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k-evans-reads · 2 years

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In Living Color

Chapter 4

Summary: When Natalie Marton, lead character designer for Buzz Lightyear, meets the voice of Buzz, Chris Evans, the sparks are undeniable. But when their work pushes them away from each other, both physically and emotionally, will the sheer differences between their worlds be enough to force them apart?

Pairing: Chris Evans x Pixar Animator OFC Natalie Marton

Word Count: 6,292

By: @k-evans-writes and @ourfinest-hour

We do NOT give permission for our works to be reuploaded, translated, or reposted on any other site. Our work is our own.

Warnings: None.

Previous | Main Masterlist | In Living Color Masterlist

April 2021

The shrill ringing of the phone echoed in Natalie’s ear as she rammed her shoulder against the rickety wooden door one last time, huffing out in frustration as it once again didn’t budge. She’d nearly forgotten about the dull ringing of the phone, resting a few feet away on a console table, until a low, warm voice answered, “Hello?”

She sighed, rattling the door handle hopelessly as she replied, “Hey Chris-”

But before she could get to the point, Chris suddenly laughed, his voice muffled as he said something – presumably to Scott – before he told her, “Nat, if you want any guac or salsa, you better get here fast because Scott is demolishing it.”

Nat deflated as she frowned, staring at the one thing keeping her from getting to Chris’ for their planned night in, with Scott, Chris, Nat, and later on Scott’s boyfriend hanging out at Chris’ home to watch the Mariners play the Red Sox. “Well it looks like you guys are going to get it all to yourself because I’m not going to be able to make it,” she informed him, her voice frustrated.

“Really? I thought you were free tonight?” Chris asked, and if it was at all possible, Nat felt even worse at the disappointment in his voice. “Dodger’s going to be pretty disappointed he doesn’t get to see you.”

As if he knew what Chris said, a faint bark carried through the phone. She smiled to herself at the sound and at Chris’ hushed voice as he whispered something to Scott, but soon explained to them, “I’d love to come see him if I wasn’t stuck like an idiot in my apartment.”

The other end of the call was quiet for a moment until Chris asked concernedly, “Are you locked out?”

“No, I’m locked in,” she corrected, shaking her head in disbelief as she picked up her phone and walked down the long hallway to the kitchen and living room. “My doorknob is jammed and of course none of my neighbors or landlord are home on a Saturday night so I’m stuck.”

“This could only happen to you,” Chris chuckled, but she barely paid it any mind as she dug around in her junk drawer for the screwdriver she knew – more so hoped – she’d put in here the last time she needed it.

“I thought about trying to climb out the window-”

“Natalie, you live on the second floor and with your luck you’ll fall and break both your legs,” Chris interrupted, almost chastising her. “Scott and I will come and get your door open.”

She rolled her eyes, knowing they’d likely only do the same things she’d done – sticking a bobby pin, expired credit card, and a variety of other things in between the door and the doorframe. “Oh yeah, because you two are clearly geniuses.”

“Alright smartass, would you rather be stuck in your apartment?”

Nat’s lips pursed as she made her way back down the hallway, tossing the phone onto the ground next to her as she lowered herself to the floor. She surveyed the scene in front of her, the bobby pins and broken cards scattered around her. “...See you in a little while,” she relented.

“That’s what I figured,” he chuckled. His voice was muffled as he said something to Scott before he returned to the call, adding, “We’ll be there soon.”

Knowing they only were driving from Chris’ home in Laurel Canyon, she knew it wouldn’t take them too long to arrive at her San Fernando apartment. Nat stayed in her spot on the Target rug, letting out occasional sounds of frustration as she persisted and just kept fiddling with the broken door knob, hoping she could somehow get it open but made no progress except in aggravating herself even further.

Eventually, she heard two sets of footsteps pause outside her door. “Hey Nat, we’re here,” Chris called, his voice muffled by the thick wooden door between them. With one last ditch effort, she rattled the door as she stuck a bobby pin near the lock, but she only succeeded by jamming it further. “Have you made any progress?”

“Well I got a bobby pin stuck in it which only jammed it more,” she sighed, slouching a bit as she stood up and studied the door.

Chris and Scott were each quiet for a moment, presumably speaking to each other and organizing a plan. After a minute or two, Chris spoke up, informing Nat, “I’m going to try to see if I can get it to open from this side.”

Nat took a few steps back from her door, making sure it wouldn’t hit her if Chris did succeed in getting it open but she ended up standing there and only saw the door slightly rattle, no matter the amount of grunting and loud slams of what no doubt was Chris’ shoulder as he rammed into it. She just kept sitting there, hoping to shortly see Chris’ face when he broke through the door but found herself still staring at the plain wood.

After a lengthy amount of time, and no progress being made, Chris announced they were coming around to her window so she went over to pull it open. Once she’d easily popped the screen out of place, Nat poked her head out, the wind running through her thick curls while she rested her forearms on the window sill and waited to see the two men, and within a few minutes Chris and a dirty blonde – who was very obviously his brother – rounded the corner, coming to a rest underneath her window.

Chris had a smirk on his face as he met Nat’s eye from fourteen feet below her, his voice dry as he told her, “I don’t know what the hell you did to that door, Nat, but it’s really jammed.”

“You’re telling me this like I don’t know?” She shot back, rolling her eyes. It was so laughably typical of Chris to be acting like this, when she was the one who’d been all but doing a work out for the last hour and a half, trying to bust herself out of her own apartment to drive down to his house. “Besides, I didn’t do anything to it! I literally just went to open the door to get a package and it was stuck!”

He rolled his eyes back, but the smirk and look in his eyes betrayed him as he answered, “A likely story.”

“You’re an asshole, just so you know,” she informed him before she turned her attention to the man next to him. “Also, hi Scott. It’s nice to finally meet you… even if it’s from two floors up.”

Scott had a shit-eating grin on his face as he laughed, telling Nat, “Just so you know, I like you already.”

Chris piped up, a smirk as Nat met his eyes and he mentioned, “At least I’m not the only Evans who had a memorable first meeting with Nat.”

“Okay are you going to help me or just make fun of me?” She finally asked, her hands flying in the air and wincing as one hit the window frame.

“I was planning on both,” Chris laughed, but his tone turned a little more serious as he called up to Nat, “But I think Scott’s going to lift me up and I’m going to see what I can do from that side.”

“Hold on, I don’t have pants on yet!” She called, moving away from the window quickly to head to her clean laundry basket on the kitchen counter, digging around for a pair of shorts.

She could practically see the smirk on Chris’ face when he yelled out a joking, “I don’t mind,” making her laugh and shake her head, not knowing just how true his words were. Nat quickly slid her shorts on and wrangled up her messy curls, allowing her to see easier before she poked her head back out of the window.

Chris and Scott weren’t even looking up at Nat when she returned, instead they were distracted by each other. “Okay, lift me up and I’ll climb in,” Scott finally said, gesturing up to the window she was hanging out of. Nat had to bite back a laugh when Chris looked outright insulted by the instruction, a deep frown on his face.

“Scott, are you kidding? If I lift you in, you’ll just end up sitting on the couch drinking beer with Nat. You’re going to lift me and I’ll actually get shit done,” he ordered his younger brother, shoving Scott’s shoulder lightly.

“We’ll see about that,” Scott huffed back, rolling his eyes in exasperation once he and Nat met each other’s eyes.

Nat just watched the brothers bicker for another minute before Chris finally took off his jacket, leaving him in a tight white tee shirt that had Nat drooling just from seeing those broad shoulders outlined so well. She’d never been blind to his appearance, but she’d definitely been preoccupied during the bulk of their interactions, focusing instead on the sketches in front of her and listening to Chris as he recorded his lines.

But now the only thing on her mind was her eyes tracing him, her attraction having only been intensified by the sudden proximity as he’d shifted work projects, their relationship having gone from purely work to friends. But what was stirring inside her wasn’t anything she felt just for friends, and that fact seemed to become more and more obvious with each interaction they had.

Her eyes were glued to him as he put his foot in Scott’s hands, lifting him up and boosting Chris up to where he could grab the windowsill, hoisting himself up and into the window as if it was the easiest exertion he’d ever made. It was a bit of an ordeal as Chris jammed himself through the open window and ended up tumbling onto the wood floor, causing Nat to burst out laughing, earning a shove to her shoulder when Chris got himself up and walked by her to the problematic door.

He bounced his shoulder against the door a few times for good measure until Scott called out that he was in the hall just on the other side of the door. The brothers messed around for a bit, with Scott pushing the door with his foot and shoulder as Chris all but tried to yank the doorknob towards himself and Nat.

Chris’ face was bright red with exasperation when they finally stopped trying to manually force it open, frustration evident in the scowl on his face. He turned to Nat, as he rolled his likely aching shoulders back and asked her, “Do you have any fuckin’ tools here?”

With a nod, she bit her lip, glancing around the apartment and telling Chris, “I think my dad left some when I moved in but I need to find them.”

“No wonder you got locked in,” he muttered, a slight chuckle bubbling out of him as she blindly threw a hand towards his chest before she made her way down the hall to look in a closet.

“Who’s the smartass now?” Nat called over her shoulder, smirking at the sound of his deep sigh.

Nat dug through the back of her closet, finding the bag of tools and brought it out to put on the coffee table. The sound of metal clunking echoed in the apartment when Chris looked through it, finding a hammer which he surveyed for a moment before nodding slightly and headed back to the door. She watched as he dug the back in between the door and the frame while he instructed Scott to push against the other side and after three hard shoves against it, the door finally swung free.

She let out a sigh of relief, immensely grateful to no longer be stuck inside the apartment hopelessly. Now that she was freed, she finally got the chance to properly meet Scott, the three of them chatting for a minute until she realized she was still left with a broken doorknob and no way to lock her apartment. Nat ran a hand through her hair, silently thinking if she could put the knob back on for the time being but before she could think any farther, Chris piped in telling her, “We’ll go get a new knob and Scott can stay here and watch your apartment.”

“No, it’s fine, I can stay and I’ll just call Mark or Jamie and see if they can go grab one and swing it by,” She brushed off his offer, but gratefully handed glasses of water to him and Scott.

But Chris rolled his eyes, his stubborn, hard-headed nature showing as he muttered, “Yeah, like I’d leave you here like this with no way to lock your apartment.”

Nat was quiet as she considered the offer, her eyes drifting to the hallway before they returned to Chris, biting her lower lip and asking him, “...Do I have to ride in your snobby Tesla?”

“Damn right,” he chuckled, shooting her a wink before she grabbed her purse. She told Scott he was welcome to anything in her fridge and where the remote for the television was before she and Chris headed out of the apartment and down to the parking lot.

They drove through the neighborhood as the evening started to grow dark but it wasn’t until Chris was standing in an aisle, surveying door knobs that she realized just how surreal the whole experience was. She wanted to laugh at the thought of telling someone this, that on a Saturday night she was in the middle of Lowe’s while Chris Evans found her a new doorknob for her apartment.

But she almost couldn’t believe it herself as she watched Chris study the different options, pointing out a few to her. She was thankful for the masks they both were wearing as it prevented him from seeing her practically drool over him.

Working with Chris hadn’t been the first time she’d worked with a famous actor or actress, and he wasn’t the first one she’d enjoyed. But each time it had been just that… a work relationship. They had worked together but when that was over, so was their relationship and she had assumed that Chris would be no exception but the opposite had come true. Now that Chris was onto his next project, they seemed to only get even closer; their text stream constant and long, Tuesday game nights becoming a regular fixture for them both, and Nat had begun to miss his presence whenever and wherever he was absent.

There was a lighthearted feeling that Chris seemed to always bring with him, making her feel happy but also so safe. The security he brought to her life was something she hadn’t expected, and the feeling of being wanted, that he truly wanted to be around her and actually enjoyed her just for who she was something she hadn’t felt in a long time, instead having been dealing with the deep rejection she felt from her broken engagement over the past year.

