#the song was Goodnight Chicago

[ryoukio]

Having fun with gradient mapping in procreate on this night.

[nouveaumoon]

♥ happy valentine's day! ♥

[haruosaki]

[anxsity]

the most tragic thing in life is that the odds of me being in a social situation where its appropriate to scream "i killed a man to make you love me" at the top of my lungs is incredibly low

[strawberryspence]

Steve is 19 when Eddie first says it. It's the night Eddie comes home from the hospital, body all bandaged up to help him heal. Steve picks him up, drops him off the brand new trailer and has to say his goodbyes. He's the one who's been staying with Max at the hospital since Lucas started going to school again. Eddie watches, seated on the door, shoulders leaning against the frame.

Eddie waves at him, hand still wrapped protectively on his middle. There's a tired smile on his face, "See you tomorrow, Steve." It's the first time Eddie ever calls him by his first name.

Steve is 20 and Eddie Munson has been saying, "See you tomorrow!" as his goodbye to him since that night. Robin thinks it's for him and for him only. Steve watches Eddie, something he does a lot these days. He watches as he says his goodbye to the kids, says goodbye to Nancy, Robin, Jonathan, Argyle. Eddie never once says the words, "See you tomorrow!"

Steve waits for everyone to be gone, hitching rides from the other older kids. Eddie turns to him when everyone has finally left, "Are you staying, Stevie?"

"No. I am leaving too."

Eddie smiles at him, cheeky and dimpled, brown eyes shimmering like a fucking gem against the cheap yellow fluorescent light, "Well then, see you tomorrow, sweetheart."

It clicks. It's not a goodbye, It's a promise. Eddie will see Steve tomorrow, come hell or high water. A promise made for him, and him only.

Steve pulls Eddie by the lapels of his ridiculously shiny jacket and kisses him straight in the mouth.

Steve is 23 when Eddie and him move in to their first apartment together. It's dingy, kind of old, but hey, it's freaking cheap. They unpack boxes of things that was given by Joyce, Karen, Hop, Mrs. Henderson and Mrs. Sinclair. It's not much but it makes their bare home more livable.

They sleep on the floor with Steve's old mattress laid in the middle of the room, unopened boxes and furniture scattered surrounding them.

It's the first night they sleep together in their first home.

"See you tomorrow, sunshine." Eddie kisses his forehead, his nose and then his lips.

Eddie never says goodnight, just see you tomorrow.

Steve is 25 and it's the first time Eddie won't see him tomorrow. Eddie has to go to New York because Corroded Coffin just got discovered by an agent who wants to sign them.

It's okay. Eddie still calls every night, thank God the time differences of Chicago and New York isn't that big. Steve makes sure Robin isn't using the phone, so Eddie could call and tell him about his day with producers and songwriters and music and Steve can tell him about school essays and presentations for his Education class.

And always, always, just like every night since he was 19, Eddie ends the call with, "See you tomorrow." With whatever name he feels like that day. Sometimes it's sunshine, sometimes it's Stevie, sometimes it's love or baby or sweetheart. It doesn't really matter because it's all Steve.

Sometimes it's not true. Steve doesn't see Eddie the next day. Sometimes it goes on weeks and months on ends before the greeting finally means they get to see each other again.

That's okay. Steve's okay with it because if not tomorrow, he knows he'll still see Eddie again.

Steve is 34 when he hears Eddie say the greeting to someone else for the first time. Adoption is exhausting and repetitive and long and grueling but in the end— with a tiny little baby, cradled right against your arm— it's perfect.

Kids are always a mess. Steve knows because he has seven of them already, all grown up, all spread out in the country, all doing things on their own. And it's exhausting and takes out so much energy from you and your partner.

But with Eddie, all the weariness in his bones dissipate at the image of him, rocking their child on a rocking chair, humming a soft song as he finally tells them, "See you tomorrow, peanut."

Steve is 47 when Eddie and him finally get married. Joyce and Robin plan the wedding and as ridiculous as it sounds, they separate the two of them the night before. Steve rolls his eyes, kisses his groom on the cheek and waits for Eddie to say the four magic words.

"See you tomorrow, fiancé." Eddie whispers against his lips.

They get married the next day, under the bright beaming sun, spring flowers surrounding them as their daughter reluctantly spreads flowers for them.

Steve thinks he's heard so many variations of the greeting, but, "See you tomorrow, husband." might be his favorite from all of them.

Steve is 54 and it's the first time Eddie doesn't say it to him before going to bed. They both silently slip into the bed together, hands intertwined together like the other will float away if they let go.

Apparently being tortured and experimented with half of your childhood has some bad outcomes. It's the day they find out that El has a brain tumor.

Steve is 56 and the Party sleeps beside him and Eddie, tucked into each other like they're 15 again. The last time the Party had a sleepover was in 2000. They still all have sleepovers, don't get him wrong. What Steve means is the sleepover where they're all squished together on the floor, clinging onto each other as they sleep soundly, knowing they're safe and sound with their friends.

They have a sleep over just like that one last time.

"See you tomorrow. I love you." Eddie whispers, just as he falls asleep.

The expired eggos in their fridge gets thrown out six months later.

Steve is 65 when he gets to meet their first grandchild. Eddie is adamant that he is not crying, but his glasses make his tears more visible, making them look like actual diamonds coming out of his eyes.

Their daughter laughs, and lets them hold him for the first time. Steve is a blabbering mess of tears, holding the baby close to his chest. They stay the whole night, to help take care of the baby and their daughter.

And there's nothing more beautiful than the moment the nurse has to take their grandchild away from their daughter and she whispers, as gentle as a feather, "See you tomorrow, Ellie."

Steve is 73 when Eddie first forgets to say goodnight. It's Alzheimer's, it's—

It's not okay. It's never going to be okay. But Steve has to be okay, has to carry on for the love of his life. He takes care of Eddie, because he vowed to do so the day they got married, because he loves this man and he will do anything for him.

Steve tucks Eddie at night, after fits of confusion as to where he is, as to who he is, and kisses his forehead, soft and gentle, and says, "See you tomorrow, Eds."

Steve is 82 when he hears it for the last time.

Eddie's health has been declining. Nine years after his first prognosis, Steve takes it as a win, nine years and his love still battles it everyday.

They've been living in a nursing home, Steve is also getting too old to take care of Eddie. His bones are weary in ways that never goes away, his sight and hearing has always been bad but time has made it worst.

There's something called terminal lucidity. The doctors explain to Steve, in the most gentle way he's ever heard, "You're husband will probably, theoretically, have a moment of clarity where he remembers everything and it will seem like you have him back, but for us it is the sign of his health declining further. I am sorry, Mr. Munson."

Eddie gets it a few days later, and they talk nonstop. They talk about the kids, their grandchildren, about their friends, about how they've lived their lives. They open up photo albums, and point and laugh and smile and cry. Steve excuses himself to go to the bathroom, but only so he can call the others, so they could say their goodbyes. The kids fly in, from all around the country, to say goodbye.

Eddie goes a few hours later, warm and comfortable in his bed, cuddled next to Steve with a big dopey smile on his face, "See you tomorrow, Steve."

Steve smiles back, as Eddie closes his eyes. He stops fighting the ache in his bones, the never-ending beat in his scars.

"See you tomorrow, Eddie."

Steve doesn't see Eddie the next day, not the next, not the next, not the nex—

Until, he finally sees Eddie again.

[theminecraftbee]

it's so funny how certain songs can just become impossibly associated with certain things in your head. i can have a playlist of music on in the background while writing, and then goodnight chicago plays, and suddenly, it's two years ago and i'm in stuffed bird writing land again, lol. that, or in my apartment crying about the reception and then the animatic itself. (positive crying.) memories, man.

[lorifragolina]

Hello! I wanted to post all my bingo fills for @harringrovesummerbingo last week but I couldn't, but I hope I could do it before the event ends! I was inspired by "Mine" by Taylor Swift (in Glee version, tbh, I'm afraid I'm not a swiftie XD) and it seems to me really Harringrove coded (but what song is not?).

It was complicated writing it and I'm not sure I could do a decent word, but I hope it fits with the promt.

