#whole reason i bought it was because i thought it didn't need a slip.

[screamingwiththewolves]

hey, hey, clothing companies, you know what women want MORE than anything in clothing?

TO STOP MAKING SKIRTS THAT NEED FUCKING SLIPS

IF THE FABRIC IS SEE THROUGH, BUILD ONE INTO IT! I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WEAR SO MANY DAMN LAYERS OF CLOTHING JUST TO WEAR A CASUAL SKIRT! I'M SICK OF THIS SHIRT, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO PULL ON A SKIRT AND GO!

[bradtomlovesya]

Choices 3

Three: Take Me Back To The Day We Met

Peter Parker x Reader series

Summary: Everybody forgot who Peter Parker was. All his world tunerd grey until he met you and you started dating. It could have been perfect if it wasn't for the fact that MJ comes back and, surprise! She remembers EVERYTHING.

Warnings: Pure Angst!, mentions of cheating, swearing, descriptions of sex +18, fluff!

w/c: 3k

a/n: Enjoy this chapter! As always, coments, reblogs and likes are completely appreaciated. Thank you so much for all the love and support this series is having. I will be forever grateful! Thank you for staying 'til the end ❤️. Gif not mine.

Series Masterlist

Peter felt his heart sink in his chest and could blame no one but himself.

There you were, laughing with Austin at something trivial he had said. You had only gone on one date. You told yourself that you should move on and get on with your life just as you thought Peter had gotten on with his.

But that wasn't true because Peter was standing there holding back tears and the roses he had bought you behind his back.

He had set it all up, flowers, invite you, dinner, apologies, tell you the whole truth, promise ring, hug, kiss, happy again. Everything exactly in that order and without skipping a step.

However, Peter had overlooked one small detail. You guys had broken up almost two months ago and that made you free to date someone else.

Even more so if that someone was as cute smart and kind as Austin.

Austin was the exact opposite of Peter. Tall, blond, thin, blue-eyed, bad at science but very good at history. That explained why he was studying literature. Austin loved the attention, going out to parties (though not too much drinking) and spending time with his many, many friends.

Peter... Peter was totally different from that.

Probably for that reason you had agreed to go out with him. Because he was different from Parker and you didn't want to go through the same thing. He had already made you suffer enough.

Spiderman followed you on several of your dates. 3 to be exact. He wanted to make sure Austin didn't get smart with you and that you were healthy. Although it was probably also out of pure morbid curiosity. Peter felt a thousand knives go through his heart when he saw him kiss you and yet he didn't take his eyes off you for a second.

His mind wandered and he imagined himself in Austin's place and it was then that he resigned himself. He had lost you. He had lost you through his own fault and you weren't coming back.

That day Spiderman stopped following you and you wished he had continued to do so because Austin was starting to turn a little dark.

One night, you were in your bedroom watching a movie when Austin started kissing your neck. That was fine with you. What wasn't fine was that he slipped his hand under your skirt and between your legs and you weren't ready for that.

"Austin, I'm sorry. I'm not ready for this yet" you pulled his hand away.

"Please, y/n. We've been dating for two weeks, do you want to make me wait any longer?" The blond asked and moved his hand back up between your legs.

Peter would never have done that.

"Austin, seriously. Please stop" you pushed his hand away and sat down. You were not at all comfortable right now.

"God..." he swallowed deeply and then exhaled. "Can we at least do something oral? Seeing you wear that skirt has given me a huge hard-on. I need your help."

Peter had already seen you in that skirt and had only said it matched the color of your eyes.

"I'm not going to do anything. I don't feel comfortable and I'm not going to do it" you said firmly. You feared his reaction but you weren't going to give in to something you didn't want to do.

"Then I'll have to find someone to fix what you caused?" he stood up and took your arm. "A little unfair, don't you think?"

You wanted to scream. You wanted to spit at him. You wanted to tell him you were going to finish him off but you'd seen too many documentaries on female homicide to act any better than that.

"Austin, I'm on my period and I ate tuna in the morning so if you don't want your penis bloody or smelling like a fish fry we'd better save it for another day." You looked at him and he just nodded.

It was the best you could say... you weren't very proud but at least you could get out of that room in one piece. The documentaries had taught you that you don't tell a man you're going to leave him and take the kids. You just disappear the next day without a trace.

Obviously you weren't married and you didn't have children. But you weren't going to give him any more reason to get upset in front of you and earn an aggressive action from him. If he could run his hand up your legs without your permission, he could certainly do other things and you weren't going to stick around to find out.

You broke up with him by text message and talked to some of your friends, teachers and the principal. If Austin ever went crazy and did something to you, everyone would already know it was him because you had told them.

This news reached Peter's ears. Now he knew what Austin had done to you and his blood boiled like lava in an active volcano. Parker decided to take revenge. He didn't beat him, he was too good for that, but he did make him take off all his clothes except his underwear and threw two spider webs into his hands to stick him to the campus pole. It took several hours for the web to dissolve and by then everyone had seen him apologize to you in public, because it was part of the plan. Obviously you knew this was Peter made.

Parker still cared about you. You didn't know how that made you feel...it was like something about him drew you to him and your heart always ended up going back to him.

Peter had it in mind to use this to get you to come back to him or to at least listen to what he has to say.

Parker decided to start small. He knew he couldn't just walk up and ask you out after what he had done so he took it slow.

The first thing he did was leave you a note over a pizza box outside your bedroom that said: Thursday is pizza night.

When you saw the note you couldn't help but smile slightly. Too bad he wasn't around to observe your reaction.

The next thing was to leave you a stuffed dog stuck to the window with his web. The note said "No dogs allowed on campus but I know how much you want one. It's the best I can do... For now."

Your heart went out to him. If Peter was trying to get you to forgive him...he was succeeding in a small way.

Although, it still hurt that 1. he betrayed you like that and 2. it took him so long to try to fix it. However, it was you who asked him for time and space. So you were just mad and hurt.

But you had the right to feel whatever you wanted. He lied to you. He hurt you. Your feelings and reactions are yours and yours alone. You had learned that you shouldn't keep them to yourself. In part, Peter was the one who helped you to be more open emotionally...

The last of his moves was a small box with a note taped to it that read. "Sorry, can we talk?" And inside the box was the key to his apartment.

With this Peter wanted to tell you: I'm not with MJ because I didn't give her the key.

That's exactly what you thought. But it's never good to have false expectations so you took it as calmly as possible. Under the keys was another note that read. "7 pm. My apartment. Please."

You were going to go. But you wanted it to be a last minute surprise for him. If you were nervous, Peter was six times as nervous.

His spidey senses were driving him crazy. He was pacing back and forth all over his apartment as he counted the candles (artificial because we don't want fire accidents), dinner in the oven...lasagna. The only thing he had learned to cook from his Aunt May and nobperfectly because the cheese was a little browner than it should be.

The music, his favorite songs on a playlist and some of his own choice that repeated the word "I'm sorry" a lot, the message was explicit and implicit. Peter was sorry and wanted to make amends more than anything else in the world.

Parker was about to go crazy. He even hung upside down from the ceiling trying to calm his nerves. You were 16 minutes and 37 seconds late (not that Peter was counting) but you arrived and he was more than relieved.

He opened the door and there you were. Wearing that cute skirt again. Autin had ruined it for you, yes. But nothing Peter's smile at seeing you in it couldn't fix.

"You came" he looks at you like you're not real. Like you were a product of the blood pooling in his head after hanging from the ceiling.

"I'm sorry. I'm late... Anya needed help with the hem of her dress and it was torn so it was tedious to get it fixed" you bite your lip. If your heart is going fast you know hers is going with propellant.

"It's okay" he quickly replies. "It doesn't matter" he smiles that smile you missed so much. "The important thing is that you're here now."

"I think so..." you nod slightly and bite your lip walking into his apartment.

You inhale deeply and there's that signature smell of his home. It's an indescribable scent that every home has and you missed that smell so much...

"Did you like my gifts?" he asks hoping to hear the answer.

"It was nice... I didn't think you still remembered I wanted a dog" you fold your arms. You're here to talk. But you're still hurting and you were never good at being a hypocrite pretending everything is okay when it's not.

"I pay attention to you. I have always done" walks over to the dining room table and pulls the chair over to sit you down. "I made lasagna...the cheese is a little burnt so we can order food if you don't want to eat it or I can-"

"Peter" you stop him before he talks too much and smile. "It's okay... I like the golden cheese on the lasagna." You sit down and thank him as he pulls your chair into the dining room.

"Okay..." he inhales deeply and takes the lasagna out of the oven which wasn't on but, he kept it in there so it wouldn't get cold. "Water, right?" He asks as he places your lasagna in front of you.

"That's right" you watch the water fill your glass and then him sit down across from you. "You wanted to talk?" You blurt out once you both start eating.

"Yes...I did. I wanted to apologize for everything" he sighs and looks down at his fork after taking a big bite. "What I said about MJ last time didn't-."

"You don't have to explain that to me." You interrupt him.

"Please let me finish..." he looks at you pleadingly. "I want to explain to you why my choice of words wasn't the best and made you think I had called you because MJ couldn't and that's not true." He denies. "I didn't call MJ because I didn't want to call her. I called you because you're the one I wanted around, I want around." He clarifies.

"I see..." you take a sip of water. You know how hard it is for him to express himself in a good way.

"About what happened at the fair..." he sighs heavily remembering it. He hated himself for what he had done. "I got carried away with my emotions. I regret that every day and it will never happen again. I will never put you through that again if you decide to give me a chance."

"Why did it take you so long to ask her? Couldn't you decide between me and her?" You raise an eyebrow.

"No. I chose you. It took me so long to tell you because you'd asked me for some time and.... then I saw you with that asshole Austin." Her jaw tenses. "He's a jerk. And if it wasn't for my mistake we never would have broken up and you never would have dated that monster."

"You can't blame yourself for that. It was my decision to be with him" you close your eyes for a moment. "Thanks, by the way. Friendly neighbor spiderman came to the rescue." You smile and your eyes meet his.

"I couldn't sit still" he shrugs.

"And I'm glad you didn't" you move your hand across the table and take his.

"I...I'm really sorry for everything, y/n" his voice cracks. "Absolutely for everything and I miss you and I love you and I need you. Please..."

"So... to clarify..." you pause. "You and MJ didn't get back together?"

"No," Peter denies flatly. "We never kissed again or tried to go out as anything more than friends. That kiss was a mistake. Our relationship ended then, we moved on with our lives and I found you. The only good thing that has happened to me in so long...please don't tell me I blew it."

"Peter..." you sigh "it's true that you hurt me like I never thought you would but... there's also more to this story like the fact that you guys never had closure because of the multiverse" you laugh lightly thinking about how crazy that just sounded.

"Does that mean you don't want to get back together with me?" he asks in a low tone of voice.

"No, Peter" you sigh. "I do want to get back together with you" you look him in the eye. "But if something like this happens again I promise you that will be it. No more chances, okay?"

"Wait wait wait wait" peter gets up like a bolt of lightning and runs to his room to get the promise rings. He comes back with you and opens the little box so you can see it. "They're promise rings. I'll never put you through anything like this again, I swear."

You nod with a smile and Peter places the ring on your finger.

"You don't know how happy you've made me" he helps you up from the table and takes your cheeks to kiss you. "I love you, I love you, I love you..." he repeats over and over as he leaves kisses all over your face.

"I love you too, Peter" you laugh lightly and grab him by the collar of his shirt to kiss him deeply.

It's a needy kiss, so in the blink of an eye you're already on his bed as he kisses your neck.

"We can stop if you'd rather go slow" he pauses to watch your eyes.

"Are you kidding me? Peter, I need you" you moan and kiss him again.

Peter smiles and his hand goes up the inside of your skirt. Peter looks at you and asks if you agree before his hand lands on your underwear.

That's your Peter, the man you love more than anything in the world. A man who respects you, values you and makes you feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.

As his cock slips in and out of you, you try to maintain eye contact. His face of concentration mixed with pleasure as he feels your walls squeezing him just as only you know how is the most precious thing to look at.

"Is that okay?" He increases his speed a little and holds your hips.

"Harder, please," you beg. You arch your back to give him a better angle and pull on his hair.

"Fuck, princess... you're going to be the death to me" his hands intertwine with yours and he penetrates you deeper keeping up the pace. His Spider-Man skills make him last longer and tire less. Which you are infinitely grateful for.

When you both finish. Peter helps you clean yourself gently and lies down next to you extending his arm for you to lay your head on his chest. His fingers run lightly up and down your arm and his lips kiss your forehead.

"I'm sorry for being a jerk" He is the first to break the silence.

"It's okay...it's in the past" you leave a chaste kiss on his left pec and feel him bristle.

"No more secrets, no more lies, I won't ruin it again, I promise" he looks you in the eyes and takes your chin to kiss you.

"Remember the day we met?" you smile slightly at the memory.

"Of course I remember, I was going through a bad time and you made some horrible jokes that lifted my mood" he lets out a chuckle.

"That's when I knew you were the one" you laugh and caress his cheek.

"Why?" he frowns in confusion.

"Because you were the one who always laughed at the stupid things that go through my head." You scoff.

"You know when I realized you were the one?" He kisses the tip of your nose.

"When?" you ask intrigued.

"When you cooked a whole dinner to tell me you liked me and didn't run away when you found out I was Spider-Man" his eyes sparkle watching yours.

"I love you, Peter Parker" you lean in to kiss his lips.

