my mind with an ultrasound, but I'll see... I've never done this before so it does sound a bit crazy that it'll help me decide.

- Sorry, there was a lot of people on the road, I hear a sudden and familiar voice that gets me out of my thoughts. I look up and see Phil quickly entering the waiting room, doing a messy bun at the same time. Phil was supposed to meet with me 10minutes ago.

- Don't worry. I'm glad you're here, I tell him sincerely as he takes the seat next to me. He nods and smiles at me which makes me smile back. He and I talked a bit this morning. I guess we're both nervous about today.

- Nervous? He asks me as he is catching his breath. He really rushed in here...

- A bit scared to be honest. And you? I admit before asking him how he feels.

- Huh, nervous, he responds, admitting his feelings as well as a small pause. Phil let's a small laugh out before a phone starts ringing. It can only be one of us since we're alone in the waiting room. I'm surprised by that actually. I thought there would have been other pregnant women with their man accompanying them... The phone can't be mine since I muted the sound when I arrived. Phil pulls his phone out and hangs up instantly when he sees the number. There was no I.D. caller...

- You can answer if you have to, I tell him seriously as I look straight in front of me, as if I didn't glance at who was calling him.

- No, I... I don't want to talk to the person, he answers seriously as he puts his phone back in his pocket. He really doesn't seem to want to talk to him...

- Oh you know him, I say with a surprised tone. But I didn't see the I.D. caller...

- Her, he corrects me.

- Oh... I simply say, sounding more disappointed than I thought I would have. Why though? I don't have anything to say... I'm not his girlfriend after all, I'm just the girl who carries his child... He can make his life if he wants. He actually can leave me and the baby whenever he wants... But I have to admit that it makes me worked up when a girl calls him. Especially when knowing the kind of girls he used to get home with...

- I deleted the few numbers I had of girls I slept with, he confesses to me which makes me arc my eyebrows in surprise. He did? Why? When?

- A few? I question, raising one eyebrow.

- All of them, actually, he tells me, correcting himself. I nod my head up and down. I dare to look up at the man and see him staring at me with a smile. Oh... Was I obvious? Don't worry, Gorgeous, you're the only girl in my life for now, he says with a smirk, letting a quiet chuckle out. So beautiful... Yet, I don't know if I should feel upset or not by his words.

- For now... I repeat his own words, looking down.

- Well, if this baby is a girl you won't be the only one anymore, he says. Oh... I didn't see it this way. I smile and bite my lower lip before looking back up at him. He makes me feel crazy... Phil stares at me with a smile which makes me melt even more for him. Maybe I shouldn't feel this way for him... Yes, we're having a baby, but like I said, we're not together. Once the baby will be born, he and I might take part ways... None of us know what will happen.

- Ms. MC L/N? I suddenly hear someone calling my name. Oh! I look at the entrance of the waiting room, finding a woman wearing a white blouse. She's holding some papers.

- Yes, I reply with a polite smile as I stand up from the chair. I walk up to the doctor and shake hands with her. She smiles as me before looking up behind me. Oh! This is... My boyfriend, I tell to the woman as I introduce Phil to the doctor. Though, I took a split second to think of what I could qualify Phil.

- It's nice to meet you, sir, she says with a smile and shakes hands with him. Why does this even makes me upset? Is it because of the look she's giving him? Maybe... But isn't it the look almost all women give him?

- Pleasures all mine, he responds, smiling back at her. Mmh...

- This way, please, she tells us, showing us the way. I step up, following the doctor behind.

- Boyfriend, huh? Whispers quietly, Phil, in my ear. I shush him quietly, giggling at the same time. The man quietly chuckles as we approach a room. The doctor opens the door for us and we enter a small room. This is so nerve-wracking...

- Lay down here, miss. Make yourself comfortable and lift your shirt up a little bit, please. Little warning, it'll be a little bit cold, she says as she shows me a bed for me to lay on and the gel she'll put on my belly. A machine is next to it with some supplies that the doctor needs to make the ultrasound. Wow, okay... This is serious. This is a first. This is so nerve-wracking!! You may take this chair if you'd like, sir, tells, the doctor to Phil as she points at the chair against the wall.

- Thank you, he thanks her politely. Though, he doesn't sit on it. He just stands next to it, as if he doesn't know what to do. Which is probably the case...

I lay down on the bed and, with shaky hands, I lift my shirt up only to reveal my stomach. It's slightly rounded but not enough to guess I'm pregnant yet. A part of me wants to run away because of the stress and another part of me wants to see what it is. I didn't think I would be living this situation so soon... Yet, with Phil's baby.

I get ready as I watch the doctor getting everything ready. Even though it's only a gel and some paper, the machine next to me is pretty impressive. I take a deep breathe in before looking at where Phil is. He has his arms crossed over his chest, still standing next to the chair, a bit lost and clearly nervous as well. That's probably the reason why he doesn't sit. He can't stay still because of the nervousness. Out from a courage I didn't think I had, I hold my hand up towards him. He looks at me and quickly understands what I need. He walks up to me, standing where he won't be bothering the doctor, and takes my hand in his. His hands are so soft and warm. And the squeeze he is giving it... It's so reassuring. I look up at him with nervous and scared eyes and see him nodding at me, as if he is saying "everything will go alright". He's nervous, but confident... I wish I was this confident...

The doctor puts the gel on my stomach, letting me feel the cold liquid. I let a quiet gasp out due to the cold sensation which quickly warms up with the heat of my body. The woman takes the material from the machine and places it on the gel to look for the baby. The sensation of that thing rolling on my belly is strange... Can we even see it now? Isn't it too early? Oh... That sound... Heartbeats. I stare at the screen as I see the little baby I'm carrying. Well, it doesn't look like a baby yet, but it's still mine. It's my baby...

