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nyx-is-missing · 9 months

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hello! Can you write a Clarisse La Rue x reader where they met before Clarisse got sent to camp halfblood when they were little and were best friends then Clarisse left for camp with no explanation then years later reader goes to camp and sees Clarisse for the first time in years and it’s kinda awkward but cute

thanks :)

This is kinda long sooorrry, to help, the part where she gets to camp (kinda) will be in green

Girls on film 📷

Clarrise la rue x fem!reader

Warnings and explanations: bad words (take the kids out of the living room she swears) gender is specified cause it was written as wlw, but it doenst actually makes a diference, fluff, like two sentences, there is a kiss in the picture but they dont actually kiss sorry.

Unspecified parent gender for both sides so yall can pick wichever

Trying not to kill myself.

That was what i was doing 15 hours ago, just as any normal teenagers living (or as i prefer saying fighting for the soul to stay on the body) during finals week.

In my room there was nothing but piles and piles of normal work, piles for extra credit, piles of old quizzes to try to get me prepared for the new ones and a dumb incomplete project for photography class that was due tomorrow.

Okay ill admit, i had a month to make that, and all i needed to do was shoot pictures, but that was the problem, i prefer taking pictures of people, their emotions, whatever they might be, just never ceases to amaze me.

And my dumb project made take pictures of....landscapes.

Not too bad, if i had any actual real talent for that type of photography, but i dont, every picture gets ruined somehow, its the lightning, the lack of it, my camera falls, gets full of dirt and i get so mad that i just give up.

That whole speach was necessary for me to explain what i was doing 14 hours ago, and that would explain what i was doing 5 minutes ago.

14 hours ago i decided to shoot the photos, i could try many times before it got dark, and if o was lucky enough i wouldnt go insane before the golden hour, and could actually get some nice pictures.

I grabbed my totte bag taking with me only the necessary, camera stuff, the camera, some snacks and my notebook to upload the pictures before i went mad.

13 hours ago i was running to save my life.

And do you know that moment went you go through so much your mind decides to erase it?

That happened, now, what i do remember, i was sitting in a bench by a calm road not too far from the town, i had got some actually good pictures, some of me, some of the trees, some of a butterfly, maybe three cars had passed by since i was there, driving slowly, always saying hi and doing a thumbs up, normal, friendly people from the town.

And then i heard a noise that shook the trees.

I remember seeing something, but never what, i remember running to home as fast as i could, feeling my heartbeats in my neck, i remember the noise, but the people in the streets looked at me like there was nothing behind me and i went crazy

I remember getting home, having a desperate talk with my parent while they got my suiticase ready, and i dont remember a single word.

I remember a funny looking guy my age that got to my house, with goat legs and a more desperate look, and i remember one last hug before i left.

And thats all, aside from a hell of a lot of running nobody cares.

Aparently i passed out from shock or exaustion because i woke up in a unknown place, at night, in a hospital bed, with no actual doctors other than 15 year olds teenagers.

And a horseman standing in the corner, with quite a intelectual look actually.

And let me tell you guys that after the talk we had, if somebody told me i would marry queen Elizabeth within 4 days, i would just belived it.

Because nothing ever in my life would ACTUALLY beat up the level of crazyness of finding out i DO have another parent, they are just, A FUCKING GOD. GREEK. GODS. AH.

Then, after telling me my whole life was in fact, a big fat lie, the horseman... left.

Telling me i should sleep in the infirmary this night for precaution and that he was going to get me to a cabin tomorrow.

Like that was the most normal thing to ever happen to a human, he said goodnight and left.

While i sat there just trying to...basically form a sentence that wasnt "for fucks sake what the fuck was that"

I would have loved to say that i did slept that night, dreaming about glory and greek myths but that did not happened, at all.

I walked around the infirmary for hours, opening every cabinet and trying to make my mind to something, i searched for my stuff, and thankfully found my camera, with some pictures i hadnt noticed i had taken, one specific had a blurred thing in the forest.

When the first rays of sunlight appeared i got dressed, and decided that, in order to prove to myself (and probably to the mental hospital afterwards) i was not insane, i needed proof that i was actually living, actually there, being a demigodess, thats what they called.

Very few people were up already, and i did received some weird looks, it was clear nobody knew me, that was fine, i didnt knew anybody either.

I walked around taking some pictures, sometimes getting lost, but everything amazed me, the forest, the cabins, the stables, i found the entrance to a beach too, and then i got to the training area, aparently, i stayed far away, god forbid i woke up from this nightmare with a spear in my head, oh no, that would be bad.

Openning my camera i zoomed in the people, my speciality, it was sweet, seeing them trully smile, and not pretend for the picture, it was a genuine feeling the camera would keep forever, i zoomed around other peoples faces, but my camera focused on a face i could never forget, and she looked back at me, and realized i was there, but not that i was me, because she came towards me with a angry look.

Ill admit, the look scared me as hell, so much i tried to pretend i was never taking pictures of her, i slightly changed the angle and kept my face hidden behind the camera.

Do i need to say that did not fucking worked? No? Thank you.

"Who the fuck do you think you are taking random pictures of pe-"

She yanked my camera off of me mid sentence and stopped completely, looking like she had seen a ghost for some seconds.

"(Y/n)?"

"Clari?"

"How- what are you doing here!?"

She asked, with a worried look, still kind of confused, she did this look since we were little girls, and for a moment i had a big deja vu.

Two little girls running around, playing all day, telling each other secrets and stories, running to hug each other eveytime they were close, i still saw that girl in her eyes, but by her previous look, she did not.

"What am i doing here? What are YOU doing here? One day you dissapear without a trace, and your family said you went to a new school even though it was the summer, and now i find you sparring with a spear? You are that too? A demigoddes, i mean?"

I spoke fast, nervous, as if my time in the world with her would end just as it did once.

Instead of responding me right away, clarisse did something that maybe would scare every single soul she knew in the past years.

She hugged me. Hard.

Breathing me in, and not letting me go exactly as you would expect of someone who hasnt seen me in years.

"I couldnt tell you anything... it wouldnt be safe...im sorry, i missed my friend... i missed you."

I just looked at her for some seconds, and then hugged her again, this time i was the one making it extra tight, i was the one going insane by the reconforting smell of her shampoo, praying that she couldnt feel my heartbeats against her chest, and how strong they were.

"Just.. dont leave me again okay? And ill forgive you, i promisse"

#fanfic #lesbian #clarisse la rue x reader #clarisse pjo #pjo tv show #pjo series #pjo #clarisse la rue

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sugarnspice630 · 11 months

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Happy Halloween - Seonghwa

“You look so pathetic~.”

•pairing: dom!seonghwa x gn!sub!reader

•word count: 3.1k

•tags: mdni, smut, hide & seek game, masked seonghwa, primal pray play, cnc, reader says "no"/"stop" but doesn't mean it, knife play, seonghwa is an absolute menace, degrading + praising, pet names, name calling (whore, slut, etc.), teasing, hair pulling, picture taking after sex,...did I miss anything?

Summary: Reader expressing their need for masked Seonghwa to fuck them and he certainly delivers.

A/N: I tried to keep the pronouns gender neutral the best I could, but there might be a slight fem lean to things! Please let me know what you think! Happy Halloween and happy reading!🎃

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ･｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ･｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ･｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆───

Texting him all day about your crazy thoughts, especially after you saw that clip of him from the Don’t Stop music video behind the scenes where he ripped the mask off his face and stretched his neck while rolling his eyes back, looking super sexy…yeah you know, *that* Seonghwa. You told him you wanted nothing more than for him to use that mask again and hunt you down in the dorm, playing hide and seek, while really wanting him to catch you and have his way with you. Of course, he only fueled your fantasy by saying things like “we’ll see what happens~”, “perhaps later tonight we can have some fun?”, and other provocative things.

He finally came back to the dorm after his schedules, but the other members were still away for the time being. You ran up to him, eager to not only see him, but to see if what you were telling him earlier in the day would come true. It was Halloween after all, what other perfect time to act like a crazed, masked, serial killer?

“Still wanna have fun~?” You teased as he softly rubbed your back.

“Hmmmmm.” He hums softly and lets go of you. He knew what you were hinting at, but he was just toying with you like he had been all day. You cross your arms and scowl at him, kinda irritated that he had been teasing you for this long and now would not do anything about it. Suddenly, he forcefully grabs your arms and lifts both of them above your head, pushing you back into the wall that was beside you. Your eyes go wide at the sudden action and you feel your face get red.

“You were saying~?” He growls softly and inched his way closer to your face, the proximity of you two causing extreme sexual tension. Him towering over you, driving you absolutely insane.

“I-I was uh-.” You could barely speak. You gazed up at his eyes and he was staring at you lustfully, looking over every ounce of your body, practically undressing you with just his eyesight. “H-...Hide and Seek?” You manage to get out, completely flustered by your closeness to him. He looks you over a little longer before letting your arms go; they fall to your sides.

“Go,” He says deeply. “15 seconds.” He’s staring at you with deep, hooded eyes. So much seduction is hidden behind them. Your body freezes for only a moment before you shoot him a quick smile and run away from him to find a hiding spot.

14…Counting down the seconds in your head, the panic sets in on where you can actually hide.

13…You don’t want it to be too obvious because you want the game to last at least a little bit.

12…Your heart rate is increasing with every second wasted.

11…Think Y/N, think!

10…An idea pops into your head and you immediately move your feet to get there.

9…You find yourself in the kitchen and there is a space below one of the countertops you think you can squeeze into.

8…Crawling down to the floor…7…You squeeze yourself into the little opening…6…it was tighter than you thought, but there is no time to change spots now.

5…You try to calm your breathing to not give your location away…4…You close your eyes, and pray that he won’t find you.

3…2…1

“Ready or not, here I come Princess~.” His deep, seductive voice echoes through the dorm. His tone sends a chill down your spine, but now is not the time to shudder it out. “Should have gone to the bathroom before he got home.” Silently cursing at yourself. Actually uncertain if you have to pee, or it’s the arousal that is slowly brewing within you.

You hear Seonghwa’s footsteps get closer to your general area. You carefully put your hands up to your mouth to silent your breathing. Seonghwa was wearing platform boots that with every step they clunked and the closer he got to your position, you could feel the wooden floor vibrate. Slowly making his way around the dorm, one slow step at a time. Your heart feels like it’s about to beat out of your chest, and you can only hope that you are not breathing too heavily as the beating of your heart fills your eardrums. Seonghwa gets closer to the kitchen and you try to hold your breath, to not draw attention to your hiding spot. He taps his fingers across the countertop as he makes his way through the kitchen, a habit he picked up from watching ASMR, which should be peaceful and satisfying, but in fact, is the exact opposite in this situation. The slow tapping of his fingers was replaced with the harsh sound of a knife being pulled out of the knife block, located almost directly above you. You squeeze your eyes shut and feel yourself getting lightheaded from how long you have been trying to hold your breath.

Little to your knowledge, Seonghwa had already seen where you were hiding because of the small crack at the bottom of the counter back piece. He really was toying with you at this point, giving you the most authentic experience. He continues to slowly trudge around the kitchen, enjoying the tiny whimpers you made with every step he took. You felt like you were going to pass out at any second if this continued for much longer. Claustrophobia kicking in, you feel your body getting hot and sweaty, and not because your boyfriend was about to fuck your shit up. Your hands becoming clammy, your throat becoming dry because you dare not try to swallow and have your stupid throat make that stupid airy noise and give away your position.

Seonghwa rounds the corner where the counters end and is now on the side where he could see you. His footsteps approaching closer, and closer, you try to delicately squeeze yourself further into the space, trying to not make any noise or sudden movements. Your head is now pushed into your knees and you have your head turned to the side where you can see the living room, but also the very edge of Seonghwa’s boot on the floor in front of you. Seonghwa is fully aware you are hiding right below him, but he steps away, giving you a false sense of hope. You squeeze your eyes shut one more time, hoping that he’ll go away and this “nightmare” can be over, but that unfortunately doesn’t happen. You feel a soft 2 taps on your shoulder and you can only sob as you feel your heart sink down into your stomach and your body becomes cold. You’ve been caught. You’re cornered with nowhere to run. Exactly what Seonghwa had wanted.

He grips onto your arm and pulls you out of your hiding spot, definitely gripping hard enough to bruise your skin. You try to squirm away, kicking your feet and slapping at his arms, using your elbows to drag yourself across the floor, back away from him. He only gets closer to you, and you can tell he’s pissed off. You look up at him for the first time since you left his sight, and you are met with a surprise. The mask. He must have somehow brought it home with him and put it on while you were hiding. He grabs your legs and pulls you close to him, his body towering over top of you once again.

“NO!” You scream out, “GET AWAY FROM ME! PLEASE!” If anyone was around, they would genuinely think someone broke in and was robbing you…but no one was there to save you.

“Time’s up little girl~.” He growls as he picks you up and throws you over his shoulder, carrying you to his bedroom, or your shared bedroom. You are still fighting for your life in his grasp, punching his back with your fists and kicking your legs, but it’s no use. The grip he has on you is too strong, and not like you really want out anyway.

“S-Stop! Put me down!” You scream out, still flailing your body around as he makes his way to your guys’ bedroom. “PARK SEONGHWA~!” You scream bloody murder, but it has no effect on him. Your vocal chords are for sure going to be shot by the end of the night.

You feel your body get thrown down and thankfully the soft mattress takes away some of the impact. Your body is shaking with fear and you can feel your eyes start to water. Seonghwa slowly makes his way on top of you on the bed, trapping your hips with his legs. You lightly kick your legs to the side and turn your head, hoping to throw his body off of yours, but that doesn’t work.

“N-No.” You cry out softly as his masked face gets closer to yours. Cowering in fear, you can’t bring yourself to look at him, closing your eyes and turning your head to the side. He tenderly grabs your chin, rubbing his thumb across your lip before twisting his hand harshly so your face is straight back at him.

“Open your eyes.” He demands softly. You open one eye and whimper when you see how close he is and that stupid mask. The mask you once thought was so hot, but now that it was directly in front of you, it was even hotter.