Hope you enjoy!

Title: Mine

Square & Prompt: C2 "Hold on to love"

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 3119

Major Tags: mental issues (mentioned).

Summary: Billy and Steve meet again and feel in love in college, but life is difficult and they have to fight for their love.

Read in on AO3

“I am dreaming or that's you, Harrington?”

Steve suddenly raised his head. It was like he was seeing a ghost of the past.

“Billy?” He said. 

Billy Hargrove put the coffee he had ordered on the table, holding the tray. 

For both of them, the other was the last person they had expected to see there, in a cafe in the campus in Chicago, on a spring Friday at 5 pm.

“Who bailed you, Harrington?” Said Billy later, at the second cup Steve ordered, an hour and a half later. 

Steve looked at the basketball match tickets he had in his hands. She wasn’t anything really, they met in class and started talking, and Steve invited her to the cafeteria two hours before. It was evident that she wouldn’t come. 

“Are you busy, Hargrove?”

They arrive a little late to the match, but anyway, Steve had a good time. He didn’t really follow college basketball, but the girl seemed interested in his team captain past, so it seemed a good idea to him.

Billy seemed happy, though, he was screaming and cheering, and he gave him a beautiful smile when he passed him the beer he bought for him.

Steve had observed Hargrove in the cafe, while he was serving at the tables: he was still muscled as in high school, the blonde curls tied back in a bun and, maybe, a little less tanned, his blue eyes and his signature mocking grin like he remembered. 

It was almost four years since the last time they saw each other, and a lot of things had changed. Steve was changed and he had discovered things about him, and then he accepted those things, thinking he had left behind the bigot atmosphere of a little midwest city. 

Hargrove seemed changed too, his voice was less sharp, when he greeted him before. He seemed really surprised to see him, and maybe a little pleased. He didn’t seem so abrasive when Steve explained briefly that the girl bailed him.

“I worked after graduation… and I traveled a little. I saved for college, but last year I won a scholarship”.

Steve nodded. It was strange they never crossed the campus last year, but Steve wasn’t exactly regular to class. He will be a senior next year and frankly he couldn't say he killed himself studying.

“Well, I‘m here,” Billy stopped in front of his dorm’s door, biting his lips and looking to the ground.

“I had a good time. Thanks for saving me from the shame of being bailed, Billy,” Steve smiled.

“At your service, princess,” Billy answered, regaining for a second the bitchy glimpse he had for Steve in high school.

“Maybe we can grab a drink sometimes?” Steve teased.

Billy nodded lightly. “Why not,” he looked at him with an unreadable expression, something between uncertainty and expectancy. “You know where to find me”.

“Of course. Good night, see you”, Steve waved and went away when Billy closed the door.

Billy stayed a little leaning on the door, catching his breath. Harrington, the last person he thought to see in Chicago, or anywhere. And he was desperate to kiss him goodnight.

They went out for that drink an evening of the same week, reconnecting a little and talking about the good old times; then Steve invited Billy to play basketball with his friends, in the park near his shared apartment, where they often threw parties for the girls too. Steve always invited him, but Billy didn’t always feel comfortable. He wasn’t officially out but his preferences weren't a secret for his closest friends, who were really little at the campus anyway. 

The cafeteria hosted a lot of lgbt events and it didn’t bother him, but for the first time in ages he started feeling uncomfortable again, when he was with Harrington and his gang of college studs, with their gross jokes and posters of boobs. He returned to feel like that scared boy at the high school, worried inside not to seem too queer. 

Steve smiled friendly at him, and Billy felt he was lying to him because he still liked him like in high school, and, although he smoothed a lot his temper, he started feeling some of that old rage of a caged animal; he didn’t want to lose Steve but he didn’t want to lie to him either. 

“It’s all ok, Billy?”

“Yes, why?” Damn, he probably answered too fast. 

“It seems you are avoiding me, lately,” Steve frowned. Billy declined all his invitations in the last two weeks. Steve had to catch him at work to talk to him. “Did I do something?”

“No,” Billy collected the cups from the bar, without looking at him. “I was just busy”.

“You sure?”

Billy nodded. 

“Did you find a girlfriend?” Joked Steve, trying to make him talk. They were not so close he expected Billy to tell him all his life, but he felt a little neglected.

“Of course not, Harrington,” Billy answered drily. The moment was valid as any other. “It would be a boyfriend, in any case,” he deliberately avoided Steve’s eyes and kept washing the plates.

Steve stayed silent for a moment, processing his words, probably. 

“And…” Steve stretched out a little to him.

“No. No boyfriend,” said Billy blushing.

“So you’re free for a drink?”

“What?” Billy was surprised and looked at Steve in the face: he didn’t seem disgusted or bothered by his confession.

“If you’re not avoiding me and you’re not dating anyone, I guess we can go out together, when you finish here”.

“Like…”

“Just a drink, if you want. You’re not avoiding me, right?”

Billy frowned, confused, but he had to nod. He had to be able to be just friends with Steve, he was an adult. Now Steve knew everything about him and still wanted to be with him, it was a progress.

They were sitting together on Steve's sofa, playing video games. Billy wasn’t really good but he enjoyed the ritual with the other guys, they’re playing with one of Steve’s roommates, another senior with whom Steve has been living since their freshmen year. They mocked him a little, as usual, when he dumbly lost the match. 

“Do you want something more?” Said the guy pointing at the empty bottles on the table.

“Oh yes, thanks, a beer for me. Billy?”

“Why not. Do you need help?”

“No, thanks, I’ll be back in a minute”, he disappeared to the kitchen.

“I’m really useless at this, don’t you think?”

“Nah, it’s just you don’t have muscular memory. We've been playing since we were kids”.

Billy pursed his lips, and nodded. His father never allowed him to own or play video games.

Billy chuckled and threw the controller, resting his head on the armrest; Steve smiled at him and got nearer, lightly touching Billy’s knee with his own; Billy felt goosebumps in his nape, but didn’t move his leg, watching Steve lying a little on him.

“Can you believe it?” whispered Steve, near his ear. “We, sitting here like friends. Would you ever have imagined it, back in Hawkins?”

Billy shivered, but tried to smile too. “No, I never thought we could be…” his voice died on his lips, when Steve took his hand and intertwined their fingers. “…friends”.

Steve stared at his eyes, smiling sweetly, and moving insensibly towards him.

“Harrington, but you don’t…” 

“Oh, yes, I do. I play in more than a team,” Steve smiled.

Billy held his breath, speechless. He squinted his eyes, because he couldn’t do differently.

“Here you are your beer, guys, sorry for the wait”.

Steve’s roommate came back from the kitchen and they moved apart abruptly.

Billy hid in the bathroom for several minutes; he couldn’t hear well, he was surely confused. Even if he could have feelings with Steve, he surely had misread the signals: they were just buddies.

“Billy?” Steve knocked on the door. “Are you ok?”

Billy opened the door after thirty seconds. “Yeah, sure,” he passed at Steve’s side without looking at him; Steve stopped him grabbing his arm.

“Billy, wait!”

Billy freezed and looked frantically at the corridor behind Steve, and Steve sighed.

“Oh… ok. Billy, don’t worry, they are…” Billy stiffened. Steve let him go but insisted on taking a walk with him.

On the way, he told Billy that he had coming to terms with his bisexuality just after graduation, when he was still in Hawkins and started dating Eddie Munson; Billy was frankly surprised, but he wasn’t able to let himself go and relax; and when they got nearer to the dorm, he was afraid of how they could say goodnight. 

Apparently, Steve didn’t want to leave him so early, so he proposed to walk to the lake, and talk for a while more. Billy pursed his lips and nodded, frankly unable to leave Steve either. 

They sat in a bench near the water, and they stayed there in silence, just listening to their thoughts going at a crazy speed; Steve sighed and reached his hand and brushed it softly; Billy leant in the touch for a fraction of second, but moved away immediately. Steve insisted and got a little near again, staring at his lips.

Billy cowed. 

“Steve, I’m not…”

“I like you,” whispered Steve. “More than I expected, Billy, seriously”.

“I… I’m not… good at it. I’m not… ready”.

“But do you like me?”

