#this song gives me so much more feeling than I can explain so I’m gonna have to leave it at this for now | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mountttmase · 1 year

Note

Hiii, can you please write something based on “Until I found you” Stephen Sanchez song?? Thank you ❤️

Until I Found You

Note - okay but I love this song 😌 thank you so much for sending this to me I hope you like this 🩵 if you haven’t listened to it then please do here. feedback would be very much appreciated like always 💕

Pairing - Mason Mount x Reader

Word count - 4.1k

Warnings - angst and fluff

Mason hadn’t been right for a few weeks now, a far cry from the boy you met a few months back and it’s like you could physically feel him pulling away from you yet you’d barely been together long enough to feel like what it could be like to be in his life properly.

You’d met Mason in a coffee shop after you’d brought the last millionaires shortbread that he also had his eye on and after failing to convince you to sell it to him, he’d somehow managed to trick you into giving him your number. You met him the week after for dinner after texting for the whole week and he’d swept you off your feet from the moment he flashed you his pearly whites.

You knew things hadn’t been great for him at Chelsea, and string of small injuries weren’t helping but you were hoping you could help take his mind off of things and you saw each other as often as you could. He was becoming a shell of himself though, that gorgeous smile of his never seeming to quite reach his eyes anymore and his loud and talkative persona had seemingly vanished. He didn’t seem to want to talk that much, evenings now spent quietly in each others arms where you tried to reassure him with gentle touches and kisses.

He was driving back after a candle lit dinner where he’d been nothing but charming and made you forget about everything you’d been worrying about for weeks, but the drive home was tense and silent and you couldn’t work out why but when he pulled up outside your building rather than his house like you had already agreed you looked at him him confusion.

‘Mase? Why are we here? I thought we staying at yours?’ You asked, turning to look at him but you felt you tummy drop immediately. He wasn’t looking at you but you could see the tears running down his face and he started down at his fingers that sat in his lap.

‘I’m really sorry, y/n’ he whispered, your heart sinking as you knew what was coming next but you were unsure as to why. ‘I don’t think I can do this anymore’

You couldn’t speak, the breath knocked out of you as you took in his words. He was ending things before they’d even really started and you couldn’t figure out why.

‘Did I do something?’ You whispered, wanting some sort of explanation even if it hurt more than anything else ever had and you felt him reach for your hands, gripping them tightly as he turned to face you but you didn’t have the strength to look at him.

‘You haven’t done a single thing, I promise you. It’s all on me’ he told you, his voice sounding pained as he tried to explain his thoughts. ‘I’m not myself at the minute and I can’t be what you deserve right now. You’re so so lovely and kind and beautiful and you should be with someone who can give you the world. I’m not that guy right now’

‘Don’t, Mason’ you sobbed, trying to pull away from him but he wouldn’t let you, grabbing your face gently so you would look at him and the sincerity in his eyes.

‘It’s true, y/n please please listen to me. If I was ready to fall in love with someone then you would be it. I swear on everything I have you are the perfect girl for me, but I can’t be what you deserve right now’

‘Why? I don’t understand’ you whispered

‘I Just think I need time on my own to sort myself out and be a better person. Not just for me but for everyone around me. Including you’ he explained and even though you understood it still hurt like hell. ‘I don’t want you to wait for me though, I don’t know how long this is gonna take and you deserve to be happy, even if it’s not with me’

‘But I… but I thought..’ you tried speaking but the words weren’t coming out, your heart breaking as you slowly came to terms with why he was saying before the sobs wracked through you. You hid your face in your hands and you let everything out in his passenger seat, his arms holding you close to his as you felt his body shake as you both cried out all out pain.

You could hear him sobbing out the words I’m sorry and even though you were hurt beyond belief you knew he needed your comfort. There was no way he’d be able to get home in this state so you took his face in your hands, pressing small kisses to his cheeks and whispering to him that it was okay until he had calmed down.

‘Are you gonna be okay getting back?’ You asked him gently ‘you can come in for a bit if you want? Just to sort yourself out I don’t want you to have an accident on the way home’

‘I’m fine I promise’ he told you, rubbing his eyes to get the to stop watering before he looked up at you again. He looked so incredibly sad and it made you want to cry all over again. ‘I just want you to know, I’m doing this for you, yeah? Cause I care about you and your happiness and I hate feeling like I’m bringing you down’

‘You’re not-‘

‘Please don’t, y/n please. You deserve the world and I haven’t been able to give you that in a while’ he told you, holding your hand again gently as if he was scared that you were going to pull away. ‘I want you to know that you can still trust me yeah? I mean everything I’m saying. This isn’t me trying to fob you off so I can go date half of England. I don’t wanna be with anyone if it’s not gonna be you but I cant be what you need’

‘I understand’ you told him, and you heard him let out a little breath of relief at your words. ‘I know we haven’t said it but I do love you Mason. And if this is what you need to do then I’ll accept it’ you said, eyes on the floor as you heard him gasp in surprise before titling your face up to look at him.

‘I love you, too’ he whispered, fresh tears falling from each of your eyes as the reality of each others words hit you. ‘That’s why I’m doing this. It’s out of love and I know it doesn’t make it any easier. ’

‘I know’ you murmured, reaching down to the floor for your bag so you could make your way out of his car, turning back to him slightly so you could say your final words. ‘If you need me, just call me yeah? I’m here for you even if you don’t think you deserve it’ you told him quietly before reaching for the door handle.

‘I really am sorry’ he whimpered and you nodded as you looked out the window.

‘I know. I hope you figure things out Mase’ You whispered and fearing you might break down in front of him again you swiftly made your way of his car

He let you go without a fight, sitting in his car until you’d made it inside and once you were in the safety of your own home you finally let your walls come crashing down again. You’d thought you’d finally found him. The elusive one that everyone is always looking for but in the blink of an eye you were alone again

The coming weeks were tough, your emotions were all over the place and whilst you tried to hold it together, you didn’t fully understand what had happened for you to process it properly.

You knew anything to do with Mason would hurt too much to be around at the moment so you unfollowed him on everything as well as most Chelsea related things which stung a bit as you’d come to support them over the last few months but you couldn’t face the thought of seeing him. The only thing you kept was his number as you’d promised that he could text you if he needed to but you were starting to wonder if that was a good idea.

You weren’t quite sure how, but you’d made it to three months without him. You were still crushed about how things had ended but you’d grown to accept it as he felt he couldn’t give you what you deserved and you were partly thankful that he hadn’t dragged you through a relationship he couldn’t fully commit to.

You hadn’t been able to look at another guy though, using the time to also work on yourself a little bit and figure out what you wanted out of a relationship. Unfortunately your mind always came back to Mason and what could of been as he was seemingly the perfect guy for you however you just wished the timing would of been better.

It was a Sunday night and you were sat scrolling through TikTok when your arm got tired and you ended up dropping your phone on your face before it fell off the bed and down the side where you couldn’t reach.

‘Oh shit’ you huffed, rolling over and reaching down to feel for it but it was just out of your grasp. You could just about touch the screen though and your worst fears were suddenly realised when you heard the sound of the phone ringing through the AirPods in your ears. You’d obviously pressed the call button and you had no idea if they’d pick up and no way of ending the call either but you were hoping whoever it was wouldn’t answer.

‘Hello?… y/n? You there?’ You heard Mason say, your blood running cold at the sound of his voice. It had been months since you’d heard it and you hated the way it still gave you butterflies. ‘Y/n? I can hear you breathing’ he laughed and you sat yourself up, coughing quietly before speaking.

‘H-hey, Mason. Sorry I dropped my phone down the side of my bed and I’ve been trying to grab it. I must of called you by accident’

‘That’s okay, don’t apologise’

‘You can hang up if you want, I can’t quite reach it still. Unless you wanna listen to me struggle for another five minutes’ you told him, trying to ease the tension a bit and when you heard him laugh properly you felt your chest tighten at the sound.

‘No, I don’t wanna hang up. I’ve sort of been wanting to talk to you for weeks now but I’ve been too scared to call’ he murmured, making you gulp and you sat up properly. ‘Is that okay?’

‘Um, yeah that’s okay’ you told him but you were freaking out inside. You had only just settled back into life without Mason so to now have him back in your ear was making your tummy churn. ‘H-how have you been?’

‘Yeah not bad, not bad at all. You?’

‘Yeah I’ve been good thanks’

‘Good, I’m glad’ he told you, and you could hear the smile in his voice. A sound that you’d hadn’t heard at all towards the end of your relationship.

Their pair of you carried on chatting lightly, not even paying attention to the time as you still didn’t have your phone to hand. You both seemed to of slipped back into how things were, cracking jokes and laughing as you reminisced about the past but caught each other up on what you’d missed. Your whole soul felt lighter than it had in months listening to him laugh and you wanted nothing more than to see his face so you could watch his eyes light up like they used to. ‘Listen, it’s getting late and I’m conscious of your bed time’ he laughed, trying to make a joke of how much you loved to sleep and you shook your head as you laid down to try and reach your phone again.

‘How late is it? I still don’t have my- ah! Got it’ you cheered as you finally made contact with your phone, pulling it to see it was now gone 11 and you’d been on the phone for the better part of an hour and a half. ‘Oh Jesus I didn’t think it would be that late’

‘I’m sorry’ he laughed before you heard him gulp, getting ready to say something he was nervous about. ‘So listen, I go away with England for a little while in a couple of weeks and I was hoping I could see you beforehand?’

‘Oh…’ you breathed, your heart hammering in your chest at the thought of him wanting to see you and if you could physically handle it.

‘You don’t have to tell me now, just think about it yeah?’

‘Okay’ you whispered

‘Okay’ he laughed and you felt yourself smile too. ‘Just text me or something yeah? I’ll let you go get your beauty sleep but I’m really glad we got to talk today’

‘Me too’ you whispered, feeling your face heat up as you shut your eyes.

‘Good night, y/n’

‘Good night, Mase’

You gave into him quicker than you had meant to, texting him the next afternoon to say you were free to see him one evening next week and he let you know he’d arrange everything and pick you up on Wednesday night so he could take you to dinner. He didn’t give you much more information other than that, and you felt nervous as paced up and down your living room. You were unsure if you were over dressed or underdressed, if he’d like you did your hair now or the colour of your nails but a knock on the door made you stop in your tracks.

You curiosity went over to open it, unsure as to who would want you at this time but you opened it up to reveal Mason looking back at you with the heartwarming smile you fell in love with all those months ago.

‘Hey’ he breathed, his whole face lighting up with a smile that you couldn’t help but mirror. ‘it’s so good to see you’ he told you, and he looked like he really meant it, unsure if he was allowed you pull you in for a hug or not but in the end he just stuffed his hands into his pockets to avoid any awkwardness.

He looked different, a good different. His hair was a bit shorter but his beard was longer and he seemed to be standing taller than he ever had. His skin was glowing and your favourite dimple popped in his cheek as he gave you a genuine smile that made his eyes crinkle.

‘Hey Mason’ you swallowed nervously, unable to look at him properly as the nerves took over you. ‘I didn’t expect you to knock, let me just get my things’ you told him, quickly running off to grab your coat and bag before meeting him by the door again.

‘Sorry, just felt a bit weird texting you I was here, thought I’d be a gentleman and come and get you’ he smiled as you locked your door, scratching the back of his neck before leading you down to his car where he opened your door for you. The last time you were in here he was breaking up with you and the memory hit you like a slap in the face. You gave him a shy smile as you climbed in and you watched him take a few deep breaths as he made his way round to his side. ‘You ready?’ He smiled and you gave your head a nod as he pulled away from the pavement.

‘So where are we going?’ You asked, trying to get a bit of conversation going as you could tell you were both a bit terrified but he looked over with a gentle smile that eased you a little bit.

‘It’s a surprise. I think you’ll like it though’ he winked and you felt your face flush at the gesture. You kept the conversation light, talking about what you’d been up to that day and as soon as he pulled into the car park you knew where you were. The place he’d taken you on your very first date all those months ago.

You didn’t know what to say, and he was out of the door and opening yours before you had time to think about anything else, gently taking his extended hand so he could help you out and you felt the butterflies swarm as your skin touched his for the first time in a long time. He dropped your hand soon after but it founds it’s place on your waist as he guided you inside and he was as charming as ever with the staff as they led you over to your table, pulling your chair out for you and you sent him a grateful smile as he tucked you in before sitting opposite you.

‘Is this okay?’ He asked opening up his menu with a shy smile on his face and your heart raced at how good he looked in the dim lighting.

‘It’s perfect, thank you’ you told him quietly before you both looked over what you wanted.

‘Thank you for agreeing to see me, I know it can’t of been an easy decision so I appreciate you being here’ he told you as soon as your orders had been placed and your waiter had gone.

‘It’s okay’

‘I need you to know though that this isn’t random or just a catch up for us to say goodbye again. I asked you here for a reason and I’d really like it if you could hear me out’ he told you seriously and you could sense the nervousness in his voice. ‘I’m really fucking sorry’ he told you, brown eyes boring into yours. ‘I know you said you understood and everything but it was still a shit thing to do. I honestly thought I was doing the right thing for the both of us’

‘I know you did’ you nodded, reaching over for his hand to offer him some sort of comfort as you could see he was getting upset about everything. His shocked eyes met yours but his beautiful smile melted you as he squeezed your hand in his. ‘Have you been okay?’ You asked

‘I’m better than I was’ he laughed, threading his fingers through yours ‘it was rough at the start I’m not gonna lie, I shut everyone out and just tried to focus on myself but that only worked well for so long. My mum came and knocked some sense into me and I started letting more people in. Everything started slowly falling into place after that.

‘Thats good’ you smiled and he nodded shyly before looking up at you with a loving stare.

‘Yeah, but there’s one piece of the puzzle missing’ he told you quietly but you were interrupted by your food arriving. Mason sent you a quick wink as you both dug in before he started asking what was new with you and if anything had changed over the last few months. You knew the he was trying to ask if you been seeing anyone lately or if you been on a date since that fateful night but you were quite happy letting him sweat about it for a little bit, choosing to talk about everything but that but he seemed happy enough catching up on everything he’d missed.

‘I’ll be honest, I sort of unfollowed everything to do with you’ you laughed and his head fell into his hands in mock disbelief. ‘How are Chelsea doing?

‘We’re getting there’ he laughed ‘took a while to find our rhythm but it happens’ he shrugged and you sent him a sympathetic smile. You both decided when you’d finished eating you weren’t quite ready to say goodbye yet and he convinced you to join him for a drink in the bar, grabbing a small table near the back where he sat next to you on the small sofa. His arm around the back of the seat and you couldn’t help but lean into him. ‘Are you really gonna leave me guessing then?’ He smiled, slightly bringing his arm around you and when you didn’t protest he held you to him properly.

‘Whatever do you mean Mr. Mount?’ You chuckled and he ticked you side playfully.

‘You know what I mean. Please put me out of my misery’ he laughed and you decided to put your big girl pants on and be honest. All the signs he was giving you made you think he wouldn’t brush you off but you still had that little voice in your head holding you back. You pushed passed it though, letting Mason know how you felt.

‘Mase, it’s alway’s been you. And as hard as these last few months have been for me, that hasn’t changed. I haven’t so much as looked at anyone else let alone talked to anyone or dated anyone’ you told him, finally looking up to meet his glossy eyes.

‘I thought I told you not to wait for me’ he smiled and you shrugged gently.

‘I’ve never been one for listening to you’ you whispered but you didn’t have much time to say anything else as he leaned down and pressed his lips to yours.

You couldn’t help but smile, reaching up to cup his jaw as you kissed him back. You kept it gentle, revelling in the feeling of be close to him again and touching your person. He pulled back too soon for your liking, resting his forehead against your as you got your breath back.

‘I’m a fucking idiot’ he whispered, letting out a small laugh as he pulled back to look at you. ‘I was so lost in my own dark thoughts I wasn’t thinking straight. I should’ve never let you go and I promise I never will again’

‘Mase, don’t blame yourself’ you told him, resting your hand on his chest as he kissed your cheek.