"I love you too, Y/n Y/l/n" he kisses your lips deeply and full of love. "Forever and ever."

~~~♥︎♡♥︎~~~

Peter Parker Tags

@raajali3 @fangirling-galore @powerpuffluuvv @itszulli @hallecarey1 @xoxokiaraaxoxo @kaitieskidmore1 @lnmp89 @pure-a-tea @vixparker @army24--7 @spiderydreams00 @my-name-duh @nani-2305

'Choices' Tags

@parkerpeterparker2004 @afro-hispwriter @sakaki-chaaaaannn @insertsupercoolusernamehere @local-mr-frog @diasnohibng @stilesismyhusband @tombolland1996 @ellesalazar @cursedandromedablack @ifilwtmfc @newtmaskilledme @sweetenertea @wonieeee @jackiehollanderr @parkthothwa8 @cleverzonkwombatsludge @itsmadamehydra @luvherfairy @reneinii @pauuuus @rootbeerfaygo @janoskiansecondsofdirection @bubble-blu @silscintilla @agustdeeyaa @zadri @mrstangerinejohnson @amarawayne @rootbeerfaygo @roses-ztdx @marvelfreakgirl @greekmythsthing @pbeckn26 @brittney69 @ykyouluvme @fucktthisworld @dogmomalsop @midnightmystic @rayan39 @kneelforloki @555stargirl555

[pillowprincessvarric]

Do you want to elaborate about the alice postpartum post 👉👈

Yeah actually. I kinda do!

[cw: mental health issues, emotional abuse, some gaslighting, implied reproductive coercion. Probably some other stuff.]

So. Alice spends most of Shaun's baby-hood feeling like he's Not Real, though she's not really able to articulate what exactly she means by that, as well being kind of generally aware that it's not true, despite the fact that it feels really really true. That's not a real baby, and if it is a real baby it's definitely not her baby. Which she knows isn't rational but can't quite shake.

She also off-and-on feels like she's Not Real, other people Aren't Real, the world isn't Real, etc. which she was already having a problem with during the pregnancy but it got worse after the birth. Lots of depersonalization/derealization issues. Some of it is definitely the hormones but the emotional manipulator husband who Gently Encouraged her to keep a baby she wasn't 100% sure about (among other things) definitely also contributed.

The pregnancy went very well physically though, despite her emotional/mental issues. And the fact that Nate keeps using the term "easy pregnancy" (we're so lucky!) is slowly turning her evil.

She also gets increasingly paranoid about Codsworth the longer he's in the house. Really convinced that he's Up To Something and either talking to the police about her or spying on her for Nate, who she thinks might have bought him for specifically that reason (it's unclear how plausible this actually is).

Paranoid in general also, after the birth. Like, is worried that the neighbors Know Things about her, that the police are coming any minute, that sort of thing. And unfortunately a lot of her paranoia isn't fully without basis. She & Nate are very much living under stolen identities because they have warrants out. And Nate is kind of getting too into/overselling his whole "I'm a veteran" thing (he's not, to be clear) and there's genuine reason to worry that he might get cocky and blow their cover. So this is the stuff that's hardest for her to manage while she's trying to get her stuff together enough to get out.

(If I never mentioned this, part of her whole deal is that the day the bombs dropped was also the day she was planning on leaving him and starting over on the west coast. Like she had this whole thing worked out where she was going to slip out while he was giving his little speech at the Veterans Hall (which again, insane & ill-advised thing to do given that he's not actually a veteran and living under a stolen identity, but we don't need to go into all that rn) and get in her car and just start driving. Shaun was not actually part of this plan until like two days before, when she decided that it felt morally weird to her to abandon a baby even if it still didn't really feel like Her Baby.)

(The paranoia actually ends up fucking this plan up for her. She freaks herself out and tries to leave early because she thinks Nate's onto her (he isn't) and then he catches her packing a bag and finally figures out what's going on. They're actively fighting in the nursery and he's trying to prevent her from leaving when the news alert comes on about the bombs. In a weird irony, the war starting when it did was kind of lucky for her, because we were hitting "this is about to escalate, worried neighbors are calling 911" around that point and I'm not really sure what would've happened otherwise.)

Also, on the subject of Nate, she does start to think about killing him a lot. Which, to be fair, she also thinks about when she's more lucid (normal side effect of Nate exposure imo) but for a while there it definitely falls more on the "violent intrusive thoughts/violent impulses" end of the scale than the "morally bad but rational murder fantasy" one. This is actually what spurs her into working on an exit plan, it was either leaving or murder, and one of those is slightly easier to get away with.

She's doing a lot better during the main part of fo4, which is nice. But the fact that she was unwell & not really able to bond with Shaun when he was a baby really contributes to a lot of how she handles the main plotline. She doesn't feel as strongly about what happened as she thinks* she should, and she's not really sure what to do about that. Lying about how much she misses her baby feels wrong, but being honest feels a lot worse.

*thinks that other people think?

[oh-saints]

fight

rúben dias x you

part of the dad!rúben collection

word count: 1.6k

tw: endometriosis, health issues while pregnant, intrusive paparazis, implied violence

note: hello i'm back from the dead bcs i've absolutely GONE FERAL AT THE THOUGHT OF THIS ashsjklkkjkl but as usual, i happen to write things at dawn so this is certainly not proof-read yet.

similar to any other parents, the moment you and rúben found out you're pregnant sent you both to the moon. for you, it was definitely topping your list of "best moment of my life" by far. and for rúben, it was up there somewhere with the feeling of winning the premier league and the feeling when you walked down the aisle, looking regal in white only for him.

but probably more meaningful for you and rúben because in all honesty, you've been trying to have a baby for almost 2 years now.

your earlier issue with endometriosis didn't allow you to naturally conceive as easy as other wives and girlfriends of rúben's teammates, or as any other healthy women in general. you were actually at the brink of giving up and were actively discussing adoption with your husband, who is nothing more than supportive at the decision, bless him.

rúben being himself, though, had a way of predicting the future. that's your simplified explanation but in professional jargons, one of the reason pep bought him from benefica; his ability to read the game.

your husband suggested for another honeymoon, during the time he was injured, before he'd get swamped with matches again and you'd be busy with the whole adoption procedure. it was a weekend gateway to st barths, a place you both have never been, but the beauty took your breath away. but even more for rúben because goddamn, that man could speak words without actually using words. he's more expressive when his body takes control of the whole speaking thing, and you've never felt so loved and grateful to have found the meaning of love in rúben dias.

and to be loved by him, surely didn't lie. the 2 lines of the test kit stared back at you like they were meant to be taken seriously, like it was supposed to tell you to get a grip of your life instead of gaping so wide at it your mouth could've sucked it in. rúben had to knock on the door to make sure you were alright and didn't slip on anything because you tend to be clumsy—he’d made a habit to check up on you whenever you’re in a bathroom for more than 15 minutes because of your reckless nature.

after endless failed test, you truthfully didn’t know what to do. this kind of result never came to you. so you just opened the door, in hope he’d know what to do—he always does, usually. only to be met by your husband’s concerned face because you didn’t slip on anything but went back outside with an aghast face.

“what’s wrong, coração?”

you handed him the test kit wordlessly, with shaky hands at it.

rúben looked down to see what it was because he’d never actually seen the test kit. you’d always hide in a bathroom and come out shaking your head, and you never let him buy them on his own. why would you—

“what—”

rúben looked up to you and you were already brimming in tears, a silent confirmation he needed. “we’re going to the doctor. now.”

at first, he did it because he wanted to confirm it himself, that the test kit wasn’t lying. but on the second thought, should you be truly pregnant, the purpose of the trip to the hospital was to make sure your pregnancy needs are met and you’ll have a safe and sound journey until you bring the product of rúben’s love for you to the world.

but of course, life being life didn’t give you everything smoothly as expected.

if you want it, earn it kind of life had been rúben’s way of life so when the doctor told you both that you’ll face some dangers throughout the 9-month journey, rúben gained another purpose in life outside football. to flash a fuck you to world, for they can’t let you and rúben have a peaceful moment in life.

rúben made sure to get home early so he’d cook you dinner during your bedrest period on the first trimester, shocking everyone in the etihad perimeter because he always is the first one to come and the last one to leave. he arranges catering for your lunch on top of it all so you don’t have to cook when he’s not home. he flies your mum and his to be there with you on the days he has a match to go to. he keeps a book to track all your craving and blood pressure, as well as a sketchbook for the baby journey “so we can take a look at it again when they’re grown up.”

you and rúben agreed not to let anyone know beside your immediate family the moment you stepped out of the fragile period, as a precaution, having the taste of public eyes first hand. the moment you announce it to the world, your safe space would and should be compromised.

thus, your baggy apparels whenever you come to rúben’s home matches. it wasn’t often, only once a month or only when the big matches are around the corner. the fanbases and fan accounts still talk about your fashion, with coats and cute jackets and everything, and thankfully none of them has noticed your changing preference from high-waist jeans and wool skirts.

but rúben scores a fantastic header and you see no reason not to jump from your seat. you know he’s been working so hard on set pieces and his headers, only now does it pay off. ivan has to remind you to sit down and not overdo yourself because “rúben will kill me if anything happens to you.”

however, the camera catches your celebration and in less than 5 minutes, your phone rings like the world’s ending. well in a way, it is.

everyone called netizens immediately shoots out their fire, on the speculation you might be pregnant. some congratulate you already, some believe your pregnancy is the reason rúben’s scoring and his gigantic performances as of late, some criticizes you, some questions your decision to come to the match like you’re not carrying rúben’s world. your head aches not long after scrolling down the internet that ivan had to submit rúben upstairs to your box instead of you coming down to the tunnel like usual.

your husband crouches in front of you as soon as he sees your deflated figure, eyes closed in resignation. that’s when he knows the intensity level has reached emergency status because he knows you well and he knows you’re strong enough for both of you to make it through a catastrophe—it’s the reason he’s adamant to marry you anyway—so the word fucking hell escaped his mouth before he even realised it himself.

they didn’t say anything as he shared you his tightest hug, the kind you love the most after a tiring day at work. had she said one word about killing those people behind the screen, he would’ve done so in a heartbeat. only when you pull away, indicating you’re now good to go home, does rúben let go of you and the issue at hand.

he tells you to head to the car first because he needs to pick up his bag from the locker room. but that decision would hunt him down for life, as he watched you being swarmed and surrounded by reporters on the parking lot, camera shoved up on your face and flashes and clicks blinded your vision that you steps on your own feet and fall down.

the idiots don’t stop harassing her, though.

rúben’s feet had never run faster than that moment. pep might be calling him a deceit for never being able to break sprint records. and thank god he was a footballer, a centre back at that, so pushing and shoving people out of his way is within his job description.

rúben lifts his wife from the ground, and the shattering sound of his heart don’t escape him as he notices you’re in the position to protect their child even when you’re in danger herself from the ambush. he brings this to you, he brings this to you and his child, and rage takes over at the thought they both shouldn’t have suffered this side of rúben’s professional life.

if these brainless fuckers are suing him for collateral damages on the cameras he throw to the asphalt, rúben’s so ready to hire a hitman on each and every head count.

rúben doesn’t see anything else than red and only when he’s done strapping the seatbelt on you, you bring him back to life like natasha romanov brings back hulk to serenity. you hold him by his face, staring him down like he’s not capable of bloodbath until his breaths return to normalcy.

“enough, my love.”

and all the sudden, there was the calm, collected rúben you married 3 years ago. the one who loves you when you brush the strands escaping his perfectly styled hair after the match, so you do it and he rests his head on your palm when you’re done tucking the strands back in and hands now tracing his unshaved stubbles.

even when you’d just been tackled down, you’re the one who saves him. he’s not wrong at all about you being the stronger one for the 3 of you, strong enough for the family you both are building. and with the thought you have to still play death with god later during labour, he can’t help but fall in love with you all over again.

“te amo, meu amor,” he brings his head closer to yours to feel his world on his hands. “always and forever.”

[sillylittlegay]

Resident Evil – Oneshot [Leon Scott Kennedy X GN!Reader]

Pronouns used for Reader; They/Them

Warnings; Panic attack, Mentions/Thoughts of Injury/Death/Kidnapping

Summary; Leon comes home to his partner late at night after a long mission and realizes that they're not there, he panics thinking something happened to them when in Reality they had just been out with friends.

Authors Notes; wanted to make this Angst, decided against it because I thought that this man has had enough trauma in his life, now it has a happy ending and just passages of Leon having mental illness.

Kinda on the shorter side since a) I wanted to get This out faster because I'm currently working on two other oneshots and this one was just a really short idea I had and b) I needed to write a tad bit of comfort because I was thinking of Leon during the time in-between re2 and re4 and how much he had to go through (he needs a hug fr)

During his whole life Leon never thought he'd end up with having to go on days long missions that end in him coming home at one in the morning. Only a few years prior he had thought he'd get to sit in the RPD all day long, catch criminals and come home to a cold flat with maybe a cat waiting for him. To be brutally honest, Leon didn't think that he'd end up as a Special Agent that fights against mutated, infected freaks for a living. Not that he was complaining, for all the working close to death the job paid good. Good enough for him to afford the whole flat by himself and still be able to get himself everything he wanted.

But god knew his partner, and roommate, sure as hell didn't let him pay the rent. Leon kept on insisting that he wouldn't mind the paying, saying that it wouldn't even hurt his pocket one bit, yet they were stubborn enough to not care. Leon smiled. He was glad he had found someone that truly understood him and still agreed to dating him. If he didn't know better he'd say they did it for the money, but due to all their bickering about paying rent and getting upset at him when he bought them expensive gifts for no reason he knew that they truly loved him. Even though he had his flaws – many at that.

Leon got his keys out as he approached the Appartment building, wondering which of their neighbours had left their lights on as he unlocked the entrance door. He actually disliked living in a huge apartment block, but in today's economy he couldn't really choose, though he could probably just buy a house. He had to be able to get everywhere in the city fast though, so living further outside – as much as he wanted to – would be an issue. He would probably have to ask Hunnigan or someone else about getting him off the call list for immediate reply. He noted that he should've done that when he started dating again, yet he hadn't been bothered at the time. The second he got into a relationship though, things had become a lot more difficult.

Inside the building Leon contemplated whether he was going to take the elevator or not. He was tired and didn't want anything more than to slip under the covers of the bed he shared with his partner and sleep, but the fear of being stuck in an elevator this late at night got the better of him. He took the stairs up to the floor his apartment was on. He had never been someone who was afraid of small spaces, let alone elevators, but due to his many, many times being stuck in one and the horrors he had faced in small passages both somewhat made him shiver. He still wasn't scared, he wouldn't say that, he just had a strong dislike and tried his best to avoid them as best as he could. Plus he didn't mind the extra cardio he got through climbing the stairs. Though this was more like a simple morning exercise than an actual workout for Leon. Still, once on his floor he could feel the effects of it in his legs. The slight burning made him remember that he had been on his feet for a long time already, he really should've taken the elevator. Things couldn't be changed though and Leon was already at the apartment door, carefully unlocking it, trying his best to stay quiet as to not wake the only person that truly mattered to him personally.

The apartment was quiet, after all it was the middle of the night – Leon knew that the sleep schedule of his partner was surprisingly healthy, even though they loved staying up late. He quickly stashed away his shoes, not noticing that one pair was missing, and hung his jacket right beside his other one. He frowned for a moment, wondering why his partners jacket was nowhere to be found. In the end he just decided that they had thrown it over the couch again, as they often did when they couldn't wait to get into bed. Yet upon walking through the small living room Leon once again was taken aback by their jacket missing. He now hurried to the shared bedroom, not actually caring about whether or not he was being too loud anymore.

Leon stopped all his movement once he saw the bed, without his partner in it, untouched. The pillows neatly sat beside each other, the blankets laid flatly on the matrace like all their fluffiness had been pushed out – Leon overanalyzed the whole bed to find any hints of it having been used. He had to come to terms with his partner not being at home, without any notice towards him. His hurried steps took him to the little planner his partner used to keep track of any meetings or events they had going on, not finding anything that would excuse their absence. His mind was running wild already, thinking about all the ways they could have possibly been injured – maybe they were at the hospital, maybe they were at someone else's house, Leon didn't even want to think about it. Besides, they knew he was coming home today. He had told them a few hours ago while he was still busy with noting down the important parts of what happened on the mission. Nothing explained why they weren't home.

He hastily took note of their phone hanging on the charger in the kitchen, frantically searching the entire flat for any signs of a fight. Leon wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he found out his partner had been kidnapped. He checked every window, every door, every corner, nothing gave him information of the whereabouts of them. He sat down on the couch, head on his knees, hands pressed to the back of his neck. It slowly dawned on him how many possibilities there were why they weren't home. His mind was filled with images of his partner being taken away, hurt or worse, killed. He didn't even notice that he started sobbing, only taking a second to realize once he felt the tears hit his knees. It didn't distract him for long, instead panic took him over once again. He wanted to search the flat a second time, maybe he had missed something, maybe this was just a bad dream and they were eight beside him, but he stopped himself, unable to move from his spot. He froze up, his nails digging into the flesh of his neck, Leon didn't even register the pain. He sat there for what felt like an eternity, beating himself up for not being able to protect even one person – the one person that still mattered to him at that.

In his panic and through his sobs Leon didn't hear the door unlock. They heard him immediately though. Rushing to his weeping figure, softly loosening his hands from his neck, taking them into their own instead. Leon took a while to notice. Once he did, he wrapped his arms around his lovers waist tightly, pulling them into him, not wanting to ever let go. His face was squashed against their shoulder, tears starting to get soaked into the fabric of their shirt. They softly ran their hands through his hair in a soothing matter, lowly humming one of Leon's favourite songs, knowing both would help him calm down.

»Thought I lost you...« The taller mumbled against his lovers shoulder after regaining enough stability to trust his voice again. »'m sorry baby my friend called, she had a shit time and I went to hers without leaving a note. I'm here now, I'm sorry.« The mumbled back, pressing a soft kiss onto the others head. Leon somehow pressed himself further against his partner, almost as if he'd die if he was even just an inch away from them. »'s fine just... Leave a note if that happens again...« Leon managed to huff, smiling softly once he felt the other nod and heard their soft hum.

After a while the two agreed to finally get ready for bed, though Leon clung to his partner the whole time, making everything a bit difficult. He had chosen to completely stay by his lovers side the whole night, wanting to absolutely make sure nothing would happen, and they let him, holding his hand while falling asleep against his chest. Leon on the other hand stayed awake a bit longer, partially because he couldn't sleep, partially because he wanted to protect the other.

Plus he could never get enough of his lovers peaceful face when sleeping.

[boliv-jenta]

Modern Oberyn Martell x f!reader

Modern Oberyn Masterlist

Summary: It suddenly feels like Oberyn is the one good thing in your life. Your brain doesn't take that too well.

Warnings: Smut. Self doubt.

WC:3.4k

Partner

See, I told you he needed a dick punch. I know.

That idea sounded more and more appealing as time went on. The more time you had to think, the more livid you became. Rage rolled inside you, clenching your fists and churning your stomach. Scott, the sleazy asshole from HR had called you into the bosses office. The version of events, that you knew he would tell everyone, the one where you were a crazy bitch, was what he had told your boss. It came down to 'he said, she said' so naturally you were out on your ear.

Reaching Oberyn's place, you were still incensed. By the time you had finished your account, so was Oberyn. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the kitchen counter. "Why didn't you tell me about what he did at the bar?!"

"I handled it. He's always an asshole so there was nothing to tell."

"If someone harms you, in any way, there's something to tell. I can't look after you if you hold things back from me."

"I didn't need looking after. I handled it."

"Yeah, real well." His words slapped you in the face causing you to recoil. "I'm sorry..." he stepped towards you.

Holding a hand up, you stepped away from him. "Don't." Snatching your bag off the counter you left to the sound of him calling your name.

Look after me?! What does he think I've been doing my entire adult life, with no help from anyone? Is that what he likes? Being the together one? He likes to pity me? Was that whole understanding big brother bit just for show? Between your brain's inability to shut the hell up and Oberyn's texts and missed calls, you barely slept. Deciding to take a very long shower, you threw on a playlist before slipping under the warm spray. The wet thinking box always helps. He came to pick you up at 2am. He cooks for you. He calls you everyday to check in with you. He always asks if we have time to talk when he does, time for him. He's insatiable in bed but always follows your lead. He never gives you more that you can handle. He's watched your comfort shows and movies because he wanted to know why you loved them. For once, your brain was talking a whole lot of sense. Oberyn was nothing but caring. He spent time truly getting to know you. He noticed the little things. For your birthday, only a few weeks into your relationship, he bought you a Sarah Sanderson Funko. "I saw she was missing from your shelf." He'd been in your room once. Once. Fuck.

Wrapping a towel around your wet body, you grabbed your phone. He answered on the third ring. "Hey. I'm glad you called..."

"..I'm sorry." You both spoke at the same time. Wow, you did the whole 'miscommunication that threatens to break you guys up' bit. Now, you're blurting out apologies in unison. Very Hallmark.

A nervous laughter bounced between you.

"I'm sorry for what I said. I was just angry at the bastards you work with. I get a little overprotective. I took my frustration out on you. There's no excuse for it but I wanted you to know the reason."

"It's okay. I called to say sorry for taking it too far. I know you were angry and frustrated and being bitchy, I just happened to be the one there to take the brunt of it. I should have stayed and talked. I know we lash out at the people closest to us, the ones we feel safe with. You know the old saying, about hurting the ones you love?"

"Yeah I know that one...and I do, you know?"

"Do what?"

"Love you."

"I..."