Billy suddenly looked him in the eyes, blushing. He didn’t need to put it in words, and Steve smiled a little.

“There is no rush, Billy. Let's figure it out together, ok?”

Billy nodded, shivering a little. Steve smiled sweetly, caressing Billy’s cheek and nape. Billy let him push his head and closed his eyes. 

Steve brushed his lips in a little kiss, but after a second, Billy moved his head. Every fiber of his body wanted to run away, but he forced himself to breath and calm down a little.

Billy leant his head on Steve’s shoulder, and Steve put his arm around him. 

It was the first time in Billy’s life he felt safe and protected.

If Steve had a virtue, it was consistency. Billy was still afraid, but during this summer he couldn’t resist Steve's charms; he was caring, patient and loving, and Billy fell in love with him like he had never felt before. He was worried about Steve’s friends and roommates, but it wasn’t a big deal. They were cool when Billy started to sleep sometimes in Steve’s room; the dorm wasn’t exactly private, and Steve let him leave some of his things in the house. 

“I love you,” said Steve one day, when they were walking by the lake. Billy liked that place, far from the noise of his job and of Steve’s apartment, when they could talk and take each other's hands and stay silent, if they felt like that.

Billy stayed silent, and Steve felt a little disappointed, although he tried to hide it. He took Billy’s hand instead, kissing it. He knew that Billy still had fear of not being enough, and he was determined to make him let his guard down. 

“I love you,” whispered Billy one day, in november, cuddling in Steve’s bed. His voice was so low that Steve thought he was dreaming, but Billy hugged him tight, snuggling in his nape, and Steve knew it was true.

Steve graduated, and the months before his graduation were the happiest in Billy’s life: he felt loved and little by little he lost his fear to love; they had friends and they could look at their future with a little hope. 

The only dark spot, that Billy saw late, was that his studies become more difficult, he felt mentally tired at the end of the academic year, and a little envious of Steve who already graduated and was finally ready to live his real life in the world outside. In a little, hidden corner of his mind, he was also afraid that Steve would want to go away and leave him behind.

He should have felt reassured when Steve accepted a job there in Chicago, in an office near the campus, and asked him to move in together. Billy was happy, obviously, but those intrusive thoughts didn’t go away. 

They were not exactly short of money, but they didn’t have enough to waste; Billy kept his job although he took a bit longer to go there, and he also had to study hard for his graduation; Steve started to keep some double shifts to make more money, so they didn’t see each other often at home. Billy grew frustrated week by week. He knew that Steve had found some jobs in other cities, but he didn’t consider applying.

Billy had a constant headache when Steve came home at night after his double shift. Billy  insisted on waiting for him and trying to study in the meantime; he didn’t have enough sleep because he had to wake up early for work and class, and he was always tired and irritated. Sometimes Steve came near to him in the bed, but four times out of five he pushed him away. 

Steve tried to show him his affection and love anyway, but he wasn’t perfect either, and he felt frustrated; he started to talk less to Billy and search him less in the bed. 

It was an hour and a half that Billy was trying to understand the page he was reading; he looked at the clock, past 1 in the morning and Steve wasn’t still at home. He knew he was working and they had the inventory those days, but he kept feeling unsure. He knew he wasn’t the best company in those weeks.

He heard the keys in the door and a loud sigh while Steve entered and took off the shoes.

“You’re still up?” said Steve sharply, looking at him with a tired look.

“I’m studying,” Billy answered with the same tone. 

“You should have some sleep”.

Billy felt irritated by those words. He was waiting for Steve, after all.

“You could return home earlier,” he answered back without raising his eyes. He felt a familiar tickle in his neck. He felt short fused lately, and it wasn’t the first time they started an argument with the exact words. 

Steve snorted. He too knew that would take them to an argument, but he was tired, he just wanted to sleep and he didn’t want to feel guilty for Billy's tiredness. 

“I have to work, you know,” he snapped, fed up. 

Billy closed his book. “What do you mean? Maybe I don’t have to work? I have to work and study those stupid things!” he stood suddenly, clenching his fists, fighting with the tears. He didn’t want to cry at that moment. 

“I just said you may need more sleep”.

“And I said you can come home earlier”.

“I can’t. We need the money… and you need to rest, baby, your studies…” Steve tried to talk more calmly, to turn off the argument, but Billy was trembling. 

“I can’t, don’t you fucking see that I can’t? I study and study and study and try and I can’t!” He looked angrily at Steve, now he was unable to stop himself. “I’m too stupid, you’re already graduated, why don’t you leave me if it’s so hard living with me?”

“But, Billy…” Steve felt heartbroken. They were so happy when they moved together. He was still so happy when he thought about their life, he was still hoping it was only a bad moment, until Billy’s graduation. He still loved him madly, but he didn’t have all the answers.

“No, I don’t want to talk, why don’t you go to Boston if you’re so miserable here? No,” he snapped again, a hand on the handle. “It’s over!” He yelled, running away. 

Steve stood still for a moment, surprised and clueless. He was drowsy and he only wanted to go to bed, and he wasn’t sure of what had just happened.

“Billy!” He jiggled, running behind him.

Billy hated it, feeling so useless and being a burden for Steve. He knew, since the beginning, that it couldn’t end well. It never ended well; Steve had enough of him, although he always said that he loved him and he was happy even if they had to struggle a little until Billy’s graduation; he was just unable at making Steve happy; at making anyone happy. 

The air was cold and thin, nobody was in the street and he had left in his slippers, he didn’t mind of the tears running on his cheeks, at that point; he raised his head and he saw the lake, and his heart sink, remembering how happy he had been there, and how stupid he was, believing he deserved even a little of it.

“Billy,” Steve was behind him, two dark circles around his eyes, a tense face. “Billy, please, listen to me”.

Billy felt a bitter rage growing inside him. Why didn’t Steve surrender and leave him? Why did he leave that to him? He could barely think, but he was ready for the shot. Steve deserved better.

“No!” He cried again. “Go away, Harrington! Leave me alone!” He took a few steps again to walk away. “You’ll be better without me!”

“Shit, Billy, could you fucking stop!” Steve yelled, and Billy freezed, surprused. “Stop doing this, stop… stop fucking up everything!” 

He was crying too, but he felt better yelling, and Billy got pale and scared.

“Stop saying I have to leave, I don’t want to leave you! If you want to break up with me… have the guts to do it yourself!”

“I… I don’t…” Billy covered his face with his hands. 

Steve sighed, and took Billy’s hand, trying to calm both of them down. “Ok, Billy, it’s ok. It’s alright, come here,” he pulled Billy into his arms, and Billy bursted up crying.

“Come on… Come on, come with me”.

Steve pushed him gently to their favorite bench. 

“Why don’t you tell me that you’re struggling with your studies?” Steve caresses his head sweetly. “I can help you”.

Billy sniffed, shivering. “You don’t… you have too much to work…”

“Billy, do you remember when I tried to kiss you for the first time?” Billy nodded. “Do you remember what we said? We will figure it out together”.

Billy whined. “I don’t want to… stop you… I don’t deserve it”

Steve sighed, lifting Billy’s face to look into his eyes. 

“Billy, stop. I’ll… I’ll never leave you, Billy, I love you… I love you so much…”

“I love you too…”

“You are the best thing that’s ever been mine, Billy”.

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Mark McLachlan aka Marti Pellow, born March 23rd 1965, the same year as myself.

Picture the scene, a teenage Mark chatting to his dad in Clydebank, and telling him he was going to be a musician, according to Pellow the reply went something like this....'Are you on a hallucinogenic substance or something? What's wrong with getting out there and getting an apprenticeship? I'm a builder, your grandfather was a builder, your great-grandfather was a shipbuilder. What do you want to be a musician for?'

And so it was, Mark became Marti and Mclachlan, became Pellow.

In 1982, at the age of seventeen, Marti formed the band Vortex Motion, with three friends from Clydebank High School in his hometown, the bands name was later changed to Wet, Wet, Wet who went on to have numerous hit singles and albums.

PolyGram signed the group in 1985 and spent a fortune fine tuning them in, the group scored a hit two years later with "Wishing I Was Lucky," which reached number 6 in the charts, the album Popped In Souled Out was a huge success scoring them a debut number one, two more would follow.