I stare at the screen with amazed eyes, unable to blink. I'm scared this moment will end too quickly if I blink. It's just so... Magical. I am creating life... A little human. The sound of its heart beating is so melodic. I am carrying a baby!

- This is it. It's your baby, I hear the doctor saying with a happy voice. I nod and smile when I feel something warm rolling down my face. I want it... I want this baby. For the first time, I turn my head and look up at Phil. The man is staring at the screen with love in his eyes. They are sparkling with joy. The two loves of my life are with me at the moment... I slightly move my hand from his hold, only to intertwine my fingers with his. Phil instantly holds firmly my hand as I feel his thumb running on the back of my hand.

- We won't be able to know what it is until when? He asks to the doctor, getting curious.

- I'd say not before at least 2 months, she answers as she gets some tissues.

- Can we have a photo of the baby? I ask her, wanting a memory from this perfect moment. And I know a girl who will want to see the first glimpse of her niece or nephew...

- Of course. I let you clean yourself up and I get the picture ready, she tells us with a smile before handing me the tissues. I thank her along with Phil before she leaves the room, letting us two together. Us three, should I say... I clean my stomach and sits up on the bed. The screen is still showing the picture of our baby. I can't hear the sound of its heart anymore though...

- You're okay? Asks me, Phil, as he comes standing in front of me.

- Yes, I whisper before smiling. I want it, I suddenly tell him, feeling overjoyed. Phil stays silent before me. I want this baby. Hearing its little heart beating. Seeing it on the screen, I say as I feel more tears rolling down my face. Phil wipes them away with his thumb, soothing me with his touch. I want it... With you. If that’s what you want of course, I admit and tell him seriously as my eyes meet his. Phil stares at me, a smile spread over his face. He seems so happy.

- I want it too, he whispers while nodding his head positively. He does...! He does! I smile wildly and chuckle at the same time, expressing my happiness. Everything feels so right. For once, this feeling of confusion or being lost is gone. For once, I know what I want... What we want. The weight I was carrying on my shoulders is now gone.

The two of us stare at each other for a moment, not wanting to break his moment. Surprisingly, it doesn't feel awkward. His hands are gently holding my face as his thumbs are wiping my last tears away. He's so delicate. Those eyes... The emotions in those eyes... They're so gorgeous and strong. They're showing so much love, so much will, so much hope. It's not something I am used to see in Phil's eyes. Usually, he gives his best womanizer's stare. The one every girl falls for... But not right now. I get to see this look that no one had certainly the chance to see.

Suddenly, the boy comes even closer to me. He slowly starts to lean in, taking a few seconds to see if that's what I want. And I do... Just remembering his lips on mine makes my heart beating three times stronger. I let him approach his face more and more before feeling warmth over my lips. He delicately kisses them as I close my eyes to enjoy it even more. I answer to the soft kiss as one of my hands comes holding his wrists and the other one holds his waist. Phil puts more pressure into the kiss, only to show me how much he loves and enjoy the moment. I love him... I love him so much. Just like this baby...

Phil pulls away after a moment, but doesn't step back before pecking my lips twice and then my forehead.

- We have to show the picture to Jessy, I tell him with a smile as he helps me getting down from the bed.

- I let you do that. I have to go back to the bar. Is that okay? He tells me gently, making sure I am alright with him leaving me to do his work.

- Of course. Though, do you think you can drop me off at Richy's Garage first? I answer and ask him as I tuck my shirt back in my trousers like it was before.

- Of course, Gorgeous, he says with a smile as he opens the door for me. I thank him and the two of us walk back to the waiting room. In the hall, walking back to the waiting room, Phil grabbed my pinky finger with his. He really surprises me showing so much delicate attention. It might just be small gesture, but it's sometimes enough to make someone's heart flutter.

The waiting room is a little more filled than earlier, but it's not that bad. I quietly greet the two couples in it and sit on a chair, Phil next to me. I'm slowly starting to realize that I might feel nervous about this whole thing for nothing. Phil really seems to dedicate his whole self into this since he learned about the news and since we had a talk. I'm staying on my guards, but I think I worry for nothing...

- Huh... Can you... Would you mind sleeping at home tonight? I shyly demand him in a whisper, actually surprising myself for asked ng this question.

- I'll be there, he whispers back as he takes full hold of my hand with his. That man...

The doctor comes back to us and gives us the picture of the ultrasound. The two of us thank her before we leaved the hospital.

A few minutes later, Phil dropped me off at Richy's garage like I asked him before he went to his bar to work. Jessy and Richy were quite confused to see me getting out from Phil's car. I didn't have time to sit in their office or to even say "Hi" that I was asked thousands of questions about Phil, and why I was with him. I showed them the picture of the ultrasound which shut them up for a moment. They stared in awe in front of the picture before Jessy took it to have a better sight of it. We don't see much, but I guess it's enough for her. I giggle to the sight of their faces and let them digest the news. Especially, Richy... Jessy didn't say anything about me being pregnant, less that I had a hot night with Phil... Jessy hands me back the picture with tears of joy in her eyes. She jumps on Richy, repeating over and over that she's going to be an aunt. The poor guy covers his ears as she was screaming, and I just laugh out loud, enjoying this sight.

A few hours later, after talking a lot with them both, it was time to close Richey's business for the day and to go here me. Jessy dropped me at my apartment as she wanted to talk a bit more about the baby and the situation. I guess she's really curious. She pulls her car in front of a building and I thank her from bringing me home and for the talk and support she's giving us.

Entering my apartment, I immediately go get a shower to relax a bit and recall about today's moments. It was a good day. A really good day. And it will end well too. Phil should be here in two hours...

The night has fallen now. It's pitch dark outside. I am watching TV with sleepy eyes, fighting against the tiredness to wait for Phil to arrive. Oh... Speaking of the Devil. I hear someone knocking on the front door. Finally! I get up and go open the door to discover the familiar face of Phil Hawkins. He looks tired, but happy.

