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scoonsalicious · 1 month

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Chapter 6, Unattached - Pt. 1

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Fem!Reader

Summary: When your FWB relationship with your best friend Bucky Barnes turns into something more, you couldn’t be happier. That is, however, until a new Avenger sets her sights on your super soldier and he inadvertently breaks your heart. You take on a mission you might not be prepared for to put some distance between the two of you and open yourself up to past traumas. Too bad the only one who can help you heal is the one person you can no longer trust.

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language, angst (Bring on the Pain!), alcohol usage, dumbass Bucky, noncon kissing that becomes con kissing, so..., arguing, jealous!Pocket, posessive!Bucky.

Word Count: 5.4k

Previously On...: After Bucky left you alone in your room, not wanting people to get 'the wrong idea' about the two of you, you came to the horrible conclusion that you were in love with your best friend. What the hell are you going to do about that?

A/N: Wow, okay! So, first off, Chapter 6 is long, and it only has the one part, so don't worry if you go looking for more and the next thing you find is Chapter 7! Second, there's a lot of progress and updates on Unwanted I wanted to share! I am already well into writing Chapter 14, and have planned out the rest of the story. We'll have a total of 25 chapters, plus an epilogue (unless something strikes me creatively that throws the entire thing for a loop, then all bets are off). This beast, as it currently sits, is already 208 Google Docs pages long and just shy of 80k words, so final product is probably going to be novel-length, which just blows my mind. I want to give a special shout out to @mrsbuckybarnes1917 for being my beta and my sounding board; your help and support has been immeasurable!

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

Banner By: The absolutely amazing @mrsbuckybarnes1917

Taglist: (Please let me know if you’d like to be added!) @jmeelee @cazellen @blackhawkfanatic @les-sel @marcswife21 @buckybarnessimpp @mrsbuckybarnes1917 @erelierraceala @hayjat @capswife @itsteambarnes @jupiter-107 @marygoddessofmischief

You stood in front of the doors to the common room, the low thrum of conversation and music filtering out from inside. Taking a deep breath, you tried for the umpteenth time to calm your nerves following your unsettling realization.

You had no idea how to approach this, how to approach Bucky. Do you tell him how you felt, in the hope that he felt the same way? But what if he didn't? Could you risk losing him all together? Or do you just keep on like nothing's changed, happy with what you have together? Would that be enough for you? Could you even be happy in a real relationship?

Why couldn't your mother have just been a decent human being and let you go to school like a normal child so you could have worked through all your awkward issues at the appropriate time, instead of saddling you with years of trauma and isolation that left you an emotionally stunted adult? God, you needed a strong drink and to talk to Nat, preferably in that order. Pushing open the common room door, you stepped inside, surveying the room with one eye out for Bucky, the other out for your friend.

It should have been of no surprise, then, that instead of either, you first spotted Jade Carthage. She was situated on a couch in the center of the room, like a queen on her throne before her court, and nearly every Avenger and agent with a penis was surrounding her, jockeying for her attention, even Clint who, you knew for a fact, loved his wife Laura more than life itself.

Your stomach dropped when, after one of the agents in front of the couch shifted slightly, you saw Bucky sitting immediately to Jade's left. And while it seemed like everyone else was clamoring for Jade to pay attention to them, she only had eyes for him. Jealousy coursed through you as she leaned in close, whispering something into his ear that had him throwing his head back in laughter. It was an entirely unpleasant sensation that you would be happy to never feel again. Especially because you knew you had no real right to feel it in the first place. You may have just realized you were in love with him, but he had made no similar declaration to you.

"Careful, you glare any harder, you're liable to bore a hole straight through him," Natasha said, coming up alongside of you.

"What if I aim for her, instead?" you asked, reaching for the tumbler of alcohol she offered you and taking a sip to distract yourself. It was like she could read your mind.

Nat shrugged. "So long as I'm not the one cleaning up the mess, I say have fun. But what happened to no-strings-attached, friends who happen to fuck?" Nat asked with a smirk. "Don't tell me you've grown strings, Pocket."

You looked away from the scene in front of you. "There might be some growing of string, in theory," you mumbled to her. Nat was the only person you had confided in regarding your arrangement with Bucky. Of course, your friend had been thrilled that there had been something going on between the two of you, but she'd been more concerned about protecting your heart-- was this the safest thing for you to do? You assured her at the time you'd be fine, but now...?

Nat's eyes widened as a grin took over her face. "Honey, that's fantastic!" She leaned in to give you a hug. "I'm so happy for you!" Taking in your forlorn expression, she quickly lost her good humor. "Why do you look like you're about to throw up?"

You cast another glance over at the couch. Jade was tracing her fingers along the golden veins of Bucky's vibranium arm and you felt like snakes were crawling through your stomach. "Because I don't know what the fuck to do about it, Natty," you told her with a sigh. "I've never felt like this before in my entire life and it's fucking terrifying; what if he doesn't feel the same way? Or worse, what if he does and I mess everything up because I'm so fucking damaged inside?"

Natasha looped her arm through yours, leaning into you. "Honey, first of all, you are not damaged. You've been through hell and it left its mark on you, that's true, but you've been so strong. We're House Martell, remember?"

You sniggered, remembering how, when the entire Tower was obsessed with watching Game of Thrones together and picking what houses you'd each belong to, you and Nat had been drawn to the words of the ruling house of Dorne. And also, Pedro Pascal, obviously.

"Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken," you recited from memory, a reminder that despite the obstacles life had thrown at you, you remained standing, stronger for what you had endured.

"Atta girl," Nat nudged you with her elbow. "And second of all, you don't need to worry about Bucky's feelings. Boy's obviously mad for you. Everyone can see it."

You drew your bottom lip in between your teeth. "I don't know, Nat. He's been acting strange lately. I tried to give him head earlier and he flat out rejected it." Come to think of it, that was exceptionally weird since, in your text exchange, he'd explicitly told you he'd been waiting in your room specifically for the purpose of getting off.

"Huh. That's... not like him." Nat tilted her head and looked over at Bucky, expression curious. "Did he say why?"

"He was real eager to come up here and get in the middle of that, apparently." You waved a hand in the general direction of the couch where Jade's little reverse-harem was still going strong. "I was getting on my knees and everything."

Nat raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"And then he made a really big deal about us coming up here separately. Said he didn't want people getting 'the wrong idea' about us if we arrived together."

Letting go of your arm, Natasha spun to face you, her face a mask of anger. "He said what now?!" she practically shouted, temporarily drawing everyone's attention to you. You looked around sheepishly as you tried to dismiss their stares.

"Nat," you begged in a whisper, "keep it down."

"Okay, okay, sorry." Natasha lowered her voice to a level only you could hear. "I'm sorry, but that's just complete and utter bullshit. Look, I know you guys think you've been in super secret stealth mode about hiding it, but pretty much everyone on the team knows you've been sleeping together. Hell, most of us placed bets on it." You opened your mouth in order to protest but she cut you off.

"If anything, it's weirder if the two of you don't show up to something together, so I don't know what the hell he's thinking."

"I do," you said morosely. "He doesn't want her getting the wrong idea about us."

"Pocket, don't even let your mind go there," Nat said.

"Think about it, Nat; I've been standing here for what, fifteen minutes now? And he hasn't even looked at me. When's the last time that happened?"

Nat's brows creased, her expression clouding over into something immensely sad for you, and you knew she was realizing what you'd already seen. In the last year, you and Bucky had been attached at the hip, nearly physically joined to one another, and if you were apart, your eyes were always scanning the room in search of the other's presence, seeking them out. The fact that he hadn't even looked for you, let alone come to you since you walked in, was telling in its own heartbreaking way.

Nat let out a heavy sigh. "Oh Pocket. Honey, I'm so sorry."

You shook your head, trying to dispel the tears that were threatening to fall from your eyes if you kept down this path. "Don't Natty, please. I can't fall apart, not here."

"Yeah, okay-- you're right. Now is not the time. Come on." Linking her arm through yours once again, she directed you toward the bar where Tony was standing, whiskey in hand. "If anyone can talk you to distraction," she murmured as you approached him, "it's Stark."

You let out a startled laugh and let her guide you toward the man who had already saved you more times than you could count.

"Hey, kiddo; Romanoff." Tony saluted you with his glass and you did your best to smile back at him as you stuffed your emotions down as far as they would go. "What do you think of our new recruit?" he asked Nat.

"I think 'Weasel' would be a better fitting code name for her than 'Vixen,'" Nat replied with a sly smile as she took a sip of wine.

"Ah, saw the security feed, did you?" Tony asked her. Nat nodded.

"Watched it live as it happened. Wasn't going to leave my bestie without eyes on her six." She gave your arm an affectionate squeeze.

Tony hummed and glanced over to the couch. "Wish Cap had been as discerning as you. He refused to watch the feed; said it made him uncomfortable to spy on someone when they didn't know they were being recorded." Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Always the fucking Boy Scout," she murmured.

"So, how did the interview itself go?" you asked Tony, not really sure you wanted to know the answer, but feeling the need to punish yourself with the details, anyway.

Tony leaned back against the bar, resting his elbows on the polished wooden surface. "If it were up to me, we wouldn't even be playing this charade right now," he said, motioning with his chin to indicate the meet and greet. "Girl's a first-class bullshitter."

"Talent recognizing talent?" you asked with a wry smile that almost felt genuine.

He pointed a finger and winked at you. "Exactly. She talked a good talk, but it doesn't take much to see she's suffering from Big Fish, Small Pond Syndrome. She's in for a rude awakening if she thinks she's ready to swim in the ocean with the whales and the sharks."

"So, you're not going to offer her the probationary position?" you asked, hope rising pathetically in your chest. As if you could un-ring the bell.

"Oh, I didn't say that," Tony said as you deflated. "It's not all up to me. Though, given the fact that I personally fund this entire operation, you'd think it really should be, right?" At the look on your face he moved on. "Apologies, I digress. Anyway, Cap thinks it's only fair we offer it to her, seeing as how we don't have a ton of other options knocking on our door, and Fury's not going to get off my ass until we find someone." He sighed. "I think this entire exercise is a waste of time, and we should be kicking her out on her ass for how she treated you earlier, Pocket, but I'm outvoted."

"Thanks, Boss," you said softly, grateful at least that Tony could see through Jade's facade and took how she treated you seriously. Too bad your best friend couldn't offer you the same courtesy.

The timer on Tony's watch went off. "And that's the dinner bell," he said, putting down his glass. Clapping his hands, he called out to the rest of the room. "Attention Avengers, SHIELD Agents, and... whoever else managed to sneak in off the street! Dinner is served, so if we could all head to the dining room before the food gets cold and Raul quits on me, I'd appreciate it very much."

You held back as the crowd of people noisily moved to the dining room, hoping to catch Bucky's eye, but he remained steadfastly absorbed in his conversation with Jade.

"Come on, honey," Nat said as she took your elbow. "You can talk to him during dinner. You nodded and allowed her to lead you into the dining room. You and Bucky had sat next to one another, without fail, for every meal for the last year, the only exception being when one of you was away on a mission. You'd have plenty of opportunities to talk to him while you ate.

Normally, you all ate at one large table, but since this was a special occasion that required the attendance of a lot more than just the regular 13 members of your family (14, if Parker was around), Tony had the dining room arranged more like a restaurant, with a series of smaller tables spread out throughout the space.

You and Nat followed Bucky and Jade to a six-top where Steve and Sam were already getting ready to sit down, but you froze in your tracks when Bucky pulled back a chair for Jade, pushing it in behind her as she sat down before taking the seat next to her.

The air seemed to grow heavy, as though it weighed too much for you to draw it into your lungs and your chest began to hurt. How could such a simple action be causing you so much physical pain?

Steve, who had already been sitting at Bucky's other side at the head of the table, caught your eye and moved to get up to offer you his chair, instead, as though that could make up for Bucky's dismissal of you.

You subtly shook your head, not wanting to draw attention to the awkward situation you found yourself in. Instead, you made your way over to the only two remaining seats at the table: the one next to Sam that was directly across from Jade and Bucky or the one next to Jade at the opposite end of the table from Steve. Deciding it was better to be sitting across from Steve than either of the other two, you opted for the chair at the end, and Nat slid in next to Sam.

You cast a quick glance in Jade's direction and had to stifle a sick laugh-- she was physically coming between you and Bucky, quite literally.

Jade reached a hand out to Nat across the table. "Wow! Black Widow! It is so great to meet you! My name's Vixen; I'm a huge fan! I'm so excited for us to be working together!"

Bless Nat, she just stared at the girl with arms crossed across her chest, impassive and judging, until Jade slowly and awkwardly pulled her hand back.

"I take it, then, that you've deemed the Avengers good enough to be your backup team?" Nat asked without expression.

You did your best to cover the laughter that escaped from you with a fake cough, but you didn't try very hard to be convincing.

"What's this about, now?" Steve asked, leaning forward.

"Little Vixen over here," Nat began, leaning back in her chair until she was perched on the two rear legs, "was live-streaming this morning to her social media followers. Told them it wasn't so much that the Avengers were interviewing her to see if she'd be good for the team, but she was interviewing us to see if we'd be good back up for her."

Jade had the decency to look embarrassed for a moment before she turned to face you for the first time, anger taking over her features. "So, what? Didn't much take you for a tattler. You that intimidated by me?"

You opened your mouth to defend yourself but were interrupted by the sound of the legs of Nat's chair slamming back against the floor. "Pocket didn't tell me shit. I heard it straight from your mouth on the security feed. That and a lot of other interesting things."

"You're spying on her, Nat? Really?" Bucky spoke up. "She's our guest and she deserves a modicum of privacy, don't you think?" You stared at him, open mouthed, but he didn't spare you a glance.

"It was a part of her interview, Barnes," Nat spat. "Maybe if you---"

"Okay, Nat, Bucky," Steve said, using his official Captain America voice, "let's table this conversation for later and just enjoy our meal. Raul worked really hard on tonight's menu, so let's not spoil it for him, alright?"

Both Nat and Bucky grumbled their agreement as the catering staff brought out the first course and placed them on each of your plates. Normally, you loved when Raul, Tony's personal chef, cooked meals for the team; he always made sure to throw in something with lemon in it, knowing how much you loved the flavor; but tonight, your appetite was failing you and you ended up pushing more food around on your plate than you put in your mouth.

You couldn't help but steal glances over at Bucky, who continued to be wrapped in conversation with Jade. You tried to keep up with what the others were saying, occasionally nodding your head in agreement to something, but you weren't able to pay any real attention; your mind was elsewhere until you noticed Jade looking at you.

"You know, I have to say I'm surprised to see so many non-Avengers here. I got the impression that this group was... I dunno, elite? But it seems like you just let anyone in."

Steve laughed from the other end of the table. "Being an Avenger is a team effort, Vixen. Everyone plays their part. And besides, Pocket here's just as much an Avenger as I am." The comment took you by surprise, and you gave Steve a warm, appreciative smile.

"Thanks, Cap," you said, truly touched by his words.

"Well, she's more like Avenger-adjacent," Bucky amended, and all the warmth you'd felt at Steve's compliment vanished in an instant, leaving you feeling cold and hollow. The words shouldn't have stung-- it was how you had referred to yourself hundreds of times, but you tended to reserve it for your low moments, when you were feeling unequal to Earth's mightiest heroes. Hearing the words come out of Bucky's mouth, as if he, too, shared in your belief that you were inferior to the rest of them... well, that fucking hurt.

Steve let out a surprised laugh and clapped Bucky on the shoulder. "Pocket may not have enhanced physical abilities or powers or what have you, but she's got a brilliant mind. She's got a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and Computation from MIT, three Master's degrees, she speaks seven languages, she's got a black belt in Krav Maga, and she was the youngest Chief Technology Officer in Stark Industries history; all without ever having formally graduating high school. It's no exaggeration for me to say that I'd be dead a couple of dozen times over if I hadn't had her at my six. If anything, I think it makes her even more important than the rest of us. We're here because of the physical things we can do– primarily because of things that happened to us by accident; Pocket's essential to the team because of how she thinks, and the strength and quality of the work she’s willing to put in. We're replaceable, Pocket's one-of-a-kind."

You looked at Steve as if seeing him for the very first time. You had no idea he thought so highly of you, and his praise warmed you. You offered him a soft smile, your throat tightening with emotion and leaving you unable to express your gratitude. You mouthed a silent thank you instead, hoping that conveyed how much his words meant to you. He winked back at you in acknowledgement.

Bucky glanced back and forth between the two of you, as if analyzing your silent exchange. He coughed awkwardly. "I just meant that we try to keep Pocket away from the really dangerous stuff," he backpedaled, poorly, in your opinion. "Can't risk her getting hurt." He smiled at you, but you just stared back, expression blank, until he looked away in embarrassment. Good. Let him feel an ounce of the discomfort you’d been feeling this entire time.

Small talk resumed around the table, with Sam telling Steve about some new modification he was making to Redwing, and Bucky and Jade back to being locked in their own bubble. You did your best to ignore the little glances and gestures that Jade directed to Bucky, but it felt like your eyes were drawn to them like a magnet every time she touched him. Which seemed to be happening more and more frequently. You couldn't help but notice the way he leaned toward her when she spoke. Did he ever do that when he was talking with you?

"So, Bucky," Jade said eventually, her voice low and flirty as the caterers took away the main course, "handsome super hero like you, you seeing anyone?" Your eyes snapped up to Bucky's face, watching him. Surely he was going to look to you, make eye contact, something to acknowledge what was between you, to make you feel like you were in the same room, hell, on the same fucking planet as him. But he didn't.

"Nope," he said, running his hand over the back of his neck like he always did when he was feeling self conscious or nervous. "Not seeing anyone, though I'm not opposed to the idea." You had been stabbed in the abdomen on a mission once, and that had hurt less than hearing the words that had just come out of Bucky's mouth. It took everything in you to resist getting up from the table and leaving the room at that moment.

"Really, man?" Sam asked from where he sat on the other side of Natasha, his voice hard in disbelief. The atmosphere at your table had shifted. Natasha, Steve, and Sam all stared at Bucky with looks ranging from incredulity to flat out disgust. Bucky either was oblivious to the stares or was doing a great job patently ignoring them.

You couldn't even bring yourself to look at him anymore. It felt like a betrayal, the way his eyes had met Jade's and not yours. How could he sit there and just completely deny you like that? Had you been deluding yourself? Had you just been some kind of fuck toy this entire time?

The caterers brought the next course, a cold raspberry soup. You sat there, staring into space as you mechanically spooned the soup into your mouth, trying your hardest to appreciate the taste, but everything seemed bitter in light of Bucky's attitude, actions, and words.

"Could you hand me the water carafe?" Bucky asked. You looked up to watch Jade hand him the bottle of water. "Thanks, doll," he said, smiling at her.

You dropped your spoon, letting it fall into your nearly empty bowl with a reverberating clang. Your companions at the table stared, eyes wide as their gazes traveled between you and Bucky. In his entire time at the tower, he had never once called another woman 'doll.' It was a moniker he'd specifically reserved for you.

Or, it used to be.

You could tell the exact moment when Bucky realized he'd fucked up. His eyes locked on yours, the color draining from his face. He opened his mouth as if he was going to speak to you, but you'd had enough. Without a word, you pushed back your chair with enough force that it practically tipped over and exited the dining room.

You made it all the way to the elevator before you heard him calling for you.

"Doll! Doll, where are you?" You stabbed repeatedly at the call button, as if it would bring the car to you faster. You could hear his footsteps drawing closer, and you really didn't want to talk to him right now.

Finally, the elevator doors opened and you slid inside, turning to press the 'Close Door' button just as you saw Bucky turn the corner to the elevator bay. You were ready to breathe a sigh of relief at evading him until Bucky's metal hand shot in the diminishing space between the closing doors. You were trapped.

"Doll, didn't you hear me callin' to you?" he asked as he slid into the car with you.

You looked around, as if searching for another person in the car. "I'm sorry, were you talking to me? Should probably be more specific with your pet names, then. A girl’s liable to get confused." You were impressed that the words came out as hard and bitter as you felt inside.

Bucky flinched. "I deserved that."

You leaned forward to press the button for your floor before crossing your arms and glaring at him. "You fucking think?"

"Look, it just slipped out, okay? I didn't mean anything by it. It's not a big thing you needed to storm out over." You rolled your eyes at him, disgusted that that was the only thing he seemed to realize he'd done to offend you all evening. "Pocket, can we just talk about this?"

"Oh, now you want to talk to me?" you asked, jutting out your hip in annoyance. "Seemed like earlier today, you couldn't wait to not be seen with me, or do you no longer care if people get the wrong idea?"

"Alright," Bucky said, slamming his fist against the elevator's emergency stop button. You stumbled as the car came to a grinding halt. Bucky tried to put his hands on you to steady you, but you pushed him away. "What is going on with you today, Pocket?"

"What's going on with me?" you asked him, incredulous. "What's going on with you? You've been an ass to me all night, that is when you weren't acting like I didn't exist."

"How am I being an ass?" he asked, voice rising. "You're the one who couldn't even hold a civil conversation with our guest! It was embarrassing!" You recoiled as if he'd slapped you, backing away from him until your back hit the elevator wall.

"Wow. Okay then." You blinked heavily, telling yourself not to cry. You'd be damned if you showed weakness in front of him now. Bury the emotions, encase them in ice. "Sorry I'm such a fucking embarrassment to you, Sergeant Barnes. Now that I know how you feel, I'll make sure to stay out of your way so you don't have to put up with me." You moved to press the button to restart the elevator, but Bucky grabbed your wrist.

"Don't do this," he growled at you. "Don't hide behind snappy quips so you can shut down and avoid having a real conversation with me." You stared between his eyes and where he held your wrist in his metal grip. It wasn't tight enough to hurt, but it was tight enough to keep you from breaking free.

His gaze softened as he watched you. "I never said I was embarrassed of you, Pocket. I just don't know why you had to be so rude to Jade at dinner tonight."

"Name one thing I did that was rude to her," you challenged.

"Okay," Bucky stuck out a finger as though he were about to count off all your grievous errors. "Let's see... You said... No, that was Nat... You were... okay, Steve said that... You said... No, that was Nat again." He looked up at you sheepishly. "So, maybe you actually didn't say anything during dinner, but not talking to her was still rude."

You scoffed. "You want to talk rude and embarrassing, Bucky? Do you know how embarrassing it was to have everyone staring at me when you pulled out my chair for Jade, or when my own best friend didn't defend me when she had the audacity to call me a fucking tattler? Like I’m some kind of fucking child?" Your voice was rising and you could feel yourself getting swept up in your anger. "How about the pity looks I got when everyone heard you lie about not seeing anyone, or when you called her 'doll'? Or when you told her I was 'Avengers-adjacent'? You think I'm the embarrassing one? You made me feel like an insignificant piece of shit tonight, Barnes. God, if it hadn't been for Steve saying what he said, you would have driven me to tears."

Bucky had been staring down at his boots as you'd been speaking, as though your accusations were too much for him to face head-on, but at the mention of Steve's name, his head snapped up, blue eyes like ice on your face. "Well, if Steve's such a hero, why aren't you fucking him, then?" he asked, voice clipped and bitter.

You yanked your wrist free from his grasp. "Maybe I should start!" you shouted. "At least he's not embarrassed of me and doesn't forget I exist when another pair of tits shows up!"

Bucky's gaze darkened and in an instant, he was on you, caging your body against the elevator wall, a hand on either side of your head. "Don't you even fucking joke about that," he snarled.

You jutted out your chin, refusing to show any sign of weakness, though his actions were beginning to frighten you. "Who says I'm joking? Sounds like a good idea to me; thanks for suggesting it." You moved to duck under his arm, but he grabbed you by the shoulders, pinning you in place.

His breaths were coming hard and fast now, as though he'd just run a marathon. His gaze darted between your eyes and your lips, as though trying to make up his mind about something. In the next instant, his mouth was crashing down on yours, his tongue demanding entry.

You gasped at the sudden intrusion and Bucky took that as his invitation, deepening the kiss with a primal fervor. His hands gripped your waist, pulling you into him. For a moment, you were stunned, unsure of what was happening. But then instincts took over – he was kissing you, really kissing you. Your stomach fluttered and your heart hammered in your chest.

One of your hands ran through his hair, while the other gripped his shoulder for support. His hands had somehow migrated beneath your shirt, thumbs rubbing soothing circles into the bare skin at your sides. You returned his kiss with as much intensity as he gave. But then suddenly, as if waking from a dream, you remembered why you were angry with him. You pushed against his chest, breaking the kiss.

You were both panting, and despite your attempt to put distance between your bodies, Bucky leaned down, resting his forehead against yours as he fought to catch his breath. "Don't," he whispered hoarsely, his voice heavy with an emotion you couldn't quite place. "Don't sleep with Steve."

"You realize how incredibly infuriating you're being right now, don't you?" you asked. "You can't just treat me like that, ignore me all night in favor of someone else, then kiss me and try to tell me who I can or can't sleep with."

"I know, Sweetheart," he said, nuzzling your nose with his, "I know and I'm sorry, but please, promise me: no matter how angry you are with me, don't sleep with Steve. You wanna fuck someone else to piss me off? Go fuck Sam, Thor, Rhodes, hell, even Parker. I'll hate it, but if it's Steve, it'll fucking kill me."

"Your signals are all over the place tonight, Buck," you sighed, letting out an involuntary moan as his lips found the sweet spot on your neck and sucked at your skin. You had to pull away before he turned you into a babbling mess. "If you think you can just kiss me into oblivion and I'll forgive you for everything you've said and done tonight, you better think again, because that's not happening."

Bucky ran both his hands through his hair, sending it pointing every which way. Then he pressed the emergency stop button again, letting the elevator resume its journey. "I know I owe you an explanation, Pocket," he said. "So, can we go to your room and talk? No interruptions, no one else, just you and me, okay?"

You studied him, considering. A part of you was still so angry at him that you didn't want to hear him out, but the part of you that loved him hated the idea of leaving things in a bad place. In your line of work, you never knew when your next goodbye might be your last goodbye.

"Fine," you said, dropping your shoulders with a sigh. "We can talk, I'll hear you out, but I'm not promising forgiveness."

He smiled, his eyes bright once again. "That's all I ask, Sweets. That's all I ask."

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starillusion13 · 2 months

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Lost you forever pt.2

READ THE PART 1 ----> HERE!

Pairing: Ateez! ot8 x fem! reader

Genre: Angst, Mafia, Mature, Fluff

Warnings: crying, forgiveness, trust and hurt, regrets, self doubts, comfort, heartbreak, anxiety and new beginnings.

W.C: 4.6k (I swear you wont cry again)

Note: please I want to thanks to people for reading and reblogging. Reviews are always appreciated 😭. This is a requested fic, initially I had no plans on making this but still some of you literally begged for it so here it is. Enjoy!

Network: @cultofdionysusnet @k-vanity

“Bye, have a nice day.”

Waving at your co-workers before leaving the workplace early, you make your way towards the nearby flower shop. Well, it’s really weird to go to buy flowers with an early break. No, it’s not for you but maybe for others. Glancing to every shop to your sides, walking through the footpath, you find different new things on display and finding some very cute and beautiful. You made a note to buy some of those later someday and keeping in mind to not miss out the flower shop for now. Arriving to the shop, a tug felt in your heart, something is aching in the corner, something is calling out for you, a missing piece of your life.

“How can I help you miss?”

You realised that unconsciously you have entered the glass doors and standing in front of the bouquet section. How precious they look when decorated so nicely! All the beautiful flowers arranged in a desired sequence with a touch of greenery with some leaves peeking out among the spaces. Each flower representing different purposes and each colour describing specific moods. And what should be appropriate for you?

“I want orchids.”

The florist smiles at you but before picking up the first flower, she turns towards you with a soft look on her face as if trying to decide on something.

“What colour do you prefer? I guess it must be red.”

“Pink.”

She pauses and blinks at you, “Aren’t you going to give it to your loved ones?”

“No…These are for myself. For me.”

Is it?

Do you have any loved ones though?

She nods her head while picking up the fresh ones from the baskets and delicately placing them on the wooden counter. Why should you take red colour when you don’t have that love, affection and beauty in your life? That’s why you opted for Pink. A colour that is stuck between the bright affection of red that’s burning for the beauty of love and the white silence filled with desires for a new hope in your life which is innocently waiting for a blooming change.

And the flowers orchid and lily with this colour is the perfect ones to resemble you.

To resemble your life.

In the days of missing them.

“Here, this is your flowers and it’s your total.”

Taking the bouquet in your hold, you send a small smile towards her and after paying, you leave the shop. While walking to your next location, you found a little note attached to the back of the bouquet and you quickly open it to read.

‘I know you are missing someone and that’s why I have put a stargazer lily in the middle, it’s red in colour. You may have missed it earlier but believe in yourself, everything is going to be alright if your desires and hopes are alive with you like a stargazer. A miracle should occur to you soon.’

Are you really missing someone? Maybe. Is there someone thinking about you too? You stare at the flower for a little longer before looking around to find the surrounding a bit too familiar, the beach where you come a lot and past memories flashes to you.

Memories of Them.

Wiping off the tears, you turn towards the direction of the café. The past few weeks were okay. Just like okay. You didn’t have anything special or extraordinary. Your café owner came back to the town and you shared everything possible to her of what happened in these past one month because you were feeling down. Even though she soothes you to take everything normally, there is something tingling in your heart, as if something is not smooth the way its visible.

“look, here you are zoning out again.”

You got startle with the voice from your side. Here, you are sitting with your favourite pastry and breads but you haven’t taken a bite instead just sucking the spoon like a child, eyes lost in your daydreaming. After you met them that day, you just can’t keep your mind off from thinking about them.

What are they doing right now? Did they give up on you? Why does it matter to you? Are you thinking to go back to them? Maybe…

“No. I’m not.”

“Sure. So, have you thought about taking off for few days. Don’t worry I’m not kicking you out of the work, you are like my daughter and I want you to enjoy your young life.”

“Yeah I know, but I’m not sure if I want to go though.”

“of course, you will go. you will be having the time of your life so have a fresh mind and just go, have some fun but where are you going anyways?”

She rests her hands on her waist and wiggles her brows at you. You whine and glance out the glass wide windows, everybody is busy with their daily life and the time of noon is giving the café some free time to let you have some time for yourself. Her gaze falls on the flowers beside you, she smiles to herself before patting your head. You look up at her warm and welcoming look, “maybe I will go to the beach today. There’s a lot of thoughts on my mind.”

She nods and urges you to eat.

“who gave you these flowers?”

You frown and as you look towards the soft petals, you remember the note attached to it.

everything is going to be alright if your desires and hopes are alive with you like a stargazer.

“No one. I bought them earlier when I went out.”

She again nods and glances at the clock, the lunch break is over and soon the customers will start filling up the silent atmosphere. Before leaving you alone to finish your food, she made sure that you don’t start working again today or she will scold you in front of others. She is really treating you like a baby.

Maybe, you are still a baby.

They always pampered you like a baby.

You shook your head about their thoughts and proceed to eat.

The fresh winds hitting your face, closed eyes and a tiny smile resting on your face but still a tear line visible. The sun giving the warmth under the cold winter afternoon but still you need more.

A comforting warmth.

You place the flowers and bag by your side and spread your legs over the mat.

Eight flowers in total and the stargazer in middle.

There are not many people around you and few couples walking by the shore. A child not more than five years old is running after a ball stopped in front of you. She smiles at you and to your oblivion, a smile appears on your face.

“you are pretty.”