The Wets, as they became known had more single success in 1988 with their first number one, a cover of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" cut for the charity ChildLine.

Hit singles including Sweet Surrender and Goodnight Girl preceded a 1994 cover of the Troggs' "Love Is All Around" which spent an astounding 14 consecutive weeks atop the charts and was their third chart topper; however, in the wake of 1997's album, 10, the Wets began splintering amid copyright squabbles, and in May 1999 Pellow left the group.

Marti had a few minor hits as a solo artist but soon found fame in London's' West End in the hit stage musical Chicago.

Marti's mother passed away in 2003 and he was touched that all his ex band members attended the funeral, he recalled his mum saying that maybe Wet Wet Wet would get back together sometime and Marti later said in an interview "Moments like that put things into perspective - it wasn't all about music, it was more about a kinship between us." The band reformed the following year.

While the group haven't officially split the earlier success has eluded them, they still attract fans to their sell out concerts, Marti is still playing to audiences in London, his last role being Che Guevara in Evita aside from music he was the narrator in Willy Russell's Blood Brothers in 2015.

Pellow is currently touring singing some of his best-known songs on a UK-wide tour. He'll be playing former band Wet Wet Wet's debut album, Popped in Souled Out, in full - plus a string of other hits. The first night was at in Dublin and he played Glasgow's OVO Hydro last Saturday, he is in Leeds tonight, followed by Newcastle, London, Bournemouth and Birmingham.

[echovale052]

no. 3 annex!

Omg this loser, (/pos) I can tell you one thing I would be a great annex no I wouldn’t I’d be too nice 😭

First impression

Who is this??? 👀👀👀 giving Carol sass??? I am listening (omg does this mean we get to smooch Carol eventually :0)

Impression now

GET HER ASS, OoooooOOoooo you have a cruuuush!!! also Hey😠 be nice to your boss, we know she’s mean but she’s sad too😞

Favorite thing about that character

They literally said…. No comment…. when someone teased them about their crush

Least favorite thing about that character

They just a suspicious loser with some angst I’m assuming😒😒😒

Spoilers for the corollary under the cut

Favorite interaction that character has had with another

Penemue: *literally right in front of Carol* I think you look nice like this Carol, Annex do you think Carol looks nice like this? How long were you planning on keeping your secret crush for

Annex: No comment.

A character I wish that character would interact with more

I would say cricket but I’m afraid they’d be hurting them.

Another character from another fandom that reminds me of them

Lenore from castlevania (bastard/nm) they are both just conniving but they do care and it fuels me

A head-cannon I have about that character

I’ve thought of almost all of annex’s background that I can and a small tidbit of it would be the reason they went through the commutation was because of either a huge fight with their brother or some tragic accident involving their niece.

A song that reminds me of that character

Ofc it’s gonna differ character to character but Goodnight Chicago for Astrid/annex

An unpopular opinion I have about that character

Good people do bad things. Might be the same I have about a lot of them but annex and carol aren’t evil people to me. (They are bad people but they aren’t evil)

Favorite picture

This doodle of them in my sketchbook :))

[puppet-on-string]

Welcome to the pass-along chain! I got linked in so now you are too :) Answer this ask with 5 songs you like, then send this ask to 10 mutuals or followers!

oh gods, hmm.

Goodnight Chicago - Rainbow Kitten Surprise

Tongues & Teeth - The Crane Wives

Good Life - Shayfer James

The Code - Nemo

The Inevitable - Piotr Musiał

This was a lot harder than I thought, hell, I didn't even add any Cosmo Sheldrake songs, I feel ashamed lol

[th3-st4r-gur1]

do you have any song recs i need more to hyper fixate on pls 🙏🏻

wellllll I have so many favorite songs ever and so I am going to separate them according to taste bc idk what kind of music you prefer.

rock: Houses of the holy-led zeppelin, photograph-def Leppard, changes-david Bowie, starman-david Bowie, Bohemian rhapsody-queen,crazy train-ozzy ozbourne, one-metallica

i'm not sure which section to put this in, they're sorta like mellow grunge indie pop. but the band is called Rainbow Kitten Surprise and their music goes super hard at three am.

RKS: painkillers, cocaine Jesus, goodnight Chicago, wasted, first class, its called: freefall,

and also any chappell roan

miscellaneous: be nice to me-the front bottoms, softcore- the neighborhood

[thruheavenandhighwater]

Pairing: Eddie Munson/ Reader

Requested By: NA

Word Count: 6,676

Summary: When Corroded Coffin finally starts to make a name for themselves, you couldn't be more proud. Your boyfriend and his best friends dreams are coming true. But that doesn't stop the ache in your chest when he has to leave for weeks to go on tour.