“Y-You don’t have to do this.” You plead, your voice breaking in between words. Seonghwa can feel your body trembling under him and he only smirks, which you can’t see, but you know that he is doing. In fact, you know he had been smirking this whole time. Seeing you scared of him awoke his primal instincts. He had to ruin you. “You're right darling~. I don’t have to,” Speaking softly, taking in the sight of your shaking frame and your watery eyes, “I want to." Those were the last words he said before he started to literally rip your clothes off of you. Throwing the shredded fabric to the side and getting aggravated when things would not come off fast enough. You could hear him groaning and growling anytime a piece of clothing got in his way. Not knowing what else to do besides toss your upper body around to fight it. Trying harder to get away from him and arching your back to again try to throw him off of you.

“N-NO!” You yell out at him again.

He grips onto your bottoms and pulls them down all the way, leaving you in only your undergarments. Now having enough of your bullshit, he takes one of his hands, grabs you by the hair, and tugs on it. You let out a whimper at the sudden pain. Seonghwa only lowly chuckles at your noises. Your eyes remain closed from when he gripped your hair. You are unaware of the item he just pulled from his pants pocket until you feel a familiar, cold sensation across the skin on your stomach. Your body twitches at the feeling and you open your eyes to see Seonghwa slowly dragging the knife he picked up from the kitchen across your skin and slowly making his way to your top. The tip of the knife dances delicately across your skin, and in no way causing any cuts to your skin, but pressing just enough to leave those little white after trails. Your heart beat increasing for the thousandth time that night. Seonghwa takes notice of your panic and only chuckles to himself before he takes the tip of the blade and pushes it down, not damaging any skin, and lifting your top piece up away from your chest.

“Hope you don’t care too much for this.” He teases before he lifts the top of the blade up and cuts through the fabric covering your chest. Your chest is now completely exposed to the cool air of the room and your nipples get hard. Seonghwa laughs softly as he watches your body change and toys the knife across your skin a little more.

“H-Hwa please…” You beg him and he only tilts his head to the side, looking at you but not actually looking at you. You watch as his shoulder shimmy up and down from the silent chuckles that leave him.

“As you wish, my love~.”

You can only watch as he undoes his belt, unzipping his pants and shimmying them just past his hips, enough to get them out of his way. Shaking your head side to side slowly and you feel tears start to well in your eyes. The fear inside consuming you. Seonghwa suddenly lunges forward, his body once again over top of yours. He yanks your underwear off of you, tossing it to the side and pushing your legs back towards you to have access to what he wants. He swiftly pushes himself into your hole and your eyes roll back into your head. He pushes his whole self into you, hearing him groan as he does so and not allowing any moments to get used to the feeling. “S-Stop! P-Please!” He takes the knife and pushes it against your throat as he pulls himself out and shoves himself back into you again. You tilt your head back into the pillows behind you and moan. “S-stop!”

“But the fun just got started~” He toys as he keeps thrusting himself into you. Your body getting used to the feeling and taking him so well, but you didn’t want him to know that. You wince as he keeps pushing himself deep into you.

“T-This isn't fun!”

“You sure~?” He thrusts his way inside you again and keeps himself there and harshly smacks the side of your hip with his free hand. You can’t help but moan loudly at the feeling and your face gets super red from embarrassment. Seonghwa laughs sadistically as he resumes pushing himself in and out of you at an alarming pace. You take your hands, place them on his chest, and push up into his body, trying to force him off of you yet again. This only causes Seonghwa to push the knife deeper into your neck and shove himself into you forcibly.

“Good try~.” He coos out. You whimper and squeeze your eyes shut. Your body slowly becoming overwhelmed by the force of his thrusts. “Can't hide like that princess~. You already tried~.” Referring back to your match of hide and seek where he pretended not to see you as you closed your eyes, hoping he would disappear if you couldn't see him, but you see where that got you.

“M-mm~! P-please stop!” Your voice becoming hoarse from the screaming and pleasing.

“Fine by me~.” Seonghwa says before he takes himself out of you and for a brief moment you think it’s over and this is where the fun ends, but that moment is short-lived as you feel him grab the sides of your body and flip you over onto your stomach. He repositions himself and shoves himself back into your aching hole. Your face is pushed into the pillow on the bed and your scream is muffled by said pillow.

“God, I love it when they scream~.” Seonghwa growls out as he keeps forcing himself in and out of your body. He takes one of his hands and grabs your hair and yanks your head up off the mattress. His thrust brings tears to your eyes and the pain of him whipping your head back causes a few tears to fall on your cheeks.

“P-please!” You beg, hoping that he’ll hear how broken you are and put this to an end.

“Mmm~. Keep begging~.” Seonghwa moans out as he puts the knife back up to your neck and keeps pushing himself into you. Your breathing stuttered as you feel the knife right against your throat again. You cannot think of anything to say or do, other than panting and breathing out while occasionally letting out moans or whimpers. “Cat got your tongue~?” He teases as he thrusts himself into you slowly, but forcefully.

“N-NO!” You cry out from the pleasure of him now going slower but still treating you rough. He keeps thrusting into you at this nicer pace, but you can tell his thrusts were getting sloppy. He struggled to keep a consistent rhythm. “Fuck!” You moan out loud and bite your tongue immediately after you realize what just came out of your mouth.

“You dirty fucking whore~! Of course you'd like this~!” He pushes your head back down into the bed and keeps fucking you hard.

“N-no! I-!” You whimper out only for it to be muffled by the sheets. Crying loudly at Seonghwa abusing your hole and sobbing into the sheets. You hear Seonghwa groaning and panting, spitting out a few curses here and there. The pleasure builds up inside you, causing you to grip the sheets beneath you and moan loudly.

“S-Stop!”

“I'm boutta cum so wish fucking granted~!” Seonghwa calls out as his thrusts become more sporadic. You are a whiny, moaning, crying mess and you can feel yourself getting close to your release. Just a few more thrusts and you knew it would be over. Seonghwa groans loudly and you can feel his cock twitch inside you.

“F-fuck~ Y-Y/N~!” You moan out loud after he calls out your name and you feel yourself cumming on his cock. Seonghwa pushes himself in and out of you a few more times before pulling out and releasing on your lower back, moaning and panting heavily and rubbing himself through his orgasm. You softly fall forward onto the bed when he removes himself from you, breathing heavily, moaning and whimpering. You feel the bed sink down and Seonghwa is back on top of you. You feel his chest pressed against your back, slightly feeling his heart beating. You open your eyes to see his phone to the side of your face, with both of you in frame.

“Smile for the camera~.” He hums before he poses with his hand on top of your head, grasping your hair and snaps a photo of you two with your fucked out face being the main focus. Leaning back and looking at the photo he just took. You hear him softly laughing behind you. “W-what's...so f-funny?” You stutter through ragged breaths. He gently flips you over and he shows you the photo he just took.

“You look so pathetic~.” He pauses as he takes the mask off his face, the exact same way he did in that video, knowing that is what you have been wanting to see all night, “Happy Halloween whore.”

Tags: @hwalysm @choisanboobenthusiast @wisejudgedragonhairdo @ivehwas @shinestarhwaa

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dancingtotuyo · 5 months

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10. hold you from the world and it's curse

Woman | Joel Miller X Female Reader

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Chapter Summary: You begin to come to terms with things. Ellie struggles with the limits of her immunity.

Tags: Joel Miller X Female Reader. Age Gap (13/14 years). HBO Characters. Mostly cannon compliant for show & game. Timeline is changed.

Chapter Warnings: pregnancy related things, angst, hurt & comfort, self worth issues, Character Death, references to canon violence and gore, talk about guns & shooting people (mercifully), lots of grief, anger,

Notes: huge thank you to my constants, my rocks @ramblers-lets-get-ramblinand @janaispunk for beta reading and letting me yell and scream and break their hearts.

If you have checked out Before, I would encourage you to do so for more backstory on our dear reader! The final part is out now!

Words: 4933

Series Masterlist | Author Masterlist | Playlist

When Maria was pregnant, she unashamedly let her bump grow in front of the gaze of the town. It came on with the winter months but she kept her coats unbuttoned and off while inside. She was excited, cherishing it all, marking and sharing milestones as she could. You don’t do any of it. You keep your bulky coats zipped and make sure your layers disguise your growing abdomen.

It’s not a secret by any means, but you know even in the tight-knit community of Jackson there are still people who don’t know as you approach your 23rd week of pregnancy, even if you feel twice as large at this stage as you did during your first pregnancy. It’s been getting easier to keep the layers on as the temperature falls and Christmas approaches.

But it’s only a few days from Christmas, and there’s a dance. You’ve fallen in love with the dances again. While it’s a relatively casual event as everything in Jackson is, you’re not prancing in there in your worn leggings and layered jacket. The body heat flowing between the dancing bodies is more than enough without your layer. With the extra heat you’re producing on your own, you’re sure you’d pass out in 20 minutes.

You have one option: the dress with quarter-length sleeves and a skirt that hits your knees. You basically lived in that dress when pregnant with Carter, but it accentuates your condition. That’s the last thing you’re ready for, the stares, the questions, the congratulations. You feel a vein of guilt rush through you. You shouldn’t dread people congratulating you on this.

You rest your hand on top of your swollen stomach. You’re starting to feel the baby move more often. It’s just as weird as it was with Carter, but it still sends a little thrill through you each time.

Joel walks out of the bathroom to find you sitting on the bed in his sweatshirt staring at the closet like a monster might come barreling out at any given moment. “Sweetheart,” he says. “It’s almost time to go.”

You bite at your thumbnail, the closet mocking you. It’s just a dress. Why does it feel like so much more? “We don’t have to go. Let’s just stay in.”

“After you bribed Morgan with heaven and earth to watch Carter?” He crosses his arms, eyebrows raised.

“We could just stay here? Do other things.” You shoot him a suggestive wink.

Joel seems to consider it for a moment. He surprisingly enjoys the dances. There’s something about the semblance of normalcy, and the night he kissed you in front of the whole town is a fond memory, but he likes being alone with you more. He sees through it though. You’re avoiding something.

Easing next to you, his shoulder brushes yours. He gazes at your profile as you keep your eyes pinned to the closet door. His fingertips brush along your cheek rounding behind your ear. “What’s actually buggin you?”

Chewing your lip, you finally meet his gaze, unshed tears shimmering in your eyes. “If I put on that dress, everyone is gonna know.”

He sighs, arm wrapping around your shoulders. You lean into him, your heart rate slowing. “We can’t avoid it forever.”

“I know. I just thought I could for longer.”

“Baby, you’re over halfway there,” Joel cracks a smile. “And I promise that most of the town already knows.”

“Yeah, but they don’t officially know.”

Joel wraps his arm around you, letting his hand fall over the one that rests on your bump. “We have to face it sooner or later. Maybe even embrace it?” He kisses your temple. He manages to pull a slight smile from your lips.

He rubs your arm softly as your head eases to his shoulder. “I’d really like to spin you around that dance floor, kiss ya for everyone to see. We don’t have to go for long, but I think you’ll feel better.”

You inhale deeply, nodding softly. “Help me up. I’ll get dressed.”

“Now I know you’re not that pregnant.” He grins, standing before you and pulling you to your feet anyway.

You laugh, arms wrapping around his shoulders. You sway, pressed against him for a few seconds. Your lips press against his and then he’s pressing against your hips, directing you toward the closet. “Get dressed, Sweetheart.”

He kisses your head and slips out of the bedroom. You steady yourself with a deep breath before finally opening the closet. You can do this.

Carter is sitting on Joel’s lap as he reads him a book. Morgan preps a light snack in the kitchen. You haven’t worn a dress in ages. This is the only one you own. You traded the others ages ago.

Carter sees you first, letting out a soft gasp. “Mommy, you look so pretty!”

Joel’s head snaps up, the book lowering in front of him. Carter jumps off Joel’s lap, rushing toward you. You laugh, going to your knee to accept his hug. He’s still small enough for you to pick up and spin around, squeezing him tightly too you. He laughs as you pepper his cheek with kisses. “You’re gonna listen to Miss Morgan, right?” You stare right into his eyes, keeping him at eye level with you.

Carter nods with a great solemness. His big eyes sparkle in the light, his nose pressed to yours. His bright eyes are so close to yours, so reminiscent of Gabe’s. It sends a soft ache through you that he doesn’t get to be here for these moments. “Daddy already made me promise.”

“Did he?” A grin captures your lips as you glance over to Joel.

Joel rises from the couch with a chuckle, adjusting his jeans over his hips.

“Mhmm,” Carter says, kissing your nose before he slides to the ground. He rushes off toward the kitchen. “Miss Morgan? Is my snack ready?”

Joel laughs, watching the child disappear before sliding his arms around your midsection. “You look beautiful, but that’s nothing new.”

Heat floods your cheeks. Once again you’re smiling like a flustered schoolgirl. “You gonna take me out, Miller?”

“Tempted to take you upstairs.” He winks. His hands travel down your back to your ass. No underwear lines, just as he expected to find. One of these days he’s going to figure out what you have against the damn garment. The last thing he needs to know is that you’re bare under the skirt, that when he spins you around tonight and your skirt spins you’ll feel the air moving against you.

You let out a laugh, pushing against his shoulders. “Too late for that, Miller. I put on the dress. We’re going.” You head toward the kitchen.

Joel lets out a groan trailing behind you. You give Morgan a few instructions, but she’s familiar with the routine by now. “I love you,” You kiss Carter’s cheek as he eats at the table. “Mommy and Daddy will be back after you go to sleep.”

“I know.” Carter grins proudly, face scrunching up slightly. “Love you, Mommy.”

Joel leans down, kissing Carter’s other cheek. “You behave.”

Carter cheese again, kissing both your cheeks in quick succession. “Love you, Daddy.”

“Love you too, bud.” He chuckles softly.

Joel pushes you toward the door, helping you into your warmest coat before you can find a way to stall. Your legs freeze on the way to the Tipsy Bison, cool air shooting right up your skirt. This might be the first time you’ve regretted your commitment to not wearing underwear.

Joel’s hand stays pressed to your back on the short walk over as if he’s trying to keep you from making a break to the safety of your home but The Tipsy Bison welcomes you in with warmth and vibrance, drowning out all your fears. When Joel helps you out of your coat, something amazing happens. The world keeps spinning. People go about their evening, seemingly oblivious to your arrival and your announcement. Throughout the night, you get a few stares and a few congratulations, you take them all with grace.

After exhausting you on the dance floor, your stamina not what it was thanks to your pregnancy, Joel guides you toward a back corner. Chairs line the wall but few people mill about on the outskirts.

“I’ll go get you some water,” Joel says, kissing your warm cheeks.