Before you could have replied her, she runs after the ball and laughing loudly.

“Why do you guys have to show yourself again?” you wipe the tears and continue, “I was okay without you…it was better to be alone.” You stare at the glistening waters of the sea, waves wiping off the shore like the wind, blowing away the sadness and surrounding you with a comforting blanket of air.

Suddenly, arms wrap around you, flinching to the sudden action but a whisper choked in emotion makes you stop before you could push away the arms, “y/n……I’m sorry.”

You press your lips tight, preventing any emotion to escape you. He still remembers you.

They remember you.

They didn’t give up.

“Woo…” your eyes close to feel him against your back, breath hitting your neck, goosebumps appearing on your exposed skin, pad of your thumb caress the smooth skin of his palms over your chest. Feeling his arms loosening around you, your fingers grip tighter on him, “please…don’t give up on me.”

“I will never give up on you.” His voice is almost like a whisper, hiding behind the desire to hear your voice again, his heart aching with different emotions. The emotions which are flooding inside him but he is still unaware of the actual feelings for the current situation.

Ears perk upon the sound of some shuffling around you, palms cupping your cheeks and caressing the dried teary cheeks, “don’t tell me to go away again.” Your eyes flutter open to look at the eyes in front of you, those innocent yet merciless ones which are brimmed with tears for you, “I can’t afford to lose you…again.”

“Jongho…why are you here?”

“we all are here, y/n…for you. I’m sorry, please give me one more chance.” His tears are slowly slipping down, your eyes followed it and slowly, you wipe the tears, “please don’t make me feel guilty that I am the cause for someone’s sadness.”

Wooyoung’s grip around you tightens with your words and you can feel many more presence around you, your inner voice fighting the urge to glance towards their direction. Facing the two youngest is easy for you and they were the ones who didn’t blame you like others but still they said enough to add the fuel to the fire. But the others, they blamed you, accused you, hurt you…do they even trust you?

“you can’t hurt me ever, y/n. just don’t leave me.” Jongho said and shifted forward but is still cautious with your comfort. You nod and he sit closer to you. Twisting your body a bit, you find the others standing close to you three but as soon as they caught you staring at them, they avert their eyes, not because they don’t want to look at you.

Because they can’t make a simple eye-contact with you. They are filled with guilt.

But one is still trying his hard not to take his eyes off to somewhere else, they are focused on you between Wooyoung’s arm. Hongjoong’s eyes are red and his tears still flowing down continuously. You have last seen them two months ago and after that, it’s been worst for you. You have cried every night because you wanted to run back to them, to hear their voices but you were sure that they have given up on you.

A tear-drop falls from your eyes while watching the leader.

“do you guys still don’t believe me?” even though you are staring at him, the question is directed to everyone. Your broken voice tugs at their heart, their love for you is killing them inside that how could they even blamed you.

“y/n…” the leader says your name, tasting the name to make himself believe that he is calling you and you are in front of him not like other times when he is thrashing around everything and screaming your name, killing people out of nowhere just in a hope to see you. He couldn’t bear to see the hatred in your eyes that day. He tortured himself everyday that he blamed his precious person, he hurt his only love for something that she never meant in any other way other than saving her family, even sacrificing herself. “I believe you…I’m sorry that I broke the trust. I am the one to be blamed.”

Removing the arms from around you, Wooyoung thought that you are pushing him away from you but you just shifted in your place to face the others properly. He still remains in the same position, close to you. The warm breeze blowing, tugging your locks behind your ears, you gesture them to come close. Few hesitate but the leader and Mingi are quick to kneel in front of you. Nobody around you would believe that they are the notorious mafia gang of the city but in this different country, they are like some teenage boys asking for forgiveness.

All having the same hurt look on their faces, their heart is aching with the feel that you are so near to them, they can feel your skin, your breath, your heartbeat but still…the emotions keeping them apart from each other. They always knew that you are very different from this mafia world, too innocent for this cruel life but still you gladly accepted them in your life, you made them part of your life, you became their sunshine in the cold darkness but they didn’t know how to protect the sunshine with the darkness all around.

“If I ask you, why do you guys deserve forgiveness? What will you say?”

They look towards each other, questioning the same question to themselves. Do they really deserve you after all that? You precisely looked at each one of them, waiting for a reply. That day you let everything out of you without even giving them a chance to speak anything. Once, they didn’t let you say anything and next time, you didn’t let them say anything. Huh! You all are same.

“you can’t reply.”

They frown at you but you nod. “you all still don’t know why you are here. For me? but for what?” you shake your head and sigh, “you want me to forgive you all. To go back to you and forget everything but have you thought one thing. Why the first thing that came to your mind was that I betrayed you?”

The question pierced their heart, reminding them how badly they hurt you that evening in the party. They want to delete that part forever but the more they try to forget it, the more its imprinting in their memory.

“Hongjoong…I know, you know this answer.” You nod at him, when he gulps and nod his head, the others are already expecting the known answer from him.

“because he was my dad.”

A small smile appears on your face. You are satisfied with the expected answer, your finger curl above your thigh.

“yes. You trusted him because he was your dad. If I were in your place, I would have done the same. You did what you should, Joong.”

Hongjoong’s eyes become big. He is shocked hearing you.

They are surprised with your sudden smile, and hearing you are appreciating him for what he has done.

“y/n?” Mingi has a visible frown on his face to which you chuckle.

“what? It proved me that he is capable of trusting his beloved ones even after they betrayed him. he was just being a child who stood against me for his father. But…” you wipe your tears and Wooyoung hugs your side, you pat his hand with a sad smile. He really misses you. He is the most clingiest one among them, even if you hurt this boy to the end, he will still hold your hand and look at you with the eyes of admiration. “but…I was hurt that you all didn’t mean to hear me for once.”

Mingi grabs your hand above your thigh and squeezes it, “I’m sorry, y/n. we really regret that we blamed you without hearing you. We didn’t let you explain. It was a big mission for us, we were so mad at everything and we didn’t think properly and in the end, we hurt you.”

“regret? Mingi…regret is a big thing. If I still go away today without forgiving any of you. Who will regret?” you lick your lips. Jongho shifted to your side, “please…don’t go away.”

“we both will regret. You will regret and blame yourself for hurting me and feel that you are the reason I am gone. Also, I will regret too because even when I got the chance to talk out everything, I still chose to hold my ego and distanced myself from you. I really cant stay without you.” You are completely crying at this point. Tears can’t be held back and Mingi quickly engulfs you in a tight hug, rubbing soothing circles on your back, “y/n…I can’t stay without you too.”

His hands are shaking, maybe soon you will push him away like that day but you didn’t, instead you clutch his shirt and cried in his embrace. Jongho is patting your head with a sad smile on his face. He is glad that you still love them, hearing that your heart aches for them makes his heart warm with the love for you and he even blamed himself more for that day.

Retreating slowly from the hug, Wooyoung wipes your tears and smiles at you. You avert your gaze towards Yeosang who is always quiet with his feelings, you know he always wants to tell a lot but he keeps it to himself, fearing to mess up anything.

But when you send a smile towards him, he stared at you like a child and smiles back.

“do you hate me because I slapped you that day?”

He shakes his head, “no. I deserved it.”

You chuckle, “should I slap you again?” your joke makes him laugh a little. This is the first time he is laughing in these three years. He, literally all of them were emotionless and ruthless after they found you nowhere. Jungwoo really kept you hidden in another country, far away from them. Had it not been their mission there, they wouldn’t have met you again. Maybe, the fate has again brought you all together.

Seonghwa cups your face, eyes scanning everywhere until your hand grips his wrist with the assurance that he doesn’t need to worry. Still, he is hurt, “how are you, y/n?”

“Seonghwa, how are you? And how should I be?” he looks down but you make him look up, “look at me and tell me. I am not shouting today. I am patiently hearing you all. We should have done this long before but we both were scared. You were scared of your anger because you thought I betrayed you all and I was scared of you.”

You were scared of them.

They wont ever get this feeling off their heart that they made you feel scared of them.

“I was scared how Hongjoong was fuming in anger and accusing me in front of all the guests. I was scared of Mingi looking at me like I broke all of his trusts. I was scared of you how you were blaming me for everything and treating me like an enemy, my head was spinning. I couldn’t understand anything. I wanted to say so much but Yeosang shouted on me and threatened me. and…” lastly, you look at the two who has kept their distance from you, they still can’t forgive themselves. They did worse out all of them. “Yunho…tried to slap me, he wanted me out of his sight…maybe dead.”

“y/n, trust me I’ll never want you dead. I will kill myself before doing something to you and for which I will be responsible for my brothers’ regrets.”

“and your regret?”

“I wont keep myself alive to feel the regret.” You stare at him until you look towards the last person.

“but you killed a part of me when you held the gun to my head, San.”

His lips trembles hearing you, he knew what he did was beyond the forgiveness. He himself can’t even think of how to forget it and forgive his deeds. He almost killed you. If he didn’t resist to pull the trigger, you would have been dead.

“NO! y/n, please…I don’t deserve your forgiveness but I want a chance to prove myself to you. I..I don’t know how to say but you should hate me but please don’t go away again. Don’t tell me to give up on you.”

You remove Jongho’s and Seonghwa’s hands from you before standing up and make your away out of the pile where they are all sitting around you.

“y/n…please don’t go.” Wooyoung’s voice cracks and Hongjoong pats his back.

You dust your knee length floral frock, “I am not going…” you turn around, your back facing them. The waters washing your bare feet, the dress flowing with the wind, hairs dancing to the rhythm of the silent melody in the breeze, eyes watching the sun above the horizon, soon it will say the goodbye to the day and the silent night with the roar of the big waves filling the shore.

“I want to feel the moment. What it feels to be with your loved ones again in the same place where you have spent days of crying alone.”

You crane your neck to look at them and smile. They are attentive to your every word, every action, every emotion. You are calm and collected, totally different from the day you were anxious and scattered.

“You often come here?” Hongjoong asks you slowly and you nod while turning towards them. You are shining under the setting sun, their angel. “Come on, one of you already knows about it. Right, Yeosang?”

Everyone looks at him and he slowly nods. “I tracked her location everyday and one day when I saw her spending too much time in this particular location, I thought she was in danger but she was just crying to herself. And since then, I followed her here and watched her from a distance.”

They are surprised to hear that he followed you and you were aware of it.

“don’t pretend you all are any better. You all have stalked me in different ways.” You shake your head with the thought. “living with you all atleast taught me a lot how to know if someone is keeping an eye on me.”

“somebody was stalking you?” Hongjoong is totally confused and when you nod, Seonghwa and Mingi have the same expressions like him. they both ask you the same question.

“Yunho is almost a regular customer at the café. He thought no one would recognise him being so obvious. You don’t drink strawberry milkshake then why did you order that day?” you raise your brow and he presses his lips in line before replying, “I heard you made it specially that day for the children and I wanted to taste it.”

“Are you a child? You even asked saying it's for your daughter. My coworker was so upset knowing you were married.” He laughs lightly.

You fold your hands in front and gesture towards San, “I know it was you who saved me that night while returning from Mrs. Lee's house. Thank you, San. I know you can’t hurt me. you were disturbed and held the gun towards me but give me some time. I promise I will forget it.”

He quickly gets on his feet, approaches towards you and engulfs you in a hug, “Thanks to you, y/n for not giving up on me, on us. I promise you too. I wont ever let anything to happen us for which we have to regret more.”

You nod in his embrace. The ruthless one who was threatening you to shoot is nowhere to be seen today but still a part of you is still hurt.

You are lost in the moment with San that you didn’t notice them on their feet around both of you.

“y/n…you said a lot of things that day.” Jongho’s voice makes you break the hug but San is still holding your hand. Hongjoong casts a glance towards him and proceeds, “about that…about the…”

“about what?” you furrow your brows.

Mingi completes the sentence, “about the baby.”

Oh. Yeah, they still remember it. You thought they didn’t care.

You look towards them, feeling intimidate under their gazes, overwhelmed with all the attention on you, you clutch his hand and gulp the lump with the thought of your baby.

A wave of emotions erupted in you.

“my baby…I lost my first baby…I don’t deserve to be a mother.” Seonghwa pulls you in a hug, rubbing soothing circles on your back. He glares at others for bringing up the topic but deep down he knows, some day it needs to be raised and you had to face but still seeing you breaking down in his arms is making him more upset.

But there is a relief that you are not pushing away them again. He holds you tighter.

San caresses your head and softly says, “it’s okay, y/n. don’t cry. You deserve everything, every little good thing and happiness of this universe. You will be a great mother.”

You rest your head against Seonghwa’s chest and turns towards them, ear picking up the beat of his heart and after so many years of missing them, you are finally with them, in their arms.

Your eyes are hurt and lost in emotion.

“thanks for listening to me that day…I really wanted to take those all off my chest. I felt so nice after screaming everything to you all. I have spent days of crying to myself but everyday I hoped atleast one of you to come to me. Wooyoung and Jongho didn’t blame me much but still as your brothers, they supported you. I was upset, angry, stressed and guilty but you know I was relieved that whatever happened, in the end I had saved you all.”

“Hongjoong…I have saved you from dying. I have saved your gang but somehow…I couldn’t save my baby.”

Yeosang wipes your tears, “don’t cry. You did a lot for us. I don’t know if we deserve you in our life. You are the purest one and still we hurt you, we owe you for everything that you did to save us.”

Seonghwa adds, “I’m sorry, y/n. But I will be always grateful to you for saving us.”

Yunho steps forward and pulls you towards him, your back coming in contact with his chest and holds your hands in front, “look at the view of the setting sun, y/n.”

You glance at him then to others and then to your front, the sun setting slowly.

“you are pretty like the sunset on the sea.” He plants a kiss on top of your head.

“me?”

Seonghwa nods along with Yunho. Others have a fond smile on their faces.

“why?”

“the level of our love changes with every waves of our emotions. The glass waters represent the tears that reflects the feelings towards each other but still shining, highlighting the bond and strength of us. No matter how rough the days are or how smooth the flow of life is. We will always stay together and forever.”

“Really? But I am still hurt, Yunho. It’s really not easy for me to forget everything.”

Seonghwa pats your cheek lightly, “you really can’t forget it so easily. We did wrong and you should see us like the ones who are guilty for this but let’s again build the bond together. None of us can live without you. If I lose you, I will lose myself too.”

San is hesitant but wooyoung urges him to speak, he steps near you, “we have so much to do in our life. We need to prove you so much. We have to return you the happiness, the smile that you lost that day, the trust you lost that day and your love for us.”

“San, I have lost a lot already. Don’t remind me of those. But atleast I have you all again. Even if I had gone away that day but still I was relief that neither of you were hurt in the mission. You all were safe.”

Mingi smiles, “you are safe too.”

“if you all really wanted me dead then you would have tried many things. I am alive because your love for me, your inner trust for me didn’t let you kill me.”

Hongjoong places a kiss to your side of the head, “I will not let anything to hurt an inch of you. I will show you how an actual princess is to be treated.”

“Even if I have lost everything, my love for you will never get lost. It’s always secure in my heart, beating with the heart strings of our loving bond. Please don’t break it again.”

The setting sun with a promise with a twinkling star in your eyes, the tears of a hope of new beginning. The innocent blossom of a forgiving love. The flowers in the memory of them are left behind with the stargazer still in the middle surrounded by the orchids.

Just like you, their star, surrounding by the stargazers around you, your loved ones.

“please don’t let me go again.”

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leviathans-watching · 2 years

Note

I hope you plan on adding the dateables to the "kissing the prettiest person in the room" thing! \ (•o•) /

"kiss the prettiest person in the room" with the dateables

includes: the dateables x gn!reader (no pronouns mentioned)

wc: 1.2k | rated t | m.list | pt 1 | pt 2 | pt 4

a/n: the long-awaited series finale!! thank you for requesting and i hope you enjoy!! my inbox is open to chat, req, or leave feedback, so come say hi!!

please reblog <333

diavolo is holding another sleepover, and you’re all crammed into one of his living rooms, sitting in a rough circle, with some on the couches, some in chairs, and some on the floor

you’re on one of the smaller couches, sharing it with solomon and when the sorcerer gets this glint in his eyes you know he had something up his sleeve

“let’s play truth or dare,” he suggests, and though you suspect the game will devolve into chaos, many of the brothers are quickly on board

the game goes a few rounds before solomon calls on you. “mc, truth or dare?”

you balk; the dare will no doubt be something intense and possibly humiliating, but choosing truth would probably be much worse. “dare,” you say, as confidently as you can

solomon grins wickedly. “kiss the prettiest person in this room.”

you gape at him even as various protests are raised around the room.

“no, mc does it or gets punished for chickening out,” solomon insists, and you recall the punishment, which is to buy a dinner next time you’re all out, something your poor wallet really can’t handle.

“i’ll do it,” you say, and a hush falls over the room as they all wait for you to pick.

diavolo has never played a game like this before, so he hadn’t even known such a dare was allowed! he watches you closely to make sure you seem okay with it- he really wouldn’t mind paying for the meal for you if you do decide to back out, but you seem intent on accepting.

around him, everyone stiffens in anticipation, and diavolo can’t help but be on edge too, wondering who you’ll pick. lucifer, of course, is a top contender, as is mammon, but you seem to pass over them, slowly looking around the room in his direction.

you finally make eye contact with him and he perks up, giving you a grin. would this be his chance to kiss you? he’s liked you for a long time, but has never initiated anything due to the power imbalance. but if you were the one initiating…

you stand, walking over to him.

“lord diavolo,” you say, extending a hand, “may i kiss you?”

despite himself, diavolo can feel his cheeks flushing, heat going from the tips of his ears down to his neck. he’s nervous- and excited. “you may,” he answers, hoping his voice doesn’t betray his sudden nerves. you help him stand, then lean forward.

diavolo’s eyes fall shut, and he waits, blood rushing and heart pounding. he can’t help but flinch slightly when you finally do kiss him, but before you can move away, he wraps his arms around you, pulling you closer. you pull back some time later, eyes bright, and diavolo can’t help but wear what is, undoubtedly, a dopey smile.

barbatos has never wished so intently to know the future as he does now. but alas, he needs diavolo’s permission, something he doesn’t have.

he knows you won’t pick him- he’s long resigned himself to being a side character in your life, moral support for when you have an issue with one of the actual main characters. and he’s okay with it. serving diavolo, baking with luke, being your friend… it’s more than enough for him.

it’s more than enough for him, so why are you approaching him, looking nervous yet determined?

“the dare was to kiss the prettiest person in the room,” you say sheepishly, stopping a fair distance away from him, gaze pinned to his, “but if you’re uncomfortable i suppose i could pick the second prettiest.” your eyes dart back to solomon, who looks supremely pleased with himself.

barbatos realizes then that no one actually expects him to accept. in his eyes, he’s not a threat, not even in the slightest. maybe he should remind them that he too is capable of going after your heart.

“no, no,” he says smoothly, reaching out and pulling you closer to him. “it’s just a dare, isn’t it?”

“yes,” you say, biting your lip. you take a deep breath then lean down to him, pressing your lips to his. he wraps his arms around you, relishing the small shudder of surprise you let out, making sure to give you a kiss you’ll never forget.

you pull away from him, dazed, and barbatos can’t help but lick his lips, satisfied with the glares he’s receiving from the rest of the group. you’d picked him, so they were powerless to actually get mad at him.

simeon watches how solomon grins, sure he’s got you beat. he’d confided to simeon earlier how his plan was to get you to chicken out, and while simeon hadn’t really cared about it before, he now can’t help but feel like the dare’s a little much.

but you accept, leaving everyone stunned. and waiting.

simeon knows there’s a high possibility that you’ll pick him. he’s a safe choice, for one, and angels are inherently beautiful, but whatever your reasons are, he’ll gladly accept you if you do choose him.

and it looks like you’re going to, if the way that you’re glancing at him is any indication. “simeon,” you call, “can i kiss you?”

“by all means,” he says, and you stand, walking past solomon, who’s still gaping, to him. he stands to meet you, giving you a warm smile. you smile back, looking to all the world as if you were completely at ease.

the kiss is short and impersonal, but you seem to enjoy it regardless, and simeon wonders if he can get you to redo it some other time, when you both can show less restraint. you seem to know where his thoughts are, because you wink, before turning to solomon with a challenging grin, leaving him to flop back into his seat, trying to figure out how soon he can get you alone so you can redo the kiss for real.

solomon doesn’t really think you’ll take him up on the offer, so when you do, it takes everything in him to hide his surprise. well, even if he didn’t get a free meal out of the dare, at least now he can watch you attempt to pick someone while all of the brothers try - and fail - to hide their need to be picked.

you look around, as if considering your options, and to his surprise, stay seated, giving him a good, thorough look.

“i’ll do it,” you repeat, smiling almost smugly, “but will you?”

“me?” solomon echoes, amused. “you think i’m the prettiest person in the room?”

“well, yeah,” you shrug. “so are you going to chicken out?”

his eyes narrow. “not a chance.” he scoots closer to you, intent on seeing this through to the end, and you reciprocate until the both of you are a few scant centimeters apart, thighs almost touching.

“pucker up, buttercup,” you say, and solomon does as he’s told. even though you’d shown no signs of backing down, it’s still a surprise when you actually kiss him, comandeering his lips in a way that no ones ever done before. you pull away just as he’s about to get over his shock and really kiss you back, and the look in your eyes says you know you’ve won.

“i’ll get you back for that,” solomon says threateningly, and you laugh, moving back away form him as if it were nothing.

“looking forward to it, pretty boy.”

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rogerswifesblog · 10 months

Text

Stacy’s mom pt 2

My Masterlist

Pt 1 here

A/N: Hellloo👀 it wasn’t planned but…here’s a pt two of stacys mom because, well…no reason. I just really liked the first part and a few people wanted another part so😉😋 please reblog and leave feedback 🙏

Summary: Steve finally turned 21. And he still remembers your words. Come back when you’re 21. So what next?

Warnings: older reader, Steve is 21, teasing, alcohol consumption (just one wine glass each), oral sex m receiving, slight daddy kink, cum play, cum marking, squirting , p in v, unprotected sex, doubts, insecurities

“Steve? What-“ “You said to come back when I’m twenty one…so, can I take you out on a proper date now?”, he interrupted you, holding out his ID for you to look over.

He was indeed twenty one. Today was his birthday.

And that’s how you found yourself here. Getting ready for a date with Steve Rogers. Your daughters old highschool friend. God, was that pathetic? Was it weird? You couldn’t decide how you thought about it, but with every word it got worse and worse.

Sighing you looked at yourself in your favourite blue dress. You had worn it years ago to a date-which had turned out into you being dumped. From then on you hadn’t worn this dress but you also remember how much Steve had liked it-yeah, he had never been subtle about his crush. Not even a bit. A smile crept onto your lips when you remembered his many compliments, and also hated how your ex-husbands surname sounded from his lips.

“Oh wow, Mrs Dupont you look amazing. This colour makes your eyes pop-and the make up, incredible. Any man would be happy to take you out on a date. I’m sure he’ll- ouch Stacy! Don’t kick me-“

“Aren’t you tired of wearing high heels all the time? I mean, I get it, your legs are beautiful with them but even without you’d look good-“

“Is that a new haircut? It suits your face so good, Mrs Dupont”

You also remembered how Stacy had pulled him away or kicked him under the table at that, making you cringe slightly. What would she think of it? What if she’d be mad? That’s not even a question. Of course she’ll be mad. You’re twice his age and to that he was Stacys friend-or is? You had no idea. God, you had no idea what the hell you were doing.

Ten minutes before eight a car pulled up at your house and the door bell rang only a few minutes later. Walking over to door you looked one last time in the mirror in the hallway, pulling your eyebrows slightly together. God…People would rather assume you’re his mother. Which you could be looking at the age gap. Sighing you brushed your hand over your cheek to the corner of your eye, where already some smile wrinkles appeared.

Why was Steve so attracted to you? He waited three years to go on a date with you…

For some reason it warmed your chest a bit. It was actually really flattering.

Opening the door you gasped in surprise, a huge bouquet of roses beeing held up tight to your face. “Hello”, Steve’s gentle voice and smile made your heart flutter. “Hello, Stevie, you got me flowers?”, I asked in surprise, not remembering the last time I become a bouquet like that, probably somewhat in the begging of your marriage with Stacys father.

You saw a little blush creep over Steve’s face, even though most of it was hidden by the beard. “Yeah, you deserve nice things…”, he smiled when you took the bouquet and walked back into the house, leaving the door open for him. He followed you into the kitchen where you looked for a vase, after finding one filling it with water and putting on the table with the roses, “thank you, they’re beautiful”, you smiled, your gaze falling from the flowers to Steve.

Steve was eye candy from the higher shelf, he looked incredible, dressed in a suit and black button down. His beard was trimmed and the hair in a neat hairstyle . Nothing was out of place, not one small wrinkle or hair strand. But what him made look so good was probably the bashful and nervous smile as he looked you up and down. Steve loved your dress years ago and still did now. He had always dreamed of you at his arm in that dress. The colour was one of his favourite, maybe after tonight his favourite.

Coming closer Steve carefully placed his hands on your waist and leaned down, giving you a kiss on your cheek.

You had to be honest…it made your heartbeat quicken like never before from just a single kiss, to that on the cheek. It was sweet. Innocent. Just a small peck. He wasn’t demanding or trying to be in any way pushy.

“Let’s go, I made a reservation for us”, steve smiled, holding out his arm for you to take. A smile crept onto your lips as you wrapped your fingers around his biceps, unintentionally squeezing a bit more than necessary. Jesus, his arm felt- no, stop lusting over him.

Head shaking over yourself you let Steve lead you to his car-a truck, not something you liked driving in, but you wouldn’t complain. You knew the young kids liked trucks-god, did you just refer to him as young kid?

It actually surprised you when he opened the car door for you and helped you step into the car-but you were really thankful for that seeing how high the car was.

When Steve started the engine the radio immediately turned on, some older song playing. A few seconds later you recognised the melody to be ‘a long, long time’ which made you smile to yourself. Steve listened to that kind of music? Oldies? Huh. That was quiete the surprise…but a good one. An old soul in a young body, maybe.

“I like the song, Is it your Playlist?”, you then asked, looking form the side at the blond man. He smiled lightly, nodding. “Yes, I love that type of music…it’s just…I dunno, it’s calming”, he explained, turning the volume a bit higher.

Most of the car ride was spent quietly with both of you humming to the music that was from his surprisingly good playlist.

Around twenty minutes later you arrived at a rather higher praised restaurant that you definitely hadn’t expected from him, but it did make you feel nicely treated-not because of how classy and expensive this place was-more because of how much Steve wanted to impress you on the first date. Not that it was necessary because…this wouldn’t be going any further, right? Just one date and that’s all.

Just when you wanted to open the door Steve took your hand. “No-wait”, with that he quickly left the car, before walking around and opening the door for you and holding out his phone to you.

A chuckle escaped your lips as you placed your hand in his palm, for a second a thought occurred to you; how long did it take for Steve to stop being such a gentleman in a relationship? You’d never find it out….but it still made you curious. Your ex husband had stopped treating you like that soon after the pregnancy.

When you stepped out of the car Steve closed the door and you both walked to the restaurant, where a waitress walked up to you and lead you to your table. Steve pulled your chair back for you, then sat down in front of you. All this time he had a big smile on his lips as he watched you.

Happy and completely content about finally having you taken out on a date. It was a indescribable feeling.

The waitress gave you both menus, her gaze glued to Steve so long she nearly hit you with one of the menus. Of course she was watching him. She had no idea he was your date. She maybe even assumed he was…your son. God, this was a mistake. A huge mistake.

Sighing you looked down at the menu as the waitress asked what you’d want to drink. “Please the [_____] red wine for me and for Appetizer the fried jalapeños with breadsticks”, you said and looked back at Steve who was already looking at you. “Is it okay if I Take something alcoholic? We will be here for a while so you don’t have to worry about me being drunk or anything”, he made sure before ordering.

You thought about it for a second and nodded, then. If your evening would turn out shorter you could drive, you weren’t planning on anything besides the glass of wine. “Good, then red wine for me, too. And bruschetta for Appetizer”, Steve ordered, smiling at the young woman.

She furrowed her eyebrows slightly, before smiling at him bashfully. “Well…Im sure you’re allowed to drink but I have to follow the rules, so may I see your ID?”, she asked making the both of you blush. You immediately looked down, hiding your face a bit behind your open menu.

Steve took out his wallet, reaching for his ID which she immediately took and looked over for longer than necessary-you could feel her gaze on you for a moment, but when you looked up she was already smiling at Steve again.

“Okay Steve, a wine it is, I’ll bring you your food and wine soon, if that’s all. Anything for you, ma’am?” Hearing her refer to you that way made you feel even worse than before and you were 100% sure she did it on purpose.

It was a huge mistake to go on a date with a man this mich younger. Closer to being a teenager than a man, if you had to be honest. And Steve had to know it too. How could he feel comfortable with you on a date? The waitress probably assumed you were his mother. Or maybe she was now laughing with her friends about-

Steve’s gentle touch at your wrist made you look up from the menu, which you hadn’t been even really looking at. You had no idea for how long you’ve been staring at the same page without having read a single word.

“Don’t do this…don’t overthink it, please…let’s just enjoy the evening”, said Steve gently, holding your wrist. His own menu was already put aside. “I’m sorry Steve, it’s just…you’ve seen how she looked at us-or rather me. At you she was looking with heart-eyes”, you mumbled while putting your own menu now aside, too.

Steve bit his bottom lip at your words, hiding a small smile. It sounded a bit…like you were jealous. Of course he knew you meant the age difference, but he couldn’t stop himself from slowly grinning more. “Oh come on, I don’t care about what she said-and you shouldn’t either”, he said, slowly brushing his hand over yours and squeezing.

“You have no idea how happy I am that you agreed to the date, I…actually thought you would have changed your mind at this point-or maybe that you’d already be with someone. A woman like you should be alone. You should be cherished by the right man”, he kissed your knuckles, all this time looking in your eyes.

And for the first time since you couldn’t remember when, you blushed over a man’s compliment.

A quiet ‘oh’ escaped your lips while you slowly started smiling a bit bashfuly. “Thank you, Stevie, that’s…really kind.” You wanted to add something more when the waitress came to your table, putting down the wine glasses forcefully making you both pull back in surprise. You both hadn’t even noticed her coming.

“I’ll get your Appetizer in a minute”, she smiled at Steve, not acknowledging you before once again leaving you two alone.

Steve watched her with furrowed eyebrows before scoffing quietly. “That was rude”, he said, his gaze back on you. He slid his hand along the table closer to you, his palm up. Inviting. You were uncertain if you should take his hand, knowing the young waitress would be back soon, but in the end you decided to gently place your hand in his.

He smiled at you happily, his eyes carrying a happy glimmer in them. “What have you decided to order? For the main course?”, Steve asked, adding after, “I’m thinking about the steak with fries.”

“Hmm, at first I thought about the salmon but steak sounds good…maybe I’ll take the steak instead”, you thought, looking into the menu once again. “Oh or shrimps…god, I don’t know I’ll take what the chef recommends. That way I won’t have to decide”, you laughed, shaking you head at your own inability to choose.

Steve chuckled and opened his mouth to answer but the waitress from before came. “So what would be for the main course?”, she smiled at Steve, before looking at you for a second but then quickly back at the blond.

“For my beautiful lady what the chef recommends and for me the steak”, said Steve without hesitation, squeezing your hand when he noticed how unsure and insecure you seemed because of the young woman.