Stranger Things Masterlist

Eddie Munson Masterlist

Based loosely on the song Carrying Your Love With Me by George Strait. I also haven't posted anything in a few weeks since I've gotten to be super critical of my own work so please be nice to me.

~~~~~

You knew this day was going to come eventually. Corroded Coffin had been slowly gaining traction for the past few years. You weren't sure when or how it happened, really. All you knew was that all of the sudden a few more people than normal started showing up to The Hideout on Tuesday nights. After a few months of steadily growing crowds management moved them to Thursdays. When they did even better on Thursdays, they were moved to Saturday nights. The "big leagues" as Eddie called their new slot.

And those boys kicked ass every single week. You loved watching them on stage. The way they controlled the crowd, pouring every ounce of themselves into their sets. They were magical to watch.

Then, eight months ago they'd been offered a contract by a small label out of Chicago. An honest to God record contract. You'd been so proud of Eddie when he told you. He was sweaty, having just gotten off stage but you hugged him tightly and kissed him deeply, hoping these would convey how you felt after words didn't seem to be enough.

You were proud of all of them. Your boys. After spending years being the only person who actually showed up to watch them, it was nice to see more people coming back week after week. You'd even started selling t-shirts for them at the back of the small dive bar after Andy had floated the idea.

Two weeks later Corroded Coffin was in a studio in Indianapolis recording their first EP. "Baby, I wish you were here," Eddie sighed into the phone when he'd called you from the hotel his first night away. "God, I miss you. And Bill snores like a goddamn chainsaw."

"You'll be back the day after tomorrow," you reminded him.

"I could just come home tonight. I can't sleep without you."

"You got gas money for all that driving?"

"No," he whined. You heard fabric rustling on the other end as he rolled over in his bed. "But… I just-"

"I miss you, too." You whispered, not trusting your voice not to break if you spoke louder. "The bed feels too big."

He laughed quietly, but it sounded forced. Faked for your benefit. "I definitely don't have that problem. Cheap fuckers only got us one room and Paul is an even worse bed hog than you, if you can believe it."

"He better not be a better cuddler," you giggled. "I'll beat his scrawny ass."

"Now, now, sweetheart, I can't have you threatening my bassist before he records his parts." You could hear the smile in his voice. "Even if he does play with my hair and call me snookums."

"Shut the fuck up, Munson!" You heard Paul on the other end. Eddie's laugh filled your ears. You felt your chest tighten at the familiar sound. You really did miss him more than you thought you would.

"Oh, come on, pookie," Eddie teased. "Don't get shy on me now just 'cause I got your competition on the phone."

"They can have you." Paul grumbled. "And newsflash, Romeo, some of us are trying to sleep."

The line was quiet for a moment, all of the joking suddenly gone. "I'm sorry, babe," Eddie sighed.

"No, he's right." You told him as a bubble of emotion grew painfully in your chest. "Get some sleep, rockstar."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I'll call tomorrow?" He asked almost expectantly.

"I'll be waiting." You answered, already wishing it was tomorrow. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

And suddenly the line was dead. The click followed by the loud dial tone almost enough to shatter you entirely. You ended up sleeping on the couch both nights Eddie was gone. The bed was too big for just you, after all.

But the most exciting news had come just after the winter snow started to melt. It was still cold, but the occasional 35° day felt like a gift from the heavens when they happened. You were bundled up on the couch, a blanket that Uncle Wayne had gifted you for Christmas a few months before wrapped tightly around your shoulders when Eddie burst in the front door like a raging bull.

"Baby!" He squealed excitedly as he closed the door behind him. "It's happening! It's really fuckin' happening!"

"Jesus Christ!" You yelled, your hand flying to your chest as your heart threatened to beat clean through the skin. "What is happening?"

"We're goin' on tour!" He yelled, clapping his hands. "We're gonna be, like, a real fuckin' band now."

"Eddie!" You cried out as you stood from the couch, the blanket dropping lazily behind you. You threw your arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss as his hands wrapped around your waist. "I'm so fucking proud of you, baby." You told him before kissing him again. "My little rockstar."

You'd spend the next ten weeks excitedly helping Eddie and the guys prepare for tour. It was a short stint, just a few weeks as an opener on the Midwest leg of some bands world tour. But they were over the moon about the opportunity to be on a real stage. And you couldn't have been happier for them. This was their dream finally coming true right in front of your eyes.

And since it was their dream you never even thought to tell Eddie how badly you didn't want him to go. You didn't want him to be gone for 19 days and 18 nights. It was selfish and you knew that. That's why you kept your mouth shut, encouraging them and helping Eddie decide which shirts to take instead.

Now, it was just two days before he'd be leaving. The record label had rented a van for the band. It was small, but it got the job done. It had been decided that each person could only bring one bag, otherwise there would be no space for their equipment. Eddie had borrowed an old, beat up leather bag from his uncle and you were currently pulling all of his freshly washed laundry from the dryer. You folded each of his shirts as you pulled them from the dryer.

They were still warm as you held each of them in your hands. Each one carried a memory with it. The Iron Maiden shirt he'd worn on your first real date. The Metallica shirt you'd gotten him for his birthday two years ago. The KISS shirt that he had lent you to wear to bed the first night you stayed at his house, when he was still living with his uncle.

Sharp tears pricked painfully at your eyes as you held a Dio shirt to your chest. You took a deep breath to compose yourself. You didn't need to be getting tears all over his clothes. But you couldn't help it. He was going to be gone and you'd miss him. The two nights you'd had to spend on the couch were bad, but this was going to be so much worse.

"Got some new socks," Eddie suddenly called from your living room. You hadn't even heard the door open, too wrapped up in your emotions. As quickly and quietly as possible you sniffled and wiped your eyes with your hands to hide the fact that you'd been crying.

But Eddie knew you. After this many years together, it shouldn't surprise you. As soon as he rounded the corner and saw you standing in front of the dryer, he knew. He stepped towards you, setting the pack of white socks on top of the dryer behind you as he pulled you to his chest. One arm wrapped around you while he cradled your head in his other hand.

"Sshhh, baby," he cooed. His hand began to gently rub your back as he held you. You wrapped your arms around him, balling your hands into fists at the back of his shirt. "It's gonna be okay. I'm not leavin' forever."

"Long enough." You whimpered into his chest.

"I know, sweetheart." He whispered before planting a kiss on your hair. "I'm sorry."

Your heart fell to your knees. He shouldn't be sorry. You knew this was his dream when you met him. You knew it the first time you'd watched him play. This band was too good to stay in Hawkins forever. And you knew that.

"Oh, man," you said with a smile as you pulled away. "Who knew I was such a crybaby, huh?" You pulled your arms from around his torso and wiped your eyes.

"Dude, I cried in the car in front of Melvalds!" A laugh fell from your lips before you could stop fresh tears from falling. "This is gonna suck, huh?" He asked, his palm meeting your tear stained cheek.

"Sure is," you agree with a forced smile.

By the time Eddie had finished packing a few hours later, the brown leather bag sat barely half full on your bed. "So you do have room for more than one pair of jeans!" You said as you picked up a faded pair of Wranglers from the laundry basket.

"I don't need anymore jeans!" He whined from where he was leaning against your dresser.

"You only packed one pair."

"Plus the ones I'll be wearing when we leave!"

"That's gross." You told him flatly as you finished folding the jeans and tucked them into the bag.

"I'm sure we'll be able to wash our clothes," he smiled. "That's just taking up extra space."

"You better!" You said, turning to face him. "If you bring this thing home smelling like dirty balls and van nachos I'm gonna throw all of it away."

"You'd never," he teased, fake hurt written across his smiling face.

"Try me," you told him, crossing your arms over your chest.

And now you stood in you front lawn, barely holding back tears while Eddie loaded his guitar case into the back of the van. The old, beat up bag felt like a boulder as you gripped the frayed handle in both hands. He was downright giddy as he slid the sleek black case into place. You wanted to be excited for him, you really did. But all you could think about was how much you'd miss him.

"Oh, honey," he whispered as he pulled the bag from your hands, handing it off to Bill to put into the van. "C'mere, sweet thing."

He pulled you to his chest. It was almost too tight, but you didn't care. You wanted to be as close to him as possible before he was three states away. It surprised both of you that you were able to contain your tears while you stood there. You knew the guys were watching you, probably going to make fun of Eddie for being so soft after they pulled away. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was commiting Eddie to memory as fully as possible.

"I'll call tonight?" He whispered into your hair.

"When?"

"Probably after we play," he sighed. "Don't know if I'll have time before."

"Yeah," you sniffled into his shirt.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

He pulled away from you slightly, his arms still around your shoulders as he looked down to you. He kissed you, sweet and hard, like he needed your lips on his to live. And you loved it. Knowing that he hated this moment as much as you did made you feel just a bit less selfish about it. He broke the kiss, smiling at you before his lips were suddenly on your forehead. You heard him inhale deeply through his nose as his hand found the back of your head, pressing his lips even deeper into the kiss.

"Be good," he whispered when his lips left your skin.

"No," you sniffled, smiling at him.

He giggled, high pitched but almost sad as he finally pulled his hands away from you. Shaking his head he took a few small, cautious steps away from you.

"Eddie, dude!" Andy called from the driver side window. "We gotta goooo!" He yelled, drawing out the last word. Eddie rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed that Andy didn't seem to understand how difficult this was for the two of you. He leaned forward, his hand catching your arm as his lips fell to your cheek.

And then he was gone. You waved, plastering a fake grin across your face as you watched the van drive down the street. You already missed him. You finally let your tears fall once you watched the van turn a corner and it finally felt real. He was really gone.

The bed was too big again as you tucked yourself into the blankets. The blankets that smelled like cigarettes and cheap soap. Like Eddie. You grabbed his pillow without thinking, holding it desperately to your chest as you cried silently. He was still in city limits, but your heart missed him like he was on the moon.

When you woke up a few hours later your head hurt and the bed felt cold. You sighed as you placed Eddie's pillow back in its spot next to yours.