You smile at him as he weaves through the throngs of people. Before you can sit down, you catch sight of Ellie further down the line of chairs. She watches, arms resting on her knees, the cheer of the night like an outsider looking in, the rush and thrill of the night ineffective against her armor.

You tilt your head to the side before approaching. You ease beside her, letting out a soft sigh. You hook your foot under the legs of a stray chair to pull it closer so you have a place to prop your feet. Ellie doesn’t acknowledge you. She makes no movements that indicate she’s even aware of your presence.

You follow her line of sight to the opposing corner. Dina and Jesse are flirting like all of Jackson doesn’t have eyes. Cat rolls her eyes at something Chris Lamer says to her, a playful insult likely rolling off her lips. The sight brings a smile to your lips. At least within these walls, they can act like teenagers.

“You’re not feeling very social tonight?”

Ellie lets out a sigh, falling back in her chair. She shoves her hair behind her shoulder. It’s getting longer than you’ve ever seen it. She shrugs. “Just not feeling it tonight.”

“Wish I’d known that before I bribed Morgan to watch Carter.” You offer a teasing grin. She doesn’t return it, crossing her arms over her chest as she shifts in her seat. Your brow furrows. “What’s up, Ellie?”

She bristles, taking her time to find words. “You look nice tonight.”

“You’re deflecting.”

“People do that when they don’t wanna talk about things.”

“Which usually means they should talk about things.”

She glances over at you, unamused. You smile back, but she doesn’t say a word, letting her eyes fall back over to her friends.

“You know,” you say. “I didn’t want to come tonight.”

She looks surprised. “You and Joel love these things.”

“Yeah…” You nod, eyes scanning over the crowd. “But I can’t really hide this anymore.” You motion to your swollen abdomen. “Especially not in this dress. Which is about the only thing that fits me now.”

Her eyes flicker over to you, landing on your bump. You catch something in her eyes. “I thought you’d gotten used to it.”

“Don’t know that that’ll ever happen,” you sigh.

“Even with Joel moving in?”

That’s when it clicks. The changes. You should’ve known, or guessed. Joel brought the last of his things over last week. Ellie decided early on to stay in Joel’s house, or her house now.

“Ellie, if you’ve changed your mind-”

“No,” she cuts you off. “I haven’t- at least I don’t think I have.” She bites her lip, frame ridgid. “Guess I didn’t think it would feel any different. He basically lived over there already.”

“But his things are gone now.”

Her eyes snap to yours like you’ve hit the nail on the head. Her eyes look shiny under the Christmas lights strung from the rafters. She blinks a couple times.

“I didn’t think I’d miss that damn owl mug so much. I used to hate the way its eyes followed me when I was in the kitchen.”

A laugh tips out of your mouth. “Glad to hear it. I’ll smuggle it back over to you.”

Ellie’s head shakes, a smile pushing against the edges of her face. “Hell no. I said I missed it, not that I wanted it back in my house.”

The two of you laugh together until a comfortable silence forms between you. You feel like there might be another layer, but you’ve pushed as much as you can tonight surrounded by people. She’s smiling, the tension gone from her body, and that’s the most important thing right now.

“Change is hard.” Ellie says.

“So damn hard.” You agree. “Don’t make yourself a stranger, okay? I know you’re like kind of an adult in this world and a certified homeowner now.” You wink at her and she laughs with a shake of her head. “But we still want you around as much as we did. Really even more.”

“So you’re not tired of me?” she asks. She’s joking, but you catch the hint of a real question, that soft need for assurance.

Your arm wraps around her shoulders, tugging her close. “Never. I mean, who else is gonna talk to Carter about space. That shit goes right over my head.” She laughs, head falling onto your shoulder. “But in all seriousness, I don’t think I’d ever get tired of you, Ellie. You’re my family.”

“Guess I’m not very good at this family stuff.”

“We’re all still learning.”

She nods softly, waiting just a few seconds before pulling away. She looks better, lighter. Her eyes land over on her group of friends, seemingly glued to one particular female. You look between them, a knowing grin on your face. “You know, I think she’d say yes if you asked her to dance.”

Ellie’s eyes snap to you, confusion dancing in them.

“I’ve known you for years, my dear. You can’t hide much from me.”

She bites her lip as Joel finally materializes out of the crowd with your water in hand. “Sorry it took me so long. Adam was trying to rope me into trouble.”

You raise an eyebrow suspiciously.

“Stayed out of it. Cross my heart, darlin.” He leans down to kiss your cheek.

“You two are gross.” Ellie teases as she stands, stretching her arms above her head.

“Promise I can make it even grosser.” Joel chuckles, easing into the chair next to you.

“That’s not even a word.” You roll your eyes, swatting him away from you. He only laughs more, arm settling across the back of your chair, finger tips twisting and turning lightly across your shoulder.

“As much as I’d hate to see that,” Ellie says, taking a step back. She’s returned to her usual, playful self. “I’m going to join my friends.” With that, she dashes off.

You and Joel talk in hushed tones, playful flirting firing between you. He’s distracting you, definitely trying to seduce you, and it’s working. As he pulls you through the crowd, you’re surprised to see Ellie dancing with Cat.

You’re in the clinic the next afternoon when she bursts in looking wide eyed and terrified. She reminds you of the 14 year old you met two and half years ago. Your heart drops to your stomach. She was on patrol. They weren’t due back until tomorrow.

“Ellie, what-”

She collides with your chest, sobs shaking her small frame. Your arms fly around her, holding her close. Your brain wracks through names and faces. Who was she with? Who did your community lose this time? But your brain won’t work, can’t piece together who you’ve seen today tucked within the safety of the clinic and who you haven’t.

Eventually, she pulls away, eye red and swollen, cheeks flushed from crying and wind chapped. She doesn’t look any closer to sanity than when she walked in. Her eyes search frantically about.

“Ellie,” you say firmly, trying to capture her attention. She doesn’t seem to notice, slipping through your fingers when you attempt to grab her shoulders.

She scrounges through a bin until she feels the cool metal of scissors. The metal flashes in the clinic lights. She slams them down on the counter. “Cut it.”

“Cut what?” You’re confused and worried, your mind spinning as you’re still trying to process who was lost today, two days before Christmas. “Ellie-”

“My hair!” Tears stream down her hair. “I should’ve never let it get this long- I don’t even like it- and now-” Another sob breaks through, her voice cracking.

You pull her back into your arms. She fights against you. “Please, just cut it off!” She’s desperate, barely hanging on. “I want it gone.”

“Okay.” You say. “Okay. Sit down.”

She plops onto the nearest chair, eyes fixed on the letters of the eye chart straight ahead. It’s silent, nothing except the snip of the sheers. You could hear a pin drop, can hear her long tresses drop to the floor. You take it to her shoulders, about where it was when you first met her. This isn’t the first time you’ve cut her hair, but it feels like the most impactful.

“Shorter.” She says.

You place your fingers midway between her shoulders and earlobes. She shakes her head. You move a little further up and still another shake of her head. You repeat it until your fingers are right under her earlobes. Finally, you get a nod.

You hand her a hand mirror when you’re finished. She looks it over. It suits her, you think, makes her look older.

“Thanks.”

“Ellie?”

She hears the question in your voice, knows what you’re asking. She’s not sure if she can manage the words to describe the pictures looping through her mind.

“We ran into a couple infected. Got most of them except for one. I- my hair got caught on a bush.”

She holds eye contact with your reflection in the mirror. She shakes her head, the tears return. “I told Chris to go. I could handle it.”

You shudder. These are always hard, no remains to bring home, very little closure. You know first hand what it’s like, but losing teenagers on patrol is the hardest, losing someone Ellie’s age brings the danger too close.

“He came back. Put his arm in front of its mouth when it went to bite me.”

“Fuck…” it’s out of your mouth before your brain catches up.

“I told him to leave me. I had my knife. I would’ve been fine.” It's barely a whisper, her hands shake.

“Ellie.” You reach out to take the mirror from her but she slams it to the ground. It shatters.

“I would’ve been fine!” Her body shakes with all the rage it can hold, angry tears stream down her cheeks. “I had to shoot him! I would’ve been fine, but now he’s dead instead!”

You pull her into you. She tries to fight it, but you don’t let go this time, not until her tears dry up and her body stops shaking. When she pulls back, you cup her cheeks. Her voice is hoarse, scratching her throat until she settles for a whisper. “I have to do something. This can’t keep happening.”

“Ellie, it’s not your fault.”

“I think it is this time.”

Your heart breaks for her, because you see the determination set in her eyes. She’s convinced and there’s not a single thing you can say or do to change her mind.

“I could fix this. I could save people! What’s the point of everything? Why was I made immune? To watch everyone get infected and die around me?!”

“What happened to Chris wasn’t your fault.”

“He tried to save me because he thought I needed it! And then I had to put a bullet in his head. There was no reason!”

“You didn’t kill him. Cordyceps did.”

“Are you sure? Or is that just what you tell yourself so you don’t get mad at Maria for killing your husband?”

Your breath catches in your chest. You know she doesn’t mean it, but it stings. It digs deep. You had blamed her at one point, spat the words in her face, but you push it away. You apologized. She granted forgiveness. You don’t blame her anymore.

Her eyes burn with a rage you’ve never seen. You see the guilt weighing on her. You’re not sure she’ll be able to shake this one, another ghost to the host that haunts her.

It’s quiet in the clinic. You can’t explain away what she feels. This one was preventable. There was a happy ending in sight. You both know that.

“Look at my blood. I’m ready.”

“Not today.”

“Why not!?”

“You’re not in the right state of mind for this. None of us are.”

“It’s a vial of blood!”

“Not today, Ellie.” You’re firm.

“What if something happens to you? Or Joel? Or Carter? Or this baby? And I could’ve stopped it?” She’s pleading, grasping at straws.

“Another day. When you’re in a better place.”

“I can’t do nothing anymore!”

You hold her gaze. She’s stubborn, but so are you. She’s like a deer stuck in headlights, mind darting between rushing forward or darting back until it’s frozen. Then she’s gone in the blink of any eye. Only then do you allow room for your emotions to fill the empty clinic.

You’re alone for maybe an hour before Joel finds you face up on one of the cots, tears streaming from the corners of your eyes. He lets out a long sigh, kneeling at your bedside. His hand runs over your head as you turn your head to him.

“I take it you heard?”

“From the source herself.”

Joel inhales sharply. “She wouldn’t talk to me when I went over.”

You take a deep breath, chest quivering as you do. You ease into a sitting position. Joel helps you up. Your feet dangle over the side. He sits next to you, arm supporting your back.

“She feels guilty?” Joel asks.

“She’s blaming herself.” You run a hand over your face. “Chris put himself between her and the infected. Got bit so she wouldn’t.”

“Shit.” Joel cringes.

You nod, keeping the rest to yourself. It doesn’t feel right to share the rest of what happened. You walk home together. The town feels silent. You pass a few people on the street, but they’re mostly in their homes, holding their families close.

Maria comes out of Ellie’s house as you reach your congregation of houses. Unspoken words pass between you and your oldest friend. Joel kisses your head.

“I’ll go get Carter from Tommy’s,” he says, leaving you and Maria.They nod to each other in passing.

“She tell you?”

Maria nods. You catch the tension in her chest, even under her many layers. She’s reliving it too.

“You know that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” You’ve rarely heard her voice quiver.

Your arms wrap around her. She holds on to you. “I know.” You don’t have more tears to shed, but you would if you did. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know that… now.” Maria sighs, arms staying around you. “She doesn’t. Not sure she ever will.”

“I know.”

The two of you stand in the middle of the street, depending on each other for support until Joel and Tommy pull you inside, worried you might freeze. You spend the evening at Tommy and Maria’s. It’s mostly quiet. Joel plucks at the strings of his guitar. He’s only missing one string now. Elias plays contently in the corner. Carter sits beside Joel, intently watching the way his fingers play across the frets. You’re doing what the rest of the town is, leaning on family for support.

Eventually, the front door opens. Dina and Jesse pull Ellie inside. She looks like a ghost of herself, eyes skirting around trying to figure out who she should sit beside. You get the feeling you weren’t the only one who got snapped at today.

“We didn’t want to leave her alone,” Dina says.

You pick up the blanket on your lap, making room for her next to you on the couch. Her head picks up, looking for permission, like you might reject her after what she said earlier. You only nod your head and she’s falling beside you, curling up in a ball, head tucked into your side. You wrap the blanket around her.

“Thank you.” You smile up at Dina and Jesse.

They nod. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Ellie,” Dina says. Ellie manages a small nod.

The pair leaves and the quiet settles again. Joel is more thoughtful in his chord progressions, humming a soft melody. Carter makes his way toward you. He peers down at her.

“I like your hair, Ellie,” He whisper yells. Ellie’s lips tip up just a little bit, but she doesn’t move otherwise. “I hope you feel better soon.” He kisses her cheek before wiggling in between you and Maria on your other side.

Joel’s voice starts to raise as he sings. His voice has polished some the past few years, after being dormant for two decades. It reminds you more what he sounded like before the outbreak. Carter is asleep before the first song ends. As Joel transitions into another song, there’s movement in your womb. It’s happened more lately, but this picks up. Whatever the baby can hear, it likes.

You peel through your knowledge of gestational benchmarks. You’re approaching the mark that it would be able to hear sounds outside of your womb, your voice, Joel’s. The kicking ramps up. You shift and Ellie picks her head up. “Should I-”

“No, you’re fine.” You both keep your voices low.

But she looks unsure as you shift again. You let out a soft sigh, taking her hand and pressing it into the firm mass just above your hip. Her brow furrows and then she feels it, a firm thud right under her hand.

“Woah… That’s so weird.”

You smile. “You can hit back.” She looks confused. “Just nudge back. I promise, it doesn’t hurt.”

She does, a little soft at first and then harder. There’s a pause and then a double tap against her hand again.

Ellie laughs. She actually laughs. Joy flashes across her face. Her hand doesn’t move for the rest of the evening.

Joel is curled around you in bed that night, holding you tightly to him. Ellie sleeps in the downstairs guest room and you’re 98% sure you heard Carter’s footsteps head down stairs as soon as your bedroom door closed. It would hardly be the first time he’s crawled into bed with her.

Joel can feel the baby moving around under his arm. He doesn’t say anything about it, but you can feel the faint smile against your neck. Tonight with Ellie, the smile on her face as she essentially played with the baby, your baby sticks in your brain. You meant it to cheer her up, figured it would slide into that category of weird but cool. It seemed to, but it was really the first time you’d embraced the pregnancy, and it felt good.