‘I meant what I told you that night. If I was ready to fall for someone then it would be you. I already knew I loved you then and when you told me you loved me I knew I didn’t deserve you but I’ve not been able to get you out of my head. You’re all I’ve thought about these past months, praying that by some miracle things would work out but I was too scared to talk to you cause I’d figured you must of moved on by now. And then when you accidentally called me last week I was so close to not answering because I was petrified about what I might find out but I’m so glad you dropped your phone on your face’ he laughed and you patted his chest gently. ‘I knew I’d never fall in love again until I was back with you’ he whispered, kissing you softly as you melted at his words. ‘Let me love you again. Fall with me, I promise I’ll catch you’

You were so overwhelmed but you knew in your heart you wanted him back in your life. Too tongue tied to say anything back to him you reached up and connected your lips once again, hoping you could say everything through the touch of your lips against his rather than words and he seemed to get the idea, kissing you back before pulling back reluctantly.

‘I know I’ve got a lot of making up to do and we can go as slow as you like but can we please get out of here?’ He laughed, kissing your cheek gently as you nodded, letting him help you up before walking back to his car. Just before he opened the door up for you he lightly pressed you against it, holding you by your cheeks as he looked you in the eyes.

‘I’ll never let you go again, y/n. I promise’

#mason mount #mason mount request #mason mount imagine #mason mount fluff #mason mount story #mason mount smut #mason mount concept #mason mount fanfic #mason mount blurb #mason mount x reader #mason mount x y/n #footballer x reader #footballer x y/n

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fluentmoviequoter · 2 months

Text

Our Songs

Requested Here! Here's the Instagram video that inspired this amazing request!!

Pairing: David "Deacon" Kay x fem!wife!reader

Summary: Deacon sings your song every chance he gets, but when he finds out why you love to hear him sing, he introduces more Sinatra into your life.

Warnings: fluff!!! song lyrics are italicized! if you're only interested in Deacon x reader, stop at the double divider because there's a baby past that break.

Word Count: 1.0k+ words

Playlist (in order of inclusion): I've Got You Under My Skin, You Make Me Feel So Young, The Best is Yet To Come, From the Bottom to the Top, All My Tomorrows (all by Frank Sinatra)

Picture from Pinterest (crossing my fingers that I haven't used this one already but not taking the time to check)

Deacon Kay is a man of many talents. Since meeting Deacon and falling in love with him, every day, you learn about a talent you haven’t seen before. There’s nothing he can’t do, as far as you’re concerned, and you become more convinced of this after you get married.

When you get home from a long day, Deacon is in the kitchen, and you’re greeted by a mouth-watering scent. You take a deep breath, releasing the tension and stress left over from the day. Walking toward the kitchen, you stop when you hear Deacon humming. As you lean against the island, you watch his back as he stirs a pot on the stove before bending to check the pan in the oven. His humming continues, and you close your eyes as you place the song. It played during your first date, and Deacon decided it was your song, so you played it at your wedding, on your honeymoon, and many times after.

“You know,” you begin quietly, “if I’d known you sounded better than Sinatra sooner, you would’ve been asked to sing at the wedding.”

Deacon smiles as he turns toward you. “You flatter me.”

“You make it easy.”

Deacon pulls you against him, hugging you tightly. He loosens his grip on you, but you keep your cheek pressed to his chest, his steady heartbeat a reminder of how much love you share with him. Deacon rubs your back before he sways you gently, humming again before he starts singing.

“I'd tried so, not to give in

I said to myself this affair never will go so well

But why should I try to resist when baby I know so well

I've got you under my skin

I'd sacrifice anything come what might

For the sake of having you near

In spite of a warning voice that comes in the night

And repeats, repeats in my ear.”

“I love you,” you say against Deacon’s chest.

He pushes you out and spins you, smiling at your laugh as you lay your arms over his shoulders, hooking your hands behind his neck. Deacon wraps his arms around your waist, looking into your eyes as he begins singing again.

“You make me feel so young

You make me feel there are songs to be sung

Bells to be rung

And a wonderful fling to be flung

And even when I'm old and gray

I'm gonna feel the way I do today

'Cause you make me feel so young

You make me feel so young

You make me feel so spring has sprung

And every time I see you grin

I'm such a happy individual.”

“I’m going to fall in love with you again,” you murmur.

“Then I’m never going to stop singing,” Deacon replies, then kisses your forehead.

“Hondo will love that; you can kick down a door and then sing ‘Fly Me to the Moon.’”

“Why limit it to Sinatra? There has to be better breaching music.”

You hum in agreement, using your hands behind Deacon’s neck to pull him into a kiss. When you pull back, ready for dinner, you remind Deacon that you love him more than any song could capture or explain.

✯✯✯✯✯

When you wake up the following morning, it’s still dark outside, but Deacon’s voice is floating in from the bathroom.

“Wait 'til your charms are right for these arms to surround

You think you've flown before, but baby, you ain't left the ground

Wait 'til you're locked in my embrace

Wait 'til I draw you near

Wait 'til you see that sunshine place

Ain't nothin' like it here

The best is yet to come, and babe, won't it be fine?

The best is yet to come, come the day you're mine

Come the day you're mine

And you're gonna be mine.”

You smile as he enters the bedroom, and he returns to his rightful place beside you.

“Sorry if I woke you up,” Deacon apologizes.

“You didn’t. But I wouldn’t want to wake up to anything else.”

“I’m starting to think you love the singing more than me.”

“The opposite,” you explain. “I love the singing because it’s you.”

Deacon kisses you, and you smile into the kiss.

✯✯✯✯✯

“And when we have a little Deacon? What will you sing then?” you ask, making yourself comfortable against Deacon’s side.

With your heart pressed to his, Deacon quickly decides on a song.

“From the Bottom to the Top,” he answers.

“I may need a demonstration.”

Deacon kisses you, distracting you from your question. He hums into the kiss, and you pull yourself closer, enjoying the joy of being wholly in love with Deacon.

✯✯✯✯✯

The nursery is empty when you wake. Walking through the house, you hear Deacon and follow his voice.

“Everything I got

No, it's not a lot

From the bottom to the top

You can have all of me

I will try at one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, four

To keep you satisfied

I will try those anything, everything, anything more

To hold you by my side

You can make me laugh

You can make me cry

You can change my heart

If you'll only try

By the stars above

You can have my love.”

When you find Deacon sitting by the patio door, looking down at your baby, you can't help but smile. Moving to sit beside him, you lean your head on Deacon’s shoulder.

“Takes after you,” Deacons says softly. “The moment I start singing, the crying stops.”

“Because you sing from love,” you point out. “And we know you love us.”

“That I do,” Deacon agrees, turning to kiss you.

Your baby coos against Deacon’s chest, and you chuckle as you kiss his jaw.

“I think we need an encore.”

Deacon smiles at you before singing,

“Today I may not have a thing at all

Except for just a dream or two

But I've got lots of plans for tomorrow

And all my tomorrows belong to you.”

“All of my tomorrows are you, Mr. Kay," you whisper.

“And mine are you, Mrs. Kay.”

#david deacon kay x reader #deacon kay x reader #david kay x reader #david deacon kay #deacon kay #deacon kay fluff #requests #fem!reader #hanna writes✯

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hbyrde36 · 3 months

Text

Times Like These (The Anniversary Edition)

Chapter 1

Chapter 2: Hold Your Peace

WC: 4695 | AO3 link

“Are you sure you have it?”

At the sound of Chrissy’s voice Eddie’s eyes snapped open, though he didn’t exactly remember closing them. For some reason he was a bit more disoriented this time when he–

…This time?

There she stood in the middle of the room again. Chrissy—alive, and breathing, and beautiful, and…

Holy shit!

Was this really happening again?

Had he, despite his own stupidity, earned another chance at redemption?

In an instant he was across the room, placing gentle hands on either side of her face. She blinked up at him, eyes wide, too surprised at the gesture to move away. Eddie knew he only had a few precious moments until Vecna would take her again. There was no time to explain anything, but he had to ask the one simple question that’d been plaguing him since the beginning of the last loop.

The last loop.

Jesus, he was really buying into this thing wasn’t he. Hard to deny it when the proof was standing right in front of him.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart, and I know this isn’t gonna make any sense right now, but I need you to humor me, okay? Can you tell me your favorite song? Please?”

He wasn’t above begging. At this point he would do just about anything to not have to watch this poor girl die again in the most awful way imaginable.

“Oh!” Chrissy squeaked, furrowing her brow and sputtering for a moment before answering, “We Belong? By P-P- Pat Benatar?”

She said it like a question, as if she were unsure that it was the right answer, but Eddie knew it had more to do with the odd circumstances of the situation at hand.

He smiled broadly, pleasantly surprised at the answer—surprised to have gotten an answer at all, really. He stroked a thumb across her cheek once, still in a bit of disbelief that she was real, and let his hands fall.

“Pat Benatar, huh?” He said, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded to himself, already thinking furiously about how he was going to pull this off. "Okay, yeah, I can work with that. Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

Eddie bounded to his bedroom, bypassing the black and red Warlock hanging from its place of honor on the wall, and instead grabbed for his old acoustic guitar that was sitting in the corner collecting dust.

He rushed back out, unsurprised to find Chrissy already in the enemy’s thrall. As her feet slowly lifted off the ground he did his best to recall the song. It still played on the radio all the time but Pop-Rock wasn’t exactly his style, and he had a habit of switching stations whenever the ballad came on. He hummed out what little he could remember and strummed a few chords to get a feel for the notes, working in the few lyrics he knew as he tried to muddle through his own uniquely awful rendition of the song.

He faltered for a second, almost dropping the guitar as her first limb bent back with an audible crack. He choked on a sob, but did his best to continue to sing and play through his tears and the tightening of his throat.

It wasn’t working. He knew it wasn’t working but still he kept on. It was the only help he had to offer now, and on the off chance that she could hear him, he hoped it would give her some comfort to know she wasn’t alone in her last terrifying moments.

He didn’t stop until her lifeless body fell, landing hard on the carpet in front of him.

Eddie screamed his frustration wordlessly as he knelt down beside what was left of Chrissy Cunningham. A girl he had barely known, who he hadn’t shared more than two words with before all this shit started, but who he would give anything to be able to save.

She’d done nothing wrong. She deserved to live, and selfishly he yearned for the opportunity to get to know her. They hadn’t shared much, a brief conversation at the picnic table that had mostly consisted of him goofing around to try and make her smile—to cheer her up because it’d been obvious to him right away that she was struggling with something. He thought they could be friends, given the opportunity. The Freak and The Cheerleader, weirder things had happened.

“God.” Eddie gasped, gripping onto her hand that was already growing cold. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t do better. I… “ He trailed off, letting her hand go as he rose stiffly to his feet, rubbing aggressively at the wetness on his face.

“Next time, I- I’ll learn the song if it kills me.” He let out a wry laugh at himself and the irony of his choice of phrase, looking back at her one last time before walking out the door.

He’d promised Dustin that he would tell him as soon as possible about the loops, and briefly Eddie considered heading straight to the kid’s house. But, it was getting late. He didn’t want to scare Henderson’s mom, and truth be told he needed a little time to get his shit together anyway.

Might as well let the little guy get one last good night’s sleep in before all hell broke loose.

Eddie parked his van in the woods and walked the short distance from its hiding spot to Rick’s house, just as he had twice over, using the key under the mat to get inside. He knew he should probably get some rest himself, having not had more than a few scattered hours of sleep here and there in… christ, like two weeks now?

Did sleep debt accumulate in a time loop or was the gauge on his fuel tank reset each time he went back? Not that it mattered, he was too keyed up and nervous about how in the hell he was going to explain all this to everyone tomorrow to sleep.

Instead he tore through the drawers in Rick’s kitchen until he found a notebook and a pen, and spent the rest of the night writing down every single detail he could remember about what had happened, or would happen, over the next few days—committing it all to paper in case his nerves got the best of him and he forgot something important.

At dawn he reluctantly moved to the boathouse. From all his time spent here so far he knew it was unlikely that anyone would notice him sneaking around, at least not until Jason and his goons showed up, but at this point he was running on autopilot and figured, better safe than sorry.

Eddie paced inside the small shack restlessly until finally he heard them, voices outside, Dustin, Steve, and the others calling his name. This time when they approached the door he didn’t hide, he called out, “yeah, Henderson. It’s me… uh, come on in.”

Dustin barged right in at his reply, but was quickly pushed aside by Steve, moving past to get between him and Eddie. Max and Robin eased in behind them and closed the door.

Steve eyed him warily, taking on a protective stance, and Eddie couldn’t really blame the guy.

He also knew exactly how fucked up this was about to get, so he took a big step back and raised his hands, wiggling his fingers to show they were empty. No reason to make Steve more skittish than he already was. “See, Harrington? I’m unarmed.”

“I told you.” Dustin grumbled as he muscled his way past Steve, walking right up to Eddie and throwing his arms around him without hesitation.

It knocked the wind out of him in more ways than one.

Eddie was a touchy guy by nature, always ruffling his friends’ hair, or throwing an arm over their shoulders, and it wasn’t like Dustin hadn’t hugged him before, but somehow this felt different.

He hadn’t even explained himself yet. Dustin had absolutely no proof of his innocence and yet here the kid was gripping him tight, face buried in his chest as he mumbled something that sounded like, “I’m so glad we found you, I know you didn’t do it.”

There was also the fact that he’d died in this kid’s arms twice now, and Eddie was pretty sure he’d be hearing those heartbreaking cries in his dreams for the rest of his life, however long that might be.

Eddie slowly lowered his hands as he kept eye contact with Steve, trying to convey with his eyes that he was okay, that he wasn’t going to hurt anyone.

“I’m glad you found me too, buddy,” He said, smiling sadly to himself as he patted Dustin’s back.

The kid pulled away a moment later, gesturing at everyone else. “Eddie, these are my friends Steve, Robin, and Max”

“Yeah,” Eddie snorted. It was funny enough to ease a bit of the tightness in his chest. Even if he hadn’t been through multiple rounds of hell with these people, Dustin had to realize he never shut up about them. ”Yeah, Henderson. I know who they are.”

Steve was looking at him apprehensively still, like he might snap at any minute. He wished he knew what to say to make the guy chill out.

“No need to look so stressed, Steve. I swear, I didn’t–” Eddie paused, swallowing past the sudden lump in his throat, voice shaking when he went on. “I didn’t kill her.”

The feelings that he’d been swallowing back all night started to bubble to the surface as he thought about Chrissy, and he honestly wasn’t sure how he was going to do this without falling apart.

“It’s okay.” Robin said, stepping out from behind Steve for the first time and approaching him. “We just want to know what happened.”

“We want to help.” Max added.

Eddie nodded absently, clearing his throat. “I know,” he said, and couldn’t help noticing how Robin and Steve shared a confused look at that. “And I'll tell you everything, I just, uh– I need a quick word with Dustin first? Alone.”

The kid tilted his head, but shrugged and motioned to the far corner.

Before either of them could move, however, Steve stepped between them again. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

Dustin rolled his eyes. “Dude, come on! It’s fine. It’s just Eddie!”

Steve gave him an unimpressed look and assumed what Eddie had begun to think of as his– mom stance—hands on his hips accompanied by a disappointed glare. “I don’t see why he can’t say whatever it is he needs to say to you in front of all of us.”

“You’re being an asshole.” Dustin spat. “Eddie is my friend. He doesn’t know you, and maybe there’s something he doesn’t want to share with the whole class, hmm?”

Steve pursed his lips, his face and body language making it clear that he had no intention of budging on this. “I’m sorry. I know it might seem harsh, but it’s my responsibility to protect you and I can’t do that if he’s keeping secrets.”

Eddie sighed heavily, this whole thing was already so fucking exhausting.

He got where Steve was coming from. To him, Eddie Munson was still nothing more than The Freak. A drug dealing super-senior who regularly stood on lunch tables to perform tirades about the dangers of conformity. He didn’t know yet that they would come to trust and rely on each other in a way neither of them would have ever expected, Or, how Eddie had, against his better judgment, jumped into Lover’s Lake and helped save him from a swarm of Demobats– twice. Steve couldn’t know that they bonded a little when they were stuck in that awful place, or that before he died, Eddie had started to consider them friends.

He understood all of that, but it still sucked.