You walked into the living room, checking the time on a clock on the wall. Quarter to three. It would be hours before Eddie would be able to call you. You decided to make yourself busy while you waited so that your brain wouldn't eat itself alive with worry.

You suddenly hated how clean you kept the house. By the time you'd done the dishes, folded the laundry, cleaned the kitchen, and vacuumed the entire house it was barely 5 o'clock. Still a few more hours until you'd hear from Eddie.

You wrapped a blanket around your shoulders and bunkered down on the couch after putting some mind numbing tv show on. You weren't watching it. You just needed the noise. Something to occupy the part in your brain that wanted to just cry and cry until Eddie was back in your arms.

The sudden, shrill ring of the phone woke you from where you'd started to fall asleep on the couch. You jumped up, the blanket forgotten in your path as you ran to the phone.

"Hello?" You answered eagerly. You held the phone so tightly in your hands that your fingers almost hurt.

"Hey, sweetheart," His voice was angelic in your ears. You almost started crying on the spot, so happy to hear it. You let out a breath you felt like you'd been holding all day. Leaning against the counter, you felt your shoulders relax for the first time since he drove away.

"Hi, baby," you sighed. "How was the show?"

"Fuckin' incredible." He sounded so happy that it made you feel guilty for how badly you wanted him to come home. "There was so many people. Probably more than when we saw Sabbath last summer in Indy. And seeing all those people from the stage was trippy." He laughed.

"I'm so damn proud of you," you told him. And you meant it. Even if you missed him so bad it made your head hurt, you were proud of him.

"Thanks, babe. I can't wait for you to see us up there."

"18 days," you told him, a pang in your chest. "I miss you already."

"Miss you, too." He admitted, his voice quieting. "D'ya see my present?"

"What present?"

"I left it on the dresser!" He told you excitedly. "It's nothing, really, just-" you didn't hear the rest of his sentence. You'd set the phone down and jogged down the hallway to your bedroom. When you reached the dresser you didn't see anything at first. Your perfume, a few lighters, some tapes stacked in the corner. But then you saw it and your heart swelled in your chest. His necklace. His guitar pick necklace.

He'd made it from the pick he used the first night you saw Corroded Coffin play at The Hideout, using a safety pin that he'd heated over the flame of his zippo to poke a hole in the thin plastic. He told you it was special, a good luck charm. He claimed it was this magic little pick that had brought you to the show, and definitely not his incessant nagging for a week prior. He'd never taken it off in all these years. But here it sat on top of your dresser.

You smiled as you walked back to the phone, clasping the simple chain around your neck as you walked. The chain was longer than you'd normally wear, the pick coming to rest in the middle of your chest.

"-ello? Hello? You there?" Eddie sounded worried when you picked up the phone from the counter.

"I'm here," you smiled into the phone, your hand tightly wrapped around the necklace. "But what are you gonna do without your good luck charm?"

He chuckled, a sound you could listen to forever. "Don't you worry, sweetheart. I got something even better."

"What?"

"I'll tell ya when I see ya in Indy."

"18 days," you repeated.

"18 days."

You hung up shortly after that, Eddie saying that Bill was finally out of the shower and he was not gonna miss his turn at the hot water. After hanging up the phone you felt much better than you had all day. Eddie promised to call every night after his set, which put your mind at ease knowing that he never broke a promise. He'd also made dramatic kissy noises into the phone, which pulled a real honest to God laugh from you. Even miles and miles away the boy knew how to cheer you up.

It was five days into his absence when the very bad, super crappy day happened. First, you burned yourself on the coffee pot. Then you couldn't find the one specific shirt you wanted to wear to work. Searching for it made you late to work. The sandwich you'd gotten from the deli for lunch was wrong. And finally, you'd stepped in a mud puddle on your way into your house and one of your white work sneakers was now stained and soaking wet.

You needed Eddie's call that night more than ever. You looked forward to it from the moment you stepped inside from work even though you knew you had a few hours to wait. You just needed to hear his voice. You needed him to call you babe in that way that he does and tell you that he loves you. You just needed him.

The phone rang while you were cleaning up from dinner. You slammed the refrigerator door closed, not even finishing putting the Tupperware bowls in it.

"Eddie?" You asked.

"The one and only," he giggled. You could see the smirk on his face. You missed that smirk.

"Today has been, like, the worst day ever." You sighed.

"What happened?"

And you told him everything. Unloading all of your issues from the day into him while he just listened, occasionally making affirming noises from the other end of the phone. "And now I've got my shoe soaking in the sink hoping it magically turns white again."

"Could always dip the other shoe in the mud puddle." Eddie suggested.

"God, it's a good thing you're pretty, Munson." You laughed. You truly appreciated how easily he could turn your mood around. He was special. Almost magical in his ability to save even the worst days.

"There ya are," he said sweetly. "Missed that laugh today."

"I need a hug," you sighed. "And a drink, but mostly a hug."

"Promise I'll hug ya extra tight in Indy."

"14 days." You said quietly, looking at the calendar that hung in the kitchen. As soon as Eddie found out that the Indianapolis show would be the last one Corroded Coffin would play it was circled in every color pen the two of you could find.

You couldn't help but count the days. You counted hours, really. Hours until Eddie would call. Hours until 2 pm on the 19th. Hours until you could see your favorite person again.

"Two weeks," Eddie said suddenly, pulling your attention. "I can't decide which sounds worse. 14 days or two weeks."

"They both suck," you chuckled.

"You're going to bed soon, yeah?" He asked.

"Gonna shower when we hang up, then try to sleep." You answered. "Same as every night. Why?"

"Because when you go to sleep it'll be basically tomorrow and then it will only be 13 days."

"Ever the optimist," you smiled. You really did appreciate that he was trying to help. It wasn't his fault that you'd had a bad day. But your heart yearned for him, and the fact that he wasn't within arms reach was unbearable.

You talked for a bit longer. Eddie told you all about the night's show, even though it was exactly the same as every other night. But you didn't mind. You'd listen to him read the white pages in pig latin if it meant keeping him in the phone for just a few extra moments.

When you yawned into the phone he suddenly halted his story. "Bed time?" He asked.

"Not yet," you yawned again.

"Sweetheart, you're fallin' asleep on me here," he giggled.

"Not yet," you repeated. "I'm not ready to say goodbye yet." Your voice caught in your throat as tears suddenly threatened to fall.

"Okay, baby," he said. "Not yet."

You insisted that he finish his story. It ended the same as it always did. But you just needed to hear him. Hear his voice. His sighs, his chuckles, his soft whispers. You needed to hear him.

When he ended his story with the same line as always, "It was fuckin' incredible, baby." You begged for another tour story. Any story. But the yawn that interrupted your pleading gave you away.

"You're gonna hate yourself tomorrow if you don't get some sleep," he told you, gently but his voice was serious.

"I'm not ready," you whined.

"I know," he sighed. "How about I call tomorrow morning? Before you go to work?"

"You can do that?" You asked, maybe a bit too loudly.

He laughed and you felt your heart jump. "Course I can. We don't do anything all day until it's time for soundcheck."

"I would love that."

"Then I'll call in the morning. But right now you need sleep."

"Okay," you finally agreed. "I love you."

"I love you, too. More than I could ever say."

There was a pause. It was your turn. He always made you say it first. This had to be your choice.

"Goodnight, Eddie."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

There was just a moment of silence before you heard the familiar and heartbreaking click. Then the deafening dial tone. And he was gone.

You and Eddie quickly settled into a new routine. Morning phone calls before work, evening phone calls after his show. On the days that you didn't work you kept him on the phone for hours. You didn't even talk sometimes, just hearing him breathing brought a bit of normalcy to your life. It was nice. It was exactly what you needed. The extra calls made the days move by just a little quicker.

It was still agonizing having to sleep in your bed alone. He was insistent that eventually you'd get used to it. He joked that you'd make him sleep on the couch when he got back. But every night he wasn't there felt like an eternity. You even began to miss the way he'd aggressively grab your thighs when you were trying to sleep, tickling you just to annoy you. 11 nights in you decided that you'd never push his hand away again, no matter how much it tickled.

Finally, mercifully, the day came. Today was the day you were going to Indianapolis to see the show. Today was the day you'd get Eddie back.

During your morning phone call both of you were antsy and excited. Your eagerness was almost debilitating, causing you to nearly drop one of your favorite coffee mugs and knock over a stack of tapes in the bedroom as you danced around excitedly. But you didn't care about any of that. Today, instead of counting hours to phone calls, you were counting hours until you were back in his arms.

"God damn, I'm so ready for tonight," His voice was high pitched, almost giddy as you two made your plan for the evening.

You would drive to Indianapolis and he would meet you at the box office. His badge could get you in for free. Once there you'd hang out with him backstage until Corroded Coffin played. You hadn't decided yet if you wanted to stay for the rest of the show or head out immediately to the hotel after their set. "Let's play it by ear," he said.

You'd booked a room at a hotel. You made sure to get a completely different hotel from the one the rest of the band would be staying in. You wanted Eddie all to yourself tonight.

As you drove to the city you couldn't stop smiling. Your cheeks actually started to ache the closer you got. But you didn't mind at all. Aching cheeks was a lot better than an aching heart, or an aching head from crying too hard. This was a pain you could handle. A pain you almost liked, because it meant that all of your waiting was over.

You parked at the venue and all but ran to the box office. True to his word as always Eddie was standing inside the small building talking to the person taking tickets.

"This one's mine," he told the older lady behind the glass. You began to cry as you watched him open the door and walk outside. His arms were spread wide and you wasted no time burying your face into his chest. His familiar scent was intoxicating as you breathed him in deeply.

"I missed you," you said through tears. "I didn't know it was possible to miss someone this much."

His hands held you so tight to his chest that you wondered if it were possible for two people to actually become one. One hand tangled itself into your hair, holding your head in that soft, strong way he does. His other arm wrapped around your shoulders. All you could feel in that moment was Eddie. It was perfect.

He pulled away from you just enough to look down at you. His brown eyes sparkled like gems under the summer sun. His cheeks, sprinkled with dark brown stubble, dimpled as he smiled at you.