But the worst part of all of it was that she knew she couldn’t have him. She had seen his face on the covers of many websites over the previous years and knew who he had been with in the past, and the thought of being with him was purely laughable to her. Nat knew that she had to push these feelings to the side, and enjoy the growing friendship they had, but take it at just that… friendship and friendship only.

There was still a chill in the air in the late April evening, making Chris shiver for a moment, his thin tee shirt not doing much to keep him warm. He adjusted the hat on top of his head while he walked through the parking lot, thankful for the mask that was blocking his face and keeping anyone from recognizing him while he headed toward the bar.

He was full into filming The Gray Man but was thankful that most of the shooting took place during the day for the portion they were in LA, allowing many of his evenings to be filled with the presence of a curly headed animator and this evening was no different. A couple days ago, Nat had filled him in on the plans they had for Mark’s birthday, telling him they rented out a bar so that their friends and co-workers could come out and celebrate but felt a little tinge of victory when she had asked him to come. She hadn’t outright asked him to come with her as her plus one, especially since he knew Mark and was very friendly with him, but he felt like they both knew there was an underlying insinuation that came with the invitation that he happily accepted.

Chris headed into the bar, his blue eyes scanning the room sparsely filled with people enjoying the Friday night, but quickly stopped when they landed on a familiar frame. Nat was standing near the bar, having must have just come inside since she was pulling off her aviator sunglasses to slide into her purse. He found himself just watching while she animatedly spoke to someone he didn’t recognize while she wiggled her way awkwardly out of her denim jacket, leaving her in a cropped striped shirt and a pair of jeans that Chris noticed hugged her in all the right places.

He sent a friendly but wary smile at Mark from across the room as he tucked his mask into his back pocket, his eyes moving back to Nat. She clearly was enjoying the conversation with the other man, Chris struggling to place a name to his face as he watched them. Nat pointed a finger across the room, towards the wide open doors to Chris’ left leading to the patio of the bar. She nodded as he whispered something to her, then laughed when he added something else. Chris felt his jaw set as he watched the interaction, that flare of jealousy when he saw the way the man’s hand reached out to rub up and down Nat’s arm for a short moment.

Chris didn’t expect the intense feeling that seemed to burst inside of him. It wasn’t as if they were together, in fact he hadn’t even made a move on her yet, but seeing someone else being in the position he wanted to be with her, had him staring longer than he should have. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he hadn’t realized Mark walked up to him until he felt a pat on his shoulder, “Hey, Chris I’m so glad you could make it.”

He nodded, swallowing as he gathered himself before he replied, “Yeah, me too, man.”

“I figured it’d be easy to persuade people to come with there’s alcohol involved,” Mark laughed, his hand coming to rest on Chris’ shoulder gently. “Have you got a drink yet?”

Chris shook his head, forcing himself to tear his eyes off of Nat as she laughed at a joke. “No, not yet,” he admitted with a grimace.

Mark nodded, looking at Chris carefully. “Can I get you something?” He asked.

“Oh, no it’s okay, I’ll go get one in a minute,” he assured the other man, but before Mark could step away he asked, “Hey Mark, who is that guy over there with Nat? He looks familiar but I can’t remember his name.”

“That’s Ryan, he works in character development,” Mark explained, Chris’ eyes trailing on the man – Ryan’s – face and remembering when he and Nat had run into him at the Commissary one day.

“Are he and Nat like, a thing?”

Mark was quiet for a few moments, long enough for Chris to shift his gaze over to him. “...You jealous, Evans?” The man asked, a knowing look on his face.

“More like… curious,” Chris admitted, but even he had to admit it was a weak excuse.

Mark nodded, his eyes following Chris’ to practically spy on Nat and Ryan. “Well I know Nat and I can already tell you that in about five minutes she’ll be done with that conversation,” Mark sighed, the knowing look remaining as he shook his head.

“Really? Why do you say that?”

“He’s a douche, kinda like Shane was. Ryan’s just smooth talking her and she’s going to figure that out in just a minute so just be patient,” Mark explained with a wave of his hand before he took a sip of his drink.

“Who’s Shane? Have I met him?”

“God I hope not,” he rushed to say, causing Chris to let out an unexpected laugh. “He’s her ex fiance but they ended things about a year ago. He lives in Europe now and is engaged to someone else.”

Chris pursed his lips as he listened to Mark’s abbreviated version of things. “Sounds like a dick,” he finally surmised, shrugging as Mark looked at him in slight surprise.

“He was,” Mark agreed with a chuckle. “But so is Ryan so like I said, give it about five minutes and she’ll be looking for a way to get away from him.”

Chris just nodded before he wished Mark a happy birthday before going to get a beer for himself, chatting with a few people while quietly lingering near Nat. He kept glancing over at her, seeing her and Ryan’s bodies getting closer together each time he looked. Chris couldn’t help but internally curse himself out for not making a move on her sooner, momentarily hating the logical side of his brain that had told him to take it slow.

But it only took another few minutes for Mark’s words to come to fruition, Nat slowly backing away from him as they kept talking. Chris wasn’t close enough to hear what they were saying but could see from their body language that although Ryan wanted to keep the conversation going from the way his body was following her and how he kept reaching out to touch her but Nat’s feelings were becoming obvious with how she kept recoiling and wrapped her arms around her body loosely in a self-protective manner.

He was thankful he had kept his eyes on her, allowing him to see her looking around the room, trying to see a way to exit the conversation but when he saw her anxious eyes land on his, he could see the pleading look in them. Chris quickly excused himself from the few people he had been standing with and briskly walked over to where Nat was standing against the bar, putting his hand on her back when he finally stood next to her.

Her hip was leaning against the bar and she was running a hand through her curls when she nearly jumped at his touch, but soon settled when she saw it was him. “Hi Chris, I didn’t even see you come in,” she greeted, her tone a little too even and plain for Nat.

“I slipped in just a few minutes ago,” he informed her, smiling a bit to make her feel more comfortable and at ease. Once she’d nodded, relaxing a bit, he added, “It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.”

She froze, her head tilting as she thought over his words. “It’s been two days,” she reminded him with a small laugh.

“Which is too long,” he told her, his hand shifting around to squeeze her hip before he stuck out his hand and turned his attention to the man across from them, who was befuddled at the interaction. “I don’t think I’ve had the chance to meet you yet.”

“We met one time, just for a minute, but I’m Ryan,” he greeted, jerkily shaking his hand.

“Hi Ryan, I’m Chris,” Chris cooly replied, his tone a little too friendly, and by the way Nat tensed a bit against him, he knew she recognized it as well. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.”

He nodded at Ryan, then turned his attention back to the brunette standing next to him. “Nat, are you feeling alright? You look like you could use some fresh air,” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

But Ryan interjected before Nat could even begin to answer, his voice practically grating Chris. “Or maybe you just need another drink. I can go get you one,” he unhelpfully offered, clearly not knowing where he wasn’t welcomed.

“No thanks,” Nat kindly rejected, her cool demeanor slipping before she sheepishly admitted, “But I could use some air, I think it’s just stuffy in here.”

Chris’ heart felt like it was aching when he looked at Nat and the way she seemed even smaller than normal, her arms wrapped around herself protectively as she leaned into the wood bar, trying to shrink away from her co-worker. The normal confidence that Nat carried with her was seemingly gone, replaced with her frazzled demeanor at the situation. He wrapped his thick arm around her shoulder, pulling her against his side and felt his heart flutter when he could feel Nat’s body relax against his before they walked out to the empty patio.

She took a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling as she nearly shuddered with the action. But she remained quiet as they reached a safe distance from the small get-together inside, and before long he cautiously asked, “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah I’m fine,” she brushed him off, avoiding his eyes.

“I’m serious, Nat. You can tell me,” he encouraged, but treaded carefully. Nat definitely hadn’t needed saving, but Ryan clearly wasn’t the type who’d go without a fight. And while Nat was more than capable of doing so, he couldn’t have stood by and watched her struggle to shake him off all night long, and he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he refrained from stepping in and caused her further discomfort.

But she shook her head again, then hesitated a bit before she rambled, “I’m really okay, I just started feeling really uncomfortable. I don’t know why, he didn’t even do anything but-”

“No, you don’t need to justify it. If he made you uncomfortable, that’s the end of it,” Chris shrugged, and that truly was it. There was no further explanation or reasoning required, she needed an out and got it.

Nat was quiet as she stared at her heels, a deep frown on her lips as she was in deep thought. “Thanks for helping me,” she finally told him, slowly meeting his eyes.

He gave her a sheepish half-smile at her words as he shrugged, admitting, “You don’t need to thank me, I know you had it under control but I enjoy kicking a douchebag to the curb when I can.”

“Really? Because if it’s douchebags that get kicked to the curb, why haven’t I kicked you to the curb yet?”

He let out a sharp laugh, his nose scrunching as he grinned at her. “Well there’s no accounting for taste,” he shot back with a shrug.

“Yeah that mustache you have is a great example of it,” she retorted, smirking widely as his Nat came back, making an appearance for the first time that evening. “You seriously should have kept your mask on, then maybe you could have landed a girl here tonight.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m too busy coming to your rescue,” he shrugged, pursing his lips and suppressing a grin at her loud laughter.

Once she’d calmed down, she pointed a finger – and leaned in against his firm arm – and told him, “Well I’m going to be too busy outdrinking you.”

“Outdrinking a guy from Boston? Yeah I don’t think so. Besides, you’re like…” he paused, holding a hand up to his shoulder, “this big.”

But his teasing of her didn’t get a verbal response, only resulting in Nat practically dragging him toward the bar where they each got a drink which is where they stayed. It was over an hour later and they still hadn’t taken their eyes off of each other, a few empty glasses in front of them, and were both facing one another on their barstools, knees resting against each other while they animatedly talked.

He didn’t even know how long it had been since his hand had moved over to rest on her back, dropping down lower and lower until it had come to rest right above her jeans and thanks to her cropped tee shirt and how she was leaning, he felt her soft warm skin underneath his touch. Chris’ thumb was rubbing slow circles against her bare skin while Nat loudly laughed at one of his jokes, her hand resting on his toned thigh as she leaned in toward him, wanting nothing more than to be close to him.

Nat pushed her empty glass to the side as she finished her mojito with a sigh, shaking her head as the bartender silently offered another round. “I’ve got to hand it to you, you can certainly hold your drinks,” Chris smirked, his chin resting on his hand as he studied her, unable to hide the blatantly longing looks.

She chuckled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she confessed, “It’s not my first go round.”

“I can see that,” Chris laughed, his thumb moving back and forth over the bare small of her back. He moved his chin off of his right hand, reaching to take the last sip from his beer before he admitted to her, “I have to say, I barely recognized you when I came in. I was looking for those crazy curls.”

“Every once in a while I can manage to actually tame them,” Nat rolled her eyes just as her hand landed on his denim-covered thigh again, just resting there as she smirked and winked at him.

“Well I like it when you let them loose,” he shrugged, looking at her through his long eyelashes, his fingers tapping against her bare skin rhythmically. “It’s very sexy.”

Nat raised a single eyebrow at him and Chris worried he went a little too far, but before he could work himself up, she retorted, “Sexy? Unlike that mustache of yours.”

He laughed to himself, adjusting himself on the stool so that his legs caged hers, and began rubbing her back again. “Really because I feel like you’re kind of into it…” He trailed off and raised an eyebrow, smirking at her as she took a bite from the giant soft pretzel resting between them on a plate.

“No way. The beard, yes. Mustache, no,” she mumbled, laughing along with him before she gratefully took a sip of the water that the bartender dropped off for them.