“You think Ellie’s gonna be okay?” He asks.

You bite your lip, contemplating your response. You get a literal punch to the gut, getting out a soft grunt.

Joel chuckles. “That was a hard one.”

Something sprouts in your chest. He’s never directly acknowledged feeling the baby even though you know he has before tonight. You’re okay with it.

“The baby seemed to like your singing tonight.”

Joel’s arms tighten around you. His smile grows. “That so?”

“Yeah,” You lay your hand on top of his. “Guess you’ll have to sing more often.”

“Suppose I will.”

Silence falls again. You know he’s still waiting patiently for your response to his first question. You give it a minute.

“I think it’s going to take a long time.” You roll over so you can face him. He cups your face, thumb running across your cheek.

He nods, mouth opening to say something before he closes it, eyes roaming over your moonlit features.

“What is it?”

He sighs. “Just thought of something, but I shouldn’t-”

“What?”

“If we were out, and I got infected- I’d take care of it myself. I wouldn’t make you do that. Wouldn’t make anyone do it.”

You run your finger over the scar on his temple. It’s a serious conversation, one you hate the idea of, but you can’t help the teasing remark that comes out. “You so sure about that?”

Joel takes your hand in his, kissing each of your fingers. “To protect you, I’d do anything, Sweetheart.”

You let out a shaky breath, touching your forehead to his. “I think you’d have to put the bullet in my head.”

“Ain’t ever gonna happen. I’ll make sure of that.”

You want to shake your head at the chivalry, at the thing he can’t promise, but somehow you still believe him. Joel Miller will learn how to turn back time before he lets anything or anyone near you.

His hand falls back to your stomach, running over and around your bump. You inhale deeply, feeling drawn toward sleep.

“Sweetheart?”

“Hmmm?”

“If it’s something else that gets me… where I’m not putting you in danger…”

“Joel,” You want him to stop. You can’t think of that happening. You can’t think about him not coming back to you in one piece. Especially after what happened to Paul this summer. Especially now that you’re pregnant.

“I want the last thing I hear to be your voice. Not a gunshot. That’s all.” He rubs your back.

Tears gather under the lids of your closed eyes. He’s thought about this. You fight the constricting happening in your chest, remind yourself this is all hypothetical.

“Okay.” You manage, wrapping your arms around his neck. “When we’re both old and senile, I’ll make sure to tell you goodnight so that it’s the last thing you ever hear.”

He chuckles lightly, kissing your temple. “Okay.”

Taglist: @pedrotonin @amyispxnk @joeldjarin @ilovepedro @justagalwhowrites @missladym1981 @jessthebaker @annieispunk @ashleyfilm @moel-jiller @eloquentdreamer @lizzie-cakes

#joel miller #the last of us #tlou #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller fanfiction #pedro pascal #pedro stories #pedrostories #tlou fanfiction #ppcu fanfiction #woman (joel’s version)#woman (joel miller)

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emlynphoenix · 1 month

Text

We now understand why Rob told us to go in with no expectations...

WTF was season 4??? (if you like it, I'm not hating on you-just my opinion)

Both Aidan and Ritu thought they were joking about the kiss until it was time to shoot and realized they weren't.

Ritu has known Aidan since he was 14/15 and they had to have a make out scene and implied sex. It's messed up on so many levels. This was planned and Steve was just waiting for Aidan to be legal. I'm honestly disgusted. He wanted to sexualize someone he's known since he was 13!!!! I just want to emphasize it. Every cast member tried to protest it, especially David.

David hated that they wanted to ruin the characters, which they did successfully.

Five stated he did anything to get back to his family (not direct quote). He and Diego had a tight bond, and suddenly his family didn't matter. Lila may have said she needed a break and something for herself doesn't mean she was going to cheat with her brother.

The writers must have forgotten about the show, forgotten about the bracelet Diego made was important to Lila. "I choose you"

Lila and Diego had 3 kids together, married, and she thought it was a great idea to cheat with HIS BROTHER!!!!! I understand they were stuck together for 7 years-needing comfort they looked to each other. That does not excuse their behavior.

I do not claim season 4 Five and Lila.

Season 4 was a disappointment to me. At least we still had Klaus being Klaus and Viktor. (I will always love Viktor)

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ywpd-translations · 2 months

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Ride 782: The winner's parade!!

Pag 1

1: So... shall we fly?

Pag 2

4: Huh....

Huh!?

5: What's that blackboard that they showed out of that car just now?

Yeah, it's the signboard. In road races, they write the results of the race progress on that board like that to inform the other cyclists

Pag 3

1: Like, who won the “sprint” or the “mountain” and the time difference....!!

The first place...

Who's that!? Number 181?

Where is he from? Gunma!?

2: And the group behind changes its shape based on that information, just like a living thing!

Is it their debut?

Ah?

Someone like that took the first result?

What about Hiroshima!?

No but who is he! That number 181!!

3: What about Kagoshima and Kumadai!?

4: Nagoya, too

5: I mean, wait, that's not the point

Sohoku and Hakoaku should have been ahead too

6: It can't be

That guy...

Competed against those two

Pag 4

1: He defeated Hakogaku and Sohoku and took the sprint line!!

Pag 5

2: It was so hard.... but

I did it

Waaa.... I'm so happy, yon

3: Amazing!

I've never seen that jersey before!

Gunmaaa

4: I'm from Gunma!

Amazing!

Nice!

Pag 6

1: I'm so happy to hear the cheers...!!

2: Well then

3: To answer the cheers

5: Ready... set

6: What's number 181 doing

He bent forward, what is he doing!?

Is he accelerating!?

7: Hayaaa

Pag 7

1: Thank you-chai

It's a wheelie!!

Pag 8

1: Amaziing, it's the first time I see a wheelie during a race!

What's that!? It's amazing, he's only running on the rear wheel!

It's a service wheelie!!

What an amazing sense of balance!

He's waving his hand this way!

2: Ohhh he's super cool, though

He's incredible

3: He's not only strong but also cool!! He's the best...

Yoriko, shoot a video

4: He's doing a wheelie!!

Wooo!! Taa-kun, that guy you know is too cool

5: I just became a fan!

Number 181!! From now on more and more people will cheer for him

People who come to watch road racing are always looking for it!!

Pag 9

1: For an overwhelming newcomer!!

4: Dammit!!

Dammit!!

Pag 10

2: Idiot

Idiot

3: Are you kidding me

What am I doing

What am I doing!!

4: What!!

5: I did!! Everything I could think of to become stronger, to become faster!!

Pag 11

1: Aaaaaagh dammit!!

3: I practiced... I practiced until I collapsed...

I lost last year....

4: And this year too!? What do I need to fix? Ah?

7: There's nothing to improve anymore!!

Pag 12

2: Stop screwing around, what “newcomer”

3: It's several times harder for someone to keep winning....!!

4: Even though that day

5: I

6: Watch me, Izumida-san, I'll definitely take the colored bib!!

Pag 13

1: I'll look forward to it

2: I promised....!!

3: This year I got the number “4”

In Hakone Academy it represents the ace sprinter

How important and heavy

4: is the role of the number “4” bib

5: That victory would have been a moral pillar for the team!!

6: I even changed my orders for this, and this is the outcome...!!

7: I had to win even if it meant to use up all my trump cards!!

Pag 14

2: I should have cornered him perfectly and shut him off...

4: Was I too naive somewhere?

5: No, there was no problem with you

Even from my point of view you ran well and had the perfect timing, Orange

6: San-na...!!

Pag 15

1: It must be frustrating for you too

You're a third year.... so this was your last first sprint

2: I guess you were aiming for two consecutive victories, since it's even harder to continue winning

3: Orange....!!

4: But don't worry

I promise myself

5: I will definitely not let that guy do as he wishes from now on!!

6: I'll be the one who will take the sprint line on the second and third day!! Leave it to me!!

Pag 16

2: No, I'll take them!!

3: Stop screwing around, why does it seem like I'll only finish the first result!?

Am I wrong?

Don't underestimate Hakogaku!

Ah... well, then, shall we race then?

Don't take it lightly!!

4: Hahaha but I'm an all-rounder, so I should have a job on the mountain, too!!

6: Is he joking!? Or should I correct him!?

7: H...uh? Yeah....

Let's just let it go...!!

Pag 18

1: The running order has changed!!

Gunma, who took the sprint, went ahead and is pulling the pack!!

2: I've never seen something like this

It's their debut, isn't it? Is this okay!?

3: If you take the sprint then you have to go in the front and pull – what kind of rule does road racing have? Isn't it too difficult?

4: It seems like it isn't a rule, Sonomoto-san

It's like they concede control

5: Kiji-saaan!!

Wooah, you were amazing, fou!! Kiji-san!! Everyone, follow me!!

Ichifuji is the only one who's pulling with so much energy

Pag 19

2: Doubashi-san....!!

3: Doubashi-san being defeated at the sprint is a big deal,isn't it?

That Kiji guy

4: If there's a chance to race him, please give me the order, Joe-san

No wait, you're the ace....

5: I'll crush him

Pag 20

1: Ahhh, ahhhh

2: We lost, teh.....!! What should we do!?

Kaburagi-san and Danchiku-san have.....!!

3: It's not a big deal

Since in road racing you don't have to retire just because you lost one of the midway races

4: But still, this isn't good!!

Yeah!!

5: Kaburagi-kun and Danchiku-kun lost...!!

6: Kiji-kun....!!

Pag 21

2: Puku...

He controlled it....

3: Gunma's Kiji controlled the sprint... ohh

4: What should I do?

Crush him quickly?

6: Or maybe.... make friends with him?

Puku....

Make friends!!

#yowamushi pedal #yowapeda #yowamushi pedal translations #yowapeda manga #yowamushi pedal manga #yowamushi pedal spoilers #ride 782 #man i love kabu so much #and doubashi too and their whole relationship #this race really made me fall in love so hard with bashi and his relationship with kabu #also i know some ppl dont like kiji but nope i love him i lov how much he brags too #what was the need to do a wheelie you showoff lmao #hes so extra and for what #also you have no idea how happy i was to see roku in this chapter ;A; i missed my booooyyyy #love the difference btwn yuuto saying that bashi losing is a big deal and imaizumi being like 'its not a big deal kabu lost'#lmao two kind of people #also last page??? what are you planning midosuji????#zn zn *eyes emoji*

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hellfirenacht · 1 month

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Wing Man: Epilogue

Fic Summary: Steve ‘the Hair’ Harrington is your best friend, and is constantly striking out. Sick of this, you two make a deal; you’ll wing man for each other. Hooking Steve up with dates is easy, but he finds himself struggling to find you a date. At least, until Dustin starts talking about his new cool friend Eddie.

Chapter Summary: Corroded Coffin takes flight, and you're on air.

1.4k Words

(Master List 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15)

“Oh, is it on? Sorry about that everyone! You’d think after a year on air I’d get this cue right, but apparently we’re still working out some of the technical bugs for getting that timing right. Anyway, welcome back to LTRD, The Right Road to Good Music.”

That was a lie, you hadn’t missed the cue. You had only ever missed the cue once on your first week on air, and the few listeners had found it so funny that you had been instructed to keep it as a bit. The radio persona you put on was a bit more air-headed than you might have picked out for yourself, but you had fun with it.

In all the time you had tried to be on stage, who knew that you’d do better when no one could see you? The sound mixers not-withstanding, of course.

“In studio today we actually have Eddie Munson of Corroded Coffin fame here to tell us about their new studio album.” You smiled across the table at your boyfriend, who was leaning back casually in his chair, as if he’d done this a hundred times.

And he might as well have with how many times you two went over everything the past week to get ready for this interview.

“It was going to be a garage album, but it turns out the studio doesn’t want everything recorded on a tape recorder.” He gave you a winning smile that still gave you butterflies, even now a little over a year later.

“With the way your popularity has taken off in the area, I’m sure more than a few people would be willing to shell out for that.”

“Maybe, but we aren’t shell outs.” Eddie looked at you with the biggest grin and you had to take a deep breath. That had NOT been in your practice, and you were so mad that stupid joke almost made you laugh.

“Welp, this has been a good interview, but we’re gonna have to cut it short- I’m joking, Merv.” You said to the station director who was shooting you a look. “So, tell us about the new album.”

“Thanks for having me on to talk about this.” Eddie said, fiddling with one of his rings. His hair had grown even longer in the past year, falling down just passed his chest now. His arms had a few more tattoos, and you knew from up close and personal experience that his thighs now had a few very nice pieces. You tried not to think about that while you were on air. “The new album is coming out this October, and it’s called Fire Shroud. The whole album is heavily inspired by a Dungeons and Dragons campaign that we all played together a few years ago.”

“Dungeons and Dragons?” you asked, pretending to know less than you did for the sake of the interview. “Pretty brave to say that on air. I think we had a few people storm the phone lines a few weeks ago for dating to mention the game.”

Eddie grabbed the mic and pulled it closer to him. “I want people to know that enjoying fantasy, using your imagination, and learning basic math isn’t even close to the Satanic bullshit people say it is- wait, can I say that on air?”

You looked at the clock, it was just passed 1 am. “Fuck no.” you smiled at him.

“Good.” he continued. “Listen, whatever freaky sacrificial rituals I do, happen in my off time when I’m not playing music or running a game.”

“I take it that the blood just gets all over the game board?”

“I spend so long painting my game pieces, so I don’t like getting blood on my hard work.”

The interview went on like this for a while, and you and Eddie effortlessly went through the basic points that you two needed to hit. The albums release, how excited Corroded Coffin was to be working on this, and how excited they were to hopefully put the game that meant so much to them in a better light.

“So, if anyone wants to come see Corroded Coffin live, where can they go to see you?”

“We’re actually playing a few venues and theaters in the Indianapolis area next month, we’ll be sharing the stage with a few other bands. We are also going to be helping out with one of the shows at the latest Rocky Horror Picture Show revival soon.”

Columbia (you were sure Robin told you her real name at some point, but she would always be Columbia in your mind), had staged a coup after the theater had been handed over to Left Turn. She had taken the remaining members and had gone to another theater. When news about Corroded Coffin’s graduation take-over hit, she had Robin reach out to you and you had talked to Eddie and everything came together pretty easily from there. It would only be for one night, but you found yourself really looking forward to seeing the show again.