She seemed to be speechless for a second, before nodding and writing the meals down. “Of course. Anything else?”, this time her gaze was stubbornly glued to her little notebook, not wanting to look at neither Steve or you.

When she finally left Steve couldn’t hold back the small giggle before winking at you. You still were slightly speechless from what he had said…his beautiful lady. That was…

He was really a sweet guy.

A part of you knew you shouldn’t feel this thrilled and happy, but another part was falling for him faster than you imagined possible.

———————

You stayed at the restaurant for about two hours, enjoying your meal and the many interesting or silly conversations you had. All this time you weren’t interrupted anymore, or if you were then by a different person than the girl from before.

After you two ate your food and even dessert Steve paid for everything-surprising you, which you tried not to show. You hadn’t really expected him to pay for everything even if he was the one who had invited you to the date.

While leaving the restaurant Steve wrapped his arm around your waist, leading you to the car. Once again he opened the doors and helped you into the car, a true gentleman. On your way back home he turned on the same playlist as before, this time a bit quieter.

Even when you arrived at your home he helped you out of the car, walking you to the door and waiting till you opened the door. He didn’t pressure you into walking in after you when you opened the door, he just stood there and smiled at you, his hand burried in his pockets.

“I…I had a really great time tonight”, he said, now much more nervous than during the whole evening. That was the part where you’d tell him it couldn’t happen again. This was there part where you broke his heart, this time for real, without any hopes for the future.

And yet something different left your lips. “Do you want to come in?”

It seemed to have caught you both off guard, but Steve nodded slowly, once again starting to smile at you. “Yeah, I’d love to”, he said and stepped into your house when you walked in. He closed the door behind himself and turned around to you.

Once again to your both surprise you grabbed his button down and pulled him closer to you, your chest touching, his arms immediately wrapping around your middle as you crashed your lips into his, kissing him passionately.

He gasped in surprise, but kissed back, even though slightly more sloppy, not having been prepared for it at all. You leaned back for a second, searching for any sign of discomfort or reason to stop, but before you could change your mind Steve leaned down again, kissing you even more enthusiastically.

You couldn’t stop the quiet gasp that escaped your lips when your back hit the wall with a light thud, Steve’s hands sliding to your behind before lifting you onto his hips. Automatically you wrapped your legs around his middle.

The last time someone had lifted you like this was a long time ago-and never did it happen so effortlessly, which kinda gave you a little confidence boost and also woke some primal part of your brain up that wanted to feel his strength in every position possible.

God. You were so lusting over him.

“Holy shit, Stevie-“, you gasped when he started kissing your neck, walking with you to the living room, his shoulder bumping into the door frame. “Wait-bedroom, go to the-the bedroom”, you gasped out, pressing his face further into your neck.

He looked up at you, pulling his eyebrows together. “Really?”, he asked quietly, confusing you slightly. “Yeah, really. It’ll be more comfortable.”

In the bedroom Steve carefully put you down on the bed, leaning over you and once again kissing passionately. This time it was a bit softer than before. When he let go of you once again he smiled down at you, standing up again and taking off his suit jacket, throwing it on your armchair.

He then looked back at you, his hands trembling as he started unbuttoning his shirt. “Everything okay, Stevie?”, you asked, sitting up and pulling him a bit closer, still looking up at him.

“More than okay-I’m-I’m really happy about this evening, I’m just…nervous. I’ve never been with an experienced woman like you and- ""But it’s not your first time ever, is it?” You couldn’t stop yourself from asking.

He slowly shook his head, his hands stopping unbuttoning the shirt as he got to the middle. “No, not my first time but…I only had sex two times”, he said, burying his hands in his pants pockets.

You slide to the edge of your bed, your hands brushing over his thighs up to his stomach and you slowly open the rest of his shirt. “Do you want to continue?” Before you even finished the question he was already nodding furiously, watching as your hands slid down, over his bulge. A quiet moan escaped his lips and you couldn’t stop the grin creeping on your lips.

“Have you ever had someone suck you off?”

His face took on a dark shade of red as he slowly shook his head. “No”, he mumbled, watching as your hands slowly opened his belt and zipper, pushing his pants down.

“Would you like me to do it?”, just like before he nodded furiously, making you laugh quietly. Your giggles quietened as soon as you pushed down his boxershorts, his cock springing free, not even fully straightening from the weight. Fuck. He was huge. Definitely not how you had imagined him-not that you have done it often but…still.

It was a surprise.

A good one.

You wrapped your fingers around his cock, your palm not even fully closing around him as you slowly pumped him, the pre cum immediately leaking from his tip into your palm, making the movements a bit smoother.

His hand brushed through your hair when you leaned down and licked over his slit, making him moan quietly. The feeling of your wet and warm tongue indescribable. You licked along his shaft to his balls, pushing his cock against his stomach to have better access to his tense balls.

You hadn’t done much and he was already ready to burst. How cute. “Stevie you gotta hold it back for a bit longer so I can really make you feel good”, you grinned seductively, before sucking one of his balls into your mouth, your tongue playing with him before once again letting go with a loud plop.

He gasps quietly, nodding. “Y-yeah. I’ll try to”, he moaned again when you slowly started suckling at his head taking him deeper and deeper with every movement of your head, your hand rhythmically moving with your head making sure no part of his Beautiful cock was left out. Your other hand played with his balls, palming him gently.

After tonight your jaw would be sore for days, sof be your throat but it was definitely worth it. You couldn’t wait to feel his load fill your mouth-but not yet. First you wanted to make sure he’d for ever remember every second of his first blow job. Maybe you also wanted to make sure it’d be his best, too. No other woman was supposed to make him feel good. Definitely not better than you. Maybe…you should be thinking that way, but you couldn’t stop it. You wanted for him to always remember you when another woman would suck his cock poorly.

“Oh my-fuck, can you please suck my balls again?”, he panted, stroking your hair again. When your eyes met he couldn’t stop himself from moaning quietly again, his grip on your hair tightening. He imagined this view a few times if he had to be honest with himself-but never had he imagined it would look this good.

You slurped at his cock head for a second more before licking to his balls, suckling and pulling at them. His cock rested against your face, the pre cum leaving a glistening and wet trail behind, messing up your make-up, some even dripping onto your dress.

“God you’re so beautiful-and so fucking hot”, his hand started trembling, his panting getting faster. You could already tell he was coming closer to his orgasm.

It definitely made your chest feel tinglish, for some reason you were a bit proud of what was happening. You were the person giving Steve his first blow job.

“I think-I’m close-yeah, I’m close-take off your dress-I wanna come on your tits”, he moaned, stepping one step back, his own hand wrapping around his cock as he slowly started to stroke himself, his gaze glued to you.

Fuck. This was hot.

Grinning, you opened the zipper of your dress, pushing it down till you could throw it into the floor. Steve’s gaze slid over your body, stopping at your breasts when you took off your bra.

His lips twitched upwards as he watched you play with your breasts, pulling and pinching your nipples. “You’re incredible”, he moaned, stepping a bit closer to you again-his cock leaking pre cum onto your tits and then stomach when you leaned back on your elbows.

He closed his eyes for a second, trying to calm his breath before looking once again at you. His pupils were blown wide, his mouth slightly agape, his grip around his cock quick and tight. “Open your mouth for daddy’s load”, slipped past his lips, making him immediately blush. Just when he wanted to open his mouth again you chuckled quietly.

“Sure, daddy, I want your cock. Give me your cock, daddy”, you whispered back, keeping an amused grin to yourself. At least you tried to, but seeing Steve blush deepen you knew you didn’t succeed.

A silent moan escaped him as he was thrown to his peak, your words still freshly in his mind. He liked the sound of the word ‘daddy’ on your lips. “Oh fuck”, his cum hit your stomach and chest first, before he aimed higher for your face, especially your open mouth. The view of your cum stained face and body could make him bust again. This was definitely a view to remember.

As soon as he stopped orgasming he leaned down to you, cupping your face with his hands and pulling you into a breathtaking kiss, licking the cum from your lips and following the taste of himself in your mouth, “you’re fucking incredible”, he gasped into your mouth, slowly leaning over your body and pressing you further into the bed.

You grinned against his lips, pushing down his button down from his shoulders, revealing his beautifully sculpted body. “Oh god” “just Steve is enough”, he giggled at his pun, making you laugh quietly too. Your hands slid along his chest. “Wow, I remember-“ you bit your bottom lip at your next words. “I remember when you were still so skinny and rather…lanky”, you mumbled. How quickly time had passed…

Now that you were once again reminded of the age difference you weren’t sure if you really should be sleeping with Steve. You tried to tell yourself it would be just a one time thing. Something that wouldn’t matter to both of you, but….you could tell it was a lie. You weren’t sure what exactly feelings you had for Steve, but it was definitely more than just something platonic or lust.

During the whole evening you had a lot of fun with him-and you knew you’d have more, but not only sexually. Just talking and laughing was enough when it was with Steve.

“Are you okay?” Steve's quiet whisper brought you back as he gently brushed his palm over your arm. You hadn’t even noticed when he had laid down next to you instead of being above you. A small smile twitched over your lips as you nodded slowly. “Yes, it’s just ....I'm not sure what happens next-” Steve opened his mouth, slightly confused looking, but you quickly shook your head, “-not the sec part, silly. What would happen after? we can’t be together-I’m too old for you. People would watch our every step, everything we’d do together in public-they’d judge-and I don’t think you’d like to be with me forever. The difference is already noticeable, I have already some gray hairs and you-you’re so young and good looking.”

Sighing you closer your eyes when Steve brushed over your hair and pulled you closer. “I really don’t care about that…I like you. It doesn’t has to be…labelled…let’s just be with each other, we don’t have to be together…”, he mumbled, slowly kissing your cheeks down to his neck.

“Don’t think about it…let’s just enjoy it”, he smiled against your skin, leaving soft kisses behind. You couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto your lips as he pulled you even closer, your bodies pressed together, sharing the warmth of your skin. “This night is ours and what happens next…doesn’t matter”, he kissed you on the lips, passionately and rather…loving.

You slowly pushed him onto his back, throwing your leg over his hips. The feeling of his already hard cock poking against your leg made you grin a bit. You forgot how it was to be with a guy Steve’s age.

“You feel so good…Daddy”, you grinned against his ear, feeling a bashful smile on his lips as he kissed your neck again. “Stop it…”, he giggled looking at you again, his cheeks being already deep red. You smiled smugly, kissing his cheeks. “But it’s true, daddy”, you mocked him quietly, letting his dick side between your folds as you started grinding against him.

“Such a big cock for me, daddy”, you moaned into his ear, once again, mocking him. It was cute. Steve having a daddy kink…seeing how big the age gap was.

You wrapped your fingers around him, positioning him at your wet cunt. “Come on, make me feel it, daddy”, whenever you addressed him mockingly his blush deepened, a bashful smile crept onto his lips which was quickly replaced by a frown in pleasure as you slowly sank onto his cock.

When you were finally seated, his cock stretched your cunt perfectly, hitting and rubbing against every sensitive spot. “Oh fuck-so good”, you moaned bouncing lightly, trying to adjust to his size. You really couldn’t remember the last time you had been with a guy like Steve.

A few seconds later you started moving more, lifting yourself nearly fully up before slowly coming down again, gasping as his cock head rubs along your walls.

Steve himself couldn’t stop his moans anymore, grabbing your hips and fucking into you quicker, harder. “Oh fuck-yes-just like that”, you moaned in surprise, supporting yourself with your hands against his chest, your nails digging into his sculpted pecks, leaving behind red marks.

A small grin crept onto his lips as he noticed your surprised reaction. Steve wrapped his arms around your body, pulling you down onto his chest and slamming his cock deep in your quivering cunt, hitting your g-spot every time.

“Steve-I’m close-“, you moaned into his neck, your hands grabbing everything in reach-mostly his chest or the sheets. You felt your whole world collapse when the sudden g-spot orgasm rushed over you, your whole body shaking in Steve’s arms, your cunt squeezing him and pulling him in. Your juices gushed around his cock, making a mess.

You felt overwhelmed with every coming thrusts, still brushing your overstimulated g-spot. Steve’s grunts and moans close to your ear letting you know he was also getting closer to his orgasm.

It took Steve a few thrusts before his own body twitched, his load painting your pulsing and sensitive walls, all the cum leaking around his dick making an even bigger mess than before. Your and Steve thighs were covered in a mix of your releases, your sheets were dirty with cum.

And you felt better than ever.

A quiet laugh escaped your lips as you buried your face into Steve’s neck, inhaling his cologne. The smell being the same as years ago when Steve had hugged you to wish you a happy birthday-you remembered liking his smell. You still did.

Steve’s hands brushed along your back, scratching you gently before he slowly turned with you onto the side, his softening cock slipping from your messy cunt, making both of you gasp in pleasure and sensitivity.

“Let me get you a bit cleaned up”, Steve whispered against your forehead. You could feel the smile on his lips, the happiness in his voice.

And you couldn’t stop yourself from smiling.

A blush crept to your cheeks when Steve pushed you onto your back and admired his messy work. The cum was still leaking from your cunt every time your walls throbbed, pushing out the mix of releases, “that’s so hot”, he mumbled, before leaning down and licking along your slit, getting a surprised moan from you.

“Wait-what-“ “I told you I’d clean you up-“, Steve grinned from between your legs before once again continuing, licking along your slit, dipping his tongue in your sensitive cunt. Quiet and needy whines escaped your lips as you grabbed onto his hair. “I thought you meant-something different”, you were interrupted by your own moan when his nose brushed your clit.

You hadn’t been eaten out in a long time, especially not with someone who actually wanted to do it-and Steve seemed very eager about laping and slurping at your cunt, his tongue pushing into you as deep as possible, following your taste. There was definitely lack of experience, but his eagerness made up for it. You were curious how many times he had done it before-but it was no time to ask.

Even though you felt unbelievably good, you also felt too overstimulated and another orgasm felt like it’d be too much for you, so you gently pushed his head away.

The sight made your cunt throb again. His cheeks were covered by a small blush, probably from the lack of oxygen since he really didn’t want to let go for a second from your cunt, his beard glistening, his pupils blown wide. Just when he wanted to dive in again you held him back by the hair. “I’m too sensitive”, you said apologizing, making you both chuckle quietly.

Steve nodded and sat up again, his cock already being half hard again but he ignored it. “I’ll clean up a bit, bring us some water and then we can…sleep? If you’d…if you’d like for me to stay. I get it if you’re not interested in more and if so, then I’ll leave-“ “stay…Steve, please stay tonight”, you interrupted him, taking his hand gently in yours.

He looked down at your hands for a second before coming back to your face. His lips twitched to a smile and he nodded. After giving you a quick peck on the lips Steve went to the bathroom, cleaning himself a bit before grabbing a water bottle from your fridge.

When he walked back into the room you had changed the sheets and were laying beneath the comforter, already being close to falling asleep. A bashful smile crept onto his lips as he slowly sat down at the edge of the bed, not being sure what to do.

You smiled up at him, pulling the comforter back and patting the space next to you. “I like cuddles after sex”, you whispered, the two of you blushing like teenagers after their first time. In a way you felt exactly like that.

Steve pulled you into an embrace, kissing your head gently before closing his eyes.

You both had no idea how happy you both were right now. After years of pining and fantasies Steve finally had his dream woman in his arms and you felt happy having a man who actually cared about you. The last time you felt this happy was in the beginning of your marriage…which would now be over twenty years ago, “good night”, whispered Steve into your hair, interrupting your thoughts.

“Good night, Stevie…or should i say daddy?”, you whispered, a smirk creeping on your lips. Without looking up you knew Steve was blushing. “I…got carried away for a moment”, he chuckled slightly embarrassed but still smiling into your hair.

It didn’t take you two long to fall asleep after the amazing, yet exhausting date. You haven’t been with such an enthusiastic man in a long time and it did take a turn on you.

Your sleep was interrupted in the morning by the slam of the front door. “Hi, mom! Are you home?”, you heard Stacys steps coming closer to your room.

Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it!

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deblklesb · 1 year

Text

[Let's get physical! Pt. 1 — Abby x Reader]

[established relationship, fem!reader, fluffy but gets kinda nsfw by the end, jocker!abby, modern!au, MDNI]

cw: flirty times, nsfw memories, hip trusts

a/n: this was a request sent by @cottagecheese340! thanks for the request, i had the most fun writing this. i plan to post part2 as soon as i can! hope you enjoy it! (ps.: not me projecting on the reader about the social awkwardness)

not proof read (eng is not my first language, if something is wrong y'all can let me know!)

reblogs are highly appreciated!

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

You almost didn't enter your apartment as your leg keeps pulsating with pain. Not only because of the physical difficulty, but also because you could already imagine your girlfriend's reaction: concern, and then she would help you carefully and spoil you for the rest of the night because you're hurt.

It didn't sound bad - it didn't feel either -, but you couldn't help but feel embarrassed anyway. Embarrassment got you there, in the first place.

Being a socially awkward person wasn't easy like some people think. Actually, it's hard to find ways to escape social situations just to feel a little more comfortable. Gym was an example of that: you've always had a hard time concealing with that environment because of the amount of people and the state of mind you'd have to get into - which was harder precisely because of the people around. So you didn't know much about gym exercises, despite needing to go there and do them.

But, hey, it could be easier since your girlfriend is a major gym goer, right?

Absolut, fuckingly wrong.

Asking her to help you was a hard time on its own. Abby was the most caring, sweet person with you, but… You're embarrassed. And not that you never announce your needs and wants, but that specific topic was difficult.

Well, that sore leg would do the work, uh?

Breathing deeply, you unlocked the door and carefully entered the illuminated apartment, trying your best to walk properly and not limp.

"Babe?" Her voice came from the kitchen, she was probably making dinner.

"Hi, love", you tried to sound chill and super not painful. "What are you doing?"

"Just some pasta and beef, thought we could use a proper dinner since I got out of work earlier today", her tall figure appeared on the hallway, reaching you in a second to kiss you once, twice. A small smile adorned her lips as she looked at you. "How you doing?"

"I'm fine", you smiled too, kinda using the hug to not lean on the sore leg. "And you?"

"Better now", her tone was so caring and flirty, it took a chuckle from you. "Were you at the gym?"

"Ah, I-...", you couldn't deny when wearing the same clothes from earlier, but you looked away and your brain malfunctioned for a second. "Uh- yeah! Guess I could try some gym time, y'know?"

"Oh, how was it?" Abby parted the hug, grabbing your bag to help you to the room.

"It was… Interesting", yeah, getting hurt it's very interesting.

You both started to walk to your shared bedroom, and as much as you tried not to look at her with guilt and walk properly, Abby stopped on her tracks and made your heart skip a beat. Fuck her sharp eyes.

"Babe, are you okay? Why are you limping?" Her hand rested on your shoulder, warm and careful as she was with you.

You hissed with pain when learning on the right leg to prove her wrong, ruining all the effort to hide the situation. Then you sighed, finally looking directly at her and supporting yourself on the wall.

"I kinda may have hurted my leg a little", her eyes widened at that, your bag being left on the table as Abby came closer to help you stand properly. "doing some movement. I think it wasn't exactly well done…"

"Shit, babe, come here", you leaned on her until reaching the couch, where you sat with your back against the arm of the furniture, stretching the leg. "I'll turn off the stove, be right back", she patted your thigh, running to the kitchen.

The seconds she was away were used for you to sigh again, trying not to feel too anxious. You didn't like to think that you were disturbing or something, even though you knew that was a crazy idea - the intrusive thoughts were troublesome sometimes.

"Now tell me how this happened", she held an ointment whilst sitting with your leg on her lap.

Abby didn't seem annoyed or anything, obviously. She just started to spread the mint-smell substance on the place you pointed when she asked.

"I was… trying to work my leg on one of those machines and then it started to hurt, I don't know exactly where I messed up." Your breath were a little bit short with nervousness.

"It's okay, it's normal. Especially since you aren't accustomed to gym props", her voice was so calm while the strong hands massaged the sore muscle. "Why didn't you ask me to help you?"

"Because I was kinda embarrassed", you revealed after some seconds, face blushing a little since you still had a hard time opening up. Well, if someone were there to support you and listen to you without judgment, that would be your girlfriend, right? Her and your closest friends were those people. "I don't like going to the gym, but I need to. And it's frustrating enough, I didn't want to feel like I was asking too much, or something, especially because… I have absolutely no idea of what I'm doing and it's even more embarrassing"

"Okay", Abby nodded carefully, locking eyes with you while her hands kept working. She remained calm, not wanting to alarm you in any way. "Well, I want you to know you wouldn't be asking too much. And that I will tell you if I can't help you with something, but I'll be here supporting you regardless and I'll do my best. Alright?"

The feeling of her palms on your leg were starting to relax you, as you nodded and breathed deeply for once.

"And look, I'm a grown woman. I think I can handle helping you and establishing my limits. What do you think?" She smiled to reassure you.

"I think you're right, grown woman", you both chuckled as she finished the massage. You held a hand of hers and kissed the back of it, caressing her skin as you rested the head on the furniture then. Your heart was calming itself gradually. "Thank you. I love you"

"Love you too, kitty cat." The nickname made you laugh. She started to call you that way after finding a picture of you dressed as a human-size cat for your cousin's birthday. The costume had orange fur and your face was painted and all. You felt funny but your cousin loved it.

"Will you ever let go of this?"

"Never", the honey-blonde stood up and rested your leg on the couch again, kissing you on the lips briefly, her braid falling to the side when she leaned over. "Now let me finish the dinner. We'll eat and then go bath"

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

A week later you both decided to go to the gym together. Abby said that it would be empty on earlier hours, and so you got out of bed with difficulty due to the diminished sleeping time.

It started to be a routine: three times a week Abby helped you choose the machines to work on and then she'd indicate the right way to use it. The woman would supervise and then go to work on her own series, still watching you carefully from where she stood.

You had to admit, with that silence around and just the two of you there, the environment didn't seem that bad. The rays of sunshine would start to enter the place more brightly, as the morning advanced. Only you, Abby and the receptionist were at that entire gym.

But, on top of that, there was another thing that kept you coming to the gym all those days.

The vision of Abby concentrated, pulling weights in different positions and machines, made you quiver. And even more: her care and delicacy while teaching you the movements and explaining the machines… That was something else.

You were a major simp for your girlfriend talking about stuff she liked and was dedicated to, but it didn't help how she looked and behaved inside the gym. Knowing how your body comfort was in her hands created a responsibility, a commitment to lay all the information necessary in the most clear way.

First, she'd show you the machine in general. Explain how it worked and the purpose, show you the gadgets, all of that constantly looking back at you to be sure of your understanding. Then, Abby would have you positioned on the machine and would instruct how to work on it, slowly and attentive to your posture.

"Your back needs to be straight, babe. Yes, just like that"

After her blue eyes crossed over your body to catch in every detail she could, while you did a series, Abby would smile and say "that's it, you're ready to go, pretty girl"

And you didn't wanna say how absolutely sexy that was.

How you needed extra effort to concentrate on her words, because the overall situation threw you off so easily. How her gestures and indications with her hands made you hold back enamored sighs. Or how her light touches on your body, to guide you through the first few movements, or just get your attention to the correct position, created little heat spaces on your skin.

That whole situation unlocked a new amazing thing to notice about your girlfriend, and you felt like a blessing fell into you. The sore muscle was worth it.

"Understood?" Her voice called you back from a daydream.

Putting to the side the thoughts that came from her so eloquent speech, you nodded and thanked Abby, before the woman went to carry some weights.

Looking from afar, you tried to concentrate on your series, working your legs. The image of Abby pushing up with the arms on her sides, going up and down next to her head, biceps flexing and abdomen and chest moving with breath. Skin getting flushed red and sweaty with effort.

You tried so hard not to notice too much, not to make your sights explicit, but then the minutes passed and Abby finished her series. And the blue eyes rested on you, a fact you took longer to understand than you were proud of.

Looking away and finishing your own series, you tried not to blush under her attention and cleared your throat, grabbing the bottle of water. Your legs hurt a bit, heavy muscles.

"Okay, what now?" You asked, resting a hand on the hip.

"Now rest a little", the blonde suggested with a smirk while using the shirt to dry her sweaty face, your heart skipped a beat or two at the vision of her abs. Damn her for still getting you on your feelings. "Wanna help me out?"

"M'kay. Let's see what you got", she chuckled, going to a horizontal bench now.

You put the bottle to the side, and when you looked at her again she was seated on the floor.

"What you want me to do?" Abby looked up when you stood next to her, propping herself with her back against the bench, hips out of the ground and legs separated.

"Sit on me"

You blinked once and twice, gulping. Phrasing like that you might as well do it anyways.

"Excuse me?"

"Sit on my hip, babe. Rest your feet on my thighs", she kept instructing you, but your mind wasn't really caring about the indications. The implications were on stake here, as you straddled as she told and felt your face getting hotter. "You can put your hands on my shoulders to balance", and you did so, her warm hands holding yours carefully. "Ready?"

Before you could nod, Abby lowered her hips and then trusted up.

You couldn't remember a time when you got that flustered around her, trying not to think about what that looked like, what would happen if someone got in the room, how fucking hot was the fact that your girlfriend could sustain your weight on her hips. Without permission, your cunt throbbed.

For sure you had an unbelieved expression, staring at Abby's face in order to avoid the sight of where your bodies met lower.

"Keep still, okay? You're doing good", you couldn't talk. Any words were thrown away from your mind right now, at least the adequate ones.

She kept doing that and you kept trying not to pathetically moan over that situation alone.

Her body was so firm and hot.

What the fuck was happening?

Abby rested, sitting on the floor for some seconds with you still on her lap, hands gripping her shoulders. "That was awesome", her voice was excited but also with a hint of something else as she tenderly touched your hips and continued. "We should try it more frequently"

"Yeah", your voice cracked, demanding you to clear your throat. "Absolutely"

And then the silence was too loud and consuming, just the two of you there in that position.

Her features caught your attention; blue eyes and freckled skin, beautiful lips and nose, cheeks and chin you loved to kiss. All of her seemed to call for you.

"Babe", her voice, the velvety tone that could take you to the stars, drew you back again. "Ready for another one?"

"Go for it", you smiled with effort to not fall into more fantasies right now, in a public space. "Let's see how much you can take it"

Abby's smug sent chills through your spine as she adjusted and then trusted the hips again, eyes locked on your with the most consuming determination. You held back a whine, breathing deeply with her.

"Fuck…", you whispered at another trust, moisturing your lips.

"What, babe?"

And just like that you mind flew to that time when she fucked you with her strap. When you cried her name and let out incomprehensible words under your moans, having Abby asking "what, babe? I didn't catch that" as the silicone object were pushed and pulled into your wet cunt. You remembered her panting and smirking as your tits bounced in front of her, as you tried to move your hips along because you were getting more and more heated.

"Abby…", your hips moved once without you noticing and then you froze, the foggy memory fading as she trusted again and you recalled where you both were.

"Yes?" A shit-eating grin denounced all. She knew exactly what she was doing.

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

[divider by @froopis]

#abby x reader #abby anderson #abby anderson x reader #abby tlou x reader #abigail anderson x reader #abigail anderson #abby tlou2 #abby tlou #deblklesb #abby x reader fic #ficblr #fic writing #abby fic #abby fanfiction #abby anderson fan fiction #requests

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pedrostylez · 6 months

Text

Something Else - pt. 8

pairing: Frankie Morales x fem!reader

chapter summary: Frankie and Benny confront Santiago and Will, and the leadup to the mission

rating: 18+ (no minors please) Explicit

word count: 6.4k

warnings etc: Frankie w/o a daughter, triple frontier movie plot has happened, ptsd, mention of drugs, smut, p in v, honestly pretty tame, tears, drinking, bars/club

A/N: Aaaaannnnddd we’re back! After rude anons and a mini break while I tried to remind myself that this is just for fun, I’m back with part 8. A huge and massive shout out to Hemmy, @angelofsmalldeath-codeine for not just cheering me on, and beta reading, but also helping me dissect my own brain to make sure my worries about how I write these characters were put to rest. Imagine the conspiracy theory gif? That was her with spreadsheets. Thank you so much for helping me and being just what I needed. There is 1 more drabble and 1 more part and then that is the end of Something Else! How spooky and scary! There is no timeline for posting at the moment, but just a heads up!

Anyways, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all. There is this lovely little arrow at the top left when you start reading that if you don’t like it anymore, you can click on it to stop reading. However, I am a slut for respectful comments, thoughts, and questions, so feel free to send those to me either privately or on ask. Please support all fanfic writers by liking, reblogging, and interacting. Thank you!

Taglist: @meveispunk, @jitterbugs927, @sullyosully @3sriracha @alltheseperfectimperfections @nandan11 @jake-g-lockley, @theanothersherlockian, @anoverwhelmingdin, @guelyury, @harriedandharassed, @wintersquirrel @scarletthefierce @paleidiot @brittmb115 @angelofsmalldeath-codeine @bluetattoos

Frankie’s anxiety is at an all time high going back to the hangar to tell Santiago that he wasn’t ready. He couldn’t settle, even though he wasn’t the only one-that Benny didn’t want to go again. To be retraumatized again.

His anxiety was put to rest when he stepped into the garage, boots echoing on the concrete to Santiago and Will sitting at the folding table in the corner. A sudden calm over his nerves when he saw Pope’s face. “Fish!” Will exclaimed shortly, nodding at him to come over.

Frankie approached the table and sat down across from the two of them, sighing heavily before clearing his throat. Pope looked like he wasn’t doing well; like he had lost sleep with the bags under his eyes. “I’m not going.”

It’s quiet for a moment before Santiago starts to apologize. “Frankie, I didn’t mean to put you–”

“Stop,” Frankie holds his hand up, taking a deep breath. “I’m not ready to go now, but…in a year? I could…I could be ready by then.”

“Should we really be planning that far in advance?” Will asks, tilting his head toward Pope. Still relying on who he thought should be the leader.

The door to the garage already opened again, Benny standing off to the side as he listened in. He shook his head in mild disgust, addressing Will. “If we plan now we can avoid what happened last time.” Benny calls, hanging up his hat on the coat rack. “Because clearly it wasn’t planned well last time.”

Will shakes his head with a scoff. “Hey woah–”

“No, let me talk.” Benny stands at the table, tapping his fingers incessantly against the chair. “Frankie and I have changed.” His hand rests gently on Frankie’s shoulder, squeezing to try and tell him that he’s got this. “We aren’t the same loyal dogs you brought last time Pope, and we can’t just go into this without some planning.”

Santiago nods, swallowing roughly. “I had a plan last time, it just…” He blinks, unable to finish his sentence.

“It didn’t go well.” Benny nods, filling in the blanks. “Listen, I get it. You want all of us to be taken care of.”

“I want to make up for last time.” Santiago says quietly, flicking his eyes between Frankie and Benny.

“Is the best way to do that by going back?” Frankie asks just as quietly, eyeing Pope. “How much of this is actually thought through?”

It’s silent for longer than before, as Pope swallows hesitantly. “I just…thought-”

“You can’t be in charge of this.” Benny states. “You’re too emotional, wanting to fix whatever happened. But we need to be logical, take the bull by the horns and think rationally. And you–” He points to Will. “You were just going to go along with this?”

Will shakes his head, pointing at Santiago. “What? No I thought he had a plan–”

“But you didn’t confirm it? Before calling Frankie incessantly and sending him almost over the edge and back to his dealer?” Benny exclaims, causing a silence to fall among the group.

“You’re using again?” Santi asks breathlessly.