"I just wanted you to know. I thought I might lose you and I didn't know if I'd get the chance to say it. You don't have to say it, if you're not..."

"It's not that. I just...are you sure?"

"What?!"

"Are you sure you love me?"

"Yes, I am."

"Good. I love you, too."

"Good." He laughed warmly. "Can I come over and show you how much?"

"You'd better."

The towel you wore stayed wrapped around you until Oberyn pulled it off twenty minutes later. He muttered praise and affections against your breast as his lips and hands travelled them. Arriving at your nipples, he sucked one into his mouth while his fingers teased the other. He's so good at that. I love that about him. I love him.

"Penny for them?"

"Just thinking that I love you."

It was just that simple. You love him. He loves you. If that was the only thing going on in your life things would be great. Unfortunately for you, the whole 'needing a job to live' thing was killing the vibe.

Weeks passed, you had a few interviews but they didn't progress further.

"I'm doing some laundry. You wanna bring some over?" Oberyn offered one morning.

Yes, but you've been cooking for me, driving me to interviews, I can't let you do more from me.

"I'm not keeping score you know."

Easy there, Professor X.

"How do you do that?!"

"Do what?"

"Know what am thinking."

"I know you."

Simple. Oberyn had such unwavering honesty about him. If you were gorgeous and near perfect, you supposed you wouldn't have much to lie about either.

Months passed. The job market was a nightmare. Taking temp office jobs had not gone well. Apparently, 'temp' is code for 'person I can treat like shit/attempt to sexually harass.' Oberyn was doing all that he could, well, all that your pride would allow him to, to support you. Even with his help, you didn't have enough money to stop the eviction notice being posted through your door. Shit.

Oberyn was stood at the island in his kitchen when you walked into his apartment. The setting sun highlighted his profile as he turned to acknowledge you. Man, he was beautiful, even after all this time it still struck you. His hands worked deftly, cubing the potatoes on the board in front of him. There he goes, reading your mind again. Patatas Bravas would be the perfect comfort meal right now.

"How was your day? Find any more jobs you like the look of?" Bless him for thinking you were still looking for jobs you might like. At this point you would let someone flip you upside down to use you as a mop if they paid well enough.

"No. I was a little preoccupied."

"With what?"

"Being evicted."

"What? Are you that far behind with your rent? You told me you didn't need help paying it."

"I didn't...until I did."

"Why didn't you asked me for help?"

"You're my boyfriend, not my personal ATM."

"I'd like to think I'm more than your boyfriend. We're partners. We help each other."

Easy to say when you're not the one that needs all the help. "You're right but I can't expect you to pay your mortgage and my rent."

"So move in with me." Not even a question. A suggestion, said as simply as asking for the time. Move in with him? Give me a minute, I could probably give you a long list of reasons why that idea would be a really awful, terrible...."Yes."....oh we're listen to Heart today. Fine. I'll check out. See ya.

"Yes? You don't need more time to think? The offer will still be there."

"No, no thinking. Well, no overthinking. I want to move in with you. I love you."

"I love you, too. I'm not just asking you to move in to be practical. I want you here."

He wants you here. He doesn't just want to fuck you. He wants you, your company, your life intertwined with his. Squeal.

The first week at Oberyn's was weird. The gym was closed for a week, the sprinklers had been set off by accident and the whole place was a mess. He still had a few clients he went out to train but for the most part, he was home. His home. Your home. You went to sleep, he was there. You woke up, he was there. You showered, he was there. You ate, he was there. He was everywhere. In your pussy, in your mouth, in your ass. Okay! Yes, your sex life hadn't been affected. Your relationship hadn't really changed. You spent so much time together anyway. The only thing that had changed was you. This new phase in your relationship came with new anxieties. What if this was just a new hyperfixation? What would happen once the novelty of living together wore off? He was good man, he deserved the same love that he gave you returned. What if being with him all the time with no space of your own to retreat to overwhelmed you? The tangled of thoughts weaving their way around you reminded you of something.

"I need to pick up my medication." You moved to get your purse and head out.

"Oh, I didn't know you took any." Oberyn looked up from his recipe book. He'd be busy making notes on Post Its and sticking them to the pages filled with his handwritten recipes.

"It's a pretty recent thing. I used to find working out helped but it wasn't cutting it." Are we going to tell him?

"Help with what? Is there anything you want to talk about? You know you can tell me anything." He'd moved in front of you as he spoke, his large hands wrapping around yours.

"I know I can. I'm ADHD." Fuck, here were go...

"Oh?" He doesn't know what to say. He probably either doesn't know what it is or has all these stereotypes in his head. He won't see us the same now.

You prepared for the big explanation. "It's a neurodivergent condition..."

His hand came up to cup your face, his thumb soothed the skin of your cheek bone. His hands were always warm and soft. "I know. A few of my clients and personal trainers I knew were ADHD. I studied it to help them. You want me to drive you over there? You can tell me about how your ADHD presents on the way." Again, Oberyn made everything so simple. Tears welled in your eyes. This was how love was supposed to be. Simple. Honest.

This whole job thing was so frustrating. While you were bouncing from temp job to temp job, you weren't progressing in your career. You felt stuck, not great for you or your spiralling thoughts. It just took a gentle nudge to spin them out of control. After one spectacularly annoying day, with a boss that explained their requests poorly then got pissed that things weren't done exactly how they wanted, you made yourself a nest on Oberyn's plush, definitely not from Ikea, sofa. When Oberyn came home from a training session he found you angrily scrolling for something to watch. The shows whizzed by until he took the remote from your hand. "Hey, hey, hey, Mi Cielo. What is wrong?"

"I'm just sick of feeling like I can't do anything with my life. I'm just waiting to get control of it again. It's like everything has been taken out of my hands." You groaned.

Oberyn pressed the remote back into hands, a boyish grin on his face as he did so.

"Cute." He is. At least we have him.

Coming to sit next to he moved the pile of pillows and blankets out of his way.

"You know if you need some control." His voice was low and measured, he gave nothing away in his tone. "I can give you that."

His lips pressed a single kiss to your neck. "Tell me what you want." Oh. That kind of control. This is new.

It wasn't like you didn't do your fair share of pleasure giving in this relationship. Oberyn was just more naturally in control of things no matter who was receiving the pleasure. Even when you took him in your mouth and he was totally at the mercy of the pleasure you were bring him, he'd still seem to guide you. Pulling his hips back if he thought you were going to gag yourself by being over enthusiastic. Always checking in to see if you were okay. He told you himself he could be overprotective so you put it down to that. Looking at him now, he looked tired. His gaze was wary, his shoulders looked tense. Maybe being in control all the time, especially with all his new clients, needing him to push and encourage them, was taking a toll. Feeling bold you threaded your finger in his hair, pulling gently to tilt his head your way. "Do you need me to be in control, Oberyn?"

The way his body reacted was unmissable, his eyes darkened, his lips parted, sucking in air, his hips lifted slightly, drawing your attention to bulge in his sweatpants. Oh, I like this. Do it again.

"I want to sit on your face." Your tone was firm until your nerves and not wanting to do anything he didn't want to do got to you. "Can I?"

"You don't have to ask. You are in control." When you still looked unsure he added. "My safe word is 'persimmon'. I trust you to stop if I say it. Until then take whatever you need. I'm more than willing to give it to you." He ran your hand over the bulge in his sweatpants. Damn sweatpants are going to be the death of me. "Now tell me what you want."

"I want you naked. Take off your clothes." He complied slowly sliding his t-shirt off. It glided over every inch of golden muscle. His biceps tensed as he pulled it over his head. It was amazing how quickly this man could take you from one emotion to the other. The anger melted away to be replaced by a puddle in your panties. Next, he slipped those accursed sweatpants down his long, muscular legs. His erection slaps back against him. I never get tired of that.

"Sit down." Keeping the instructions simple, you tried to hide the quiver in your voice. The gasp that left you when he instantly complied was harder to hide. A thought crept in to ask him, well tell him, to do something that you love, that he's only done a couple of times and never fully for you. You wanted to watch him touch himself. You wanted to watch him touch himself like he did when was alone. You wanted to see that private moment, all on show for you. You wanted him vulnerable and open to you.

"Touch yourself. Make yourself feel good for me. I-I want to watch." Your voice squeaked and stuttered at the last part. Your thoughts stuttered as his tongue flattened against his palm, licking a strip up it. The warmth of his eyes was eclipsed by the darkness while he locked eyes with you. Fuck. I know what I want him to lick next.

Even with you in control Oberyn was still a commanding sight. You couldn't take your eyes of him as he wrapped his spit slicked hand around his hard length, running his fist up the length to squeeze the head. Lips parted in a gasp, he twisted his thumb and forefinger over the tip before dragging his fist back down to the base. He repeated the motion a few times until his chest heaved, his head was tilted back against the back of the sofa. The motion exposed his delicious neck. His expensive aftershave burned your taste buds as his pulse quickened under your tongue, in time with his strokes.

"Let me kiss you, please?" He almost whined the request.

"No, I have a better use for your pretty mouth. Lay down."

Keeping his eyes on yours, he turned to lay flat on his back. His eyes stayed on yours as you stripped off everything below the waist. Normally his gaze would still hold an impression of control. Today, it only held want and trust.

"I want you to keep touching yourself until you come. I want to see you make a mess of yourself. All for me." As you gave him your instructions, you settled down over his face.

The words 'Anything for you' were spoken against your hot core before he tongue came out to lap at the wetness he had already created.

He's always so good at that. I hope he thinks we're as good with our tongue. I…any negativity from your brain was silenced with a sharp suck of your clit. His pillowy lips sealed around the lit up nerves and sucked steadily. His hand kept a steady rhythm on his cock, a long drawn out figure of eight, with his hand dragged over the leaking head on each pass. His rhythm only changed when he felt you needed more. His head shook violently side to side, rapidly dragging his tongue over your sensitive clit. The closer you got to coming on his tongue the harder he jerked himself. Until, just as you orgasm was building from your toes, you thighs tensing either side of his head, his hips began to chase his fist. Just before you reached your peak from his talented tongue's attention, he came. His groan was muffled against you, the vibrations of it sent another wave of pleasure through you. Streams of his creamy cum burst from his thick cockhead as he worked himself through his orgasm. It landed on his toned abs, settling in the grooves between them. After your own orgasm subsided, you made your way to his side. He shot you a questioning look as you kneel by him. "Stay still." You ordered before running your tongue through his spend.

The action made him shiver. "Fuck."

Taking your time, you swirled your tongue through the rest of it. Savouring every drop as Oberyn watched you hum and moan. He was so taking by watching you enough his seed, he didn't realise what else you were doing until your whole body shuddered. His hand quickly came up to take yours. He guided your fingers to his mouth before rolling his tongue over them to savour the sweet of your second release.

"I'm sorry. You are in charge. I should have asked." His apology was backed up with gentle kisses while you arranged yourself next to/on top of him on the sofa. "How can I make it up to you?"

When I can think straight, I'll have a list for him. "I will think of a suitable punishment later." You yawned. "After a nap."

I may be half asleep but I didn't miss how his cock twitched at 'punishment'. We'll think about that later. God, he smells good. How can he smell so sexy and like home at the same time?

The veil of sleep soon settled you and your overactive brain. It was abruptly pulled from you by a loud knock at the door twenty minutes later. Oberyn stirred beneath you but seemed content to ignore the unexpected guest, until they knocked again. With a huff, he pulled on his sweatpants. "I'll get rid of them."

While Oberyn went to shoo away your visitor, you decided to slip your own sweatpants back on. A moment later you were thankful that you did. The sound of a very tense exchange at the door had you on your feet and running to Oberyn's side.

Two men stood at the door. Both in suits but that was just about their only similarity. One was young, early thirties-ish. He was well over six feet tall and muscularly built. The other man was older, in his sixties maybe? He was just a little shorter than Oberyn. His build was board, athletic. His well rounded stomach was in contrast to that. From the look of his wardrobe, you guess that the extra weight came from years of fine living. The watch on his wrist alone would have saved you from eviction and paid your rent for a year. Who is this guy? Why does he look so familiar? Oh, shit. We're really standing here commando, covered in cum for this. Hey, they're looking this way.

"....she's a friend." You caught as Oberyn looked at you. "Excuse me, I have to go speak with my father."

With that he closed the door behind him. Leaving you with only your spiralling thoughts for company.

Tags: @kirsteng42 @prolix-yuy @thegreenkid2 @hquinzelle @fangirl-316 @gracie7209 @jedifarmerr @doommommy @scorpio-marionette @sturkillerbase @harriedandharassed @aynsleywalker @mswarriorbabe80 @quica-quica-quica @rise-my-angel @adancedivasmom @kinda-nobody @movievillainess721 @munsonownsmyass @mandoloriancookie @faceache111 @elegantduckturtle @manazo @simpingcowboy @pedrit0-pascalit0 @yourcoolauntie @pedrostories @geekrenaissance @its-nebuleuse

[boogiewrites]

Seeing Stars Part 10

Characters: Eddie Munson x OFC Star

Summary: Star hosts a Halloween-themed Hellfire Club at her home. In an attempt to bond with the group. She plays hostess and cooks, finding herself genuinely enjoying the domestic tasks. Eddie creates a one-off Halloween campaign. They eat, drink, smoke, and play Truth or Dare where avoided public kisses and questions are finally addressed. They settle in for the night with horror movies, but Eddie and Star can't seem to pay attention.

Comment & Reblog to let me know you like it and want more Eddie content!

Part 1 if you missed it!

Warnings/Triggers: Friendship. Fluff. Hurt/comfort if you squint. Secrets revealed. Drinking, smoking, roughhousing, kissing. A chapter giving you more dialogue with the rest of the group. I wanted to write more friendship-themed stuff for Eddie with this story as well. So this is me doing that for my own selfish reasons. :) Also sorry about the delay, I've been sick so I've not been writing. I'm still recovering but I'm fine. I thought this was WAY shorter than it was, having a second part still planned to add to this chapter but when I saw how long it was already I decided to post this. Don't worry, what I had planned will still be in the next chapter.

A compromise had been reached for Halloween plans. The boys would get their night of indulgent debauchery, belching, and flatulence from takeout and trick-or-treat candy without judgment. They could talk without the concern for a woman's ear to hear their unfiltered adolescent thoughts. So tonight, a Halloween edition of the Hellfire Club was meeting at Star's house. They'd play, eat, drink and watch horror movies so she could feel included. She was trying her best to bond with the guys, even if the road had been a little bumpy. There were still Halloween festivities to be had at the harvest festival, and surely there would be a party or two to crash come the weekend. But in the meantime, Star was playing hostess and very much enjoying the newfound role.

Star was bopping around the kitchen inside the house she shared with Robbie. Her socked feet slipped on the busy pattern linoleum floors to ease her dance moves. The original 1950s decor was aging but held a certain charm that Star didn't mind. Robbie just ignored it to be perfectly honest, decor wasn't exactly an issue for him. He'd bought the house because it was within budget and didn't need any structural repairs. That's where his concerns lie. He was moseying around and getting ready to head out to work and waiting to meet the club. She was elbow-deep in juggling saucepans on the stove while stocking the fridge. She was singing The Supremes, her hair pulled up and hips knocking to close drawers to the beat.

Robbie stood unnoticed in the doorway to the kitchen, its shabby old paint and worn cabinet edges perfectly functional but leaving something to be desired aesthetically. He watched his little sister with a grin, she’d never been what he’d call a happy child. The life she’d lived after that hadn’t given her too many reasons to be a happy adult.

“When do you plan on apologizing to me?” He asks with a nod of his head, almost hitting the top of the door frame.

“For what?” Star spun around, sauce on her cheek and a messy spoon in hand.

“You remember how when I told you we were moving here? And you threw a fit and told me I was ruining your life?”

Star grinned, her whole face beaming as she turned back around the stove.

“Yeah, I remember that.” She groaned.

“Being as this is the happiest I’ve seen you since you were little… I think you owe me an apology.”

“Okay, I’m sorry.” She admitted with a wave of a spoon. “I didn’t expect to find friends here. Or new hobbies. Or anything besides cows and corn.”

“You forgot a new boyfriend. A good one this time.” Robbie leaned in to tease her.

“Shut up.” She pushed him away with her hip and then proceeded to lift her leg to kick him back. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Oh sorry, husband.” He laughed.

“He’s not that either.”

“The fact that you didn’t say a name or ask me who tells me all I need to know.” a smug smile grew with body language of the same description.

“Only one guy comes around. Who else is it gonna be?”

“Yeah, the guy you’re fucking and staying at his house and making god damned pancakes with his family. NOT your boyfriend? Okay.” he rolled his eyes.

“He’s my best friend.” She urged.

“The best relationships start that way, Star. I’m not one to vouch for any guy but this one’s good. He’s not your ex.” He saw her excitement fade quickly. “I didn’t mean to bum you out, sorry.” He put a hand on her shoulder.

“I know. I’m just… still sensitive about it is all. I try not to think about it and when I do it all hits me hard. I know he’s not Bobby. But it’s too much to think about Eddie being…” she sighed and her brow creased. “What are the chances I come here to the middle of fucking nowhere and the first guy I come across is…” she stops herself again.

“The right guy? Yeah it feels too good to be true.” his lips pressed together in acknowledgment.

“I care about him. A lot. I love him to pieces. He's my best friend. He’s an idiot. A very good-looking idiot.” She smiled and let out a happy sigh.

“Love him to pieces?” he said with raised brows.

“NOT like that!” she pointed her wooden spoon at him. “You can love people and not be IN love with them. VERY big difference.” she insisted.

“I’m not rushing you. Okay?” He rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her. “I just know that goofy kid will be a good man. And I’ve not met many of those. I want you happy. And safe. That’s all.”

“You’re getting sentimental in your old age.” Star mocked.

“I’ve gotta pawn your wild ass off to someone else.” He kissed her head and then gave her a light smack. “These nerds that somehow won you over gonna be here soon? I don’t think they’re the show up an hour late because it’s cool to not give a shit type.”

“Nah, they should be here in about 20 minutes. Just have to throw this in the oven and make sure the living room is set.”

“There’s a shit load of pillows and blankets. I think you’re good.”

“I know I just want it to be perfect.” She said casually.

“You know… I like this version of you. Having good friends. Having friends at all really, let’s be honest. Staying in and having a good time instead of me being up worrying about you club hopping all night with a bunch of truly stupid kids.”

“I know.” She said thoughtfully. “I like this new version too.”

-

Robbie sat on the front stoop, smoking a cigarette. It was almost dark and he was appreciating the quiet and cold before having to leave into a fluorescently bright, screeching, hot plant. The thrum of bass could be heard before the van even appeared, he knew it was Eddie.

“Hey, Robbie!” His scratchy shout was accompanied by a nodded head, his hair swishing about since his hands here full.

“Hey Munson.” he gave him a nod. Eddie was carrying a giant box of D and D paraphernalia as he stomped in his worn sneakers towards the side door. “Go in this way,” Robbie shouted and pointed behind him with his thumb. “Star’s in the kitchen. If you’re quiet you’ll catch her singing.” he grinned and winked.

“Should I plug my ears?” he jests.

“Nah she’s not so bad. Just.. erratic.” he chuckled.

“What else is new.” He grinned and entered, being more quiet than necessary as he did want to spy on Star. He put his cardboard box down on the big coffee table and looked into the kitchen. Star was bent over in the fridge, the door blocking most of her from sight. He watched her ass bounce to the beat and heard her muffled voice along with the sounds of metal on metal. He could tell she was wearing his Hellfire shirt, the hem sitting snug across her hips over the leggings she was wearing. She had on a pair of knee-high socks with a little vampire on them that said bite me. She was festive.

She popped up and continued dancing. There was some disco-sounding song with funk guitar and good bass playing on her boom box on the kitchenette table. She was without her usual jewelry. He noticed some rings but a lack of bangles. Her movements without the accompaniment of her usual jangling sounds seemed odd. Eddie stood and nodded his head to the beat and watched her unnoticed. She was counting bags of chips and boxes of cakes with an on-beat pointed finger. She bent over in front of him to look in the oven and he covered the grin on his face. Her skin-tight leggings stretched sheer over the swell of her ass and gave Eddie a little tease. Star, assumingly happy with what she found in the oven hopped back up and did more dancing than anything productive. She spun to head to the table to grab a bag of hot dog buns and saw Eddie. The way her face lit up at the sight of him made his already wide grin spread to his eyes. She said nothing, only shuffled forward with her arms and hips dancing, grabbing his wrist and trying to get him to dance with her.

“You know this one!”

“I do?” he asked her turning her back to him and shaking her ass.

“It’s on the first funk mix tape.”

“Oh right,” he said with enough earnestness she knew he recalled.

“It’s the song about you.” she stuck her tongue out as she turned and laughed.

“Play that funky music white boy?” he joined her in a laugh as she put his hands on her shoulders and she grabbed his waist.

“Yep.” she moved his hips with her since he refused.

“Oh. I got this part.” he shoved her back and started playing air guitar on the solo as she clapped. “Yeah, this was a good one. Well, acceptable.”

“So glad it has your elitist approval.” she snorted and shoved his shoulder.

“You gonna leave this on?” he asked with a raised brow.

“Yeah, why?” she turned back from the counter.

“You want the guys to know you’re a poser?”

“I’m not a poser, you asshole!” she tossed a wet wooden spoon at him from the sink. “I don’t pretend to just like your guy's music. Wouldn’t hurt them to get exposed to some new music.”

“If you want to deal with them making fun of you, be my guest.”

“I guess they aren’t scared enough of me to not do that anymore, huh?”

“Yeah, that’s what happens when you act like a human around guys.” Eddie chuckles.

“It’s already weird enough being the only girl. It’s a total sausage party.”

“I thought you’d be into that.” he smirked.

“I would be if they were viable options.” she stuck out her hip. “But alas.”

“They’re not THAT bad.”

“I didn’t say they were. But I have a type and they are not it.”

“And what’s your type again?” he said smugly, approaching her with his hands in his back pockets, a swaying gate.

“Your ugly mug break all the mirrors in your house? You not remember what you look like?” she grinned. “Go look in one and you’ll see what terrible taste I have.”

“Words hurt you know.” he said playfully, smacking her ass.

“My wittle puppy not like it when mama’s mean to him?” she pouted her lips at him, turning to face him. “I thought you were into degradation.” she tilted her head cockily.

“You…” he let out a dumb laugh and wagged his finger at her. “You don’t get to… say words… anymore.” his shoulders shook as a shocked and embarrassed grin took over his flushed pink cheeks.

She scrunched her nose and snorted out a laugh at his extreme reaction to her playfulness.

“Is this Van Morrison?” a familiar voice shouted. Dustin appeared in the doorway with a bobbing head.

“It is!” Star perked up.

“My mom love’s his stuff.” he followed Star’s lead of bobbing and moving their shoulders.