“I’ll make a mental note of that,” he nodded, unable to take his eyes off of her for even a millisecond. His right hand moved to run over his face as he tried to get a grip of himself, but he was too far gone by now. He was so utterly fucked, and he knew likely everyone could tell, but he was starting to not care about anything or anyone besides that brunette in front of him, who was dabbing bits of caramel sauce from her shirt.

Neither of them were even aware how much the party had died down until Jamie came over to interrupt them, asking for help in cleaning up. It almost felt painful for Chris to pull his hands off of her as they pushed themselves off the stools to help pick up from the party while the small group of people still lingered. He was busy stacking up a few glasses when Nat came over to him while pulling on her denim jacket, telling Chris, “I called an Uber so I’m headed out to wait for it.”

His face fell and he froze for a second, but reached for his own jacket – long since strewn over an empty table – and told her, “Let me say bye to Mark and Jamie and I’ll come wait with you.”

They made their way to the middle of the room, where Mark, Nick – his semi-new boyfriend, Jamie, and Lauren were. After saying goodnight to each other and wishing Mark a happy birthday for the last time, Nat and Chris made their way back outside and into the night together.

“Well you certainly surprised me tonight,” Chris began quietly, shoving his hands into his pockets as they walked. “I would have pegged you for a lightweight.”

Nat smirked, and the way her eyes twinkled rivaled the stars in the sky. “We Hungarian women are tough,” she told him, biting her lower lip.

He looked at her in disbelief, almost incredulous as he asked, “Tough? Because I seem to remember you crying when I showed you that video of Dodger trying to play with a squirrel the other day.” He smiled as she laughed sheepishly, taking the chance to gently slide his hand out of his pocket and wrap his arm around her hip, landing his hand on the small of her back. But it only stayed momentarily as she reached for his hand and wound it fully around her waist, leaning into his side as he held onto her bare skin.

Without missing a beat, she countered, “Okay, Mr. `I cry at a song.’”

“Hey I’m sensitive and I own it,” he held his other hand up, enjoying the welcome weight of her against him as they made their way to the edge of the parking lot, just as she fished her phone out of her pocket to check on her Uber. He relished her not stepping out of his arms, instead huddling against him as the chilly night hit them. “I just didn’t expect to meet someone even more soft and sensitive than me.”

Nat didn’t even look up from her phone, instead snorting as she sent the driver a message, telling them where she was waiting. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m a stone cold bitch,” she informed him with a shrug.

“I think you’re a fuckin’ liar,” he whispered in her ear, smirking to himself when he felt her freeze next to him. “Besides, I think you being sensitive is sexy as hell.”

As he slowly pulled away from her ear, Chris let his face linger near hers. He felt his whole body feel warm with his arm around her, holding Nat close against him but it wasn’t just the heat of her body that was making him warm. Chris just stayed right where he was, staring into her eyes as he looked for hints of her response but got an answer loud and clear when she stood up taller and pressed her lips firmly against his.

It didn’t take him more than a second to respond, kissing her right back in the dark evening. He wound his left arm around her waist, pulling her even closer to him as her arms moved to loop around his neck, a hand moving into his hair. It had been a long time since he’d – and he hated to admit this – was genuinely this excited about being with someone in this way, the anticipation almost as good as the actual release.

But Nat had made him feel that way since the very first day, in that tiny conference room in Burbank, one he’d always remember. He’d been hoping this was where their paths would lead them, but he almost wanted to pinch himself to make sure this wasn’t some fucked up dream he was having.

The sudden honk of a car horn from the surrounding traffic pulled them apart much sooner than he’d wanted and he hoped Nat’s frown showed she felt the same, but he still couldn’t bring himself to move his arms away from her. They were quiet – giddy, but quiet – as they stood there, practically holding each other until he tapped his fingers against the bare skin of her back and asked, “So… am I going to see you this weekend?”

Nat bit her lip, almost suppressing the grin that was threatening to split her lips as she told him, “I sure hope so.”

He leaned down, pressing his lips to her forehead again before a car pulled up along the curb, pausing just as Nat’s phone buzzed against her leg, signaling it was hers. “Your Uber is here,” he murmured, begrudgingly pulling his arms away. “Text me when you get home so I know you got there safe, okay?”

“I will,” she promised, not stepping out of his space quite yet. She looked at the car, almost regretfully, before she confirmed for one last time, “So I’ll see you this weekend.”

“You can count on it,” he assured her, matching grins on their faces.

Before she could step too far from him, he wrapped his arms around her one last time for a hug, squeezing her tightly. Then, just as impulsively, he pulled away from her, walking her to the Uber and willing himself to not give in, to play it smart.

But the struggle was worth it when he shut the door to her Uber, despite the slightly pained look on Nat’s face. And as he watched the Uber head towards the 405, he knew in his heart that whatever was going to happen tomorrow…. It’d be worth this and more. Because she was the best damn thing to happen to him in a long time, and he’d be stupid to let it through his fingers when it’d just barely begun.

A/N: We LOVE this chapter and cannot wait to hear your thoughts! As a quick disclaimer, we know that all the COVID restrictions and things like that aren’t 100% realistic but are changing a few things for the sake of the story! We’ll see you guys on MONDAY with part one of chapter five!

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robo-dino-puppy · 11 months

Text

I hit a sort of follower milestone recently (and I'm reasonably sure most of you aren't bots) so... new pinned post time!

(to all the followers and moots I see in my notifs all the time - I love you all so much ♡)

▷ First of all:

I made horizon-armor and you should check it out if you've ever wanted a gallery of all Aloy's armor and dye options from HFW :D Here's a previous pinned post about it. This ↑ is the card I made for it in the Horizon Database, which is not mine but you should also check out if you're interested in gameplay mechanics/tips/tricks/practically any info you ever wanted to know about HFW. (the database was put together by twingeofregret on Arktix's discord, and many of the items there were put together by other server members)

▷ Second, I don't think it needs saying? But DON'T REPOST - meaning, don't reupload in your own post - any of my work and don't upload it to any other sites. Yeah this is "only" virtual photography but I still spend time on it and it's mine. Please don't, for anyone's creations. Reblog or share links!

▷ Thirdly, absolutely feel free to use my pics as drawing/art references or personal phone backgrounds! (But please don't edit my shots and repost them.) If you use things as references I'd love to be tagged so I can see what you drew/painted/whatevered <3

...the rest below a cut because I don't know how to be brief...

▷ Fourth: I would very much appreciate anyone who wants to add image descriptions to my posts - I know it's a sucky excuse but when I've tried doing it I just end up exhausted and feel like it's either too longwinded or not a good description at all. So if anyone who is good with words would like to help me out I'd be super grateful! I'll reblog your addition and (if you're cool with it) I can add it to the alt text of the image.

▷ Fifth: With the more-real-than-ever possibility of Tumblr imploding, I thought I'd also include where else you might find me! I'm not going anywhere until this place melts down because Tumblr is the only place I've ever felt comfortable, but I also have an account on Reddit (ew) that I use occasionally: I'm robo_dino_puppy there. I put Horizon videos on YouTube sometimes: I'm robo-dino-puppy over there too. I exist on Discord although it's rather... social for me and honestly I'm still not sure if I'm doing it right haha. I guess I should make an effort to join more servers to keep track of people just in case, but I've always felt like I'd be a fraud or an invader with the ship servers because I don't actually ship Aloy with anyone...

As a backup for the armor gallery I've snagged horizon-armor (and robo-dino-puppy, for that matter) on Neocities, but there's nothing there at the moment because I'm currently waaaaay too braindead to create a site from scratch. Also empty right now, but in case of future need I'm squatting on robo-dino-puppy on Dreamwidth and Pillowfort.

And now thanks to a kindly-provided invite, robo-dino-puppy on Bluesky!

aaaaand finally I'm also @robo-dino-puppies if you're interested in my non-Horizon stuff/reblogs/my sideblog 👀

#pinned post #maintenance #text post #also my asks are open and i think i'm pretty friendly so... lmk if there's something else i should cover!#*good god* i hope tumblr doesn't disappear because it's been a part of my life for so long #i love maintaining this blog as a scrapbook of my ridiculously excessive captures folder #and tumblr is the only 'social' media i've ever felt comfortable on - mainly because i can avoid being actually social hah #turned off reblogs for this one just because it's very much pinned-post-y and maybe i'll update it at some point #but if you need to for some reason you can reblog the past pinned post about the gallery!

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vienssunshine · 2 years

Text

A Great Team

Relationship: Megumi x Reader

Word Count: 2.5k+

Summary: You meet Megumi in the culling game and are united by a common goal. After spending some time together, it becomes apparent that you both like each other more than you have let on.

This is a repost from my Ao3 @vienssunshine. I hope you enjoy!

Yep, this is it. You're as good as dead.

A sorcerer is hurtling toward your trapped body, ready to plunge his fist right through your head. You try to break free, flexing against the steel bar pinning you into a pile of rubble.

You thought you would last at least a week in the culling game. However, the tumbling debris from a nearby broken-down building changed your plans in a matter of mere seconds. Turning your head away, you hope to survive the certainly lethal blow about to hit you.

Yet, you're met with the screech of an animal and a resounding thud. Cracking open your eyes, you find an overgrown, orange bird smothering the sorcerer you were fighting, holding him in place despite his attempts to free himself. The weight pressing down on you lifts. A large hand wraps around your freed arm, pulling you from the mass of fragmented drywall and concrete.

As you're magically placed on your feet again, you can't tear your eyes away from your enemy. He almost killed you. To be fair, you were unexpectedly captured by stray rubble; it's easy to kill anyone who's pinned, which is how your opponent is now. The question is whether you want to stoop to the level he had and kick someone when they're down.

"Hey, I'm talking to you," a deep voice commands your attention.

Your eyes snap to the man standing in front of you. You aren't sure if you could name the most intimidating thing about him. You're in between the razor-sharp spikes of hair crowning his head and the sour look contorting his features. Did this guy intervene just so he could kill you and take your points? You step back and he releases his grip on your wrist. His expression relaxes to one of utter disinterest.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he says as he examines your body for injuries, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just got unlucky. I got trapped while I was fighting that guy," you turn to the still-floundering sorcerer, "Well, it looks like he's the one trapped now. Thanks for that."

He hums in response, watching his pet bird pick up and fly off with its struggling captive. Despite his standoffish disposition, you realize you don't mind being close to him. His deadpan face reveals no insight into his inner character, but your gut is telling you he is trustworthy. After all, he did just save you. The man raises a brow—were you staring for too long? You quickly look down and away.

"If that's all then, I have some business to attend to," you swiftly turn to leave. Your fight with the now-disposed-of sorcerer had interrupted you on the way to defeating one of the highest-ranking players in the culling game. Although, you can't get as unlucky as you did in your previous battle if you want to take him down.

"Do you know anything about the sorcerer named Hiromi Higuruma?"

His question freezes you mid-stride. Why is this guy asking you about Hiromi? You pivot back to face the man who is now studying you. There's no way he could have known you were going after him. Is he going to try to stop you?

Your eyes narrow, "So what if I do?"

He lets out an exasperated sigh, "I'm looking for him, his points more specifically. So, if you know anything about his whereabouts, you should tell me."

You cross your arms and scowl. Who does this guy think he is, ordering you around like this? It's always the handsome ones with the worst attitudes.

"Even if I do know where he is, why would I share that information with you?"

"Maybe as thanks for saving your life back there?"

Your face flushes. He makes a good point. You could try angling this situation in your favor; it might be easier for you to take down Hiromi if you have help, especially from a strong shikigami user.

"Just so I'm not in debt to you, I suppose I can include you as an accomplice to my mission,"

He rolls his eyes, "I'm your accomplice?"

"Don't look so down. We'll make a great team,"

You lead the way, your new but not-so-eager teammate close behind. According to your intel, Hiromi is hiding out in a theater that, unfortunately, is on the opposite side of the zone. It looks like you'll have plenty of time to get to know your closed-off walking buddy.