- Hello, stranger, he says with a smile.

- Hi! I greet him as he steps in. He snakes his arms around my waist and I envelop him with my arms around the back of his neck. Phil closes the door behind him all while kissing me at the same time. I answer to his kiss, my lips melting against his. I smile through the kiss as I just feel so, so happy.

After Phil had something to eat, and after the two of us got ready for bed, we went to my bedroom. It's a bit weird because last time the two of us were in the same bed, we were drunk and the moment was definitely hotter. It's different today.

We lay on my bed, under the covers, and watch a movie on my computer. Phil is lying behind him, one arm hanging around my waist. His hand is falling over my stomach, letting his fingers softly rubbing where the baby is. I smile and close my eyes as I feel my tiredness winning over me. I feel safe and secured with him. And I feel loved...

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liarist · 1 year

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Trust and Secrets

Previous chapter ←

Chapter 2 No warnings

I turned off everything and left the house. Another call was coming in, it was Jessy. I answered.

Jessy started a video call, looking very worried. Apparently, they found a woman's body in the forest.

I wrote in the chat about the topic while walking and messaged ??? about the call. Nobody has my number, only Hannah had it, and now the group members. This is strange.

"Is something wrong, Ade?" Phil asked, giving me a big scare.

"Damn it, Phil! You scared me," I exclaimed, placing a hand over my chest.

"Sorry, I've been talking to you for a while," he said. "Will you tell me what's going on?"

"I just… need something strong to drink," I told him.

"I refuse. You don't look well. I can bring you a coffee and something to eat," he offered.

"Okay, a chai tea wouldn't hurt," I agreed.

I went to a secluded table, and Phil brought me a cup of chai tea and some potato chips.

"Jessy mentioned something about a certain 'Adeline' helping with Hannah's case, that she's assisting," he said, making me almost choke on my food. "How is that possible? It seems like they don't even know you're from here."

"And it's better that way," I replied. "I've known Hannah for a while, and I've noticed some strange behavior. I offered her my help, but she didn't seem very interested in accepting it." I took a sip from the cup. "I told her about my line of work, and she confessed that someone was following her, but she didn't want to involve more people. So, I just gave her my card with my number in case she changed her mind in the future," I explained. "I didn't think she would actually use it."

"Why don't you tell the others who you are?" he asked, taking out some chips.

"It's dangerous…"

"What do you mean?"

"I received a threatening call," I clarified. "My presence might be threatening to someone because it wasn't in their plans for me to get involved in the case."

"What are you saying? You can come to my place."

"Are you crazy? What if something happens to you?"

"What would happen to me? Besides, I know how to fight. If we're together, nothing will happen," he said.

"I don't want to drag you into this, but I'll consider it if things escalate," I said, hoping he would leave it at that.

When I arrived home, I let Phil know that I had arrived safely and continued decrypting things.

What I found was a medical prescription, but it wasn't very clear, the resolution was terrible. I sent it to the hacker companion, and he said he would try to enhance the resolution to read it.

As I continued decrypting files, Cleo started messaging me. She began talking about Hannah and mentioned that she wanted to find out more and planned to go to the places where rumors were circulating.

"I can think of three places where rumors run wild: Mrs. Walter, the owner of the motel; Mrs. Sully, the gossip; and Phil Hawkins, the owner of Aurora Bar," she wrote.

The last one could be true; I originally found out about the situation while at the bar.

"The owner of the motel sounds interesting," I replied.

I continued working and found another photo of Hannah. I sent it to the hacker; I knew there might not be anything significant there, but one never knows.

My phone rang; it was a conversation between Jessy and Richy. I couldn't help but smile when Jessy said she connected well with me, although I was very curious about what Richy could say about me. How could he have any opinion if he doesn't know me? That caught the hacker's attention; apparently, he thinks Richy doesn't trust me, or at least that's what he implies.

"Do you trust me?" I dared to ask.

"If I didn't, do you think I would have given you access to Hannah's cloud?"

"But you don't even know me."

"Jessy is not the only one who has connected with you from the beginning."

That answer caught me by surprise.

Cleo messaged me again; she had arrived at the motel, but the owner was not there. She spoke with the boy outside, who happened to be the owner's son.

"I've talked to Alfie ☹️

He referred to me as 'the friend of the dead girl.' I told him Hannah isn't dead and asked who had told him something so terrible.

And he said he saw it.

That the faceless man had taken Hannah to the forest."

The faceless man?

"Maybe he saw a guy wearing a mask."

"It's possible.

There are many ancient legends here in Duskwood. The faceless man is one of them," she explained.

"You should ask Jessy about it."

"Alright, I will."

I went straight to Jessy's chat to discuss it, and she created a group chat to include Richy and have a conversation between the three of us.

I started preparing something simple and quick to eat when I received a call from Cleo.

"I've talked to Mrs. Sully," she told me. "Well, she saw Hannah right before she disappeared when she left the pharmacy. Mrs. Sully was sitting in the Regenbogen café, observing people from there. She always does. It's practically in the city center. But anyway, she said she saw Hannah leaving completely pale, holding something in her hand. Under normal circumstances, she probably wouldn't have thought much of it if she hadn't been so startled. She told the police, but I guess they didn't care much. That's all."

"What did she buy at the pharmacy?" I asked.

"I don't know, she didn't seem sick."

Night falls.

I prepare a cup of coffee and watch the conversation between Jessy and Richy. She was briefing him about the whole situation when Jessy starts a call.

"Alright, here we go… The legend of the faceless man is as old as Duskwood itself.

They say he lives deep in the forest and roams the streets of Duskwood at night. He marks the doors of those who have committed grave sins with a raven's sign, and on the night of the first new moon of the year, he returns to the marked houses to take everyone—men, women, children, guilty or innocent—into the forest, never to return."