“No! Stop.” Frankie turns to Benny. “I am fine. But we need to do what Benny says and handle this rationally. If we want to do this, then we need to be methodical.” Frankie stands his ground, looking between Will and Pope as they look at each other.

Will finally nods, leaning back in his chair. “You’re right.” He crosses his arms and debates for a moment. “One year from today.”

Frankie and Benny nod, in unison. “One year.”

1 Month Later

“Are you coming with us tonight?” You asked hushed into the phone. Anna is still in the bathroom, and you’ve snuck around the corner to her bedroom where you could speak to Frankie quietly. “I miss you.”

Frankie’s chuckle is dark through the phone, delicious against your ear. “I miss you too, hermosa.” A heavy sigh and some shuffling. “You said it was girls night weeks ago, I can’t crash it now.”

“You know Santi might!” You exclaim quietly, giggling when you hear Frankie’s huff.

“No, he’s going to be here in maybe five minutes. We are going to review logistics.” You swear you can hear Frankie smile after the pause he takes to inhale. “What are you wearing?”

“Don’t start.” You say seriously, looking down at your clothes. You resist the urge to cringe at yourself, trying to step into this new found confidence that you’re trying to convince yourself you have. Anna had wanted you to have fun tonight, dress however you felt and she would be the one to watch over you. A change in the routine-something that you’ve noticed she’s been working on. Her ability to apologize and to turn things around had shocked you at first, but it was different-it was better. “You might die if you see it. Would be better if you didn’t come out, actually…”

“Well now I’ve got to know, baby.” Frankie muses, humming when you deny again. “Should I convince Pope that we need to go out?”

As you’re about to answer, Anna steps into her bedroom with a pointed look. “We agreed on girls only! No boys!”

You laugh at the same time that Frankie does, telling him you’ll see him later before hanging up and putting your phone into your purse. “Alright! It’s gone.”

“Good.” Anna laughs, brushing out her hair one more time in the mirror. Her jeans are riding low on her hips, crop top showing off her belly button as she turns to you. “How’s my outfit?” She asks quietly, almost timidly.

“Very belly forward.” You joke, looking down at what you borrowed from Anna’s closet again. You hear her giggle and sigh as you mess with the dress painted on your body, blue and sparkling, strapless with fake sleeves, a cut out just below your chest. This is out of your comfort zone.

You feel slightly self conscious, adjusting until Anna’s hands stop yours. “You look amazing honey. If Frankie doesn’t have a heart attack when you get home later, then he doesn’t deserve you.”

You smile, looking into her eyes for a moment before sighing. “Alright, I’ll trust you about this dress. It feels like it’s going to fall down.”

Anna giggles, picking up her phone when it vibrates and sighing. When you give her a questioning look, she shrugs. “Santi has been…strange, recently.”

You frown, following her to the door as she slips on her shoes. “Do you want to talk about it before we leave?”

She hesitates, debating in her head. “He’s just, really insecure right now after Frankie and Benny told him they weren’t ready to help him in South America.” She gives a rueful smile. “I don’t mean to bring up Frankie-”

“Don’t apologize.” You shake your head, yanking on her arm to bring her to the couch. Anna had updated you on what she had been told from Santiago a few weeks ago, and was flustered when you had told her all the information that Frankie had spilled so early on. While she knew a lot of it, there was some that she hadn’t-such as how their friend died. Anna was on this streak to be blunt with everyone around her, so she had confronted Santiago. “What’s he saying?”

She sighs, shaking her head. “I think I’m being impatient with him. He’s not…saying anything.” She furrows her brow in concentration. “I asked him how much money was on the line a couple weeks ago. He kinda just froze. Said he would take care of me. But I told him that wasn’t what I was asking and–” She hiccups, holding back tears. “Now it’s like he doesn’t hear anything I say. Just stares off into the distance, saying he shouldn’t be the leader of the group. I asked for details about Redfly and he just tells me that I wouldn’t understand the hell he has been through. What is that supposed to mean?”

You take a deep breath with her, nodding. “Give it time, Annie. From what Frankie said it seems like Santiago always has it together, and now he’s trying to…get his footing again.”

Anna nods, agreeing with you. “Yeah, I’m just being too impatient.”

You go to tell her that’s not the case, that she’s really just trying to navigate a situation with a man that doesn’t know what he’s doing either, but she stands suddenly and plasters on a smile. “Come on, let's have fun. Sprite for me, rum and coke for you.”

You’re shit faced.

It’s probably the first time in a while that you’ve actually had more than a couple drinks, which frankly has always been plenty, but tonight you’ve indulged much more. It reminds you of the first night you met Frankie, when you indulged and had to spend the night at his place, and you can’t help the smile that appears on your face, dancing with Anna in the center of the room.

You never dance.

“You look fucking hot!” Anna yells in your ear, giving you a thumbs up before twirling and giving an excited squeal. “Are you having fun?”

“Yes!” You yell back, laughing at how ridiculous you’re both being, yelling to each other in the middle of a dance floor that very few people are attending around you.

As it gets more packed, you squish closer to Anna, keeping a protective hand over her shoulder, her opposite hand on yours. You’re a wall together, only having fun with and for each other. The bass of one song begins to hurt your ears, wincing when the beat drops. You go to tell Anna, hoping that you both can step away from where the speakers are focused, when you feel a large hand slide on to your waist.

Anna’s eyebrows come together in concern, looking around your shoulder to see who has their hand on you. She relaxes almost instantly, smile appearing. “Hey!” She yells, removing her hand from your shoulder. “I knew you would show up anyways!”

“Pope is by the bar, buying you a drink.” A familiar voice booms next to you, and you immediately know it is Frankie. You turn around in his embrace, watching the smirk on his face creep up into a smile when he looks down at you. “Hey, baby.”

“Hi, Fishy.” You slur, giggling when his eyebrows shoot up at your nickname for him. You hadn’t called him Fish, even after learning of the nickname.

“How many drinks have you had?” He asks, leaning into your ear to speak more softly. He brings one hand up to your cheek, lightly stroking at your jaw with his thumb as if he knows the music is too loud for you.

You bite your cheek, swaying in his arms before holding up your hand. “Plenty!” You yell, slapping your hand on to your jaw over his fingers. “The music is too loud.”

Frankie nods, pulling you with him over to the bar. You’re smiling at him, eyes unable to move away from his face until he sits you down on a barstool with a quick kiss on the cheek. He looks over to where Anna is leaning against the counter before raising his eyebrows subtly at you. Her arms crossed and annoyed next to Santiago. “Alright over here?” Frankie asks, resting his hand on your shoulder.

“Yeah, man.” Santiago calls, looking over to Anna who downs a shot. She looks over at you, softening her gaze.

“Are you all set?” She asks, looking only at you.

You nod, pushing away from Frankie. “Let’s go to the bathroom, and then I’ll have Fishy take me home.” You hold your hand out for her, snatching it and letting her pull you along to the bathroom as Frankie watches you. He winks, making you giggle happily before stepping into the low lit room. “Are you okay? You want to come home with me instead of Santi?” You slur out.

“No, it’s okay.” She sighs, laughing as you step into a stall and stumble to sit. “He and I need to talk anyway.”

You hum, sitting quietly before blurting out. “I feel hot in this dress, I get why you have so many now.”

You hear Anna laugh through the stall door, your coordination slow and clumsy as you stand. “It’s all about how you feel in the dress, honey.” You open the door, looking at her and smiling. “And, sometimes, it’s the alcohol too.”

When you say your goodbyes to Anna, hugging her tightly and waiting for her to get into Santiago’s truck, you’re whisked away by a smiling Frankie. “You’re very funny.” He muses, helping you into the passenger seat of his own vehicle.

“What did I do?” You question, pushing crunchy hair out of your face unsuccessfully. The hairspray you and Anna had thought you needed suddenly feels too heavy on your head.

“Fishy? Really?” He laughs, shutting the door and walking around to get into the driver’s seat. “Where did that come from?”

You shrug, tilting your head to look out the window as he pulls away from the curb. “It’s just the rum.”

He hums again, placing his hand on your knee and driving with just one hand. His thumb traces circles into your skin, causing you to break out in goosebumps that he smiles at. “That’s a very pretty dress, hermosa.”

You smile, looking at him and attempting to bat your eyelashes. You think you’re probably unsuccessful. “It’s sparkly.” You whisper. The sober part of your brain wants to hit you, as that was not what you intended to say.

He chuckles, giving your knee a squeeze. “Very sparkly. Lots of skin too.” He husks out, pulling into a parking spot in front of your apartment. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”

He helps you out of his truck, sliding your key out of your fingers to help you into the apartment. You sink into your couch, leaning back and eyeing him as he slips off his boots at the door, and his hat on your coat stand. “How was your meeting with Santi?”

“Good.” He confirms, standing straight and walking over to you. “Need help with your shoes?” He smirks when he kneels down and you gasp, nodding happily with a blush painting your cheeks. God, him on his knees– “No funny business tonight.”

You give a small pout as his fingers clasp the strap, wiggling it through the buckle and sliding it off your arched foot. You sigh happily when he sets it down on the carpet, moving to the other foot. “Got some things planned out for this trip, and we’ll make some adjustments as needed. Need to get a bank ready too, even though it seems too soon.”

“Anna and Santiago are having issues.” You hiccup, watching as he looks up your legs before to your face. “She says he just stares off into the distance.”

He nods, patting the side of your leg. “He’s upset. Thinks he’s going to let us down.” Frankie admits, wincing when you frown. “Do you need help putting on pajamas? Or can I make us some food and you won’t fall asleep on the bed?”

You clock that he has changed the subject, but can’t help it when you say. “You don’t want to help me? Take off this dress?” You wiggle your shoulders as tantalizingly as you can, making him laugh.

“As tempting as that is hermosa, you get too handsy when you’re tipsy.” He laughs, helping you to stand and petting the hair in your face to be behind your ear. “Go get changed, I’ll make you something.”

You watch him go to the kitchen, pouting for a moment longer before flouncing into the bedroom and finding comfortable pants and a shirt of Frankie’s he had left recently. You could get used to this.

6 months later

Frankie finishes the sentence on the page in front of him, glancing his eyes up to your face. He sees the way you’re biting your lip, anxiously tapping your foot against the carpet. “Querida–”

“You can tell me it’s bad.” You spit out, running a shaking hand through your hair. “I have to read this to the class, and if it’s not good then you need to tell me. I have to rewrite it.” The clock is ticking as far as you’re concerned, and Frankie is acutely aware of it. He has tried to coax you away from the assignment, over and over to no avail. You’re dead set on finishing it.

“No.” Frankie says firmly, smiling at you as he holds the page close to his chest. “It’s beautiful. Really, really good.” He means it, to his core. Just as he had with all your other work, but something about this one was different.

Your face softens, an embarrassed flush creeping up your neck at the tone of his voice. “You’re just saying that?” You question, holding out your hand for the piece of paper.

He shakes his head, refusing to give it up. “I wouldn’t lie to you about that.” He says quietly, looking down at your words again.

Your poetry was what he would describe as easy. Smooth reading, vivid in painting a picture, without large and confusing words for dummies like him. He could feel your voice, hear you in his head as he read it silently. Ever since you had taken the courage to start school again in creative writing, he could see the improvements. He could see the passion as you sat next to him most nights, his couch or yours, scribbling away until you were satisfied, leaning against him to fall asleep after the words had consumed your every thought. Between your class and him being at the hangar more, he had opted to start driving you to work just to spend more time with you.

You cleared your throat, shaking your hand at him to give back your work. He stood, taking a couple steps over to you and setting the paper on your desk. Leaning in, his lips pressed softly to your forehead. “I want to see your name on a book.” He whispered quietly.

You gasped, eyes wide as you pulled away from him. “I’m nowhere near close to something like that!”

“Eventually.” He shrugs, resting his hand on the back of your neck to hold you in place. “Your cute little smile on the back cover.” He smirks, squeezing the tension out of your muscles. “You’re talented, baby. You’ll write poetry for a generation. Do you hear me?”

You try to brush him off, but he’s not having any of it. He refuses to let you speak negatively about your writing as he leans over you and presses kisses to your face, over and over until you are giggling in delight. He laughs with you, pressing a final kiss to the underside of your jaw and holding his breath as he feels you relax against him. “I hear you.” You sigh, eyeing him sleepily.

“Good.” He husks, pulling you away from your desk and on to your bed, where his hands find purchase at your thighs. You hum as he maneuvers you to be cuddled against him, legs wrapped around his body and his arms around your shoulders. His hand trails up and down your back slowly, soothing himself as your breathing gets heavier with each passing of his fingers. “Relax with me.”

It isn’t long before you nod off with the setting sun, exhausted from self-induced stress and worry of the assignment you took on. Frankie feels you slack against him, eyelashes fluttering against your cheeks as you dream, warm in his embrace. He feels peaceful, after months with you supporting him and him returning it for you.

Frankie shuts his eyes at the thought of how close he was to caving into his addiction when Santiago first suggested going back. How you, unknowingly, had kept him grounded enough to seek the help he needed.

“You can’t rely on just one or two people, Francisco.” You said quietly, eyes flicking to Benny who was sitting in the corner of his couch. He nodded along with your words. “It’s your decision on what to do, and I’m so thankful you’ve been honest, but I need your help in finding what works best for you.”

“Do you want to do AA or therapy?” Benny gruffed out bluntly, wincing when you shot him a look in warning.

Frankie laughed quietly, shaking his head from the doorway. It wasn’t the ambush he thought he would get, but it was the appropriate one. “The AA meetings around here aren’t great. So, which therapist is it then?”

He feels lucky to have you.

You adjust in his hold, snuggling your face into the crook of his neck and breathe deeply. The humid breath against his skin makes him smile, his hands twitching to tighten around you. He thinks he’s in love with you, whispering it into existing as you continue to sleep soundly in his arms.

1 year later

You’re nervously pacing around your kitchen, phone stuck to your ear as Anna tries to soothe you. “They’ll be alright honey. This is why they waited the whole year, right?” Anna confirms, but you hear the sound of her biting at her nails. She’s nervous too.

“Are you sure you’re okay with me talking about this?” You cringe, bringing your shoulders up to your ears as you hear the tell tale huff of her trying to control her emotions. She’s been sad-it’s been months since the girls night out where her and Santiago broke up, but Anna continues to be the sounding board for your nerves about Frankie going to South America.

“Yes, of course it’s okay that you talk to me about this.” You hear running water through the line. “I still…care about him. You already know how I feel about Santiago. He needs to do this before he’s normal again and Frankie is your boyfriend, you’re allowed to be concerned about him. This is…not a typical thing to have to deal with.” Anna amends, the water stopping and a dull thump. “These dishes have to be soaked anyway.”

“I knew you were doing dishes.” You say triumphantly, stopping in your tracks and looking to your own sink. You had avoided doing dishes for a couple days, and now you thought they were piling too high. Maybe you should do some too…

“Focus, honey.” Anna giggles, taking a deep breath. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

“Well…they could die. And we won’t know.” You immediately blurt, tears threatening to bubble over at the mention of it.

Anna hums thoughtfully, carefully answering. “Frankie won’t keep you wondering.”

You nod, forgetting she can’t see you. “I know.”

“It’s alright to be scared.” She whispers through the phone, and you swear you hear her sniffle. “You love him, don’t you?”

“We haven’t…” You stutter at the thought, a soft knock on the door before Frankie’s head peeks around the corner of your entryway. He smiles, silently stepping in and sliding off his boots. “He’s just gotten here.”

“I’ll text you.” She sighs. “Keep me updated tomorrow? Love you.”

“Of course, love you.” With a quick click, you slide your phone into your back pocket and turn to Frankie, whose hands are in his pockets as he observes you. “What?”

He shrugs, smirking. “You look wound tight, querida.”

You scoff, walking toward the couch and sitting heavily. “Well, one of us should be.” You mumble, pushing him away from you half-heartedly when he sits down and wraps an arm around you.

Frankie waits for you to settle, watching you intently as his eyes flick back and forth between your lips and eyes. “Tell me what you’re feeling.” He says lowly, tightening his hand around your shoulder.

“I’m asking because…I’m concerned.” Frankie was running his fingers through his hair like his life depended on it, yanking at the roots before sitting down on your couch. “Do you remember how you shut down in the coffee shop? What happened there?”

Frankie had been more open about his feelings since starting therapy, and you wanted to encourage that. Sitting down next to him, you sigh. “I was insecure.”

“Why?” Is his immediate response. He didn’t understand how you could be insecure-he was absolutely infatuated with you.

“I thought that Anna wanted to…try and…” You shuffle and readjust, embarrassed next to him. “It feels silly now, but I thought she wanted to like…take you away from me. Even though we weren’t together.”

Frankie pauses tilting his head. It suddenly clicks in his head, the day he was hiding in your closet and the face you made after her comment. “Was she serious? That day I was hiding?”

You shake your head. “No, no. She and I have this, stupid running joke from high school that I grew out of and she…well she didn’t. And, I didn’t tell her sooner–”

“Why?” Again Frankie pushes, clenching his teeth.

“So many questions.” You smile as he leans back, mumbling to himself to chill out. You take a deep breath and try to start somewhere in the story that makes the most sense. “A couple years ago, I was trying to rebound off a guy that had been dating me that was really in love with her.” He grumbles more, not giving a true response but frowning deeply. “And the rebound, he was just a fuck boy…didn’t mean anything, but I was getting attached because it had been so long since I felt like someone wanted me, you know? And he had sex with Anna in the bathroom like that night anyway.”

“She knew you liked him and fucked him anyways?” Frankie’s anger is apparent now, and your cheeks heat with both embarrassment and happiness. Frankie being protective over you was a nice change.

“I thought she knew, yeah.” You say quietly. “But she didn’t know. I’m giving her a chance to…fix it.”

Frankie pauses, trying to go through his memories of Anna interacting with him before he cuts them short and grabs your hands. “Thank you for telling me.” He brings your hand up to his mouth, peppering kisses to your knuckles until you lean back on the couch with him. He pauses when you sigh, a small smile appearing as you look at him. “I don’t like guessing what you’re feeling.”

You nod, clearing your throat of any lingering emotion. “I’m working on it.”

A final kiss to your cheek before he squeezes your hand. “We can work on it together.”

You take a deep breath, trying to avoid his gaze. You’re still trying to make sure you say exactly what you’re feeling-no room for guessing. No room for error, just like you both had agreed on. “I’m worried.”

He hums, bringing his other hand up to your cheek and lightly tracing your jaw. “I am too. Anything specific?”

You bite your lip, wincing at how the immediate thought was of him dying. “I’m worried about whether you will be okay.” You whisper, trying your best to hold back tears.

You don’t succeed when Frankie tilts his head and blinks slowly at you, a small but sad smile appearing on his face. His thumb brushes under your eyes, willing your tears away. “You know there’s a plane ticket for you, for two weeks from now, to come down there with a list of locations and names if you don’t hear from me.” He whispers back. “Do you want me to not go?”

You scoff again, pulling your face away from his hold and wiping at your own eyes. “Of course I don’t want you to go.”

“But do you really not want me to go?” He asks again, resting his hand on your knee.

You pause, shaking your head. “That’s not up to me.”

He waits, squeezing your leg to get your attention back on him. “Let me bring back this money, with all of us in one piece.”

You nod, letting tears flow freely now. “I’m scared, Francisco.”

He gasps lightly, the sound of his full name rare to come out of your mouth. “I’m scared too.” He goes to stand, but falls on his knees in front of you, spreading your legs to let him shuffle between them, to be closer to you. “Look at me, baby.” He pulls your attention with a sudden jolt at how serious his tone has become. “I can’t make promises to you. I can’t tell you I will come back without it eating at me while I’m there. I would hate to make you a promise and for the worst to happen. But everything has been thought of, from every angle possible.”

You nod, wiping at your face again. He grabs at your wrists, holding you firm before pulling you towards him and pressing his lips to yours. He pushes his tongue against yours, aggressive in how he shows his want for you, and something tells you that he needs it like this–that its the only way to distract him from his own worries.

You think it will distract you too.

Burying your hands into his hair, you press your mouth to his desperately again. He groans in surprise, but lets you lead and slides his hands down your sides, pulling at the hem of your shirt. You pull back enough to nip at his jaw, at the bald spot in his beard before sucking a mark into his skin.

He hisses, pulling you flush to him and silently lifting you and himself, blindly walking toward your bedroom. You stay attached to his neck, desperate for something he can feel for the next few days while he is gone. He drops you on the bed, laughing when you squeak in surprise and bobbing up and down on the mattress as he reaches for the band of your shorts.

You’re trying to commit it to memory. The sound of his moans, his laugh, the way his skin slides against yours. There’s this voice deep in your brain warning you to not forget, because you don’t know what will happen. It distracts you enough that suddenly you look up when Frankie calls your name, waiting for your eyes to flick to his. “Come back to me, baby.”

You shakily inhale, reaching for him to lean over you rather than sitting above, pressing your lips to his again lightly. You’re naked together, skin to skin as he breathes deeply and watches you. The words are stuck in your throat, dry and unable to emerge.

Frankie brings one hand to your cheek, holding you steady. You feel his press against your center, wet with want and anticipation. “I love you, querida.”

You gasp at the words, him slowly sliding into you and holding his position fully seated inside. He groans, closing his eyes for a moment before locking them back on yours. “I love you. Do you hear me? I love you.”

“I hear you.” You whine, shutting your eyes tightly and wincing at the feeling in your heart-how it breaks that he might not come back. “I love you.”

He sighs in relief, sliding out of you before pressing in again and setting a slow pace. “That’s it baby. Take me. You’re so fucking good for me, huh?” He holds himself above you, leaning back to sit up straight as he watches you squirm, clutching at the bed sheets, for one of his arms. He keeps eyes contact with you as he gathers spit in his mouth, letting it slowly drop on to your clit before pulling back again and setting a rougher pace. “Fuck–I love you so much.”

You begin to cry, overwhelmed by the feeling of him inside you, of the feeling of him loving you. He leans forward worriedly, asking if you’re alright but continues when you dig nails into his back. “Keep going. Fuck–p-please.”

He shushes you, keeping close to you as he brings you and himself to release. He whispers how much he loves you, and you to him, resting on top of you while still inside. You revel in the feeling of each other, only realizing you’ve started to doze off when he leans away. “You’ll either love it, or you’ll hate it.”

You frown, confused by what he’s saying while trying to be conscious enough to understand. Frankie slides off the bed, naked as he walks back into your living room and shuffles around in the duffle he brought with him.

When he comes back he smiles, hands behind his back before kneeling on to the bed and relaxing next to you. He pulls his hat out from behind him, holding it out to you expectantly. “I…I want you to hold on to this.”

With shaking fingers you reach out, rubbing the worn fabric between your thumb and forefinger. “Are you sure? It’s your favorite.”

He smiles, nodding. “Yeah, baby. Don’t want to lose it in the jungle.” Your breath hitches, tears coming to your eyes. You nod, watery and worn as you lean into him for a hug. You feel his own breath hitch with your ear against his chest. “I love you, baby.”

You sniffle, trying to control yourself. “I love you too.”

You swallow your tears as Frankie drives up the long dirt road to the hangar. “Covertly leaving.” He said early this morning, kissing you lightly at the crook of your neck. “Don’t want to be stopped at the airport like last time.”

He can feel your nerves, and he works hard to keep his own at bay as he holds on to your knee. The bumpy road doesn’t affect you like it did on the first date, the early morning light just barely peeking over the horizon.

You’ve been silent since you left the apartment with him, stoic in how you present. You’re trying to keep it together.

When Frankie pulls up to the building, Will’s truck is tucked behind a few trees and covered with a tarp just as planned. You’ve been given explicit instructions to drive Frankie’s truck back to your apartment and to work as if he is staying with you, as well as where all of the paperwork is for what he owns and who to contact. You’re a crucial part to the plan.

Frankie grabs his spare hat from the backseat, old and ratty, placing it on his head with a sigh. He swallows roughly as he steps out and around to your side, opening the passenger door to find you still sitting and staring straight forward. “Alright?”

You nod, grabbing onto his outstretched hand and hopping out of his truck. You clear your throat as you step into the hangar, Frankie’s fingers squeezing yours briefly before he stepped away to the helicopter that had been brought in for the mission. You stand awkwardly at the doorway, eyes flicking over to the other boys who are around the folding table where hot coffee is made.

“Up early, aren’t you?” Santiago’s voice filters through your thoughts, his gentle smile filling your vision.

“A-a little.” You flash a smile, accepting the coffee from Santi’s outstretched hand and holding it with shaking fingers. You hope it will keep your hands warm.

Santiago stands in front of you awkwardly, watching Will and Benny gather duffles and loading them into the helicopter while Frankie does his routine of checking the helicopter in the pit. Santiago’s brow furrows for a moment before he looks up to you again. “Is…a-are you and Anna, doing better?”

The question disarms you, shaking your head in confusion. “Yeah, of course.”

“Good. I just ask because…well, you know.” Santiago clears his throat awkwardly again. “Sorry, I uh…is Anna doing okay?”

You sigh, seeing where this is going. “She’s okay. Yeah.” You pause for a moment, debating how much to share. “She…worries about you.”

Santiago’s eyes brighten in what you think is hope before dampening. You stare at it for a long moment, his eyes are dark, tired and drooping. He looks to be frowning, but you think it’s just how his face has stayed since him and Anna broke up. “I worry about her too.”

He nods at Frankie as he approaches, stepping away without another word. His hand rests on the small of your back, your hands still clutching the cup of coffee Santiago gave you. It’s purple out now, the sun filtering through the trees in a way that makes everything appear different. The air is still crisp, biting against your skin.

When Frankie turns you to face him, his fingers pushing your chin up to look him in the eye. “It’s time for you to go home, baby.”

You breath catches as you nod. “O-okay.” You swallow before blurting out. “Please be safe.”

He blinks slowly, smiling. “Two weeks. I left my wallet on my bedside, I want you to buy yourself groceries while I’m away with my card.” You go to tell him no, but he stops you with a heavy sigh. “I love you. Do you hear me?”

“Frankie, I’m not using your card, there won’t be a trace of you leaving anyways. I’ll drive your truck I swear–”

“Do you hear me?” He interrupts, holding you still as he looks to be committing you to memory.

You sigh, nodding once. “I love you, too.”

You wait by the driver’s door of his truck, as he takes a step back. “Buy food with my card. Not because of the mission, but because I want you to eat. Two weeks, and I’ll be back.” He says quietly, waiting for you to open the door and drive away.

It’s awkward for a moment, as your mind is racing but your body is still. “Right. Two weeks.” You agree, finally turning to his truck and shutting the door. You look at him as you start the ignition, pulling the gear into reverse. He stands in the drive as you go down the dirt road, watching him in the rearview mirror. He stands tall, hands in his pockets as he watches you before waving just once. Tears sprout out of your eyes the moment he disappears over the hill.

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal smut #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal fanfic #frankie morales #frankie morales smut #frankie morales fluff #frankie catfish morales #frankie morales x reader #frankie morales imagine #triple frontier fic #triple frontier fanfic

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neonscandal · 1 month

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Manga with Me: Sad SatoSugu Edition (Because That's Literally the Only Flavor There Is) Pt 2

Because I realized reblogging my initial post to keep the list going was super dumb if I want to keep gratuitously adding to it so... if you've already seen part 2, no you haven't. Especially since I had to add at least one other thing to the mix.

Part 1 | Part 2

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: JJK 0 movie + season 2 though things may get out of chronological order as I just keep thinking in circles.

Buckle up:

How positively fucked it was that Kenjaku knew the ins and outs of Geto’s thoughts about Gojo upon his possession… and knew how Geto was the one thing that could trip Gojo up… but those idiots were completely unaware.

The fact that they were always cast at odds, cursed technique wise, nature vs nurture, attitude, ideology, etc. But they still found the common ground to respect and care for one another.

I kept saying how Geto only loses his cool when harm comes to Gojo but… the crux of it is the fact that Geto is the only person who loses his cool when harm comes to Gojo because no one else could fathom the possibility (until Yuta and Yuji came along). Gojo’s power damns him to be an infallible weapon just as much as it damns Geto to be a casualty.

In fact, Geto thanked him for his hard work during the Star Plasma Vessel mission. As if Gojo had a choice. But still, Geto expressed appreciation for what most everyone else probably took for granted.

How Geto was the one person who truly challenged and undid Gojo’s godlike power all because Gojo cared for him. *insert River Song’s tirade about the Doctor loving a mere human.*

youtube

The fact that Riko’s death and their subsequent failure is what catapulted Gojo back into the need to refine and perfect his godlike strength which brought him out of touch with Geto. The isolation which Gojo knew all too well is what destroyed Geto.

Not enough emphasis was given to the fact that Geto was actively spiraling, probably couldn’t bring a spoon to his own mouth BUT STILL WANTED TO TREAT GOJO.

Geto didn’t know the power he held over Gojo or, more likely, he never chose to use it because, if Gojo would just follow him, how would that not be just as bad as the position he was already forced into by the elders? Even so, Gojo was frenzied and showed such elevated emotion when Geto defected, when he confronted him. He was undone.

After Geto, we never have the same level of insight or clarity into Gojo either. So, in addition to no longer being vulnerable to threats, he’s no longer vulnerable to us, the readers, either.

This isn’t strictly a SatoSugu observation but.. the fact that Gojo’s strength damned him to face off against a person he cares most about not once… but twice?

Gojo cultivated a life surrounded by people who he protected, who he guided, who were indebted to him, even, and he still felt like Geto was his one and only, even after everything. Even as his dream came into fruition with his team of strong students, it was all for Geto and all for naught without him.

This face when Geto realizes what we’ve known all along. Gojo’s love was unconditional but unfathomable to Geto. Please, I’m sick about it.

During the events of the JJK 0 movie, after 10 years apart, Gojo could still piece together Geto's plan just as well as Geto could figure out that Gojo sent Panda and Toge into battle to trigger Yuta's power up.

When Gojo retorts that “it’s called trust. People with beliefs like yours won’t kill a young sorcerer without reason.” having been figured out by Geto.

Even so, Geto receives that as personally as Gojo probably meant it, surprised to find that "[he] didn't realize [Gojo] still felt any connection with [him]."

When you consider that, even at the close of his life, couldn't be forthright and honest and simply tell Gojo that he never hated him.

Even when Gojo was the source of his most genuine smiles. Even bloody in an alley, death staring him in the face, claiming to not be able to smile with his whole heart and yet

Points aggressively at the board. 👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾

Stay tuned for when I inevitably circle back to light novels, OP's, EP's and literally anything else that pops into my head as this dynamic continues to haunt me. ✨

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lostheretics · 11 months

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PLOT TWIST (5)

▸ chapter 5: the rise of the new boss

pt. 1 || pt. 2 || pt. 3 || pt. 4 || pt. 5

✵ cast : jung wooyoung x fem!reader, kim hongjoong, lee juyeon, kim younghoon, ateez, mentioned oc and many kpop artists name or group

✵ genre : romance, marriage life, eventual angst, smut, mafia!au, non idol!au

✵ summary : there was a saying that learning is a lifelong process. what will you learn about the underworld, the first time you stepped into it? you might have what they call a beginner’s luck, but will that be enough for the things you’ll be facing soon?

✵ notes : stopped counting on how many words but i try to make it lengthy as possible. thanks for waiting, to those whoever awaits i guess. i was thinking of making a taglist for this fic. taglist will be used for updates; ANY updates regarding PT. just drop ur @ in my askbox. also, PLS REBLOG.