“She’s got good taste.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” he laughed as Star held out her hand to him and he took it. “But this song is good.” He followed her lead, her hand on his shoulder, his on her waist in a slow dance pose as they moved around together.

“She teach you to dance?” Star asked excitedly.

“She tried. Steve taught me.” he broke away and did a very cheesy snap and shuffle.

“Yeah, those are Steve's moves.” Star snorted and mimicked him. “Or this one?” she put a fist up and pumped it, moving her hips and nodding her head.

“Oh yeah or the Safety Dance.” Dustin stands wide and bobs his head then begins to hop around.

“I’m gonna start inviting you over instead of Eddie.” she side-eyed Eddie as she chuckled, doing the cabbage patch. “HE won’t dance with me!”

“Girls love it with you dance with them!” Dustin shouted at him.

“He’s…" she paused to count. "SIX years younger than you and knows this!” Star shouted too as Dustin grabbed Star's hand and spun her into him.

“What the hell is going on?” Mike asked as he walked into the frame of the doorway.

“They’re being lame.” Eddie said with pursed lips and crossed arms.

“Eddie’s mad because Dustin can dance and he can’t.” Star added as she and Dustin synced up and bumped hips.

“I CAN. I choose NOT to.” Eddie pronounced with a pointed finger. “THIS-” he waved his hand erratically at them. “Isn’t dancing to me.”

“Sorry, we can’t handbag to the greatest hits of the 60’s ya party pooper.”

“Party pooper? Are you 6 years old?” He laughed.

“You’re a stick in the mud, Munson.”

“Yeah, MUDSON!” Dustin cackled and Star joined in. “Get it?” he said with a beaming, happy face, both breaking a little bit of a sweat in the warm kitchen. Eddie kept strong and dead-panned them both, refusing to laugh.

“He does he’s just being a butt head.” Star taunted, shoving him.

“I only need one move for the ladies.” Eddie announced.

“Does it involve a cloth and chloroform?” Star snorted out.

“HA!” Dustin shouted out. “She got your ass.”

Eddie grabbed Star by the wrist and yanked her against his chest, surprising her. He did as he had only once before, and dipped her smoothly, a strong hand to her back and the other lifting her leg by the back of the thigh. He popped her back out and spun her out and she hit the kitchen counter. With a hand to her chest, she openly gawked at him.

“Who the hell was that? Where’d he come from? Bring him back!” she giggled. Dustin and Mike looked at each other from Star’s reaction. Time to capitalize on this.

“Yeah what the hell Eddie?” Dustin sounded almost angry. “Teach me that! Shit!” he glared with no contempt at the older man.

“Come here.” he finally broke and laughed and dipped Dustin.

“Mr.Munson I do declare.” Dustin fanned his face as Lucas’s laugh caught everyone's attention to announce his presence.

“It’s not that hard.” Eddie shrugged.

“We giving dance lessons?” Lucas asked.

“Apparently.” Eddie rolled his eyes.

“The man's got moves. Well, one move. But it’s good.” Dustin turned his head, winking at Eddie. “Show me on Star again.” Dustin shoved Star into Eddie’s arms.

“Easy, tiger.” Star laughed.

“You turn them… put their arm around your neck… hold their back, then lower them down… hand moves down to lift the leg. See?” he held her like that for a second and she let her head fall back to look at the others. “Just make sure you’re strong enough to hold them with one arm.”

“Does it look good?” she asked with her messy plop of hair on her head dangling.

“It does.” Lucas agreed. “How…or WHY did you learn that?”

“To impress girls obviously.” Mike said.

“Theatre actually.” Eddie nonchalantly lifted her back up and got her on both feet again.

“You did theatre?”

“I took it as an easy elective. But we had to learn stuff even if we weren’t in the plays so… that’s what I learned.”

“PARTY’s HERE!” Gareth shouted, bringing in the rest of the guys who were looking at the odd gathering in the kitchen.

“You didn’t tell us your brother was Andre the Giant.” Star laughed at Gareth's wide eyes.

“He’s not THAT big.” she protested.

“He’s what? 6’ 3”?”

“I think so?” she shrugged.

“You’re shrimpy compared to him. How’d that happen?”

“Probably because he has a different dad?” she laughed at the awkward face Gareth made.

“Oh.”

“They do look alike though. In the face anyway.”

“And we’re both ugly.” Robbie grinned standing behind everyone and towering over them. “By my count, everyone’s here. So I’m gonna head out. I just wanted to put names to faces.”

“Aw, has Star been talking about us?” Lucas bat his eyelashes and laughed.

“She talks mad shit about all of you,” he said with a serious face and they all went a little pale. “I’m kidding.” he rolled his eyes and laughed. “Loosen up boys, you won’t last around her drunk if you don’t.”

“You’re drunk?” Jeff asked.

“Not yet.” Star shook her head.

“I’d say be good but there’s no point. You know the number for 911. Don’t die, please. Have fun.” he waves his hands up and grabs his coat and pail and heads out.

“Same sense of humor.” Eddie nodded.

“Same eyes.” Dustin added studying Star’s face.

“Yeah we look like our mom.” added with a soft smile.

“Speaking of, you get to have parties without your parents?” Gareth asked. Star saw Eddie’s face cringe.

“I don’t think they care when they’re dead,” Star said entirely too casually and knocked everyone into a wide-eyed embarrassed expression. “Well technically I don’t know who my dad is so he could be alive. But if he’s not cared for 18 years I don’t think he’s gonna start now.” she laughed and no one else did. Except Eddie who hid his grin behind his hand, pretending to rub his nose. “Relax!” Star held up her hands. “It’s fine. You didn’t know. Now you do.” she shook her head. “Let’s forget all that and get this shit started.” she clapped her hands together and started directing. She shooed Eddie out to set up his session and she showed everyone where everything was. “We’ve got beer, liquor, pop. Hot dogs, pizza, and snacks. You got chips, cakes and of course-” She turned around holding a giant orange bowl that looked like a jack-o-lantern. “A shit load of candy!” she grinned and wobbled with the wide bowl into the living room.

She’d made enough to feed a small army but 7 teenage boys was a small army when it came to how much they could eat. They hung a garbage bag on a door knob and used it to gather everything as they consumed her cooking.

“Could you make this every time we have sessions?” Lucas asked while stuffing his face full of pizza.

“She’s brought it before. If you were there you’d know that.” Eddie gave him a slightly lecturing voice.

“When I make it I’ll bring you some leftovers at lunch the next day. Deal?

“Hell yeah.” he nodded enthusiastically.

“How you want me to get it to you? I don’t think your other friends would like me walking over to the table to talk to you and give you food.”

“I don’t think they’d care that much.” he shrugged.

“Seriously? After she said Jason had a little dick?” Gareth laughed.

“He’s too far up Chrissy’s ass to care about much. And the rest of them follow him so…” he shrugged.

“You’re saying they wouldn’t care if we came over and talked to you?” Eddie said in disbelief.

“No, I didn’t say that. I said if SHE did.”

“What makes her so special?” Eddie asked, perched on the edge of the couch as he shuffled papers.

“Well… they don’t wanna bone with you, Eddie.” a giggle traveled across the group.

“They make fun of all of us, her included.” Eddie looked confused.

“They’re guys Eddie. They lie.” Star stated obviously. “They’ll make fun of me in public and try to fuck me in private.”

“They do what?” everyone noticed the bristle on Eddie’s face. Lucas nodded.

“That story I made up about Jason trying to get some? Not a lie. It just wasn’t him it was about.” Eddie blinked at her trying to compute. “Don’t call me conceited but I’m attractive. And I know how I present myself. It doesn’t matter if I’m a freak, they’d still bone me.” she laughed.

“Those guys are bothering you?” he noticed the guys side eyeing him with a few smirks. “Well we can’t just let her get harassed by the enemy.” he says defensively.

“Unless you plan on fighting every man that’s ever spoken to me I’d say you’re a bit helpless in this situation, hun.”

“THAT was a little conceited.” Jeff grinned.

“True. But guys don’t approach girls on their own unless they want something from them. That’s just how it is.” she shrugged. “I don’t mean to get all philosophical on you but seeing as I’m the only girl here maybe it can shed some light on what being a girl is like.”

“She’s right,” Mike chirped you and everyone looked at him confused. “Nancy? My sister. I’ve heard about it from her.”

“Next time they try shit you tell me.” Eddie tapped the table in front of her.

“Okay.” she rolled her eyes.

“Might as well start with Brandon.” Lucas chuckled.

“Brandon?” Eddie’s head swung fast.

“He left her a love letter in her locker last week.” he snickered.

“The poor kid can’t spell to save his life.” Star laughed.

“Too many concussions.” Jeff added.

Star saw Eddie’s hands clench and he pretend to focus on the paper in front of him.

“Stuff like that isn’t a big deal. It’s whatever.” She shrugged it off.

“Until they start spray painting you’re a slut on the movie theatre.” Star blinked at Dustin. “They did it to Mike's sister.”

“Christ.” She groaned.

“Yeah wasn’t that Steve?” Eddie saw Star’s face look hurt and it brought him a small slice of pride he almost felt guilty about. Almost.

“No, it was Tommy. Ex friend. Guys a total dick.”

“I’m ready to start this. If we're done gossiping” Eddie announced abruptly, a thinly veiled attempt to recover and stop having to hear about how every guy around her wanted a piece of Star.

“Everyone got their snacks? Notebooks? Drinks?” Star asked sitting by Eddie’s feet around the table. He sat on the couch to tower over everyone and they all squeezed around the rectangular coffee table to have a one-shot Halloween session.

-

“I’m the unluckiest person to ever live.” Star said pouting, taking a deep breath and staring at the shot glass in front of her.

“You are on a losing streak tonight.” Eddie chuckled, looking at the sad roll of 3 in front of him.

“I’m like... getting drunk.” she said with a nod, big glassy eyes looking up at Eddie and the other guys laughed.

“Yeah.” Eddie stifled a laugh and took the shot glass out of her hand. “How about you eat, then switch to beer instead?”

“I can’t drink a whole beet every time! God damn!” her voice inflected upwards and Dustin’s snorting laugh rose above everyone’s.

“No, you just take a drink of it when you miss.”

“Ohhh.” she nodded and stood up on wobbly legs. “Y’so smart Eddie.” she scrunched her nose and giggled, her hands on the coffee table.

“You need help getting to the kitchen?” Eddie asked, holding her elbow to keep her steady.

“That’s a definite yes.” Mike chuckled, Star looked at him and pursed her lips.

“Lemme see how you handle 4 shots of whiskey on an empty stomach you little bitch.” The table erupted in laughter. Gareth spilled his beer on Jeff who at noticing, tipped his can over and spilled a little back of Gareth before they fell on each other with a laugh.

“You didn’t eat? Ugh, Star.” Eddie sounded agitated with her.

“I was cooking and doing the stuff for the thing! I was busy!” Her voice cracked with the high register she was hitting.

“Aw, she does care.” Gareth chuckled.

“Of course, I care! I don’t let just anyone in my house!” She shook her head defiantly. “Eddie’s not even been in here much.”

“Eddies been over?” Dustin smirked and Eddie braced himself to cover Star's mouth if she said anything he thought sober her wouldn’t want anyone else to know.

“Duh like all the time he’s my bes fren.” She said very fast. “He’s just usually in my trailer not here.”

“Aw, that’s sweet of her to say.” Dustin leaned toward Eddie like he wanted him to do something about it.

“I don’t think you’re being as helpful as you think you are.” He said quietly to Dustin.

“Oh, that’s your place?” Jeff asked.

“Yeah it was our place now it’s just mine it’s like my little cave. My stuff's there.” She pointed in its direction.

“What stuff?” Gareth asked, his slowly fading sobriety becoming more obvious.

“My things. My bed. My cats. My stuff.” She counted off.

“Alright, we’re gonna pause and babysit.” Eddie said, preparing to stand.

“No!” Star shook his hand off her and stood. She took a deep breath and put her hands on her hips. ”You Master. My turns over, I’ll be back before it’s my turn again. If I’m not send a search party.” she rubbed her face, a slap to each cheek before she nodded and walked with much less wobble the short distance to the kitchen.

“If you get lost the 20 feet to the kitchen we’ve got bigger problems.” Eddie teased.

“Why don’t you take that shot so you’re not so mean, huh? How’s it fair to play people that’ll drinking and you’re sober?”

“I mean I’m a little high.” he grinned.

“Doesn’t count!” Star crossed her arms and slung them down from the archway of the kitchen. “Take the shot!.” she laughed. “Is it fair he’s trying to beat us and we’re not sober when he is?” she acclaimed to her fellow party mates.

“I mean we aren’t drunk.” The three youngest muttered.

“I know. Because you’re my good boys. You’re too young. When you’re 16 you’re allowed.” she said affectionately.

“We’re going by British rules?” Dustin asked.

“Yep.” Star nodded enthusiastically. “Shoot it, Eddie. Even the playing field, we’re getting our asses handed to us right now.”

“Show ‘em some mercy.” Dustin whispered to him.

“What kind of DM would I be if I yielded to the party's request?”

“A GOOD ONE!” the 4 drunken members shouted.

“Do it. Or I’ll call you a pussy.” Star giggled.

“I don’t care what you call me.” Eddie laughed. “I’m called worse daily! ONLY because you said it’d make me a better DM. NOT because you called me a pussy.” he pointed a finger harshly at Star.

“Thata boy!” she clapped.

“Now go eat a hot dog you, drunk.” He hisses at the burn for a second and shooed Star with his hand.

“Don’t tell me to put WEINERS in my mouth Eddie.” she bent over as she shuffled toward the kitchen counter laughing. The simple use of the word weiner sent the group into a giggle.

“Speaking of-” Dustin begins with a smirk and both Eddie and Mike give a pointed elbow and a foot stomp his way.

“Henderson you need to fuckin reel it in. Christ, I’m DMing children.” Eddie rubbed his face but also laughed with them.

-

“You see one of the leaders emerge from the woods. He’s beaten up and bloodied. He has clear signs of a struggle on his face and clothes. He approaches the group, stumbling slightly as he leaves the safety of the tree line. What do you do?” Eddie introduces yet another crumpled leader of the encampment returning. He sat tall and proud, a smug smile as his tailor-made story unfolded.

“Another one?”

“So three have disappeared and come back all beat up? That’s a pattern.”

“But they say nothing happened.” They took turns trying to piece together the story.

“I don’t trust them. I stay in my hiding spot.” Stars eyes narrow. “Imma roll to stay hidden.”

“You’re gonna come shooting out of that cabin like a human cannonball with your luck.” Mike teases.

“She makes it. Barely.” Eddie approves. “You stay unseen by the returned leaders.”

A few turns later as a leader mentions a former plot point Star sits straight up and calls attention to herself.

“ITS A SLASHER!” she hits the table in front of her repeatedly.

The sets of surprised and confused eyes look at her. All except Eddie whose grin was slowly growing.

“The leaders? Camp counselors. It’s literally an enCAMPment, guys! Someone is killing the counselors and these are like…. changlings! They aren’t the leaders! Ronan said before he would never put himself before his people and what is he doing?!” She hits the table with her fingers repeatedly again. “They’re possessed or brainwashed or something!! It’s a Sleep Away camp, Friday the 13th possession situation!”

“Holy shit.” A drunk Gareth's eyes dart around the plane of the gridded dungeon before him.

“So we have to kill them!” Star demanded as Dustin had been weighing his options for his next action.

“Shit. She’s right.” Dustin looks over to star with his wild curl pattern starting to corkscrew out from under his hat from sweat. “Isn’t she?” He looks up to Eddie with an impressed face. “It follows the slasher plot directly. We’ve lost 2 party members already. The leaders are picking us off. You son of a bitch.”

Eddie grinned and shrugged. “Happy Halloween, fuckers.”

-

“You always said you’d survive these slasher movies, Star. Let’s see if you’re right.” Eddie picked up her die and handed them to her shaking hands.

“We’re fucked.” Mike hit the table.

“I’ve not even rolled yet!” Star screeched.

“You’ve not rolled anything good all night!”

“She got the camp goers out alive.” Eddie pointed out with a finger.

“But she wasn’t fighting! She hid in a fuckin cabin all night.”

“Probably because I knew my rolls were shit and I didn’t want yelled at.” Star snarks back, making a face at Mike.

“It’s you and the monster, Lady Athena. Are you gonna be the final girl Ash Williams?” Eddie said quietly to her and smiled.

“He IS a final girl! I don’t have time to-!” Eddie put his hand over her shouting mouth.

“Roll, Lady Sandys.” He leaned forward and grinned. Star made a noise of disapproval and bite Eddie’s hand. “You bit me!” He laughed and shook his hand.

“Don’t feed the animals man.” Lucas laughed. “Don’t put your hands in the cage.”

“No fucking kidding.” Eddie put his mouth to the bite to soothe it.

“No pressure.” Star took a deep breath and cupped her hands around the dice with closed, concentrated eyes. Trying to fill them with intention. When she opened them she found everyone leaning towards her with anxious fingers tapping and twitching on the tabletop. “Big money. No whammies.” She said optimistically and let the dice free.

Eddie was at the ready with his pencil and notepad knowing he could do the math for the completion far quicker than Star could. Everyone stared at Eddie, Dustin sloppily sliding Stars character notes across the table to himself to see what the verdict was.

“Well shit.” Eddie cackled, his hand rubbing through his hair before looking down at a very wide-eyed Star. He reached out and knocked the miniature over. “Athena Sandys takes her great club and brains the mind-controlling creature into the dewy grass of the early morning. The sun crests over the mountains surrounding the camp illuminating the carnage left behind and her fallen party members. She is the last conscious survivor. No longer the victim she is the victor.” Eddie bows his head to her.

“I DID IT?? I DID IT!!!” She screams and rolls on her back and kicks her feet. “Take that! Fuckers!” She punched the air before sitting back up and getting double high-fived by Dustin who keeps hold of her hands and shakes them. They scream into each other’s faces with excitement. Star wished it could’ve been an official game, one with big stakes like Eddie’s campaigns were. But she felt proud nonetheless for the win in any capacity. “If I hadn’t hid half the game you all would be dead!” She cackled.

“What a pussy way to win!” Gareth shook his head but he was laughing.

“But a win, nonetheless.” Eddie points out. Eddie watched Star's entire being light up as she got jostled around among the group as they stood and celebrated. As a DM he couldn’t have asked for a much better game. Her unorthodox gameplay in comparison to the guys made it possible for them to win. That was the logical reason behind his smiling. The warm fuzzy feeling in his chest he pushed down was watching her be so excited about something he cared about. She never had to play with them, but he was eternally grateful that she had.

Star orchestrated the group, no longer under DM rule she took charge.

“Okay, I’m cleaning up. Let’s do a quick sweep, I’ll get dishes. Let's do bathroom breaks and smoke breaks. Get food and drinks and settle back in after. Then it’s game time.” She clapped her hands and the guys dispersed accordingly. Eddie put all his D and D pieces back into his box, watching the others scramble about and fight over the order they’d get to use the one bathroom in the house.

“Have you forgotten you’re dudes and can just go pee outside?” Star shouted from the kitchen. “Out the door to the left, in the bushes please.”

“You don’t mind if we-?”

“They’re dead from cold and it’s better than you all fighting. Knock yourselves out. Get some fresh air!” She ushered them away with a push of her hands. Everyone moves past the kitchen doorway in a small herd.

“Alright! Out to smoke. Give the champ some breathing room.” Edie says with a cigarette already between his lips and clapping at the group of guys in front of him, filing out the door.

The younger three take turns going around the corner to pee.

“I wonder why peeing outside is so much better than inside?”

“Because that’s how humans used to do it.”

“Caveman brain.” They muttered and laughed.

Not even half a cig in, Eddie takes a deep breath and smashes his out into the small sand-filled planter by the stoop.

“I’m going back in. Take your time.”

“Take our time?” Dustin narrowed his eyes with intrigue.

“Yeah. No rush coming back in. I’m gonna talk to Star about the session.”

“What’s that code for?” Mike snorted.

“Nothing. It’s her first win. She did really well.” Eddie stood up with a good posture to raise his chin and look down at the group of younger guys with disdain. “She probably wants to talk about it. She usually does. Didn’t think you guys cared to hear it.” he shrugged.

“She usually does?” Dustin asked.

“Yeah we talk about how she did after sessions, wants pointers and stuff.” he shrugged off the question.

“That’s cute.” Dustin grinned.

“Star you’re so good at D and D, will you marry me?” Lucas laughed.

“Oh is that what this is about?” Jeff had a smug smile.

“No. It’s not.” Eddie sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “They keep saying this shit to me.” he groans.

“You like her. Don’t act stupid.” Dustin bravely says as Eddie’s chin pushes back into his neck at his boldness.

“We just can’t figure out if she likes him.” Mike adds.

“Out of all of us, you’ve got the best chance.” Jeff shrugged.

“It’s not some contest about winning her or something,” Eddie says with more bite to his words. “We’re not in competition here. We’re friends and I’m respecting that.”

“Maybe she wants to be disrespected?” Gareth asked.

“Not cool.” Lucas scolds him.

“Look,” Eddie says shifting his weight to lean forward. “I know you three mini musketeers are gonna try some shit. I’ve come to accept this with your little comments and winks that look like something’s wrong with you. But like I said, don’t mess with her. Fuck with me all you want, keep your snotty little comments coming, but don’t be shitty to her.”

“Aw.” Dustin smiled widely.

“That was almost heartwarming, dude.” Jeff grinned. “I didn’t know it was like that.”

“I would do the same for any of you, too!”

“Awww.” the group says patronizingly.

“Jesus Christ you’re impossible.” Eddie throws his hands down, letting them slap his legs.

“So she said we’re playing a game. Can we capitalize on that?” Dustin steps forward to clarify before Eddie fully turned to leave.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Party games. You know. People make out and shit?” Dustin says incredulously.

“She wouldn’t want to make out with any of us.” Eddie chuckled.

“He’s a terrible liar.” Gareth smirks.

“Always has been.” Jeff nodded in agreement.

“Wouldn’t you prefer to have a friend who’s bad at lying?” Eddies voice cracked with exertion. “Since you aren’t gonna listen to me, just… be nice. Okay? That’s all. I’m done with this stupid conversation. I’m gonna go play catch up with your level of indignant drunkenness so I can enjoy myself since my job is over.”

“We’ll give you a few minutes.”

“Use it wisely.”

“Or don’t.” They all chuckled as Eddie rolled his eyes and went back into the house.

“Did he say he liked her?” Gareth asked as soon as the door was shut behind Eddie.

“Technically yes?” Lucas grimaced.

“What does that mean? Isn’t it a yes or no question?”

“Not really. That’s the issue we ran into.”

“They aren’t together. We know that.”

“Does she have some secret boyfriend in… wherever she came from?”

“Right?” Lucas asked. “I thought the same thing.”

“But she doesn’t.” Dustin pointed out. “We’re just trying to get them to admit they like each other. We think they’d be good together. What do you guys think?”

“If they’re together that could be really bad if it goes south.” Jeff pointed out.

“True. But I don’t think it will.”

“She’s a bit of a wild card sometimes. I couldn’t tell you exactly how she’ll react to something.”

“Plus if they’re together then we’d have to deal with them being TOGETHER. What if he starts ditching us? Or what if they’re all over each other all the time?”

“I don’t think Eddie’s the PDA type.”

“Has he not had a girlfriend before? Is that what’s holding this up?”

“He has just never one we knew. Definitely not one in the club. He doesn’t mix business and pleasure.”

“We thought it was her holding it up. Maybe it’s him.”

“I don’t want to get her out of Hellfire for the sake of them dating. She makes us food and she’s not terrible at it anymore.”

“We’re just saying, we’ve lost friends to girls before. It sucks. We’d rather not have it happen again.”

“But she’s our friend too. She can’t take him away, she’s one of us.”

“Kids got a point.” Jeff shrugged at Gareth’s protests.

“Or we could listen to Eddie and leave it be?” There’s a beat of silence, some chewing their lips in thought and others looking at the ground.

“Nah.” they laugh in unison.

-

Star was doing dishes in the kitchen, music approved by the group playing faintly in the background.

“You want some help?” Eddie asked, sauntering up to her.

“You wanna dry?” She took the tea towel on the counter and snapped it at him with a smile.

“You’re the winner, you call the shots.”

“I am aren’t I?” she popped a beaming smile on her face as she turned her attention back to the dishes.

“I’d say you did really well but you kinda sucked until the end.” He teased with a grin as she bumped him with her hip.

“Can’t let me just have a win can you?” she shook her head but kept the same smile.

“You’re getting better I’ll admit that.”

“Thanks. I’m trying.” she looks over to him to give him a genuine soft-eyed glance.

“I can tell.” his voice is gentle and quiet and unlike his Dungeon Master persona. Within a few plates time, they’re finished with the chore as they move on to more important things.

“You wanna drink?” she asked, whiskey bottle in hand as she sat on the floor in front of the couch. Eddie slid down next to her, crossed-legged on the shag carpet.

“I need to catch up.” he nodded as she grabbed another shot glass off the table and started to pour. “You wanna smoke?” he grinned and took a joint from behind his ear.