Chilling, isn't it?

File detected!

It was a photo, but it seemed to be from the forest, some sort of cave. I sent it to the hacker.

The next day, I started chatting with Jessy, and she told me a bit about her family.

Angela and Phil are her step-siblings; Angela lives in Colville, and Phil is the owner of Aurora Bar, which I already knew.

Phil took over the bar after the previous owner left a year ago.

As I continued decrypting, I saw Thomas and Dan having a somewhat suspicious conversation. Apparently, there was a strange deal between them, and I wasn't the only one who found it strange.

The next conversation I saw was between Dan and someone named Poke; it was just as peculiar as the previous one. Were they talking about drugs? I didn't recognize any Poke involved in drug dealing.

The hacker sent me the enhanced version of the medical prescription photo. It said "ISRS," an antidepressant.

"Does Hannah have depression?"

"I don't know.

No.

It doesn't fit.

I'll be back later."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes.

Everything's fine."

Clearly, something was off, but I didn't want to push it.

File detected!

I sent it to the hacker and went straight to Cleo's chat. She mentioned that she was going inside Hannah's house, hoping to find something useful there.

The phone rang. I answered the call.

Cleo started walking through the house, showing me every detail. She went upstairs and showed me the entire second floor when we heard a noise.

"What was that? Someone's at the door!" I could see the door starting to open, and the connection was lost.

I immediately called her back, feeling nervous, and the fact that she didn't answer didn't help. Then she messaged me, saying everything was fine and that it was Thomas who had entered. What was he doing there? He had been missing since they found a body.

#fanfic #ao3 #wattpad #duskwood #phil hawkins #phil hawkins fanfiction #duskwood phil x mc #phil x mc #mc

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shane-mc · 2 years

Text

The Punishment

Link to Chapter 6

A/N: Hello my favorite people! Here's what you have been waiting for. We'll finally know the reason behind Jake and Jessy's behavior. More drama on this chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

MC: What the fuck are you doing here?!

MC stood from her bed and slowly walked towards Jake. Jake was just standing there frozen.

MC: And how did you get in here?! You really have the guts to show your face to me after what you did!

MC is now standing right in front of Jake

Jake: I, I borrowed Jessy's spare key to your apartment.

MC: Oh how sweet she is. So supportive of you. Give me that key! She no longer has the right to that as soon as she betrayed me. She's no longer my fucking bestfriend!

Jake handed MC the key, his hand is shaking.

MC: I'm going to ask you once again. What are you doing here? You sneaked in here like a thief huh. Do you want me to call the police? Oh no, not yet. I can beat you first and call them. I can't be arrested if I say it was self defense.

Jake: MC I don't care what you do to me. I deserve it anyway but please, give me a chance to explain first.

MC: Explain what Jake?! I saw it clearly! You and Jessy... Fuck! I was so stupid to think that there's something special between us but I was wrong! It's Jessy who you want!

Jake: MC no it's not like that!

MC lost her temper. She unconsiously slapped Jake using her injured hand. She hissed in pain.

MC: Aghhh, fuck!

Jake: MC are you ok? ( Jake tried to hold MC's arm to check her hand. )

MC: Get away from me!

Jake: MC please. I am so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you. I never want to hurt you. You're the most important person to me!

MC: Stop now with your lies Jake! Hannah is back. You no longer have to pretend! Now I understand, all those things that you said to me while we were investigating Hannah's case, all those are just your lies to manipulate me. You pretended that you care for me, that I am special to you so I'll continue helping you. You needed me to find Hannah. You used me!

Jake is so hurt with all the things that MC said.

Jake: Is that what you really think about me? That I manipulated you?! That I used you?! You said you trust me.

MC: I did Jake! I trusted you! God I was even willing to sacrifice my life for you! But what did you do! You betrayed me! With my bestfriend! If it was her you want all along you should have just told me. I would be willing to continue helping anyway. But you chose to lie to me and make me fall for you. And now, now you broke me. I hate you Jake!

Jake: MC stop! It's not true! I did not use you! All the things I said to you are true! I love you MC! I fucking love you! You're the only one for me! It's because of you that I'm still here. You're the reason why I had the will to live. If it's not because of you, I would have just let myself die in that mine. But you, you gave me a reason to fight and look forward to a future where I can be happy with you.

MC was shocked with all the things that Jake said. She didn't know how to process it. Is he saying the truth? Then what about Jessy, why did he act like that with her?

MC: Jake... how can you expect me to believe that? If you're saying the truth, then why did you and Jessy...

Before MC can finish what she's saying, Jake interrupted her.

Jake: It was all an act MC! It was all just a stupid act!

MC: What?! An act? What do you mean it was all just an act?

___________

A few days before MC and Jessy had a girl's night at Jessy's apartment.

Jake: Hello Jessica.

Jessy: It's Jessy! 😤 And hello to you too! I wonder why you are messaging me.

Jake keeps on typing and deleting his response...

Jessy: Spit it out Jake! I know you're not going to message me if it's not important. Is this something about MC?

Jake: Actually, yes.

Jessy: Ok what is it?

Jake: How is MC?

Jessy: She's fine. Why are you asking me when you guys are hanging out together. Why, did you notice something wrong with her?

Jake: No, it's just...

Jessy: Jake just tell me what you really want to know or else I'm no longer going to respond to you.

Jake: Alright. Do you know if MC and Phil are together?

Jessy: What? Are you seriously asking me this? I thought it's clear to you that she has feelings for you. She and my brother are only friends. Though I know Phil is crazy about her but MC made it clear that she only wants to be friends with him. Seriously Jake, why are you asking this?

Jake: Well, I just wasn't sure. About her feelings for me. I know we both expressed that we care for each other. That we're important for each other but we never really made it clear what is it between us. After Hannah was found and I became free, we didn't really talk about our feelings. Though I'm sure how I feel about her, I'm not really sure if she feels the same. Especially that I see her and Phil getting closer, I thought maybe she changed her mind about me.