Merve signaled at you to wrap it up, and when the light went off you sighed and sagged in your seat. Eddie got up to get you some coffee, and you were thankful for that. Being a late night radio host had made your sleep schedule a bit weird, but you wouldn’t change it for the world.

“Are we still on for breakfast when you get off?” He asked. “Still doing a double date with Steve and his latest girlfriend?”

You snorted. “As far as I know. He might sleep in again and miss it.”

“Well, if he does then we’ll just get breakfast to go and I can keep you to myself then.” Eddie said. “I’ll need a nap after this.”

“You know, you don’t have to stick around. You can go home and get some sleep.” you suggested. “Just because I’m here all night, it doesn’t mean that you have to be. You already spend most of your time down the hall with the rest of the boys.”

“I gotta make sure no creeps call in and try and flirt with you.” he said. “Not while I’m here.”

“Eddie, I do this five nights a week, and I’ve only had, what, maybe 3 creeps call in and most times Merv is able to catch them before they make it on air.” You reached up and scratched at his scalp. “I appreciate the concern, though.”

Eddie yawned and closed his eyes. “I’m not leaving.” he mumbled, his eyes closing. “If I go home, I know I’ll miss picking you up.”

“We drove here separately.” you laughed. “Go take a nap on the couch in the break room. I’ll wake you up when it’s time to go.”

“Fine, but I’m taking your blanket.” He said, grabbing the fleece that was draped over your chair. Eddie leaned in and gave you a kiss. “Knock ‘em dead, baby.”

“Only if you bury them.” you smiled back at him.

The night went on with music, call-ins, news, and weather. When the first rays of morning light peaked through the windows of Left Turn Studios, you signed off, got your notes from Merv, and went to the break room where your boyfriend was already nursing a room temperature cup of coffee.

“Let’s get you some real coffee.” you took the flimsy cup away from him and tossed it in the trash.

Eddie stood up and leaned in and kissed you, his hand cupping your jaw. You hummed against his lips and wrapped your arms around his waist.

“What was that for?” you asked as he pulled back.

“It’s a better wake up than shitty coffee.” He said, kissing your forehead. “But now I want mediocre coffee.”

It was a surprisingly cool morning as the two of you stepped out of the studio. You said your hellos to the morning shift as they filed in, and Eddie walked you to your car. “See you at the diner. If Harrington doesn’t show up within fifteen minutes, we’re taking our food to go.”

“Can’t argue with that.” You agreed.

Within an hour, you were dozing off on Eddie’s chest in bed together. Your leftover breakfast pushed to the side as MTV played some song that you were glad you didn’t have to put on your show. Eddie’s arm was around your shoulders and tracing patterns absently against your skin.

There had once been a time where you felt like a fish out of water, and then later you could breathe. Now, so long after making the dumb little deal with Steve you realized you weren’t meant for the land or sea.

From now on, you could fly.

a/n: The End

Dividers by: @strangergraphics

Tag List @k8loo @terrormonster55 @sp1dyb0y1008 @crocwork-clockodile @ali-r3n

@mxcheese @josephquinnschesthair @gagasbee @peaches-roses-sins @witchwolflea

@vintagehellfire @royale1803 @cumslutforaemond @prestinalove @browneyedgirly93

@perpetualmessmachine @thebook-hobbit @cultish-corner @grishaversecaptivated @sortagaysortahigh

@siriuslysmoking @huffledor-able541 @pookiesnatcher @eddiesguitarskills @browneyes-8288

@sheneedsrocknroll92 @kores-mun-son-n-more @eddiebuttcheeks @kirsteng42 @dreamerjj

@moonisu @em022O @cosmorant @kurdtbean

#nacht fic #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n

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bzhitstruth · 3 months

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Coincidental circumstances

In this post I want to list the circumstances that attract my attention due to their pattern or simultaneity. I won't interpret anything, analyze the images or draw any conclusions. They are simply coincidental circumstances, things that actually happened but that may seem intriguing, strange or intentional.

It's not even really a CPN because I'm not making any assumptions. Just events.

1. Their schedules coincided in such a way that several times they were briefly in the same city, for no more than a day. This happened supposedly three times in this month and every time after that GG posts personal content. May 12-13, GGDD were both in Beijing - May 14, old Parisian selfies and videos appear; June 5-6, GGDD were in Beijing again - June 6, GG posts Chongqing photos; June 13-14, GGDD were both in Shanghai - June 14, Chongqing vlog is published.

2. On June 10, both appear in very similar clothes - brown T-shirts and green sneakers of the same style.

3. On June 10, was noticed that GG appeared at the airport without the usual amulets, but with Apple Watch. He hasn't worn one for a very long time, and in general he rarely appears with a watch, except for promotional photo shoots. On June 13, DD also wore Apple Watch during racing training, the last time he was seen with such watch was in October 2023. And it turns out that after a long break, they both wore Apple Watch simultaneously.

4. On June 13, DD flied to Shanghai, where GG has been for three days, and on the evening of June 14, they both flied out of Shanghai, each on their own business and to different places, but about an hour and a half apart.

5. On June 14, in his Chongqing vlog, GG appeared wearing Stone Island shorts, which caused a strong resonance in the fandom, because this is the brand that DD wears quite often, this is clothing from personal wardrobe. On June 16, DD flied to Shanghai wearing Stone Island long-sleeve shirt; the heat in Shanghai at that time was 30 degrees.

6. On June 16, DD received the award at the Weibo Movie Night ceremony, the ceremony ended around 20-21 hours, at 21:43 GG posted the photo from the trip, and 11 minutes later DD made the humorous post on his account. There is another coincidence on this day: exactly a year ago, on June 16, 2023, there was also an award ceremony (20th Movie Channel Media Focus Unit), and DD also received the award. And GG then made the post at 21:41 in support of the film “Street Kid”, in the text of the caption there are words: “those who work hard will shine brightly!” This year the chain of events is repeated, even GG's publications time differs by only 2 minutes.

I won't speculate and assume what exactly happened in GGDD life this month, whether these circumstances are related or not, but the fact is that we are now experiencing a rather eventful time. I just really want the events to be positive.💚❤️.

Photos of clothes are taken from this Weibo account.

#yizhan #bjyx #bjyxszd #cpn #ggdd secrets #yizhan my love

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brbsoulnomming · 1 year

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Tell Me Sweet Little Lies Part 21

-----

He doesn't tell Steve.

There hasn't been a chance to tell Steve, he reasons with himself.

Steve comes back with Robin and Dustin, and has somehow also acquired Lucas and Max. Not long after, Nancy comes by with Mike and El.

He does actually try to hide with Steve in the kitchen while Steve puts together some kind of chicken noodle casserole, but apparently the check in tonight includes how talking with his uncle went, so Eddie has to be too actively involved with it to get a chance to get Steve alone.

By the time everyone's gone, Eddie's exhausted, and he needs to lean on both Robin and Steve to make his way back upstairs.

They've only just made it when the doorbell rings.

Steve groans. "What do those little shits want now?"

Robin laughs at him. "They're your children, Steve," she teases, wrapping an arm around Eddie's waist in preparation for Steve peeling off from them.

Eddie bumps her hip with his, shooting a little grin at her. "You're on shithead wrangling duty tonight," he informs Steve as he and Robin continue on to the bedroom.

"I'm always on shithead wrangling duty," Steve grumbles to himself, but he does head back downstairs.

Eddie assumes one of the party forgot something, and doesn't really think too much of it as he drops down onto the bed, watching Robin start adjusting the pillows.

Or at least, he doesn't think too much of it until he hears Steve call up the stairs.

"Hey, babe? Have you seen Munson hanging around the kids recently?"

Robin freezes, looking at him wide eyed, and Eddie's pretty sure he's holding himself just as still.

Not one of the hoard.

"Stay here," Robin whispers, like Eddie had any intention of doing otherwise.

"Did we join the neighborhood watch or something?" Robin yells back as she heads out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Eddie waits, trying not to vibrate out of his own skin.

Jesus Christ, he's so fucking tired of hiding and waiting.

Fortunately, it's only a few minutes later that Steve and Robin come back, and they look… unhappy, but not terribly panicked.

"It was Jason Carver and the only two lackeys he's got left," Robin says.

Eddie breathes out, relaxing just a little. Not ideal, but better than the police.

"One of them saw your uncle driving away from here with Dustin," Robin continues. "They asked about you, but I think they were just fishing."

"Great," Eddie mutters, flopping back dramatically on the bed. "Should've called me the freak, make it sound like you're on their side."

Steve snorts. "I don't want them to think we're on their side."

Which is sweet, but - "It doesn't matter what they think, Stevie, I'd still know you guys were on my side no matter what you said."

"Aw, Eddie," Robin says, and Eddie looks up at her just in time to see her plop down on the bed next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

He tips his head away, trying to hide his flush.

"It's not that," Steve says. "If they think we're on their side, it opens us up to having them come around more. They'll loop us into things, sure, which wouldn't have been bad for knowing their next moves, but they'll expect things from us. It's a bad idea when you're hiding here. Plus…"

He trails off, considering, and he's quiet until Robin makes a little hum of encouragement.

"I think Jason's too far gone," he says finally. "But Andy and Eric? They're not as convinced. If I treat this like it's stupid, like there's nothing here and they're wasting my time, like it's boring, they might start to reconsider sticking with Jason on this."

Oh.

"King Steve, huh?" Eddie asks quietly.

Steve shrugs one shoulder, a little too careless. "It's not like I don't still know how to navigate all of that. It just doesn't matter anymore. Everything it means, it's just… pointless."

Eddie looks over at Robin, to find her looking just as contemplative as he feels. Robin looks back at him, and yeah, he's pretty sure she's thinking the same thing he is.

They scoot apart at the exact same time.

"Come here," Robin says, as Eddie reaches out and makes grabby hands at him.

Steve looks between them, giving a little crooked smile, then he kicks off his shoes and climbs up onto the bed, settling in the middle of the two of them.

Robin pillows her head on Steve's chest, and Eddie squishes in so he can rest his own head on Steve's shoulder. Eventually, they'll have to get up and get ready for bed, reconfigure themselves into their usual sleeping arrangement, but for now?

For now, this is perfect.

—

Eddie's surprised to find he feels good when he wakes up, despite overdoing it the day before.

Knowing that his uncle is safe, that he isn't out there worrying over Eddie - or hating him - is like a massive weight off his chest, makes it a little easier to breathe.

He lets the good mood carry him through getting up and helping make breakfast, refusing to let himself get bogged down in everything he hasn't worked out yet.

Robin is completely on board, it seems, and she and Eddie make a nuisance of themselves while Steve tries to resist getting caught up with them.

A losing battle, when both Eddie and Robin are so determined to distract him. It means some of their pancakes burn while Steve throws chocolate chips at them and they have a competition over whether Robin or Eddie can catch the most of them in their mouths, but it makes Steve laugh and Robin shriek happily whenever she gets a few in a row, so it's worth it.

Eddie likes a little charcoal taste with his breakfast food, anyway, and syrup covers almost anything.

Literally.

Both he and Robin have syrup in their hair, though Robin's is way more obvious, and she bitches at him as she wolfs down her pancakes before heading upstairs to shower.

It's just him and Steve, then, sitting on the ground in front of the coffee table, half eaten pancakes still on their plates, and Eddie feels too good to want to mess this up with any kind of talking.

"She's just trying to get out of helping clean up," Steve grumbles, but he's still smiling, and the morning sun lights him up all golden and gorgeous.

"Wishing you thought of that first, huh, pretty boy?" Eddie teases, all wide smiles and the same reckless thrill he'd gotten hot wiring the camper for Steve to drive.

Steve's smile doesn't slip, his expression doesn't go pinched, but because Eddie's so close to him - because he keeps being close to him, keeps greedily memorizing everything he can about him, his soulmate - he sees the way something shutters in his eyes.

Shit.

Did he push too far, this time? Eddie pulls back, falling hard into straight teasing and away from playful flirting. "Ah, I see His Majesty does not favor being compared to a fair maiden, my mistake. Perhaps he'll forgive-"

Steve is shaking his head, though, cutting him off with, "That's not it."

Eddie raises one eyebrow, a silent invitation to continue.

"It's just - it's always an insult. Like come on, pretty boy, let's see what you've got or wow, it's a good thing you're so pretty, Steve. I know you don't mean it like that, I do, but it's not a compliment when people usually say it, you know?"

Oh.

"I wouldn't know," Eddie says, mostly to buy himself some time to figure out how to really respond to that. "Pretty's not usually something people call me, insult or otherwise."

Now Steve's expression goes pinched, brows drawn down like he's personally offended, and whoops, nope, he can't let Steve go off on that tangent.

"No pretty boy, then," Eddie says hurriedly. "You don't like it, I won't say it."

Steve blinks at him, a little thrown. "…just like that?"

"Just like that," Eddie agrees. "Steve - you don't owe me an explanation about anything, you know that, right? I'll listen if you want to give me one, and it'll probably help me understand, but if I do something that you don't like, you can just tell me, and I'll stop."

Steve considers that for a moment. "I like - this," he says, gesturing between them. "I didn't want you to think I wanted you to stop all of it."

Both of Eddie's eyebrows shoot up this time. Yeah, he kind of figured Steve liked the banter and teasing thing they have going on, or else he wouldn't have continued it, but he didn't expect Steve to flat out acknowledge it.

"All of this is just me being my obnoxious self," Eddie points out, because he can't just leave well enough alone.

Steve rolls his eyes. "Yeah," he says simply. "I like that."

Oh god, Eddie can feel his cheeks heat up, and he ducks his head and hides behind his hair so he doesn't have to look at Steve.

Forget the demobats, his stupid soulmate is going to be the death of him.

"There's plenty of other words besides pretty, anyway," he says, once he's reasonably sure he can nail playful teasing again without sounding flustered. "I'm just going to take this as a challenge to find them."

"Please don't," Steve says dryly, but Eddie can see how hard he's fighting not to smile, and he knows he has him.

"Whatever you say, beautiful," Eddie replies, batting his eyelashes at him.

Steve's ears go a little pink, and oh, that's still just as nice as the first time Eddie saw it. It only makes him latch onto his dumb plan even harder.

"Shut up." Steve shoves him.

"No," Eddie replies, so fucking delighted he can't help but grin all wide and gleaming. "My soulmate's so fucking beautiful it makes me want to weep, look at you."