WARNINGS BELOW CUT

☒ warnings: none for now but do remind me if there’s one. a lil bit of discrimination from wooyoung but not in a bad way (kinda, but not that bad)

☒ i do not condone mafia acts nor any acts that goes against the law at all. everything mentioned are just purely fiction, made to entertain myself and fellow readers in this particular platforms.

☒ do not repost this on any other platform without my permission!

✓ reblogging, liking, and commenting this post in tumblr (through comment or askbox) are very much appreciated.

you believe in destiny, fate, universe, whatever they’re called. you put your whole faith in it. you trusted them and their work, putting one and one together to make to or even ten. after all, it's also the one reason you and wooyoung beat all odds and be together.

but not to this extent. you refused to believe it.

to believe the pair of arms that caught you just days before became the arms that lead you in a dance session. to believe the same pair of brown eyes to look at you once more. to believe that the stranger who helped you when you almost faint, in work, embarrassingly, is to be the one you work with. your new goal.

cue the famous line from that one song, what kind of fuckery is this?

“you seemed so quiet for someone who’s looking for an ally.”

uhm, because i’m fucking flabbergasted? too stunned to speak?

“i hope you don’t plan on running away, again.” he added, “i just wanna get to know you.”

you laughed nervously, “of course not, sir- uh, mr. kim,” you stuttered, “i don’t know how to properly address you.”

he twirled you before catching you in his arms again. “mr. kim would suffice for now. though i hope we’ll get close enough in the future to be on first name basis.” younghoon said. “and how should i address you? miss y/n? mrs. jung?”

“anything’s fine mr. kim.”

the dance continued.

it was a moment where you could finally savor, or, to put it less romantically and more professionally, it was a moment where you could finally take a good look on the man.

kim younghoon's name has been there for some time, but little was known about his private life. typical of the seoul kims. his business life, however, is the talk of the town.

he never failed in pursuing his business endeavors, alongside his brother. not a single dirt on his name was found despite him still being young in the field. the kim brothers; kim younghoon himself and his younger brother kim seokhun were every parents dream on a child, especially one with a family business.

his soft brown eyes were ones you'll never forget. they were so soft, unlike the ones you saw all your life; dull, full of hatred, and all that bad stuff. and the way his eyes smiled along when he smiled... you thought, a man this soft and pure-looking shouldn't be working in this part of the world.

"juyeon sent you to work with me, but i know he wanted more than just that." younghoon muttered. his hard gaze was evident despite him not looking at you, opting to scan the room.

"he wanted something regarding my family."

"mr. lee sent me to work with you, yes. we're grateful that he even mentioned our name and recommending us to you. however, he did so because he believed my group's main business is in the same field as yours, and that it'll make more sense." you said, ever so carefully while studying his face. you took a bold move, putting your body closer to his while strengthening your hold on his shoulder.

"but, regardless of that, i would truly like to work with you, mr. kim. my group wishes to. i'd like to try it with you, and i hope you can make good use of ateez in the future, as well as lending a hand for us to step further, higher, and better in the business." you declared. "i'm not blind. i know what's happening between your family and the lees, and i don't have a say in it at all. but i would like for you to consider work between ateez and the kims, unrelated to any of the lees." you reassured.

and lastly, for the cherry on top, you stared straight on his eyes, pleading.

"give us the chance to prove ourself, mr. kim."

younghoon just stared at you, while his brain processed everything you just said. you were right, the kims main business in the medicine field were compatible with kang industries that yeosang ran with his sister. that alone could be a reason for the both of you to actually talk business with each other.

he was a businessman after all, any chance is worth something if you pursue it first.

the music stopped, meaning the dance session ended. clapping sounds were heard all over the hall. you took your hands off of younghoon's, bowing at the said man.

you thought it just ended like that, but it took you by surprise when younghoon took your hand in his, raising your knuckles to his lips before landing a gentlemanly kiss ok the back of your hand. his eyes never left you when he sent you a soft smile.

"i'll have my secretary invite ateez for a business talk. as soon as the gala ends" he stated, before continuing, "it was a nice dance, mrs. jung."

"party's done. everyone retreating in ten."

wooyoung chugged down his champagne while scanning around the room, giving nods to every member in his sight as a sign. he greeted the rest of his acquaintance, before leaving the scene.

just as he was about to exit the hall, a hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him in his track. a once scowl on his face turned into a friendly smile when he turned around and was greeted by seo changbin.

"my man, binnie!" he gave the buff man a hug, not to mention a tap on his back. "what's up?"

"not much. are you guys leaving already?" he asked while looking around, noting some ateez members already heading out of the hall. he clicked his tongue in an unapproved manner. "it's still early, though. how am i gonna catch up with my best friend?" he lightly pouted.

"the only thing you'll catch is these hands if you ever do that thing again." wooyoung jested, and changbin only laughed.

once the laugh died down, he took a step closer to wooyoung, lowering his voice as he watched around.

"got some words from chan. mind sparing me some time?"

wooyoung lifted his wrist to watch the time. he still got eight minutes left. he nodded at changbin before leading the man away from the crowd, opting for a quieter side of the hall just by its door.

"what's up? business doing okay?" he asked.

changbin only shrugged, "it's fine. work here and there, cusses, blood, what's new?" then he raised his hand to rest on wooyoung's shoulder. "congrats to ateez, by the way." he complimented.

he then stated, "it's the talk of the town right now, you know? the fact that ateez, a gang took down a royal family, by a new member no less. i'm talking about your wife, mrs. jung y/n." changbin chuckled lightly when he saw a change in wooyoung's expression, a cocky smirk along with a subtle red tint on his cheeks. a sense of pride rose within wooyoung.

"a good catch they say."

wooyoung almost giggled. "damn right. thanks for the words though,"

done with the chitchat, changbin cleared his throat as he turned to wooyoung.

"chan said he met your wife at some casual networking party just a couple months ago, hongjoong did the introduction. safe to say he was intrigued." wooyoung turned his head to changbin upon his choice of words.

lifting a brow, he chuckled. "same thing happened to me before i married her."

changbin clicked his tongue, "not in that way, of course." he objected, slightly cringing over the thoughts of his boss creating a drama worthy act like that. "you know chan, you've heard about it, right? that he rarely missed when it comes to judging someone, especially the businessmen or women."

"i've heard some of it. and what about it?"

"the other day he sort of said something about y/n and talents, that she could be a big thing soon. and surprise, surprise, not long after that the news came like a fucking thunder, a shock to everyone and especially chan. ateez was about to lose but she just casually lifted you up and took down the whole family."

checking at his watch, he quickly pointed out. "so, what does he want exactly?"

"chan's got an info. an inside job. new weapon supplies and exchanges, i'm talking new types and big money. the job's too big to take for us alone and he already thought of making a collaboration between our team since ateez got a good capo, and you got mingi and yunho on weaponries. your reputations preceded you," he exhaled, before continuing. "but ever since he met y/n and heard of the news, he wanted to go even further. chan wants y/n in the job. with your captain's permission, of course, but he wants her to directly sit on the table where he and hongjoong will be. chan wanted me to tell you that, and he hopes to hear good answers from hongjoong."

by the time changbin was done with his explanations, wooyoung was already stunned. he was taken aback at the fact that you rose so quick to be able to catch other's attention. he was slightly agape, eyes widened. to be able to stand beside hongjoong, to sit right next to him is to be next to the captain by rank. though unofficial, the conversation itself could be a proof that you're an equal to seonghwa and yeosang.

you had him floored, truly.

"could you please try to put some words to hongjoong? chan really wants this." changbin's plead broke wooyoung's train of thoughts.

he nodded lightly. "i'll see what i can do," he promised the man.

he lifted his wrist once more. seeing the time had passed, he took a step back. "i have to go now. i'll let you know of the outcome soon."

"wait!" changbin almost yelled, stopping wooyoung on his track.

"what?" he asked. changbin hurriedly walk to wooyoung as his hands dug around his suit pocket. upon finding the item, he quickly put the piece of paper in wooyoung's pocket.

"i almost forgot." changbin moved closer towards wooyoung and whispered, "come to the show. capos business. yeonjun found a new spot, some rough diamonds ready to be trained if you're recruiting new members."

he stepped back, tapping on wooyoung's pocket before retreating.

"thank me later."

“they’re leaving the premises, sir.” 

the minion retreated, leaving juyeon and his champagne on the balcony. his eyes watched as a couple of cars left his mansion, particularly the last car that carried you and your husband.

it was something that he used to love to do with his father; watching people come and go. the only difference were his father is no longer around, and that it has become his job.

upon watching the way you sway in the dress he gave, hand in hand with your husband as you got in the car, he gripped on his glass harder as he tried to breathe, not even realizing he was holding his breath the entire time. there was this uneasiness, a storm brewing in the pit of his stomach. he didn’t believe in anything unworldly or superstitious, but he believed in himself. of what he sees, what he feels, what he understands.

it didn’t take long for him to saw power in ateez.

one that could endanger his, though he didn’t know the source nor the reason for it. for that, he’ll have to dig deeper.

“something’s coming.” he murmured, enough to be heard by another party standing behind him. he whispered again, “i can feel it in my bones.”

park jipsa, the one who stood behind him sighed, “are you afraid?”

“never.”

“then you’ll know what to do.”

if there ever was something brighter than the sun, it must’ve been hongjoong’s grin, pulled all the way back showing his pearly smiles you thought his skin would soon tear apart.

the man was practically beaming.

and you silently took pride in being one of the reason so.

“business looking good.”

“damn right it is.”

it was just you, hongjoong, seonghwa, and yeosang in the room. breakfast was done and group meeting ended, yet the ambitious man kept you around to discuss everything further. there were papers scattered, calls made, and coffees on the table.

“i’ve checked around,” yeosang chipped in, while rearranging the documents discussed for the meeting, “if we’re actually working with the kims, emphasize on if, if everything works, we’ll have easier access to some of our stuff, both importing and exporting. the drug development is looking good right now, and we’ll have much exposure with their help. we’re gonna make more money soon.”

“that sounds good, yeosang. great, actually.” hongjoong beamed, smiling at yeosang. the man stood near his desk, phone still in his hand, just finishing a deal went well.

seonghwa chuckled, “you feel good?”

“fuck yeah, hwa. yeah i feel good.” he almost screamed. “of course i feel good, everything’s looking good like this. and if it actually works i might do a somersault myself.”

“you look like you’re gonna do that now.”

you laughed along with the guys.

after pacing back and forth, energetically, and with happy thoughts one would assume the mafia leader might be a child trapped in a man’s body, hongjoong finally sat down. he tapped his fingers on the table, before finally making up his mind, pointing at each party around him.

“okay, here’s what. we have so much in our hands right now, but i’d like for everything to work out and i put my trust in you guys,” hongjoong stared at each of you, “i’m all in for you.”

he pointed at seonghwa. “i’m sending seonghwa to japan to settle down. you’ll be our representation there hwa, until i finish things in here. the most important thing is to make a powerful link to that family.” he said, moving to yeosang as soon as seonghwa nodded his head.

“yeosang, as usual with kang industries, but i want you to bring y/n around as a representative too. she’s gonna be the link between us to the kims and drug business, so it’s good for the both of you.”

you and yeosang couldn’t help but to stole glances, surprised by the mission but acknowledging each other still.

hongjoong raised his phone, tapping it several times before speaking again, “wooyoung got words from chan last night, and chan just made a call this morning. he wants a collaboration between our group for a job. there are new weapons coming in, big job. chan’s got his hand on it but figured it’d be too big to handle alone, but dangerous if handled by too many. so we’re in, and i’m also taking y/n in this, per chan’s request.”

he turned to you. “you’re gonna have so much in your hands this time, you know this right?”

you nodded.

“but with stray kids, you’ll just be a spectator on the table. i’ll handle the big game with chan. i want you to focus more on the kims and kang industries. your main job right now is the kims. do you understand?”

“yes.”

“good.”

birds fly fast.

but the rumors flew faster in this house.

it didn’t take long for everyone in this house to find out about you. and your new… job. or perhaps rank. a housewife turned… consigliere? underboss? hongjoong hasn’t give you an official rank within the group yet. however it didn’t take a genius to see how high up your position were.

you’re working straight with yeosang, second in command in ateez next to seonghwa, ateez’s face and representative in the outside world. your job was as important as seonghwa’s, hongjoong’s righthand man, the underboss of ateez. each of every job you’ve done you’d report back straight to hongjoong, and hongjoong took you almost everywhere he goes.

on top of that, you’ve been giving counsels to hongjoong even before you had your debut in the underworld.

you’re as good as a consigliere, just not officially, yet.

there was contentment, of course, yet it also comes with burdens. one that you fear you wouldn’t be able to bear. but you will do your best, for your family. for wooyoung. to make him proud.

and he couldn’t be more proud of you.

wherever ateez goes, wherever he goes, he wouldn’t stop gushing about you every time someone brought your name up. lowkey, of course. just to make sure everyone knows you’re his wife. that you’re great, yes, but you’re definitely off limits.

exactly like tonight.

he eyed the piece of paper in his hand, before eyeing the traditional restaurant in front of him. it was a small, dimly-lit building. an old woman walked around, delivering orders though not much, as they didn’t have much customers for the night.

he fished out his phone out from his pocket, typing a name before pressing the call button.

“hello?” changbin’s voice rang through his speaker.

“i’m outside. are you sure this is the place?” wooyoung asked, throwing glances with yunho, jongho, and san behind him.

“it’s a small restaurant, right? did you see the old lady?”

“yeah? and?”

changbin chuckled, “just get in. take a seat, and when she asked for your order, just ask her if mr. kim’s soju is on the menu today. come fast, the match’s about to start.” and with that, changbin hanged up.

putting his phone back on his pocket, he whisked his head, signaling the boys to enter the place with him. they took a table, and before long, the old lady came to their table, asking for their orders. wooyoung looked around, making sure no one’s hearing them, before getting closer to the lady.

“is mr. kim’s soju on the menu today?”

the old lady just smiled and nodded. “it’s stored just right there. come along and pick for yourself, young man.”

that’s how they got into the hidden basement deep under the ground, by an elevator just behind the fridge in the kitchen.

when the elevator stopped, changbin was standing in the hallway. he greeted them with a smile, shaking wooyoung’s hand firmly.

“cool place, right?” he quipped, then shook hands with jongho, yunho, and san.

changbin led them further into the basement. even from the hallway, rough noises were already heard, and it got louder as they got closer.

illegal fights weren’t a secret anymore. but as they got deeper, more secluded, the more blood got spilled, the more animalistic the fighters get, the bigger the prize. this is where the mafias recruit new members, new associates.

the rings were surrounded by rough looking men, some older, some younger. the fighter on the ring looked all bloody and bruised, but still standing on their feet fighting for their life. hollers here and there, nothing new.

they all took a table not far from the ring. yeonjun and beomgyu were seen, along with jisung and jeongin. they greeted each other.

“the consigliere’s husband!” yeonjun quipped with a playful tap on wooyoung’s back. wooyoung chuckled. with pride, of course.

“so what’s the hype?” wooyoung asked, half yelling to catch yeonjun’s attention. the lad pointed his finger to each rings, getting himself close to wooyoung and the others.

“gems. lots of them,” he yelled, pointing at one of the ring, “see that guy over there?” he asked, pointing at a tall man, not buff, but muscular and calculative enough to look not so affected while his opponent looked like he’s about to faint.

yeonjun spoke again, “he’s an ex NIS agent. i think he got ousted, betrayed, whatever. and that’s just one of the few. there are other fighters, former gang members, ex police, ex NIS, ex professionals— whatever we’re looking for. so take a pick!” he said, before continuing.

“but be careful, they also might be onto something if they go this deep. either all in or all out.”

the pungent smell of blood was nothing new, combined with the smell of sweat of all people, burnt cigarettes, liquors of all kinds. in fact, none of them seemed to be distracted by any of the smell, the sound, or even the people who were drunk off their minds falling around them.

their eyes, especially wooyoung’s were focused on each ring or around the room, scanning all within the room trying to find new recruits or maybe new connections.

a bell was heard, a ring near them just announced a winner before quickly moving on. a pair of new fighters stepped onto the ring, one of them a rough looking men, presumably already fought a fight before this one, and his opponent…

…a woman?

her hair was tied up, cuts and bruises here and there but not enough to disguise her beauty. physically she’s far smaller than the man, less muscular, yet she hold no fear in her eyes.

“what’s a pretty girl doing in this hellhole?” wooyoung murmured,

right before the girl ducked down and punched his opponent right on his chest, hard enough to make him cut his breath. then landed a punch to his right cheek, followed by his left cheek. and a final kick to his head, quickly sending the man to his sleep, hopefully not an eternal one.

and that’s how she won the game.

not to mention leaving wooyoung speechless. that was a quick game. and she looked like a gem. a fighter like that would make jobs easier, faster, and more efficient.

he was deep in his thoughts, until san nudged him, “are you seeing what i’m seeing?”

wooyoung looked back at san, observing his line of sight, only to bring his eyes back to the said woman.

a gem in sight indeed.

“her?”

“yes, her. we need her. i want her. we gotta take her.” he mouthed. he then pulled wooyoung by the shoulder, and proceeded to stare into wooyoung’s eyes with the most serious look he could muster. “seriously wooyoung, i can’t handle this charmer—grifter shit alone anymore. we need a charmer. and i mean it.”

“san, we’re on budget and we’re here to look for a bodyguard—“ he was about to state but san had cut him off.

“did you not see the way she threw that punches? she can be a bodyguard. she is muscle.”

“yes, but—“ wooyoung hesitated, “i don’t know man, a lady bodyguard?”

san gasped. “that’s discrimination, what the fuck?”

“not in that way!” wooyoung bit back, “i don’t know man, i’m just not sure. she’s all great, it’s just—”

“but what?” san pressed.

san wasn’t wrong, they do need a charmer. san was the only charmer ateez had— they do have others, just not as good as san, hence the lad had to do most jobs by himself. the last time they had a good charmer other than san, but they got killed in action.

being a grifter, a charmer, he did get to know most thing and even on the deeper part of the underworld. any place he want, anyone, he could get through anything, most of the times. but ultimately, he was fed up. doing what he did best alone might finally took a toll on him.

so with the hard look, now turned puppy eyes, there was no way wooyoung could say no to san, the charmer himself.

he sighed. “you know what? fuck that. go and get her if you want.”

there were probably fireworks bursting behind san’s eyes, that’s the only logical reason (though far from logic itself) for the sparkle in his eyes. choi san quickly bolted away from the table, adamant on getting and recruiting the woman.

wooyoung, with yunho and jongho on the other hand sticked to the main plan; find new muscles to recruit. yeonjun, changbin and their own gang were soon scattered around the basement with their own mission to accomplish. jongho was still looking around, and yunho was still seen talking to the possible recruits.

wooyoung was just talking to one of the possible recruit, giving them his business card when san pulled him away to a corner. he kept guiding on wooyoung with this grin on his face, pushing him around until wooyoung finally faced the lady they’ve been talking about.

“so this is wooyoung,” san made the intro, “he’s our trainer, supervisor, and not to mention my best friend. and we—” he stepped back behind wooyoung, “—are interested in taking you in with us.”

taking a good look in the closer distance, she looked even better. her skin looked soft, save some scratches and scars here and there, but they were mostly healed leaving just a white mark. her eyes were brown, and like when she was on the ring, had this striking look.

this one’s definitely a charmer. she just needs to be guided, and they got a perfect teacher for her. stretching his hand out, wooyoung offered her a formal handshake.

“wooyoung.”

she watched his stretched hand for a while. the unsure glint in her eyes started to flicker along the time, and she finally took wooyoung’s hand.

“son jiwoo.”

the tall, black door seemed so big and scary.

despite it being just a plain door to a restaurant.

you might think it’s the door, but a part of you knew more than that. that wasn’t just a door you had to pass, a restaurant you must enter.

kim younghoon was waiting somewhere in that restaurant for you. this was going to be your first meeting with younghoon, and you gotta make sure it’s going well. this is your first big mission, as a member of ateez.

you straighten your floral dress, fixing any possible crease before stepping inside. a waiter came to your aid, giving their best smile, “may i help you?”

you smiled back. “i have a reservation, with mr. kim younghoon. is he here?”

the waiter smiled even wider, “ah, madam! yes, mr. kim has been waiting for you. let me take your jacket.” they spoke, as they pulled your jacket off of you. “if you please follow me, madam.”

the waiter guided you to a table near the glass window, where you found younghoon sitting in a formal, yet casual look. the white fitted top and light brown pants. upon the announcement of your arrival, kim younghoon turned his head, offering you a smile so bright. the gentlemen even stood up, pulling your seat for you instead of letting the waiter do that for you.

“you look nice.” he complimented.

“and you more. i thought the suits were your best look, but these? gorgeous.”

he chuckled, “trying to charm me straight away, i see.”

“yes, but some truth can’t be hidden for too long. i also have to charm my future colleague for a chance, right?” you quipped back, earning a soft laugh from younghoon.

“you’re straightforward. i like it, it’s also the way that i am and used to.” he said. he laid back to his chair, looking at you before asking, “a straightforward man gotta speak his mind, am i right?”

“yes they do, i suppose.”

he took your answer in silence. he looked out through the window, watching the bright afternoon sky and people on the street,, seemingly deep in thoughts. gone were the light atmosphere when you got there.

then younghoon spoke one sentence and a question. the easiest way to phrase and conclude your whole mission.

“i know juyeon sent you to fix things between our families. correct?”

upon the sudden intrusion, your body froze for a second. your lips almost quivered, letting out broken words, having nothing to come up with. kim younghoon fired a bullet and it hit right on the bullseye. and he didn’t even mention anything about anything work related, despite that being one of your most important reason to pursue him.

younghoon’s eyes were back on you, and you had no choice but to spit the truth out.

“yes, you’re right, mr. kim,” you sighed, but not yet defeated. “and i’m aware of… the gap between your families, that it’s not in a good condition.”

“how much did you know?”

“that your family was a supporter to lee jiyoung back when the war was happening.” you stated.

he clicked his tongue, “i wish it was as easy as that, mrs. jung.” he sighed as he leaned back onto his chair.

“i wish to help in many ways, mr. kim. in this way, because juyeon sent me for this reason. but other than that, a work with your family is what my family aim for. a personal gain. both, or one of them is enough for me and i’m willing to do the job.” you told him, straightforwardly. “is there something i can do to fix this?”

“to fix the gap between the lees and kims? i don’t know, mrs. jung. i’m not sure if there’s a way at all,” he shrugged.

but he quickly added in, “but, regarding ateez and my family, i think we both have a chance for that. i’ve spoken with my father, and maybe, just maybe, if this works, we’ll consider juyeon’s purpose of… mending the two families. now the question remain; would you take the job, and could you do it well?”

“i’m willing to try and do my best for anything.”

“anything?”

“anything.”

the man smiled, grinning almost. “then it starts now.” he said. younghoon raised his hand, catching the sight of a waiter.

entrees were served, followed by main dishes. younghoon and you talked about each other, and he talked a lot about himself.

how he and his brother were raised in england, before moving at the age of 15 back to korea. he went to university, took classes in law school before graduating, not only from a prestigious uni but also with honors. since that, he’s been helping his father around along with his brother regarding their family business, as they’re the ones who’s going to take their father’s place place someday.

kim younghoon was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

yet he seemed far from those whiny nepo babies who fed themselves off of their father’s pocket, but act like they rule the whole world. his family’s money might back him up, but he ruled his own brain, branding himself as the smart and hardworking guy from a wealthy family who could lead even without his father’s hand in the matter.

in short, he’s a man that everyone dreams to become.

the conversation went smooth up until dessert was served. you couldn’t help yourself but to blurt out, “so, what’s the job? when am i gonna do it?”

“oh, we’re actually doing it right now,” he quipped, putting another slice of cake into his mouth.

“what?”

younghoon didn’t say anything, only flicking his hand to call for the waiter. the waiter soon came with a bright smile as they put a velvet box right in front of you. not forgetting to say what a lucky woman to have a partner like that.

a partner?

you were still not functioning perfectly, still deep in your thoughts and confused even when younghoon pushed the velvet box towards you. “open it.” he said.

“mr. kim, i— i’m, i’m not sure i—“ you had stuttered, but he silenced you up.

“just open the box.”

per his command, your hands moved to open the box. upon the first touch, you could feel the soft velvet under your fingers, quickly understanding the high quality of the box, and perhaps, the item within it. curiosity might kill the cat, but not you, you believed as you opened the box and found a piece of necklace within it. a pearl necklace stared back at you from that box.

wordlessly, younghoon stood up. he took the necklace out of its box before bringing it near your neck. his hands softly moved your hair to the side, and you quickly responded by bunching your hair in your fist, giving him access to your bare neck. as he put on the necklace, he lowered his lips next to your ear.

“you’ll find a woman to your right, dressed in all green. she’s mrs. han, a socialite in gangnam and wife to mr. han, one of the most important people in the ministry of health,” he whispered to you, “she knows me, and might’ve been watching us since the beginning. she has a daughter around our age and she had been wanting to… arrange a marriage between our families.”

“and my job is…?”

finishing on putting the necklace on, younghoon simply smiled to you. “…to be my partner. fiancee, girlfriend, whatever. to put on a show. i don’t want to be engaged in that way, but i have a brother and he’s willing to do that in my stead,”

“there’s an upcoming socialite party, and a little birdie told me you’re quite… persuasive,” he started to explain, “if you can get us an invitation, put some good words and convince her to make an arrangement between her daughter and my brother, you’ll have your way with my family. you see, we need this connection. a connection with her husband makes it easier for our drug business, even in exporting and importing. mr. han is one of the man ruling the country. prove yourself, and my father promises to invite you for a dinner, to talk about future business with ateez. even with the lees. and the offer’s still up even though you only succeeded in securing an invitation for us to the party.”

he straightened his back, offering his hand to you, “there’s still a chance to back out.”

you weren’t sure, but you shook your head and took his hand, “i won’t.”

younghoon smiled, almost so brightly, a quick change from his previous hard demeanor. he landed a long lasting kiss on the back of your hand, another added shock to you. you almost stuttered and about to pull your hand when he spoke,

“the necklace looks dashing on you, sweetheart.” he almost purred, shocking you.

“kim younghoon?”

the latter’s voice stopped you from pulling away. younghoon simply turned to the lady who called his name, giving her a smile.

“mrs. han,” he greeted back, bowing slightly, “good to see you again.”

mrs. han only chuckled, “then you should’ve visit me more often. i haven’t seen you around in any of my gatherings.” she looked behind younghoon, at you. “and i certainly have never seen this lovely lady with her lovely necklace around.” she quipped.

younghoon gave his hand for you to take, and you did, standing up from your seat next to him. “let me introduce you to my fiancee, y/n. she’s the reason i’m not around much, mrs. han. you can blame her for it.” he once again kissed your hand in a cheeky manner, and you giggled following his act. “i can’t seem to get her out of my life.” he continued.

you bowed slightly to the lady, offering her a sweet smile. “my name is y/n, pleasure to meet you mrs. han. younghoon told me many things about you.” you introduced yourself.

“all the good things, i hope.”

“don’t worry ma’am, he made me think you’re a great woman. and it shows now.”

she laughed, feeling content with your answer.

“and he didn’t forget to tell me how much of a good host you are for your party.” you smirked, starting your mission.

by the time you came home, it was almost midnight. you knew wooyoung would’ve fallen asleep by then, so you tiptoed your way into your room, with your heels in your hands.

your heart almost jumped out of your chest when the light suddenly turned on.

“where have you been?”

“shit, woo!” you cussed while holding your chest, almost panting. “baby? why aren’t you sleeping?”

wooyoung sat on the edge of your bed with his arms folded as he stared at you. “obviously, i was waiting for you.” he deadpanned, “you know i couldn’t sleep without you. so where have you been?”

you exhaled, feeling guilty that you left the man waiting for until midnight, completely forgetting the existence of modern phones and to tell him of your whereabouts. “oh, baby,” you walked up to him, cradling his face in your palms.

“i’m so sorry i made you wait,” you kissed his forehead, “i had lunch with kim younghoon, and he gave me a task. i spent the whole day planning and then reporting to hongjoong, and we had a last minute meeting with stray kids. i should’ve told you, that’s my mistake,” you explained. wooyoung sighed defeatedly, finally accepting your apologies. he circled his hands on your waist.

“it’s okay.” he muttered.

you told him to get ready for bed, while you freshen up in the bathroom, finally ready to end the night. your body felt warm, being in your comfiest pajamas, and your heart follows when you saw wooyoung on bed tucked nicely under the blanket, with his arm stretched out welcoming you in his embrace.

“how was today’s scouting?” you asked with a small voice.

“it was okay,” he answered, listing the things he had done. “got some new muscles that i gotta train. met yeonjun and changbin. and… oh!” he gasped, making you look up to him.

“what is it?”

“you know, me and san found this girl while scouting, she was badass,” he said and you could practically see the sparks in his eyes, “she fought this buff man in like, 5 seconds, though i think the man was more of muscle than skills, but isn’t that cool? san wanted her so bad he ran straight to her after the fight.”

“anyways i didn’t want to scout her at first but san would probably held me on a gunpoint if i refuse him—“ you both laughed, “—yeah right? so long story short we probably got ourselves a new charmer. i think san’s gonna teach her more, but i’ll still have to take part in physical training.”

you hummed, “san fell in love at the first sight, huh?”

wooyoung nodded, “i think i did too.”

you playfully hit his chest, making him wince dramatically as he held his chest.

“jung wooyoung! don’t you dare fall in love with her!” you threatened him. the bastard husband of yours grinned.

“are you jealous?”

“hm, i don’t know. what would you think if i hooked up with kim younghoon?”

“hey!” he whined, clearly not liking the idea of you and another man side by side. not even one bit. and that was something everyone know, and some even witnessed it with their own eyes, referring to your previous encounter with lee juyeon.

you laughed to his blatant jealousy, and maybe, seeing the smile in your face and the sound of your melodic laugh to his ears were the reason for him laughing along with you.

wooyoung pulled you close to his body, putting his chin on top of your head. the smell of your shampoo invaded his nose, and somewhat it relaxed him all the time. maybe it’s your shampoo, or maybe, it’s the fact that you’re close to him.

he breathes slowly, but you could hear his heart beating fast behind his chest. some things change, but you realize one thing stays the same; his heartbeat. whenever you put your head to his chest you always hear the same fast beat from his heart.

and you know yours beats the way his did.

“i can never love anyone else but you.”

his voice pierced through the silence as he murmured the words into your hair.

maybe it was his voice. maybe it was the sentence, the words. maybe it’s both things combined, the reason why you feel such warmth in your heart and the pleasant butterflies flying in your stomach. the combination of two simple things, yet magical enough for you to take it as a sign of love.

love.

you buried your face into his chest, trying to hide your smile. all you could say was, “i love you, woo.”

simple sentence that also warmed his heart.

to both lovers like you, those moment felt like it’s just you both against the world. in your vows; both in happiness or sadness.

“will i see you again?”

wooyoung suddenly asked. the nature of the question making you pull away from him, furrowing your eyebrows in confusion.

“what kind of question is that?” you asked back, looking up to his face.

he seemed doubtful, that was clearly painted all over his face, visible from his eyes, the way it glinted.

wooyoung sighed. “i don’t know. you have a job, so many things to do now that hongjoong trusts you. and i’m happy for you, baby, i truly do, it’s just—“ he hesitated for a while before continuing.