Jessy: Why don't you just tell her how you feel? Then you will know if she feels the same, which I'm sure she does.

Jake: I, I can't. I don't have the courage.

Jessy: Oh my God, what am I gonna to do with both of you!

Jessy: Do you want me to ask her then?

Jake: Yes please, that would be great. :)

Jessy: Ok. We're going to have a bonding this Saturday. I'm going to talk to her. Maybe I'll also provoke her a little. That way, she'll get the courage to talk to you and say what she really feels.

Jake: Do whatever you think will be good. Thank you Jessica! :)

Jessy: Again, it's Jessy! 😤 And you're welcome.

___________

After MC and Jessy's girl's night where Jessy asked about MC and Jake's status, Jessy texted Jake excitedly to tell him what she and MC talked about.

Jessy: Jake!

Jake: Jessica!

Jessy: Agh, whatever! I have good news!

Jake: What is it?

Jessy: So... MC is in love with you!!! 😍 See, I told you! I just can't understand why you didn't know when it was so obvious.

Jake: Thank you. You know I love her too.

Jessy: Yeah of course. The two of you are so obvious about what you feel for each other but also you are both so coward to admit it. 🙄

Jessy: The problem is, looks like MC has no plan in telling you. She said she'll just leave whatever is between you now and see what happens. So if I were you, I'll go to her and tell her how much you love her!

Jake: No, I can't do it.

Jessy: What, why? Even after what I told you?

Jake: I told you I don't have the courage. I don't know how to tell her.

Jessy: Oh my God Jake! I can't with you! 😮‍💨

Jessy: Will it give you courage to admit how you feel about her if she tells you first?

Jake: Yes of course, how can I not tell her that I love her back.

Jessy: Ok, I'll help you. I have a plan. But I have a condition, since this is going to be very risky and I'm afraid of what MC will do to me. You need to do me a favor.

Jake: Ok, tell me.

Jessy: Stop calling me Jessica!

Jake: Deal. :)

Jessy: Ok, great. So what were going to do is make her jealous. You know, we need to act so sweet together.

Jake: Do you think it's a good idea?

Jessy: Well, not really since I'm afraid we'll both end up in the hospital. But I'm sure this will make MC admit her feelings for you. You know, she has a bad temper. If she sees us acting so sweet together, she'll probably storm towards us and say, "What are you doing Jessy?! How dare you stole the man I love?! 🤭 Now, she finally admitted her feelings for you and you just have to do your part.

Jake: Ok, we'll do it then.

Jessy: Yay! Let's execute the plan on our get together at the Aurora bar. Just follow my lead, ok? Ah, I'm so excited and afraid at the same time but this will do both of you good.

Jake: Thank you, Jessy. See you at the Aurora then.

Jessy. No problem. See you!

___________

MC: Oh my God Jake! Are you fucking serious?! I went through all of these shit just because you wanted to make me feel jealous! To make me admit my feelings for you first! How fucking stupid!

Jake: I know and I'm so sorry. But you could have just told me.

MC: Seriously Jake?! You could have just told me also but you are a fucking coward. How ironic, you were wanted by the government. You weren't afraid to fight them but you're too coward to admit your feelings for me. And then you agreed to do this stupid idea!

Jake: I'm so sorry MC. I really didn't want to hurt you. Please MC. Please forgive me.

MC: No Jake! I can't forgive you. You didn't consider about my feelings. Do you have any idea how I felt when I saw you flirting with someone else, and not just someone else, with my best friend?! Ok, it was all just an act, but that act broke me Jake! Do you understand that?! You did this for yourself, you did this so you can confirm how I feel about you so it will be easy for you to admit your feelings for me but you didn't think about me. How it will hurt me. So no Jake. I can't forgive you.

Jake: MC, I...

MC: Save it Jake. I don't want to hear anything from you. Just please, leave me alone now. Get out from my apartment.

Jake did what MC asked. He left MC's apartment devastated. He cursed himself. How can he be so stupid? Can MC forgive him someday? Or did he lost her forever? All these thoughts filled his mind. He suddenly realized that he has been crying all this time. He went to his car and drove his way back to Lilly's.

After Jake left, MC fell to the floor. She didn't know what to really feel. She can't process everything. Should she feel relieved that there's nothing going on between Jake and Jessy? But they still hurt her, what they did still broke her. MC hugged her knees while sobbing. How can you be so stupid Jake? ( MC muttered to herself. )

A/N: Yeah, that's it. They just wanted to make MC jealous. What do you think guys? Is it really stupid especially that Jake's goal is to make MC admit her feelings first? He's too coward to make the first move! Should MC forgive them that easy especially Jake? Share me your thoughts. By the way, I won't be able to post an update tomorrow due to Christmas celebration. But I want to greet you all an Advanced Merry Christmas! ( for those who are celebrating )

I'll probably be sleeping already right after posting this because my eyes are already closing so I'll reply to your comments tommorow. It's midnight from where I am. 🙂

#duskwood #duskwood everbyte #duskwood jake x mc #duskwood phil x mc #duskwood fanfic #duskwood fanfiction #duskwood writers #duskwood jake #duskwood mc #duskwood phil #jake x mc #phil x mc #jake donfort #phil hawkins #everbyte game

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hacked-by-jake · 4 years

Note

Number 17 of your promps list with Phil and MC? 🌹 It just screams his name! Thanks xo

Your taxi is on the way

A/n: So, this is a premiere for me. It’s the first fanfiction I wrote that’s not about Jake. So I hope you like it and having fun.🌹

Prompt: “What’s up?” -“I’m just thinking about all of the things I’m going to do to you later.”