“Always.” she nods and takes an ashtray older than both of them off the side table. “I need one of these too.” she reached for the pack of cigarettes she’d kept under the table. “Lighters in my purse. Light me?” she asked with it extended toward him with pooched lips.

“You gonna smoke both?” he laughed and did as was asked of him.

“Yeah. Gimmie.” she grabby handed the joint he had just taken a drag off of. She put the cigarette in one corner and the joint in the other and started laughing. Puffs of smoke escaped her like a train as she exhaled. “Walrus.” she slapped her hands together.

“Seals are the ones that do the thing.” Eddie slapped his hands together like hers.

“They both do it!” she shouted. “Also walruses have the tusks. Seals don't.”

“You’ve got a mustache like a walrus that’s for sure.” he cackled.

“Oh my god Eddie!” she inhaled so hard she started coughing at his insult. “Asshole!”

The guys return to Star leaning over Eddie with his socked feet on her chest to hold her back as he kept her at leg length.

“Okay, maybe they are just friends.” Jeff snorted quietly, amused at the scene in front of him.

“Nah that’s flirting.” Gareth shook his head.

“What the hell kind of flirting is that?”

“The kind that a freak like Eddie does.”

“We leave you two alone and come back to you beating up the DM?”

“I’m beating up Eddie, not the DM,” she stated. “He insulted me, this is what he gets.”

“What happened to being nice?” Dustin tilted his head at a huffing Eddie.

“Change of plans.” Eddie grunted.

“Is this the game you were talking about playing?” Lucas grinned as they took their places around the table.

“No.” Star grabbed one of Eddie’s ankles and clawed her hand. A wordless threat to tickle him.

“I’ll curb-stomp your ass if you even THINK about it!” Eddie warns her with wide eyes and fists raised.

“I think my threat is sufficient.” She nodded smugly. “I want to play a party game. We don’t hang out outside of hellfire so I wanted to do some bonding with you guys.”

“You sound like my dad with her work friends. Team building exercises this. Synergy that.” Mike gags.

“I do wanna build as a team! But not in a white-collar way. I thought some good old-fashioned truth or dare might work better than a retreat where we cheat on our wives.”

“Hell yeah.” Gareth nods in approval.

“Really? Truth or dare?” Eddie's face was fully judging Star.

“Well we aren’t doing spin the bottle and we aren’t doing 7 minutes in heaven since I’m the only girl.” She states obviously. “Unless you guys wanna make out with each other. Which I have no issue with.” She giggled.

"I think that's gonna be a pass."

-

Star had cozied up the place. With the fireplace now going with the encroaching chill from outside through the old windows being fought off by the flames. A metal mixtape of Eddie’s plays faintly from a boom box on a far side table. With the lights dimmed and everyone stocked on snacks and drinks, the so-called bonding began.

“I usually drink beer this shit is…heavy.” Eddie’s eyes flinch as he takes a drink of whiskey in solidarity with the other older members.

“Ever had wine?”

“Ew no, who am I the pope?” Eddie frowns.

“Too sophisticated for you? I understand.” she pat his arm condescendingly.

“I prefer actual blood and not some pseudo blood like a Catholic.” He sticks out his tongue at Star and gives her big eyes, shaking his head to move his hair and lean toward her.

”That’s what I’ve heard.” Star snorts and palms his face to move him away. She pours them both another shot and pushes the bottle out. “We’ve got more of you wanna do any dares.” She plucks the joint from Eddie’s lips and takes a drag for herself. “This too.” She holds out the joint like she’s making a toast. “Who goes first?”

“You’re the host.” Dustin points out.

“Good point.” She nods, taking another drag. “So Dustin!” She smiled wide and sat back, one knee up and crossing her legs. Eddie steals back the joint and she doesn’t react. “Truth or dare.”

“Truth.” He confidently says with a nod.

“BOO!” A few guys exclaim.

“No choice shaming!” Star wags a finger. “Truths are just as valid as dares. Can also be equally as rewarding or devastating.” She pointed out. “Truth.” She nodded in thought, chewing her lip as she eyed the anticipating young man. “What was the last lie you told?”

“And we have to be honest?” He clarified.

“That’s a rule.” She clarified.

“Last lie….” his eyes wandered as he thought for a moment. “Oh! Today actually. My mom. Told her there’d be adults here.” He grinned mischievously.

“BOO!” Gareth groaned.

“It’s true!” His voice cracked.

“They can’t all be winners.” Star shrugged.

“Pretty solid question though.” Eddie nodded and spoke quietly to Star.

“My turn.” Dustin held his hand up and tapped his fingers together dramatically.

“The power will corrupt him.” Lucas chuckled.

“Eddie.”

“Oh shit.” He mumbled and sat up straight.

“Dare.” He let out a heavy exhale, elbows resting on his crossed legs.

“Should I?” Dustin lets out a dramatic laugh and rubs his hand together. “So many choices.” He hummed and considered. “Should I just kick start this party?“ he asked himself rhetorically.

“Shoot.” Eddie winked and pointed a finger gun at Dustin.

“Eddie. I dare you to kiss Star.” He says with a devilish radiant smile, looking over to Star.

“I knew it would happen but not so soon. You’ve got balls to startwith a kiss dare I’ll give you that much Henderson.” She nodded.

“Kiss her? Really?”

“A good one too!” He instructed and the targets both chuckled. “No cheek or hand.”

“Give the people their money's worth.” Jeff joined in laughing.

“You okay with this?”

“It’s the game, you have to play.” She shrugged but kept a smile. “My only addendum here. This goes for everyone. I don’t want everyone daring me to kiss all of you. Got it? I knew the risk coming in but I’ll be damned if that’ll stop me. But I’m not gonna swap spit with everybody. Can we agree with that?”

“Agreed.” A mumble and nods among the group.

“So knowing that do you want me to kiss Eddie? Or are you changing your answer?”

“No takesie backsies.” Mike commanded with a shake of his head.

“Okay, that’s added to the rules.” Star hits the table like she has a gavel.

“We just… in front of everyone?” Eddie asked, eyes glancing around the table.

“Yep.” Dustin gave a single hard nod.

“You really not want to kiss me that bad?” Star chuckled as she turned her body towards his.

“It’s not that.” He gave her a playful smile and met her body posture.

“Any further requests? Because if I kiss him then you say no that’s not what I meant and I’m not doing it again. Only one dare per turn.”

“Are we writing a fuckin' contract over every turn come ON.” Gareth groaned.

“I’m simply making sure rules are established.” Star said softly.

“On the lips. For… 15?” He looks to the other guys. “15 seconds?” He’s given a series of kids.

“And you can’t just push your lips together and then hold them there for 15 seconds,” Lucas added. “Has to be a real kiss.”

“Sinclair, what do you know about real kissing you little scamp?” Star laughed.

“Don’t worry about it.” He smiled back.

“Set the timer. Tell us when.”

“You ready?” Star giggled inches from Eddie’s face.

“I hate this.” He whispered and it made her laugh.

“S’not so bad.”

“Go!” Dustin called out. Eddie did look a bit hesitant. He didn’t like doing this in front of anyone else. He didn’t care for knowing Dustin felt like he’d done something in regards to getting them together. If they only knew.

Star gave him a sweet smile and moved forward first. A move not missed by the older guys. They went by the rules, and neither was going to show off. They were nowhere near drunk enough for that. A single press for a breath, and Eddie followed her lead, not wanting to metaphorically step on her toes. He couldn’t help but be affected by her soft cherry chapstick tasting lips as she kissed him with soft movements and a push of her mouth into his.

It’d been a little while since they’d been together in any capacity. He’d been trying to save the kisses for when they’d turn into more as he had started getting the urge to kiss her for more reasons than the bored and horny claim they’d started their fling with. With her working, their social expectations, hobbies, and midterms looming there hadn't been as much time for having rendezvous together. He didn’t want to call her up for a quickie only to have to leave or crash immediately after and run as soon as he woke a few hours later.

So the physical effects of Star's soft lips truly kissing Eddie were apparent and he resituates himself to hide that fact. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed kissing her.

“And time.”

She pulled away with a smile and couldn’t help but let out a giggle she muffled by lowering her head. She’d missed kissing him too. The group was quiet, a mix of curiosity and a flutter of arousal moving through the group having watched the two truly, fully kiss.

“That wasn’t so bad now was it?” She scrunched her nose at him, a look he was used to seeing in private.

“No that was-“ he let out a deep chuckle and realized his posture had slumped and relaxed at her touch. “Yeah, that’s good.” He nodded and pulled his knees against his chest.

“Dustin you’ve embarrassed the poor thing.” Star pouts and reaches to pinch Eddie’s cheek and he takes her by the wrist and lowers her hand before she can touch him.

“No’m not.” he grumbles.

“It’s your turn now anyway.”

“Revenge.” Star giggled. Eddie could see her eyes a bit glassy and knew she was feeling the whiskey.

“Star.” Eddie smiles devilishly. A cackle comes from the older boys at the heel turn.

“I kissed you! You don’t pick on me!” she whined.

“Truth or dare?” Eddie says with a wide shake of his head, dismissing her complaint.

“Dare.” she states with an aggressive head nod.

“I dare you to kiss me.” he says before it turns into a deep laugh. “I’m kidding.” he grins as she shoved his arm in response. “I want you to go find the most embarrassing photo of you that you have.”

“Ohshit.” she groaned and slumped her shoulders. A laugh moved throughout the group at her expense. “That’s a good one. You asshole.” she complained and stood, going to one of the closed back rooms to find a photo album.

“So how was the kiss?” a hissed whisper from Jeff as he leaned forward across the table.

“Good?” Eddie smirked.

“That’s all we get? Really?” Gareth frowned.

“You saw it!” Eddie whisper shouted back.

“It looked good.” Jeff snorted out a quiet laugh.

“It was.” Edie lowered his eyes and smiled, Dustin giggled at the sight.

“Okay, I found an old album.” They all slunk back to their original positions at the appearance of the kisser in question. “We don’t have that many really.” she sat back down next to Eddie and thumped the old album on the table with a poof of dust. “There are the usual naked bathtub photos but everyone’s got those. They aren’t embarrassing. I’m not really embarrassed by any of them.” she pouted her lips as she fanned through the sticky pages. “I guess this one is the best.” she pushed the book out and tapped a photo. A photo of Star with no front teeth and a wide smile at about 8 years old with a laughing Robbie in the background. “I had just come home from school. I’d gotten in a fight and was losing my baby teeth pretty rapidly. So when I got hit it knocked out by loose teeth.” she laughed at the sight. She had lop-sided and messy pigtails and a smudge of dirt on her face. Despite the rough exterior, her little face was proud and delighted. “Mom took the picture. We were surprised it was in focus with how much we were all laughing.”

“That’s adorable that’s not embarrassing,” Dustin said affectionately.

“She looks like you before your teeth came in.” Mike joked.

“It took them a little while to come in. I had two missing front teeth for a bit there. It was pretty damn cute.” Eddie watches Star’s face soften, a nostalgic and far away look in her eyes. “Does that count?” she met his eyes, surprised to find him looking up at her.

“Yeah, that’s pretty god damn cute. I can let that count.” he nodded with an air of smugness. Star slapped the album shut and slid it under the end table by the couch.

“My turn. Again.” she clapped her hands together lightly in thought. “Should I dare you to kiss me again? Is this the running joke now?”

“I think it is.” Eddie didn’t look at her, picking at his nails, but smiled at her.

“Okay.” she wiggled in her seat and thought for a moment. “Gareth.”

“Dare. Always.” he says with a surge of masculinity.

“Go grab the mustard and a tablespoon.” she smirked.

“Ah, shit.” he laughed and did as instructed.

Then began a more light-hearted series of dares of slapping the person to your right, ice cubes down your pants, and trying to flirt with the person to your left. A few more shots and double shots were had on dares. It was running smoothly and Star had caught a break for a moment.

“Star.” Mike asked.

“Okay. Truth.”

“C’mon choose dare.”

“Nope.” she grinned.

“Fine. Is it true you burned your old school down?”

“Mike.” Eddie hissed under his breath.

“No, it’s fine.” Star pat Eddie’s knee. “I didn’t. There was a fire but I didn’t burn the school down. I started the fire but I didn't on purpose.”

“Does that have anything to do with your arm?” he inquired further.

“MIKE!” Eddie sat up with his hands on the table, coming to her defense.

“Eddie.” Star put her hand to his chest. “Down boy.” she shushed him.

“Is that the rumor that went around? People said I burnt down my school because I had burn scars?”

“That and satanic sacrifices.” Lucas casually added.

“Is that one true?” Mike asked.

“Are we asking me questions now or are we playing?” Star chuckled.

“We’ve got a lot.” Dustin nodded. Star sighed and poured another shot without a word and hit it back. “Go on. Let’s get this over with.”

“Star.” Eddie said quietly.

“It’s fine. I wanted us to bond. It’s only fair I answer some things since we’re friends now.”

“I’m a witch but I don’t worship satan and I don’t sacrifice people. Or animals,” she explains like she’s counting off on her fingers. “The burns are related to the school fire and no I don’t want to elaborate on that. There was fire, I got burned. That’s pretty straightforward. I wasn’t trying to burn the school down. I’ve also heard I was in a cult, I wasn’t.”

“You could’ve stopped at the witch part because WHAT?” Mike's mouth hangs open.

“You know...paganism? I say witch because it gets the point across faster. It’s a belief system. It’s not pointy hats and cauldrons.”

“You have a cauldron.” Eddie smirked.

“SHE WHAT?” Dustin says absolutely invested.

“It’s tiny. I mix herbs and oils for spell work and rituals.”

“You do spells??” Lucas sits straight up.

“Yeah. It’s part of the practice. It’s like…praying?” she shrugs. “But more hands-on.”

“Have you ever put a spell on one of us?”

“No.” she heartily laughed.

“Sure you didn’t put a love spell on Eddie?” Dustin giggled.

“Didn’t need to.” she chuckled and pinched his cheek. He tried to hide a smile and failed.

“I DID hear you were... uh... I don’t know any other way to put it but you were using us... as a group… for sex magic.” Jeff added.

“Yeah, Eddie told me that one. That’s a good one. I’m not obviously since I’m not sleeping with all of you.” she chortled.

“I’ve had people ask if you and Eddie were.”

“That was YOU Gareth.” Star threw her head back in a laugh.

“I mean other people. They think you worship satan together and shit.”

“I don’t believe in satan.” she rolled her eyes.

“Why wouldn’t you date Steve?” Dustin blurted out and Eddie's head noticeably snapped his way.

“Why don’t you ask him? Isn’t he like, your best friend?”

“He wouldn’t tell me. Yeah but I wanna know. Ladies LOVE Steve.” Star sighed.

“I get it, I do. He’s a doll." Eddie side-eyed Star but she didn't notice. "Sweet guy, nice, all that jazz. But he’s not my type. His parents are rich, which changes your brain. I was born poor. There’s a fundamental difference in how we see the world.” she expressed with gripped hands. Eddie suppressed a smile and for what might've been the first time in his life he was glad he was poor. “He’s my friend. I’d do anything for the guy. But I won’t date him. I’d feel like I was leading him on knowing it wouldn’t work out in the long run.” she answers honestly and Dustin can tell. “Plus he’s very… he seems very domestic, bless him. He wants a wife and a houseful of kids with a dog and picket fence and I’m just… not that girl.” she huffed out softly.

“You don’t wanna get married? Ever?” Jeff asked as if this surprised him.

“I didn’t say that.” Star shook a finger his way. “I don’t know what the future holds. I’m not making plans. I’m just 18, well almost 19 but I’m not thinking about that right now. That’s future me’s problem.” she sat back with a laugh.

“You want kids? I still think you’d be a great mom.”

“I don’t know why you think that but the same answer. I don’t know.” she groaned. “Also don’t go commenting on if a girl wants to get married and have kids. It’s a bit fucked up, to be honest. I’m not lecturing you because I like you and know you don’t mean to be shitty. But making a woman feel bad for her choices that our culture forces on us from birth is shitty. Don’t do it. Mind your business.” she explains with a sweeping hand.

“That’s why I tried to stop this.” Eddie grumbled.

“I’m not mad. I just want them aware. I know you know.” she pat Eddie’s thigh.

“Why’d you move?” Gareth asks, Eddie felt Star's hand stiffen on his leg and she felt him tense just the same.

“I needed to… get away from the city.” her tone was tight. Her body language shifted to guarded.

“Did you not have friends? Did they not care that you just bolted?” he further inquired.

“Turns out the people I thought were my friends were actually kinda shitty.” She sat back and sighed.

“What about a boyfriend?” Gareth smirked.

“You could quit interrogating her you know.” Eddie says with a little bite.

“She appeared out of nowhere! Call me curious!”

“I had one.” She shrugged, looking down and avoiding the gazing eyes.

“Ohhh what was he like?” Dustin innocently asked. He was hoping to find out if he’d been anything like Eddie.

“Well…” she took a deep breath. “He’s in prison now so… if that gives you any idea.” She rubbed her arm and her brow dropped.

“Oh shit. You dated a criminal?”

“He wasn’t in prison when I met him.”

A few sets of eyes blink at her in question.

“Why’d he go to prison?”

“Robbery?” She shook her head.

“Stole a car!” Another shake with tighter lips.

“Murder?” Were thrown into the ring for contenders along with clueless laughter.

“No it was actually,” she paused and her nose winced involuntarily. “Uhm, Aggravated Assault.” No one in the group except for Eddie had heard Star's voice turn so quickly. “That was the… uh, official charge.” She looked away and her face fell. She felt a flutter in her chest that grew to burn in her cheeks. She sounded small, scared. A crack of emotion as she swallowed audibly and tensed her jaw. She took a slow inhale and stood from her spot. “I’m gonna… just gimmie a minute.” She barely muttered and disappeared behind her bedroom door quickly. After only a moment's pause.

“Oh shit, you mean…” Dustin whispered in realization.

“I fucking told you!” Eddie hissed with venom at the group of boys and their wide shocked eyes.

“We didn’t know!” Dustin looked petrified at what they’d done. “Did you?”

“Remember when I said it was complicated?” Eddie looked over the younger three now cowering backward. “And to leave HER alone about it?”

“How was I supposed to know something like THAT happened?” Dustin screeched in defense.

“We were just asking questions. She said to.” Gareth grimaced.

“And you couldn’t see she wasn’t into it when you asked about Chicago? Use your brain! People don’t up and leave somewhere without a reason. And it usually isn’t a good one!” Eddie felt his anger hot in his face. He’d raised to his knees and was wide-armed on the coffee table to assert himself over the group.

“We didn’t know! We’re sorry!” Jeff pouted.

“Yeah, we had no idea.”

“She seems so tough I never thought she’d let someone...”

“A girl who doesn’t trust anyone shows up, with burns, to a town she has no connection to and you don’t stop and think she’s been through something? You all aren’t that stupid. C’mon.” Eddie groaned.

“I didn’t think…” Mike began.

“Stop right there. That’s all you needed to say.” Eddie spits out and raises to sit on the couch.

“Dude we said we were sorry.” Lucas added.

“Tell her. Not me.” He ran a hand through his hair, his posture slumped. He looked at her bedroom door.

“I don’t think she wants to see us right now.”

Eddie stands after staring for a silent minute.

“Clean up and get stuff ready to lay out and watch a movie. I’ll get her back out here and you’ll apologize. And she’ll forgive you.” He chops his hands as he speaks. “It’ll be fine.” He shakes out his hands, rings feeling heavy as he threw them down, hoping to move out the bad energy before he approached her.

With a knock, he opened the squeaking door to see her looking his way from the window. It was open, the pitch black heavy against her and the flowery curtains that blew lightly from the October breeze. “Can I?” She nodded in response, taking a drag from a cigarette. He slinked into the door as if opening it all the way wasn’t an option.

“I shouldn’t have left.” She pursed her lips together looking more disappointed than upset.

“No, you should’ve told them to mind their own damn business.” He was the one that sounded like he’d been outed.

Her brows raised in surprise at him, her lashes fluttering as she looked him over.

“Sorry.” He huffed out, joining her by the window.

“What are you mad about?” Her chin jutted upward as she offered him her cigarette. He took it with a twitching hand.

“I’m mad they upset you.”

“Don’t be. They didn’t know.” She sighed. “I mean, neither did you. Not really.” her lips formed a thin line, and her pronounced cupid’s bow stretched out.

“I knew something…” he trailed off and paused, there wasn’t any reason to get into it. “Are you okay?” He diverts his attention and hands her back the brightly glowing paper.

“I’m fine. I overreacted.” She looked away to her feet, an arm covering her chest.

“I don’t think so.” He offered his condolences.

“I’ve been drinking and smoking and I didn’t know if I’d get emotional and I didn’t wanna cry like some little kid in front of them so I removed myself from the situation.”

“Makes sense.” He spoke quietly and wanted to reassure her that she didn’t have to hide her emotions but he knew she didn’t like showing weakness. He knew she thought being emotional was weak. He related to that. “I know they’re not happy about upsetting you. For what it’s worth.”

“Yeah, I figured. As soon as I came in here I regretted leaving.” she rolled her eyes at herself and looked out to the field by her house dimly lit by a holiday-appropriate looking moon.

“It gave me a chance to lecture them about how stupid they were acting.” His eyes lit up a bit, his face losing its hard edge he’d entered with.

She let out a soft audible sigh at the sight of his brown eyes soft once again, looking to hers for approval.

“What?” he huffed, a crooked smile on his recently licked lips.

With a soft face, she stepped closer, closing the space between them. She tip-toed up to kiss him and he instinctively lowered his head to meet her halfway.

“What’s that for?” his half-lidded eyes gazed almost sleepily down at her smiling face.

“You know you don’t have to protect me from everything Eddie. It’s very cute. Endearing even, but you don’t have to.”

“I know.” He sounds unconvincing. “I don’t like it when you’re upset.” he reached out and took her hand into his. “Especially if it’s something I can stop.”

“That’s not your job, Eddie.” shaking her head, strand fell into her face as her shoulders jostled at a silent laugh.

“Sure it is.” he shrugged. He looked up to her from his face's lowered position, the tips of his wavy bangs tickling along his eyelids. A tease of dimple appeared on his cheek from the light-hearted grin he shot her way. “I mean, we did kiss so that pretty much means you’re like, my girlfriend now. So it’s my job.” He gives her his trademark charm and cheekiness as he expressively moves his head with his teasing words.

“Oh is that what that means?” Her whole chest moved with her laugh.

“I mean that’s what Katie Steinbeck told me in 2nd grade when she kissed me on the playground so… I think it holds up.”

Star's eyes shut with a hearty laugh.

“I’d say I can’t believe those little fuckers did that but I totally can. I thought they’d do worse, to be honest.”

“What’s worse than having to kiss you?” He scrunched his nose at her but his smile lines deepened. She dropped her jaw in dramatic offense taken.

“Having to kiss YOU.” She made a grossed-out face but leaned up to kiss him again.

A shared laugh got caught between presses of their lips.

“So gross.” He mumbled before pressing his mouth to hers a second time. He released their clasping fingers to pull her against him.

“Disgusting.” She objected only with the word, no tone of rejection was to be found in her voice or body language. His hand found her jaw and planted itself there as he felt her lean her weight into him at the touch.

“Why would anyone wanna kiss you?” His nose caressed hers before planting an audible kiss on her now shining lips.

“Couldn’t pay me to kiss you again.” She grinned before her tongue lapped against his full lower lip. A deep but playful grunt escaped him as his hand clutched her back and he returned the gesture. He felt the slightest catch in her exhale through his hot palm as his tongue traced her lip.

“Your trembling is giving you away.” He grinned before taking her lower lip into his mouth with a gentle suck. It extracted a small moan from her open mouth. He bit into the thick flesh and watched her eyes flutter shut, her mossy irises rolling to white before disappearing. She whined before he unlatched and set her free, a delicious throb in her lower lip grew as she pushed her mouth to his with a needy call for more. The heat grew between them, fanned by the heavy breaths they shared between cracks in the shifting seals of their kisses. Star felt the room spin, her eyes lolling about in their sockets before she parted from his thoroughly distracting mouth and took a deep breath.

“Oh boy. I am drunk.” A dopey smile crossed her face as she batted her eyes and steadied herself. “Got so worked up I got woozy.” She admitted with a bashful giggle.

“Well, I can’t very well be taking advantage of a drunk girl.” He gave her a soft smile she didn’t pay attention to. He turned her to the window, moving to stand her against his chest. His tender fingers tucked her hair back from her face as he let the cold air hit her directly from the window. “Especially one that that thinks kissing me is so gross. Maybe that’s it. You’re not drunk. You’re so grossed out by me you’re getting nauseous.” He saw her darling smile, shut eyes, and closed lips as she cozied into his embrace, her hands holding onto his arms that wrapped around her chest.