“Fine, we’ll do it your way.” Eddie said, and plopped himself down on the floor. He was too tired to do this shit standing up.

The others joined him, sitting in some semblance of a circle as Eddie began his tale.

He started off easy, matter-of-factly telling the same old story about Chrissy approaching him to buy drugs, and how he hadn’t had what she was looking for on him, so they made arrangements to meet later after the game. He detailed most of what happened at the trailer, keeping the part about trying to play the song for her to himself for now.

The silence was thick when he was done, and Eddie let it settle around him for a moment as he prepared for what he needed to say next. He saw Dustin open his mouth to speak and it gave him an idea about how to convince them of the truth.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Eddie said quickly, before the kid could get a word out.

“You really don’t. Look, you know how–”

Eddie cut him off. “Actually, uh, I do. Fuck… “ He trailed off and took a deep breath. “This is gonna be, like, really hard to believe, but I need you to let me say it– all of it, before you ask any questions. Okay?”

The foursome all turned, looking away from him for the first time since he’d started talking, to share a loaded look with each other. Eddie, on the other hand, only had eyes for Steve, knowing it was his approval he needed. That he would likely be the hardest to convince.

“Okay.” Steve said with a little nod.

Eddie dropped his eyes to the floor and let it all out in a rush. “I know all about the Upside Down. I know Will Byers was taken by a demogorgon in ‘83. I know about the mind flayer and Billy Hargrove, and that …something happened with Steve and Robin involving some Russians at the mall. Though honestly, I’m still waiting to get more details on that one.” He paused briefly, chancing a look up to see how everyone was taking his little monologue.

“I know all these things because you told me, before.”

Steve looked absolutely livid, but the fire in his eyes wasn’t aimed at Eddie, it was Dustin he was staring daggers at.

“Damnit, Henderson!” Steve shouted, running a hand through his hair roughly. “I can’t believe you told him all that stuff, man! You know we can’t do that! Think of the danger you put yourself in by blabbing, not to mention the danger you put Eddie in by telling him! I mean, shit! Did you not stop to consider what sort of threats were included in those NDAs we all signed?”

Eddie was more than a little taken aback by Steve’s apparent worry for his safety.

“I’m touched by the concern, Harrington. Really I am, but Henderson didn’t tell me all that stuff until I was already involved. You all told me things.” Eddie hesitated, raking a hand down his face. This was getting messy, he needed to just spit it out. “I… I’m stuck in a time loop. I’ve lived last night and the next few days twice over now. This is my third go-around.”

He slipped the little notebook that he’d filled from cover to cover out of his pocket, and tossed it to Dustin, who caught it clumsily.

“When I got here last night, I wrote it all down. Everything that’s going to happen. Well, the stuff I was there for at least.” Eddie chewed nervously on his thumbnail, darting his gaze to each of them in turn and taking in their disbelieving looks.

“I know this is crazy, and you probably don’t believe me, but I swear it’s the truth. I didn’t tell anyone last time until near the end because–” He stopped abruptly, blowing out a long breath. If he told them what he’d really thought they’d think he was certifiable for sure. “Because, I honestly wasn’t sure what the hell was going on. I told you, Dustin, at the last minute and you made me promise to tell you again as soon as possible if I got another chance. So here I am, telling you.”

A long moment went by where no one spoke, and Eddie was sure that he had botched this whole thing. There was no way they believed him. He still had Henderson’s family secret in his back pocket, and he’d pull it out if he had to, but not in front of all of them.

“What resets the loop, Eddie?” Dustin asked suddenly—quietly, a slight quiver to his voice.

Eddie looked the kid in the eye and knew without a doubt that not only did he believe him about the loops, but he had already done the math, figured out the catch. Too smart for his own good sometimes, really, but in this case it was almost a relief. As much as he would have liked to protect Dustin from this particular truth, there was no way around it.

“I died.” Eddie said, eyes falling once again to the floor, unable to face Dustin as he confirmed his suspicion.

“We go into the Upside Down to fight the bad guy, and I die. Then, I open my eyes and I’m back in my trailer, minutes before Chrissy gets attacked.”

Dustin said nothing else in response, quiet in a way Eddie had never seen. Max and Robin just looked like they wanted to throw up, and Steve looked skeptical, obviously gearing up to argue, or at the very least ask some follow up questions. Which was fair, he supposed.

Before Steve could so much as open his mouth though, Dustin shoved the notebook in his face.

“You read it first, Steve. Just give him a chance.”

“Fine.” Steve said, snatching the book out of Dustin’s hands and cracking it open, taking one last hard look at Eddie before starting to read through it.

As Steve read, Eddie could almost see the animosity draining out of him. The scowl that had been stuck on his face since arrival smoothed out into a concerned frown, and worry lines appeared at the corner of his eyes. It was a good sign, but as the other boy turned the final page, an awful thought occurred to Eddie, and he realized he’d made a huge mistake.

“Wait. Steve, stop. I think I fucked up here.” Eddie said, wringing his hands. “I shouldn’t–I shouldn’t have told you any of this. Not yet.”

“Wait, what?!” Dustin shouted.

“Why?” Steve asked.

“I swore to Chrissy that I would save her, I have to go back. I have to–” He cut himself off leaving the word unsaid. “I shouldn't have burdened you all with this shit, not when I knew I had to do it all over again. I just… I wasn’t thinking. I promised Dustin right as–”

Steve cut him off mid-spiral, scooting across the floor to sit in front of him.

“Eddie, man. Listen, I understand, believe me I do.” Steve paused, fidgeting with the notebook with one hand while reaching out with the other to place it tentatively on Eddie’s shoulder, and even through all his layers of clothes he could feel the other boy's warmth sink into him.

“You said you know about what happened to Will in ‘83, but what you might not know is… that same year Nancy’s friend Barb was also taken by a Demogorgon. She– died in my pool, the Upside Down version of it anyway. She died on my watch and-” Steve hesitated, taking a deep breath before going on.

“I get the kind of guilt you must be feeling right now, okay? I lived it– am still living it, but if we have the chance to save you and kill whoever this Vecna creep is? We should take it. What if this loop thing has a limit? What if this time you don’t get to come back? Do you know what that would do to us when we’ll know we could have saved you?!”

Eddie couldn’t help feeling a certain way about Steve sharing that with him. In all the days, and repeats of days, that they’d spent together so far, it was the first time the other boy had told him that story.

“I get what you’re saying, Steve. Shit, it’s pretty much the same thing I'm trying to say. I'm sorry that happened to you, but tell me something, and be honest. If you had even the slightest chance to go back and save Barb, even at your own risk, wouldn’t you take it?”

Steve’s eyes, which had hardened again in frustration by the end of his own speech, softened as he took in Eddie’s words. He gave a single reluctant nod of agreement and squeezed his shoulder before letting go. Eddie missed the contact immediately.

“But you can’t! That’s like, suicide!” Dustin screeched, probably feeling a little, or a lot betrayed by Steve taking his side.

“Not if I plan on coming back it's not. Sorry, Henderson, I know you don’t like it, but this is my choice, alright? I’m not leaving Chrissy behind. End of story.”

“B-b- but...” the kid sputtered.

“Stop.” Steve cut in. “He’s right, Dustin. I hate it, but it’s his decision. This thing is happening to him, and even if we want to help, we have to respect that and hope we get another do-over.” Steve sighed, turning his attention back to Eddie.

“So, how do you wanna do this?” He asked, looking deep into his eyes, the air between them suddenly impossibly heavy.

Because Steve knew what was coming now.

He’d just finished reading about all the fucked up shit that was about to happen and now he was looking to Eddie for direction. Jesus H. Christ, he was really regretting not thinking this through, because the only answer he had was to do nothing… keep everything the same to make sure that the outcome was the same, and that meant putting them all through the ringer. It meant Steve getting hurt, nearly drowning, nearly dying– again.

“I know it’s not fair to ask this, now that you’ve read that.” Eddie said, gesturing at the little notebook still resting in Steve's hand. “but I think the best thing to do– the only thing to do, is to let things happen the way they have been for now. Not tell the others, keep it between the five of us.”

“I’ve been through worse.” Steve shrugged, seemingly unbothered save for a tightness around his eyes that Eddie might have missed if he wasn’t paying attention.

“Besides, if it works we won’t remember any of it anyway, right?” He continued. “And then we can finish this for good. You save Chrissy, and we’ll save you.”

“If you're sure.” Eddie said, offering him an out. If Steve really didn't want to do this he wouldn’t force him, he could always try and find another way to… cause the reset.

“Yeah, I'm sure.”

Dustin continued to argue with both of them for a while, but now that Steve was on his side Eddie knew that was it. Eventually the kid quieted down, accepting the fact that he wasn’t going to change anyone’s mind.

As the others prepared to leave, knowing they needed to find Nancy and Lucas to let them know the Upside Down was back, and maybe try calling the Byers in California, Steve lagged behind, using giving the notebook back to Eddie as an excuse.

“Do you need anything?”

“Might be a long shot, but could you get me a walkman and a Pat Benatar tape?”

Steve pursed his lips, thinking, but it only took him a moment to put it together.

“Chrissy’s favorite song?” He asked.

“Yeah. I went into it this time knowing I had a second with her before the attack, so I asked. I did try—to play it for her, I mean. I didn’t have the tape, it’s not exactly my type of music, y’know? I'd heard the song once or twice though, so I gave it a go on my guitar, but it wasn’t good enough.”

Steve gave him a small sympathetic smile. “Robin likes Pat Benatar too, and I actually have a few of her tapes in the car. Headphones too, but how will that help? You won’t still have it with you after–”

“No, but I learn a lot of songs by ear. if I listen to it over and over again now while I can, when the loop restarts I should be able to play it for her, get her out like you’ll do for Red.”

Steve raised his eyebrows and actually looked a little impressed. “You’re-” He cut himself off, as if changing what he was about to say at the last second. “You’re not anything like I thought you’d be.”

Eddie let out his first genuine laugh in far too long. It looked like they'd be doing the same song and dance every time. Of all the things he had to repeat, getting to know the real Steve was the one thing he didn’t mind.

“Right back at ya big boy.” Eddie said, throwing Steve a wink before he went back out to his car.

Eddie listened to the song dozens of times over the following days, concentrating on learning every single word and note as a distraction from everything else that was happening around him.

He was worried at first, when he was finally brought into the fold with the others who weren’t privy to the conversation in the boathouse. But Steve was true to his word. Neither he or Dustin, Robin, or Max, said anything about Eddie’s predicament, and he never once complained or so much as gave Eddie a dirty look, even when he was grabbed by those vines and dragged through the lake, down and out the other side. He did catch Dustin giving him a few sideways looks here and there, but the kid said nothing.

Eddie was grateful for that. He didn’t exactly want to die. He certainly wasn’t looking forward to feeling the bats gnawing on his skin again, and he didn't need any outside influence making him lose his nerve when they were so close to the end.

When the time came, Eddie considered not cutting the rope. It wasn't like it stopped Dustin the first or second time, not to mention that he hurt his leg dropping down from the hole without it, but what if that small delay was the only thing that kept the kid safe? It wasn’t worth it, just in case. If something went wrong he could live with, or rather, die with knowing Dustin would suffer only a sprained ankle and not something worse.

It was a bit more difficult this time to find the will to fight so hard against the oncoming hoard, when all he wanted was for it to be over so he could see if the third time would be the charm, but he was too worried that any deviation from what he knew would change things. Maybe he had to die in just the right place, at just the right time, to set things in motion to send him back.

So he ran, and he fought, and he bled, and found that the pain didn’t bother him quite so much anymore. He was getting used to it.

It might have been his imagination but Dustin’s limp looked more pronounced this time as he approached Eddie’s broken body. He felt horrible for causing this kid, his friend, so much suffering.

Dustin fell to his knees next to Eddie and began to sob uncontrollably, and for the millionth time Eddie wished he could somehow spare him this. He could only hope that the loop would start over again and no one but him would have to remember.

“Don’t cry, buddy. Please.” Eddie forced out around the blood filling his mouth. “I’m gonna fix it.” He coughed, struggling to take his final breaths.

“I love you, man.” Eddie said.

Dustin bowed his head. “I love you too.”

Chapter 3

Thanks to @penny00dreadful for being the best beta, friend and cheerleader.

Reblogs are always appreciated and if you want to be tagged, just let me know! I'd be more than happy to do so 💜

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ohisms · 1 year

Text

↪ 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑳 𝑰𝑵 𝑴𝑬 . ( a series of sentence starters from the 2022 supermassive game “ the devil in me ” . adjust phrasing as necessary . spoilers & mature themes are present . )

i bet you can see a hundred miles from the top .

you mean you’re not weary of me after an entire day of marriage ?

are we the only ones here ?

that’s no way to run a business .

that’s my [ name ] , always finding that silver lining .

my attention was needed elsewhere .

i promise from here on out , it will be nothing but silver linings .

today is a very special day for us .

i’m starting to think i’ve gone & married a thrill seeker .

are we looking for excitement ?

see what happens when you chase a thrill ?

if you’ll excuse me , i have work to return to .

i’m sure we’ll see each other again soon .

this feels like some sort of treacherous plot .

close your eyes , & face the mirror .

aren’t you clever & romantic ?

don’t fight it ... it’ll only hurt more if you do .

you’re only prolonging the inevitable .

what have you done ?!

you’re wasting your last chance to tell him that you love him .

it’s so good to have company . for a long time , i was on my own .

i can barely recall a time when i was not here .

what good are stories without someone to experience them ?

art can elicit all sorts of reactions .

you’re responsible for what happens . you’re culpable .

i can’t interfere , that’s very much against the rules .

it’s tough being honest when it means everyone just thinks you’re a bitch .

i’m sick of being on my own .

it’s a fucking mess , to be honest with you .

i think we’ve heard quite enough .

i was born with the devil in me .

i could not help the fact that i was a murderer any more than a poet can help the inspiration to sing .

just being dead ain’t enough to stop me from killing again .

actually , it’s what i can do for you .

do you know where we’re going , exactly ?

it was 100% your fault . you fly by the seat of your ass .

was this part of the plan ? did you know about this ?

i figured we needed all the help we could get .

downtime ? why would you want to do that ?

i’ve got a lot going on at the moment , [ name ] .

you got any family you can go bother ?

‘ married to the job ’ ... how’s that marriage working out ?

we agreed to let that drop for the weekend .

sorry for giving you a hard time .

christ , what the hell is that ?

it’s gonna be okay , it’s all gonna be okay .

i’ll explain everything later .

are you sure ? ‘cos you don’t seem sure .

i’m charming , & you can hotwire your way past security .

hey , can i ask you something & get a straight answer ?

shh , get down !

this is ridiculous , there’s nothing out here .

i heard you were looking for a new place .

if i wanted to go on nature hikes , i wouldn’t have moved to the city .

you can do it . eyes forward , don’t look down .

you always knew how to get me through the shit , didn’t you ?

maybe this won’t be a waste of a weekend .

i told you this was a good plan , didn’t i ?

you’ve been out & about all day , & i have to sit here worrying . gone all day , & not a word from you !

i don’t think we’re the only ones here .

this is my don’t be scared song , sing it & i won’t be scared long !

scream if you need me for anything .

something about this place makes me wanna use the buddy system .

you talk in your sleep ... not sure if i ever told you that .

you’re cute when you’re worked up .

cute ? ... you think i’m cute ?

i try to pretend like it isn’t a thing , you know .

if my cheeks are red , it’s from this wine .

sorry . didn’t mean to make you feel weird .

i’m fucking with you , i’ve been wanting to kiss you for months .

sorry , did i interrupt something ?

i can’t find my room & i need a fucking cigarette .

i’m not stressed , okay ? do i look fucking stressed ?

this place is massive , surely there’s a pack of cigarettes here .

stick with me , [ name ] , i’m going places .