Words: 914

Smiling you enter the bar Aurora and look forward to a nice evening. Many people are there and the mood seems to be very good. Immediately Marc, Phil’s co-worker runs past you and greets you hastily. "Hi MC, the others are at your regular table" he informs you and balances a tray full of drinks to a table. "Hi and thank you" you grin and look for the owner. He stands behind the bar and, as always, mixes one cocktail after another and seems to be talking to someone. You make your way to greet him shortly before you go to the others. He immediately notices you and directs all his attention to you. He puts on his typical flirtatious grin which makes you crazy and and puts the blender aside. You meander behind the counter and smile as he bends down to you and puts his lips firmly on yours. "Hello baby" he breathes on your lips and winks. "Hello" you answer and your grin gets wider. "Do you want to put your stuff in the in the working room?" he asks and turns back to his work "No thanks, it’s okay" "Would you like something to drink?" You think briefly and then nod, "surprise me." You wink and make your way to the others. You greet everyone extensively and then sit down ready for a relaxing evening. After two minutes Marc comes and put a 'Sex on the beach' in front of you. "With love greetings from the boss, the bill is of course on the house." he bows briefly as if you were a star and disappears again. "That’s so unfair, I’m his sister and I don’t get anything as a gift," Jessy grumbles, making you laugh." I’m sorry, Jess, I’d pay too, but he won’t let me, and if I try, he’ll give it back to me later"

-- You spend a fun time with your friends at the table until you decide to get a new drink. To be honest, the third. So you make your way through all the people to get to the bar. Phil’s still standing in the same spot as when you walked in the bar, still mixing all sorts of drinks together. You sit on the bar stool and wait your turn. "What can I get you, Miss MC?" Phil asks charmingly and leans with his forearms on the counter. "I’ll have sex on the beach like the last two." you giggle. "You want sex on the beach? Sure," he jokes and you blush. "Haha" you murmur ironically, "The cocktail please". He shakes his head amused, "Hm Marc" he shouts, "do you prepare a cocktail for MC? She is quite thirsty" Marc, who is also Phil’s best friend in addition to the employee, gets to work immediately. Phil takes some time off and you talk about trivial things. "When do you want to go?" he asks. "Well, Richy and Jessy have to work tomorrow, and than we’ll all go." Your answer makes him look dissatisfied. Marc interrupts you both as he puts the drink in front of you on the counter. You grab it immediately and take the straw between your fingers to hold it and then put your lips around it. You take a sip, and because of the strong alcohol taste, make your face look like you’ve bitten a lemon. "Marc means well with the alcohol" you mean and clears your throat briefly. When you look up at Phil you have to swallow. His upper arms are slightly tense, just like the jaw. His pupils are dilated and his eyes have taken on a dark glow. You notice how adrenaline is poured out into your body immediately. You know that face too well. "Hey W-whats up?" you ask stuttering. An evil grin lies on his lips as he leans further over the counter and stops shortly before your face. "Oh, I’m just thinking about all of the things I’m going to do to you later." he growls. Immediately you feel the warmth shoot into your cheeks and shyly you watch as he takes a sip of your glass. The tense situation is disturbed by Jessy suddenly showing up behind you. "I just wanted to give your things and say goodbye, we’re leaving now" you turn around to her and then nod, not quite present with thoughts. You take your things gratefully and put them on the chair before you say goodbye to everyone. When you go back to your place at the bar, Phil rummages in his pocket. He puts $20 on the counter and looks up at you, pointing his finger at the money, and taps on the surface, "taxi," is all he says. Next, he puts a single key on the counter, "my apartment". You understand immediately and nod slightly as you take the key, "I can pay -" "Forget it directly" he interrupts you. Phil comes up to you and stays right behind you. With his arm he reaches around you for the money to give it to you. His breath grazes your neck, giving you goose bumps. "I’m leaving in an hour. I’ll see you at my place later, "he whispers in your ear and gives you a kiss on your cheek. You turn to him and kiss him as confirmation. "Well, your taxi is on the way". With a small smile on your face and anticipation, you leave the bar, eager to see what will happen later.

#duskwood #duskwood phil #duskwood phil x mc #phil hawkins #duskwood fanfiction #duskwood everbyte #everbyte studios

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slytherinlizzy · 2 months

Text

The afterfire is now out on Wattpad!

#duskwood fanfiction #duskwood #duskwood fandom #jake donfort #mc #mc duskwood #jake x mc #wattpad #fanfiction #wattpad fanfiction #jessy hawkins #lilly donfort #hannah donfort #richy rogers #phil hawkins #dan anderson #cleo duskwood #own work

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rw47vr-key · 3 years

Text

🌺💐🌺🌸💙❤️ Welcome to this amateur's fantasy and dream come true (messy) fanfictions!

Note: Requests closed ♡

(Reblogs, comments and likes are really really appreciated!❤)

◆ BROKEN PROMISE,BROKEN HEARTS

~ Angst,drama,romance

~ Jake x fem! MC , Jake's mom

~ part 1 part 2

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

◆ QUEEN MC x JAKE

~ dark,angst,romance

~ part 1 part 2 part 3

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

◆ FAMILY- THE HEART OF HOME

~ Jake x fem!MC

~ angst,drama, romance

~ inspired from imagine post by dear @hacked-by-jake

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

◆ WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE - Alan x MC

~ angst

~ Alan, fem!MC- ex lovers (imagine)

~ inspired from a post by a dw fan.I don't remember,Let me know I'll tag them

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

◆ Jake xfem!MC You belong to me

~ Toy story inspired , anon request ♡

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

◆J is for Jealous - Jake

~ pairing Jake x fem! MC

~request by dear @booklover-01040

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

◆ Jealous Jake in Aurora

~ Jake x fem! MC pair

~ request by dear @athelonewolfuniverse

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

◆A doll without a key to its heart ⬅️Part 1,2

~ Anon request♡

~ fem! MC, the group , Jake

~ Angst,hurt, happy ending (?)