"Now that we are partners-in-crime, I'm going to need your name," you say.

"Fushiguro Megumi. And you?"

Despite his drab tone, you introduce yourself. The chat stalls after; you suppose he isn't much of a conversationalist. As you travel past the dilapidated buildings, you can't help yourself from stealing glances at the stoic sorcerer. He has long and dark eyelashes, which no mascara could recreate, that frame his enchanting obsidian irises. His gait is confident, but it has a sense of morbid acceptance about it; it's like he's walking into his deathbed with every step and he knows it. You admire the hands swaying by his side—they're covered in pretty veins that are begging you to reach out and trace them. If he weren't such a brick wall, you could see yourself having a crush on him.

As you are observing how elegantly his eyelashes flutter when he blinks, his eyes flick toward you. Your breath catches in your throat and you drop your gaze. Maybe you weren't as subtle as you thought.

"So...why do you want Hiromi's points?" you stammer, attempting to play off your ogling.

"I need them to help end this game."

"Oh, you're planning on ending the culling game? That's great actually. How do Hiromi's points help with that?"

"I'll use them to add a new rule."

"Okay, what kind of rule?"

"The ability to transfer points."

You sigh, Megumi is excruciatingly to the point. Although conducting some sort of interrogation is the last thing you want to do, it is passing the time...and you enjoy the sound of his gravelly voice. You open your mouth to ask another question when you're interrupted.

"What about you? You don't need his points?" Megumi inquires.

You didn't expect him to be interested in your goal at all. He's probably just asking to see if you will interfere with his plans.

"No, I just need him dead," you give Megumi a dose of his own bluntness.

Megumi doesn't pry, instead looking at the sight in the distance. You follow his gaze, seeing the sky burn red and orange as the sun begins to nestle underneath the horizon.

The raven-haired sorcerer doesn't meet your eyes as he speaks, "We should find a place to set up camp. It's not a good idea to travel during the night."

"Uh, sure thing. How does this place look?" You point to one of the many crumbling office buildings lining the street.

He merely nods. You head down to the basement, usually the safest and sturdiest spot to sleep in a game where leveling large buildings is child's play. Multiple long and jagged cracks shatter the cement floor. The tall gray walls covered in mold frame the spacious room, enclosing you in an uncomfortable but durable bunker. To top off the unpleasant setting, the room is freezing.

Megumi turns to your shivering body, "I'll send one of my shikigami to collect some firewood. That should warm you up." He summons the owl that had taken care of your previous opponent and sends it off into the night sky.

When the bird returns, its large claws are gripping a pile of sticks and branches. Megumi starts a fire with ease and you immediately squat down next to it, eager to relieve your body of its icy condition. You hum in contentment as the warmth of the flames chases the cold from your fingers. Megumi sits down next to you, watching you relax.

"Thanks Megumi, this is a great fire," you turn to him, smiling brightly.

His jet-black eyes meet yours. This time, however, his stare diverges from its typical one-dimensional nature. For a split second, you're granted access to look past his shielded demeanor, and you can see a hint of...something. You can't place the emotion. He looks away, pulling his collar to his chin.

"You're welcome."

You fidget with the extra firewood, using a stick to trace cracks in the floor. Megumi leans back, resting against the hard cement behind him. Once again, you find yourself watching him out of the corner of your eye. The soft glow of the fire illuminates his rosy face. The fire must have done its job of warming him up. You yawn, the energy expended today catching up with you.

"So, who should take the first watch?" you ask, stretching your arms over your head.

"I can. I have a hard time falling asleep anyway."

"Alright, wake me up when you want to switch."

You lower yourself to the hard ground, wincing as you come into contact with the cement floor. The warmth of the fire does little to numb the sharp iciness of the ground beneath you. You tug your shorts down, hoping it will protect a few more inches of your legs. Despite attempting to hide your discontent, Megumi appears to be watching you more attentively than you had thought.

His voice startles you, "You can't sleep directly on the ground, you'll lose all your body heat and freeze."

You push yourself upwards, staring at his unwavering face. You weren't expecting the culling game to be a walk in the park, and you know you can handle the cold, as uncomfortable as it is. However, annoyingly enough, he is right—the frigid ground is rapidly draining your body heat. You certainly can't fight Hiromi as a human popsicle. But, you have no blankets to separate you from the ground. Maybe you could get some leaves from outside and-

"Here, take my jacket."

Megumi pulls the dark fabric from his body, revealing a blank tank top underneath. Your face warms at the sight of the ribbed cloth hugging his built upper body and it takes you a second to realize he is holding his jacket out to you.

"Uh...thanks, Megumi," you say, placing his top on the concrete ground. The jacket protects your legs from the chill, but still, your arms are left exposed and covered in goosebumps. Megumi tsks in disapproval.

"It's really fine, Megumi. The jacket helps a lot," you try to convince him.

"I'm not letting you freeze to death."

"Well, do you have any better solutions?"

He begins studying a crack in the wall that has suddenly become the most interesting thing in the world. Why is he being such a pain in the ass?

He starts, "If you're okay with it..."

He fidgets with the strap of his tank top, running his finger underneath the black fabric.

"You can sleep next to me to stay warm."

Your eyes fly open at his suggestion. You didn't expect a gesture as kind as this one from him of all people. Yet, here he is, selflessly offering his body for your comfort. Why would he do something as intimate as this? Did he like you? No, you slightly shake your head. He must be doing this because you are working together to kill Hiromi. He would be a pretty bad partner if he let you die a preventable death, and you'd be a pretty stupid partner to not take him up on his offer.

"Okay," you softly agree.

You move next to him, sitting side-by-side and leaning against the wall. Slowly, as if he were a cat you could scare with any sudden movement, you rest your head on his muscular shoulder. Your eyes flutter, he is so warm. You wrap your arms around his bare bicep, securing yourself to his body. You realize he is still in his tank top.

"Whoops, here you go," you lean away, grabbing his jacket from the floor and handing it back to him. Megumi takes it in his free hand, but instead of putting it on, he places the jacket on your bare legs as a makeshift blanket. His gesture makes you feel warm and fuzzy and it's hard for you to stay awake now.

"Are you comfortable?" Megumi asks you in a low voice, whispering into your hair.

"Mm...yes," you mumble, rapidly sinking into unconsciousness.

Megumi dutifully watches over you as you sleep on him, careful not to risk waking your sleeping form by moving. Thankfully, nothing disturbs your slumber. You would pity any sorcerer who would face your wrath if they interrupted this moment. After a few hours, he gently shakes you awake.

"Time already?" you yawn.

"Yeah, are you okay to watch until sunrise?" Megumi observes you as you hand him back his warm jacket.

"Yeah, yeah, get some sleep," you reassure him.

Megumi untangles himself from you and lays his jacket on the ground.

"What are you doing?" you ask.

"I'm going to sleep on the floor," he responds in his typical matter-of-fact way.

"Megumi, we already decided that it's too cold to sleep on the floor."

He looks at you, unsure of what to say. He is so difficult to understand, blunt and withdrawn in one moment, but caring and selfless in another. He must not want to sleep next to you for fear of making you uncomfortable. What a gentleman, you inwardly scoff. It's not like you would mind this handsome sorcerer resting on you—it's beneficial for the mission too. You won't stand a chance against Hiromi if your partner is sleep-deprived. Before you know what you're saying, you make him an offer as he had made you.

"What if you slept on my lap?"

He stares back at you, stoic as a statue. Your heart drops. Did you really just suggest that? Offering a man you have known for only the past few hours the option to sleep on your lap is not a normal thing to do. Even if said man is incredibly handsome, and gentlemanly, and kind, and-

He moves toward you. His closeness causes your frantic mind to sputter, overloaded with information.

"Are you sure?" he breathes.

His typically unreadable expression is filled with palpable sincerity. You can't help but let your guard down around someone who makes you feel so safe.

"I'm sure."

His spiky hair descends to your lap and he nestles his cheek onto one of your thighs. The rest of his body curls up to you like a cat in front of a fireplace. You watch as sleepiness gentles his sharp, elegant features and his eyes fall shut. His typically furrowed brow and tight lips relax into a dreamy expression which causes your chest to swell with warmth.

You're struck with the urge to touch the silky black hair splayed across your lap. It looks so soft. You hesitantly dip your fingers into his messy locks. Your hypothesis is proven correct, it is so soft. You stroke your fingers through his hair, running your fingertips along his scalp and playing with his dark tufts. Your heart jumps when a small sigh escapes Megumi's lips.

"Is...is this okay?" you meekly ask.

Megumi nuzzles his cheek deeper into your thigh.

"It's more than okay, it's perfect," he sleepily answers. One of his strong hands rests on your thigh, gingerly stroking your skin with the pad of his thumb.

His serene expression amazes you; you can't believe that this is the same gloomy sorcerer from before. You focus on your new side-mission: keeping watch while gently petting your partner's hair until golden sun rays peek through the cracked ceiling. In those few hours, Megumi got the best sleep he's ever had.

#megumi x reader #megumi fluff #megumi x you #megumi fushiguro #fushiguro megumi #jujutsu kaisen fluff

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andydrysdalerogers · 10 months

Text

The Type You Save ~ E I G HT

Detective James Barnes hasn't seen the love of his life in three years. Since the night she was almost caught stealing a painting. He knows it was her and she disappeared leaving him confused and heart broken.

Alexandra Richards never expected to be pulled back into her old life two years after she left it. She had found love and a home and was happy. Until a note blackmailed her to take one last job. Three years later she walked into the last person she expected to see in San Francisco. Because he lived in New York right?

They always put family before everything. And he would do anything to get his family back. Because she's the type you save.

TW: mob, death, smut, rape intentions, angst, guns, family abandonment, dub-con, manipulation

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Divider by @firefly-graphics

Previous : S E V EN

Series Masterlist ~ Main Masterlist

“So besides, you know, making a mess in New York with Grey, what else have you been doing?” Alex asked as she took a bite of her dessert.

“You are not going to let that go, are you?” James sipped his coffee with a smile.

“Nope. Still think that was really stupid.”

“But it brought me back to you.”

“And that’s why I’m not more upset by it.” Alex gave him a flirty smile and leaned forward so he could have a good angle at the top of her dress. “So, tell me.”

James swallowed, trying to get his eyes to move away from her chest. “We, uh, well. Dammit Alexandra, you don’t play fair.”

“Never have, never will. I know your weakness Barnes.” She sat back.

“Fucking hell.” James ran his hand through his hair. He was finally able to tear his eyes away. “We were just, you know, catching bad guys, taking down what gangs we could. Steve and I, we just worked our asses off.” He thought back to the one close call. Closer than he imagined.

Two years ago – New York

“Dispatch, we are ready to breach.” James spoke into his radio as he and Steve stood on either side of door. The rest of the officers were behind them.

“Barnes, this is Smith, we are ready on the back door copy?”

“Copy.” James checked his gun again and pulled on his vest. “Ready punk?”

“Always jerk.” Steve nodded to the officer with the battering ram. “3,2,1, breach it.” The ram was slammed into the door opening it. They slowly entered, keeping low and looking around every corner.

“Cleared,” was mumbled every so often as they inspected room after room in the office building.

“You think they jumped?” Steve asked.

“Maybe, still too soon-,” James stopped as the first shot rang out, hearing the bullet whiz by his ear. He ducked behind a desk, Steve following suit. “Son of a bitch. That was close,” he mumbled.

“You alright Bucky?”

“Yeah Steve, I’m ok. Need to see where the hell that came from.” James peeked his head and saw the whisper of smoke coming from far corner. James got back down. “Far corner,” he whispered.

“Ok, head to the wall, I’ll come up the other side,” Steve whispered back. They moved together, staying as low as they could get with the desks in the room covering them.