The pink on Steve's ears deepens, and he gives Eddie a look that is probably supposed to be venomous, but his eyes are gleaming with affection and it only makes him more attractive.

And this is - everything that Eddie's ever wanted, everything that he thinks he could actually have if he asked. After the butterflies, he's more than pretty sure that Steve wants Eddie the same way that Eddie wants him, and more than that - he thinks Steve is brave enough to go for it, even with how messy and complicated things might be.

It's just that Eddie isn't.

He knows he has to stop this, knows he needs to pull back and stop fucking flirting, because it feels like this is it, this is the thing that's leading them both to something else, and god, he can't do something else.

But he can't seem to make himself stop.

Not when Steve keeps looking at him, and Eddie is starting to be able to read him well enough to recognize what these looks mean. He knows that with the way the glint in Steve's eyes has sharpened and the corner of his mouth half turned up, he's thinking of something that Eddie'd probably brushed past and thought he'd successfully deflected. He knows that Steve's about to open his mouth and prove that nope, he still remembers that and he isn't letting that go and -

"Do you mind being called pretty?" Steve asks.

Fuck.

"No," Eddie's saying before his brain catches up with him. "I mean, like I said, wouldn't know. But no, I don't mind it. In theory."

Steve twists a little, upper body turning so he can look at him headlong instead of from the side, planting his hand on the ground for balance - so close to Eddie that if he leaned just a little, he could brush Steve's arm. Steve's other arm is resting on his propped up knee, loose and relaxed. It's stupid, how effective that is, how it opens Steve up to him and creates a little barrier from the rest of the world with his body, like Eddie's got all of Steve's attention now and he's shutting out the rest of the world.

"You are really pretty, Eds," Steve says.

It should sound smooth and practiced. Eddie tries to remind himself that it's a fucking line, that Steve's probably said it to dozens of girls, but when Steve says it now it comes out a little breathy and quiet and so fucking earnest that Eddie's throat closes up.

"I'm sorry that everyone's been too stupid to notice it, or not brave enough to tell you." It sounds just as genuine, and fuck, the way Steve is looking at him. "I'm more sorry that I used to be one of them."

Eddie swallows. "But you're not now?"

"I'm not now," Steve agrees.

Is he closer? Eddie's pretty sure he's leaned in closer, and the hand Steve's got on his knee twitches like he's thinking about reaching in to touch Eddie - maybe Eddie's own knee, maybe he's going to cup his chin and hold him steady as he -

The doorbell rings.

"Fuck," Eddie swears.

Steve's eyes dart toward the stairs, like he's considering going to get Robin out of the shower to answer the door with him again, then he exhales sharply and shakes his head.

"Hide," Steve says.

"Where?" Eddie asks, his heart still pounding, though for an entirely different reason now.

"Anywhere. No, wait, not the kitchen, just - don't tell me where, just go, somewhere I can't see you," Steve replies.

Eddie pushes himself up, darting down the hall to the double doors that have always been closed, and ducks inside them. It's an office, the smell of old leather and dust heavy in the air. He considers leaving the door open a crack so he can hear, but he doesn't want to be too obvious, so instead he just presses himself up against the wood when it's closed so he can try to hear through it.

It's muffled, but he can just pick up the sound of Steve opening the door, an indistinct conversation, and then footsteps down the hall.

"How do you take it?" he can hear Steve asking from the kitchen.

"Just cream, thanks," one voice says, followed by a second saying, "Cream and two sugars."

There's the sound of dishes clanking around.

"Thanks for letting me know," Steve says. "Like I said, I haven't been out of the house yet this morning. Had kind of a late night with my soulmate - she's up in the shower now."

"Do you have any idea who might have done this?" the first voice asks, and Eddie recognizes it now - Chief Powell.

Shit.

"I don't want to put blame on anyone without evidence," Steve says, his voice a little reluctant like yeah, he does have an idea - giving them something to press him for.

The other voice, the one Eddie's guessing is Callahan, immediately jumps on it. "But you do have an idea?"

Steve sighs. "Jason Carver was here last night. I think he's pissed at me for talking in the town meeting, and he kept insisting that I must have been, like, hypnotized into Eddie Munson's cult or something."

"…but you haven't, right?" Callahan asks.

Steve snorts, and Eddie can just picture the bitchy look that he's making. "Come on, really? Eddie Munson leading a cult? The guy failed Zoology because he felt bad dissecting frogs."

That's not completely why, but Eddie can still feel his cheeks heating up. He hadn't known Steve remembered that.

"Look, I feel for him, but Carver wants someone to blame, and it kind of seems like he doesn't care who that is." Steve's voice dips a little lower. "I knew Patrick and Chrissy, you know? Patrick was a good guy, a great basketball player, and Chrissy was nice to everyone. They deserve better, they deserve real justice. I just think Carver should keep his nose out of it and leave the investigating up to the actual professionals."

"Hear, hear," Callahan says, sounding pleased.

It must have not been a lie, but Eddie's pretty sure Callahan and Powell aren't the professionals Steve means.

"Did the neighbors say they saw anyone?" Steve asks.

"Not last night, but they did mention you have quite a few people coming and going," Powell says. "You know who they might mean?"

Steve hums thoughtfully. "Robin Buckley, my soulmate, she's here most days. Nancy Wheeler and her brother are over a lot. Jon Byers, he's visiting from California, and he usually comes with his friend Argyle and his little brother and sister. Lucas Sinclair, he's on the basketball team? And his soulmate Max. Then there's Dustin Henderson, I still babysit him sometimes when his mom's working late. I think it makes her feel better, you know, with everything going on."

"Checks out," Callahan says. "So, are you thinking you want to press charges if we find out it was Carver?"

Steve's quiet for a moment. "No," he says finally. "I meant what I said about feeling for him. Just, maybe talk to his parents? Before he goes too far and does something stupid he can't go back from."

"Good man," Callahan says. "Thanks for the coffee, this is way better than the crap we get at the station."

"Let me make you a thermos to go," Steve offers.

There's more clanking, then the sound of footsteps walking away - though only one pair.

"You don't happen to know where Eddie Munson might be, do you?" Powell asks.

Eddie holds his breath, suddenly and ridiculously afraid that if he even breathes too loud, Powell will know.

"Honestly, I have no idea where he is right now," Steve says.

Powell hums. "If you do see him…"

"Yeah, sure, I'll tell him you're looking for him," Steve says.

"And tell him he's not our top suspect anymore," Powell adds. "We just want to ask him a few questions."

"Sure," Steve says again.

There's a long silence.

"We'll talk to the Carvers," Powell promises, and then Eddie can hear footsteps receding.

The front door closes, locks, but Eddie still waits until he hears clanging in the kitchen again before he steps out.

He finds Steve setting a pair of cups in the dishwasher, a new pot of coffee percolating in the maker.

"Hey," Eddie says.

Steve closes the dishwasher, looking up at him. "You hear any of that?"

"Some," Eddie admits. "What did Carver do?"

Steve breathes out, forearms braced against the kitchen island as he leans forward. "Keyed up my car, smashed my tail lights in. Spray painted a little message on the driveway."

Fuck.

Eddie has to get moving, way too full of nervous energy, so he makes his way over to the cabinet to take out another mug. "What did it say?"

"Does it matter?" Steve asks, sounding tired.

Eddie slams the cabinet door shut. "What did it say."

Steve's quiet, and when Eddie turns around, he finds him looking at him far too closely.

"What?" Eddie demands.

"Eddie," Steve says, pushing himself up to come stand next to him.

Despite himself, Eddie finds some of the tension bleeding out of him. "What?" he asks, softer this time.

"You're my soulmate. Okay? You're my soulmate. It could have said anything, and I wouldn't care. He could do it again, with something else, and I'll be pissed, but I won't regret having you here."

Eddie closes his eyes, rocking back to lean against the kitchen counter. "Stop knowing what I'm upset about before I do," he mutters.

Steve huffs out a little laugh. "No."

"What does it say?" Eddie asks again.

"Traitor," Steve replies.

Eddie snorts.

"Yeah," Steve says.

They're quiet for a moment, and Eddie listens to the sound of the coffee hissing.

"I'm going to turn myself in," Eddie says after a while.

"What? No."

Eddie opens his eyes. "Come on, Steve. If I don't - do you really think Carver is going to stop now? What if he decides just to break in here, huh? What if I can't hide quick enough next time?"

Steve jaw sets, and Eddie can tell he isn't happy about it, but he can't seem to think of a good counter argument. "Then I'm going with you."

Eddie grimaces, but yeah, he'd been expecting that, and he pulls out his trump card. "Only if Robin agrees."

Unfortunately, Robin agrees.

He frowns at her in utter betrayal while Steve gets El to put Hopper on the walkie and gives him a rundown of what happened.

Robin shrugs at him. "You should know by now that Steve's never going to let himself be sidelined when someone he cares about decides to throw themselves off the bench."

"You two and your sports metaphors," Eddie grumbles, but he has to admit - at least to himself - that she's right.

If they tried to stop Steve, he'd probably find a way to come anyway.

Hopper agrees to meet with Murray again today, then come over tomorrow to make a plan for the actual going to the police station part, and Eddie trudges upstairs to call his uncle at the hotel.

Uncle Wayne doesn't like it, Eddie can tell, but like Steve, he can't think of an argument good enough to beat Eddie's, so he just agrees to meet them here tomorrow, too, and makes Eddie promise not to do anything until they all agree on a plan.

Eddie really wishes that he could just get this over with, now that he's decided he's going to do it, but unfortunately, they all have a point.

So he just takes his own shower, gets the syrup out of his hair as best as he can, and tries not to be pissy about more fucking waiting.

When he gets out of the bathroom - Steve's sitting on the bed, clearly waiting for him.

"Hi," Steve says. "Can we talk?"

Shit.

Eddie swallows. "Now?"

"I don't want to keep waiting, man, especially not if we're doing this tomorrow," Steve says.

And yeah, okay, Eddie can't really protest that, so he just nods, sitting on the bed next to Steve.

"It's just - I'm really, really into you," Steve says, his voice soft and low and his eyes warm and earnest. "And it kind of seems like you're into me, too."

Fuck.

Steve huffs out a soft little laugh, running his fingers through his hair. "I mean, maybe I'm wrong, and I have no idea how to tell if a guy's interested in me like I usually can with girls - I'm kind of still new at the guys part - but I thought, you know. What if I'm right, what if I'm missing out on something great? And I figured even if I went for it and I was wrong, you'd be good about it. You wouldn't like, punch me or anything."

"Steve," Eddie breathes out, touched by the sentiment despite the fact that he can already feel his heart breaking over what he knows he's going to have to do. "That's a lot of trust in me there."

"I trust you," Steve says, like it's that easy, no hesitation. "Plus, you know, I'm your soulmate, so you're stuck with me no matter what."

He sounds confident, and if Eddie didn't know him so well, he's not sure he could hear the little hitch in his voice, or see the hint of fear in his eyes.

"You're my soulmate," he agrees, rushing to get that out before anything else. "I'm not going anywhere, no matter what."

Steve shoots a tiny relieved smile at him, leaning in so their shoulders press together. They sit like that for a few moments, silence resting between them - it's warm and cozy despite the tension, like melted marshmallow being stretched longer and longer.

"But?" Steve asks after a bit.

Eddie swallows, running a hand over his face to try to buy him some time while he figures out how to say this without either lying or hurting them both even more.

"You're not wrong," he says finally. "I am into you. Steve, I - I love having you as my soulmate. I wouldn't want it to be anyone else. I'm happy with you, okay? I am."

Steve nods, though his expression has shut down a little, and Eddie can't quite read what's in his eyes anymore.

"But…" Steve prompts again.

Eddie closes his eyes, taking the coward's way out so he doesn't have to look at Steve while he says it. "But I don't think I could handle sharing if we were romantic soulmates."

There's silence again, and Eddie can hear Steve pull in a ragged breath and let it out.

"Okay," Steve says after a while.

Eddie opens his eyes. "Okay?"

Steve frowns at him. "What am I supposed to say?"

"I don't know," Eddie admits. "You could be a little bit of a dick about it? Tell me I don't know what I'm missing, that I could be having the full Steve Harrington experience here? Yell at me for breaking your heart?"

Steve snorts. "There's no full Steve Harrington experience."

Eddie gasps, mock affronted. "There is, didn't you listen to the gossip? I would be most aggrieved if I didn't get it."

Steve rolls his eyes, shoving him. Then, "My heart'll live. You are, shockingly, not the first person who's had to shoot me down like this."

Eddie thinks of Nancy Wheeler, feels his stomach clench a little at being on the same level as that whole mess. "Sorry," he says quietly.

"I mean, I'm not going to pretend like it doesn't suck, but I'm happy with you, too, okay? I want you as my soulmate, no matter what."

Eddie groans. "What did I tell you about saying stuff like that to me?"

Steve gives him a little smile. "I'm still not going to stop."

It's quiet again, not quite like the comfortable silences Eddie'd gotten used to with Steve, but something close.

"So. Boys, huh?" he asks after a while. "Who'd have thought that'd be something Steve Harrington was into."

Steve fixes him with a look. "Boys, huh?" he mimics. "Who'd have thought that'd be something Eddie Munson was into?"

Eddie shrugs one shoulder, conceding. Eddie'd worked very hard to be the freak, to be the type of metal-loving, Satan-worshiping, drug-dealing scary guy that people were afraid would steal their daughter or girlfriend or sister away. Granted, most of it hadn't actually been work, but it still wasn't really who he was.

"Mostly boys," he says, if only to actually say it outloud, to let himself be purposefully vulnerable with Steve even though they both already know. "There's been a few girls-" He tries hard not to think about Chrissy Cunningham's sweet smile and bright laugh. "-but mostly boys."

"Opposite for me," Steve says quietly. "Mostly girls, but - yeah, a few boys."

Eddie's eyebrows shoot up. "A few boys? Steve, are you telling me I'm not the first boy you've had eyes for?"

"Shut up," Steve says, shoving Eddie away when he makes grabby hands at him. "You're the first boy I ever wanted to be my soulmate, but yeah, all right, not my first crush."

Eddie lets himself feel all soft and gooey for a moment before he goes back to hassling Steve to tell him who.

"Ugh, fine," Steve groans. "But you can't tell anyone."

"Cross my heart," he promises.

"Jonathan," Steve mutters.