~ Part 3(last) Key to your heart is Jake - request by dear @do-you-need-a-hacker

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

◆ #JusticeForPhil✊ - a short Oneshot

~ Fem!MC, Hawkins Siblings

~ Warning: angst,hurt,swear words, blood (?)

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

◆ Mirage - part1 part2

~ Read the plot request by dear @jakey-girl01040 to understand this

~ Warning :angst, hurt, depression,death mention, torture ?

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Contains episode 10 spoiler!➡️ ◆Summary: "You've been stabbing yourself, MC" "*desperate chuckle*That's my line, Richy. When are you gonna realise

~ Genre: Angst, love, fluff, humor (please read the warnings in the above linked post)

~ Jake xFem! MC x Richy

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　

◆ Still in love with your lies 1/4 (multipart) brief character intro(?)

~ Based on this request by anon ♡

~ Genre: Angst, hurt,betrayal, lovers to enemies

~ Jake x Fem! MC (FBI Agent)

~ Sequel request by dear @lovingstudentangel

~ part 2 part 3 part 4(final)

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

◆ One condition

~ Request by dear @renneiscent

~ Genre: idiots in love, fluff

~ Pairing: Richy x Jessy

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

◆ Secret stares

~ Request by dear @spookycolorpeanut

~ Genre : little angst, fluff(?)

~ Jake x Phil

◆You'll be alright

~Characters : Jake x Fem! MC + another character ~Summary: a very short imagination snippet,kinda related to episode 10

~Warning: hurt, language etc

✦•···················•✦•···················•✦

Check out this for other duskwood content 🙃

Take care and Have a nice day/eve/night wherever you are ♡

#duskwood fandom #duskwood #duskwood everbyte #duskwood fanfictions #jake x mc #masterlist dw #duskwood fanfiction #duskwood masterlist #everbyte studios #I'm not quite sure if this is navigation #writings☆

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cornycornflakes · 6 years

Text

YOU CAN ALSO FIND MY NEW FANFICTION ON AO3 (Corny_Cornflakes)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: F/M

Relationships: Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper

Words: 2049

Chapters: 1/?

A rough path

Summary:

It's the year 1971. The young policeman Jim Hopper and his secretary Joyce Byers are investigating the mysteries of their hometown Hawkins. But there are a lot more struggles they will have to deal with (detective AU)

Chapter 1: Prologue - A new secretary

January 24th, 1971

The streets of Hawkins were covered by a thick layer of snow. Late January was always cold in central Indiana. Most people, especially the kids, loved this time of the year. Everyone organized snow ball fights and built dozens of snowmans all around the town. But that doesn’t apply to Jim Hopper, who hated getting up at five in the morning just to shovel the snow. Ugh, mornings. They were for coffee and contemplation, not for freezing weather and physical activity. Well, he had to pay for rent and hospital bills somehow.

The young policeman just came from New York, the city that never sleeps. Why would anyone even leave New York for this hell of a town? There he could start a successful career, maybe even a family, and spend the rest of his life in a nice place with a lot of possibilities. But right after he passed his last exams, Jim found out that his mother, Genevieve Hopper, became very sick. In fact the doctors said that she only had three months left. It turned out they weren’t wrong.

Hopper spend his mothers last two months and eighteen days by her side, taking care of her small trailer and cats. Watching the most important person in his life die right in front of his eyes, just after he lost his father four years earlier was heartbreaking, although he knew it would happen sooner or later. The upcoming days were tough, but he did pick himself up somehow. Jim gave away the cats to a nice and loving family and started to look out for job offers. He didn’t have another option than to stay in Hawkins, because he just didn’t have enough money to go back to NYC.

Just a week later he became a policeman at the local station. Getting this job actually turned out to be easier than he thought. Not a single employee there was as qualified as Jim Hopper was, although this didn’t change the fact that he had to take care of all the paperwork and the boring stuff first. God he hated this shit so much. The only thing that kept him going was the motivation to earn enough money to go back to New York again. But first he had to take care of his mother’s hospital bills. Unfortunately that also included getting up at five am and freezing his fingers off while trying his best not to fall asleep on his driveway.

After what felt like hours he was finally able to start his car and drive to the local police department, the place he now called “work”. The only other place he spent the majority of his time was the one bar that was open after midnight in the entire town. After a hard day, Jim just drowned a glass of whisky after another and picked up random women, with which he would then go back to his trailer with.

Just fifteen minutes later the young policeman parked his old mustang next to the entrance of the police station. The moment he entered the building he noticed that something was different, he just didn’t know what. Also he was too lazy to ask anyone, besides everyone in there was a jerk who didn’t seem to even care about their job.

“Mornin’ Hopper”, his partner, Calvin Powell, greeted him and gave him a cheeky look. Without even taking a look at him, Jim made his ways to the coffee machine and poured himself a nice warm cup. His hands almost froze off after all that shoveling. Plus he didn’t get a lot of sleep the previous night.

“Hey Jimmy, did you make another lady see starts last night?”, Phil Callahan, his other co-worker, joked and made some other policeman in the background laugh. He actually wasn’t wrong, he did sleep with a pretty woman from the gas station the previous day, but he didn’t even remember her name. He usually didn’t.

Instead of responding to Callahan’s stupid question, Hopper gave him an annoyed look and headed toward his desk, which was already covered with tons of piles of files. He had to wait for the coffee to kick in before he could even think about doing all this work.

“Oh come on man, don’t be mad at me!”, Phil suddenly laughed and took a seat next to him. Still ignoring his existence, Jim just forced another sip of caffeine down his throat.

“There’s some info Chief Howard wanted me to tell you. He’s leaving for a week to go see his family in Illinois. You’ll be our boss in the meantime.”