“Must be it.” She sighed contently, letting her head hang back and lay in his chest. He placed a kiss on her temple that drew a happy hum from her. “Let’s make everyone go home and we can get in bed.” She let out a yawn. Eddie grinned at her idea and put his face against hers as he spoke.

“I’ve got the next best thing.” He promised. ”They’re picking out a movie and you can get comfy on the couch and I’ll be right there with you.” She nodded, soaking in the feeling of the vibration from his voice moving into her body from the soft press of his face to hers.

“You don’t think it’ll be suspicious if we’re cuddled up on the couch?”

“I mean we kissed why stop there?” She felt his smile against her cheek and returned it earnestly.

“I can’t be seen snuggling with the likes of you.” She giggled and turned her head, kissing his cheek.

“How about… I’ve got a sleeping bag, I’ll put it right in front of the couch. How’s that sound? How’s that for compromise?”

“I���ll still smell you from there.” She snorted out a short-lived laugh. He bit her nose in retaliation and she wiggled and squeaked in his arms. He growled playfully and bit her jaw as she squirmed and he held her tightly.

“Let’s get some food in you so you’ll stop being so mean to me.” He noisily left a smack of a kiss on her cheek before releasing her from his arms and taking her hand to lead her toward the door.

-

Star got more homemade food in her stomach to soak up the alcohol. The boys apologized and she did as well. The subject was dropped and the next was raised as to which of the rentals they’d watch. Star and Eddie had seen all of them before but they happily piled into their soft nests to watch them again anyway. The boys sat in a trio and didn’t falter much, candy and soda fueling their banter.

Star and Eddie however faded much faster. She was on her front on the couch, and a comforter and pillows cocooned her in. Eddie’s sleeping bag was right against the couch, a pillow of Stars under his head, smashed into a square to prop him up. Star watched the light of the tv flicker across his face. The dying fire glowed against the darkness of the living room with its dated floral wallpaper and carpet. With the attention drawn to the screen and not them, she ran her fingers through his hair. At first, he was startled as he turned to back to check out what she was doing. She simply smiled and brushed his hair out of his face, continuing with her original intention. Throughout the movie they dozed, fighting sleep as she kept her nails to Eddie's scalp and played mindlessly in his wavy mop of hair. The soft but frizzy strands slipped through her fingers and soothed her with the repetitive motion.

They made it through the first movie, but by the middle of the second, everyone was starting to fade, even the sugar-filled youngsters. Eddie had laid on his back, accepting that sleep was coming for him. Star peered over the edge of the couch, walking her fingers up Eddie's chest and plucking his lower lip. She sighed and smiled, cheek mushed as her half-lidded eyes watched his. She tapped the button end of his nose and ran her nail up his bridge to his forehead. She ran the soft pad of her finger back down the center of his face. She traced his bone structure of eye sockets and jaw with a single exploratory finger. He closed his eyes and let her play. Another upward then down trek of the center of his face led her to his lips again. She traced the full shape pushing his cupid’s bow in then flicking his lower lip with her nail open. He fluttered his eyes open and smiled as she kept snapping his lower lip. He silently lunged and bit the end of her finger. He saw her jolt and grin, rolling back and disappearing before appearing again and stifling a laugh. She repeated her motion and he once again bit her fingertip, seemingly much to her delight. It felt wholesome and affectionate that night; her studying and fussing on him. He took her hand into his and kissed it. Her face softened, eyelids were heavy and happy. He kissed each finger pad, closing his eyes for an indulgent moment with the intimate contact. His larger and far stronger hand manipulated hers easily to nose and nuzzle it to repay the affection. He entwined their fingers, a cold metal shock to her skin as they laced against him. He placed a kiss and mouthed, “go to sleep”. She lifted his hand and kissed a bare-knuckle and let him have control of her hand again willingly.

“Okay.” She whispered. She nuzzled her head into her pillow, sleeping at the edge of the couch so they could both see each other. He left his hand in hers letting it rest on his chest and they fell asleep with the compromise of holding a single hand.

Part 11

Tag List (hopefully it works this time) Just ask to be added!

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[bullet-prooflove]

Donna’s Wednesday Radio Show Prompt List #24

It’s that time again! The Wednesday Radio prompt list!

Please check the updated character list on my pinned post to see who I am writing for before submitting a prompt!

Also read the rules and do not forget to put the entire prompt into your ask!

Where there's a will, there's a way, kind of beautiful

I've gotta tell you what a state I'm in

He's more than a man And this is more than love

You were a thud in the night

And if there's love in this life, there's no obstacle

I might as well take a gun and put it to his head

When you hear the firin' shots

I don't need no beat I can sing it with piano

Such a saint but such a whore

I started lookin' for a warning sign

My soul it knows no one other than you

Monday left me broken

I don't think I'm coming home

Tuesday, I was through with hoping

When the truth is I miss you

Wednesday, my empty arms were open

I'm drawn to you, something's magnetic here

But how'd y'all look so perfect? You must have some portraits in the attic

Thursday, waiting for love, waiting for love

You came back to haunt me

For real, want you to show me how you feel

It's overrated, just get another drink

You don't want nothing at all to do with me

Thank the stars, it's Friday

This is the road to ruin

I'm burning like a fire gone wild on Saturday

When I watch the world burn All I think about is you

we both know Where I'm about to go And we know it very well

Watch me come undone

Guess I won't be coming to church on Sunday

Lying in bed I can feel the space, pillows can't replace

Betray myself, just to keep your love at any cost

 I thought that it would kill me, but it didn't

We are one of a kind, irreplaceable

But you showed who you are, then one magical night

If I ever hurt you your revenge will be so sweet

Crazy that I won't give up on you

How did I get so blind and so cynical?

And it's most tempting to give in

With every careless action you let me slip away

I pray that when I'm coming down you'll be asleep

I don't wanna be a murderer

Let's be alone together

If you just bought me flowers, maybe I would've stayed

 I don't know what the fuck your name is

It isn't love, it isn't hate It's just indifference

In a home that's filled with love and hope

Last couple years have been a mad trip

I'm not scared of dying, I just don't want to

I forgot that you existed

Because I'm gone again And to him I just can't be true

A kiss upon my cheek As he reluctantly Ask if I'm gonna be out late

If I stopped lying, I'd just disappoint you

Would've fought the whole town,

the scent that you left behind

But I want you, ain't nothin' wrong with, wanting you

You can leave with me Or you could have the blues

Sniff on them panties now

God knows what is real and what is fake

And I know that he knows I'm unfaithful

We fucked this house up

I don't wanna take away his life

Tell me all your original sins

So many questionable choices

And it kills him inside To know that I am happy with some other guy

Damn, I know I'm killing you with them legs

We're gonna close the curtains

But I don't wanna do this anymore

I feel it in the air As I'm doing my hair Preparing for another date

Boy, you're a sight to see, kinda somethin' like me

I got every reason to feel like I'm that bitch

We run away from real life,

Every time I walk out the door I see him die a little more inside

We're gonna stay naive tonight

I don't wanna hurt him anymore

And show me secrets you didn't know was inside

He walk like this 'cause he can back it up,

[invisibleraven]

 Pumpking painting because A just doesn’t trust B with sharp objects and comes up with another alternative that wouldn’t hurt their pride + Alex/anyone because he has a type and that type is 'not allowed to use knives'

Alex grunted as he lugged the crop of pumpkins that Reggie bought into the house. Granted, Reggie was bringing in the rest of the groceries, so fair was fair. Even if Reggie bringing in the milk and eggs didn't result in his clothes being covered in dirt from a mass of gourds.

"Why do we need so many pumpkins again?" Alex grumbled as he laid them down, dusting off his hoodie.

"Because I like pumpkins!" Reggie replied as he restocked the fridge. "Plus we can make pie out of the flesh afterwards. MeeMaw gave me her recipe and everything!"

Alex froze at that. Not because Reggie was a bad baker, far from it. Honestly he was the reason the two of them didn't live on take out five days of the week. But there was a reason Alex functioned as the sous-chef. Because Reggie and knives? Never ended well.

Every time Reggie tried to chop cut any food, he ended up with his fingertips covered in bandages, and drops of blood coating the countertops. So the thought of Reggie trying to cut and carve a pumpkin made Alex's blood run cold.

The last thing he wanted was for Reggie to lose a finger or ending up in the hospital due to blood loss after attempting to make a jack o lantern. "Hey, that sounds great, but how about we just paint the pumpkins instead and I buy you the pie filling?"

"Psssh, MeeMaw's recipe does not call for canned pumpkin Alex. It's the real thing or bust!" Reggie said, and then pulled out a dangerous looking chef's knife.

"Reggie no!"

"Reggie yes!" he protested, but allowed Alex to take the knife from his fingers, pouting when he put it away.

Alex blew out a breath, shoulders sagging. He couldn't take it when Reggie pouted, and he often found himself powerless to resist it. "Look, Reggie, you know I love you right?"

"I certainly hope so after all this time."

"Then believe me when I say that there is no universe where I am letting you carve a pumpkin just so you can end up carving yourself instead," Alex said.

Reggie held up and finger and then deflated. "That's fair. I suppose I could paint them, but I still want pie. And I never really got to do the whole pumpkin thing as a kid..."

Alex sighed. "Okay, here's what we'll do. I will cut open the pumpkins, you can scoop it out-with a spoon-and get what you need for pie. Then we paint the outside, however you want."

"That's fair," Reggie conceded. "Oooh, I can make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies too!"

Alex's stomach grumbled at the thought. "Okay, baking first, painting second."

Reggie bounced in agreement, gathering up the pumpkins to wash them and Alex shook his head. He must be in love, he figured. Because there was no other way he would let himself get talked into painting pumpkins just to keep Reggie safe from harm.

But he was seriously reconsidering it when he happened to slip with the knife and slice open his finger on the last pumpkin and Reggie quipped that at least they had enough for pie already before grabbing the bandages.

Alex glared, but then he had a fresh cookie shoved in his mouth, a tender kiss pressed to the now bandaged wound, and a pumpkin covered in pink glitter that Reggie made just for him, and well, maybe Alex was okay with the whole thing after all.

Plus the pie was totally worth it in the end. Especially when eating it off of Reggie in bed later that day.

[ackermanslov4r]

hey bestieeeee, i love your work let me tell you omg. anyways… i’ve been having this idea in my head about levi AND IT WONT LEAVE ITS SO AHHHH. anyway i was wondering if you could write a fluffy little fic about levi proposing to the reader in the rain. personally i feel like there would be lead up to it just him stressing about when to do it and how but he just sees the reader and just decides it’s the time. AHHHH ANYWAY NO PRESSURE OR ANYTHING JUST HAVE FUN AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF <3333

THIS THIS RIGHT HERE IS AMAZING!! i hope i did your ideal well 😔😔

Levi had experienced many stressful situations ,but nothing compared to how he felt about proposing to you. He'd been thinking about it for months ; which was unexpected when you thought about the fact that,before meeting you,Levi had been completely opposed to the idea of getting married. Some parts of him still had doubts , as he wasn't sure exactly what was the difference between a regular couple and a married couple ; but marriage seemed so important to you,and he couldn't help but feel flustered just thinking about being your husband.

He'd just never thought about how the whole process would be stressful . He'd stressed over which ring to get , stressed about you not liking the jewel, and above all,the main reason of his currently anxious state, was how and when to propose. He'd tried,the past months,many times,but had never felt like it was the right moment ; or he'd just backed off because of fear and insecurities. His behaviour didn't go out of notice as you frequently asked him what kept him in such state of alert.

"Levi,you're zoning out again. Just tell me if my story isn't interesting." you chuckled,suddenly interrupting Levi's thoughts. He'd been so entrenched in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed rain had started to fall.

"We should go home now , it looks as if a storm is coming." With a nod,he approved,still half lost in his thoughts as his hands played with the ring's box inside of his pocket. He'd been carrying it everywhere since he'd bought it , waiting for the right moment,afraid it might never happen. He knew you wouldn't reject him ; the years you'd spent waiting for him before he could finally be able to get in a relationship had showed him how deep your love was ; but some tiny little voice inside his brain couldn't stop himself from fearing rejection.

Rain began to poor more and more violently, wetting your clothes in a few seconds,and Levi suddenly regretted not taking an umbrella or his cape. The two of you hurried off,almost running now,to get to a place to cover yourself until rain stopped falling. Levi was behind you,making sure you didn't slipped on a puddle and hurt yourself.

"Okay,wait,just a sec,let me catch my breath." you suddenly mumbled,stopping so quickly Levi almost ran into you and knocked you off. Hands on your knees,wet hair falling over your face,you bent down,taking deep breaths as Levi looked at you and felt this usual wave of love he experienced whenever he had some time to simply observe you. If he could just spend the rest of his life looking at you,not doing anything else,he'd be the happiest man on earth. And,with that thought came the courage he'd been trying to gather for months.

"Y /n ." he called, as he walked to you.Your eyes met his,and for a second he forgot everything that surrounded him ; his solely existence being only you. He opened his mouth,closed it,and then, with a quick look at the dirty and wet ground,decided to throw away the idea that you needed to have a knee on the ground to propose. His hand ruffled inside his pocket for the ring as he began to talk again :

"You know that I'm not good with words or with relationship in general but...I want you to know that my care for you is real. Even if I could voice my feelings ,I wouldn't be able to phrase the ones I have for you,because they can't be put into words. This is why..." He finally managed to get the ring out,earning a small gasp of surprise for you. "I know I'm not the perfect man,and that being with me isn't always a pleasure...But, Y/n, will you still make me the honour of marrying me ?"

With the rain,Levi couldn't really say if it was tears or raindrops that fell from your eyes ; but,as you nodded and smiled at him,smiled at him as if he was the only person on earth,as if he was the best person out of all the others ; as you smiled at him like that,the thought disappeared from his head. He didn't know who had leant forward and kissed the other first either, or when exactly he'd passed the ring on your finger ; all that he knew was that it was the happiest mess he'd ever experienced.

"I really thought you would never ask." you finally said,each words punctuated by a kiss. "I've seen you hanging on that ring for months and I seriously began to wonder what it looked like." The look on his face made you laugh,a sound like a ray of sunshine peering through the rain. "I know you too much to not notice these sort of thing,Levi.But ,even if you don't have any secrets for me anymore,I still can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

[husbandohunter]

What they love about you (part 1) [Genshin Impact]

Synopsis: It was as if the universe had changed when they saw you.

Characters: Diluc, Kaeya, Xiao, Venti x female reader

Part 2 here

(A/n): Okay okay I know I have some requests yet I decided to write something super indulgent. I'M SORRY! This past week I've just been writing so much angst *looks at inbox* AND MORE ANGST TO COME I really need that dose of Vitamin F(luff) 😭

===========================

Noctua's Heartbeat (Diluc)

For a man who had the whole world in the palm of his hand

With looks, fame and all the wealth he could demand

But what stole away his breath was something not to be bought

For it was merely the calming presence of your living and beating heart.

Your heart was a dignity born for empathy, so beautiful and magnificent with the kind of charm similar to white Cecilias blooming across Mondstadt's fields. Diluc would watch from afar, admiring their glow. It shines without reservation, blissfully unaware to a fault that he couldn't help but feel afraid knowing how the real world would simply pluck you from your roots and shape you in the way they wanted to. People who were tainted souls with tainted soles roaming from the shadows, constantly trampling on other's beliefs before leaving them to rot.

Ah but of course, Cecilias are wildflowers. No matter how many times they were stepped on, they could still withsand any force nature throws at them. Whether it'd be raging storms or scorching heat from the summer sky, you were the same through it all. Love. You were in love. You were in love with the wind, you were in love with people, you were in love with the world and everything that lives in it.

And so, Diluc wonders if that was the reason why everything suddenly began to shimmer.

He treaded on a path fated for loneliness while longing for the dawn to appear out of the night horizon-- where emotions once frozen until you came in to melt the ice. He blocked his heart but you tore down those walls. Diluc swore to never feel if it meant protecting himself and yet you held onto his shattered pieces tenderly, dearly, blowing the love of life and teaching it how to beat again.

Your heart was like a fountain of all the hopes he abandoned years ago and the dreams that no one had the courage to envision, cleansing everything within it's reach and freshening them anew. You were a being so in tune with your emotions that it sang through all that you did, laughing despite your obstacles and shedding tears when overjoyed, a single drop it was but still held the depth of the entire ocean. Diluc vows to protect you for your heartbeat was also his own. He'll gladly lay down his life because losing you deemed far worse than any death he could imagine.

~xx~

The other eye of Pavo Ocellus (Kaeya)

The knight's shining armour serves only as a disguise

When beauty from the surface is one's own demise

He used it to protect himself, decorating his words with pretty lies

But unmatched when facing against your truthful eyes.

They say the eye was an open window to a person's true colours. If that were the case then the painting inside him must have been an unsightly one.

Every once in a while the people of Mondstadt would speak about their Cavalry Captain's eyepatch, whether he was injured after being sent out on a mission or if he wears it for the sake of image. No one knows, it was rather unsettling, why someone would cover their eye despite not being injured. Secrets? Perhaps. Kaeya was known to be a man shrouded in mystery after all.

Your gaze was his Death After Noon. Sparkling upon the surface yet with the tasteful allure so captivating that it was almost dangerous. Just one glance and he was intoxicated, eventually leading to a slip of the tongue, revealing what was buried deep within his contaminated essence. Kaeya hated that you had the uncanny ability to see through his mask. Your innocence so contrasting, he felt like looking into a mirror, reminding just how much of an ugly person he truly was in comparison.

But mirrors are easy to break, no?

The thought delivers a sinister smile on his face. Pitiful-- is the state where you were. Pitiful-- it's what he is. How could he think of such things when all you offered was kindness? Unlike Kaeya, you were an honest person, always wearing your emotions on your sleeve and unaware of the devil's vicinity. He was tempted by the invite to crush you and run away like the coward he was meant to be. However as he stares deeply into your eyes he realized they weren't made of glass. They were gems. The most precious gems hardened by the pressures of experience.

In the shine of thine eyes resides the stars and the moon as if stolen from the Abyss, leading to the edges of the universe that was blessed within your mind. The look of curiosity filled with rich hues all held by a soulful stare while they pierced through the armour shaped around his heart. It was your ability to recognize beauty amongst the most wretched of things that he fell so hopelessly in love with you because for the first time someone had seen him-- his flaws and his faults, his abyss painted darker than black but loved him despite it all. As he drowns himself in the world of your gaze, Kaeya prays to never be the one who will steal away those stars or moon because they looked the most beautiful on you.

~xx~

The Winged Nemesis who flew towards the Sun (Xiao)

He looks at your face as if he saw spring for the first time

An unsual encounter, wondering how could something be so sublime

The yaksha stands upon the corpses while reaching for the sky

Seeing the sun in your smile that he wishes to fly

Xiao has dealt with the cards of death and won through many of it's games. But his life was a gamble as the karmic binds may one day bring the same fate that was done upon his comrades-- insanity, murder and corruption. So he swears an oath to his god and himself, ensuring the darkness only he could bear does not seep into the light.

A gust of wind sways in when you pass by, he was struck by pensive bewilderment because happiness was a feeling unknown to him. It was the expression you made whenever you greeted him good morning. The complexion you had while charging through life's challenges. And the face you wore even during the times where there was no reason to smile. Xiao has felt the might of the sun for her light will never be exstinguished by his darkness, he could only succumb to it.

But you were not just the sun, you were the flowers that bloomed beneath her heavenly sky and the birds that chirped upon those earth-like trees. You were a whole new world he didn't dare to touch because dreams were delicate and his cursed self would only devour them until nothing was left. Still, the mighty sun shines through it all, stretching out her rays like a welcoming embrace until the universe had been revitalized, giving birth to new life after winter's storm.

If pictures told a thousand words then he had a thousand reasons and more to love you. Xiao witnessed the sweetest joy decorated by pink petal blossoms dancing around him, the one who pulled him out of his spiraling trance of darkness. The breath he takes no longer felt suffocating and instead was replaced by the smell of nature's greatest gifts: you. Stay away, he says, because there were times where you shone so brightly that he had to look elsewhere. Your rays burned him and he thinks it might drill holes into his wings. Painful it may be but if the splendor of spring could only be admired after the harsh cold snow, then maybe pain and love were only two sides of the same coin.

A world without the sun--such unfathomable thoughts--is a death he does not wish to deal with.

~xx~

A song she sings for the God of Wind (Venti)

Man lives by the power of the tongue,

Whatever Man speaks is aligned with Man's choice.

Hearken when she talks for her words are to be sung,

Because not only was she lovely but so was her voice.

-Venti

There were many reasons why Venti loved music. The freedom to express oneself when words weren't enough, allowing one's spirit to flow out of their mouth and be with the wind. It was the feeling he had when he listened to you because your voice was sweeter than any song he sang or played.

When you speak it was as if the world around you danced, bringing them to the mercy of your stage. Like standing upon the soft grass while letting the sparks of dandelions dust against his own skin, Venti would close his eyes as he hears you speak-- it was you, just you and that was all he needed. He swears that no one in the world could sound as living as you did because it was the words you say that stole his heart away.

The vibration in your tone was fleshed with kindness yet so sure and firm to the point it could even bring a god to his knees. If he were a sailor then you were the siren, enchanting him with your bell-like voice and bringing him to a territory where he can never escape from. It was the spell of your divine song, his Carmen Dei, that tricked the trickster. Venti did not mind as long as he was able to feel the blessing amongst his ears.

[lailnii]

— i can’t

gojo satoru x gn!reader [angst/nsfw!]

summary; gojo satoru was about as enigmatic as he was simplistic in his needs from you. sex, words of praise during, and lack of any kind of emotional attachment. he was, in his own words, too old for that shit. and it was too boring for him to keep up with anyone else's emotional well being than his own.

word count; 1.2k

warning; 18+ content, toxic relationships, verbal abuse, angst, biting, blood, minors dni

a/n; hey, guys! this is my first time writing angst so please be nice. also i would love for you guys to leave a comment.