“it’s— what if you get busier? what if we get so busy that… that we can’t even share a proper meal together like we used to? what if we can’t see each other as much as we used to back when we have less things to do? what if i can’t even hug you in my sleep at night? what if—“

“—what if we changed so much and turn in a direction we don’t want?”

late night thoughts do bring the most genuine question. and his was a valid one.

it’s no secret that marriage, no matter how sweet, how hot or cold, can suddenly turn lukewarm, tasteless, or even turn sour over the time.

that would be a nightmare. one that can turn very real, in any time, near or far.

to imagine a tasteless marriage life with your passionate husband made you crawl closer to him, burying your face in his chest to seek more warmth. the more seconds went the more you appreciate his prescence. taking in everything you could.

just in case it’d be your last.

“i promise we won’t turn that way, my love. i’ll do anything to keep us together. keep us, keep you safe.” you murmured into his chest.

“you just have to promise to love me still. like this. even when times go rough, when it eats us inside out, body and soul. even with the last sparks of love you have for me, love me. until i’m not here beside you.” you continued. you felt suffocated, unconsciously the littlest sniffle got out of you with the tears. “you’re all i have, wooyoung.”

desperation in it’s truest form.

but it’s true, you have no one but your husband. no family, no nothing. not even a life, if it was not for the past, or the present, given by your husband and his kin. and now that you’ve associated yourself with them, you, who used to have nothing, now have something. and it fears you to imagine losing them.

to go back to the solitude you were in before.

hearing your cries crushed him. he tightened his hands around you, securing you in his grasp, giving you the most comfort one could give. he might regret the way he voiced out his concerns today, yet it was an important question within your relationship.

and a silent way to say that he fears of losing you, too.

“i’m here, baby. i love you,” he said, giving a peck on your hair,

“and i promise to keep that love for as long as i live.”

NOT EVEN HALFWAY BUT I STILL WANNA FINISH THE WHOLE THING. enjoy. both in reading and waiting uwu

also we’re getting closer to… the start of the angst.

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missyaess · 1 year

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I just want to say thank you to everyone who’s liked,commented and reblogged <3 ilysm

@just-some-random-simp-lol @liaaa-1

Maybe Meant To Be - Fake Dating pt.2

pt.1 pt.3

Katsuki bakugo x Jealous Reader x Midoriya Izuku

-Wait-WHAT?

-Are they-

-They are!

You could barely make out the sentences of your classmates as you walked hand in hand with the green haired boy.You were both blushing,not because you were holding each other’s hands,but because everyone was talking about it.You didn’t think it would gather this much attention but apparently everybody took an interest in the seemingly new couple.Mina was playing her part while winking at you two without anyone noticing.

-So are you guys dating now?That’s so exciting!How did it happen?Tell us everything!

As you and Midoriya began to tell the story of how you confessed to each other and got together- you practiced it all night last night-the door to the classroom opened.You spun around at the sound to look at who it was.It was Bakugo.

He looked angry as usual,which you grew to love about him,with a scowl on his face.As he was walking he looked into your eyes , probably since you were ogling him,then to Izuku next to you which immediately resulted in an angrier expression on his face and then to your hands intertwined.His eyes widened along with his slightly parted mouth,and he looked absolutely shocked for 2 seconds before he masked it away.He mumbled something under his breath that you couldn’t hear and made his way over to his desk,which was where everyone was gathered talking about your new relationship with Izuku.

Mina noticing the same things as you smirked and continued her scheme.

-I always thought you guys would be cute together.

Bakugo scowled at this and you wanted to let yourself believe it was because he was jealous,but it was most likely because you were hogging his desk.

-Can ya move it?Im tryna get to my desk!

-Sure Bakugo,we’ll continue our conversation somewhere else!

As Mina gestured everyone towards her desk and asked more questions about your relationship,some which Izuku some which you answered,someone else came in the classroom,Uraraka.

You didn’t notice you were still holding hands with izuku and suddenly you were aware of both Uraraka’s and Bakugo’s gaze on your hands.

-U-Uhm good morning!Whats everyone talking about?

Uraraka kept glancing between the two of you while talking.

-These two lovebirds were telling us about-

Aizawa came in the classroom and cut all the chatter off.You could feel Bakugo staring at you but you didn’t dare meet his gaze.

——————————————————————————

At lunch you were sitting with Mina and Izuku.

-Have you guys seen how mad Bakugo was?I told you he already likes you Y/N!

-I’m not sure about that…

-And Uraraka-Chan couldn’t keep her eyes off of you Deku!

-Y-You really think so?

As they were chatting,your eyes drifted off to where Bakugo and his friends were sitting.You and Mina would usually sit there but today was different.For a while you would be sitting with Izuku alone, as the plan suggested.As Mina left for Bakugo’s table,Uraraka came to yours.

-Hey,I’m not interrupting am I?

If she thought you were dating,which she did,she was interrupting on purpose.You almost smirked at this but kept it to yourself.It was time for you to play your part.

-No not at all,why don’t you take a seat?

As Izuku and Uraraka started talking about classes or something,you were paying attention at a certain blonde who was screaming at Mina for whatever reason.You stared at him for a good minute before he noticed you and when he did you could swear you saw a blush on his cheeks.

-Y/N,what do you think?

-What?

Uraraka’s question startled you and you turned your attention away from Bakugo.Out of the corner of your eye,you could feel him watching you.Maybe you were just imagining things.

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itsparis-07 · 10 days

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BROOKLNY'S SPARROW PT.1

( since this my first fic ever please go easy on me now, and as always stay fresh and reblog this fic for pt.2!!! - with love, Paris!)

In the year 202X, Earth-42 was a world much like any other. People lived their lives, went to work, raised families, and tried their best to ignore the rising tide of crime that threatened to engulf their world. But in one small corner of the universe, in the bustling city of New York, there was a company called Oscorp that had a secret plan to change everything. They had created human-avian hybrids, soldiers designed to stop gang crime once and for all. The project, code-named "XJR-10," was supposedly aimed at restoring order to the city, but the truth was far more sinister.

Oscorp's real goal was to use these hybrids, known as "Reapers," to wipe out every bi-poc area in New York City, starting with Brooklyn. The plan was to infiltrate the neighborhoods, gather intelligence then launch a coordinated attack that would leave no witnesses. It was a brutal and a genocidal scheme, but it was one that Oscorp felt was necessary to maintain control over New York City.

As the Reapers began their mission, they encountered resistance from the very people they were supposed to protect. In one of Oscorp's "Metro" facilities in Brooklyn, a riot broke out as the Reapers tried to round up innocent civilians. The facility was overrun, and one of the hybrids, Michiko, managed to escape. As she fled into the night, she found herself in the midst of chaos and confusion.

Little did she know that her escape would lead her straight into the path of Rio Morales, a nurse at the time saw something in Michiko that reminded her of her own past, of the innocence and hope that had once filled him. She decided to take her in.

As they walked along to park slope, Rio walked her inside, placed down her bags and walked toward the kitchen. She grabbed a small box of Mango tea and started the kettle on the stove.

"Are your wings feeling better? You were in the hospital with me for awhile" Rio said as she placed the mug of tea in front of Michiko. Miciko smiled softly and nodded, "Yes, thank you." She took a sip of the tea and let out a small sigh of relief. "You've been very kind to me Ms.Rio, I'm not sure what I would've done if you hadn't found me." Rio chuckled, "I couldn't just leave you there not even if it was my son, as a mother I can't stand to see kids like you going through thing like that."

As they continued to talk, Rio began to tell Michiko about her family and her life before becoming a nurse. She shared stories of her childhood, her teenage years, and even her early adult life. Michiko, in turn, shared some of her own experiences, though she was careful not to reveal too much about her past as a Reaper. The two women seemed to connect on a deep level, and Rio couldn't help but feel a sense of protectiveness over Michiko.

As the front sofly opened Miles walked in to greet his mother as usual, as he walked to the kitchen he stopped to face the two women. Michiko and Rio looked up at him, their eyes filled with curiosity and wonder. "Miles, this is Michiko. She was in the Metro facility when it was attacked and she managed to escape. I found her wandering around and decided to take her in." Rio explained, her voice gentle but firm. Miles nodded, taking in the sight of the young woman with wings. Michiko smiled shyly and took a sip from her cup as she brushed her sister locs out of her face. He stared at Michiko for a bit then sat down at the table along with his mother.

"I know it's job your to take care of others, but she's can't be here for long. I mean she's on the news and Oscorp has the cops searching all of New York for her." Miles said worriedly.

Rio looked at Miles and then back at Michiko."We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, Miles. For now, let's focus on making sure she's safe and comfortable. And if the police do come looking for her, we'll figure something out then." She reached out to pat Michiko's hand reassuringly.

TO BE CONT!!!

#paris<3 #my first fic #earth 42 miles x reader #earth 42 miles morales x black!reader #atsv miles

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scoonsalicious · 14 days

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Unwanted: Chapter 20, Uninhibited - Pt. 1

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Fem!Reader

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language, vomiting, mentions of speculation of poisoning.

Word Count: 562

Previously On...: You confronted Bucky for sleeping with Jade. He was full of apologies and tears, but you'd had enough of both.

A/N: We now officially begin the third arc of the story! While the betrayal is done, there are still going to be a lot of dark themes that will be explored. You are warned.

NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when I update, please enable notifications from my Blog page!

Banner By: The absolutely amazing @mrsbuckybarnes1917!

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

Taglist: (Sadly, tag list is closed; Tumblr will not let me add anyone new. If you want to be notified when I update, please Follow me for Notifications!) @jmeelee @cazellen @mrsbuckybarnes1917 @blackhawkfanatic @buckybarnessimpp @hayjat @capswife @itsteambarnes @marygoddessofmischief @sebastians-love @learisa @lethallyprotected @rabbitrabbit12321 @buckybarnesandmarvel @fanfictiongirl77 @calwitch @fantasyfootballchampion @selella @jackiehollanderr @wintercrows @sashaisready @missvelvetsstuff @angelbabyyy99 @keylimebeag @maybefoxysouls @vicmc624 @j23r23 @wintercrows @crist1216 @cjand10 @pattiemac1@les-sel @dottirose @winterslove1917 @harperkenobi @ivet4 @casey1-2007 @mrsevans90 @steeph-aniie @bean-bean2000 @beanbagbitch @peachiestevie @wintrsoldrluvr @shadowzena43

Tumblr will not let me directly tag the following: @marcswife21 @erelierraceala @jupiter-107 @doublejeon @hiqhkey @unaxv @brookeleclerc

The rest of the week was awful. You distracted yourself as best you could, practicing your dance routines on the pole Tony had reluctantly transferred to your new, temporary space. Thank goodness you’d kept yourself in shape over the years; you’d forgotten how much core and upper body strength pole dancing required. Yet the movements came back to you with ease, muscle memory that allowed your mind to wander, which wasn’t always necessarily a good thing.

You were still vomiting, though not as severely. One early morning, after nausea had pulled you from a restless sleep and you were hanging your head, exhausted, over the toilet bowl once more, you had the terrifying thought that Jade had been poisoning you this entire time, deliberately, to take you off the mission with Bucky so she could insert herself. You wondered, horrified, if she and Bucky had been in on it, together. If it had been their plan all along to get you out of the way.

You shook your head, dispersing the ridiculous thought. Bucky was careless with your heart, but you didn’t think he actively hated you. Emotionally, he obviously didn’t give a flying fuck how much pain he caused you, but he wouldn’t physically harm you. Carthage, on the other hand, well, you thought her entirely capable of such a thing. But how would she have the access without ensuring others were getting sick, too?

No, your overtired imagination was getting the better of you, and you were more than eager to paint Jade as the villain in any circumstance that might present itself. The truth of it was, she’d already done enough damage; you didn’t have to invent more.

You tried your best to avoid Bucky, but as Wanda and Nat had warned you, it was easier said than done. Though Tony had allowed you to restrict access to your new floor to ensure Bucky couldn’t follow you to your room, he still managed to always be around every time you ventured out throughout the Tower.

He only tried to engage with you once, two days after your storage closet confrontation, but you’d turned and immediately walked in the opposite direction. Everything was too raw, the pain too new, for you to be near him at the moment. Just the sight of him broke you apart all over again. The sooner you were out of the Tower for your mission, the better.

You’d warned him that if he couldn’t stay away from Carthage, you’d ice him out in such a way that he’d long for the warmth of Siberia. It was only fair for him to experience the consequences of his own actions.

As your birthday approached, you felt even worse. Before everything had gone to hell, Bucky had talked about taking a trip, just the two of you, to celebrate, but like all his other honeyed promises, it turned out to be nothing but bitter lies. You resented him for taking away any excitement you’d felt for your upcoming party, for destroying your chance to feel an emotion even close to resembling happiness, even with something that had nothing to do with him.

So, you stayed confined to your room as much as possible, practicing and researching, hoping that, with enough time, you’d finally manage to bury all of the pain beneath enough layers of ice to numb yourself.

<- Previous Chapter / Next Part ->

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the-wild-wolves-around-you · 2 years

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even as a shadow, even as a dream pt.5

Pairing: Vamp!Eddie Munson/Fem Reader; Vamp!Eddie Munson/You

Summary: You go to check on Wayne, but things don't go as planned. (Reader’s POV)

Rating: M(ature)

WC: 17k (i know, i know, im sorry lol)

Warnings: vague mentions of suicidal thoughts (nothing graphic, wayne's just going through it for a hot minute, but its a happy ending, i swear,) adult language, brief violence

A/N: sorry for the delay (and once again the length lmao) i just want all the eddie/wayne interactions because the duffer bros ROBBED us of their relationship :'( but i know i went really, overly self indulgent with this chap lol. i might be obsessed with eddie munson. you might say that. (i say that, since im currently posting this on my birthday instead of going to idk brunch like a normal person lmaooo)

anyway, thank you to everyone who's read, commented, and/or reblogged! ❤️ it really means a lot to me. hope you enjoy this next installment! and stay tuned for the smutty finale of this series ;)

Taglist: @sushihousebread @localdepressedvampire @alienthewolf @frozenhuntress67 @honeycovered-bandaids @sashaphantomhive

Reblogs and comments greatly appreciated!

It took you a little over fifteen minutes to reach the high school where it should have taken you five, but you’d been forced to weave through back roads due to the gates bisecting most of Hawkins. By the time you parked your car, your good mood and the lingering sensation of Eddie’s kiss had dissipated, and you sat staring out your windshield with the steering wheel gripped in white-knuckled fists.

The parking lot was chaos. You’d found one of the only open spots between the dozens of other cars, the government Jeeps, and the tents for handing out supplies like food and water. The people who could leave Hawkins were already gone, so this was what was left. Some were here because their houses were destroyed, and they had nowhere else to go. Others still had their homes but resided in parts of Hawkins where the power or water was out.

And spaced out between all the people of your hometown were relief aid workers and soldiers.

The sight of the soldiers made you nervous. You had this irrational fear that one would look at your face and just see all your secrets. Like Eddie. Like Eleven. You knew it was unlikely, improbable, but seeing as you had several impossibilities hanging out back in your living room, you couldn’t discount your unease entirely.

You would just have to be quick. Get in, find Wayne, talk to him for a minute, and leave. You could do that. It was simple enough. Absently, you wished you had a cigarette for your nerves, but since you didn’t, you took a deep breath, wiped your sweaty fingers on your shirt, and picked up the plate you’d set on the passenger seat. It was lukewarm now, but you knew there were microwaves in the school, so hopefully Wayne could still have a hot breakfast.

As you got out of your car, you kept your head down and tried to blend into the crowd. No one spared you a second glance as you made your way to the gym, but your body still tensed up every time you passed the soldiers in their green uniforms.

Thankfully, you made it to the gymnasium without incident, and you breathed a sigh in relief when you saw there were no soldiers here. Just downtrodden townsfolk and aid workers.

A tendril of guilt snaked through you since you only had one plate to give, but you reminded yourself that there was only so much you could do. You couldn’t give people back their homes, their livelihoods… their loved ones. You couldn’t feed the whole town. But you could do a small kindness for Wayne Munson, and though it seemed inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, you hoped it would at least give Eddie’s uncle some comfort to know people were thinking about him.

It was the very least you could do.

Still, guilt was thick in the back of your throat as you slowly started winding your way through the rows of cots that now took up the gymnasium floor. Most people barely seemed to notice you, their eyes sliding away like rain on glass, but a few frowned in your direction. You wondered if it was something about your appearance— your clothes, your cast, the scabs on your knees— or if some of the people knew who you were. It had been five days since the gate opened, four days since you spoke to the police and pinned Vecna’s murders on Jason. You knew rumors had to be flying around by now, and although you didn’t think you’d been specifically named in any reports, Hawkins was small. Information leaked out faster than the Titanic took on water.

And the angry mob Jason riled up never got their “justice.”

You really didn’t want to be the target of the town’s next inquisition, so you ducked your head and continued searching for Wayne out of the corner of your eyes.

But after doing several laps around the gym, you came to the realization that he wasn’t here. He should have been. It was a little past ten in the morning, and you knew the older Munson had continued working night shifts at the plant since the town still needed power. He always got off at dawn, and should have returned to the high school since the trailer was gone.

So, where was he?

A prickle of unease made the hair on the back of your neck stand on end, but you refused to let it bloom into panic. Wayne was fine. If something happened to him at the plant— Oh, fuck, would you even know? With Eddie “gone,” the older Munson didn’t have any next of kin that you knew of. If something else crawled out of the gates and got him, the police were under no obligation to notify anyone.

Now, your breathing became a little shallow, more rapid, and you couldn’t help casting one last frantic glance around the gym.

“Lookin’ for someone?”

The deep, male voice made you jump, and you nearly dropped the plate you were holding as you whirled around, sneakers squealing against the gymnasium floor.

“Careful now,” the man said. He was middle-aged, with graying blond hair and a thick mustache. You didn’t recognize him, but the way he dragged his pale eyes down your body made you uncomfortable.

You didn’t know what his gaze lingered on longer: the Judas Priest shirt you were wearing and the breasts underneath, or your cotton shorts and bare legs.

“Sorry, you, uh, startled me,” you muttered, setting the plate of food down on a table beside you so the man couldn’t see how you were trembling.

“Didn’t mean to,” the man grunted before he cocked his head at you. “Just seemed like you were looking for someone. Are ya?”

You reflexively opened your mouth to say no, but then paused. It had already been more than twenty minutes since you left the house. Eddie and the others would expect you back soon. But you didn’t want to tell them Wayne was missing, and you didn’t have a lot of time to search before you would have to call them and let them know why you were running late. Best case scenario, Wayne was maybe in the bathroom or something, and this blond man saw him walk out a few minutes ago. Worst case scenario, something had happened to Wayne at the plant, but with the way gossip spread through Hawkins, this man might have heard something.

Either way, a single question couldn’t hurt. Right?

The man was starting to stare at you strangely, so you decided to bite the bullet.

“Um, yes, actually,” you said, clearing your throat. “I’m looking for Wayne Munson. Have you seen him?”

Instantly, the man’s face changed. Where he had been curious and slightly lecherous before, now he was angry. His blue eyes turned into chips of glass, and you could hear how he gritted his teeth, the line of his mouth twisting into a snarl.

“Munson?” He practically spat the name. “What’s a girl like you looking for—”

The blond cut himself off, his gaze falling to your chest again, but this time you knew he was reading the faded Judas Priest logo instead of just staring at your tits.

“Wait a minute,” he said. “Ain’t that one of them Satanic bands? What, you part of Munson’s little cult?”

Rage immediately ignited in your gut, spreading molten through your veins, and you bit down on your tongue to stop yourself from spewing lava. You couldn’t afford to lose your temper.

But you also couldn’t bear to hear Eddie’s name dragged through the mud.

“There was no cult,” you gritted out as you clenched and unclenched your right fist. “The police cleared Eddie Munson. Jason Carver was the one who—”

“Jason Carver was a good kid,” the man cut you off, narrowing his cold blue eyes into a glare. “The police don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. That freak Munson boy murdered the Cunningham girl, and I bet he made ole’ Wayne watch. Sick bastards, the both of them. At least one of them is dead. Woulda been two if the cops weren’t such pussies.”

The blood was roaring through your ears now, the heat in your gut filling the rest of your body until it felt like the top of your head was going to pop off from the pressure. But then the man’s last words finally filtered through your boiling thoughts, and you felt the breath catch in your lungs.

“Where is Wayne?” you demanded, taking a step forward until you were nearly toe to toe with the blond man. “What the fuck did you do to him?”

The man seemed surprised by the strength behind your words, behind your glare, but he pulled himself up to his full height, which was more than a head taller than you. He also puffed out his chest as he stared down at you, like he was waiting for you to back down, to cower.

But you had faced evils beyond this pea-brained fucker’s limited imagination. He would have to do more than that to intimidate you.

“So I was right,” the blond sneered down at you. “You must have been the Munson boy’s whore before hell swallowed him up, and with him gone, you’ve turned to wrinkled Wayne to help with that ache between your slutty legs. Well, Jezebel, he ain’t here no more. This morning, some of the boys and I gave him the righteous punishment the Lord demanded. And now you also need to repent for your sinful ways, witch.”

He reached out and grabbed your left arm, right above your elbow, twisting until it hurt.

That small flare of pain burned away the last strand of your self-restraint, and you saw red.

Reacting on instinct, you hauled back you right fist and then drove it into the man’s fleshy throat. He choked and staggered, blue eyes bulging out of his face in surprise, but you were already moving, pressing forward, wrenching your arm out of his grasp and tripping him at the same time. He crashed to the gym floor, toppling a cot, and you dove forward, landing on his soft gut and driving the air from his lungs.

Before he could even catch his breath, you slammed your knee into his balls so hard that he let out an involuntary shout and immediately gagged, turning his head as saliva dribbled from his lips.

But you were not done, flames still licking through your veins, turning all your good sense to ash.

You dug the fingers of your right hand into his chin, jerking his head around to face you, and then you slammed the cast on your left wrist against his gaping, gasping mouth. The blond man cried out again, gurgling on blood as his lip split right down the middle, and when he turned his head again, red-tinged saliva and a tooth splattered across the gym floor.

Without thinking, you snatched up the tooth in your left hand, forcing the man’s glassy blue eyes to look at it as you held it up between your faces.

“If you ever,” you snarled, “try to touch me or anyone named Munson ever again, I will use this tooth to curse you and your whole fucking family until kingdom come. Because you’re right, I am a witch. The worst fucking kind. Satan knows my name personally, and I fuck him every full moon. So if you try me again, the cops will find your entrails scattered across Hawkins, and not even your pitiful God will recognize you when I’m done. Do you fucking understand me?”

The man whimpered and gurgled, fear stark on his bloody face, but he managed a weak nod.

The blood was still pounding through your ears, but you could hear a distant murmur beneath it, and when you look up, you saw a small crowd of people staring at you with wide eyes. Suddenly, you were all too aware of the blood of your hands, the way you were straddling the blond man pinned beneath you, his whimpering moans.

Oh, fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

You shoved yourself to your feet, and the crowd of spectators stumbled back, pale and fearful. You meet none of their eyes, instead glancing back down at the man still moaning on the ground. For the first time, you noticed his knuckles were bruised and scabbed over, and you suddenly remembered what the bastard had said.

Some of the boys and I gave him the righteous punishment the Lord demanded.

The realization that they had hurt Wayne rekindled the dying inferno inside you, and you didn’t even think about it as you hauled back your foot and kicked the blond fucker straight in the nuts with all your strength.

This time, he rolled completely onto his side and vomited, curling into a fetal position to ward off any more blows.

But you didn’t have time to kick him again. You heard the gym doors bang open, and when you glanced up, a pair of soldiers were talking to someone who was pointing in your direction.

Time to go.

Your brain was working on auto pilot as you snatched up your forgotten plate of cold breakfast, and then you were whirling around, hoping over cots and darting through tables. Thankfully, everyone parted for you like the Red Sea, and you hit the gym’s side door just as someone shouted for you to stop.

You burst outside and started sprinting around the building. The chaos worked in your favor this time, because everyone was shouting about everything, so no one heard the soldiers yelling after you. Skidding up to the door of your car, you wretched it open and collapsed onto the driver’s seat, throwing the plate into the passenger’s side as you cranked the engine. Within seconds, you were squealing out of the parking lot sans seatbelt, and by some miracle, you didn’t crash the car or run anyone over.

“Shit, shit, shit,” you muttered over and over as you drove down the road, glancing in the rearview for any pursuers.

But no other cars or Jeeps turned out of the school, and soon you were winding your way through residential Hawkins. You took several overlapping turns in case someone tried to follow you, but after five minutes, there was nothing, so you were pretty sure you were in the clear.

Besides, the cops and soldiers definitely had more pressing matters than a brawl between townsfolk. Hopefully.

A sudden sting of pain in your left palm made you wince, bringing your hand up from where it was curled in your lap. You couldn’t close your fist fully because of the cast, but you fingers were clenched around something, and when you extended them, you realized you were still clutching that man’s bloody tooth.

“Ugh.” You made a face and dropped the tooth into your cup holder, not knowing what else to do with it. The adrenaline was starting to fade now, letting the aches in your body take center stage. Your knees were sore since you’d slammed them into the gym floor, and your wrist ached beneath the cast. You were also splattered in a fine mist of blood, and you winced again when you realized you would have to return to Eddie like this.

Like your thoughts summoned him, the walkie on the floorboard of your passenger seat suddenly crackled to life.

“Come in, Mrs. Munson,” Dustin’s voice snickered. “Come in— ow!”

There was the sound of a scuffle, followed by more static, and then Eddie’s voice filled the car.

“Ignore him, Obi. We just wanted to check in and see where you are. Over.”

You sighed as you pulled over to the side of the road. You were far enough from the school now that pausing a moment shouldn’t hurt, so you leaned over the center console, hissing at the strain in your ribs. Finally, your fingers brushed the walkie, and you reeled it back into your lap with a gasp.

“I’m here,” you said, trying not to sound pained and breathless.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Eddie replied, and you could hear the smile in his voice. “You on your way home?”

“Uhhh…” You flinched, mind scrambling for an excuse. “A-Actually, I just got to the high school. A lot of the, um, roads were blocked off, so it was a bitch and a half to get here. And don’t even get me started on parking.”

You absolutely hated lying to Eddie, but you didn’t want to worry him just yet. You needed to find Wayne first, figure out how hurt he was. When you had that info, you would apologize profusely and tell Eddie the truth, but not a moment sooner.

“Oh,” Eddie said, and he couldn’t hide the disappointment in his tone. “So you’ll be, what, another thirty, forty-five minutes?”

“A-Around there,” you replied, clearing your throat and willing your voice to stop shaking. But then a thought occurred to you, and you frowned as you pressed the button on the walkie again. “Why? Are you… hungry? Should I come home now?”

It had been a few hours since Eddie fed, and with so many people at the house, he might be struggling.

Before you could start to panic, Eddie’s voice cut through the static again.

“No, no,” he hurried out. “I’m fine. I just… miss you.”

He said the last part quietly, but you suddenly hear Dustin, Mike, and Lucas “ooooohhhh” in unison.

“Shut up, you damn brats,” Eddie huffed before their voices were replaced with static.

The admission and light hearted teasing made you smile faintly, but it faded when your eyes fell to the blood speckled across your cast. You took a deep breath before you clicked the walkie again.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, but I’ll just be a little while longer,” you said, hoping that you weren’t lying.

“Okay,” Eddie responded easily. “Harrington and Buckley are gonna go break into the Family Video—”

“It’s not a break-in if we have the key!” Robin interjected.

“Right,” Eddie snorted before he addressed you again. “So, any requests, Obi?”

“I’m fine with whatever,” you muttered a little distractedly, tensing up as you saw a car approaching in your rearview, but it passed you a moment later without incident, so you focused on Eddie again. “You know I’m not picky.”

“You say that now, but have you seen Harrington’s movie tastes?”

“Hey—” Steve began to protest before he was cut off by static.

You couldn’t help but chuckle, even if your whole body was still tense and achy. “Can’t be any worse than that animated Lord of the Rings movie you made me watch.”

“The execution was flawed, but the vision, sweetheart, the vision!” Eddie argued like he always did, and you could tell he was about to launch into a familiar rant, but you didn’t have the time right now.

“As much as I would like to talk about ‘the vision,’ people are starting to stare at me funny, so I gotta go. I’ll, uh, call you when I’m on my way home.”

“Finnnne,” Eddie sighed dramatically, but then he grew serious again. “But, um, stay safe, alright?”

You could hear the thinly veiled concern in his words, and it twisted your heart.

“I promise,” you murmured into the walkie, and even though you knew it would only cause more heckling, you added, “Love you, Munson.”

Sure enough, when Eddie responded, the laughter and cooing in the background almost drowned him out.

“Love you, too, Obi,” he said before you heard what sounded like his wings flapping. “Alright, you annoying gremlins, back! Get back, I say!”

The chaos faded into static as Eddie clicked off the walkie, and you shook your head as you tossed the device into your passenger seat. It clinked off the plate of cold breakfast, and you frowned down at the foil, your temporary good mood fading with Eddie’s voice.

“Fuck,” you sighed as you dragged a hand down your face.

You needed to find Wayne, and fast. From what that blond fucker back at the school had said, you were pretty sure the older Munson was injured. How badly, you didn’t know. But he’d been run out of the school, so you tried to figure out where he would most likely be hiding.

The hospital was your first thought, but after some consideration, you didn’t think Wayne would go there unless he was really hurt. God, you hoped that wasn’t the case. But if he didn’t go to the hospital, where else could he possibly go?

You could only think of one place.

“Shit,” you cursed under your breath as you tugged your seatbelt on and put the car in drive.

As you pulled back onto the road, you hoped your hunch panned out. If it didn’t, then you would haul ass to the hospital, and if Wayne wasn’t there either, you would go home and tell Eddie. Dustin could stay with him while you and Harrington combed Hawkins, but fuck, you really hoped it didn’t come to that.

The drive to your destination was relatively fast, and before you knew it, you were approaching Forest Hills trailer park.

Since it was one of the origin points for the gates, you expected to encounter more trouble, like having to sneak past some guards and a few Jeeps. But only a few wooden barricades barred the entrance to the park, and there wasn’t a guard or patrol in sight. You guessed that with the gates now taking up several square miles, it just wasn’t feasible for them to be guarded at all hours of the day, but the fact that there was no one made you uneasy.

If Eddie had so easily crawled out of the gate, what else could do the same when no one was watching?

You glanced in your rearview, at the machete that was just lying in the backseat, a leftover gift from your trip to the WarZone. Then you tried to calm yourself down, reminded yourself that Will or Eleven would have said something if they felt Vecna making a move again. Things from the Upside Down also abhorred light and heat, and it was almost eleven in the morning, the sun bright and warm overhead. You should be fine. You would just drive up real quick, and if you didn’t see Wayne or his truck, you would turn right back around and head for the hospital.

With this plan in mind, you carefully maneuvered around the barricades, wincing as your car, and therefore your body, jolted over grass and then gravel while you made your way deeper into the park.

You didn’t know if you actually wanted to find Wayne here or not, but unfortunately it didn’t matter, because you immediately spotted Wayne’s truck.

“Fuck,” you muttered under your breath, slowing your speed as you approached the Munson trailer.

Or what was left of it.

The gate had torn it to pieces, and your stomach churned when you caught sight of the bloody-looking gash that was carved into the ground. Last night, Eddie had told you that this was where he came back through, and you wondered if the membrane was still ripped.

Shit. You couldn’t stay here.