These words finally made Hopper look at his co-worker for the first time that day.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing too serious. You just have to take care of new cases and you can hand over the paperwork to someone else.”

“Holy crap, that’s great!”, Jim replied with a smile on his face and stood up from his seat. Not only he could work on something interesting, he also finally had the opportunity to prove himself. After Chief Howard would come back and see that he did a good job, maybe he would get a promotion or even better: a raise.

“There’s just one more thing Jimmy. There’s a woman in Howard’s office who wants to apply as the new secretary. Flo had to leave due to some private problems. Take care of her”, Callahan pointed to the big wooden door at the other side of the room and left Jim’s side to get himself another breakfast donut.

Hopper was never good when it came to talking to other people. He had no clue what to say and freaked out after just five minutes of having a conversation with a stranger. Fuck, he can’t screw that up. That raise was just too important.

After hesitating to move for a while, he finally decided to head towards the office. That woman can’t be left in there alone for too long. He fixed his uniform and downed his cup of coffee to the bottom. The caffeine suddenly started to wake him up. Now he was ready for his first job interview.

Although he prepared some conversation starters and small talk topics in his head, he forgot everything the moment he opened the door and saw who was sitting on the grey chair in front of Howard’s desk.

She had long, brown and slightly wavy hair. Her fragile and small frame was covered in clothes, which were at least two sized too big. Her huge fur coat made her look even more delicate than she already was. But the woman’s eyes caught his attention. At first they seemed to just be some dark brown eyes, but there was something about them which made Jim want to look at them for hours.

He had met this woman before.

“Excuse me, are you Mr. Howard?”, she asked with a soft voice and put out her cigarette.

“Nope, my name is James Hopper. I’m filling in for him this week.”

He just stood there, not able to move. What the hell was he supposed to do right now? Or even more importantly: What was he supposed to say? Instead he just motioned her to sit down and took a seat on Howard’s beloved chair in front of her.

“So… I wanted to apply for the job as a secretary”, the woman started and handed him her resume, waiting for a response. He could see that she was pretty nervous.

That was when Jim found out why she seemed to familiar to him.

“You’re Joyce Byers?”, he asked and didn’t even look and her.

“That’s correct. I didn’t even know you were back in town”, Joyce replied, waiting for an explanation from his side. The moment she saw him enter the room she stopped breathing. She knew exactly who he was and couldn’t believe her own eyes.

“I came back three months ago. I didn’t even plan on staying here”, he tried as hard as possible to not show any emotions. No guilt, no sadness, no interest.

“I see. You could’ve at least stop by. Say hi to your old friend”, her face was full with disappointment. But Hopper knew exactly that they didn’t end their relationship on good terms.

“Listen Joyce, we’re here to talk about the job, not our past. Let’s focus on that”, he sighed and proceeded to read her resume. She just leaned against the chair and waited for the next questions.

“I see that you have no experience as a secretary”, Jim suddenly asked and looked her directly in her eyes.

“That’s correct. I only worked at Melvald’s as a saleswoman for half a year, but then I was too pregnant to continue working there.”

He was shocked. Joyce had a child? Why didn’t he know about that? Oh wait it actually made sense.

“I didn’t know you have a child.”

“How could you know that? I had my son after you left and we didn’t have any contact at all”, she explained with a poker face. At least she tried to not show any emotions.

“Right… so you’re married?”

“No. It’s just me and my four year old son Jonathan.”

He wanted to know more. He wanted to ask who the father was and why they aren’t together. But no, it was a job interview and he had to stay professional.

“Alright, I guess that’s all the information I need. Listen Joyce, I don’t think-“

She suddenly stood up and interrupted his speech: “Listen to me Hopper. I know that I may not be qualified enough, but you don’t even know how much I need this job. I need to feed my son. Also I’m a fast learner. I promise you that when I get this job, I’ll give my best every single. goddamn. day. Please.”

Jim expected from her to fight for what she wants. She’s always been like this. Maybe he should give her a chance? The police station really needed a new secretary anyway.

“OK. You get the job”

Joyce was surprised. In fact she didn’t know what to say. She just stood there, with her mouth slightly hanging and waiting for a “just kidding” or “you really believed that?”.

“Joyce, are you alright?”, Jim asked, interrupting the awkward silence between them.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just… thank you. When should I start?”

“Is tomorrow eight am ok?” He gave her a little smile to not seem too harsh anymore.

“Yes, perfect. See you tomorrow eight am then. And once again, thank you very much”, she said as she left the office and closed the door behind her. Hopper decided to stay there for a little while to think about everything that just happened. God, he’s going to work with Joyce Byers.

THE Joyce Byers.

He still couldn’t believe it.

The two of them first met in fifth grade, it was their first day of middle school. A girl with a long braid walked into the class and decided to sit down next to little Jimmy. But before that happened, she accidentally spilled her apple juice on his shirt. Everyone around them laughed.

That didn’t change the fact that over the next days they became best friends. The two urchins always spent their afternoons together at the playground or in the forest building… something. Their friendship was strong, but it all seemed to change once high school came around.

Building stick castles turned into sharing cigarettes between fifth and sixth period. One day Joyce and now Hopper (because there were two Jim’s in their grade) bought cigarettes from the senior’s and then ran from Mr. Cooper after he caught them smoking under the stairs. They ended up hiding in the boy’s restroom and making out. He remembered that moment as if it was yesterday.

After that “incident” they suddenly were boyfriend and girlfriend. Their cigarette sharing turned into make out sessions and listening to their favorite music in his car. Unfortunately this teenage dream lasted only until their prom. That night he told her he’s moving to New York to become a policeman. Joyce was obviously heartbroken and ran off. They hadn’t had a proper talk since.

But that would change very soon.

#jopper #stranger things #hopper x joyce #jim and joyce #jim hopper #joyce and hopper #stranger things 3 #winona ryder

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