you knew it. your friends knew it. even he knew it. everyone told you, frequently, that this wasn’t healthy.

pain. that’s all you felt, or feeling so desolate you could barely function for days at a time. you didn’t eat. you could barely sleep. when you did it was rife with nightmares, you woke up with your sheets soaked with sweat.

you mourned the loss of the early days, those few good hours spent with him when it was just — simple. or as simple as it could get with gojo satoru. but somewhere along the line you'd begun to feel different when he wasn't around, like there was something missing, something just out of reach that didn't need to be.

it scared you.

but it scared him even more. you knew that now, after — everything.

he wasn’t one to linger after he finished, chasing his high after he bought yours out of you. that had been fine, up until things got complicated. one afternoon as you lie in your bed, sheets tangled around your leg and feeling his cum still tricking out of you, your whole body felt like it had been dunked into ice cold water. he’d long since let, stepping through your bedroom door with a slurred ‘thanks, babe,’ and you missed him. for the first time after two dozens or so visits like this, you missed him.

you didn’t even know what you’d missed. just him.

that was the start of the end.

gojo satoru was about as enigmatic as he was simplistic in his needs from you. sex, words of praise during, and lack of any kind of emotional attachment. he was, in his own words, too old for that shit. and it was too boring for him to keep up with anyone else's emotional well being than his own.

so it was strange when he lingered, once or twice. held you against his chest, caging you in with his arms and holding on so tight those bruises lasted far longer than the others he’d inflicted. his breathing still ragged against your neck, and you could feel his heart beating so hard it seemed like his ribs could barely hold it from breaking out. sometimes it was just a brushing of his fingers on the small of your back, his eyes studying the curves of your face. in those moments you felt the most alive, like you were his equal, and when he would brush his soft lips, so gentle it fucking hurt. it felt real.

but he couldn’t do ‘real.’ he couldn’t cling, couldn’t let you cling, couldn’t tolerate the burgeoning need for — something. and while you did, while you tried to hold yourself back and tell yourself to stop, stop, he doesn’t care he can’t care just stop, you could feel him slipping through your fingers.

when you weren’t trying to relive those brief moments when everything felt right, even if you two didn’t fit like puzzle pieces, you were reliving the moments that hurt. the callous words, the bruises, the times when all you were to him was a hole to get off in. the worried glances, the angry friends, the content lectures from the elders because eventually he decided he didn’t give a damn about your schedule. 

you made it work, you did. because if you didn’t, he’d stop coming.

he didn't care. he didn't show that he cared, and you tried to ignore it. when that didn't work, you just — let yourself fall into it. and you fell deeper, and deeper, until the colors of the world were all blurred together in a gray mess and the only hue you could see was white, blue, and washed out skin.

the last time got ugly. he lacked the finesse he usually had; and you were desperate, needy in the worst way. he complained that you were holding on too tight, you swallowed the protests when he drove too fast and too hard when he'd barely spent a second trying to prepare you. there was blood on your sheets from where he'd bitten into the meat of your shoulder, and god it hurt it hurt it hurt, but it was nothing compared to the yawning, gaping black hole in your chest.

when he pulled out, he barely made any noise. just came all over your back with your face in the pillows, then sat on the edge of your bed. eventually your fingers uncurled from the sheets so you could grope around for the rag you'd had waiting for this, but you could barely lift your arm you were shaking so hard.

“sorry,” he grunted, and dropped the rag next to your head. the floorboards creaked as he stood, the hiss of his zipper signaling he was about to leave.

“I can't—“ two words. that was all it took. it didn't make the world go still; you could hear the rasp of cloth on your back as you tried to clean up the mess. stared at the wall, shame washing over you as you reached up to press the clean side against the open wounds on your shoulder. but those two words made him stop.

that, for whatever reason, was enough to punch through the walls you'd built around the tangled and snarling ball of your emotions. tears flowed down your face, freely, and you weren't sure why you weren't trying to hide it but you began to sob.

“i can’t do this anymore,” you said again, the words broken, about as broken as you were under his impassive stare.

“you think I give a shit?” you thought you'd be numb to it, but the words cut you deep, reaching into the black hole that swallowed up everything that made you a functioning adult and destroying what was left. everything hurt, from the inside out, and you felt your barely contained resolve snap like a thread. but gojo wasn't done yet. “you think I give two shits about whatever the fuck it is you can or can't do?! I'm not your boyfriend you needy little shit. take care of this mess yourself, we're fucking done here.”

“— don’t come back.”

he froze again. you felt terror welling up in your throat at your own words; had you really said them? When he faced you, you barely caught the stricken look on his face, and you knew you had. you really had. but the emptiness in your stomach from the past two days of barely eating, the fatigue that made it nearly impossible to lift your head for long enough to meet his eyes as he steeled his gaze into a scowl pushed you, steeled your nerves for long enough to continue.

“don't you fucking come back here, gojo. I'm done. I can't keep doing this.” you pushed yourself on shaking arms until you were sitting up, and then stood in front of him. if you were going to kick him out of your life, you weren't going to do it lying in a puddle of his cum and your blood. “get the hell out.”

the silence that stretched between you was unbearable. you couldn't hear anything above the ringing in your ears, but you could see his chest expanding erratically, see the tic in his jaw and the flare of his nostrils.

“fine.” that was it.

just like that, he was gone.

[a-mended-pact]

Period Pains & Cuddles

Hey! So this is a one shot for @fortheloveofcriminalminds and I 's series Sticks and Stones! That being said this is one that can stand alone if you chose to read it. I for some reason keep dreaming of more things for our story that just aren't needed for the main story line. Enjoy!

⚠️ warning: mentions of Menstruation, Past abuse and malnutrition. ⚠️ (if there are more inform me please)

✒Word Count: 2,398

🛑 If you do not want any spoilers at all for Sticks & Stones do not read.

I Have been living next door to Spencer for a little over a month now. My apartment had slowly become more and more homey as the days went on. He was constantly dropping things off at my door or I'd buy little things from the shop I'm working at and bring them home.  

My apartment finally looked like I had a personality and I wasn't this bland shell of a marionette doll being pushed and pulled the way someone wanted me to be. It was refreshing but more nerve-wracking than a breath of fresh air for me.

It was nearing day break  and I knew I needed to get up and start cleaning my place. I had a routine that I did everyday. I'd wake up early and clean the whole place. Spotless to the point you could eat off the floor if you wanted to. I'd even scrub all the nooks and crannies with a toothbrush.  This was an everyday thing. Changing my schedule wasn't an option. Once the apartment was clean I had to get ready myself and by the time 9 came around I was ready to start my day fully. 

Having been given the time to adjust to eating again whenever I wanted was interesting.  I had no idea what I liked anymore but because of the month of freedom I had started to gain a little weight. God I hoped Spencer didn't notice. I hope he didn't get upset with me the way I knew Brett would. 

Spencer had told me once that I was looking healthier and that he was happy for me. He also spewed facts about how now because I am getting the nutrients that my body needs I could start experiencing things my body wasn't used to anymore. 

I didn't really understand what he meant then but I think I'm starting to.

I forced myself to get up only to notice a stain on my sheets caused by me. Seriously? I forgot that periods were a thing. I pulled my hand up counting on my fingers. Each year is remembered by an unpleasant memory. I stopped having it right after a very brutal night with Brett. I bled for nearly a month after that night. Glancing at my hands I only held up 6 fingers.  

I hadn't had my period in 6 years. If anything joyous came from being with Brett it was the fact I didn't have to deal with this. 

I groaned in annoyance and in panic. I needed to clean this up. I had to because this couldn't be left on my sheets for too long or else it would stain permanently.  Even when I had my periods with Brett he was never supposed to see any signs of a period, none.  I used to use pads and tampons but I quickly had to learn how to use a cup. 

It caused less mess. No waste to be seen in the bin and nothing put under the cabinets that Brett could see. 

I quickly threw my sheets and comforter into the hamper while I rushed to throw away my now wasted pajama bottoms, sealing off the bag I put them in and putting it next to the door. Yes I was in fact running around my home in the nude. Just for a couple of moments though. 

I stumbled into the shower knocking over my body wash and shampoo. The moment the warm water hit my face I felt my body relax. I was in a lot of pain. When I did have my periods regularly they were always heavy and painful. My muscles in my back would always be incredibly tight to the point I couldn't even bend over. 

Now that the adrenaline is gone from the sheer shock of the situation. I'm sure this one would be exactly the same. All I wanted to do is curl up and cry. I couldn't though it was embedded in me that I had to clean the house. 

When I got out of the shower and went to get dressed, that's when I realized the biggest problem I was going to have today. With a loud scream of frustration I slammed my sink cabinet.  I didn't have any female hygiene products for this. I mean it had been 6 years. 

I wracked my brain about what I could possibly do. The thought of ordering things to my door sounded lovely. However, anyone knowing that I am going through this is just embarrassing to me. I made a very quick and brash decision of crumbling up toilet paper to make a temporary pad until I got to the store. 

I dressed in black. I didn't want to risk another disaster.  

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

By the time I made it home all I wanted to do was go back to bed. I got myself and my new things situated and stored away. I immediately started to clean afterwards doing everything the way I always did.  Like I was supposed to do. I glanced at the clock on the stove only to realize it was noon now. 

A huff escaped me. I was finally done. Now I could start winding down and relaxing. I was getting extremely dizzy while cleaning anyway. I made my way to the couch to curl up.  I never wanted to leave this spot.

It was just curved enough to relax my lower back and to cradle me in all the right places.  I started to drift off, giving myself some time to recuperate from my chaotic morning.

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

I awoke to a gentle hand on my face caressing me. I flinched at their close proximity which caused me to tense up a small groan left my lips as I curled up more and rolled away from them.

'Dahlia, sweetheart, you didn't hear me banging on your door or calling you? It's 7pm. We had a date. Did you forget?' His voice was laced with concern and I couldn't help but feel awful because I did forget. 

'I hope you don't mind. I let myself in. You know you shouldn't leave your door unlocked,Statistically in the United States alone 22,796 women are likely to be burglarized when they live alone.' 

Spencer helped me roll over when he saw me struggling to do so.  ‘I’m, I’m sorry I’ll go get dressed for our date now.’ I rushed to go get up when a dizzy spell hit me. He stood up quickly and caught me by my waist. ‘Hey, what’s wrong, you seem disoriented?’ I tried to tell him that I was fine but I didn’t feel fine. Perhaps I was just being over dramatic. I logically knew women go through this sort of thing all the time but all I wanted to do was cry.

 I was overflowing with so much emotion. I was aggravated with the fact that this was happening to me again to start with. I was upset with myself for being like this. I was even more distraught by the fact I had forgotten my date with Spencer. How could I just forget? I was looking forward to it since last week when he got called away for work while we were planning the whole thing. 

We had agreed to go out to see one of his forgein movies. He was gonna translate it the whole way through whispering it in my ear. At first I had declined saying it was going to ruin the movie for him. He assured me that it was fine he had already seen it once with his mother when he was younger. He just believed it was a movie I was going to enjoy. 

We had also discussed having dinner after. We never ended up picking a restaurant before he got called away. ‘It’s nothing Spencer, I'm fine, really. I just forgot our date is all. I’m really sorry’ I moved myself out of his hold and made my way to my bedroom to get dressed. 

‘You know we don’t have to even go out tonight. I am more than happy to just stay in and spend time with you!’  I could hear him shout from my living room. I was getting frustrated because all my clothes seemed unbelievably tight on me right now. I could feel the tears brimming at the corners of my eyes. This was ridiculous. Why was I being so emotional? How do I tell Spencer that I didn’t want to do anything at all? I didn’t even want to be out of bed or better yet off the couch. As long as I was laying down and I wasn’t moving it didn’t feel like my hips were being compressed and my back finally wasn’t in pain. 

I barely even wanted to be pleasant towards him and all he has ever been to me was a gentleman. I walked out in the same clothes I went in with this time wrapped in a throw blanket I bought from the shops. He looked at me with concern and smiled softly as he pulled me with him to the couch. He pulled me close and held me, playing with my hair and moving it off my face. I laughed slightly at how gentle he was being with me. 

‘Do you remember when you told me now that I was getting healthier that my body would start doing things it’s supposed to.’ I whispered and leaned my head against the back of the couch. His warmth on my back felt magical. His chest vibrated as he chuckled. ‘Yes, I remember. Pretty girl, is that what's wrong.’ He pulled me closer to him, his hand lightly touching my stomach. I never noticed how tight my tummy muscles were until the natural warmth he carried slipped to me through the palm of his hand. 

I looked down embarrassed. This was always such a sensitive topic when Brett was around. He didn’t want to hear about it nor did he care to. ‘For the first time in 6 years. I - um started my period.’ I said it as quietly as I could in hopes he wouldn’t be put off by this new information. I went to pull away only for him to pull me closer to him. Him basically wrapping himself around me and holding me close as he kissed my temple. 

‘That’s really good news sweetheart. I know it may not seem like a good thing right now but it is. It means that your hormones and everything are finally going back to normal after years of being not right.’ He grabbed both of my hands in his when I tried to curl in on myself again. I could feel his breath on my neck every time he exhaled. It made me want to slip deeper into him. 

‘I think we should order in and watch one of your favorite movies. How's that for tonight?’ I bit my lip still questioning whether or not I wanted him to go home or not. Him seeing me like this was already upsetting enough. It wasn’t like I wasn’t dressed and didn’t have makeup on. Maybe it was just the fact that I didn't feel great that made me think I also didn’t look it. 

I nodded but otherwise didn’t speak. Spencer has known me long enough to know that I'm a little in my head at times like these. So he knows that as long as I agree he can do whatever he likes unless I say otherwise. 

He ordered food and began looking around on my shelves lining the wall to realize I didn’t own any movies.  I watched him and couldn’t help but smile. It was hard to believe he could be a dominant when he was struggling so hard to take charge of the situation right now. He held up his finger and made an ah ha noise when he ran out of my apartment to what i assume was into his. He came back clutching a bundle of movies in his large hands along with some junk food from his place. 

‘I know enough from Stell that you can’t go wrong with junk food when a lady is on her period.’ His voice was laced with confidence yet somehow his stance said shy as if he were overstepping. I couldn’t help but smile at him. He was so sweet I managed to move myself into a more proper position when there was a knock at my door. ‘Ah that must be the food.’ He placed all the things he brought onto the table and quickly grabbed the take out.

At this point my mouth was watering. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I smelled the food. 

‘Thank you. For just being you Spencer. I didn’t realize I could be cared for the way you’ve cared for me since I’ve gotten the pleasure of knowing you.’ I smiled widely as he sat down beside me. The movie started and the food was passed out between us both. He smiled a smile that stole my heart out of my chest and yet made it beat so rapidly I thought for certain he could hear it. ‘There’s no need to thank me Dahlia. I don’t mind taking care of you. You aren’t a hard person to take care of. I just enjoy spending time with you. Regardless of what we are doing.’ A blush formed on his features. If it wasn’t for the glow of the projector I would have missed it. ‘Thank you, I’m not sure I could be anyone else even if I tried.’ his voice was small and filled with adoration at what I had said.

Some time after we were done eating I gravitated towards him seeking his warmth. He had moved himself, his leg now resting on my couch as he leaned against the arm rest. I was between his legs, my body tangled in his as my head rested on his chest. If every time I got my period meant that I had the pleasure of getting to use Doctor Spencer Reid as a giant teddy bear. I’d be more than happy to have them 

His hand cradled my face as the tips of his fingers played in my hair. His other arm draped over me holding me protectively as I drifted off into my sea of unconsciousness.

‘My precious Dahlia what have you done to me?’ 

[stxvercgersslut]

Love Without Doubt

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Female Reader

Part 1: It’ll be over and I’ll Still Be Asking When

Other people mentioned: Natasha, Tony, Clint, Wanda & others

Warnings: Mentions of death, heartache, language like normal, angry reader, sad steve, dead Tony, smut in the future, pregnancy, a whole load of angst and a whole lot of fluff in future parts.

Description: Losing Tony Stark was the worst thing to ever happen to you. But finding out that you were 3 months pregnant with your late husbands baby hit the nail on the head. You were alone, heartbroken and Scared. Steve’s riddled with guilt, knowing you were out there alone and pregnant hurt him, how could he leave you like that? Exactly he couldn’t.

A/n: I know the pictures are of a white girl but this is by no means a white girl fic. In fact this is reader insert! Meaning that you get to imagine yourself in this fic as y/n, so I will not be addressing the colour of her skin because that is for you to do! :) I know that this chapter is just a short one but this is the prologue. I didn’t think it needed to be that long.

A/n: ahhhh it’s been a while. I’m sorry for my absence I didn’t really plan on writing this again. But after a lot of thinking 🤔 came to the conclusion that I honestly adore this fic too much not to continue it.

Positive.

Shit!

'No no no no no! Y/n this can't be happening right now! How on earth could you let this happen?' You screamed in your head. Just some of the thoughts that were running wild in your brain as you continued to stare hundreds of tiny little holes into the pregnancy test.

Tony had always wanted kids, ever since the pair of your had begun to date those long 7 years ago he'd been open with you about his longing for children. But now the moment you should have shared with your loving husband was shared with you and your reflection in the mirror. The man you loved would never get to meet his beautiful baby and that fact alone was enough to shatter your heart into slivers. There truly was no coming back from this pain.

How could this be happening right now? More importantly, how could this be happening to you right no! After everything you'd been through the world just wouldn't give you a break?!? With Tony gone how on earth were you even going to provide of a baby? Let alone looked after it on your own!

As these questions continued to race around your brain at 100 miles an hour, your hands began to shake uncontrollably whilst tears began to fall from your eyes. It was no surprise that you were understandably distraught with the cards you'd been dealt by the world.

————————————————————

Despite your pain, Steve was going through heartbreak just as much as you were, completely traumatised due to being forced to watch one of his best friends sacrifice himself in order to save not only the world but also the universe it's self. Not only did he have the trauma but he also had the guilt of your pain looming over you.

Due to what he'd witnessed Steve would find himself experiencing nightmare after nightmare every single night, barely managing to sneak in any sleep before the images of his former best friend, Tony Stark, dying in front of him reappeared in his brain for what felt like the millionth time. It had only been 3 days since that dreaded day yet he'd been tossing and turning ever since. Living alone in his currant state was never a good idea. But since he had no one to help him through the PTSD he had to just struggle on through.  With all his failures coming back to haunt him it was tough but he had to try. Otherwise what was the point in anything?

As the early hours of the morning sunshine began to shine through his half open curtains, Steve jolted awake. Once again awakened by the deadliness of his nightmare. However, this time, unlike any other time, he woke up with an overwhelming sense of guilt towards you. His entire heart burning from what you must have been going through.  After all he knew exactly how close you and Tony use to be, how could he have been so cruel to rip that away from you when you'd been so happy?

Knowing that you'd be all alone in that huge cabin, alone with your thought eating you alive just like his were, truly didn't sit right with him. It was just in his blood to help people, whether or not they actually wanted his help was a different question but if someone was in distress, which he somehow had a feeling you were, he had to at least try and help.

Grunting, the still slightly panicked soldier stretched out his limbs, releasing all tensions from the night before as he did every morning even before the blip. It was just apart of his routine now and he'd never be able to stop that.

'Alright, time to get up I guess' the male mumbled to himself as his feet met the hard wood of his apartment bedroom floor. Ever since the blip Steve hadn't been able to stay at the Avengers compound, too afraid of having to relive all of those failures again. Now, with the compound completely and utterly destroyed, it was just an added reason for him not to go back there. Especially with everything that had gone on in there before.

He may have looked okay from the outside but on the inside? Oh he was a broken man alright. What did anyone expect from a super soldier who'd been through as much trauma as him?

As the male prepared his morning coffee his mind wandered back to you, wondering what on earth you could have been doing in a cabin all alone by yourself. Maybe you were still asleep in bed , shaking off all the loneliness and all the heart break with as much sleep as you could? If that was the case then maybe Steve could rest easier knowing that for the most part you were okay. Maybe he would have been able to forget about you if he knew for certain that you were able to slip into a state of peace when you fell asleep.

But for some reason Steve just couldn't shake the idea of you maybe crying yourself to sleep every night. Or even worse, what if you were listening to that damn hologram again? Or his voicemail again? What if you still hated him? Oh he had to put this right.

Deep down Steve knew you hated the way that he'd handled things, the way he'd brutally dragged your husband away from you. Bursting the bubble surrounding the two of you in the process. But if there was any possible way that he could put all the heartbreak right and ease his Conscience in the process then he had to try right? No matter how much you hated him right now he knew that you'd need a friend right now.

So without a second thought, the super soldier poured his morning coffee into a travel mug (one Bucky had bought him one year), threw on a t-shirt and jeans, grabbed his leather jacket as well as his keys and left the house. There just had to be a way to put this right.

As Steve made his way to the cabin that used to be shared by you and Tony, he couldn't help but lose himself in deep thought. Struggling to comprehend how life had just fucked everyone over so awfully. Yeah they managed to get their lives back and bring everyone home in the process. But what good was that when Tony didn't arrive back home to you safely? What use was bringing all the blipped back when Steve had to explain to you that your husband was never coming home. The world was cruel, that he knew for certain.

It hadn't taken him more than an hour to finally arrive at your cabin, sucking in a deep breath as he slowly exited him car and made his way up to the front door.

Was he really about to do this? Was he really about to attempt to talk to you even though he knew that you most likely hated his guts?