James saw it, the barrel of a gun entering the room first. He stilled and whistled low, gaining Steve’s attention. The shotgun rifle kept emerging and gave James the advantage. The shooter was probable deaf right now from the shot. James got close and as soon as he saw the body, he rushed him, slamming his left shoulder into the big body.

The person holding the gun obviously didn’t know how to handle the gun as it was dropped quickly. Steve came in and hit the guy in the knees, dropping him to the floor. James pushed him further to the ground and placed his knee in the small of the guys back, pinning him. Steve cuffed him as the radio began to chirp with all of the all clears and arrest being made.

Once the guy was secure, James stood up. “That hurt like a bitch,” he said as he rolled his shoulder. “What are you eating man?” he asked the guy on the floor.

“You know if you had been shot, Alex would have my head.”

“Your head? She wouldn’t have waited until I got out of the hospital before she would have murdered me,” he said with a smile and a chuckle. But it quickly turned into a frown. “You think if I was shot, she would come back?”

“Of course, she would Bucky. That girl loved you more than anything.”

James looked at him with genuine sadness. “Maybe next time let me get shot?”

“Not a chance.”

“I mean we did have a couple of close calls, but we always had each other’s back. Steve moved into the apartment with me after a while. The rest of my time was just looking for you.” James looked at his wife and saw a guilty look cross her face. “Baby, I get it. I’m still not mad, ok?” She nodded. “What have you been doing?”

“Oh, you know, staying under the radar, picking up work, taking care of Drew. He’s you in miniature form.”

“What devilishly handsome and a genius?” He winked at her. “He’s great. I can’t wait to spend more time with him.” The server came by with the check and James took care of it. “Wanna get out of here?”

“Thought you would never ask Inspector.”

James kept his hands on the wheel as he drove them back to his apartment. He knew once he touched her, that would be the end. When he got to the apartment, he turned on the soft lighting, and guided Alex to his bedroom.

“This is mine,” he said as he opened the door. Alex looked around. It was the same furniture as before, the dark mahogany headboard and dresser. The pictures she had put up before she left copied back in place after the move. Their chairs and table in the corner, where they had coffee every Sunday morning, reading the paper. She gasped when she saw her painting, hanging over the middle of the bed.

“You kept it?”

“Of course, I kept it. It was the last piece of you that I had.”

Alex swallowed as she moved to the walk-in closet. When she turned on the light, she clutched her chest. All of her belonging were there, moved from their old closet to here. “you brought them here?” James nodded. She fingered the fabrics, each one holding a memory. She came to one and pulled it off of the hanger. An old NYPD sweater, still smelling of his cologne. “I missed this.”

“I was surprised you hadn’t taken it with you.”

“Was scared,” she whispered.

“Why?”

“I wanted it. But I knew if I was reminded of you every day that it would be harder to pretend, I didn't just leave everything that ever meant to me behind. Turns out, I couldn't do that anyway so I should have just taken it.” She buried her head into the sweater as she started to cry.

“Allie, its ok. We’re here now. Baby, I’m here.” James pulled her close, feeling she chest shake with emotion. “I love you.”

“Jamie, I…”

“It’s ok doll.” He kissed her softly to calm her. As he pulled back, he could see that her beautiful eyes, ringed pink from her tears. “God, you are so beautiful.” He started to kiss her cheek and trailed down to her neck. He kissed right behind her ear, earning himself a soft moan from her. “I’ve missed you, Allie.”

“I missed you too Jamie. Please don’t stop,” she cried.

James leaned down and wrapped his arms under her ass, lifting her up. She wrapped her boot clad legs around him. She leans down to kiss him hard. He took his girl back to his bed, the bed they had chosen when they moved in together.

“Allie, I know its only been a few months, but I want you to.”

“Jamie, seriously, I like my space.”

“But if you live with me, I can do this all the time.” He rolled on top of her, pinning her hands next to her head. He kissed her deeply, listening for her telltale moan. He smiled in the kiss when he heard it. “I’ll even let you get new furniture,” he whispered.

“A new bed for us?”

“King sized. So we have plenty of room.”

James laid her down on the edge of the bed and stood up between her legs. He lifted on leg and pulled the zipper down of her boot, kissing the exposed skin as he went down. He repeated the motion with her other boot. James could see Alex’s eyes continually darken with desire. He planted her legs on the edge of the bed and then worked off his shirt.

“Jamie, please,” Alex mewled, her body wiggling with want.

“Still impatient I see, doll.” James sat her up for a moment to undo the zipper of her dress. He pulled it forward and laid her down again. He drank her in. “Just as gorgeous as I remember.” He pulled his shirt off all the way.

Alex drooled. How could she have forgotten the curves of his muscles, the valleys of his abs. She inspected him. She raised her hand to his left arm. There was a scar she didn’t remember. “James…”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s nothing? What happened?”

“A close call, doll. I’m fine.”

She ran her fingers over his old scar. That one she remembered. The accident. She could feel the rods in the arm. She lifted his hand and kissed the pads of his fingers. James shuddered at her touch. “Allie,” he moaned.

“You have me, Jamie.” He sank to his knees on the side of the bed and kissed up her thighs. He hooked her lacy panties and slowly dragged them off. He reached up to unclip her bra, wanting her naked in front of him. “Jamie,” she gasped.

“I want to taste you again my love. I’ve been missing you so much.” He placed gentle kisses on her mound, smelling her arousal. He looked up at her and she nodded, giving him permission. He placed a long lick on her core, listening for the sweet moan that would follow. He wasn’t disappointed. He continued gently licking her open, enjoying her sweetness.

“James, please,” she begged.

“Please what my love.”

“Make me cum baby, please.”

“With pleasure.” He sucked on her clit and slowly slid his finger in her, her moans louder than before. He knew, she had been with him last, and she was sensitive. He could feel her tense up and squeeze around his finger. He quickly added another, curling them so she would have maximum pleasure, his wife, the mother of his child.

“Jamie, Jamie,” she panted.

“It’s ok doll. You and me.” He thrusted his fingers in one last time and she came with a scream dying in her throat. He slowed as she came down. “You still with me doll?”

“I haven’t had an orgasm that good in three years. I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

“You’re not there yet, my love.” James went to slide his pants and boxers off. He climbed in between her legs. “But I can take you there if you want?”

“Hmm, yes Inspector, take me there.” She gasped as she felt him push into her. “Fuck! James!”

“Hmm, Alex, is there a problem?” He grunted as he pulled almost all the way out and in again.

“I forgot how big you are,” she cried.

He slowed, “Did I hurt you?”

“No baby, just, give me a sec.” Alex tried to relax. “God, I need you. I’ve needed you for three years.”

“I know baby. I’m right here now.” James moved slowly this time, enjoying how warm she was. “Doll, you were made for me. And I was made for you.”

“You fill me so good Jamie,” she wailed as she felt every part of him in her.

“So tight, even after give birth to my child. You are a goddess my love.” James sped up his movements. “I love you so much Alexandra.”

“I love you James. Fuck, baby, I’m going to…”

“Let go Allie, Its just you and me.”

“JAMIE!!” Alex screamed as she let her orgasm take over. She blacked out and cried as James continued to thrust into her.

“ALLIE!” James finally slowed, breathing hard. He got up and grabbed a towel to clean Alex and himself up. He laid back down and pulled her to him. “Think we made a sibling for Drew?”

@patzammit

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bexleyfix · 1 year

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Wild Child

(an Eddie Munson One Shot)

WARNINGS AND TRIGGERS: 18+ ONLY (NO MINORS) NSFW: Mature sexual content, Smut [oral sex, OFC losing virginity, unprotected sex (wrap it up, fools!)], teen mom, pining, angst, lots of super duper cutesy feel-good fluff, swearing, smoking, drinking, mentions of substance abuse, controlling parents

RELATIONSHIPS: Dad!Eddie Munson x Mom!OFC ♡ unknowing dad Eddie, previous relationship; old flames; rekindled romance; brief appearances by Dustin and Wayne; mentions of Robin

SUMMARY: [AU: no Vecna] Julie Duncan's controlling parents despised her boyfriend. Forcing her to leave Hawkins in the summer of 1984, Julie returns four years later intending to reconcile with her long-lost love, Eddie, and a life-changing secret.

*Reposting with credit to me is permitted, but copying, translating, or posting my work as your own is expressly forbidden. I do not give my consent*

🤘

"Come on, Eddie, just accept that when it comes to Pacman, I'm better than you."

"'Scuse me."

"No way, Henderson. Best two outta three. Let's go."

"'Scuse me."

"You're such a sore loser. Ya know that?"

"'Scuse me. M-Mistew Metalhead?"

Eddie felt a tug on his jacket. "Henderson, what are you---?" He did a double take, spotting a tearful little boy yanking on his vest. The kid couldn't have been more than three or four years old. Giving Dustin a bewildered look, Eddie knelt, eminently concerned. "Um, hey there, little man. What's wrong?"

"I-I can't find my Mommy. And you'we a metalhead. Mommy said, if I evew get lost, find a scawy metalhead, and dey'll help me."

Eddie and Dustin both chuckled. "Alright, I don't know if I should be offended or flattered. What's your name, little man?"

"M-my name's Gage."

"Well, Gage, my name's Eddie," Eddie held out his hand and the little boy shook it, "and this is my friend, Dustin." Dustin gave the boy a toothy smile and waved.

"Nice to meet you."

Eddie laughed. The kid was so fucking cute. "Same here, little man." He looked up at Dustin and then back to Gage. "Um... let's go find your Mommy." He stood up and took the boy's hand. "Two outta three, Henderson. I'll be back."

Gage waved goodbye to Dustin before following Eddie around the arcade.

"So, what's your mommy look like?"

"Um, she's pwetty. She has long bwown haiw, and she's dis tall." Gage brought his hand to Eddie's shoulder to demonstrate. "She's weawing a jacket, l-like you and me."

Eddie noticed the boy's little battle vest. "Hmm, let's see what we got here." He knelt again to check out all the buttons and patches. "You listen to all this stuff?"

"Oh yeah! Mommy and I do."

"Really? Which one's your favorite?" Gage turned around and pointed to his back patch. "W.A.S.P.? Your Mommy lets you listen to W.A.S.P.?"

"Yeah, yeah! Well, some songs she covews my eaws duwing pawts, but I like da fast guitaws, and the bwood and guts. It's soooo cool. Mommy calls me hew little wild child. Dat's my favowite song, 'Wild Child'. Mommy also says my daddy looks like Bwackie, and he pways guitaw. Hey! You like 'em too!" Gage pointed excitedly to the W.A.S.P. pin on Eddie's vest.

Eddie looked down and chuckled. "That I do, little man. I also play fast guitars."

"You do?! Wow! Can you teach me?"

Eddie couldn't control his laughter. "Well, um... why doesn't your Daddy teach you?"

"I nevew met my Daddy. It's just me and Mommy."

Ok? Definitely more to this story than meets the eye. "Ah, well, we'll see, little man. Let's find your Mommy first, ok? If she's dressed like us, she shouldn't be hard to spot." As they circled the arcade, Eddie glanced around looking for any clash of character in the proverbial sea of conformity.

"Thewe she is. Mommy!"

Gage let go of Eddie's hand and ran to the waiting arms of the distressed woman crouched down on the floor. The kid wasn't exaggerating. His mom is pretty. She had long, flowing, dark hair, and she was wearing skin-tight, black, ripped jeans and a black tank top, with combat boots, and a jean battle jacket. Eddie smiled, letting out a sigh of relief as she scooped up the boy and trapped him in a huge hug. But then... recognition set in, and his smile faded into a look of disbelief.

"Oh my God, Gage! I was so worried. Are you alright? Jesus, I was looking all over for you. You scared me half to death. What did I tell you about running off? You could've been kidnapped." I looked him over worriedly, making sure he was in one piece.