[ name ] , there’s something important you have to understand .

no , come on , you piece of shit ... don’t do this to me !

i’m supposed to buy “ nothing ” is eating up at you ?

i still think your priorities are fucked .

what about taking a huge risk & just DO something ?

are you trying to butter me up ?

we don’t need to rehash stuff , let’s just work .

you’re only asking me ‘cos your arms are too short for a good selfie angle .

maybe we should just add this topic to our “ discussion no - fly zone ” list .

shit , that scared the fuck out of me .

at some point , you have to give up the ghost .

you’ve been doing your research , haven’t you ?

are you taking a survey or trying to learn something ?

would it kill you to be direct ?

you want to know what inspired me ? as if i wasn’t the original ?

you look amazing , as usual .

i heard enough , thank you , i know what betrayal sounds like .

i’m not blind , i know what i saw .

this could work to our advantage .

am i the only one that’s getting really freaked out by this place ?

can you stop trying to make this worse ?

don’t come crying to me if you end up dead .

choices , [ name ] , make better choices .

this is your own damn fault .

it’s all about the honey trap .

you bring me some smokes ? like i asked ?

that’s what i remember most . those screams .

you’ll never really know how it feels to watch the fire burn out of somebody .

thanks for that stuff you said at dinner . it was nice to hear .

we’re all on the same side , sometimes we forget .

get me out of here ! i can’t see a thing !

count your breaths . one, two, three, in ...

how very rude , not to stay for dinner .

i can only observe , & it can be ... frustrating to watch .

in some ways , i envy you .

something is very not right here .

i’ve been waiting on you for ages to actually make a decision about something , anything , & now this is when you suddenly choose to take a stand ?

your delusions make for such great plans .

would it kill you to think positively just once ?

it’s not even the worst idea i’ve had this evening .

don’t go patting yourself on the back , i still think your priorities are fucked .

i can care about more than one thing at a time .

working this job has made me really understand what a sociopath is .

you always assume the worst .

help me ! please -- please , i’ll do anything !

maybe you’re right , but you don’t need to be an asshole about it .

i guess i was holding out for things to change with us .

i have never once shied away from telling you where my priorities were .

i have to live with it every day & now someone knows .

someone WANTED me to find this .

you have to get the fuck out ANY way you can . just get the FUCK OUT !

are you losing your shit ? ‘cos i don’t need that right now .

maybe we just focus on one thing at a time .

[ name ] ... i found a way out , maybe .

i don’t know what i was expecting .

what the fuck is this ?

[ name ] , what are you doing ? just stay back .

no way this is happening .

it’s gotta be fake ... a prop , or from ... an animal or something .

it can be difficult working with someone you’ve been involved with .

i think we can bust through this thing .

i’ve had enough of this shit , what the hell is going on ?

the walls are moving again .

i’m not a fuckin’ lab rat here for your amusement !

don’t look at me like that . you know i’m right . you get it .

you got to do something that matters .

think of the most profound thing you’ve ever done .

i see the gleam in your eye , [ name ] . you can’t fool me .

there ... there you are . i see you now .

bare hands can feel good , huh ? but the blade makes for such a prettier picture .

how far down does it go ?

there’s blood everywhere , & ... & a body .

one of us is going to have to be bait .

you could use that as a weapon if need be .

what an excruciating way to go .

people can surprise you sometimes .

as always , i’ll be watching very closely .

hurry the fuck up !

it’s a forest , it could be anything .

can you not freak me out even more than i already am ?

i wasn’t expecting you .

you’re a selfish monster ... always have been .

predictable little shit , i know you .

[ name ] ! i thought i lost you .

all good things must come to an end .

can you find your own way out ?

i have no doubt we’ll meet again in the future .

#yeah okay i got 3/5 of them killed #WHOOPS ?#rp meme #rp prompt #inbox meme #rp inbox meme

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catsburgers · 7 months

Text

chat this MIGHT be dialtown! (closeups under the cut!! ft. their songs and why i paired them w/ the ones i did)

randy - today today (jack stauber)

the lyrics fit him heaps and it actually makes me a little sad. i didn't write out the entire verse bc i ran out of space but the full part is

"Today, today, is one of those days That carries you slowly into next time And as folks walk by, you see with your eye "Hold me" is repeatedly given

and by GOD is that him. pathetic sad sopping wet man who just needs a hug please give him one oh my god

norm - chemical overreaction (will wood) (you'll notice a pattern later on)

that song has a very midwest cowboy feel to me (the line "Nettles on my saddle and a badge on my vest" is a very big give away), and yeah he IS a chemical overreaction like.. yeah. the line i picked was just the one that stood out to me the most

"My mouth is dry and my eyes are red I’m chewing on sand ‘cause the desert’s in my head" uhh yeah

typegingi - popipo (lamaze-p)

i honestly couldn't think of a song for them because they are just So. if you asked me to make a playlist it would be full of vocaloid bc i feel like theyd listen to it. it plays 24/7 in their mind

"ぽっぴぽっぴぽっぽっぴっぽ (x11)"

oliver - things to do (alex g)

oliver was someone i struggled with admittedly, i was gonna go for a lemon demon song bc honestly he gives those freak vibes (he IS two trucks and i stand by that) but i feel like things to do fits too. like read the lyrics its so him (or i have a very skewed view of these characters idk sorry)

"Hold on tight to this time, this place cause Everything you know will be erased You were born inside your head and That is where you'll be when you are dead"

karen - willard! (will wood)

please listen to willard! its so her pretty please pls pls plssss. tired bank worker thats so so tired but wants to see the world. plss...

"You know I couldn't hurt a fly, my friend I'm not the type to step on ants I've nearly cried for moths that die at porchlight lamps More for the plights of mice than men See, I myself have been stepped on so many times It's started to feel like my place I've failed to fit in into those nests that scrape the sky Is there room for me in your cage?"

bigfoot

i did his route over a year ago and didnt do it again during my replay sorry bigfoot fans love you :(

EXPLODES I LOVE EXPLAINING THESE

god/hobo - mr capgras

ITS HIM. LIKE IDKK ITS SAUR HIM.

"What you feel and what you do Are those things really you? And if not, then what is? (Never never never) So, my God, what’s wrong with you? And I’m still asking who that is"

roger - i bet on losing dogs (mitski)

hes so mitski coded its insane. we havent got much from the dialtown teaser but we DO have his dsaf personality to go off, and he was a complete mess in that.

"I bet on losing dogs I know they're losing and I'll pay for my place By the ring Where I'll be looking in their eyes when they're down I'll be there on their side I'm losing by their side"

peter - a pearl (mitski)

all dsaf holdovers are mitski coded bc it was born into their body the moment they became a phone guy. once again not much to go off in dialtown and ik he seemed rlly chill in what interaction we had but god he is my fav and you can pry my mitski from my cold dead hands. also yeah i reused his art from my dsaf drawing sorrry i didnt think it was worth it redoing the exact same ref

"It's just that I fell in love with a war Nobody told me it ended And it left a pearl in my head And I roll it around every night"

mayor mingus - everything i wanted (billie eilish) / laplace's angel (will wood)

ok i couldnt pick between these two, theyre so different but so similar

everything i wanted is rlly her, like even the title is so mingus. she's dialtowns mayor, she has everything she wants, except her grandfathers recognition and she'll never get it.

"They called me weak Like I'm not just somebody's daughter Coulda been a nightmare But it felt like they were right there And it feels like yesterday was a year ago But I don't wanna let anybody know"

laplace angel is also her to a lesser degree, the song is about the difference between good and bad, and UGH we know mingus is evil but she's also hurting and thats not an excuse and [explodes]. the little (hurt people? hurt people!) that's officially in the song title is also her. like the term "hurt people hurt people" arehghks. the repeated "if you were in my shoes, you'd walk that mile/you'd see i wear the same size as you" like. shit if ppl were in her shoes WOULD they do the same thing?? probably not!! but she feels like she HAS to do these things and assumes that everyone else would do it too. yk. i love mayor mingus so much

"You, could you take a look at me? (Man no more than animal is made of moral chemicals) Am I bad, am I bad, am I bad, am I really that bad? (Any form mechanical, thank you God) Ooh, whatever you think of me (From the hordes of cannibals, to psych wards of hospitals) If you were in my shoes, you’d see I wear the same size as you (It’s a small world after all) Oh oh right!"

billy - ???

demons dont get songs.

finally

jerry - half decade hangover (will wood)

hes sooo. even the title is him. like yeah he WOULD be hungover on the job if i was jerry id be pounding vodka by the litre. 12 german shepards each with different illnesses. yeah pass me the margarita (i have never had an alcoholic beverage in my life).

"Wonder how I didn’t die This is not my life, I’m no survivor, I only happened to survive Wonder how I sleep at night Well I count pink elephants, blessings, and skeletons"

if you read to the end, thank u so much (and please go seek therapy). if you have any other song suggests lmk in the replies!! but dont tell me songs wont fit i MIGHT cry. these designs r mostly canon but i added my own flair to them (namely typegingis entire design, god/hobo having dog ear antenna (inspired by my own dt oc having cat ear antenna), peters springlock scars, mingus being way more cat then orignally and also making rogers suit just a LITTLE too big for him, showing how he really isnt fit for this position in his job. he'll grow into it eventually <3)

#dialtown #dialtown art #dialtown typegingi #dialtown fanart #dialtown randy #oliver swift #dialtown karen #dialtown oliver #dialtown bigfoot #dialtown norm #dialtown roger #dialtown phone dating sim

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aanoia · 8 months

Note

Can I also have pancakes for dinner with James 🥺🥺

Ofc anything for u bae <3

Pancakes for Dinner

James Potter x reader words; 1,859 song; Pancakes for Dinner by Lizzy McAlpine warnings; heavy anxiety omg, plane crash-ish? yall let me tell you. i had such a scare, my mom had to call an ambulance and go to the hospital and i fr have watched too much greys anatomy bc my first thought was oh she's gonna die. like ik how simple freaking back procedures can result in becoming brain dead. is that crazy? doesn't matter bc shes okay now :) if you love a song, the marauders, and my writing, request a song fic and your wish shall be my command. bold is the letter, and yes the lyrics are the letter partly :) ENJOY

Don't wanna be forward

Don't wanna cross a line

“I can’t believe you’re leaving!” Lily whined, wrapping her arms around my waist tightly.

“I’ll be gone for two weeks, Lils.” I said with a soft smile.

“Two weeks is a lot, I agree with Lily.” Sirius said, walking up to us and giving me a hug as well. “I’ll miss you, I guess.” He teased and I pinched his arm before locking eyes with my best friend, James Potter.

We said nothing as he threw his arms around me, “Only two weeks?”

I nodded, “Only two.”

But if I were to crash in this plane tonight

I'd want you to know this

“What happened?” I asked my mom as we were heading towards our gate in the airport.

“Apparently a plane going out malfunctioned and crashed to the ground. Thankfully they hadn’t gotten very high up in the air so everyone survived, but that’s still scary.” She explained and my breath hitched.

“How much time do we have until we need to board?”

“Two hours, your dad wanted to be early.”

I nodded as she sat down on the waiting chairs, “I’m gonna go to the desk over there, is that okay?” She nodded as she pulled out her book and began reading.

Don't wanna say too much

Intrude on your space

I pondered for a minute, an empty piece of paper in front of me and a muggle pen I stole from our hotel in my hand. I didn't want to be too forward about my feelings to James, but I didn’t want to get in a crash and not be able to say them at all. Better safe than sorry?

Don't wanna say too much

Intrude on your space

Dear James,

I’d like to start this letter off by saying a plane leaving the airport, not even two hours before mine, has gone down. As far as I know, there were no fatalities. The plane wasn’t high enough in the air to do any fatal damage to anyone once it went down. It does not, however, relieve the fear I feel boarding a plane, instead it only adds fuel to the fire.

Oh, and to tell you is too scary

So I'll just say something else

I need to confess my secrets to you, in case something happens and I can’t anymore. This scares me more than the chance of a plane crash does, but I can’t die without you knowing. I’ll be using a special method of getting this letter to you, so you receive it almost the moment I send it. That is, if Dumbledore taught it to me well.

And I wish that you could hear me

When I talk to myself

You’re my best friend, you’re the most important thing ever to me. You make all the bad feel okay, and the good feel even better. You’re always there for me, whether I’m being an absolute bitch to you or sobbing my eyes out, you’re right there with me. You mean the world to me, James. But I cannot stand the term best friend. Everytime you say it, it's like a punch in the gut.

But this plane might not land safely

So, what the hell do I have to lose

If I just tell you?

I need you to know, James, that-

I wanna eat pancakes for dinner

I wanna get stuck in your head

“James, a letter is on the table for you. I believe it’s from Y/n!” James’ mother called and he raced down the stairs.

“Y/n sent a letter?” He asked, his eyes flitting to the table and landing on a white envelope. He smiled excitedly and grabbed the letter, ripping it open and reading the words.

I wanna watch a T.V. show together

And when we're under the weather we can watch it in bed

His smile dropped as he read about the crash, immediate worry filling his body as a pit settled in his stomach. His throat closed up, as if he was about to cry and he shook his head.

“What is it, Jamie?” His mom asked, worry on her face as she gazed at her son.

James shook his head, “S’nothing.” He mumbled and walked back to his room, letter clutched tightly in his hand.

I wanna go out on the weekends

I wanna dress up just to get undressed

I took a nervous deep breath as we boarded the plane, praying to whoever is out there to keep me and my family safe. However, I wasn’t naive enough to not know that despite my prayers what is planned to happen, will happen. And there’s nothing anyone can do to stop it, no matter what they try.

I think that I should probably tell you this

In case there is an accident

And I never see you again

James sat quietly on his bed, staring blankly at the picture on his shelf. The picture of him and his best friend, the girl he loved most. The only sign of life in the boy was his soft breathing and the erratic bouncing of his knee, a tell-tale sign that he was nervous. Anxiety filled his veins as he thought about every possibility, each one worse than the last, none of them seemed to have a happy ending.

So please save all your questions for the end

And maybe I'll be brave enough by then

A gasp left my lips as the plane shook and I grabbed tightly onto my seatbelt, praying for the plane to stay in the air. It leveled out quickly and I let out a sigh of relief, rubbing my eye gently. This is the dumbest thing ever.

Don't wanna say something wrong

Don't wanna be weird

James sat nervously at the airport, his leg once again bouncing up and down. So far there was no news of a plane crash or anything like that, so he still had faith. He re-read the letter at least two dozen times, the words not quite settling in. His best friend, of almost six years, the girl he was in love with, loves him. And she wants to spend the rest of her life with him. The idea was absolutely mind boggling to the poor boy.

But if you're still in love with her

I think that I'll leave it there

And I won't ever tell you this

“Sirius, shut up. You’re annoying and you smell like a wet dog.” I said with a smile as Sirius and I turned a corner our fourth year.

“Woah.” Sirius breathed and I looked up, my heart shattering at the sight. James stood there, his hand on Lily’s cheek as he softly kissed her. I cleared my throat and turned around. “Y/n/n-”

“Not now, Sirius.”

Oh, 'cause to tell you is too scary

So I'll just say something else

Like how was fall semester?

And what was that song about?

I smiled happily as I left the plane, a weight lifting off my chest as I walked into the airport. I linked arms with my mom who held hands with my dad as we walked to the exit of the gate. I walked out and my eyes immediately met James’.

He widely smiled as he jumped out of the chair and ran over, almost tackling me to the ground with a big bear hug. He held on tightly as he swayed us side to side, switching from foot to foot.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” He mumbled, not letting go.

“Me too.”

I'll try to hide the way I feel

But I'll just wanna shout

What do I have to lose right now?

“Okay, you two, let’s not block the way, yeah?” My mom said with amusement laced in her voice. James let go and took the carry on bag from my hand, also reaching over to grab my moms.

“I got these for you, ladies.” He said with a smile and I blushed as my mom waved him off with a smile.

“No special treatment for me, James?” My dad teased and James managed to grab his bad as well.

“So sorry, ma’am. I do have a very important question for you two adults though.” James said with a serious look on his face. I furrowed my eyebrows at him and he winked.

“Yes?” My dad prompted.

“May I steal your daughter for the night? Please?”

“N-”

“Yes, of course you can.” My mom interrupted my dad and winked at me.

I wanna eat pancakes for dinner

I wanna get stuck in your head

“James, I love spending time with you but why tonight? I’m tire- wait.” I cut myself off as the door opened and a sweet aroma filled my nose. James smiled cheekily at me and ushered me in. I hesitantly walked to the kitchen island and gasped.