But you couldn’t leave, either, so you pulled up beside Wayne’s truck and killed the engine. Your heart was in your throat as your eyes darted around, looking for Demogorgons, dogs, bats, vines, whatever, but the trailer park was still and empty around you.

Except for Wayne. Who was kneeling in the dead grass before the ruined trailer, about twenty feet from where you were parked in your car.

The sight of him instantly made your heart skip a beat. He was upright at least, but hunched over, and there seemed to be a cut or wound on the back of his head, like he’d been struck from behind.

Again, anger bubbled up inside you, volatile and strong. You hoped you had popped that blond bastard’s scrotum.

But you couldn’t think about that fucker anymore. You needed to check on Wayne, make sure he was okay. With this in mind, you fumbled with your seatbelt and then the door handle, wincing when your shoes made a loud crunch against the gravel.

Wayne seemed to hear it, too, and he curled further into himself, like he was bracing for a blow.

Something in the cowed line of his shoulders made you think of Eddie cowering in your bathtub, and you started speaking before you even knew what you were going to say.

“M-Mr. Munson,” you started as you tentatively stepped forward, which just made Wayne flinch again. “No, no, it’s okay. I’m not— I’m not here to hurt you. I don’t um, know if you remember me, but I’m E-Eddie’s friend.”

You told him your name as you slowly approached him, but Wayne gave no reaction, and you suddenly couldn’t remember if you’d ever properly introduced yourself to him.

“Eddie, he, uhh— you might know me as Obi,” you added with a faint blush.

Now, you were only a few feet behind the older Munson, and he finally seemed to relax a fraction, the line of his shoulders not so taut and trembling. You took this as a good sign and fully closed the distance, but once you were standing directly behind him and could see over his shoulder, an involuntary gasp ejected out of your throat.

“S-Shit,” you breathed, and everything in you froze.

Because while you still couldn’t see Wayne’s face, you could see that his hands were cradled, palm up, in his lap. And lying across those hands was a revolver made of silver metal and wood. The older Munson wasn’t even gripping it, his finger nowhere near the trigger, but your body broke out in a cold sweat as your heart started tripping over itself.

“M-Mr. Munson,” you said, your voice hitched and cracking while your eyes stayed glued to the pistol. “What are… what are you doing?”

For a long moment, Wayne didn’t respond. The trailer park was quiet and still around you save the wind in the trees, and you started to inch your way to the side as slowly and quietly as possible until the older man’s profile came into view. His face was covered in fresh bruises, his right eye nearly swollen shut. He seemed to be staring at the gun in his lap, or maybe just the dirt beneath him. He wasn’t blinking.

After another silent moment, you opened your mouth to prompt him again, but he finally spoke.

“Can’t find any bullets,” he muttered, so softly you had to lean forward to hear him, and you still weren’t sure you heard him correctly.

“What?” you asked, keeping your tone quiet and soothing, like you were speaking to a skittish animal.

Wayne’s fingers twitched around the revolver, but he still didn’t grip it.

“Bullets,” he repeated, a little more strongly this time. “Found the gun, but couldn’t find the bullets. Ain’t that funny?”

Your throat tightened, like it was wrapped in a fist, a vise. Heart pounding, you struggled to think of a response, but apparently Wayne didn’t need one, because he kept going.

“I just… wanted to see if there was anything left,” he said as he finally lifted his head, staring at where his trailer used to reside. “You know, I don’t even have any pictures of Ed. Was never any extra money lying around for film and cameras. I had to use his yearbook pictures for the… for the posters. I just wanted one picture. One of them notebooks he was always scribbling in. Maybe one of his tapes. But there’s just… nothing left.”

One hand lifted halfheartedly to gesture at the ruined trailer, the gaping gash in the earth that was mere feet away. Wayne took a deep, shuddering breath, and his voice was thick with tears when he continued.

“I got nothin’ left,” he choked out, tears trickling out of his swollen eye and down his battered cheek. “Brother’s in prison probably until he dies. I never married. And Ed— he wasn’t my son, but he was my boy, and h-he’s gone. And everyone says the world’s better off, but that’s not true. Ed was a good kid. He was kind. No one understood him, but he wasn’t the monster they’re painting him as on the news. He was… he was a good boy.”

The older Munson broke off into sobs, and tears immediately blurred your vision, burning down your cheeks.

“I know,” you murmured as you slowly and carefully dropped to your knees beside Wayne. Your fingers itched to yank the gun out of his hands, but you refrained for now, instead clutching at your knees. “I know, Mr. Munson. I see— saw the good in Eddie. He was the kindest, brightest person I ever met. The room seemed to always light up when he walked in. Probably because he flicked the switch on for a dramatic entrance.”

Wayne choked out the ghost of a laugh, sniffling as he turned to fully look at you. Head-on, his face looked much worse. His right eye was swollen and purple, and his left cheekbone bore the distinct impression of several knuckles. His lips were cracked and split, and blood had soaked into the collar of the white undershirt he was wearing beneath his flannel.

Your heart ached for the older man, and a part of you wanted to go back to the high school and stomp on that guy’s nuts yet again. But you tamped down your anger, making sure it wasn’t visible on your face as Wayne continued to look at you.

The two of you stared at each other for a long, silent moment before Wayne finally broke it.

“Ed was always talkin’ bout you, ya know?” he rasped as he studied your face. “Always going on about ‘Obi this,’ and ‘Obi that.’ I think… I think you were the first person to ever really see him. He was always happy when he talked about you, couldn’t wait to see you again even if you’d just left. He… god, he really loved you. So thank you. For seeing the good in him. For makin’ my boy happy.”

You could barely see the older man through your tears now, and you drew in a great, gasping breath. The grief rolling off Wayne was suffocating, clogging your throat, but guilt built up like a rising tide inside you, threatening to drag you out to sea.

“I… I loved him, too,” you said, hating that you were using the past tense. “And… and he made me just as happy. But he loved you, too, Mr. Munson. He told me so many times how grateful he was that you took him. That you were the only reason he turned out to be such a good guy.”

“Nah,” Wayne scoffed and dropped his eyes to his lap— and the gun— again. “All I did was put a roof over Ed’s head, and a shitty one at that. No, he… he was always good, ever since he was a baby. He wasn’t like the rest of us Munson men. He was… better. He deserved better. Better than I or the rest of this godforsaken town ever gave him.”

His last words took on an edge of anger, and suddenly he was tightly clutching the revolver, making your heart leap into your throat.

“You deserve better, too,” you blurted out desperately, your eyes never leaving the pistol. If Wayne so much as twitched, you were tackling him into the dirt. “I-I know what happened at the high school this morning. I had my own altercation with that blond bastard, the one with the mustache. He was gloating about what he did to you until I knocked his damn teeth out.”

Wayne looked up with a frown then, his anger momentarily displaced by confusion. “Why? They were right. I shoulda left this town years ago. Taken Ed with me. But I was a damn coward. Didn’t want to start somewhere new. And look what happened. Ed’s… dead. Because of me and my cowardice. Larry and the other fellas were right. The world would be a better place without me in it.”

He glanced down at the pistol again, fingers tightening around the metal, and even though he said he hadn’t found any bullets, you panicked.

“Eddie’s alive,” you blurted out, and then cursed yourself in a million different ways.

But what were you supposed to do? Even if you talked Wayne off the proverbial ledge now with some empty platitudes, you were then supposed to… what? Send the older Munson on his way thinking he was to blame for his nephew’s death? By Wayne’s tone, you knew he wouldn’t even make it out of Hawkins. The cops would probably find his truck flipped over on the side of the road in the morning. He wouldn’t see another sunrise if you did nothing.

And you refused— refused— to let Eddie lose the only family he had left.

Your words echoed around the trailer park like a gunshot, and you heard Wayne inhale sharply before he glanced back up at you. At first, his eyes were wide with surprise, but as the seconds ticked by, they narrowed with suspicion, then anger.

“Young lady, Ed might have loved you, but don’t you lie--”

“I’m not lying,” you said, your mind putting together sentences as you went. “I’m not… saying this out of pity or to hurt you. It’s the truth. A very crazy, impossible, miraculous truth, but it’s still the truth. I swear it on… on my love for Eddie.”

Some of the anger faded from Wayne’s blue eyes, but not the skepticism, and it was soon joined by a hint of concern.

“Sweetheart,” the older Munson said, sounding so much like Eddie that it almost hurt. His eyes skipped over you, taking in your cast, your skinned knees, the clothes that you wore to bed. “When was the last time you slept?”

“Last night,” you responded truthfully. “Nearly eight hours. And I ate a full breakfast not even an hour ago. I’m not sleep deprived, Mr. Munson. I’m not hallucinating or crazy or delirious from hunger. Eddie is alive. He’s currently at my house with some friends. Do you remember Dustin Henderson? Curly-haired boy who approached you in the gym a few days ago?”

“Yes…” Wayne said with a frown.

“Well, he’s one of the people with Eddie right now.”

Wayne’s frown only deepened. “No, that boy— he said Ed was…”

“I know,” you cut in, wincing. “Dustin wasn’t lying. At the time. He— we all thought Eddie was… gone. But then he came back. He was injured and… different, but alive. I— he’s the reason I came looking for you. He wanted me to check in on you.”

That part wasn’t entirely true— you were the one to suggest bringing Wayne breakfast— but it sounded plausible, and you hoped it would be enough to convince the older man of your sincerity.

Wayne continued to stare at you for what felt like an endless stretch of time. He didn’t blink, barely seemed to breathe, and as the seconds dragged by, the skepticism in his battered face began to fade. Finally, he dragged his tongue over his split and cracked lips and sucked in a deep breath.

“Ed…” Wayne started, paused, took another deep breath. “Ed is… alive? You’re saying he’s actually alive?”

“Yes.” You nodded and braced yourself as the older Munson began to breathe more heavily, until he was almost panting.

“No,” he muttered as he shook his head. “No, no, he’s— if he’s alive, why wouldn’t he come find me? Why— why wouldn’t he tell me?”

“Well,” you said with another wince, “it’s complicated. Very complicated actually. But the short version is… he was scared. There are some things we don’t understand yet, about how he… came back, and Eddie didn’t want to put you in any danger. Besides, the townsfolk obviously haven’t moved on yet, so Eddie can’t just go walking through Hawkins.”

For a lot of reasons, but Eddie being a wanted man was an easier pill to swallow than him being some kind of vampire/demo-bat hybrid. You were going to have to drop that bomb gently. If that was even possible.

Wayne continued to stare at you as his breathing devolved into gasping, and before you could try and calm him down, the older man was rocketing to his feet.

“Take— take me to him,” he gasped, still clutching the pistol in white-knuckled fists. “I-If Ed is alive, you need to take me to him. Right now. I need— need to see him. I—”

Wayne suddenly swayed and went a little cross-eyed, and you leapt up just in time to catch him. He sagged against your shoulder, barely able to keep upright, and you inhaled sharply and held it when you felt the cold barrel of the revolver press into your belly.

“Whoa there, it’s okay, take a deep breath,” you muttered as you tried to hold the older man up while arching your lower half away from him. “I’ll… I’ll take you to him. Alright, Mr. Munson? I’ll take you to see Eddie. But first, you have to give me the gun. Okay?”

Wayne panted raggedly into your shoulder, but he took some of his weight off you, and when you stepped back half a step, he remained standing on his own. He was staring down at the pistol he was still clutching in his shaking hands, and you angled your body away from the barrel. When he didn’t say anything, you hesitantly reached for the gun, and Wayne didn’t stop you as you gently extracted it from his suddenly lax fingers.

Once you had the gun in your possession, relief nearly made your knees buckle, but you still took a moment to pop open the cylinder and double check that the revolver was in fact not loaded. It wasn’t, and you sent out a prayer of gratitude to the universe.

“Okay,” you breathed, snapping the cylinder back into place and then shoving the gun into the waistband of your shorts, the metal cold against the small of your back.

Then you looked up to find Wayne staring at you with an achingly familiar lost expression. He and Eddie might not share the same color eyes, but something in the set of them— or the pain in their depths— was similar. You tried for a reassuring smile, but now that the immediate danger had faded, your heart began to race for a different reason altogether.

Because, fuck, what were you supposed to do now?

“Okay,” you said again in an effort to kick start your brain into thinking of solutions, of your next course of action. Wayne was still staring at you, but your eyes clicked over his bruises, the blood on his shirt, and you just started thinking out loud. “W-Well, first thing’s first, we need to clean you up a little bit. I, um, have a first aid kit and a new shirt in the car.”

“I-I don’t need a new shirt.” Wayne frowned. “I need to see Ed.”

“I know,” you sighed as you dragged a hand through your hair. “I know, and I promise to take you to him. But I need to clean you up first. You can’t see him while you’re actively bleeding. And this isn’t just for your own good. It’s for Eddie’s, too.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Wayne asked, and you could see he was getting frustrated with you now, but also what could you say?

Oh, sorry, your nephew is a blood thirsty vampire now.

“It’s… complicated,” you said instead, repeating your earlier words. “And I know that word seems meaningless, but to explain the whole story, I’d need about an hour and a bottle of whiskey. Since neither of us want to be here that long, give me five minutes to clean you up, and I’ll give you the abridged version on the drive back to my house. Deal?”

Wayne pursed his lips and glanced at the car like he was considering just hopping in the driver’s seat, but after a moment, he turned back to you.

“Whatever gets me to Ed faster,” he grunted.

“Thank you.” You smiled gratefully before leading him back to your car and popping the trunk.

Given all the shit that routinely went down in Hawkins, you’d taken to keeping a ‘go-bag’ in the trunk of your car. It contained several outfits, a first aid kit, a flare gun, a water canteen, compass, and a rather large hunting knife. Wayne didn’t say anything as you dug around for the first aid kit, and he obediently sat on your bumper as you quickly wiped alcohol pads across his face and the back of his head. The older man winced in pain but didn’t make any noises while you bandaged him to the best of your abilities, and when you were done, he silently accepted the pullover sweatshirt you handed to him.

“I think my friend Steve is around your size, so this should fit,” you told Wayne as he inspected the baby-blue colored sweater.

“It’s fine… thank you,” he muttered before he stood, turned his back to you, and stripped off his blood-stained flannel and undershirt. He tossed them into the trunk and then slowly pulled the sweater on, but he suddenly hissed in pain.

“Are you okay?” you asked, starting to walk around him, but he spun to face you and tugged the sweater down in the same movement.

“Fine,” Wayne said through gritted teeth, but you saw the way he was favoring his right side. You’d adopted the same hunched posture when Jason Carver kicked your ribs in, and you narrowed your eyes at the older man.

“Mr. Munson—”

“I’m fine,” he repeated, his tone sharper, but then regret immediately flickered across his face. “I’m sorry, I… I just need to see Ed. I’m fine, honest to god. It’s just some bruises. No blood.”

You pursed your lips, biting back the urge to make him lift the sweater again. But desperation was clear under the bruises on Wayne’s face, and you knew if he didn’t see Eddie soon, he was going to have an aneurysm or heart attack.

“Alright,” you relented as you reached up to shut the trunk, wincing at the twinge in your own ribs. “I’ll, um, drive you. We can come back for your truck later, if that’s okay.”

Wayne nodded mutely before he turned and made his way to the passenger side of your vehicle, and you took a deep breath as you looked up at the midday sky, praying for strength.

When you finally slid into the driver’s seat, Wayne was sitting awkwardly to your right, staring down at the foil covered plate he’d set in his lap.

“Oh, that’s, uh, your breakfast,” you said lamely. “It’s cold now, but we can, um, warm it up when we get to my house.”

“After I see Ed.” Wayne cut a sharp glance at you, and you could see the doubt in his eyes, see that he still didn’t truly believe you. But he was desperate and grieving, and a flicker of false hope was better than no hope at all.

“After you see Eddie.” You nodded, reaching for the ignition to restart the car. As the engine rumbled to life, an idea occurred to you. It would hopefully erase any of Wayne’s doubts and also give some forewarning to the people hanging out in your living room. Gathering your courage, you cleared your throat and pointed to the walkie on the floorboards between Wayne’s feet. “Actually, could you hand me that?”

Wayne hissed again as he bent over and picked the device up, and you frowned in sympathy as he handed it to you.

“Thanks,” you murmured before you took a deep breath and clicked the talk button. “Hey, guys. Just wanted to let you know I’m on my way back. Leaving Forest Hills now. We should be there in about five minutes.”

Static was your only response for a moment, then…

“Roger that, sweetheart,” Eddie’s chipper voice said, ripping a ragged gasp from Wayne, but Eddie was speaking again before his uncle could catch his breath. “Can’t wait to see you, these goblins are driving me up the damn wall, I— wait. Why were you at the trailer park? And… did you say, ‘we?’”

The minor spike of fear in his tone made you flinch, but then Wayne was suddenly lunging toward you.

“Ed!” he gasped and tried to rip the walkie from your hands, but you leaned back against your window, switching the device off and shoving it into the pocket on the driver’s side door.

“Wait, Mr. Munson—”

“That was Ed!” the older man cut you off, his eyes wild, and he looked like he was going to climb over you regardless to reach the walkie. “T-That was him, he—”

“I know,” you interjected, raising your hands to halfheartedly ward him off. “I know, but he… like I said, it’s complicated. Eddie is going to be upset that I told you the truth, and I don’t want him freaking out and trying to run before we get there.”

“Run?” Wayne echoed incredulously. “Why would he run from me? And why would Ed be upset that you told me he’s alive? Isn’t that why you came to find me?”

You flinched guiltily and averted your eyes. “Not… exactly. Look, I’ll really explain everything, I promise, but let’s get back to the house first. Okay?”

Wayne gritted his teeth, his desire for answers raging war with his desire to see his nephew. In the end, his nephew won.

“Fine, start drivin’,” the older Munson grunted, yanking on his seatbelt.

You nodded shakily, taking the steering wheel in your sweaty palms and putting the car in reverse. Silence enveloped the vehicle as you backed up and slowly drove out of the trailer park, but Wayne’s leg started bouncing, making the foil-covered plate crinkle in his lap.

As you pulled out on the main road, you knew you only had a few minutes to get the older man prepared for what he was about to witness, so you took a deep breath before you began.

“Okay, there are a few important things we need to discuss before we get there,” you said as you stared resolutely out the windshield. “I— by now, I’m sure you noticed Hawkins is not like any other small towns. There’s something different here, something—”

“Cursed,” Wayne cut in, and when you glanced at him, you saw his expression was dark.

“Yes, cursed is a good way to put it,” you agreed. “There’s a lot of backstory that goes into this, and I know how crazy it sounds, but basically, there is a shadow world that exists adjacent to Hawkins. It looks like a dark reflection of our town. Dilapidated buildings, cracked roads, never-ending night. That kind of thing.”

“Sounds like one of Ed’s make believe games,” Wayne said with a furrowed brow and a heavy dose of skepticism.

“Yeah, it does,” you laughed, the sound edged with hysteria. “It’s fucking bonkers, if you’ll pardon the language. But it’s true. The shadow world exists. We’ve been calling it the Upside Down. And while the place itself is mildly terrifying, the monsters that live there are far worse.”

“Monsters?” Wayne echoed, and in your peripherals, you could see him turn to look at you. “Wait… is that what’s been killing kids the last few years?”

“Yes.” You nodded, tightening your grip on the steering wheel as you thought of the Mind Flayer and all the demo-creatures you’d faced. “My friends and I… we’ve managed to stop them before, but they keep coming back. When things got really bad this time, we decided to go into the Upside Down, try to take out the monsters before they could swallow Hawkins. We only partially succeeded, as you can see.”

As you made a turn, you gestured out the window to the jagged gash bisecting the road you’d just turned off of.

“The… lead monster,” you went on, “he was stronger than we anticipated. We weren’t able to fully stop him. He opened gates between our world and the Upside Down— that’s what all the sinkholes are. He also… nearly killed one of our friends. She hasn’t woken up yet.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Wayne said, and while he did sound sorry, there was a hint of impatience to his words. “But what’s any of this got to do with Ed?”

“A lot, actually,” you sighed as you propped your left hand against the window and rubbed at your temple. “He… he was with us when we were trying to stop the bad guy. The head monster was the one who killed that Cunningham girl in your trailer. Eddie saw it happen, so he wanted to help us get justice. But he got… hurt in the Upside Down. I wasn’t with him, but he was attacked by monsters, and Dustin said he saw Eddie… die.”

“But he didn’t,” Wayne corrected, flinging out an arm and pointing at your door. “I-I heard him on the walkie. He’s alive.”

“Yes,” you confirmed and felt your heartrate increase as you turned into your neighborhood. “He showed up at my house last night, and I thought I was dreaming at first, but I wasn’t. Eddie is alive, but he looks… different. I-It might scare you at first.”

“Ed doesn’t have a scary bone in his body,” Wayne said and frowned at you in your peripherals. “But… what? You’re trying to tell me he’s a monster? Town’s been saying that for days. Nothing new.”

“I agree the town’s full of shit. Eddie’s not a monster… but he does look a little like the creatures that attacked him in the Upside Down. He’s got… wings. And claws. And sharpened teeth. But he’s still Eddie! I promise, he might not look the same, but he is on the inside. He’s the same kind, golden-hearted boy I fell in love with, the same boy you raised.”

Wayne was silent for so long after your declaration that you couldn’t help but look over at him. He was staring out the windshield with a furrowed brow, the plate of food clutched in his lap. All this information was definitely a lot to process, but you were quickly approaching your street, so you needed to say one last thing.

“It’ll be a shock at first,” you began tentatively, “but… I need you to try and be as calm as possible when you see Eddie. Don’t rush him, or yell at him, or try and hurt him—”

“I would never hurt Ed,” Wayne cut you off, his words sharp and strong. “I… I could never raise a hand against him.”

Something in his tone made you dart another glance in his direction. The guilt in his expression surprised you, but then you suddenly remembered Eddie’s dad had not been a good guy. You were still shocked by the revelation that Eddie was the boy from your favorite childhood memory, but you could still recall in startling clarity the shiner marring his young, pale face that day in the woods.

But Wayne wasn’t his brother. Of that, you were sure of.

“I know,” you murmured reassuringly, absently flicking on your blinker as you turned onto your street. “And thank you, Mr. Munson.”

The older man was quiet as you slowly coasted up to the curb in front of your house, but when you put the car in park, he spoke up again.

“Wayne. You can… you can call me Wayne.”

“Okay, Wayne,” you said and turned to him with a faint smile. He looked a little nauseous, his leg bouncing anxiously once again, and you could sympathize. Your whole body was slick with a cold sweat, and it felt like your heart was going to crawl up your throat. “Are you ready?”

The question was for both yourself and the older Munson.

Wayne took a deep breath and nodded. “Take me to Ed.”

You nodded in return, and then the two of you exited the vehicle. Wayne was still carrying the plate of food like he didn’t know what to do with it, so you gently took it before gesturing for him to follow you up the sidewalk.

“Please don’t hate me, Eddie,” you whispered under your breath, knowing he could hear you from inside the house. “I had no choice. But it’ll be okay. I promise.”

As if in response, the front door opened just as you reached the bottom of the porch steps, and then Nancy was staring down at you with wide, wild eyes, Jonathan hovering nervously behind her shoulder.

“Heyyyy,” Nancy said with a plastic smile, and her gaze bounced from you to Wayne and back at again. “We were, um, just starting to wonder where you were. Is… everything okay?”

“Hopefully.” Your own smile was shaky as you gestured to Wayne behind you. “Nancy, this is Eddie’s uncle. Wayne, this is one of my friends, Nancy Wheeler.”

“Nice to see you again, Mr. Munson,” Nancy muttered, but she was still staring at you with that forced, happy expression. “Will he be, um… joining us?”

You opened your mouth to respond, but Wayne beat you to it.

“I’m here to see Ed,” he said as he stepped up beside you. “I’ve been told he’s alive, and I wanna see him. So if you would kindly move aside, young lady, I’d appreciate it.”

“Oh,” Nancy breathed, glancing at you with a panicked glint in her eyes. “I don’t—”

“Nancy, it’s okay,” you interrupted and hoped you weren’t lying. “I already… explained some things to Wayne. He knows the situation.”

That did nothing to lessen the panicked look on Nancy’s face. In fact, now she was staring at you with an expression that silently demanded to know why Wayne knew the situation, but you didn’t have the time or patience for this right now. You knew Eddie was probably freaking out, most likely hiding in the bathroom, and the urge to go to him was so great it almost hurt. You weren’t about to spend the next ten minutes arguing with Nancy Wheeler on your porch.

So, you climbed up the few steps, and when you reached the front door and gave Nancy a pointed look, she sighed and shifted back into the house.

You stepped into the living room with Wayne close on your heels, and the kids all flashed wide, forced grins from where they were seated on the couch. Nancy quietly shut the door behind Wayne before she went to stand next to Jonathan near the kitchen, and for a moment, the house was deafeningly silent.

“Heyyy, Obi!” Dustin was the first to speak, his voice high-pitched and overly excited, but his face was pale, and his eyes kept darting toward the hallway.

Mike, El, Lucas, and Will all muttered their own greetings, still with those creepy smiles affixed to their faces, but they were also very blatantly staring at Wayne over your shoulder.

“Hey, guys,” you sighed, walking forward to set the plate of cold food on the coffee table. “So… where is he? The bedroom?”

“He who?” Dustin squeaked. “You mean S-Steve? He and Robin went to get some movies—”

“I’m not talking about Steve. I’m talking about Eddie.”

Everyone in the room tensed in unison, and Dustin shot another quick glance at the hallway before he turned back to you and barked out a noise that was half laugh, half gasp.

“E-Eddie?” he echoed as he stared at you with a bewildered, pleading expression. “Obi, you know he’s—”

“I don’t have time for this,” Wayne grunted and stepped forward. He pinned the kids on the couch with a hard stare, and Dustin gulped as they all leaned back into the cushions. “Where is Ed?”

“I think I know,” you murmured, gently placing your hand on Wayne’s arm and making him look at you. “I’ll, um, go get him. Could you just… stay here for a moment?”

Wayne frowned, the livid bruises on his face shifting like mercury, and you knew he was going to argue.

“Please,” you added with a hint of desperation. “Just one minute. I swear to you this is not a joke or a trick. You’ll see Eddie. I just need a minute to talk with him. Alone.”

It felt like the whole room held its breath as Wayne stared at you unblinkingly, but finally, he pursed his lips and jerked his chin down in a singular nod.

“One minute,” he repeated as his pale eyes bored into yours.

“One minute.” You nodded shakily, moving toward the hallway, but you only made it several feet from the living room before footsteps pounded after you.

“Obi!” Dustin hissed, latched onto your arm, and jerked you to a stop, forcing you to face him. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I would also like to know the answer to this,” Nancy added in an undertone as she came up behind Dustin.

Over her shoulder, you could see Jonathan smiling painfully at Wayne— who you couldn’t see from this angle— and you knew the other kids were probably doing the same from the couch.

“Look, my minute’s running out, I don’t have time to explain,” you muttered as you reached behind your back. “You just have to trust me. Also, Wheeler, I need you to hide this somewhere. Don’t worry, it’s not loaded.”

Nancy blinked as you slapped the empty pistol into her hands. “I— what?”

“What the shittttt?” Dustin gaped at the gun, but you had already wasted enough time, so you pivoted on heel and strode the rest of the way down the hall.

Your own bedroom door was open, which meant Eddie was in the master. You paused momentarily to knock but didn’t wait for a response before slipping into the room.

“Eddie?” you murmured, but unlike last time, you didn’t have to go looking for him.

A looming shadow stood at the foot of the bed, and black eyes glinted in the light that crept in from the hallway. Eddie was standing there stiff as a board, his breathing ragged, his wings flared out. His expression was confused and hurt and scared, and he made a quiet whimpering sound as you closed the door behind you.

“Obi,” he choked out. “What’re doing? He can’t—”

“I know, I know,” you said as you rushed forward without thinking.

When you were only a few feet away from him, he flinched, his nostrils flaring, and the veins around his eyes became a little more prominent.

“Shit, sorry,” you gasped and skidded to a stop. Eddie was staring at you with a mixture of hunger and betrayal, and you wanted to throw yourself at his feet and beg for forgiveness, but there was no time. “I’m sorry, Eddie, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen, but I-I had to tell him the truth. I had to.”

Eddie blinked and furrowed his brow like he was having trouble concentrating on what you were saying. His wings trembled behind him, and when he took his next breath, it was through his mouth.

“Why…” he started and then had to swallow thickly, his eyes darkening further in the shadowed bedroom. “Why the hell do you smell like blood, Obi? W-Why can I smell Uncle Wayne’s?”

“A lot of things happened, but I’ll explain them later, because Wayne’s going to come barging in here any second,” you said quickly, nearly panting from the adrenaline pumping through your veins. “Do you need to e-eat before you see him?”

You offered out your arm thoughtlessly, but now Eddie took a step back, shaking his head as he glanced from you to the bedroom door. The hunger in his face was quickly giving way to fear, and his wings curled around him like a shield.

“N-No,” he muttered, still shaking his head. “No, I can’t see him. I-It’s not like with Dustin, Wayne won’t understand. Obi, you have to make him leave—”

“I can’t,” you said desperately, and tears welled up in your eyes. “He’s… he’s in bad shape, and he needs to see you. I explained the important parts to him: that you look different but are still you. It’ll be okay. He just wants to see you, Eddie. Please.”

Eddie stared at you as he continued to pant for breath, but then he flinched, eyes darting to the bedroom door again. You could hear the low murmur of voices from the living room, knew Nancy and the others were trying to keep Wayne back, and the panicked look on Eddie’s face only confirmed it.

“Fuck!” he cursed, then with more feeling as his wide, terrified eyes snapped back to yours. “Fuck. S-Shit, I need—”

“Take whatever you need,” you said as you shoved your arm at him again.

Eddie looked conflicted for a split second, but then he dove forward, clawed fingers wrapping around your bicep and wrist as he brought your forearm to his mouth. His cool breath washed over your skin, followed by the hot press of his fangs, and you hissed as the initial burn lanced up your arm. It faded just as quickly as it appeared, and Eddie groaned before he started to pull your blood into his mouth. Your brain went a little fuzzy, a dull, throbbing pleasure pulsing up your arm and through your body, and Eddie seemed to be in a similar trance, sighing and whimpering and slurping against you.

You were both so enthralled that neither of you heard the shouts coming down the hallway until the bedroom door slammed open behind you.

“Ed!” Wayne’s voice ricocheted around the small room like a bullet, and Eddie ripped himself away from you, whirling around and flaring out his wings to hide.

“Wayne!” you gasped and spun to face him, keeping your right arm tucked behind you and smearing Eddie’s saliva into the back of your shirt. “I told you to—”

“Jesus,” the older man cut you off, the word no louder than a breath. He wasn’t even looking at you. His wide eyes were trained over your shoulder, locked on Eddie, and he looked a little green beneath his bruises. “Is… is that you, Ed?”

You stood protectively between the two Munsons, glancing from the older to the younger. Eddie’s back was to you as he tried to press himself into the corner, and you could tell by the way his wings were trembling that he was holding back tears.

“Y-You shouldn’t be here, Uncle Wayne,” Eddie choked out from within the shroud of his wings. “You don’t… don’t want to see me like this.”

At the sound of Eddie’s voice, Wayne made a strangled sound, tears immediately coursing down his cheeks. He took a stumbling step forward, then another, but you slid into his path, making him stop at the foot of the bed. The older man looked angry for a brief moment, but you made a placating gesture, motioning to where Eddie was still cowering in the corner. Wayne seemed to recompose himself then, taking a deep breath as he swiped at the tears dripping through his scruffy beard.