"I'm sowwy, Mommy. I didn't mean to scawe you. I saw da Twon game and wanted to pway."

"It's-it's ok, baby, just... say something next time, ok? Don't run off by yourself... ever!" I squeezed him again.

"Ok, Mommy. But I did what you said. I found a scawy metalhead, and he helped me."

"Oh, you did, huh? At least you retained something I've told you. Where is this scary metalhead, so I can..." When I spotted the 'scary metalhead' my heart practically stopped. "Eddie..."

"Hi, Pippin. It's been a long time." God, you looked more beautiful than ever.

I felt the sudden urge to cry as Eddie and I stared at each other in complete shock. Pippin... I hadn't heard that name in years. That's been his nickname for me since sophomore year art class. Eddie would tell me I reminded him of Pippin from Lord of the Rings 'cause I was constantly eating, loved mushrooms, and I'm short. I nodded, trying to control the beating of my racing heart as I was immediately transported back to the spring of '84. A momentary flash of our naked, sweaty bodies in the heat of passion. "Um, yeah... yeah, it has."

"Mommy, you know Eddie?"

"Uh, yeah... yeah, baby, I do. We're uh... we're old friends." I still couldn't believe he was standing in front of me.

"Cool! Mommy, Eddie likes W.A.S.P. He's gonna teach me how to pway fast guitaws."

"Oh, is that so?" I smirked at Eddie. He shrugged and smiled softly.

"Yeah, yeah! Pwease, Mommy, pweeaase!"

"Um, we'll see, Gage." I stared at Eddie. I wanted to run to him, trap him in my arms, kiss his perfect, pouty lips, bury my head in his neck, inhale his musky scent, and never let him go... but I was frozen in place. "Uh... thank you... Eddie. So, uh, w-what're you... what're you doing here? I thought you'd be in California."

"Naw, that didn't work out."

"I'm... I'm sorry. I know that was important to you."

"Yeah, well... some things are more important."

I nodded, feeling sheepish, knowing full well what he meant.

"It, um... it was for the best though. I got a job at the plant, and Wayne and I, we bought the old body shop, and business is good, so..."

"Well, that's... that's great, Eddie. Really great."

"So... a kid, huh?"

His expression hardened, and seeing it felt like a punch to the gut. I knew what he was thinking. "Um... yeah. This is Gage."

Eddie nodded. "Yeah, we've uh... we've met." He stared at the ground, poking at the carpet with the toe of his sneaker. "So, um... what're you doing here? Last I heard your family moved to Massachusetts."

"Um, yeah, well, my parents are still there. I uh... I just moved back a couple of months ago. Cheaper, ya know? And surprisingly, I, um... I kinda missed the place. Small-town life it's... it's not so hectic."

"Yeah, I get it." There was a brief moment of uncomfortable silence. "Well, you should come by the shop later. We can catch up. I know Wayne would love to see you. Bring little man here. He can give Wayne the run-around."

"Um, yeah... yeah, maybe I will."

"Good. Well, uh, bye, little man." Eddie knelt and looked at Gage. "It was nice meeting you. I hope to see you again soon."

"Yeah, yeah! Me too, Eddie!"

Eddie held up his hand. Right on cue, the little guy slapped him a high-five. Eddie shook it off, playfully feigning pain. "OUCH! That was a good one." He stood up and faced you. "I'll, um... I'll see you around?"

"Yeah... see ya around."

Eddie nodded and strolled away, struggling to breathe. His heart felt like it would jump out of his chest. Julie Duncan... the love of his life. The one who got away. No other girl ever compared to you... and no girl ever will. Ever since the day you left, he's been restless. Yearning for a chance to see you again... but here you were, and he desperately hoped this wouldn't be the last.

°°°°°°°°°°

Eddie? Eddie Munson? In the flesh. I couldn't control my tears as I drove home.

"Mommy, what's Wong? Why you sad?"

I tried to hide my emotions, but Gage was too perceptive. "Um, it's... it's nothing, baby. I'm just... happy, is all." I sniffed and forced a smile. "Tears of joy, wild child."

"Because of Eddie?"

"Um... yeah, baby. Mommy hasn't seen him in a long time, and... well, we uh, we were really good friends."

"Well, I like him. He's cool. Can we see him latew? Pwease, Mommy?"

God, those eyes. Just like his dad, Gage has those vast, chocolate brown eyes that were impossible to deny. "Um, yeah... yeah, sure. Let's uh... let's go home and have lunch. You take your nap, and... and we'll go."

"Yay!!!"

°°°°°°°°°°

I carried a sleeping Gage to his bed. His little face, every time I looked at it I saw Eddie. I brushed Gage's curly locks from his cheek, kissed him, and walked downstairs to my shop.

Sitting in a fog, I was consumed by anxiety, unable to concentrate on work. I knew Eddie wasn't in California, and I knew about the body shop, but I also knew he took our breakup hard and was in no state for a reunion... not until recently, anyway. What if I tell Eddie the truth about everything, and he hates me? What if... what if he never wants to speak to me again? I knew that wasn't likely, but I feared his reaction. Either way, I owed Eddie an explanation, owed him the truth... him and Gage. I had so many things running through my mind I was mentally exhausted. Resting my head on my desk, I allowed myself a daydream...

~~~~~

(March, 1984)

"Here we are, Pip!"

Eddie opened the back of his van and lifted me inside effortlessly. Taking a seat next to me, he retrieved a six-pack, handed me a beer, and then pulled my head to his shoulder. We sat in a comfortable silence staring at the mirky, yet peaceful, waters of Lover's Lake.

"Mmm, this is nice. I missed you, Munson."

"Yeah, me too." He kissed you sweetly. "I wish your parents didn't hate me. This sneakin' around shit sucks."

"I know. But it doesn't matter what I say, they won't listen to me. They think you're a bad influence. It's fucking frustrating."

"Hmm... maybe they're right."

"Well, of course they are. You're the big, bad, Satanic hooligan who's gonna corrupt their sweet little girl," I joked. "Really, though. You know I don't believe that. My parents are so overbearing. They've always hated my music, and any bad habits I hide from them are definitely no fault of yours."

Eddie chuckled, then became somber. "Where do they think you are today?"

"At Robin's. She's got my back."

"I really am sorry. I know you hate lying to them."

"Don't be sorry, Eddie. They're not giving me a choice. I mean, yes, I hate it. I wish I could just... snuff out my conscience 'cause I'm constantly paranoid they're gonna find out about us... but you're worth the risk."

"Hmm... you're too good to me, Pippin. Gimme those lips. Mhhhhh. So I guess we just stick to the plan then?"

"Yeah. We just need to hang in there a little longer. I mean, we're about to graduate. Well, I am, at least," I joked, nudging him playfully. "We can save up, and when you graduate, we can go to California, and we won't have to sneak around anymore."

"I know. I just miss you so much, but I'll do anything for you, even suffer in silence, and I'll always wait for you." He pulled you in front of him and wrapped his arms around your shoulders as you stared into the oncoming darkness. "I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you."

Our eyes met. He was smiling brightly. I turned to face him, my legs at his sides, and I inched closer, resting my hands on his chest. He stared at me longingly, leaned in, and gently kissed my lips, but the kiss became hungry and eager, and it was warranted. His hands began to roam, and he pulled off my shirt. When I went to remove Eddie's his head got stuck in the collar, and we both started laughing. He grabbed my face and ravaged my lips, reaching his hands behind my back to unclasp my bra. "Mmm, Eddie... Eddie, wait."

He broke away, breathing heavily. "What? What is it?"

"Will, um... will you be my first?"

He paused, released a breathy laugh, and stared at me in astonishment. Nodding he crashed his lips to mine and gently eased me onto my back, hovering over me as he searched my face. I smiled bashfully, starting to shake.

"Hey, hey, hey... are you sure you want this? I mean, I'm down... but we don't need to rush if you're not ready."

"No, I um... I'm ready, just nervous." I stared into Eddie's deep brown eyes. "I love you, Eddie. I want this with you."

"Ohhh..." He whined, leaning down to claim your lips. "Mhhh, Jesus... mhhh. I love you too, Pip. Since the moment I saw you walk into art class, I've been mad for you."

He cupped my cheek. I closed my eyes the instant his lips met my neck. He removed my bra, running his tongue between my tits as he cupped them in his talented, ringed hands. He trailed wet kisses down my belly, flicking my skin lightly with his tongue. Sitting back on his heels, he carefully undid the button of my jeans, pulled them off, and ran his palms up my pale, quivering thighs, studying my body with every touch.

"Oh, fuck... you're so wet for me."

His hand glided gently over my soaked panties and I whined.

"Pippin... can... can I taste you?"

I gave him a shy nod. He let out a breathy laugh and hovered over me again, placing a chaste kiss on my lips.

"Don't be nervous. It's just me. It's your Eddie. I'm gonna make you feel good, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Um... let me know if anything bothers you. I'll stop."

I nodded. "I trust you, Munson."

He smiled blissfully. "Ok. Just relax. I've got you."

I watched on as Eddie trailed his lips down my body, stopping to take my hard nipples gently into his mouth, and teasing them with his tongue. My breathing hitched, and my back arched.

"Ooo... you're so sensitive."

He continued to tease me, trailing his tongue down my stomach until he reached my soaked panties. Easing my legs from them, he cupped his hands under my knees, and spread my legs, gently rubbing my inner thighs.

Eddie was transfixed. Staring at your glistening slit, he settled between your legs and ran two fingers through your wet heat. "Jesus, you're so fucking beautiful. Mhhh, God, you smell so good." He whimpered once more and gave in to desire, running the flat of his tongue from your ass to your sensitive clit. "Mggghh, fuck, that's so good. Mmmm..." He dove right back in, lapping and teasing until you were squirming. "Mhhh, you like that, Pip?" You smiled and nodded. "Good. I'm gonna stick my fingers inside you and stretch you out, ok? Get you nice and ready for me."

I sucked in a breath as I felt his fingers enter me.

"Awww, fuck... you're so tight." He returned his mouth to your aching clit, sucking gently as he fucked you with his fingers.

I bucked my hips and whined at the pleasure from his every touch. Grabbing my tits, I teased my nipples as he worked his magic. "Mmm, hmm... Eddie. Feels so... hhhhhh... so fucking good."

"That's my good girl. Jesus, you're-you're so fucking hot. Mhhh... I-I want you to cum for me. Cum on my tongue. Hhhhhmmm."

The moment he curled his fingers, my back arched, and my body tensed.

"Hmmmm... oh... oh fuck... MMM! That's it. Cum for me, baby girl. Cum for me."

The instant his lips resumed contact with my clit, I lost it. "Ohhhhhfffffffuck... hmmmyGOD!... Eddie! EDDIE! Oh... yeeeeeeeees!"

"Mmgggg! That's my girl. Mhh, mhhFuck! You taste so goddamn good. Hhhmm."

He took one last taste and wiped his face with his shirt. We stared at each other, smiling as he undid his belt and removed his jeans. Once they were off, he leaned down and stared into my eyes.

"You're on the pill, right?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, good. I'm gonna ease into you, ok? You'll feel some pain, but I need you to push through it. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes."

"Good girl... wrap your arms around my shoulders. Yeah, just like that. Eyes on me, ok? I'm just gonna get between you... ok, you feel me pressing against you?" You nodded. "Alright. I'm just gonna... ease the tip in... OhhhhhFUCK!"

I hissed sharply at the searing pain and clung to him.

"I know, I know, baby girl. Just... just relax, ok? Relax. Fuck! You're squeezing me so tight. You've-mrrrr... you've gotta relax, Julie. Focus on my face. I've got you. Eddie's got you. I'm gonna push some more, ok? Just breathe."

He pushed further inside me, smoothing my hair back as I tried to concentrate on breathing. I shut my eyes tight.

"No, no, no. Look at me... focus on me. I'm-I'm almost in." You nodded fervently. "That's my girl. Just gonna... ohhhhhhhhhhh... god... DAMMIT! uhhhhhhhahahahahaha! That's it, Pip. I'm inside you. Oh, fuck! I'm actually inside you. Shit! You feel so good."

My breathing started to even out, and I began to relax.

"Ok, I'm... I'm gonna start moving. I'll go slow, ok? Let you... mmm... let you get used to me. Here we go. Holy shit! We're really doing this."

We both laughed bashfully. Eddie wrapped his arms around my back and started moving in and out of me slowly and gently. His whimpers were music to my ears.

"Oh, oh Jesus. I-I love you so much, Julie. I've wanted this for so... so long. Don't ever leave me, please. Please ... stay with me forever. I'm begging you. Hmmm..."

"Eddie, I won't. I promise I won't. I love you too much."

He leaned down and kissed you passionately as his pace started to quicken. "That's my good girl. Just... just feel me. Hmgghh... goddammit, this... this is heaven. You're my angel, Pip. Oh, come 'ere."

He pulled me upright as he sat back on his heels.

"There we go. Wrap your legs around me, and hold tight, ok? This is gonna hurt, but I need you to trust me. I'm gonna grab onto your ass, and thrust into you, yeah?"

I nodded. The moment I felt him thrust into me, I saw stars. "Ow, ow, Eddie... Eddie, it hurts!"

"Ok, ok... sh, sh, sh, sh, shhhhh, it's ok. Look."

I looked down and started freaking out. "Oh my god, there's so much blood!" He immediately pulled me to him, holding me tight.

"It's ok. It's ok. That-that's normal. I popped your cherry, doll. I had to get that outta the way. It's all downhill from here, ok? It won't hurt as much now." He pulled back and grabbed your face. "Hey... that was the hard part, but you did it. You gave yourself to me. We belong to each other now. I'm gonna make you feel good, yeah? Just be with me now, Pip. Be with me."

He returned his hands to my ass and started his slow thrusts, and the pain began to subside.

"That's my girl. Feels... mhhhh, feels so good."

I released my grip on his shoulders and grabbed his face, leaning my forehead on his. I started to meet his thrusts, getting used to the feel of him. "Oh, God... hhhhhh, Eddie... this, this feels amazing."

"Yeah?"

He smiled happily, and our lips locked.

"Mmm... you-you wanna try being on top?" You nodded happily. "Ok, let me just... get my legs... there we go. I'm gonna lie back. You-you just... move your hips. Do what feels good, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"O-ok... just... ooooooooooFUG!"

"Is-is that good?"

He nodded, half dazed, and breathing heavily. "M-mm-mh... uhhhhhhhhhhh... fuck, that feels so fucking good. Ohhh, you're perfect... ha!" He let out a breathy laugh and grabbed your hips, coaxing you to grind harder. "Mmmfuckfuckfuckyess... MMMM!" He ran his palm over your tits, down to your swollen clit, and started rubbing circles with his thumb.

I spread my knees wider, trying to increase the friction. My mouth was hanging open as I ground myself onto him. His dick felt so fucking good, so full inside me, and I could feel the tingling sensation start to increase. "O-oh fuck... Eddie! I-I think I'm gonna cum."

"Yes! Cum for me, baby girl. I want your beautiful pussy to make a mess all over my cock."

He started rubbing my clit faster, and I about cried. "Oh, God! Oh, God, Eddie... Fuck! Uhhhhhh!" High-pitched squeals escaped my lips as my walls clenched around him.

"OhhhhhhfuckYES! Hmmm, hmm... That's my girl! Mhhh! Come 'ere, come to me."

He pulled me down to his chest, wrapped his arms tightly around my back, and started pumping into me at a rigorous pace.

"Ohhhhhhfuckfuckfuck... I'm gonna cum! I'm gonna cum... I'm gonna... fucking cum inside you. Oh, my beautiful giiiiiirlFUCK! YES! OHHHHH... ohhhhhhhhhhJESUS! Hmmhmmhmmmm."

I could feel his movements start to cease, his glorious laughter reverberating through his chest. I lifted my head and looked at him.

"You ok? You feel good?"

I nodded and we beamed at each other. My face hurt from smiling so hard, and then I started to cry.

"Awww, noooo... don't cry." He grabbed your face and kissed you tenderly. "Hey? This is a happy moment."

I nodded again as he wiped the tears from my face. "I-I know. And I am... so fucking happy." I leaned down and hugged him so tight I was practically crushing him. He continued to laugh as he stroked my hair. "I love you so much, Eddie. My God, I love you so much."

"Hey, I'm here, Pippin, I'm here. And I'm never letting you go."