"Missed ya, babe," he whispered.

It was so nice to hear his voice again. Sure, you heard him on your phone calls. But this was different. You felt his chest rise and fall as you clung to him. You felt his breath against your hair as he pulled you to him. His lips on your temple, soft and strong. You finally felt whole again.

The two of you stood outside the box office for probably far too long. But you couldn't help it. You'd missed him so much that separating from this embrace for even a moment felt undoable. Eddie didn't seem to mind. He kept his arms around you, running his fingers through your hair while you reacquainted yourself with his presence.

It was only when other cars started showing up in the parking lot that Eddie suggested you go inside. You agreed, squeezing him tightly one last time. His arm stayed around your shoulders, now loosely draping around your neck as he turned to stand beside you. You both smiled at woman in the box office, Eddie flashing his badge as you walked through the turnstile.

"I'm so excited to see you guys play again," you told him as he led you through the front door of the venue.

"The Hideout got nothing on these stages, babe" he laughed. "You gonna be in the crowd or in the wings?"

"Not sure. Which is better?" You asked, reaching up to link your fingers with his that hung over your shoulder.

"Crowd, definitely." He answered. "You can even get right up front and center."

"Finally keeping you around for all these years is paying off." You teased.

He smiled, a chuckle falling from his lips just before his lips touched gently to your temple again. "'Bout damn time I'm good for something, huh?"

When you reached Corroded Coffin's dressing room you were immediately torn from beneath Eddie's arm by Paul.

"God, I'm glad you're here." He said, pulling you into a hug. "Your boyfriend's fuckin' annoying. How do you sleep in the same bed with him every night? You deserve a fuckin' medal."

"Right!?" You said dramatically, grabbing his shoulders as you pulled away from him just a bit. "Did he make you be the big spoon too?"

"No," Eddie laughed behind you. "I let Paul be the big spoon. He practically begged me."

"Can you take him home now?" Paul asked with a smile. "We really don't even need him for the show."

You laughed as you turned back to Eddie. He was trying to force a dramatic pout to his lips, but he just couldn't do it. His lips curled high onto his cheeks with a bright smile.

Bill and Andy greeted you with hugs, too. You missed all of them more than you had realized. It felt so right to be in a tiny dressing room with the guys.

You spent the next few hours on Eddie's lap on one of the faded black couches in the back room. Even though you'd heard all of their stories already you loved hearing them again. They were all so excited to tell you everything. You suspected that they had missed you just as much as you missed them.

A few minutes before the doors opened for the show you and Eddie made your exit from the group. He led you through hallways to a metal door and pushed it open. Suddenly it was just you and him in the middle of the large room. You walked hand in hand to the front center of the barricade. Eddie's hands held both of yours, his thumbs rubbing the backs of your hands softly.

"Ready to get your face rocked off?" He asked.

"Oh, hell yeah," you answered, pulling one hand from his. You tucked your ring and middle fingers under your thumb, leaving your pointer finger and pinky extended. Sticking your tongue out, baring your teeth, you brought your hand to your face.

"Goddamn it, you're so fucking cute." He gushed, bringing both his hands to your cheeks. Just as his lips crashed to yours you heard the loud noise of the venue doors opening. People started to file in, excitedly talking amongst themselves as they walked toward you. Eddie sighed before kissing your forehead softly. "I'm gonna have security pull you after our set, yeah?" He asked. You nodded silently, smiling to him before he removed his hands from your face and turned to walk away.

The guys were amazing. Eddie was right when he said that the shows you'd seen at The Hideout were nothing compared to this. They had actual lighting and a much better sound system than The Hideout could ever even hope to have. And the extra bodies in the crowd seemed to spur the band on, even if they weren't necessarily there to see them.

At more than one point in the show you caught each of the members watching you in the crowd. You were the only person that was screaming their lyrics back to them, so you were easy to find. Eddie had his big solo during the second to last song of the set. He always shined during his solo, but he was on fire tonight. As he hit the high final note of his solo he stretched his guitar out over the crowd, pulling a loud round of applause from you and everyone around you. He didn't seem to notice, his eyes firmly on you as he grinned down to you. Before he walked back to his microphone to the left of the stage he threw one hand up, two fingers extended and his tongue out just like you'd done earlier. You laughed, throwing your head back and bringing your hands to your chest.

Their set ended and the four men gathered at the front of the stage. They all took a quick bow, Andy raising his drumsticks in the air before they left stage in a single file. Eddie pointed at you and winked as he followed Bill across the stage.

A few moments later a large, tattooed security guard was walking toward you. When he reached you you leaned over the barricade, his lips just inches from your ear. He said your name, his voice lifting at the end in question. When you nodded he put his hands out to you. His hands went under your armpits while you braced yourself by placing your hands over his shoulders. You were impressed with how easily he lifted you over the barricade. Once you were on the other side he put his hand on your back, between your shoulder blades as he walked you towards the door you'd come through earlier.

Eddie was waiting on the other side, his million watt smile pasted to his face. As the door closed behind you he wrapped his arms around your thighs and lifted you off the ground. You wrapped your legs around his hips, your hands holding tightly to his shoulders as he spun the two of you in a circle.

You kissed him deeply as he held you. Your back hit a wall suddenly as Eddie kissed you back. "What'd ya think?" He asked breathlessly when he broke the kiss.

"You're a rockstar, baby." You beamed. "I'm so fucking proud of you." He kissed you once more before releasing his grip on your thighs, allowing your feet to hit the floor. "Can we leave? Or you gotta stay the whole time?"

"We can leave," he answered as he linked his fingers with yours. "Gotta help pack up first."

As soon as the heavy back door of the venue closed behind you Eddie pulled his cigarettes from the front pocket of his jeans. You watched as he placed one between his pillowy lips and lit it. He allowed the lit cigarette to dangle from his lips as he bent over to help Bill lift an amp into the back of the van.

It didn't take long for the guys to load up all their gear. Clearly the weeks of practice had paid off. Eddie left his heavy black guitar case propped against the side of the van, insisting he take it with him rather than trust his best friends with it. Once everything was loaded up he bid farewell to the guys as he grabbed the guitar case and his uncle's old leather bag.

"Ready?" He asked. There was no need for the question and he knew that, as he didn't even wait for your answer before leading you away from the rest of his band.

"Born ready, my love." You answered, falling into step beside him.

When you checked in at the hotel Eddie demanded he take a shower before he would touch you. "Trust me, this is for your benefit, sweetheart." He giggled as he closed the bathroom door behind him.

His leather bag was set next to the door. It was half zipped from where he'd sloppily pulled out a clean pair of boxers and a pair of black sweatpants. You barely glanced at it, not really paying it any mind. Until a flash of bright color caught your eye against the black of his clothes.

You stood from the bed and picked up the bag, placing it on a table. You slowly unzipped the bag. Your eyes grew wide as the item that had caught your eye came into view. It was your shirt. The shirt from the very bad super crappy day that you'd torn your house apart trying to find.

You pulled the shirt free from the bag. The bright, colorful stripes that ran across the chest so familiar. You had so many questions running through your mind as you held it. You heard the running water cut off, followed shortly by the bathroom door opening behind you.

"Feels good to be clean," Eddie giggled as you turned on your heels to face him. You still held the shirt in both hands, your eyebrows furrowed. Your lips parted to speak, but you lost your words. You didn't even know where to start.

Eddie's face bore the same look it had the night the two of you had gotten caught getting high at Starcourt when you were in highschool. He reached one hand toward you, his mouth opening as if to offer an explanation. Instead he simply shrugged as a sheepish smile came across his lips.

"Why do you have my shirt?" You finally asked.

"I took it." He answered plainly.

"You took it?"

"Yeah," he shrugged again. He took a few steps away from the bathroom, steam following him as he walked to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I've been looking for this for two weeks!" You cried as you shook the shirt in his direction.

"I didn't know that was the shirt!" He defended.

"Why'd you take it!" You weren't mad, though the volume of your voice might suggest otherwise. "This is one of my favorite shirts, Eddie!"

"That's why I took it!"

You sighed. Your hand that held your shirt fell to your side while the other ran through your hair. "You took my favorite shirt… Because it's my favorite shirt?" You asked as you pinched the bridge of your nose. "That doesn't make sense."

You opened your eyes to look at him when a chuckle fell from his smiling lips. "Made sense in the moment, babe," he said. "I just wanted to have a piece of you with me. I had it on my amp on stage every night. It's my new good luck charm."

Your demeanor softed at his confession. You knew that he'd missed you, but only now were you beginning to understand how much. You sat down beside him on the bed and reached one hand up to cup his cheek in your palm. His persona of confidence and control melted away as you slowly moved your hand to rake your fingernails through the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Missed you, rockstar," you whispered.

Eddie closed his eyes and leaned into your touch. "You have no idea how much I missed you," he mumbled. You gently pulled him towards you, your lips touching his softly. The kiss was sweet, but needy as he opened his mouth, his tongue trailing your bottom lip lightly.

You moved to lie on your back, Eddie following to hover above you. His lips never left yours while he held his weight on his forearms on either side of your head.

"So glad you're here, babe," he mumbled into your neck before he began peppering wet, desperate open mouthed kisses to your jaw and neck.

"Me, too," you sighed. "Wish we were home, though."

He pulled away from you, lusty smirk on his lips. "There's no fuckin' way I can wait till tomorrow." He growled.

"Do you have any idea how many people have probably done it in this bed?" You asked with a giggle.

"Oh, no, sweetheart," he breathed, bring his lips to the curve of your ear. "I promise you this bed has never seen anything like this." You shivered beneath him as his hot breath fanned over your skin.

"Promise?"

You felt his smile against the goosebumps on your neck. His teeth grazed lightly against your collar bone.

"Promise," he answered, his voice muffled against your skin. "Gonna show ya how much I've missed you, darling."