“Ed,” he rasped, but when his nephew just flinched and ducked more under his wings, Wayne raised his voice. “Ed, look at me.”

Still, nothing, but through a gap in his wings, you could see Eddie shake his head.

Wayne’s face hardened slightly. “Edward Munson, I saw you the minute you slid out of your mama, God rest her soul. And I… I’ve loved you like you were my own every minute since. I don’t give a rat’s ass what you look like. Just… let me see ya. Please.”

Silence enveloped the bedroom for a moment. Over Wayne’s shoulder, you could see Nancy, Jonathan, and the kids hovering in the hallway, their anxious expressions mirror images of each other. Dustin caught your eye with a desperate look, asking you what to do without words, but you didn’t have an answer for him.

Instead, you glanced back at Eddie, and you held your breath as you watched his wings slowly start to lower. First, his mane of hair was revealed, then his shoulders, and finally his arms as the leathery appendages collapsed against his spine. He seemed to take a deep breath before he turned around, but it still took him another moment to lift his head. Thankfully, he’d wiped your blood from his lips, but his fangs were put on display as his jaw fell open in shock.

“Fuck,” Eddie gasped when he caught sight of his uncle, who inhaled sharply as he finally saw his nephew in full. “W-Wayne, what the hell happened to your face?”

The older Munson barked out an incredulous laugh, his eyes wide but only slightly terrified as they skipped over Eddie’s imposing figure.

“I-I could ask you the same thing,” Wayne said, and Eddie flinched, his wings rising up again to curl over his shoulders.

“Shit, yeah, I know, i-it’s a lot,” Eddie muttered and dropped his gaze. “Sor—”

“I don’t care,” Wayne cut his nephew off, which made Eddie glance back up at him. The older man swallowed audibly, and tears started to well in his eyes again. “It doesn’t matter what you look like— it’s never mattered to me. You’re my boy, and I love you. I-I’m sorry if I never said it enough, but I do. Raising you was the best thing I ever did, and I’m just so goddamn grateful you’re al— alive.”

His voice cracked like porcelain around the last word, and he pressed a hand to his mouth like he could shove down the sobs that were rattling in the back of his throat. Then Wayne drew in a shuddering breath, which Eddie copied, and the Munsons began to lean towards each other like they were drawn by magnets.

“I’m… gonna hug you now, Ed,” Wayne said haltingly before he shot you a hesitant glance. “If you’ll call off your guard dog.”

Eddie snorted, and you smiled in what you hoped was a friendly manner, but you still shot a questioning glance at the younger Munson for confirmation.

“It’s okay, Obi,” Eddie said with a small smile of his own.

That smile snipped the last threads of tension in your body, and you sighed as you moved out of the way, heading for the door. When you reached it, you looked back just in time to see Wayne lunge at Eddie and envelop him in a tight embrace. Eddie clutched his uncle just as tightly, burying his face in the older man’s shoulder, and another crack in your heart stitched itself together as you softly closed the bedroom door to give the two men some privacy.

You turned around to see all of your friends smiling tentatively, and you returned the gesture right before your stomach gave a sudden lurch. Saliva abruptly pooled in your mouth, so you scrambled past everyone and stumbled into the hall bathroom, falling to your knees on the cold tile seconds before your stomach emptied it contents.

Not wanting to disturb the Munsons, you tried to keep quiet, and thankfully the spell seemed to pass relatively quickly. When you were done, you flushed with shaking fingers, stood up, and turned to the sink. Dustin hovered nervously in the doorway while you rinsed out your mouth, and you caught his eye in the mirror as you spat out a mixture of mouthwash and toothpaste.

“I’m okay, kiddo,” you said, trying to reassure Dustin as much as yourself. “I’ve just had an… exciting morning. Probably just need to sit down.”

“I’ll help you,” the boy offered and extended his arm. “Come on.”

Part of you wanted to refuse, say you could walk on your own, but you could see the desperation to do something in Dustin’s gaze, so you relented.

“Thank you.” You smiled tiredly, took his arm, and let him lead you back to the living room, where everyone else was already waiting.

You collapsed on the couch and closed your eyes, tilting your head back to face the ceiling, but you could feel everyone staring at you intently. After nearly a full minute, the sensation and silence grew grating, and you sighed.

“If someone could bring me a glass of water and like some toast or something, I’ll answer your questions,” you said without opening your eyes.

There was a quick whispered argument, followed by the sound of people shoving each other, and when you finally lifted your head, you saw Nancy pushing Mike to get up, even though Dustin was already halfway to the kitchen.

“I got it,” the curly-haired boy called over his shoulder, and a few moments later, he returned with the water and a sleeve of saltine crackers you didn’t even know you had.

“Thanks,” you muttered as you accepted the items. You drank the water first, draining half the glass before you set it on the coffee table and pulled out a cracker to nibble on.

But everyone was still staring at you expectantly, so you decided to just bite the bullet.

“Okay, to make things simpler, let me give you the main points first. I went to the high school to find Wayne, but some of the resident fucking assholes had… run him off.”

“Is that what happened to his…” Dustin trailed off, gesturing to his face.

You nodded, and everyone’s expression grew tight with anger, even though only Nancy and Dustin had previously met the older Munson.

“How did you get blood on your cast?” Eleven suddenly interjected, which drew everyone’s gaze to your arm. The white plaster was speckled with dried blood, but there was also a sizable red stain where you had slammed it into the blond bastard’s mouth. “Did you beat up the… resident assholes?”

You didn’t exactly feel guilty about what you’d done, but you also didn’t want to confess how satisfactory it had been to put that fucker in his place. You were probably a bad enough influence on these kids as it was.

“Yeah, I had a small… altercation with someone at the high school,” you said carefully, tucking your cast between your legs. You could see more questions building up in your friends’ faces, so you tried to preemptively answer them. “But I’m okay. I wasn’t even hurt. I actually just sucker punched the guy and then got the hell out of there. Some people did see me, though, sooo we might have a visit from the police, but I doubt it since they have enough on their plates as it is.”

“Damn,” Lucas muttered with wide eyes.

“Bitchin’.” Eleven smiled, which made Nancy frown at you.

“Anyway…” You cleared your throat. “After I left the school, I went looking for Wayne and found him at the trailer park. He was… very upset. About the trailer, about Eddie. I-I couldn’t just leave him like that. I was afraid he might do something… drastic.”

You met Nancy’s eyes and saw the understanding in them. She also saw the question in yours— was the gun safe?— and she nodded subtly.

Thank fucking Christ.

“Sooo, uh, what exactly did you tell Mr. Munson?” Mike asked, and you saw him glance nervously at El. “Like… everything?”

“Not everything.” You shook your head. “I just told him that the Upside Down exists, monsters live there, and we’ve been trying to stop them. That’s about all I had time for. And I’m sorry I sprang this on all you guys. I know we should have talked about it beforehand, about bringing someone else into all this bullshit. But…”

“There wasn’t time, we understand,” Will finished for you, and you sent him a soft, grateful smile.

“Yeah, it’s okay, Obi,” Dustin added from where he was sitting beside you on the couch. “We’re just… happy things turned out alright.”

“God, me too,” you groaned and spent a minute finishing off your water and scarfing down a couple crackers.

“You know, to his credit, Mr. Munson is handling things much better than some other people have,” Nancy abruptly said with a faint smirk.

“Do you mean Steve?” Dustin snickered. “He did yelp when he saw Eddie. He also fell on his ass.”

“Seriously?” Lucas snorted. “Mike and I at least stayed upright.”

“I do remember Steve’s voice going particularly high-pitched that night at your house,” Nancy said as she looked at Jonathan. “When we set the traps for the Demogorgon.”

“To be fair, he did stick around and help us kick its ass,” Jonathan laughed. “That definitely gives him some points.”

“It does,” Nancy said, her smile going a little fond, but that wasn’t any of your business.

“But Eddie’s not even half as scary as a Demogorgon,” Mike scoffed and rolled his eyes, to which El nodded seriously. “So Steve loses a few points there.”

“Hey, I heard that, Wheeler Junior.”

You looked up to see Eddie standing at the end of the hall, with Wayne hovering just behind him.

The younger Munson narrowed his eyes at Mike and bared his fangs, and he did look rather intimidating for a moment. But then he glanced at you, and the faux snarl melted into a familiar goofy grin that still managed to steal your breath away.

It had been about ten minutes since you’d last seen the Munsons, but already they looked much better. Eddie was smiling, and Wayne seemed happy if confused. The bruises and cuts on his face were also gone, and Dustin seemed to notice at the same time you did.

“I see Magic Spit has come to the rescue yet again,” the kid said with a grin.

Eddie rolled his eyes, but his grayish cheeks darkened slightly, and Wayne looked a little uncomfortable as he shifted from foot to foot behind his nephew.

“Shut up, Henderson,” Eddie muttered before a familiar, excited smirk tugged at his mouth. “You know, I was gonna tell you about the cool new thing I learned, but never mind now.”

“No, wait, what did you learn?” Dustin asked as he leaned forward eagerly, and Mike and Lucas seemed similarly intrigued.

Eddie tapped a single claw against his lips and narrowed his eyes in consideration, and after he dragged out the moment to his satisfaction, he finally sighed.

“Ohhh, nothing,” he said with a shrug. “Just that Magic Spit works even if I put it on a towel first.”

“Whoaaa, so transfer doesn’t weaken it?” Dustin mused. “Do you think we could bottle it? Would the healing properties be preserved?”

“That could be useful,” Mike said, his eyes gleaming excitedly. “Like a potion of healing.”

“That is something from Dungeons and Dragons, yes?” Eleven asked as she cocked her head.

“Yeah,” Will answered her since the other boys were caught up in their own discussion.

“This Magic Spit stuff seems pretty powerful,” Lucas said, and he stared at Wayne for a moment before he glanced back at Mike and Dustin. “We could stock up, each have our own jars. It could definitely come in handy.”

You wondered if he was thinking about Max but quickly shoved the thought away.

“Hmm, that’s a lot of spit.” Eddie frowned contemplatively and rolled his tongue against the inside of his cheek. “Buttttttt I think I can do it. Obi, you got any jars?”

“Uhhhh, is this stuff… normal for you kids?” Wayne spoke up from behind Eddie.

“Yes,” everyone said in unison, and the older Munson’s bewildered expression almost made you laugh.

Eddie snickered and walked over to sit beside you on the couch, the kids scootching down or shifting to the floor to make room. After a moment of hesitation, Wayne approached David’s recliner, and you nodded at him encouragingly until he sat down with a sigh. Seeing the older man relax into the plush seat made you smile, but then Eddie shifted into your line of vision with a mischievous smirk.

“So, Obi?” he asked, leaning into your personal space until his cold breath brushed your cheek. “Do you have some jars or not?”

“I’m not letting you fill all of my Tupperware with your spit, Munson,” you said with a roll of your eyes, and you pushed his face away until he was leaning back onto the sofa’s armrest, only a foot or so away from his uncle, who was staring at Eddie with a misty smile.

“Awww, come on, Obi,” Dustin cajoled from your other side. “It’s for science!”

“Yeah, sweetheart, for science.” Eddie grinned, but then he blinked and glanced at the front door.

“What?” you asked, heart stuttering with alarm.

Before Eddie could answer, Steve’s muffled voice filtered into your living room from outside.

“Robin, slow down, you’re going to drop everything!”

You heard Robin laugh just before she pounded up the porch steps, flinging open the door with a triumphant smile and nearly dropping the multiple pizza boxes she was holding.

“I win!” she declared over her shoulder. “Take that for uncoordinated, Steve.”

Then she turned back to the living room and stepped inside, but she and the smile on her face immediately froze at the sight of Wayne in the recliner.

“Uhhhh,” Robin said with wide eyes, but she was interrupted as Steve came up behind her.

“Okay, yeah, yeah, you win, could you move now?” he grumbled, juggling what looked like several movies and a case of beer. He shoved into Robin’s shoulder, but when she still didn’t move, he looked up with a scowl. Then he also saw Wayne and stilled like a deer caught in headlights. “Uhhhhhh…”

“You’re letting the cold air out, guys,” you teased but made a face when you realized you sounded like your mother.

Robin blinked and then stuttered into motion again, nearly dropping the pizzas. “S-Shit, yeah, okay, let me just— I’ll, uh, just put these down right… here.”

She stumbled over to the coffee table and unceremoniously dumped the pizza onto the wooden surface. Her eyes flickered to Wayne again before she snapped upright and moved back toward Steve, who was still gaping from the doorway.

“Need a hand there, Harrington?” Eddie asked with a smirk.

Eddie’s voice seemed to snap Steve out of it, and he shook his head as he slowly kicked the door shut behind him. His gaze kept jumping from Eddie, to Wayne, then to you, and his mouth opened and closed several times as he searched for something to say.

Surprisingly, Wayne beat him to it.

“Is that beer?” the older Munson grunted from the recliner.

Steve jumped, and his wide eyes fell to the case of beer that was tucked under his arm. You thought he looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Which, technically, you guessed he was, because no one in the room except Wayne was over the drinking age.

“Uhh, n-no, well, yes,” Steve stuttered. “I mean, I wasn’t— we weren’t— I can… get rid of it?”

A moment of tense silence passed, but when you looked at Eddie, he just winked and settled his clawed hand over your knee. You immediately relaxed under his touch before you glanced back at his uncle, who was staring at a rapidly paling Steve.

Finally, Wayne scoffed. “Not before you give me one. It’s been a hell of a damn morning.”

Steve blinked and then fumbled to set the movies and beer down, ripping open the cardboard and pulling out a can with shaking fingers.

“Yeah, sure, um, here,” he muttered as he walked the can over to Wayne, who nodded in gratitude.

“Thank you,” he said and cracked open the beer, but he paused, squinting up at Steve before taking a sip. “Ain’t you the Harrington boy?”

“Y-Yes, sir.” Steve swallowed and shifted uncomfortably.

“And you’ve been helping Ed out with all this… shadow world shit?”

If possible, Steve’s eyes widened even further, flicking over the rest of the group. “Uh… yes?”

“Hmm,” Wayne said as he took another sip of beer. “Interesting.”

“Right?” Eddie snickered from beside you, breaking the tension in the room like a balloon being popped. “That was the most surprising thing to me, too. Evil monsters and alternate dimensions? Okay, sure. Steve Harrington being the epic hero keeping back the darkness while not being a douchebag? When pigs fucking fly, I thought. But Stevie here is full of surprises, ain’t ya, Stevie?”

“Shut the hell up, Munson,” Steve muttered as his whole face flared red, but then his wide eyes shot to Wayne. “I-I mean Eddie… Munson, sir, not, uh, you.”

“Aww, you made him blush,” Robin cooed, walking up behind Steve and pinching his cheeks until he batted her away.

“You’re all gonna make my hair go gray,” he huffed, which made everyone laugh.

With that, the remaining tension in the room— which mainly came from Steve— dissipated, and the kids dove for the pizza like you hadn’t fed them a breakfast buffet merely hours ago. As everyone settled around the coffee table, Eddie introduced Wayne to the group, and the older Munson nodded, asking questions here and there about how they all met his nephew. No one particularly wanted to talk about the Upside Down or Vecna, but Wayne had some general questions, which you and the others answered to the best of your abilities. In the end, Wayne kind of just shrugged and opened another beer, saying he didn’t care about the rest of the details as long as Eddie was alive.

From there, the conversation moved on to lighter topics, and Robin even shoved a movie into your TV to play in the background. You couldn’t for the life of you figure out what the plot was because you were paying more attention to the people gathered in your living room. The kids were all happy and smiling, tearing through the pizza, and the older teens lounged on the floor, casually chatting and occasionally making fun of Steve or Robin when they inevitably spilled something on themselves.

To your left, Eddie was half draped over the arm rest as he spoke quietly to Wayne, but the edge of his right wing was curled around you. The appendage was leathery and cool against your skin, but you didn’t mind. You just leaned further into Eddie, sighing softly, and he glanced at you with a smile, his wing curling down over your shoulder until the tip trailed across your lap like a throw blanket.

Suddenly, Wayne let out a stifled snort, which drew Eddie’s attention.

“What’s so funny?” he asked his uncle, who was now hiding half a smile behind his beer.

“Nothin’.” The older Munson shook his head, but Eddie wasn’t letting go that easily.

“Come onnnnn,” he wheedled with a grin. “Share with the class, Uncle Wayne.”

“It’s really nothin’,” the older man said, but a fondness entered his pale eyes as they trailed over you and Eddie. “I was just… do you remember when you were about eight? You found that injured bat outside the trailer. You cried at first, thinking it was dead, but when you realized it wasn’t, you were adamant about nursing it back to health. And damn if you didn’t do just that.”

“Awwww,” you and Dustin— who’d apparently been listening from your other side— chorused, which made Eddie flush and duck his head.

“Okay, maybe you didn’t have to share allll that with the class, Uncle,” he muttered. “Definitely could have left out the crying bit.”

“Sorry,” Wayne said, but his smile said he wasn’t. “The part I was laughing at, though, was the night you released that scrappy son of a bitch. You watched him fly off into the dark, chirpin’ all the while, and you smiled and said you wished you could fly like him.”

“Be careful what you wish for, huh?” Eddie scoffed.

“Well, we technically don’t even know if you can fly yet,” Dustin interjected and shot a pleading glance in your direction.

You narrowed your eyes. “No, Henderson. I already told you. No one is allowed to jump off my roof.”

“Fineeeeee,” the boy sighed before Mike called his name and drew his attention.

You turned back to Eddie to find a dangerous, contemplative look on his face, and you immediately poked your finger into his side.

“I know that look, Munson. There will be no jumping off any roofs. Not mine, not the neighbors’, and not Harrington’s. No roofs.”

A sheepish, guilty smile immediately spread across Eddie’s face, which made Wayne snort into his beer again.

“You’re obviously not gonna pull a fast one over on her, son, so I wouldn’t even try,” he warned his nephew.

“I know,” Eddie said while still smiling at you. “Obi keeps me honest.”

“Definitely a full time job,” you scoffed, turning away from him, but you didn’t think you were quick enough to hide your own smile.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, and by the time the sun started to set, the kids were yawning and full of pizza. It took some corralling, but eventually, Steve got Dustin and Robin loaded into his car. He hadn’t even opened any of the beer he’d bought— for some reason too nervous with Wayne sitting in the recliner— so he was sober if a little tired when he slid behind the wheel. Robin, on the other hand, was definitely drunk, and she hung out of the passenger side window waving goodbye as Steve pulled away from the curb. Nancy and Jonathan were both sober as well, so Nancy took Mike and Lucas home, while Jonathan drove Will and El back to their house.

You waved goodbye until their cars turned off your street, and then you slipped back into the living room where the Munsons were waiting. Wayne was standing in front of the recliner, looking awkward in his borrowed blue sweater as he rocked back on his heels. He glanced from his nephew— who was standing equally awkwardly in front of the couch— to you, and back again, and then he cleared his throat.

“Well… guess it’s getting late,” he grunted, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” you said with a wince. “If you give me five minutes, I’ll get everything ready for you.”

“You… what?” Wayne frowned, which made you frown in return.

“I’ll get everything ready for you? I just need to put some new sheets on the bed, and I can also find you something to sleep in. I, uh, hope you don’t mind staying in my room. Eddie needs the bigger bed, for his, you know, wings.”

Wayne just blinked at you for what felt like a solid thirty seconds, confusion carved into every line of his face. “You… want me to stay?”

Okay, now you were the one confused.

“Of… course?” you said, brow furrowing. “I just thought— the trailer’s gone, and I really don’t think you should return to the high school, given what those assholes did to you. Probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a few days off from the plant, too. But either way, I, uh, just… assumed that Eddie was going to stay here—”

“I am,” Eddie interjected immediately, easily, which made you smile at him.

“Right.” You nodded and turned back to his uncle. “So if Eddie’s staying, the offer obviously extends to you, too, Mr. Mu— Wayne.”

Despite your words, Wayne still looked bewildered. “But what— what about your folks? I’m sure they wouldn’t want us just moving in unannounced-- Oh. Uhhh, or are they, um…”

“They’re alive,” you said when he trailed off with an uncomfortable look. “But they skipped town the day after the earthquake. I… don’t know if they’ll be back, but they definitely won’t be back anytime soon, so you and Eddie are welcome to stay as long as you like. I’d actually really enjoy the company, if I’m being honest, so you’d be doing me a favor.”

That last part was true, but you also said it because you knew Wayne wouldn’t accept charity. He was too proud, a trait he passed down to Eddie, who never let you buy his food when the two of you went out. You never saw it as charity, and you didn’t see this as charity either, but the Munson men were different.

After almost a full minute, Wayne exhaled shakily, and you thought you saw the glint of tears in his eyes. Then he cleared his throat and rubbed a hand over his face.

“I don’t know what to say,” he grunted after a moment. “Other than… thank you. For everything you’ve done. I’ll— I don’t know how yet, but I’ll find some way to pay you back.”

“For what?” you asked with a soft smile. “I have an empty room, it’s really not a big deal.”

“I’m not just talkin’ about the room,” Wayne said as he met your gaze. “Ed told me some of what you did for him. And… and you gave me back my boy. I don’t think that’s a debt I can ever repay, but I sure as hell am gonna try.”

“There are no debts with family,” you said without thinking, but when Eddie snapped his head around to look at you with wide eyes, you immediately flushed. “I-I mean, we’ve all kinda become this big crazy family— us, the kids, Harrington, some others. Saving the world together creates a bond, you know, so… we all have each other’s backs. What I’m, uh, trying to say is you really don’t owe me anything, Wayne.”

Your face was still burning with embarrassment, and Eddie was still staring at you, and you suddenly couldn’t sit still anymore.

“A-Anyway…” You started to slowly inch your way around the Munsons, heading for the hallway. “I’ll, uh, go change the sheets on my bed now.”

“No, wait,” Wayne stopped you. “I don’t want to take your bed. The couch is fine with me.”

“That’s… really not necessary,” you said as you squirmed with discomfort and avoided his eyes.

“Yes, it is. You said Ed’s already taking the bigger bed, and I can’t in good conscious have you sleeping on the couch in your own home.”

Your face was fire engine red now, you were sure of it, and you shot Eddie a helpless glance. He looked similarly embarrassed, but after a moment, he cleared his throat.

“She, uh, won’t be sleeping on the couch, Uncle Wayne,” he said while also avoiding the older man’s gaze.

“What do you mean— oh.”

Was it bad luck to wish for a gate to open up directly beneath your feet and swallow you whole?

Wayne considered the two of you for a silent moment, but now Eddie was squirming, too, and he suddenly whirled to face you.

“Actually, uh, Obi, w-why don’t you go take a shower? Wayne and I can get the sheets changed, and you deserve a break after your hectic day.”

A part of you wanted to argue, but Wayne was still studying you closely, and you were a coward.

“Alright.” You flashed Eddie a bright, fake smile. “Sheets are in the hall closet, next to the bathroom. The blue ones with like a wave pattern are the ones that fit my bed. I’ll, um, only be about ten or fifteen minutes, so if you need anything else, I’ll grab it when I’m done.”

“Sounds good, sweetheart,” Eddie said with his own forced smile, but then flinched when his uncle raised an eyebrow at the pet name.

Before Wayne could add anything else, you nodded and quickly scurried around him and into the hall bathroom. Once the door was closed, you leaned against it, sighing.

Well… that was awkward. A hot shower would definitely help you unwind right about now.

First, though, you took a moment to go to the bathroom, realizing that you hadn’t peed since you ate five slices of pizza (and maybe drank one or two beers.) When you were done, you also decided to brush your teeth, hoping that once you got out of the shower, you could just tiptoe into the master bedroom, avoid seeing Wayne for tonight, and go right to sleep.

Unfortunately, as you went to start undressing, you realized there was a flaw in your plan.

You forgot a change of clothes. And you definitely didn’t want to walk out into the hall wrapped only in a thin towel.

Cursing yourself under your breath, you quietly opened the bathroom door and stepped into the hallway. Your bedroom was almost directly across from the bathroom, with its own door standing only partially ajar. You could hear what sounded like the flapping and rustling of sheets, and when you peeked through the crack in the door, Wayne and Eddie were standing on either side of your stripped bed. Wayne’s back was to you, and Eddie was half crouched over the mattress, trying to tuck the clean fitted sheet over a corner.

You were about to raise your hand and knock— even though it was your room— but Wayne’s voice stopped you.

“So… I see you finally bucked up the courage to tell that girl how you feel.”

The fitted sheet immediately slipped from Eddie’s grasp, snapping out of place, and he cursed as he chased after it. You flushed and wanted to step back, feeling like you were eavesdropping— because you were— but now you were worried Eddie might hear you if you moved.

Did he know you were there already, or was the three feet distance from the bathroom to where you were now standing not enough for him to tell the difference?

Damn it, you should have just taken the shower and come out in a towel.

“Yeah, well,” Eddie suddenly said, drawing your attention back into the room. Eddie still wasn’t looking up at his uncle, effectively hiding in his long hair as he fixed the corner he’d messed up. “Near death experiences kinda put things in perspective, you know? But, uh, truthfully, Obi’s the courageous one. She told me how she felt first.”

“And how many times did I tell you that she was just as smitten with you as you were with her?” Wayne asked, and though you couldn’t see his face, his voice was decidedly smug. “She was at the trailer more than I was, Ed. She called you every morning to make sure you got up for school.”

“Okay, okay, I get it, you told me so,” Eddie muttered as he moved down to the next corner of the bed, and through a gap in his hair you could see his flushed and embarrassed face. “I’ll be sure to listen to you the next time I fall head over heels in love.”

“You think there’s gonna be a next time? I’ve seen the way you look at her, Ed.”

The question made both Eddie and your heart pause. Eddie stuttered into motion first, followed by your racing pulse, but he still didn’t look at his uncle as they finished putting on the fitted sheet.

You didn’t know if Eddie was going to answer the question. You didn’t know if you wanted him to.

“I dunno,” the younger Munson finally said after what felt like an eternity. “I mean, it’s not like that shit’s important right now. The world’s ending, I’ve got goddamn wings…”

“From the sound of it, this ain’t your friends’ first rodeo,” Wayne pointed out. “If they’ve done half the stuff you’ve said, getting you back to normal should be a walk in the park.”

“Hopefully,” Eddie sighed as he started working on the pillow cases. He was maybe punching the pillows a little more roughly than necessary. “But even if I do get back to ‘normal,’ it’s… I mean, we’re young. Young and stupid. Well, I’m stupid, but Obi’s smart. So damn smart. She’s gonna go to college and do something amazing, I’m sure of it. And I don’t think she’ll want to be tied down to a drug dealing, ex-cult leader from a trailer park.”

Immediately, a thousand arguments jumped to your lips, and you were seconds away from shoving open the door and telling Eddie he was so wrong when Wayne suddenly grabbed one of the pillows and chucked it at Eddie’s head.

“Ow!” Eddie finally looked up with a frown, his hair a little frizzy from the pillow’s impact. “That hurt.”

“Good, maybe it’ll knock some sense into ya,” Wayne grunted, and even though you still couldn’t see his face, you could imagine his stern expression. “Because that’s about the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard, and I’ve been listening to the whole town call you an ‘evil mastermind’ for a week.”

“Okay, I could totally be an evil mastermind if I wanted, though—”

“Ed,” Wayne cut in, which made his nephew shut up. “I might not be the best person to be giving relationship advice, but that girl looks at you like you hung the moon and stars. You heard her in there. She called us— you— family. And if she didn’t run screaming at your wings and claws, I doubt she gives a crap about your past. She loves you, Ed. Anyone with eyes can see it. And you should give yourself some credit. If you can survive the damn apocalypse, I know you’ll make something of yourself one day, son. But… just know I’m already proud of you, and I always will be.”

Eddie’s face rippled, and he looked on the verge of tears for a moment before he ducked his head again and picked up the pillow Wayne had thrown at him.

“Thanks,” he whispered as he started pulling on the pillowcase.

“You’re welcome.” Wayne nodded, and it was quiet for a moment as they started straightening the comforter. Then… “So, you gonna ask her to marry you?”

The breath hitched in your lungs, and your heart skipped like a rock over water.

“Wha— shit, fuck!” Eddie gasped as he snapped upright, stumbled back into the nightstand beside your bed, and almost knocked the lamp to the floor with his flailing wings. “I… you… Uncle Wayne! You can’t just say shit like that! It’s— that’s crazy. Absolutely insane. D-Did you not hear the part where I said we’re young? And I haven’t— fuck, I haven’t even taken her out on a date yet, and I’ve been planning our first date for-goddamn-ever. It was either going to be a fancy dinner at Enzo’s— which, actually, the gate might have swallowed Enzo’s now that I think about it, so never mind that— or a very romantic picnic out by the lake… which is also a portal to hell, Jesus H. Christ! See, I can’t even take Obi on a date because it’s Dante’s Inferno outside, so… so it’s s-stupid to think about marriage at this point. Definitely not thinking about it right now. Nope.”

The silence following that rambling rant was deafening, broken only by Eddie’s jagged panting and the sound of your heart sinking into the depths inside you. Your throat was tight with disappointment— even though you knew that was stupid— and you were just about to turn around and shuffle back into the bathroom when Wayne spoke up again.

“‘Definitely not thinking about it right now,’” the older Munson repeated, again in that smug tone. “So you’ve thought about it before. And presumably will in the future?”

Eddie groaned, long and suffering, as he dragged his clawed fingers down his face. He took a deep breath while hiding behind his palms, but then he sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

“Fuck, okay, yes, alright?” he grumbled. He sounded miserable. “I’ve thought about it. And despite all the crazy shit I just mentioned, I would ask her in a heartbeat if I thought she would say yes. Happy?”

You didn’t know if Wayne was happy at this knowledge, but you certainly were. It felt like your heart was moments away from taking flight, made buoyant by the elation pumping through your veins like the world’s best drug. Eddie had been semi-right before. It definitely was not logical to be thinking of marriage at a time like this, with the fate of the world tittering on the edge of a knife.

But just the very idea was enough to make you feel like you were levitating off the floor, rebelling against gravity and all the laws of physics.

Fuck, you wanted to run into the bedroom and kiss the ever-living shit out of Eddie.

But once again, before you could move, Wayne started speaking.

“I’m happy as long as you’re happy, Ed, and I know that… Obi makes you happy.”

Eddie sighed again and looked up at his uncle, but then a small smile— fond and beautiful— stretched across his lips.

“Yeah,” he murmured, making your heart soar. “She does.”

“Good.” Wayne nodded and bent over to smooth out the last wrinkles in the comforter. “But, uh, just for my own peace of mind, I hope you’re being… safe. I’m too young to be a grandpa, and a toddler with wings would definitely send me to an early grave.”

Eddie squawked with mortification as your whole body simultaneously flushed with heat, and you decided that you could just borrow some of your mom’s clothes, actually.

Pivoting on heel, you scurried over to the master bedroom, but not before you heard Eddie stutter out a response.

“You— we— I, ummm, actually haven’t done… that yet, b-but I know the rules, don’t worry. Wrap it before you tap it, no means no, only enthusiastic consent counts—”

“Alright, alright, that’s, uh, enough, Ed. Glad we had this talk.”

#eddie munson #eddie munson x you #eddie munson/you #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson/reader #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson/fem!reader #vamp!eddie munson #vamp!eddie munson x you #vamp!eddie munson x reader #vampire eddie munson #vampire!eddie munson #kas!eddie munson #wayne munson #steve harrington

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