“Pancakes for dinner.” He said from behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “And for the record, you’re always on my mind.”

I wanna watch a T.V. show together

And when we're under the weather we can watch it in bed

I wanna go out on the weekends

I wanna dress up just to get undressed

“James-”

“Nope. You’ve already said your piece.” He said, letting go and stepping in front of me. He grabbed my hands and looked me in my eyes. “It’s my turn.”

I think that I should probably tell you this

In case there is an accident

And I never see you again

“From the moment I laid eyes on you, attacking Sirius with spells we didn’t learn in class until second year, I swore I was in love. You were all I talked about in letters back home, and to Sirius and Remus and Peter.”

“But Lily?”

So please save all your questions for the end

And maybe I'll be brave enough by then

“Lily was a coverup. She knows, by the way. In fact, I didn’t even realize it until she told me. Y/n, you are my best friend, and I love you more than the Earth itself. You are a magnificent witch, with such an intelligent mind and beautiful face. I love every part of you. So, sorry for the lack of originality, but-”

Well, maybe I won't ever say what's in my head

No, I won't have to say anything

“I’d love to have pancakes for dinner, and like I said, you’re already stuck in my head. I want to watch a TV show with you and rewatch it together when I get you sick, or you me. I want to go out on the weekends with you and obviously I want you to dress up so I can tear it off. I want you, Y/n. I want you.”

I pressed a kiss to his lips, removing one of my hands from his to cup his cheek. He used his free hand and gently rubbed up and down my waist, committing the curve to memory. We pulled away and rested our foreheads together with giddy smiles.

You'll say it instead

taglist (if u wanna be added comment :) I'd highly recommend, not to toot my own horn but my stories are pretty great);

@poetrypirate @1lellykins @loving-and-dreaming

#aanoia #marauders era #romance #remus lupin #the marauders #james & peter & remus & sirius #sirius black #james potter x reader #harry potter #marauders #james potter #marauders map #marauders headcanon #the maraunders map #hp marauders #marlene mckinnon

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willbyersenthusiast · 21 days

Text

since i won’t shut up about Found Heaven, here’s a list of songs i think are very byler coded:

Found Heaven (the title track)

Alley Rose

The Final Fight

Miss You

Forever With Me

Eye Of The Night (kind of)

Winner (kind of)

and yk what while i’m here im gonna explain the reasons i think so;

Found Heaven:

i already explained this in a previous post (idk how to link them so have fun scrolling) but i will give a brief explanation; the song is about internalized homophobia and it’s basically conan telling his younger self it’s okay, or at least that’s how i perceive it, so i see this as a mike wheeler song. it can be will too but will is more out of the closet than mike tbf.

Alley Rose:

this one is kind of more about yearning and wanting but not before the relationship, it’s after it. they’re also kind of nervous around each other (especially mike) in season 4. the line “i waited all year at your feet like maybe you’d love me” is so them because they both waited for the other to reach out when Will moved to Lenora.

for the bridge, will is so worried about his best friend hating him because he’s gay and in love with him. “i thought if you’d ever leave me that i’d be the reason why.” and will again for the last little bit of the bridge saying “i swore hands were made for fighting, i swore eyes were made to cry, but you’re the first person that i’ve seen whose proven that might be a lie.” it’s kind of self explanatory in a way because will grew up in an abusive household. and for “don’t leave me hanging alone again.” i feel it fits both of them but also mike, because mike told will he felt like he was losing him and he wanted to be best friends again in s4

The Final Fight:

i feel like this one says how will wants to tell mike how much mike hurt him, and how he really upset him. he probably wants himself to get over mike and thinks this will help him (but it’ll just make mike confess😏 [hopefully].

Miss You:

this one makes me think of Mike telling Will how he misses him and how he felt like he “lost you or something.” and how “it’s not hawkins without you.” in season 4. and he knows he’s been a douche a little asshat (you can tell i’m a little upset with this mike lmao) but he wants “to be friends again. Best friends”

Forever With Me:

holy fucking shit this one. this song. i see this as Will yearning for Mike and wanting to be with him forever. “I ain’t sorry, though i should probably be. I think i’m gonna love you. You’re forever with me.” THIS SCREAMS WILL BYERS. “you are the reason i learned to love. Also the reason i cry” holy fucking SHIIIITTTT

Eye Of The Night:

i perceive this song as “this person haunts me. i see them everywhere and i can’t escape them” so it kind of reminds me of how they like always come back to each other? idk this one just kinda makes me think of them 💀

Winner:

this song (mainly just the pre-chorus and the chorus) makes me think of the rain fight. Will’s pov to be specific. i see it as Will saying “yeah you won you made me feel like shit, are you happy??” ykwim? OH AND THE SECOND VERSE “yet you have the nerve to miss me. how do i somehow feel guilty when you’re the one who let it get this bad” HOLY SHIT THATS LITERALLY THEIR FIGHT AT RINK-O-MANIA. like mike blaming will for not reaching out in the heat of the moment and therefore will blames himself too.

anyways that’s my little rant done GO STREAM FOUND HEAVEN ITS AMAZING AND IT HAS SUCH A DAZZLING 80S VIBE ITS MY FAVORITE THING RN GO LISTEN TO IT PLEASE ITS LIFE CHANGING

#conan gray #conehead #found heaven #alley rose #the final fight #miss you #forever with me #eye of the night #winner #stranger things #will byers #mike wheeler #byler #byler tumblr #st5 #stranger things 5 #byler endgame #mike wheeler i know what you are

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e-dubbc11 · 10 months

Text

Songbird Pt. 2

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google

Pairing: Billy Russo x F! Reader

Warnings: Some swear words, tears, mentions of PTSD and suicide, sex is mentioned

Word Count: 4.2k-ish

Summary: Continued from Part 1. Billy can’t stop thinking about you. His usual charm isn’t working so he tries a different approach and he starts to wear you down.

A/N: I will say, I’m having fun writing this little series. Like I mentioned in part 1, there is a playlist that goes along with it and the two songs I used in this part are Happy by Leona Lewis and Angel Standing By by Jewel. I highly encourage you to listen to that playlist. It’s linked in the masterlist for this series.

As always, thank you for reading! I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕

She was all you could think about on your way home last night, lying in bed, and the following day. Out of all the songs she sang last night, the one that struck you the most was Paint it, Black. You knew what the song was about…grief, depression, and loss of hope.

Those were three emotions you knew all too well so maybe she did too? Her performance was so raw and full of passion. It could have all been just for the audience, to give them a good show but there was more to it than that. There was more behind those beautiful eyes of hers.

She really did have beautiful eyes.

Eyes that locked on yours more than once last night although you could tell she didn’t want to but she couldn’t help it. The times you’ve seen her in the building, you pictured her underneath you, fucking her.

To hear her scream your name as you slammed hard into her over and over again crossed your mind on more than one occasion…actually it was every time you saw her.

She would have been just another notch on your belt which is what you were used to, you didn’t have feelings, or form attachments. That’s not what you wanted but she was different, so what changed?

Music did things to you that you couldn’t quite explain and you definitely did not want to admit, especially to a woman. In the group home, music was your escape. You could tune everything out and it made you forget about being alone even if it’s only for a little while.

To choose a song like that, there had to be reasoning behind it. Maybe it helped her through her grief or depression. You had the strongest urge to tell her these things even though you barely knew her.

Her words repeated harshly over and over again in your head. “You’re gonna have to try a little harder than that.”

She wasn’t like the others. All you had to do for most women was to open your mouth and say “hello” or smile at them. Their panties practically fell off all by themselves, you didn’t have to try at all. She was challenging, mysterious and sexy. You actually liked the fact that she didn’t let you get away with just a wink and a smile.

But you didn’t know what to do. How can you prove to her that you were interested in her and not just interested in her because you wanted to sleep with her? Trying to win her over was as difficult as trying to capture a smile in a bottle. She may not have said yes to your invitation for a date but she didn’t flat out tell you “no” either.

The way she pulled you in close by your hair, your bodies sharing the same space and her harsh whispers made you so hard. It was all you could do to NOT have a low moan fall from your lips as she whispered into your ear.

She did seem interested but impervious to your usual charm and charisma. You wanted to do something for her to show you were serious but what could you do? Flowers and candy seemed cliché and she’d see right through that.

She was performing again tonight at the same club, you would have to think of something before then.

You

It wasn’t that you didn’t find Billy Russo attractive, of course you did. You just didn’t like the playboy, manwhore vibe he gave off, which he obviously was. Out of all of those women he brought home, none of them brought anything to the table? They didn’t have things in common? He really would just fuck them and then tell them to leave.

But he walked in off of the street and into the club because he heard YOUR voice, with a date in tow, and ignored her so he could pay attention to YOU.

He was already making an effort to change that nickname.

There was something in front of your apartment door when you arrived back from your sound check for tonight. It was a beautiful cherry wood box with a note attached.

You brought it inside and set it down on your dining room table. Butterflies danced around in your stomach, somehow you knew it was from Billy without even opening the note.

The box looked and felt expensive, it had weight to it. Unfolding the note, a little smile stretched across your face. It WAS from Billy.

I couldn’t decide which kind to get for you so I just bought them all. There are six kinds in there that are supposed to be good for singers. I hope you like it. –Billy, The Penthouse Playboy

Unless he knew off the top of his head which kind of teas were best for singers, Billy had to either ask or look it up.

He was actually taking this seriously. But why? Was it because he actually liked you or was it because he wanted to see if he could get you into bed?

You opened the box. Inside, neatly arranged and separated by type, were six kinds of tea. Ginger, chamomile, licorice root, throat soother, green tea, and an immunity booster tea.

Well, you did tell him he was going to have to do better than relying on his charm. Billy certainly did better than you had expected him to. This was…a very thoughtful gift. But would he continue to try this hard?

Time will tell.

Billy

It was killing you not knowing if she liked her gift or not. You paced the room as your muscles stiffened worrying about it. You did all the research about which kind of teas were good for singers and you went to a specialty tea shop to get the best and freshest ones.

You could easily find ten women that wouldn’t make you work this hard at earning a date. But you didn’t want anyone else, you wanted to be the object of HER affection.

You found yourself periodically checking the stairs outside your penthouse to see if she was there, practicing. And desperately wanting her to be there so you could listen, wondering what she would be singing tonight.

When she practiced alone, there was something special about her voice being stripped down with no music, she could hear it but you couldn’t and you actually didn’t need to.

She sounded perfect without any music playing and you couldn’t wait to see her tonight.

You

The crowd was almost the same size as it was last night, give or take a few more because it was Saturday night, date night. There were quite a few couples out there as you scanned the audience from behind the curtain. He was at the same table as last night and he was alone. You were surprised he showed up again tonight.

Billy was dressed in a gray sweater and black jeans. One look at him and you could tell he was a confident man and used to getting what he wanted. He was a man used to having women crawl over themselves to get to him but not used to being second best which is why you decided to tease him a little and make him jealous.

Some of your regular groupies were front and center again tonight and again they brought you bouquets of flowers so you paid them a little extra attention tonight during a song called Happy.

I could stand by the side

And watch this life pass me by

So unhappy

But safe as could be

So what if it hurts me?

So what if I break down?

So what if this world just throws me off the edge

My feet run out of ground

I gotta find my place

I wanna hear my sound

Don't care about all the pain in front of me

I'm just tryna be happy

I just wanna be happy, yeah

Looking into your other admirers’ eyes as you sang, touching their hands, and gently brushing their shoulders as you walked by was driving Billy crazy. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see him…flaring fury in his eyes as he took sips of his bourbon.

But you started to feel bad for teasing him like that but at least he knew what it was like to play second fiddle and Billy Russo did NOT like it at all.

Moving from table to table in the front row, you finally made your way over to your left where Billy’s table was to sing just for him.

Holding on tightly

Just can't let it go

Just trying to play my role

Slowly disappear, oh

But all these days

They feel like they're the same

Just different faces

Different names

Get me out of here

He handed you a single red rose that had been resting next to his drink and his eyes softened when he looked at you from the piercing stare they had been before. Holding the microphone away from your mouth for a split second, you leaned down to whisper in his ear. “Thank you for the tea box, I love it.”

You held that rose for the rest of your show, and you didn’t mean to but you loved it. You loved that he didn’t buy you a massive bouquet of flowers like some of these other guys did, that’s not what you wanted. Between the tea box and the rose, it was getting harder and harder to resist his charms.

So what if it hurts me?

So what if I break down?

So what if this world just throws me off the edge?

My feet run out of ground

I gotta find my place

I wanna hear my sound

Don't care about all the pain in front of me

I just wanna be happy

It had been so long since you had been truly happy. Your set list wasn’t just a bunch of covers, they were a diary of songs that you needed at some point during the course of your life.

Some days you would listen to the same song over and over again because it was the only way you could feel better after having a bad day, a bad week, a bad month.

You didn’t know anything about Billy, but you could tell that hell was burning behind his deep dark eyes. A man like that definitely had a secret or two but so does everyone else.

Maybe you were almost done playing hardball with Billy Russo.

Billy

Over the next few weeks, you learned her schedule. You assigned people to tail her every day. She worked a regular 9-5 office job for an excellent contractor company, her favorite addition to her coffee was cinnamon, she spent time in her favorite bookstore every Wednesday, and she visited the cemetery every Thursday.

After some digging, you found out the grave she was visiting was her ex-boyfriend that killed himself after she broke up with him.

She probably blames herself so that would explain some of the songs in her setlist. You barely knew her and yet you were absolutely intrigued by her which has never happened before.

You didn’t develop feelings, but there was a reason you caught her singing in the stairwell that night. And since that night, you had eavesdropped on her a few more times and actually felt really bad for doing it.

She thought she was completely alone out there, vulnerable, and you were just on the other side of that door spying on her.

After a long day at work, you came home to a note under your door.

I’m going to be at the club tonight if you’d like to come. I can put your name on the list so you don’t have to pay the cover. Let me know. –Y/N

And it had her number on the bottom. It had been a number of weeks and you still didn’t have her number until now. It was almost 19:00, she was probably already there and more than likely she started at 21:00.

You quickly pulled out your phone to text her.

“I’d love to come see you tonight…and thank you for giving me your number.”

Almost as quickly as you sent her a text, another one came in right after.

“Who is this? How did you get this number?”

Very confused you started to type back but another message came in right behind it.

“I’m just kidding…I’ll see you soon, Billy”

A shy smile stretched across your face and you shook your head while looking at her text, you really were smitten with her.

**********

You

You hated to admit to yourself that you enjoyed seeing Billy in the front row on the nights you performed. He gave you a single red rose each time and he didn’t know that you saved each one, they hung upside down in front of your kitchen window.

Each time you looked at them, it was hard not to smile. You never saved any of the other flowers you received from admirers, you let the club keep them.

Now that he had your number, he would text during the day while the both of you were at work and he’d call when he got home at night.

It was nice just talking and joking with him and it almost made you forget about what a playboy he was, and he hadn’t even asked you to go out with him since that first night he watched you sing at the club.

You were…friends.

It had also been a long time since he had brought any woman home with him. You knew this because he would call at almost the exact same time every night and while he didn’t talk much, he loved to listen to you talk so he never stopped asking questions.

And any time you would ask him questions, he would divert back to you. The two of you would be on the phone until late in the evening hours.

He was so secretive or he just really didn’t want to talk about his past. There were things from your past that you didn’t really like talking about either…maybe you would eventually though.

After one particularly long winded story of yours, he surprised you with a question.

“So do you think I’ve earned that date yet, y/n?” He asked.

Biting down on your lower lip to keep from smiling, you answered him. “What did you have in mind, Billy?”

“What about coffee, on your way home from work tomorrow?” He asked, his voice was soft and smooth like warm honey.

Tomorrow was Wednesday. You always stop at your favorite bookstore on your way home from work on Wednesdays but they also have a café inside.

“Well I always stop at the bookstore on my way home on Wednesdays but they do have a café inside if you’d like to meet me there.” You said.

“I’d love to.” He said.

You were thankful that you were on the phone with him and not face to face because you felt the warmth rise to your cheeks and you started to blush.