~~~~~

"Mommy?"

"Huh? What?" I was roused from my thoughts by Gage's sweet, little voice. "What is it, baby? Can't sleep?"

"No. And I peed."

I laughed. "Um, did you at least try and make it to the potty?"

"Yeah, but I didn't make it."

"Well, that's ok, wild child, as long as you tried. Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

"Then can we go see Eddie?"

I tried to hide my oncoming tears by forcing a smile. "Um, a bit later, baby. Mommy needs to finish this order, and um... then we'll go."

"Ok."

He looked so disappointed. "Hey, um... after we get you cleaned up, why don't you grab your crayons and sit with me while I work? You can draw Eddie a picture."

"Yeah! I'll dwaw him a guitaw."

"That's perfect, baby. You know, he has a Warlock."

"Ooo! Like Bwackie?"

"Yeah, like Blackie, but Eddie's is a red animal print, not black."

"Wooooow, cooool! I hope I get to pway it."

"I do too, baby. I do too."

°°°°°°°°°°

We sat in the parking lot for what felt like an eternity. I was so fucking nervous. Things ended so badly between me and Eddie, I'm surprised he wanted to see me at all.

"Mommy, awe we going in?"

"Yeah, we are, baby. Come on."

I turned off the car and ushered Gage across the parking lot. The building's huge sign read 'WAYNE'S AUTO BODY'. When I reached the door, I stopped, took a deep breath, and pushed it open. At the sound of the door's bell, the man behind the counter lifted his head and stared at me as if he'd seen a ghost. I gave him a shy wave. "Hi, Wayne."

"Heh, heh, heyyyy! Julie!"

Wayne rounded the counter and strolled over to us, wrapping me in a huge hug. It was so good to see him again. He pulled back and looked me over.

"Good Lord, girl, it's good to see ya. Eddie said he ran into you. I almost didn't believe him. How've you been, kiddo?"

"I've, I've been good. Much better now. Um... I wanted to thank you, Wayne... for always being supportive. You've been my lifeline."

"Yeah, well... you're welcome, kiddo. You kids were dealt a bad hand, but you're both in a better place now." He leaned toward you and whispered, "I gotta warn ya though, he's still in a lotta pain, but seeing you... with the boy... it made things a bit worse. I'm sure he's thinkin' that..."

"That Gage is someone else's kid? That I lied about my feelings for him... moved on immediately without any regard for his feelings?" Wayne nodded solemnly. "Yeah... I kinda got that impression too."

"Julie, this ain't gonna be easy. When he finds out what we did he's gonna be angry, he's also gonna feel guilty as hell, but I promise ya... he will understand. Just go easy on 'im. Everything'll be alright. Just stay strong, kiddo."

He clapped his hand on my shoulder, and I smiled.

"And this must be Gage." He bent down to get a better look at the little boy. "Good Lord, would ya look at that? He's a spitting image." Wayne looked at you and smiled.

"Yeah, I... I know." I started to cry. Wayne hugged me again and kissed my cheek. I wiped my tears away and turned my attention to Gage. "Um, Gage, this is Wayne. He's Eddie's uncle."

"Hi, Wayne." Gage held out his hand, and Wayne laughed as he shook it.

"Well, aren't you a proper little gentleman? Nice ta meetcha, kiddo."

"Whewe's Eddie? I made dis fo him." Gage held up his drawing to Wayne.

"Well, would ya look at that? You drew this yourself?" Gage nodded proudly. "Well, lemme tell ya somethin', Gage." Wayne knelt. "This looks just like Eddie's guitar. He's gonna love this picture. Why don't you hang onto that, and I'll go get him."

"Ok!"

Wayne ruffled Gage's little curls, and I looked on as he disappeared into the garage. I felt nauseous, and I almost died when I saw Eddie walk in. He was wearing coveralls with rolled-up sleeves, his favorite bandana, a cigarette hung from his lips, and he was covered in grease. He beamed when he saw us.

"Hey, you came."

Almost... holy shit, does he look fuckable!

"Eddie!" Gage ran to Eddie and hugged his leg.

"No, Gage, he's... covered in grease." I trailed off.

"Aww, a little dirt won't hurt him, huh, little man? Gimme five." Gage slapped Eddie's hand.

"Hewe!"

"What's this?" Eddie grabbed the drawing and started laughing. "Did you draw this?"

Gage nodded happily. "Yeah! I made it fo you! Mommy said you have a guitaw like Bwackie."

Eddie chuckled and knelt. "Aww. This is rad. It looks just like my sweetheart. I love it! Thanks, little man." Gage reached up and hugged Eddie. Eddie chuckled, wrapped his arms around Gage, and smiled at me.

"Ha! Um... you guys hungry? I was gonna order a pizza."

"Ooo, yeah, yeah. I wuv pizza!"

"Great, um... come on upstairs."

We followed Eddie up a flight of stairs into a two-bedroom apartment.

"Um, sorry about the mess. Make yourselves at home. I'm gonna take a quick shower."

"Ok."

"Hey, little man. You like He-man?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Have you seen 'Masters of the Universe'?" Gage nodded excitedly. "Well, I'm gonna pop this on for you, and I'll be back in a few, yeah?"

"Yeah!" He gave Eddie another high five, and Eddie popped the movie into the VCR.

"I'll be back."

When he squeezed my shoulder and smiled, I felt like I would pass out. I haven't felt his touch in four years. About fifteen minutes later, Eddie walked into the living room wearing the old Corroded Coffin t-shirt I made for him and his black jeans. His shirt was so tattered and wet from his hair, and it did nothing to hide his dark happy trail. Eddie noticed me staring and winked. That always drove me crazy. I looked away, exhaling heavily.

"You want a beer?"

"Uh. Yeah, sure."

"And for Gage?"

"Um, he has his sippy cup."

"Alright. The pizza should be here soon. You still like mushrooms, Pip?"

"That I do."

"Good." Eddie shut the fridge, walked over, and handed you a beer.

"Thanks." He smiled at me, sat down on the couch next to Gage, and propped his feet up on the coffee table.

"Look at him. Not even a blink." Gage's attention was fixed on the TV.

"Yeah. This movie's one of his favorites."

The doorbell rang. "Oh, there's the pizza." He hopped up and returned within a minute setting the pizza on the coffee table. "All right, guys. Eat up."

I was so nervous, I barely managed to force down a piece, but as anxious as I was, I did my best to be patient, blissfully watching as Eddie and Gage interacted during the movie. They've already been robbed of so much time together. I wasn't gonna deny them this.

When the movie ended, Gage was almost out cold. He kept nodding in and out, so he climbed onto Eddie's lap, settled against his chest, stuck his thumb in his mouth, and closed his eyes. Eddie looked stunned. Not knowing what to do, he carefully put his arm around Gage and patted his back.

"He, um... he's taken a liking to you."

"Yeah, no shit. He could give Dustin a run for his money."

"Who's Dustin?"

"That's a long story."

I noticed him staring at his smokes, then back at Gage.

"You need a cigarette?"

"Yes, please. Is-is it ok if I smoke near him?"

I nodded pulling two smokes from his pack. I lit them and handed one to Eddie.

"Thanks, Pip."

With one arm still draped around Gage, Eddie took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled, his eyes never leaving my face.