~~~~~

I wrote this in August and have been sitting on it since. Idk if it's good or not, as I'm not a god judge. Like I said, I've become extremely critical of my own work over the last year. Either way, I hope you all enjoyed this!! I know I had fun writing this last year 🥰 Feedback is always appreciated!!

[bitchybylershipper]

my favorite lyrics from my favorite rks songs

first class - "do you need love? am i enough for you?"

superstar - "i always second guess, i was always second best, and i try as i might but in my head, in my head, i was losing you"

hot pink ice cube - "i know i messed up but i really dont wanna be alone"

alls well that ends - "do you wanna know my name? is that all you wanna take from me?"

fail! - "i never wanted to be this way, i never wanted to be this fake, never thought that id be this age and fail so soon"

overtime - "you told me that you wanted me i told you you were brave"

goodnight chicago - "dont wait until i drown to save me from it, goodnight chicago i killed a man to make you love me"

black and white - "youre keeping your distance but i was still hoping that we could be friends, but if thats too much then ill ask no more than this which we've buried"

work out - "we were a team, til youre toxic, i mean you talk shit often"

daddy yankee - "i tried to fight it but the tears keep coming, yeah, i survived you but i still keep running, damn, how could i have loved you more? i do, i do, i used to"

wasted - "how can i bear to love you any less tha you need? how can i hold you? how can i bear to lose the bruises that you leave?"

heart - "when the kids died, nobody cried for me, dont you ever say anything you dont mean like you love me"

[haruosaki]

[anxsity]

Tell me about your songs!! Numbers 13, 26, aaaaaaaand 98!

yes yes of course i can offer my songs 💖

13. ready to win by tokyo police club

"cuz learning is trying and trying is hard / when it feels like falling's going to tear you apart"

26. straight ahead by dom fera

"put a note in her phone / in double bold and read: / everything that i need is somewhere straight ahead"

98. goodnight chicago by rainbow kitten surprise

"goodnight chicago, i killed a man to make you love me"

[nolita-fairytale]

make my heart surrender | carmy x reader | the playlist

here's a fun little collection of songs that make me think of this story. some of the songs feel like they could function as a soundtrack to the story, and some just make me think of carmy x reader. i created this playlist and listened to it while writing, in the car, doing dishes... seriously, the way this story took over my brain.

make my heart surrender: the playlist

***

sleeping with a friend - neon trees

carmy & reader's relationship in new york city -- while the title feels self-explanatory, this song has all the sexual tension of wondering our favorite kitchen lovebirds' will they won't they relationship. do we need a oneshot of the before times? maybe...

robbers - the 1975

angsty carmy & reader's relationship in nyc. this is also allegedly the prequel to 'about you' so it felt right to include it.

about you - the 1975

where the title of this fic comes from: 'now there's something about you that i can't remember / it's the same damn thing that made my heart surrender / and i miss you on the train, i miss you in the morning / i never what to think about / i think about you

it's the pining for me

chicago - sufjan stevens

the iconic song used in the show. i could see this song playing on reader's first day at the bear, or underscoring reader's travels to chicago

sleep tight - holly humberstone

oof, this song kills me. i'll add notable lyrics that make me think of carmy x reader, but it would be a beautiful underscore for their moment at the end of chapter two, when they say goodnight to each other.

"sleep tight i'm on my way back and feeling kind of sad because you were the best thing i never knew i had"

"you were the best thing i never knew was mine"

"god knows i've missed this feeling" makes me ache in the best ways why do we love being sad sm?!

closer - tegan and sara

i could see this song underscoring some of the kitchen flows when carmy & reader have smoothed things over around chapter three. i can just see reader working the garnish station and falling in love with carmy all over again as she watches him expedite.

can we also just talk about how this is a peak in the flow of the playlist? like they've finally smoothed things over and it's been nostalgic/acoustic/angsty and then this song happens and it's like an explosion of energy?? we're finally going to get some connection between these two

only human - the code, william singe

if this were a movie/tv show, i'd have this song play in the background of their conversation (date) at the aviary in chapter three.

untouched hearts - acoustic - the hunna

the lines "i know it's been hard but now it's time for you to get what you want, to know you're enough" feel like a fucking love letter from mikey to carmy. #LetItRip

it also feels like a feeling reader and carmy would share between the two of them about each other.

la vie en rose - emily watts

the song that plays at carmy's apartment after putting her dinner party playlist on shuffle. reader is flipping through the cookbook while he finishes the carbonara to the sweet sounds of this song. and they're making eyes at each other, and stealing glances when they think the other isn't looking GOODBYE

the girl - city & colour

this song is giving major waking-up-together-morning-after vibes. i mostly saw this song for the second to last chapter for the cute tattoo scene, but it could also be great for their first morning after season in chapter five.

flashed junk mind (acoustic version) - milky chance

just picture carmy & reader traipsing through chi-town's chinatown, arguing over who's gonna pay (because they both think it should be themselves), being cute, and fighting over carmy's cigarette during their walking dumpling date.

strawberries & cigarettes - troye sivan

this song accompanies their sweet goodbye at the start of chapter 7 and i'm quite convinced that troye sivan wrote it about carmen berzatto and you can't change my mind lol.

for the lines: "blue eyes, black jeans, lighters and candy, i've been a fool / strawberries & cigarettes always taste like you" and "remember when you taught me fate / said it'd all be worth the wait."

somebody - dagny

less on brand for the show, but the lyrics make me think so much about these two. it's giving: plot twist this is now a freeform show, i know. however, i envisioned this song being a part of reader packing up her things and catching up w friends back in ny. maaaaybe even as she's getting in her u-haul to drive to chicago.

solsbury hill - peter gabriel

peter gabriel said that this song was about losing something so that you can gain something else and i'm just not okay. this is the song that underscores the final scene in our lovely little epilogue, when reader surprises carmy at the bear ready to tell him that she's finally all in.