Apparently so since his he curled his hand into a fist and gently knocked on the door, staring is hung that he could hear the sound of joyful laughter. But in reality all he could hear was painful sobs. That was the hardest part, hearing you sob was already breaking his heart. It was times like these he truly did wish that his hearing wasn’t as strong as it happened to be.

With one more breath, Steve finally pulled himself together and knocked 3 times, hoping you’d opened the door for him.

————————————————————

You'd been so caught up in your emotional agony that you'd barely had enough time to hear the first couple knocks, but by the third knock your senses seemed to finally come back quick enough to only slightly hear the very last knock.

After straightening yourself up a little you finally made your way towards the door, dreading the panic attack that was most likely coming your way after everything you’d gone through. However, nothing had prepared you for who you found at the door upon opening.

“Steve?” You groaned almost angrily; practically spitting it out.

Tags: @jtargaryen18​ @chuckbass-love​ @et-lesailes​ @harrysthiccthighss​ @cevans-fics​ @dwights-new-plague @sweetllamaparadise @jessyballet @lharrietg @patzammit

[starlightxsvt]

Hellion

pairing: Jeonghan x female reader

genre: fluff, suggestive, idk what this is

warnings: cursing

word count: around 1.5k

A/N: Firstly, happy birthday to the Jeonghan, our con man. I know I'm a day late so forgive me for that. Secondly, I've no idea what the hell I wrote. I've cancelled two other drafts I wrote for his birthday cause none of them were coming together and in the end I've decided to post this shit. Anyway, your feedback would be really appreciated in this mess of a story :').

"What's Jeonghan doing here?" You hiss to Mingyu who has a hard time prying his eyes off of Chaeyeon. "I invited him. I never thought he'd actually come. I'm surprised too." He replies.

"Wha- why would you invite Jeonghan to my birthday party!" You glare at him to which he rolls his eyes, "Come on now, he's in our friend group. And college is almost over. You don't know when you'll see him again. Ogle him while he's still here." He smirks.

"What did you just s-"

"Oh come on, don't act like I don't know that he's your secret crush. Maybe make up with him and if you're lucky you'll get some good dick as a birthday present." Mingyu chuckles at your open mouth before scurrying away to avoid your wrath. You glare at his retreating figure before inhaling sharply. And before you can stop yourself, you start to look for him.

You spot Jeonghan at the large porch in the back of Mingyu's house, sitting in one of the porch seats while sipping beer. He looks dashing as always, his black hair messy, his pale skin glowing in the moonlight, his cheekbones getting a prominent shine. You sigh.

Jeonghan was an exhausting person to be around and maybe, he'd say the same for you. You've known him since highschool and after a particular incident of him spilling his banana milk all over your brand new scarf, you decided to call it war. To this day you believe that he did it on purpose because you told your homeroom teacher that he slept during his class.

After that it was like an unspoken rule- you two would bicker whenever you were in the same space. It only infuriated you that he was so good looking, smart, famous and the fact that you had some feelings developing for him. Each time you saw him with a girl you'd feel a bitter feeling all over and you could only hope that those feelings would pass over time. But no they didn't, they only grew- the small branches had formed a tree now, the roots planted deep in your heart.

"How long are you going to stand there and stare at me?" Jeonghan calls, without turning behind. You clear your throat before walking to him, "Didn't expect to see you here, fuck face."

"Can you not call me names for a day please? You're just jealous I'm good looking." He remarks drowning the can of beer.

You snort, "Haha. You wish, loser." You plop down beside him. "I see you've finished quite a few cans. What's up? Got ditched?" You poke him.

"What do you care?"

"You're ruining the mood here with all these sad aura around you. Go drink your sorrows away somewhere else, this is my party."

"Yet you are sitting with me and my sad auras."

"I came to tell you that," you scoff, crossing your arms over.

"Parties are not your thing, I know. And Mingyu wasn't shy on inviting people. It feels more like his birthday than yours." Jeonghan comments, still staring ahead. His words are true and they infuriate you. You can't help but get defensive, "What do you know, sad boy? I'm enjoying myself just fine."

"And yet you are sitting with me and-"

"Stop saying that, will you!" You snap. Jeonghan chuckles before looking at you. He unabashedly eyes you up and down, heating your cheeks up in the process.

"Nice dress," he murmurs. His words catch you off guard and you glare at him, "Stop staring at me, pervert."

"You were staring at me earlier."

"Seriously? Can you stop for one goddamn second?"

"You're the one who started it."

"That's it. I shouldn't have come here," you stand up to leave but to your utter surprise Jeonghan grabs your hand, sending your heart to a frenzy. "Wait."

You swallow nervously, heart thudding loudly in your chest as Jeonghan lets go of your hand and meets your eyes, "Sit down, I've a gift for you."

You frown, "You have a gift for me?" Jeonghan nods before sitting straight, setting down his can. "Before that, I need you to know something."

"W-what?"

"I really didn't spill my milk all over you intentionally that day." He meets your eyes.

You can't help but laugh out loud partially because he's still concerned about that and partially because you believe he's lying.

"Listen here, sad boy, I've put that well past me. And I know for a fact you did it on purpose so don't-"

"You didn't, ___. We've been fighting over that for our whole goddamn lives. And no, I'm not lying. I've no reason to. I never cared if you told our teacher shit or not." His chocolate orbs bore into yours and you swallow. The air surrounding you suddenly becomes thick and you start to feel jittery and maybe a slight amount of guilt. Is he really speaking the truth?

"W-whatever, I don't care anymore." You say, sitting down gently beside him.

"And yet you still hold a grudge against me," Jeonghan sighs. "Besides you're not even fun to fight with."

"What did you say?"

He laughs, his eyes forming crescents and the sweet melody echoing in the air. You quickly look away before he catches you staring, "I don't have all day. Where's my gift?"

"Yeah, right." From beside him he produces a bag that you didn't notice before. He hands it to you and you tentatively peek in, half expecting a bug to jump out.

To your utter surprise, a scarf that looks identical to the one he ruined lies there. A small gasp leaves your mouth.

"I bought it that day after I stained yours. I was going to give this to you as an apology but dear lord, you were on my ass the second I got to class next day." Jeonghan speaks and a blush coats your cheek leaving you feel vulnerable all of a sudden.

"I don't know what to say," You whisper more to yourself. Jeonghan chuckles, "I know, you're touched. It's okay, we're even finally."

You bite your lip and exhale loudly before meeting his eyes, "Thanks." Jeonghan moves his hand in a dismissive wave. "I thought I'd finally give it you, call it a truce. We'll probably never see each other again after this month and I wanted to depart on good terms."

Your throat constricts, an overwhelming sadness enveloping you. He's right, you two would probably never see each other again. His dad owns a huge business and he'd probably go abroad to manage it.

"You're right, let's call it a truce," you whisper staring at the scarf in your lap.

"Come on now, don't look so sad, sad girl," Jeonghan teases you and you roll your eyes. He's still the same.

He hands you a beer, "Have a drink with me to sign the truce." You quietly laugh, taking the can from him. You two share a comfortable silence, staring at the night sky, the music from the party fading into the background until Jeonghan decides to break it.

"I know you like me, ___." The words slip past his lips like it's the most casual thing ever. You choke on your beer before looking at him eyes wide like saucers, "W-what!"

Jeonghan slightly turns to face you, his features calm, "You don't have to act. I've known all along."

Oh. My. God.

Heat spreads all over your face like wildfire. Your first thought is that Mingyu told him. You chew your lip as you see no way out. "W-who told you?" You squeak.

"I've figured it out myself," He says nonchalantly, resting his head on his hand as you stares at you.

"You-you did?"

"Mhmm."

You fumble with the hem of your dress before murmuring out, "I-I should get going." You need to escape him. Forever.

But Jeonghan isn't done. He casually goes on, "I've always thought you were pretty. Even when you get red after losing an argument." You blush furiously as your palms sweat.

"You know I really had no intention of picking a fight with you but you...you were so desperate to bring me down. You always speak too much and I often think about the many ways I could shut your loud mouth. Such a shame, we would've made a great couple."

Your face feels like it's on fire by now. You swallow before nervously laughing, "I s-see what you're doing here...You're trying to p-prank me, asshole."

Jeonghan runs a hand through his hair, sighing, "See? There you go again, running that damn mouth." Your lips press together as you clench your fists, thinking of a way out. In the blink of an eye Jeonghan scoots closer to you and leans in to capture your lips in a kiss.

A squeak leaves your mouth as Jeonghan tilts your head, cupping your cheek. You want to pull back, smack him, call him names but you can only moan as his mouth slots against yours perfectly. Your tongues clash as you grab a fistful of Jeonghan's shirt, moaning.

When you pull back for air, you're mortified, wanting to be swallowed up by the ground. Jeonghan is totally calm as he takes in your messy state licking his lips.

"Do you want to continue?"

"W-wh-what?"

"I said do you want to continue this? If you don't want to I'll leave. If you do then you're coming home with me. Which one is it gonna be, ___?"

You bite your lip. Oh my God. This can't be happening.

You grit your teeth as every ounce of your resolve disappears, "I...I want you."

The smile on Jeonghan's face is victorious, a smile you've seen million times before, a smile that makes you week in the knees. "Good girl." He says encasing your lips in another kiss before standing up holding out his hand. "Come along, sweetheart. I'm gonna ruin you for any other man. Even when it's morning you'll only be thinking about me," he whispers in your ear before tugging you out of the porch- your heart hammering in your chest as you squeeze the scarf on your hand.

Fuck, you owe Mingyu a fruit basket or some shit now.

A/N 2: Also, that video of Jeonghan exercising made me 🥵🥵 this man is so infurating. I was literally dehydrated from watching that video.

[farfromsugafanfic]

Sutures - Chapter Four: Urge

Genre: Soulmates AU, Idiots to Lovers, slight Enemies to Lovers

Pairing: Yoongi/Named Reader

Warnings (chapter specific): mentions of hickeys, Sumi’s ex is a dick, making out, heavy petting, smut lead up, smut themes

Synopsis: “A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.” –Jean de la Fontaine

There was only one thing you and Min Yoongi had in common that night. You were both brokenhearted. You only intended to be together for one night, but when you both end up in the hospital the next day you discover that you are soulmates. It could kill you to be apart. As you and Yoongi attempt to sever the bond between you, will another be formed?

Notes: This was originally written and completed on Wattpad between 2018 and the beginning of 2020. I’ll be slowly posting the chapters here. I may make a tag list depending on if enough people want to follow along with updates. Leave me some feedback if you would like added to a tag list.

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You hugged Kitty to your chest and made your way to the kitchen. You heard the rustling of pots and pans and Jimin's laughter. Even though you'd only known Jimin for under two days, his laughter quickly become one of your favorite sounds, something that never made you smile. However, most of the time you weren't horrendously hungover. 

"Morning," you said, trying to muster a small smile, even though your head was pounding. 

Three of the seven boys who lived in the dorm turned to look at you. Yoongi was already sat at the table, scrolling through his phone, a bowl of fruit in front of him. Hoseok was in the kitchen and Jimin sat on the opposite end of the table from Yoongi, his legs swinging freely. You smiled at how close the boys were and how comfortable they were with each other. It made you feel even worse for intruding in on the bond. 

"Good morning," the boys said, nearly in unison. 

"Jimin," you said. "Did you put Kitty in the box to come here?"

Jimin shook his head, glancing down to the stuffed cat you held in your arms. 

"No, I put him in the donation pile as you wanted." 

"Huh," you said, holding Kitty out in front of you and smiling at her fondly. "Well, I'm glad she found her way here anyway." 

Jimin smiled at you, his eyes some mixture of happiness for you and worry. 

"Did we get internet back?"

The boys exchanged glances and nodded. 

You looked over to Yoongi, who was now looking up from his phone. His dark eyes were boring straight into you, and you suspected he already knew what you were going to ask. 

"Did you find out who got the shoes?"

The room fell silent, except for the tap which Hoseok accidentally left on as he had looked up at you. You didn't know who it could possibly be that would elicit such a response, but Yoongi's face softened as he stood. 

"Park Minki."

You blinked in disbelief, wondering if the hangover had somehow messed with your hearing. Yoongi's eyes were softer, the softest they had been in the seventy two hours you'd known him.

"My ex?" you choked out. 

Yoongi nodded.

---

You took a deep breath as you stood in front of the full length mirror and strategically placed the scarf around your neck. The bruises weren't as prominent as the day before, but you feared Minki would still notice them. The rest of your outfit was quite simple, a pair of jeans and a nice top. You wore your hair down, hoping it too would help hide Yoongi's marks on your neck. 

When you'd broken up with Minki, you'd thought you'd never have to see the boy again. While you still loved him, you knew seeing him again would hurt you, but you wanted to handle this yourself. For whatever reason bought the shoes, you knew it couldn't be settled with money. He wanted to see you again, wanted you to see him again. 

While you normally would just forget the shoes, Yoongi's reputation was on the line. And yours for that matter. You may not be an idol, but the fact you were connected to one, could be enough to destroy you.

"Do you really want to look that good for your ex?" Yoongi said, entering your bedroom with a soft knock on your open door. He was dressed wearing just a simple sweatshirt and jeans, a snapback covering his dyed hair and a mask pulled down under his chin. 

"What? Jealous?" you smirked, giving up on arranging the scarf and turning to face him. 

"No," he said. "I just thought you didn't care what he thought anymore." He walked closer to you, the faint smell of his cologne tickling your nose. His fingers reached up and moved the scarf so it that it covered the half of a hickey that was still partially visible. "Obviously, you do."

He stepped away from you the scent of him still lingering in his place. You were almost disappointed when he stepped away, wishing you could fall asleep in his scent.

"I'm sorry you have to come," you said. "And miss out on work."

"I can work when we get back," he said. "Besides, it would be a whole lot worse for both of us if I didn't come." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a mask. "Wear this, if we run into any paparazzi it will be harder for them to identify you."

You nodded, looping the mask around your ears and pulling it up over your mouth. Yoongi pulled his up and nodded to you, asking if you were ready. 

You nodded in affirmation, but you felt the butterflies in your stomach. You didn't think you would ever be ready.

---

You entered the cafe first. You spotted Minki almost immediately, he was seated at a table near the middle, you could see the shoes placed on the table. You already felt a twinge of embarrassment, knowing he'd displayed them so publicly.

You pulled down the mask and sat down across from him. His mouth widened into a smirk when you sat down, something you used to love about him, but now it just felt like he was mocking you.

"You look nice," he said.

"Thanks," you said, trying not to meet his gaze.

You noticed Yoongi walk past you and sit at a table behind Minki's view, but facing you. You met his eyes momentarily but didn't want Minki to see your wandering gaze. Minki had a temper occasionally, and while he had never hurt you, you feared he wouldn't hesitate to hurt Yoongi. And even though you and Yoongi weren't exactly friends, you still didn't want him to get hurt because of you.     

"So, why'd you leave the shoes at the bar?" Minki asked. 

"Does that really matter, Minki? They're mine, I just want them back."

"You fucked him? Didn't you?" 

You clenched your fists and looked at the black pumps sitting on the table. You sighed and tried to collect your thoughts. 

"How'd you know they were mine?"

"You don't think I wouldn't recognize the shoes I bought you for your birthday last year?" The smirk was on his face again, like a mosquito that you wanted to kill, but that was just out of your reach. "I picked them out especially for you, remember?"

You did remember. How he told you that he went to multiple shoes, trying to find the perfect shoes. Settling on a pair of black pumps. "Simple, like you," he'd said when he gave them to you. 

"Now that we've broken up, they're mine now? Since I paid for them?"

You wanted to bang your fists down on the table and scream at him until he was as scared of you as you were of him. You wanted to swat the smirk from his face. You wanted to point out all the things you'd bought him. All the baseball game tickets. The T-shirt he wore. Half the down payment on his car. 

"I don't care," you said. "Do whatever you want with them. I just want to leave."

Minki softened then. He'd seen you break down multiple times before, he knew the signs. The way you hid your face. The way you tried to curl yourself into a ball, no matter where you were.

"He's here, isn't here?" your ex asked. "You're not mine to protect anymore." His hand cupped the fabric of your knee. You felt shivers run down your spine as tears pricked at your eyes.

You noticed his eyes wandering down to your neck and where the scarf had moved aside. There was no sense in trying to deny what the scarf revealed.

"Huh," he said. "You never let me do that." 

"I never was yours to protect," you said, your eyes red and tear stained, trying to ignore his last comment. You reached down and moved his hand from your knee. You felt his palm beneath your fingertips and the sensation ran through your body. You felt his hands on you again, your body grew warm, but not in the pleasant way. You needed to get out. Without any more thought, you grabbed your things and ran from the cafe.

---

Yoongi's body stiffened as he watched Minki's hand grab your knee. He wanted to push Minki away from you, shield you from ever having to feel the other boy's touch again. He saw the way your cheek's flushed, although not in the cute way. He saw as you tried to shift away, he could feel your discomfort. 

Your scarf had slipped slightly, revealing part of one of the bruises. Yoongi knew the other boy saw based on the way he shifted forward.

"Huh, you never let me do that," the other boy said. 

Yoongi's jaw stiffened. Part of him wanted to rip him apart for bringing attention to something that you obviously hadn't wanted Minki to see, but there was a small buzzing inside of him. One night and you allowed him to do something you'd never allowed your previous boyfriend to do for years. He repressed the pride as you tearfully ran out the door. 

Yoongi waited a moment to get up and follow you, not wanting to draw too much attention. He made eye contact with Minki as he walked past, pulling down his mask momentarily, but pulling it back up as he walked through the door of the cafe. 

---

You curled yourself into the car seat, pulling your legs into your stomach and hiding your face against the car door. You put on your seatbelt, knowing Yoongi would follow you out. 

Yoongi opened the car door a minute or so later, greeting the driver as he did so and telling him to take both of you back to the dorm. He pulled down his mask and put on his seatbelt. 

"Why do you let him talk to you like that?" Yoongi asked. 

You scoffed, trying to hide your tears. The last thing you wanted was Yoongi to see your tears, you felt like if you allowed yourself to cry in front of him, it would somehow strengthen the bond. Yoongi was so strong and allowing him to see your weakness terrified you.

"He's my ex for a reason, okay?" 

"Well, we still need to get the shoes back somehow. You sure money won't work with him?"

"He just wants to humiliate me," you said, choking slightly on the words. "Do we really need to get them back? I mean, they're just shoes. How much harm could really be done?"

Yoongi's eyes widened and his form stiffened. 

"You really don't realize, do you?" He looked out the window in slight disbelief before turning back to you. "I guess, this explains how you didn't recognize me."

"Yoongi..."

"Even just the rumors of what happened between us could destroy both of us," he said. "My fans need someone they can trust and look up to. Most of them don't even know I'm not with Jihee anymore. They know about the soulmate thing, but we only used that to find you. We're going to deny it later, anyway." 

"You didn't have to sleep with me then," you said. "If you would've just pushed me off your lap, none of this would've happened."

"If you wouldn't have fallen in my lap, none of this would've happened." 

You sighed, silence ensuing. The road noise the only sound. Even the driver was silent from behind the partition. 

"Sumi..." Yoongi said, his hand suddenly coming to rest just above your knee. His fingertips digging into the fabric of your jeans. His touch was warm, but instead of overheating as you did with Minki's touch, your temperature matched his. 

"What?" you asked, but your question was soon answered as you felt heat rise in your stomach. Suddenly, Yoongi appeared less like the image obsessed jerk of a few minutes ago and looked more like the man you met at the bar three days ago. 

You unhooked your seatbelt and straddled Yoongi's lap, your hands coming up to cup his cheeks as his ran up to play with your hair. Your lips connected and nearly immediately his tongue slipped between yours. 

Yoongi's hat--which you hadn't paid much attention to before--suddenly was in your way. You ripped it off, exposing his messy hair. It was obvious he hadn't styled it before putting on the snapback, but you liked it better that way, it allowed your fingers to tangle in his hair. 

"The windows?" you asked, falling back onto the seat as Yoongi unhooked his seatbelt and hovered over you.

"They're tinted," he said, grabbing hold of your scarf and pulled it over your head. It landed somewhere on the floor of the car, out of sight. "Don't worry, no one will see." 

He leaned down and latched onto your lips once again. His hands wandering under the hem of your shirt, causing it to ride up slightly. You splayed your fingers against his firm chest, causing him to stop momentarily. 

"What?" he asked. 

"I think...I think this is what the doctor was talking about..." you said. "I think we need to stop." 

Despite your words, your hands slipped underneath his sweatshirt, feeling the warm skin beneath. You wanted to feel that skin against you, but before you could pull it over his head, he surprised you, by pulling up your shirt, exposing your stomach. 

"I'll do it lower this time," he said, his voice raspy and lower than normal. "So you don't have to worry about hiding them." His lips latched onto the skin of your stomach, causing you to release a small moan as you ran your fingers from his hairline and down to the nape of his neck. 

"Yoongi..."

"Why'd you have to wear that perfume for him? It drives me crazy." 

He curved his two index fingers into the belt loop of your jeans and tugged slightly, not to pull them down, but rather to tease you. 

"You're for my eyes only."

"Yoongi," you said. "We need to stop." 

Yoongi pulled away, a sheepish look crossing his face. He pulled down your shirt and sat back in the seat. 

You, too, sat back up, trying to catch your breath. Your heart was racing, partially from the thoughts of the feel of his lips, but you were scared. You felt so out of control, something had taken you over entirely. It wasn't a secret that you were attracted to Yoongi, you did willingly sleep with him, but the urges pulled you together, even when you least wanted it. 

"That was...that was...weird..." 

Yoongi nodded in agreement, reaching down and retrieving your scarf. You did the same with his hat and you exchanged the items. 

You watched out the window as the car pulled into the driveway of the dorm. You glanced back over at Yoongi, noticing a bit of your lipstick managed to cling to his bottom lip. You chuckled slightly before reaching over and using your thumb to wipe it from his lip. 

He watched you, not making any movement to stop you, but your gaze shifted downward, not able to meet his eyes. 

"Lipstick," you said. 

The driver opened the door and the two of you walked back into the dorm.

---

Jihee (9:02 am): Good morning handsome :)

Jihee (11:15 am): I heard about the shoe business. You always use to complain about having to take off mine.

Jihee (11:17 am): You should tell her to be more careful though. :)

Jihee (1:20 pm): Babe...please just respond to me...

Jihee (1:21 pm): You're making me seem desperate.

Jihee (4:45 pm): Her picture's out there now, you know? Some guy saying she cheated with you.

Jihee (5:00 pm): She doesn't look like the type to cheat.

Jihee (6:34 pm): The more I think about it...the less she seems like your type. Especially for a rebound.

Jihee (7:00 pm): You could do much better if you wanted to Oppa. She's kind of pretty and all, but don't you think she's a little simple?

Yoongi (7:02 pm): Whatever this is, is between us. Leave her out of it.