Eddie's forehead crinkles. "Byers?" He takes the silence as agreement, and grins at him. "What, get a little too into being up close and personal with him when you guys had that fight?"

Steve groans. "No. Believe it or not, I've experienced too much getting knocked around to get off on it, thanks. No, it was after, when we were fighting the demogorgon. Jonathan grabbed my hand to pull me away, and I just kind of instinctively grabbed it back, and then we were holding hands and I just - it was nice. I thought about it later, and realized I really liked holding his hand."

And that, well. Realizing that you like boys because it was really nice when a boy held your hand in the middle of fighting a monster is so Steve that it makes his heart ache, that it kind of makes him want to say fuck it and kiss him.

"Yeah?" Eddie asks instead, wiggling his eyebrows. "Whose hand holding is better, then, me or Byers?"

Steve's expression doesn't change, but his eyes shutter - Eddie can see it now even more than he could when he called him pretty boy, can see the flicker of pain there before he just shuts himself down.

"Oh," Eddie says quietly. "Should I not?"

There's a moment where Steve considers that.

"No," he says after a while. "That was okay. But I think we might have to put a pause on too heavy innuendo, or too many jokes about me wanting you. Just for a little bit."

"Yeah," Eddie mutters, feeling his heart crack a little more. "I can do that." He pulls his legs up, arms wrapped around them. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault, man," Steve says.

Eddie rests his chin on his knees, ignoring the slight sting from the tug of his stitched together skin. "Kind of feels like it is, a little," he admits. "I mean, Robin's okay with sharing."

Or at least, he assumes she is. He knows there's no way Steve would confess romantic feelings for him if Robin didn't know about it or wasn't on board.

"That's different," Steve says.

And - yeah, true. Robin's got another soulmate waiting for her, too, and maybe that makes it easier to share a romantic soulmate.

Steve looks a little troubled, though, and he leans just a little to bump their shoulders together. "I don't - I don't expect you to be Robin, you know that, right? Platonic or romantic, it's different."

Eddie snorts. "Well, yeah, I'd hope things would be a little different if we were - you know." It's half teasing and half serious, and he considers for a moment before adding, "I know you don't expect that."

Steve nods, and Eddie can hear him breathing out, feel a slow release of tension. There's quiet for a little longer, then Steve says, almost haltingly, "I don't… think romantic relationships mean more than platonic. I used to, but, uh. Almost everyone who's ever really meant anything to me has been platonic. Once I got out of high school, and with the Upside Down stuff, I just… I don't know. But Robin and you and the kids - you're the most important people in my life. You always will be."

He doesn't know what to say to that. It touches too closely on what's been pulling him into the party and pushing him away from it this whole time - he doesn't really know how to let people see the real him, not after so long of keeping up his walls to protect himself.

Or he guesses - he doesn't know what to do now that there are people who've seen the real him, and who still want to keep him. Eddie's only ever had Uncle Wayne like that, and he doesn't know how to be important to people, how to be more than just a band member or a dungeon master.

He's terrified of messing it up.

"I'll keep that in mind," he says finally, which seems to be enough for Steve, who bumps his shoulder and then pushes himself up, heading out to go join Robin.

It wasn't a lie, obviously, so Eddie believes that Steve doesn't think romantic soulmates mean more than platonic ones. The thing is - does Eddie believe that romantic soulmates mean more?

And it's.

Yeah.

He does.

Which means he guesses there's more he has to think about.

Eddie: well at least Steve and I are totally on the same page now, now all I have to do is turn myself into the police and reevaluate my opinions on platonic and romantic soulmates, sounds good

-----

Part 22

Steve: wow I am 2 for 2 on confessing to my soulmates and getting gently shot down, platonic for life it is

Tag list (always happy to add more!): @vampireinthesun @koibug @estrellami-1 @mentalcyborg @allbimyself26 @questionablequeeries @the-s-is-silent @whimsicalwitchm @a-gae-af-racoon @tinyplanet95 @n0-1-important @velocitytimes2 @swimmingbirdrunningrock @newtstabber @jcmadgirl @roblingoblin285 @lexyvey @paperbackribs @goodolefashionedloverboi @evix-syne666 @raisedbylibrarians @stxrcrossed186 @nightmareglitter @greekgeek24 @starman-jpg @crazyhatlady86 @imfinereallyy @manda-panda-monium @deleataecount @prideandsensibility @chaoticvictorianspirit @maydillydally @disrespectedgoatman @scarlet-malfoy @i-less-than-three-you @hbyrde36 @hallucinatedjosten @dragonsandgayships @arepaconchocolate @g4ys0n @novelnovella @bisexualdisastersworld @ghostofyourvampiregf @scarletyeager @pettrichore @nerd-and-nervous @hiimlevi @queenie-ofthe-void @cinnamon-mushroomabomination

#steddie #eddie munson #steve harrington #robin buckley #steddie fic #steddie soulmate au #platonic soulmates stobin

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matchalovertrait · 6 months

Text

What do the judges think about Dulce's dish? How will it stack up against the other contestants' dishes? Find out in the next segment.

Previous / Next (Transcript under the cut)

(1.) N/A

(2.) [Alex] Oh man, I'm starting to feel the pressure.

(3.) [Lewis] I really hope I don't go up first.

(4.) [Andrea] Judges, are you ready to try the four appetizers our young chefs have prepared for you?

(5.) [Mia] We are more than ready. Let's begin.

(6.) [Rubiya] The drama......

(7.) [Dulce] Reality is hitting me. I'm feeling a bit sick now.

(8.) [Andrea] First up, we have Chef Lewis's appetizer.

(9.) [Lewis] Seriously? I've always been picked last in things, especially when it comes to picking teams in physical education class. Oh well, I'm pure done in from all the worrying. Let's get this over with.

(10.) [Lewis] Judges, today I have for you a pea shoot salad with crumbled sausage, flatbread croutons, and a shakshuka sauce vinaigrette.

(11.) [Carlo] These croutons are awfully burnt, buddy. We can't try them like this.

(12.) [Rubiya] Poor Lewis.

(13.) [Dulce] Oh, man.. at least the rest of the bowl looks pretty?

(14.) [Lewis] Yeah, I'm sorry. I lost track of time, so I put the heat up, but then I sorta forgot about 'em. But they're one of the basket ingredients, so I had to keep 'em in so I don't get immediately disqualified, y'know?

(15.) [Sofia] I respect that, Chef Lewis. You're not backing out of the race just yet. That's admirable, in my opinion. This vinaigrette is delicious, by the way.

(16.) [Carlo] The crumbled sausage is actually cooked to perfection...

(17.) [Mia] It really is a shame about the croutons because everything else came together quite beautifully.

[Sofia] Thank you for the food, Chef Lewis.

[Lewis] Thank you, judges.

(18.) [Andrea] Up next, we have Chef Dulce's appetizer.

[Dulce] Judges, today I made for you cheesy pizza wedges with a flatbread crust, shakshuka sauce, topped with pea shoots, and merguez sausage.

(19.) [Dulce] I nailed that.

(20.) [Carlo] This is...

[Mia] Dulce-

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just-aake · 1 year

Text

Boundless Devotion - Part III

Pairing: princess!Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: MedievalAU. Natasha is the eldest princess of the Romanov Kingdom. As the time of her coronation approaches, she is suddenly forced to make a decision – either find herself a partner or her parents will choose one for her.

Warnings: slight angst, slight fluff

Words: 4537

A picnic basket rests atop a carefully spread blanket on the ground in the shade of a large lakeside tree.

In the distance, two dogs chase and play with each other, darting through the grass.

A noblewoman sits comfortably on the blanket while watching as the two princesses of the kingdom engage in a friendly competition by the water's edge.

At one point, the eldest princess casually provides some new information, causing the seated individual to shoot up in surprise.

“You said what?!” Kate’s voice echoes in the clearing.

Unfazed by her outburst, Natasha calmly picks up a smooth stone and hurls it into the lake. The stone skips across the water's surface several times before coming to a stop with a satisfying plop.

“I had to do something,” she explains.

A look of confusion and concern crosses Kate's face as she tries to make sense of the situation.

"But now your mother thinks you're in a relationship,” Kate says before panically stressing, “A relationship that doesn't exist."

With a smug tone, Yelena points her finger at Natasha and comments, “I told you — your plan sucks.”

She effortlessly catches the stone that Natasha throws at her, playfully sticking out her tongue at her sister, and then tosses it into the lake. The stone skips across the water, falling just one skip short of Natasha’s score.

Groaning at her loss, Yelena returns to the blanket and flops down beside Kate with a disappointed huff.

In consolation for her defeat, Kate hands a sandwich to the younger princess before asking about the other significant flaw in her plan.

“So when are you going to tell Y/n?”

At her question, Natasha stares out at the water, lost in thought, as she contemplates her answer.

Considering the lengths you go through to avoid her, just getting you to meet her will be difficult, much less telling you about her plan.

Natasha never imagined there would be a point in her life where one of her biggest problems would be just getting you to talk to her.

She lets out a sad sigh at the reminder, absently kicking the rocks on the ground into the water as she tries to come up with an idea to see you.

“Natasha Alianovna Romanov!”

At the sound of your voice, Natasha snaps her head up and turns around. She spots you in the distance stomping towards her, your face frowning in anger.

Confused and surprised at your sudden appearance, Natasha tilts her head curiously as she watches you approach.

"Y/n?" she whispers under her breath in disbelief.

Yelena chuckles amusedly behind her, teasing, “I think she’s already heard the news.”

When you finally stop in front of Natasha, you poke her in the shoulder with an accusatory tone.

“You! Why am I hearing that you’re saying we’re—“

You stop, noticing the other two on the blanket behind Natasha watching the interaction with rapt attention.

Lowering your voice, you finish your question in a whispered hiss, “—you’re saying that we’re together, romantically?”

Despite your anger directed at her, a small smile breaks through Natasha's face at the sight of you and at the fact that you're speaking to her casually, just like you used to do.

Before Natasha can answer, Yelena calls out to you in reassurance.

“Don’t worry, Y/n, we already know about your fake relationship with my sister.”

Hearing this, you place your hands on your hips and turn to her with a glare, redirecting your anger to the younger princess.

“And you just went along with it?”

Unfazed, Yelena just shrugs her shoulders in response as she takes another bite of her sandwich.

When your gaze shifts over accusingly to Kate, she raises her hands in a defensive gesture.

“I only found out about it recently.”

You throw your hands up in disbelief.

“Great! Who else knows?”

Natasha is about to respond when she catches a glimpse of bandages peeking out from under your arm sleeve.

Frowning, she reaches out and takes your hand gently to bring it closer to her in examination.

“What happened to your wrist?” she asks in concern.

When you realize what she was referring to, you pull your hand back quickly, tugging down your sleeve to conceal the bandages.

“It’s nothing,” you reply, shifting your eyes away from her.

“That doesn’t look like nothing,” Natasha remarks as she tries to take another look.

You hide your arms behind your back, dodging Natasha’s hand.

“It’s fine," you insist stubbornly. "There was just a small accident at the stables yesterday.”

Kate gives you a confused look before commenting, “I thought you said you were going to rest yesterday.”

Natasha raises her eyebrows at the information and turns back to you accusingly, having caught you in a lie.

You respond with a resolute shake of your head, giving her a firm glare.

“No, you owe me an explanation for what’s going on first.”

Yelena interrupts the conversation with a sharp clap, brushing away the remaining crumbs on her hands, and stands up, pulling the unsuspecting Kate with her.

“Come on, Kate, let’s leave these two to resolve their little lover’s quarrel.”

“But–!” Kate cries out in disappointment. She is pulled away before she can protest anymore, leaving Natasha and you alone.

Rolling your eyes at Yelena’s choice of words, you cross your arms and look at Natasha expectantly.

Natasha lets out a resigned sigh, rubbing her head exhaustedly at the memory of her mother’s proposition.

“I need to be in a relationship by the time of my coronation or else my parents will choose someone for me.”

You scoff in disbelief at her explanation.

“Natasha, you can easily get anyone in this kingdom to fall for you,” you say pointedly. “Why did you need to involve me?”

Natasha gestures to you in an obvious manner.

“Because you were the first person that I thought of who would go along with my plan.”

That was partially true.

Honestly, when Natasha was told she needed to have someone by her side, the only person that came to mind whom she trusted enough was you.

You frown at her in confusion as you ask.

"What plan?"

Natasha places her hands on your shoulders, giving you a serious look as she explains.

“We just need to pretend until after my coronation. Once it’s over, we can just tell them that it didn’t work out and that we’re better off as friends.”

“And if they still decide to choose someone else for you then?” you point out.

Natasha shrugs nonchalantly, replying confidently, “Then at least I’ll have some power to reject their choice after I become queen.”

She gives you a pleading look.

“I just need your help until then.”

Rubbing your forehead uneasily, you contemplate the choices in your mind.

If you don’t help Natasha, she will be forced into a relationship that she doesn’t want. However, if you do accept, it means you'll have to spend most of your time with her, which is something you've been avoiding all year, to maintain the charade of the two of you as a couple.

Noticing the conflicting emotions on your face and sensing your hesitation, Natasha tilts her head to meet your gaze and calls your name to capture your attention.

“Hey, you don’t have to decide right now,” her voice is gentle and understanding, as she tries to relieve the pressure that she realized she had put on you.

“Look, there is going to be a ball tonight to appease the other noble families for the canceled meetings and—”

“I’m not in the mood for socializing, Natasha,” you interject with a frustrated exhale.

“Just…take some time to think it over,” she continues.

Her voice is calm and soothing to the conflicted thoughts in your head.

“Come to the ball tonight, and let me know your decision then,” she offers.

You lower your head as you consider her words, still conflicted about the matter.

Natasha's hand gently lifts your face, directing your gaze back to her.

“I’m not going to force you, Y/n,” Natasha asserts sincerely. “If you decide you don’t want to do it, I’ll tell my mother the truth. But having you there may help.”

She nods at you confidently, commenting, “Maybe you can change her mind or something. She has always liked you.”

With a resigned sigh, you give in, feeling the tension in your shoulders ease slightly.

“Fine, I’ll think about it,” you concede, your tone carrying a hint of resignation.

However, you follow your agreement by poking her shoulder again, this time with a warning tone.

“But there better not be any more surprises.”

When Natasha acknowledges your words with a nod and a promise evident in her eyes, you turn around to leave, walking toward where you left your horse earlier.