“Ok, great. The place is called Shakespeare & Co. and the address is 2020 Broadway. I’ll see you tomorrow around 5:15. Don’t be late or I’m leavin’.” You joked.

“Oh I won’t be…I’ll see you tomorrow. G’night y/n.” He whispered.

“G’night Billy.” You replied.

Billy

Of course you knew the bookstore she was talking about, you knew it had a café inside which is why you asked her out for coffee on a Wednesday.

There were a lot of things you wanted to tell her like how you had her followed, how you knew about her ex, and how you discovered her favorite singing spot in the building but you were afraid of her reaction. You were afraid she would be angry and she’d never want to see or speak to you again.

The last thing you wanted to do was lie to her. For the first time in probably your entire life, you actually cared about someone, someone other than yourself. You did things for her that you never did for any other woman. You catered to her, went out of your way to give her a gift that you knew she’d really like, and paid attention to her.

And in return, she made you laugh which was difficult to do, she never wanted anything from you, and she made you feel like you were the only person in the room when she sang.

But she needed to know the truth even if it meant she would be angry.

17:15…you arrived right on time and found her sitting with a book in hand at a table with two coffees. She had on a black sweater, soft waves in her hair and she looked absolutely beautiful.

“I’m not late, am I?” You asked.

A smile stretched across her face and showed off the little laugh lines by her eyes.

“No, no…you’re right on time, Mr. Russo. Now you can tell me if I got your coffee order wrong but you strike me as a black coffee drinker, possibly with one sugar which is why I left the sugar packet next to the cup…just in case.” She said.

You flashed her a slight smile. “I do like it with one sugar, gotta be at least a little sweet, right?” You said.

“You have a sweet tooth…noted.” She said with a warm smile, motioning like she made a check mark on a piece of paper.

She asked you how your day was. It was a small gesture but you really loved that about her, she always asked about your day and you asked about hers. You asked her about the book she was reading and about the pile of books on the table that she was going to buy.

You loved to read too, books were really all you had on deployment, and told her that one of the reasons you chose the apartment you did was because it had a library.

After making small talk for awhile, you felt it was time to confess.

“Y/n? Part of the reason I asked you out for coffee today was because I knew you were coming here anyway. I know you come here every Wednesday.” You told her.

The line of her mouth tightened, she was clearly uncomfortable.

“H-how do you know that, Billy?” She choked out.

“Because I put a tail on you. I wanted to find out more about you since I didn’t know anything and—“ You said.

She interrupted you. “Wait…what? You had me FOLLOWED?!” She said with disdain dripping from her voice.

“I did but let me explain.” You said.

She narrowed her eyes. “What else do you know?!” She asked.

You responded. “Well, I know you like to add cinnamon to your coffee, I know you come here every Wednesday and I know that every Thursday you—“

You stopped short, trying to finish the sentence but you couldn’t do it.

She had tears in her eyes, they were sad and angry at the same time. “You know I visit Corey every Thursday, don’t you. Just say it.” She said.

“I know you visit Corey every Thursday.” You said, trying to match your anger with hers. You really had no right to be angry but she could have told you.

All of those late night conversations and not one mention of him, but there were plenty of things you haven’t told her yet. You knew it wasn’t really fair to be cross with her.

She pushed herself away from the table and grabbed her coat. She left her coffee and the pile of books on the table and walked out.

“Fuck.” You muttered to yourself as you watched her walk away from you, without turning back.

You

How could he invade your privacy like that?! If he wanted to know more about you, he could have just asked. He didn’t have to have you followed, you were more hurt than anything, and couldn’t stop the tears from streaking down your cheeks on your walk home.

You could have told him about Corey, it’s not like you didn’t have ample opportunity with all of your late night conversations. But it was still really hard to talk about even though it had been a long time since he passed and you still felt like you were to blame.

It was your fault, you broke up with him and broke his heart, but Corey was also a soldier with PTSD, like Billy. He carried a lot of guilt and pain that had nothing to do with you and you felt like he needed help but it wasn’t fair to either one of you to continue with a relationship that was unstable.

The guilt still consumed you, it gave you nightmares and you didn’t tell Billy any of that. It felt like you were probably both to blame for the mess you were in at the moment.

You had a gig at the club coming up in a few days and had been practicing a new song with the band but you hadn’t really tried it by yourself. It was mostly vocals and very little instrumentation so your vocals had to be on point. You decided to practice the song tonight.

Waiting in the stairwell until Billy got back made you extremely nervous. You were half expecting him to get off the elevator with another woman that he just happened to pick up on the way home but you were surprised to see that he got off the elevator alone with a dejected look on his face and you noticed he had the books in his hands that you had planned on buying before abruptly leaving like you did.

Feeling a sharp pain in your chest at the sight of those books, your heart swelled and a gasp escaped your lips. You couldn’t believe he bought them for you.

Instead of practicing, you thought about knocking on his door and apologizing for storming out. You didn’t approve of what he did but maybe you did understand why he did it. You decided to practice first and apologize after.

All through the night,

I'll be watching over you

And All through the night,

I'll be standing over you

And through the bad dreams,

I'll be right there baby,

Telling you everything is gonna be alright

And when you cry,

I'll be there baby

Telling you you're never nothing

Less than beautiful

So don't you worry,

I'm your Angel standing by.

You burst into tears after you were finished, there were so many emotions you were feeling about Billy, about Corey, and thinking about how all you wanted was to be happy again. Billy made you happy, you had been smiling a lot more and it was because of him.

Suddenly you heard a gentle knock on the glass and you turned slightly to see him staring fondly at you, his liquid brown eyes told you he was sorry and you turned the handle to open the door for him.

“That was beautiful.” He said. “I also know you come out here to practice sometimes.”

You tried to smile but all you could do was crash into him and sob into his chest as he wrapped his arms tightly around you and just let you cry.

“It’s all my fault, Billy! He’s dead because of me!” You sobbed uncontrollably.

Through your tears, you managed to tell Billy about your relationship with Corey and told him everything that wasn’t in the newspaper. And he just sat with you on the top step, holding you, stroking your hair and he listened. He listened as you told him everything.

He spoke softly. “Listen to me, y/n. Look at me.”

You lifted your head that was resting under his arm to look at him.

“What happened to Corey was NOT your fault. You gotta stop blaming yourself for it because it’s not your fault. I’m gonna keep telling you that until you believe me.” He said. “I’m sorry for having you followed and I’m sorry for eavesdropping when you practice here, I just…I just love listening to you sing.” And he gently brushed the tears off of your cheeks.

Tears still pricked your eyes as you bit down on your lower lip before asking “You do?”

“Of course I do…you think I come to the club just to drink? They don’t even have GOOD bourbon.” He said.

You chuckled a little through your tears and composed yourself long enough to tell him “I think you might have earned the right to a new nickname tonight, Mr. Russo, although I haven’t decided what it’s going to be quite yet.” You said with a warm smile.

You could feel a smile stretch across Billy’s face as he gently pressed his lips against your forehead.

He pulled away to gaze at you as he said “Well I can’t wait to hear what is, my little songbird.”

Tag List: @mindidjarin @saintmurd0ck @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @xdervyxccgh @mattmurdocksscars @fakehappy27 @music-indie-tv @fictional-hooman @kayhi808 @munsonownsmyass @gijos @celestialams @idek-what-to-put @anastasianeedstoread @ratsys @k-marzolf @nutmeg17 @rosaleenablack @vaguekayla @qu1etwolf

Others that’s might enjoy: @itwasthereaminuteago @fluffyprettykitty @jvanilly @simple-lovebot @russosafehaven @mrsbillyrusso @imagine-a-fictional-boyfriend

If you’d like to be added to (or removed from) my tag list(s) for the ever so handsome Billy Russo, just let me know and thank you again for reading! 💕💕💕 If I tagged you but you didn’t want to be, just let me know and I’ll never do it again.

#billy russo #billy russo x reader #billy russo fanfic #billy russo imagine #billy russo angst #billy russo fluff #billy russo fanfiction

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feralboimurphy · 22 days

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Benson Boone’s new album has a few Jeric songs on it. I will explain.

Beautiful Things: Jack has OCD (at least a lot of signs point to it) and of course that means getting in his own head about having everything good (eric, shawn, his friends). He might self destruct, but he would die if he would lose it all over again.

Forever and A Day: This song is the both of them to each other. The first part of the song is Eric.

“No words convey the way it felt for me to finally hold you.” Eric spent 15 years without the man he thought of as his soulmate after almost getting him back in 2000. The moment he got it, he clearly wasn’t going to let it go. I wish we got so much more of them in Girl.

The next part is Jack.

“Know every word you’re gonna say before you even think it. But somehow every joke you make is funnier each time around. Your laugh is such a perfect sound.” Now, it’s no surprise that Eric is a goofy man and this may have been Matt Lawrence + Will Friedle, but Jack laughed at Eric’s jokes more than people give him credit for. Even when serious, Jack never discouraged Eric’s funny quips (we ignore a LOT of season 7. all of them got weird.)

“I swear I’ve known you longer than forever and a day.” These two clicked right away and were besties. Upon meeting, they’re the same person and never stay away from each other for too long when there isn’t an obstacle in front of them.

“How could I forget those eyes? They took me by surprise, but suddenly I missed your face. I knew that smile from miles away.” Now…them meeting again as adults. As soon as they saw each other, they clicked again.

“I don’t believe in destiny…your melodies they’re changing me. I’m yours forever and a day.” Eric makes Jack a better person. Jack even admitted that multiple times. Eric is his person and always will be.

There (He) Goes: This one is another Jack to Eric song. Personally, I believe it’s Older Jack coming back to Eric. And Eric taking him back in like they never separated.

“…You’re my only ghost, come on, haunt me, cause I’m lonely. I’ve been gone too many days and it starts to feel the same; every morning. I don’t recognize this place. Is it me or have I changed?” Jack was a new person when he came back to Eric. Gave into his greed over the years and let it take over him.

“There (he) goes. Like I’ve never been alone. Like I’ve had it all along. Every time I go away I hate that it’s a day that I never see your face.” Once Jack has Eric back, you KNOW it’s hard for him to leave again. Leaving to even get his stuff to move would be hard because it means being away from Eric once again.

“So, i pack my bags. I’m takin off. I’m comin home.” Jack goes back for Eric. You know, he knew he wasn’t leaving once he came to Eric. He could trick himself, but the moment he packed up for the trip, Eric was his destination.

“Out of the blue, (He) comes around. (He) turned my world upside down.” Jack made a name for himself in that company and Eric flipped it all around.

BONUS:

To Love Someone: This one is Eric realizing he loves Jack two different times.

“Brand new apartment, we sat on the floor. A blow up mattress and some plastic forks. Our clothes on the counter, keys in the door. You’re all I ever wanted never been so sure.” I mean…come on. New apartment together. Them bonding and Eric falling in love.

“Suddenly nothing is the way it was. Is this what it’s like to love someone?” When Jack saw Eric was more than his roommate, it changed everything between them. They got closer. Went on dates. Everything.

“Empty apartment I’m sat on the floor. A blow up mattress and a plastic fork. Fighting the flashbacks that creep through the door. I stare at the ceiling and try to ignore.” You can take this one as either Eric moving out when Rachel moves in or when Jack leaves with Rachel for the Peace Corps.

“Chances are we’re gonna tell ourselves this is how it’s supposed to be. And chances are this isn’t the last time I’ll dance with your memory.” Eric thinks about Jack every day and vice versa. Can’t tell me different.

Now the ‘suddenly nothing is the way it was’ changes. Eric and Jack are no longer in each other’s lives. It’s not the way it was. There’s no late night TV watching. Nothing about their lives together because Jack is gone.

#holy shit long post #jeric #jack hunter #eric matthews #boy meets world #bmw #might do more of these with other songs 🤭

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thequietesthing · 10 days

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since everyone is giving their two cents about the new taylor swift album, i’ll also do the same (it’s more like ten cents cause it’s very long sorry)

first of all, this album (i’m talking about ttpd: the anthology with all 31 songs) can be truly appreciated once you hear it at least twice with the lyrics right in front of you. the reason for this, imo, is pretty simple; the first thought i had while listening to this the first time (and be mindful of the fact that my mind was huddled with sleep bc it was very early) is that it sounds like a diary, more than any other of her previous albums. which is why, i think, that the people that don’t particularly like it may never have kept a personal diary in their life. and i’m not talking about gratitude journals, i’m talking about “teenage petulance” written words, with anger, resentment, hope, love and sadness. which would very well explain the lack of “storyline” that i’ve seen people complain about, in the sense that she doesn’t create stories within her songs but only verbose imaginaries. when you write in your diary you use metaphors, analogies and periphrasis but since it’s something raw and yours you don’t need to craft a story about it because the diary it’s something you write for yourself, so you don’t need to make the effort of making something “pretty” as it’s not supposed to be read by anyone else. it often feels like an unending river flow of messy words because that it’s how writing your own feelings looks like. also the fact that she often reports pieces of dialogue she imagines hearing or that someone actually said it’s a very typical trait of diary entries.

second of all, the games of assigning which song to who can be fun for like the first two hours but then it gets very freaking boring. if you don’t understand that everything that she writes she writes about how she feels and about how other people make her feel you have not been paying attention. she is the main character; if the issue for you is whether that song is written for that person instead of another, you are giving more importance to secondary/recurring roles than to her. these are her words, her story. and i’m not saying it’s not fun ok, catching references to ex-boyfriends or other people, but you can’t, and you shouldn’t, make an entire album that she wrote about her personal intimate experiences about someone else.

to circle back to the lyrics, i think that this album may be one of her best works. they are smart on both a linguistic and metaphorical level. as someone who deeply enjoys english as a language i always have the time of my life listening to her albums and her choice of association of words, themes and rhymes.

a last point regarding the tunes. i am by far the last person that knows anything about music, you give me a pretty tune and i usually like it regardless of where is from (cue my very eclectic music tastes) so when everyone said that all the music sounded alike i was like uhmm. when i heard it a second time (guys the key it’s really in this!!!) i was like no they are different from one another. but also, and this may be a little far fetched so feel free to disagree but it’s what i perceived, is that in this album she may have put much more effort in the lyrics than in the music. not always obvs she is a musician after all, but i think that the turning point here, the thing that she wants us to pay attention to, are the lyrics (also why it’s called tortured poets department and not tortured musicians department :))

to sum everything up, i really really enjoyed this album when i listened to it the first time but i’m appreciating her skills and understanding her lyrics more the second time around. it’s an album that has to be let marinate, like a sauce, otherwise is gonna taste a bit acidic. anywho this is just my opinion, i just needed to tell it to someone and the irl people in my life are not willing to listen, so people of tumblr you are the unfortunate recipients of my two cents on ttpd :)

#personal opinion #taylor swift #the tortured poets department #the tortured poets department opinion #lyrics #songs #music #taylor swift ttpd #ttpd #the eras tour #ts11

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hbyrde36 · 2 months

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Times Like These (The Anniversary Edition)

CH 1 CH 2

Chapter 3: Chrissy Wake Up

✨See the end for another amazing piece of art made for this chapter!!!

WC: 7185 | AO3 link

"Are you sure you have it?"

Eddie swayed on his feet as he came-to, but quickly steadied himself.

He opened his eyes and took in his surroundings, grinning widely as he threw his head back and shouted, "Fuck yes!”

Looking over, he was delighted to find Chrissy exactly where he expected her to be. “Girl, you are a damn sight for sore eyes, you know that? Hang on, I'll be right back."

He rushed to the back of the house, feeling more hopeful than ever as he took up his old acoustic guitar again and sprinted back out to the living room. He could do this, he knew the song like the back of his hand now. He may not have been able to actually practice it before, but the hours spent alone in his room honing his guitar skills over the years made him confident that he could pull it off regardless.

He returned just in time to see her eyes roll into the back of her head, and didn't waste another second before he began to play.

“Many times I tried to tell you"

"Many times I cried alone"

"Always I'm surprised how well you cut my feelings to the bone"

"Don't want to leave you really"

"I've invested too much time to give you up that easy"

"To the doubts that complicate your mind"

Eddie strummed the guitar and sang his heart out, pouring everything he had into those lyrics, but still, about halfway through the song she began to lift off the ground.

"Chrissy, wake up! Come on, you've got to fight him.” He pleaded, still keeping time on the song as he begged her to hear him. “You can do this, Please. Just follow the sound of my voice."

"Clear your mind and do your best to try and wash the palette clean"

"We can't begin to know it, how much we really care"

"I hear your voice inside me, I see your face everywhere"

Suddenly, Chrissy took a deep gasping breath, like a swimmer rising to the surface to take their first gulp of air. She tumbled to the floor and Eddie quickly dropped the guitar, throwing himself down next to her.

His heart pounded as he scooped her up into his arms, crushing her tightly to his chest.

“You’re okay, you’re back. I’ve got you. It’s all gonna be okay now.” He muttered the words over and over again as they both shook uncontrollably, her tears soaking through his shirt.

They sat like that for a long time, until her crying stopped and Eddie’s pulse slowed, finally pulling apart to look at each other.

She stared at him, her gaze bouncing from one eye to the other as she spoke. “I don’t… I don’t know what just happened but I'm pretty sure you saved my life.”

“What did you see?” He asked, reaching up to brush the bangs out of her eyes.

“One second I was standing here waiting for you to come back, and the next I was in my house, except, it wasn’t right. My mom and Dad–” She cut herself off, shaking her head.

Whatever she saw must have been awful.

“And then this– man, this monster, started calling to me… came after me. I ran, but there was a door. I- I couldn’t open it. That’s when I started to hear it. I heard you singing, telling me to fight, so I did. I got around him somehow and this- this opening appeared across the room.”

Chrissy paused, glancing up briefly at the spot on the ceiling she’d just fallen from.

“It was you. I could see you here playing for me. I ran to you and then I was back.” She gave him a weak smile, tipping herself over to rest her forehead on his shoulder. “How did you know to do that?”

Eddie wasn’t sure what to say. He wanted to tell her everything, but it would take a while to explain and he knew they should probably get going. He wanted to try and bring the others in as soon as possible.

“I’m gonna explain, I promise, but we need to go– now, and I need you to trust me for a little while. Do you think you can do that?” He asked.

She didn’t even hesitate. “Sure, Eddie. I trust you.”

He felt a little guilty about that, not entirely sure he had earned her blind faith, but for now he’d take it.

"Thanks.” He said, rising to his feet and offering her a hand up. “Come on, time to pay a little visit to my neighbor."

Eddie knew Max’s mom wasn’t home, she rarely was these days, so he wasn’t shy about pounding his fist on the door when they walked up to her trailer.

"Red!" Eddie called out loudly as he knocked.

He paused to listen, hearing no sign of the girl inside though he knew for a fact she was in there.

"Come on, Red, I know you're there. It's Eddie from across the street!"

When there was still no answer from within, he wracked his brain for what he could say to make her come to the door.

"Please, kid, it’s—this is a code-red type situation here."

Bingo.

A beat later she was opening the door. No more than a crack, but it was progress.

"What do you mean by code-red situation?" She asked through the small opening.

"I need you to get on your walkie and alert the troops. You saw the way the lights flickered tonight, and you know what that means."

She narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, I saw. Doesn’t explain how you know what it means."

Eddie sighed, it was gonna be a long night. "I know more than you think. Just call it in, alright? I'll tell you everything I know once everyone’s together, I'm not going through the whole thing a hundred times."

She didn't move, staring him down as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Damn, did these kids all come with an attitude or was it something Harrington had trained into them?

"Please?" He begged.

She rolled her eyes, but stepped back to open the door the rest of the way and let them in. They followed her into the living room where he could see her radio was already out sitting on the table. She’d definitely seen the lights then, and it seemed like she’d already been thinking about calling the cavalry.

All three of them took a seat on the couch as Max picked up the walkie and raised it to her lips.

"Uh, hey, guys?” She said into it, a little unsure.

A few seconds later Dustin’s voice crackled over the line. "Max? You have to say over when you're done talking. Over."

"Yeah, it’s me dumbass. Over.”

"Thank you. So, what’s up? Over."

Eddie held a hand up to stop her before she could answer. "Maybe it’s best if you don't mention me or Chrissy, for now. It'll be less confusing if they think it's just you."

She scowled, mumbling, “Whatever," before pressing the button again. “I'm calling in a code red. Over."

“Max?!” Suddenly, Steve's frantic voice came roaring out of the device. “Max, what’s wrong? Is it your mom again? Are you okay? Are you safe?”

She chewed on her bottom lip, purposely avoiding looking at either of them. As if Eddie would judge, the poster boy for growing up with shitty parents. There was a reason he lived with his uncle, and he didn’t know much about Chrissy but he was pretty sure she could relate at least a little.

"No, yeah, I’m fine, it's just. Listen, I only want to explain once. Could you get everyone together?" She said, borrowing Eddie’s line.

"Sure, let’s meet at my house. Do you need a ride?" Steve asked.

She looked to Eddie, who shook his head. “I’ll drive.” He said quietly.

Before she could relay the message to Steve, Dustin cut in over the walkie. "Jesus Fucking Christ, you guys are killing me. Say over when-you-are-done-speaking! Over!"

“Language! Over." Steve replied.

Max heaved a long suffering sigh. "Thanks, Steve, but I have a ride. Over."

"Okay. Be safe. Over."

"See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Dustin said, somehow finding a way to sound smug even through the bad signal. “I'll keep calling around, make sure everyone knows to head to Steve’s. And I do need a ride by the way, Harrington, and you better make it quick. Over.”

“Seriously?” Steve muttered under his breath, though it was picked up by the radio anyway. "Copy that, Dustin, but I could do without the attitude. Over"

Max turned the thing off as Dustin began his repeated calls to the rest of the party, throwing it back down on the table.

"Let me get changed, and we can go,” She said.

Eddie nodded absently, trying to think if they needed anything else before heading out.

"Oh! Uh, random question. Do you by any chance have any Pat Benatar on tape?”

Max tilted her head. "Yes, actually. Why?"

"Great, uh, go ahead and grab that for us, and your Kate Bush tape too while you’re at it… and your Walkman."

Her brow furrowed deeply but surprisingly she didn’t ask anymore questions, setting off for her room without another word.

Eddie looked at Chrissy, who had been completely silent through the entire exchange, sitting with her arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Hey,” he said softly, taking in the way she’d started to sink into herself. “I’m gonna run back over to my place and grab my tape player for you to use, we’re gonna need it. Are you okay here?"

She nodded but didn’t look up at him, continuing to stare at the floor. He hesitated, pursing his lips. He hated to leave her there alone, even just for a minute, though Max was only in the other room. He should have thought to grab it before but he’d been understandably distracted at the time. They were going to Steve’s house anyway, he probably had something she could borrow, right?

No, he wasn’t taking any chances this time, not after everything he’d gone through to get this far. What if Vecna took her again while they were en route and he couldn't play to save her?

Mind made up, he squeezed her shoulder, whispering, “I’ll be right back,” and headed outside.

It only took a minute for him to run back into his house, get the Walkman from his room, and rush back out again. His foot was coming off the last step just as a nearby car door slammed. He’d been so lost in thought he hadn’t noticed the jeep that had pulled up out front.

Jason Carver’s Jeep, to be exact.

The absolute last person he felt like dealing with right now.

What was he even doing here?

Looking for Chrissy seemed like a good bet, but hell if Eddie knew how he’d found out about their drug deal.

“Shit” Eddie cursed, with feeling.

In all the other loops he and his van would have been long gone by now, but saving Chrissy took time, and convincing Max to let them inside had wasted even more. Had Jason come here each time and left assuming no one was home, only to find out the next day that his girlfriend had been laying dead just inside the door?

Eddie shivered at the thought. It almost made him feel bad for the guy.

Almost.

"What did you do to her, Freak?! Where's Chrissy?!" Jason shouted as he rounded his car, stepping right in Eddie’s path.

"Don't know what you're talking about, man.” Eddie said, raising his hands in a push-away gesture. “I’ve been home alone all night. I was just heading out now to work a few parties. So, if you could just let me past to my van, I’ll get out of your hair.”

He wouldn't actually leave without Max and Chrissy but hoped if he made a show of leaving Jason would take off too

"Bullshit,” Jason scoffed. “She didn't show at Benny's after the game, and then I find out one of the guys thought he saw her leave the school with you, of all people."

Eddie rolled his eyes, and Jason snatched him up by the collar, cocking his other arm back. "And you're gonna tell me where she is right now, or I swear to god..."

"Oh, fuck you, man." Eddie spat, shoving at Jason hard enough that he stumbled back.

“No wonder Chrissy came to me when she was having a problem instead of talking to her boyfriend about it. You don’t give a shit about her, you just want to control her.” He was giving up the ruse a bit by admitting he’d seen her, but Eddie didn’t really care right then.

Unfortunately, It was the wrong thing to say if his goal had been to deescalate the situation.

Jason growled, honest to god growled, lunging forward to clock Eddie right in the face. There was a telltale crack as his fist connected and Eddie knew instantly that his nose was broken. He rocked back, the sudden burst of pain behind his eyes stunning him for a second, but he recovered quickly, returning the favor with a powerful jab to the other boy’s jaw.

They traded a few more rushed blows before the door to Max’s trailer burst open, her and Chrissy spilling outside, momentarily interrupting the fight.

For a second he was worried that Chrissy would take Jason’s side and run off with him before he could explain what was happening, and what she needed to do to keep herself safe. She looked back and forth between the two of them, but in the end her concerned gaze had settled squarely on Eddie, rather than her own boyfriend.

Jason turned, realizing who it was that had just appeared across the way, and called out to her. Eddie took advantage of the distraction and kicked out, landing a hit to the side of Jason’s knee that sent him to the ground, screaming.

Eddie stepped wide around him, waving the girls over as he headed to his van.

“Let’s get out of here.” He called out.

Chrissy hesitated, her eyes sliding back in Jason’s direction for a split second, but to Eddie’s relief both she and Max got into the vehicle without further discussion and the trio took off, speeding the entire way to Loch Nora.

When they arrived at the Harrington house Eddie sent Max up to the door first, since she was the only one of them Steve was expecting, and they could hear his voice through it before he even answered.

“This better be important, Mayfield. I was on a date and–” Steve cut himself off mid sentence as the door swung to reveal that Max was not alone.

“What the..” Steve muttered as he looked from her, to Chrissy, his expression running the gambit from annoyance, to confusion, and ultimately settling on concern as he took in Eddie’s face.

That was… unexpected.

“Shit, Munson. What happened to you?”

In his rush to get there Eddie had almost forgotten about the state of his face. He’d used a few spare fast food napkins to staunch the blood flow from his nose as he drove, but other than that he hadn't really thought to clean himself up. It wasn’t that bad, he’d had worse dust ups before, but still, he probably looked like a mess.

“Oh, uh.” Eddie said, eloquently.

Talking wasn’t always his best thing around Steve lately, most especially when he was talking to Steve.

“It's nothing, I'm alright.”

“Doesn’t look like nothing.” Steve said sternly. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“Max is my neighbor.” Eddie said in place of a real answer, ignoring the fact that it didn't explain Chrissy’s presence, or really anything at all. He just needed to get in the door.

“May we come in, your highness?” He gave a shallow bow, trying to put on a bit of his usual persona even if he wasn’t feeling it.

Steve heaved a sigh, long and loud.

“Sure, why not, " he said and finally moved aside to let them in.

"Who's that with Max?” Dustin's voice came from somewhere in the house. “I could have sworn it sounded like…" He went on, coming to a screeching halt as he rounded the corner.

“Eddie?”

"Hey, Henderson." Eddie said, and it came out much softer than he intended it to. He couldn’t help it after…

"Wait, what’s going on? What are you doing here? Why is Chrissy Cunningham with you? And what the hell happened to your face?" Dustin asked the questions rapidfire, not taking a single breath in-between. It would have been impressive if it wasn’t so annoying.

Eddie should have been used to the kid’s style by now but it still made his head spin.

"Okay that's enough!” Steve interjected with a loud clap. “Dustin, you and Max take Chrissy to the kitchen, she looks like she needs to sit down. Robin’s in there making some coffee."

“And you,” he continued, pointing a finger at Eddie. "You're with me. Let’s get you cleaned up first and then you can tell us what the fuck is going on.”

Steve turned on his heel and headed straight down the hall to a staircase, not even looking back to make sure Eddie was following. He stared at the other boy’s retreating back, not quite believing the direction things were going. He’d expected confrontation, or some level of animosity from Steve, at least until he explained things, the same way it’d been at the beginning every other time.

It was all different now though, wasn’t it?

He wasn’t facing Steve for the first time since the younger boy’s graduation as a murder suspect on the run, hiding in another drug dealer's boat shed. This time around he was just a guy who’d shown up on Steve’s doorstep with a busted face. Granted he’d been accompanied by one of Steve’s favorite children, which was probably the only reason he’d been granted entrance honestly, but now that he was here the guy seemed hell-bent on taking care of him, even if–as far as Steve was aware–they barely knew each other.

–

Steve went up the stairs and turned down a hallway, passing one bedroom before heading into another as Eddie followed behind, trying to keep up.

It dawned on him suddenly that he was in Steve’s house– about to walk into his actual bedroom, a place Eddie had never expected to get to see with his own two eyes. Steve’s prowess in the sack was legendary among the girls of Hawkins High, to the point that not even Eddie was immune from the gossip about it, and no matter the circumstances his little gay heart couldn’t help but be a little curious about the place where that particular magic happened.

He stepped through the doorway and stopped dead, mouth agape as he took in the nightmare he’d just wandered into. He honestly wasn’t sure what was worse, the plaid everything, or the distinct lack of anything resembling a personality.

“I know, it’s awful. You can say it.” Steve said as if he’d been expecting this exact reaction.

“Well somebody has to, Jesus Christ Harrington.”

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.” Steve said, shaking his head. He moved through the room to another door that opened to a small private bathroom and motioned for Eddie to come in.

He took one more look around the monstrosity that was Steve’s inner sanctum and shuddered before following.

Steve sat him down on the closed toilet lid and quickly got to work, carefully wiping away the dried blood on his face with a warm washcloth. It must have been worse than he initially thought because it took several rounds of rinsing and rewetting the cloth before it finally came back clean.

Steve was quiet through the whole thing, not saying a word as he dabbed at a split on Eddie's eyebrow and another on his bottom lip with a cotton ball soaked in disinfectant. Eddie was similarly silent, mesmerized by the movements of Steve’s hands, and the calm that had settled between them in their temporary bubble, a little afraid that if he said anything, he’d say too much.

When it seemed like they were done Eddie moved to stand, only to be stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Not so fast, champ. We still have to do something about that nose.” Steve said.

Eddie groaned. ”Haven't you done enough? It’s fine.”

He’d never had a broken nose before but he imagined setting it to be a painful process, and it hurt enough as it was. It was manageable though, and he wasn’t exactly worried about it healing crooked when the odds of him surviving past the next week were questionable at best.

“If it’s the pain you’re worried about, trust me, it’s not as bad as you think.” Steve said, seeming to read his mind, half of it anyway. “Look, I’ve had to set my own a couple times now and it only hurts for a second, promise.”

Of course Steve had had broken noses, plural, over the years. It made sense considering how the guy regularly threw himself head first into any and all trouble, especially if it meant protecting his friends, but it wasn’t only the pain that was making Eddie hesitate. The other problem, perhaps the bigger one, was how all this soft touch and care was affecting him in—other ways.

He wasn’t unaware of the fact that he was developing a crush on Steve, as much as he was doing his best to ignore it, and he absolutely could not handle it getting any worse. Which was exactly what was happening right now.

Unfortunately, one look at Steve’s face told him he wasn’t getting out of this without a fight.

Eddie grit his teeth, accepting his fate. “Get on with it then, Harrington.”

Steve's touch was firm but gentle as he cradled the side of Eddie's face with one hand, placing fingers strategically on either side of his nose with the other. And just like that, with a soft crack and a split second of discomfort– it was done.

Eddie blew out a long breath when Steve finally released him, and it felt as if all the adrenaline that had been building up inside him was drained from his body along with the air he expelled.