Natasha follows quickly after you when she sees where you’re going, calling out to you.

“Hold on, Y/n! You can’t ride back with that injury.”

You glance at the princess who is now walking beside you, raising your brow at her.

“I came here, didn’t I?”

Natasha rolls her eyes at your words.

“Recklessly, you could have fallen off,” she chastises.

As you reach your horse, you untie the reins from its tether and shoot her an exasperated look.

“I’ll be fine, Natasha,” you reassure her.

Natasha takes hold of the reins in your hand and moves to block your path, giving you a knowing look.

"Don't be stubborn," she says, her tone carrying a teasing challenge.

The two of you lock in an intense stare as you both wait for the other to back down. Natasha’s gaze is steady and unwavering as she looks at you.

You recognize that determined expression. Whenever Natasha has that look, she is never backing down from whatever challenge is in front of her.

After a moment passes without any change, you sigh in defeat, releasing the reins to Natasha. Her lips curve into a small smile at your pout.

“Come on, let me help you up, and we can go together. Does that work?” she compromises.

You relent with a nod in agreement.

She helps you get up onto the saddle without too much strain on your arm and makes sure that you are safely secured on top of the horse.

As Natasha prepares to pull herself up, a frown creases her brow when she notices the family crest on the horse.

"This is Lady Maria's horse," she observes, looking up at you curiously. "Why do you have it?"

“I was meeting with her this afternoon for tea,” you reply.

Natasha's eyebrows furrow even more as she recalls Steve mentioning in passing how Maria had recently started looking for a partner.

“You mean like a date?” she asks.

You shrug, not noticing Natasha’s change of expression.

“I guess,” you answer honestly. “We just agreed to meet and talk with each other at the moment.”

Natasha hums in response, absently patting the horse to distract herself from the slight tightness that suddenly appeared in her chest.

“And how did it go?” she asks in a casual tone, appearing nonchalant.

“It was going well, up until the part where I found out I was already in a relationship,” you remind her with a pointed look.

The tightness in her chest disappears at your words, and an unexpected wave of relief sweeps over her.

She dismisses the feeling, assuming that she's simply glad that you were speaking to her again in the familiar way that you used to.

With a chuckle, Natasha finally pulls herself up and positions herself behind you. Her hands move around you to hold the reins, enclosing you in her arms.

Moving the reins, Natasha signals the horse to start walking in the direction of your manor.

Your body instinctively relaxes against her front as her familiar comforting warmth envelops you instantly.

The two of you share a comfortable silence, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of the horse’s galloping as you head home.

After a few moments, you feel Natasha resting her chin on your shoulder before she asks softly, “Are you finally going to tell me what really happened to your wrist now?”

Instinctively, you touch your injured arm, caressing it gently. It was still sore from yesterday.

Given Natasha's protective nature, you knew she wasn't going to let it go now that she had already seen it.

Thankfully, it was easier to lie when you were not looking directly at her face.

“I was trying to cook something, and I ended up with a small burn,” you say under your breath.

Natasha lets out an amused huff at your words.

“I thought we agreed that you’re not allowed to cook again after you almost burned down the castle’s kitchen.”

You gasp in disbelief and outrage, turning your face to the side to look at her.

“That was your fault! You were supposed to watch the fire.”

Natasha chuckles softly in relief at the familiar banter. It really did feel good to have you talk with her like this again. She had missed this friendly closeness between you and her.

If you notice her slowing down the pace of the horse, you don’t say anything.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Arriving at the entrance of your manor with Natasha, Pietro's eyes widen in surprise at the sight of the two of you together.

When you see he is about to comment about it, you give him a pointed look.

He closes his mouth shut at your expression and instead, focuses on helping you down from the horse.

Your feet have barely touched the ground before you are pulled to the side.

Wanda turns you in multiple directions as she examines you.

“I can’t believe you just left like that!” she reprimands. “And you didn’t even tell Lady Maria about your injury before borrowing her horse.”

Pietro joins in with his sister when he hears of your actions, exclaiming, “What are you thinking, riding a horse with your hand like that?”

You try to calm them down, insisting you are okay.

Natasha chuckles at the interactions between the three of you, glad to see that you have others close by who also care about your well-being.

Wanda’s chastising pause in surprise at the sight of the princess, whom she hadn’t noticed initially due to her intense focus on you. She offers a curtsy in greeting before firmly nudging her brother’s side to make him bow.

Natasha acknowledges them with a nod and gestures towards you.

“Please look after her and make sure she doesn’t do anything else reckless,” she requests.

At her words, you gasp in indignation.

Natasha smiles at your expression before adding softly, “I’ll see you tonight, Y/n.”

You give her a begrudging nod in acknowledgment, replying with a sincere tone.

“Thank you, Natasha, for bringing me home.”

She gives you a satisfied smile in response before nudging the horse to turn and go.

After Natasha leaves, Wanda turns to you in shock, exclaiming, “So, is it true? You and the princess? I’d understand if you didn’t want to tell us.”

Pietro huffs in disbelief, remarking, “Speak for yourself, Wanda. I, for one, would be very offended if you hid this from us.”

You roll your eyes fondly at the two of them before reminding them, “Not the place to talk about this, you two,” with your eyes glancing at the shadows where your father’s guards may be lurking.

The three of you reach your room without interruption this time. The moment you close the door, Wanda begins questioning you.

“So, are you and the princess together?”

Before you can respond, Pietro interjects with an excited clap, “It’s about time, honestly. I wagered a lot of coin over the years on the two of you ending up together.”

You blink at his words in surprise, too shocked and confused to speak.

Why would he think you and Natasha would ever get together?

Wanda slaps Pietro on the shoulder in reprimand, “I thought I told you to stop gambling away your money!”

In response, Pietro quickly moves away from his sister and hides behind you like a shield. He points at his twin accusingly.

“Like you weren’t hoping for them to happen too! At least this way I’ll also get something from the good news.”

You decide to clear up the misunderstanding and interrupt their sibling bickering, raising your hands in a stopping gesture before declaring, “There is no news! Natasha and I are not together.”

The twins stare at you in silence, waiting for further explanation.

You rub your head tiredly as you explain vaguely, “The situation is just complicated right now."

Pietro curses under his breath in response to your words, while Wanda’s shoulders slump in disappointment.

Deciding to change the subject, Wanda asks sadly, “So, what’s happening tonight?” referring to the last statement from the princess.

“A ball at the castle,” you tell her.

Wanda’s mood lifts immediately at your words, and she dashes to your closet excitedly, pulling out different dresses and laying them out on your bed.

With Wanda occupied, you turn to Pietro who is still hiding behind you. There is a stench that you didn’t notice before coming from the other twin.

“Why do you…,” you trail off, covering your nose slightly as you try to find a polite way to phrase your words.

Pietro sighs angrily, moving away and wiping at his clothes as if to brush off the disgusting smell.

“Your father tasked me with cleaning out the stables before he left this morning,” he explains.

You give him a confused look.

“Where was Cedric?” you ask, referring to the manor’s stable master who, along with his wife, has been a part of the staff since you were a child.

Wanda and Pietro exchange uncertain glances before Wanda decides to explain.

“Your father has been firing some of the older staff, replacing most of the guards with his soldiers, and assigning more duties to those remaining.”

Your eyes widen in horror at the news.

Since your mother died when you were a baby and with your father frequently away, it was mostly the staff members who essentially raised you since you were young.

They weren’t just workers.

They were your family.

And now you hear that your father is dismissing them from your home.

A sense of powerlessness washes over you as you realize your inability to do anything to protect them from your father's actions.

Seeing your expression, Wanda takes your hand gently and offers a comforting smile. She gives you a dress and changes the subject in an attempt to distract you from your distressing thoughts.

“Let’s get you ready for tonight.”

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Fidgeting with your dress, you stand by yourself in the grand ballroom of the castle. You can feel the stares from the other nobles as they point and whisper to each other.

The rumor of your supposed relationship with Natasha has already traveled across the kingdom by the time of the ball.

However, with the additional news of your father's actions against the staff, you were too distracted to think about Natasha’s proposal.

Even now, you are unsure of your decision.

Awkwardly shuffling around under their stares, you find no friendly faces to distract yourself. It seems that Yelena has not shown up yet, and if the younger princess isn’t here, chances are Kate is with her at the moment too.

Meanwhile, you assume the large crowd at the front of the ballroom is where Natasha is currently located, being mobbed by other nobles trying to gain favor.

Among the crowd of people, you can vaguely make out her dark red hair.

Almost as if sensing your gaze on her, she turns her body in your direction.

Your eyes are about to meet hers when, suddenly, a golden cup is shoved in front of your face, blocking your view of her.

You recoil back in surprise.

When you see the person at the end of the extended arm, you internally groan in annoyance.

Though you manage to force out a polite smile, your facial expression can barely hold back from grimacing a little.

Pushing away the cup with the back of your hand and rejecting the offered drink, you greet the other noble in front of you.

“Good evening, Lord Rumlow,” you manage to muster out, sounding somewhat neutral.

Lord Brock Rumlow is the only son of another distinguished noble family in the kingdom. His house is renowned for its affiliations with mercenaries and the weapons trade.

The noble himself, however, is known for his arrogant, ruthless, and relentless personality in all that he does.

Unfortunately, you have found yourself as a part of one of his many pursuits.

Despite years of rejecting his advances and rebuffing his flirtations, his interest in you remains steadfast and annoyingly persistent.

Ignorant of your discomfort at his presence, Rumlow takes a leisurely sip from the cup you refused as his eyes roam over you with unwarranted confidence.

“My dear Y/n, I was hoping for a chance to speak with you.”

Your face involuntarily twitches in disgust at his words, and you quickly raise your hand, stopping him.

“I have to regretfully decline, Lord Rumlow. There are matters elsewhere that require my attention.”

With a forced smile, you pivot to make a swift exit.

His voice calls out to you, halting your movements.

"I sincerely hope the whispers concerning you and the princess are false,” he says before continuing ominously. “It would be a shame if we lost the opportunity that your father was hoping for us.”

Your brows furrow at his words, and you turn around slowly to face him again.

“What do you mean?” you ask hesitantly.

A satisfied smirk tugs at the corner of his lips as he calmly spins the cup in his hand, swirling the liquid inside.

“Your father seemed intrigued at the possibility of a union between our two families when I presented the idea to him yesterday at our meeting.”

He can’t be serious.

You can’t believe his audacity to suggest such a thing to your father.

Anger bristles in you at the thought of being forced into a marriage with him through your father.

Just as you are about to reprimand him, you freeze at the terrifying realization.

Your father has always valued power above everything. If marrying you to Rumlow gives him any advantage, he would take the chance immediately without any consideration to you.

And if he does arrange a marriage for you, would you even be able to do anything to stop it? You can't even protect the staff members from his decisions.

As the thoughts run through your mind, Lord Rumlow extends his hand toward your face, as if he were about to pet one of his possessions.

You want to move away, but you can’t, your body frozen at the scary realization of how powerless you are against your father.

Suddenly, a familiar and warm presence appears from behind you as a hand rests against your arm, gently pulling you back against her side.

Looking back, you find Natasha now standing next to you, her eyes glaring at the man in front of you.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” she says calmly, but you can hear the hint of warning and anger underneath her tone.

Rumlow's hand curls into a fist and returns to his side as his smile twitches downward slightly at the arrival of the princess.

“Not at all, your Highness,” he responds, his tone dripping with fake politeness. He gestures to you.

“I was just telling Lady Y/n how excited I am for her future.”

Shifting his attention back to you, his polite grin morphs into a more sinister expression.

“I do hope we get a chance to speak again, Lady Y/n.”

With a curt half-bow directed at Natasha, he turns away from the two of you and disappears into the crowd.

Natasha's face twists in disgust as he leaves before commenting, “You’d think he would leave you alone after how many times you’ve rejected him.”

When you don’t answer, she turns to look at you and finds your face drained of color.

Immediately, Natasha moves to stand in front of you, her hands gently cradling your face as she examines you worriedly.

“Hey, what’s wrong? You look like you’re about to be sick.”

Your hands instinctively grab hers, stopping her examination and guiding her hands back down to hang between your bodies. Her familiar touch helps to clear your mind a little from the paralyzing fear as traces of energy return to you.

Letting out a shaky breath, you reassure her, “I’m fine. Just a little exhausted from being blindsided by all the different news today.”

Natasha tilts her head at you curiously as she waits for you to explain further.

That’s when you notice the sudden crowd subtly gathering around the two of you, their bodies leaning closer as if to eavesdrop on your conversation.

Rolling your eyes at the intrusiveness of the other nobles, you firmly grasp Natasha’s hand and guide her to a relatively vacant area on the dance floor.

Natasha’s other hand naturally falls to your waist as she takes the lead, bringing both of you into a slow dance.

“You were saying?” she asks.

“My father might consider arranging a marriage between me and Lord Rumlow.”

Natasha stops in her tracks, exclaiming, “What?! He can’t do that!”

You give her a deadpan look, raising an eyebrow at her, before pointing out, “Natasha, your parents are also pushing you to have a relationship. I think the answer of whether or not our parents can meddle in our romantic lives is pretty obvious.”

You continue sadly, “The difference is — at least you have more of a choice.”

Natasha lets out a frustrated curse at the unfairness of your situation.

Tired of all the new revelations, you rest your head against her shoulder with a sigh.

The two of you resume the dance, swaying slowly as the atmosphere around you two grows somber.

Suddenly, your head shoots up at a thought, and you give her a meaningful look.

“Natasha, your plan — the one where we pretend to be a couple.”

She tilts her head curiously in question.

“How does that help you?”

“If it’s you, my father can’t argue that Lord Rumlow would be the better option for me to be with,” you reason.

There’s no question which is the more advantageous arrangement between a lord versus the princess and heir to the kingdom.

Her eyes search yours to see how serious you are before asking sincerely, “Are you certain about this?”

You nod decisively, replying, “I’m sure, Natasha.”

Seeing your resolve, Natasha returns your nod with one of her own, saying, "Okay, I guess we're together then."

Afterward, you furrow your brows in contemplation as you consider the next step.

“So, how do we go about officially announcing our new relationship?”

Natasha glances around, observing the obvious stares from other nobles toward the two of you, and suddenly, a teasing expression forms on her face.

“I have an idea,” she says with a smirk.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Series Masterlist : Boundless Devotion

a/n: Thank you for reading!

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