He suddenly felt exhausted, raw. These last twenty minutes or so in the bathroom had been his first opportunity to really slow down and process what he’d been through to get to this point.

He closed his eyes and leaned forward resting his head in his hands, careful of his injuries, as he started to spiral.

The worst part of it all was the absolute certainty that he could still mess this up. Even if the others believed him, there was no guarantee that any of it would change the final outcome. He only knew his own path after all. He had no idea what had happened to the others—Steve, Robin, and Nancy; Max, and the Sinclairs; the group in California that they could never seem to get hold of but were pretty sure had been affected as well.

Then there was the wild card.

In saving Chrissy, Eddie had snatched one of Vecna’s victims right out from under his nose. Would he keep gunning for her, or would he set his sights elsewhere? Had saving one person only doomed another in her place?

Eddie’s heart raced along with his thoughts, his pulse pounding loudly inside his own head. Suddenly he couldn’t seem to catch his breath.

“You okay?” Steve asked.

It snapped him back to the present.

“Nah man,” Eddie managed out between rapid shallow breaths. “I’m pretty goddamn far from okay.”

He felt more than saw Steve crouch down in front of him, his broad hands wrapping around Eddie’s, prying them away from his face.

“Hey, you’re okay.” Steve said softly, still holding his hands, squeezing in a way that felt… grounding.

“You’re okay, you’re safe,” he continued. “Eddie, can you look at me?”

Eddie forced himself to open his eyes and found Steve staring back at him, his own eyes full of concern.

“Try and take some slow deep breaths with me.”

Steve took several exaggerated breaths and Eddie did his best to mimic him, taking as much air as he could into his lungs before blowing it out as slowly as he could manage, repeating the process over and over until his heart didn’t feel like it was trying to escape his chest anymore.

Eddie shook his head. “This whole thing is so fucked, Steve.” He said, letting out a painful hiccupping sob as tears fell freely down his face. He was acutely aware that the other boy had no idea what he was talking about and probably thought he’d lost his mind, but he couldn’t seem to stop.

“I mean… I have no idea what I’m doing.” He continued, voice quivering.

“Why did it have to be me?”

“Hey shhh, it’s alright. It’s gonna be alright.” Steve said, rubbing a thumb over the back of Eddie’s hand in soothing circles.

“You don’t know that!" Eddie wailed, pulling his hands out of Steve's grip to wrap his arms around himself.

Steve took his outburst in stride. “You’re right, I don’t. And I know we don't really know each other except through school rumors and Dustin, but I’ve been through some– stuff, and, um, maybe I could help?”

Eddie broke out in a watery laugh. Only Steve Harrington could reduce the horrors he’d seen down to, I've been through some stuff, and of course the guy was already offering to help with almost no context. The perpetual white knight, indeed.

“Yeah. You’re a good dude, Steve.”

Steve’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline, a hint of shock on his face, not dissimilar to the way he’d reacted the first time Eddie had said those words to him, what felt like a hundred years ago.

“Okay.” Eddie said, sniffing back his tears and rubbing at his face. He couldn’t believe he’d let himself fall apart like this.

“So, Max, uh, she called in that code red because I asked her to. I was going to wait and tell all of you at the same time, but, maybe I should… I dunno, warm up or something? Start with just you?”

He felt strangely okay with the idea of telling Steve about things ahead of everyone else. Something about the whole screaming-crying-breakdown thing made him believe that, unlike the last go-around where he’d been anxious about convincing Steve specifically, this time it would be okay..

Steve looked as confused as ever, but nodded, pushing himself up to stand as he asked, “Can we at least get out of this bathroom first?”

–

“I’m just gonna like, blurt it all out.” Eddie said after a few beats of silence.

They were sitting on the edge of Steve’s bed, not quite touching, but it was a near thing. Eddie wasn't sure if he was happy about it or if it was adding to his overall stress. He kept his gaze on the floor as he spoke.

“Chrissy Cunningham died in my trailer after being psychically attacked by some creepy dark-wizard guy who lives in the Upside Down. And I know what you must be thinking, it’s impossible right? Because she’s downstairs in your kitchen right now, but you would be wrong. Also, yes, I know all about the Upside Down. Well, not all about it—not important. Anyway, I saw the whole thing and I ran. The rest of the town assumed that I killed her, but you, Dustin, Robin, and Max found me and helped me out– saved my life, more than once. Then I actually helped save your life when we got stuck in the Upside Down together, although I maintain you did that all on your own, but you insisted on thanking me, so.” Eddie shrugged.

“Um, I hotwired an RV so we could gather supplies to make several very illegal weapons that we then took back into the Upside Down, to fight said creepy-wizard-guy, and um, I died.” He paused to take a breath, finally chancing a look at Steve to see how he was taking it, but the other boy’s expression was unreadable.

“And that was just the first time around. I’m stuck in a time loop. This is my 4th time living through this same week, including the original run. I’m not entirely sure if that makes this the third loop or the 4th to be honest, but I guess it doesn’t really matter.”

“Shit, man. That’s… That’s a lot.” Steve said, after a while.

“Yup.”

“Have you told me before? Any of the other times?”

“Just the last time. I didn't really know what was happening before that. I remembered dying and all, but half the time I just thought I was living in my own personal Hell to be honest. I did eventually tell Dustin right before…” Eddie stopped himself short, shaking his head. “He convinced me to tell all of you each time I came back.”

“Okay, makes sense. What went wrong last time?” Steve asked.

Eddie wasn’t sure if Steve was just humoring him or if he really believed what he was saying, but either way this was the part he felt worst about. He’d hoped he could get away with not explaining the last loop but he should have known someone would ask.

“I told you, Robin, Dustin, and Max about the loops. You believed me eventually, but I realized we couldn’t fix things yet because I hadn't managed to save Chrissy. So I asked you if we could keep it between us and just let things happen the same way again, so that hopefully I’d get another shot.”

“You just let yourself be killed again?!” Steve blurted out.

“You weren’t too happy about it then either, but once we had a little heart-to-heart about it…'' Eddie hesitated, eyes drawn to the glowing light of the pool, visible through Steve’s window. “I think you understood where I was coming from.”

“Oh.” Steve breathed, following his line of sight.

A sudden knock startled them both. Steve flinched and their knees brushed, the simple touch making Eddie’s skin break out in goosebumps.

“Hey Steve?” Robin called through the door. “Um, everyone’s here. Except for Lucas, he’s not answering his Walkie.”

“We’ll be right out!” Steve shouted back, turning to Eddie with a clear look of concern. “Is Lucas in danger?”

Eddie shook his head, though knowing where he was the answer was debatable. “Sinclair’s out with his basketball buddies tonight, I'm pretty sure. He’s okay, always meets up with you at some point.”

Steve sagged in relief. Which, Eddie supposed, answered that question.

He believed.

“I guess it’s time to do this then.” Eddie said, fiddling nervously with his rings.

“Hey, I believe you, okay?” Steve said, resting a hand on his shoulder. “They’re gonna believe you too and I’ll be right there with you the whole time.”

And Christ, Steve really needed to stop touching him, and being sweet, it was getting out of hand.

“Thanks, Harrington. Careful though, If you keep being so nice, I’ll start to think you actually like me.” Eddie teased.

It was a stupid joke. He knew Steve liked him well enough as a friend, if that’s what they were now. At least as much as you can be friends with someone you kept forgetting because that’s how time loops work apparently. He had to turn it into a joke for his own sanity. It had to be a joke, because otherwise it might start to feel like something else, and there was no way it was something else.

Steve grinned. “Oh, so we’re back to Harrington now, are we Munson? I thought we were closer than that.”

Eddie felt his cheeks warm and jumped up from the bed, making a beeline for the door to hide his blush. “Shut up, Steve.”

–

The kids, who really weren’t kids except for maybe Erica but Eddie couldn't help thinking of them that way, had taken over Steve’s living room. Like a pack of slobs they had the entire surface area of the coffee table littered with chip bags, candy packets, and soda cans. They were loud too. Max was arguing with Mike about god knew what, while Dustin and Erica fought over the TV remote, giving Eddie plenty of cover to slip by unnoticed as he came back downstairs.

He almost felt bad for how long he was leaving them all in suspense, but he wanted to check in with Chrissy and see how she was doing before anything else. He already felt bad for disappearing with Steve for so long.

He expected to find Robin keeping her company, but less expected was Nancy huddled together with the other two girls at the counter, talking quietly over matching mugs. Three sets of eyes looked up in surprised tandem as he entered and briefly Eddie thought, this is what it must feel like to be a deer caught in headlights.

He hesitated in the doorway unsure of his welcome, but as soon as she saw him Chrissy slid off her stool and went to him, wrapping him up in a tight hug.

She might have been small but her grip was strong and Eddie had to stop himself from melting into the embrace. He’d only just stopped blubbering, and she'd easily set him off again if he did.

“How are you holding up?” He said, pulling back sooner than he wanted to, and shot her a teasing smile. “Are the other girls being nice to you?”

“I'm okay. What about you?” She asked, searching his face, gaze lingering on the various dings and bruises he was now sporting.

“I’ll be alright. Harrington’s a pretty good nurse.” He smiled again, this time a little too wide and he winced as it pulled at the split on his lip.

She grimaced. “I’m sorry about Jason. He’s a jerk, I should have broken things off a long time ago.”

Eddie shook his head. “Not your fault. Carver’s always had it out for me, he just needed an excuse.”

–

All eyes were on Eddie as the group gathered in the living room. He took a seat on the lone armchair, which just so happened to face both couches, giving him a whole new perspective on the term hot seat. He was no stranger to being the center of attention, what with the shouting in the lunchroom and DM-ing Hellfire, but considering the stakes, this was far more nerve wracking than that.

“We saw him like two hours ago at D&D, what could have happened since then that’s such a big deal?” Erica was saying when he tuned back into the conversation.

“If you brats would shut up for five minutes maybe he’d tell you.” Steve said, moving to stand just behind the chair Eddie was in.

He appreciated the show of support but honestly the proximity was only making him more nervous, and not only because of the way Nancy and Robin were both shooting them curious glances.

“She’s not wrong,” Mike agreed. ”I had to sneak out of my house for this! If my parents find out I’m gone they won’t let me go see– “

Dustin cut him off. “Dude, just give him a second, alright?”

“Thanks, buddy.” Eddie said, when the cacophony finally died down. He wondered if this would ever get any easier. Hopefully he'd never have to find out.

Time to rip the Band-Aid off, again.

“I’m stuck in a time loop.”

What felt like hours later, but in reality was probably only about 45 minutes, Eddie had told his whole story, leading right up until present day when he showed up at Steve’s house with a busted face. When it was all done he was met with complete silence.

For about 3 seconds.

He was honestly surprised they had held out this long.

After that the room erupted into chaos. If he’d thought it was loud before, it was nothing to the volume now. Everyone was talking, shouting questions at him and at each other. Robin was rambling a thousand miles an hour, mostly to herself, while Nancy was staring back and forth between him and the notes she’d begun taking almost as soon as he started talking. The only notable absence to the arguing and spitballing was Dustin, who had gone uncharacteristically quiet.

Steve came out to stand in front of the group with his hands raised, presumably to tell them all to shut the fuck up again, but just as he was about to speak they heard the front door crash open and slammed closed, and a second later Lucas came bounding into the room. He was covered in sweat, chest heaving and out of breath as he stared wide-eyed at the assembled mass, doing a double take when he spotted Chrissy.

“I… don’t know what’s going on here, but Jason Carver has lost his mind. He thinks Eddie kidnapped Chrissy and now he, Andy, and a couple of the other guys are out looking for him.”

“Not this again.” Eddie whined, sliding down in his seat, pouting.

“What does he mean again?” Lucas said, scanning the room, looking from one friend's face to another, before looking back at Eddie. “He was limping pretty bad, did you two get in a fight?”

“Wait, how did you even know Eddie was here?” Steve asked.

“I didn’t. I ran home to radio Dustin about it and I got Erica’s note that there was a code-red. What’s going on?”

“Dustin and Mike can explain it all to you but first everyone needs to call home.” Steve said. "Make whatever excuses you have to, but I think it would be best if everyone stayed here together, at least until we have a better handle on this.”

Nancy shook her head. “Mike’s supposed to leave for California in the morning.”

“Well obviously that’s not gonna happen now. No way!” Mike said.

“I get that but we still have to go home, and you have to come up with a story to tell mom and dad for why you’re not going.” She said.

Mike pouted. “Fine.”

“All right, you two do what you have to do but be careful. Make sure you know each other’s favorite songs, like Eddie told us, it helps.” Steve said, raising his voice as he continued to make sure they were all listening. “That goes for everyone. We should probably make a list so we’re prepared if this asshole targets anyone else.”

“Are you really buying all this, Steve?” Nancy asked, not even bothering to keep her voice down.

Eddie wasn’t exactly offended, per se, but he was certainly regretting his initial speech about Nancy and her show of true love to Steve when they were in the Upside Down. He had nothing against her, in theory. She was a badass, that’s for sure, but whether it was wishful thinking due to his own ill advised crush, or something else, he could see it now. They might care for eachother, but she and Steve were not a good match.

“Is it any weirder than everything else we’ve been through?” Steve asked her.

Nancy frowned, and Eddie could almost see the wheels turning in her mind. She didn’t like it, but his point was good enough to give her pause. “I guess not.”

And it seemed like… that was it.

If Steve and Nancy were on board, the rest of them would go along with it. Even if they didn’t all believe him as completely as Steve did, or he suspected Dustin did, they believed him enough to plan, plot, and strategize. Enough to band together at a moment's notice—to make special mixtapes for Max and Chrissy so they could listen to their favorite songs on repeat without having to rewind a tape every three minutes.

The rest of the evening went by in a bit of a blur. Eddie was drained, and let himself fade into the background as Nancy and Mike left, and the others who remained began sleeping arrangement negotiations as though they’d done this dozens of times before. It occurred to him belatedly that with what this group had been through together over the past three years, they probably had.

He kept expecting Dustin to approach him, to want to talk to him, maybe even yell at him for dying so many times, but instead he seemed to be purposely ignoring him, except for shooting the occasional sideways glance his way when he thought Eddie wasn’t looking.

At some point Chrissy had actually fallen asleep on the couch, and Robin graciously offered to share the bed in Steve’s guest room with her. A move which Eddie couldn’t help raising an eyebrow over. He didn’t know Robin had it in her.

Good for her.

He didn't actually know for sure if Robin was gay, to be fair. She hadn’t come out and told him or anything, but over the days, weeks, whatever, he’d picked up a vibe from her. The same vibe he suspected he gave off as well

Sure enough as the two girls said their goodnights he could see the panic written all over poor Robin’s face. She caught his eye and he gave her his most encouraging smile.

He was glad to see that they had bonded, at least a little. Chrissy could use someone to talk to about all this, some support. Eddie was there for her, no doubt about it, but she needed more than just him.

The party fell like dominoes after that. Erica and Max called dibs on Steve's parents room at the first opportunity, leaving Dustin and Lucas to fight over the couch and loveseat. Which honestly shouldn’t have been a fight since Lucas was way taller and needed the extra space, but apparently the couch was comfier.

Eddie decided to stay out of it.

It was all working out fine. Everyone had a buddy, someone to watch out for them if any weird shit happened in the night.

Well, almost everyone.

“I guess that just leaves you and me, Munson. As long as you don't mind sharing a queen sized bed?”

“No, that’s–” Eddie squeaked.

He’d been so naïve to think the most stressful part of the night had passed.

Eddie cleared his throat and tried again. “That’s fine.”

Steve smiled and again led the way upstairs to his room, turning lights out on his way as they moved through the house, all the while Eddie did his best to recall the deep breathing exercises he’d done with Steve in the bathroom earlier, since he was pretty sure he was about to have another panic attack.

Chapter 4

Art by the incredibly talented @penny00dreadful!!

And thanks to you as always also for being the best beta, friend and cheerleader. 😘

Reblogs are always appreciated and if you want to be tagged, just let me know! I'd be more than happy to do so 💜

#steddie fanfic #time loop #pov eddie munson #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve harrington/eddie munson #steve x eddie #steddie fic #fanfic #hbyrde's anniversary project

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