"So... you look good. A lot different from the shy, sheltered girl I knew. It suits you."

"Thanks. You uh... you look exactly the same." I smiled bashfully and averted my gaze.

"So... where you stayin'."

"I um... I bought the little building on the corner of Main and 7th and turned it into my shop. I'm like... a glorified seamstress. I do screen printing, embroidery, make and repair clothing and costumes, and shit. The building's a lot like this place. Gage and I... we live upstairs."

"You always were great at all that. I still have all my shirts."

"Including this one, I see."

He chuckled. "Yeah. It's always been my favorite." He dipped his chin to his chest and picked at the shirt. "Things got so many holes in it, but I can't bring myself to get rid of it. It um... it reminds me of you."

Jesus, you could cut the tension with a knife, but I nodded and smiled.

Eddie puffed out a breath. "So um... enough with the small talk. Let's address the elephant in the room, shall we?"

My heart jumped into my throat.

"Don't take this the wrong way. I really am glad to see you... but what the hell are you doing here?"

"What? Like here, here... or in Hawkins?"

"Both. Four years, Julie. I mean... I understand why you had to leave, but what I don't understand... is why you never tried to contact me. Not a phone call or-or a letter. Nothing. I never understood how you could just... discard me like that."

My resolve was fading. The pain in his eyes was too much to bear, and I could feel the onset of tears.

"I loved you, Julie. I would've done anything for you. We-we shared something... so special, and you just... well, you ripped my fucking heart out." Eddie looked down at Gage, and tears started welling in his eyes. "I guess, now I know why. I mean, he's gotta be what, three?"

I nodded, picking nervously at my fingers.

"That's... that's quick work, Julie."

"Eddie..."

"No... you promised me, Julie. You promised... that you wouldn't give up on us."

"Eddie... I know you're angry, but..."

"Angry? I'm fucking furious, Julie..."

With his ability to express his anger hindered by the precious cargo on his chest, Eddie clenched his fist, and spit those words at me through gritted teeth. A fire burned in his eyes, the likes of which I've never witnessed, and I cowered, not for fear of retaliation, but from the crippling guilt. I knew Eddie would never lay a hand on me.

"And I hate to say it... I do, but I'm... I'm jealous. The fucking jealousy, Julie. It's consuming me. I mean, I know it's not Gage's fault. He's a cute kid, and I feel this... strange connection to him. M-maybe it's because he's yours... but that's what's killing me. He's yours. Yours... and not ours. After everything you promised me... how could you?"

That one stung, and I became defensive. "Eddie, I know you're hurting, but I am too... so don't you dare fucking do that to me." With our stubbornness at odds, we stared daggers at each other, but Eddie broke first, exhaling heavily.

"Why, Julie?"

"Eddie, I know you feel betrayed, and you have every right to feel that way... but not for the reason that you think."

Eddie's anger morphed into a mask of confusion. "W-what does that mean?"

"Eddie, I never gave up on us. I loved you... so much, and I never wanted to leave you... but the night I got home from Lover's Lake, my dad was beyond pissed. Not only was I out past curfew, but he knew I lied about who I was with. Jesus, I'd never seen him so angry. After that, I was practically under house arrest, only allowed to go to school. That was the only opportunity I had to see you. I wasn't even allowed to see Robin unless she came to see me. I was miserable, physically ill, and when I found out we were moving..." I choked back tears, "I wanted to run to you right then and there, but it would've been pointless. M-my car was in my dad's name. If I even tried to go anywhere other than school, my dad would've been on my ass in a heartbeat. I couldn't do that to you and Wayne. And to make things worse, when we got to Massachusetts, I found out..." I trailed off, having trouble finding my words, "I found out that I was... pregnant."

Had Eddie looked away he would've missed it, the split second glance you shot him before your eyes fell to Gage, still sleeping peacefully on his chest, and you started balling. No, no, he couldn't be... could he? Eddie smoothed back Gage's curls, studying every feature on his little face, and started choking back tears. When he met your sad gaze he just... stared. "Julie... is... is he..."

I nodded, unable to look him in the eyes. "Eddie... you wanna know why I'm here?" Mouth agape, he nodded slowly. "I'm here for you... for Gage... for us." I swallowed hard, clearing my throat. "Gage Flynn Munson... that's his full name. He IS ours, Eddie. You're his father." My words were barely a whisper.

Eddie was speechless, unable to control his tears, and utterly ashamed of himself for doubting you. "He um... he's mine?"

I nodded and buried my face in my hands.

"L-Lovers Lake?"

"Yes."

"How... how is that even possible?"

"I, um... I had that... terrible sinus infection right before spring break, and um..." I laughed nervously, "Well, I didn't know that taking antibiotics negates the effectiveness of birth control, so, uh..." I pursed my lips, motioning to Gage, my leg bobbing up and down nervously.

Eddie looked down again, tightening his grip around Gage. "Does, um... does he know about me?"

"Um, yeah... yeah, he does. I mean... I only have that one picture of you. The blurry one Gareth took where you're kissing my head. He hasn't put two and two together, 'cause um... well, when I show Gage the picture, I... I don't say that's Eddie, I say... that's Daddy."

"Daddy looks like Blackie," Eddie mumbled to himself.

"What? H-how did you..."

"Gage said that to me... at the arcade. We were talking about W.A.S.P., and he said... 'Mommy says my daddy looks like Blackie'. You... you always used to tell me that, but it didn't even register."

I managed to crack a small smile.

Eddie rested his head upon Gage's, hugged him tight, and started rocking him back and forth, and then... he burst into full-on tears. "Jesus, Julie... why the hell didn't you tell me? Look at him. He... he's beautiful. Christ, he looks just like me."

"I know. Believe me... I know. Every time he looks at me with those chocolate brown eyes, I see you... staring back at me, and each time... I die a little inside. I just... I love him so much, but his little face... it's a permanent reminder of that horrible day."

Eddie remembers that day like it was yesterday.

~~~~~

Immediately after your graduation ceremony, Eddie found himself standing on your doorstep, finally having mustered the courage to come to your house in the hopes of reasoning with your dad. His heart was palpitating as he reached up to knock on the door. When it flew open, he became tense. "Um, Hi... Mr. Duncan. I... I was hoping we could... talk."

"You got some balls showing your face here."

"Sir, Please... I'm just asking for a chance. Your daughter and I love each other."

"Oh, you do, huh?"

Eddie nodded, looking nervously at the ground. "Yes, Sir, we do."

"Ok, you love each other. What now? Are you gonna get married? Have a couple of kids? Have a happy, white picket fence life together?"

Eddie was struggling to choke back tears.

"And how do you plan on doing that, huh? Look at you. You're useless. Trailer trash. You smell like the Marlboro man. You've been in and out of County for dealing drugs. You can't even graduate high school, for Christ's sake! Oh, but I forgot, that doesn't matter, 'cause you're gonna be a big rock star. Gonna make all kinds of money. Is that it?"

"Sir... please. Please listen."

"No, you listen! You're never gonna amount to anything. You can barely take care of yourself, let alone my daughter. She doesn't love you. You just filled her head with a bunch of bullshit so you could sleaze your way into her pants. You took advantage of her, corrupted her, defiled her! You're goddamn lucky I don't beat your ass within an inch of your life, you good-for-nothing piece of shit! And there is no way in hell I'll let you and your devil-worshipping ways ruin my daughter's life."

You were right. This was pointless. Your old man sees what he wants, and he's not gonna change his mind. But he did have a point. Unless Eddie got his head out of his ass and turned his life around, he would never be good enough for you.

"Sir, please. I do love her. I would do anything for her. I'll do whatever I must to ensure she has everything she needs."

"You have no idea what my daughter needs. I know your kind. You've got one thing on your mind, and you'll say or do anything to get it, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let that happen."

Eddie knew he shouldn't, but he wouldn't let your dad treat him like this or disrespect you. "You're wrong!"

"What?"

"You're wrong, Mr. Duncan. And I look forward to proving that to you. I won't give up on her. She's an intelligent girl, and she can make her own decisions."

Your dad looked like he wanted to hit me. "Get the hell outta here. Get in that busted piece of crap and never come back. And if I EVER... see you again, I'll have you thrown in jail for harassment and trespassing."

Eddie nodded in defeat, tears streaming down his face. He turned to walk away, and that's when he heard your pained cry for him.

"Eddie!"

He turned and saw you standing in the doorway, crying.

"Get your ass in the house, NOW!"

Your dad grabbed your arm, but you wrenched free and ran to me. I trapped you in my arms and kissed you with all my love.

"It's ok, Julie. We'll be ok. I promise. I promise!" Eddie reached for you as you were yanked from his arms.

"Eddie, please. I love you."

"INSIDE!"

"I love you too, Pippin. We'll find a way. I won't give up! Please don't give up on me!"

Eddie watched you shake your head in agreement as you were forced into your house. Feeling helpless, hollow, and broken, he stood there, unable to find the strength to move his legs, even when your dad came barreling down the sidewalk and shoved him.

"Get off my property. GO! And don't you EVER try to pull this kinda shit again!"

~~~~~

"After my parents hauled me off to Massachusetts, they forbid me to speak to anyone from Hawkins, especially you. I was ten weeks pregnant when we moved. I thought it was all the stress making me ill... but it was morning sickness. I wanted to tell you the moment I found out, wanted to run away and come back to Hawkins. But then I thought about how it would affect us. Teen parents, no jobs. You were still in school, and you and Wayne had enough on your plates without having to take me in."

"That wasn't for you to decide on your own. Jesus Christ, Julie, I would've done anything for you. Yeah, it would've been hard, but we would've been ok... and we would've been together."

"Eddie, I know that now. And I kick myself daily for all the time I've robbed us of. But back then... I was afraid, and I wanted Gage to have the best life, so I had to be smart. After I had Gage I started trade school. It was the first opportunity I had to contact anyone, and as much as wanted to call you, something told me that I should call Robin first. I didn't tell her about Gage, 'cause no matter how much I love her, she's got a big mouth, but she told me that you'd hit rock bottom, that you were failing school again, so the next day when I knew you were at school, I called Wayne between my classes. He told me what a mess you were. That you blamed yourself for everything that happened. That you were drowning your sorrows in drugs and alcohol. I was devastated. Wayne was trying so hard to help you get past everything, so um... I-I told him about Gage... hoping it might give you an extra push, but he said telling you anything would only make things worse. That if you knew anything you'd come after us... and in your condition that would have been explosive. He made me swear not to contact you until he could set you straight, so... we made a plan. I would finish school and get my associate's degree. I saved up all my cash from my seamstress jobs, and did any odd job I could think of to save as much money as I could, and in the meantime, he would make sure you got your shit together. I checked in with them periodically to check on your progress. They told me you finally graduated and got a job at the plant. Robin even told me that you went through with your plan, and flipped off principal Higgins when you got your diploma." That coaxed a smile from him. "I was so proud of you, and it meant I was that much closer to being able to come home, and that couldn't happen soon enough. I hated the way my parents treated Gage. They weren't mean to him... but they resented him, which somehow seemed worse. They also saw you when they looked at him, and they hated that, so when I spoke with Wayne on my last day of school, I couldn't have been more ecstatic. He told me you guys bought the body shop, that you were back to your old self, and to let him know when he would see us. I didn't waste a single second, packed up all of our shit, withdrew my nest egg from the bank, reveled in the moment I told my parents I was leaving... and I never looked back."

"So... Wayne told you not to contact me?"

"Eddie, please don't be angry with Wayne. You know damn well it was for the best. It couldn't have been done any other way. And I made Wayne promise not to tell you we were coming back to Hawkins. You deserved to hear everything from me."

"No, I know. I mean, it hurts like a son of a bitch, but I get why you guys did it. I was a mess, inconsolable, and there would've been no getting through to me, especially if I knew. Jesus, Julie... I'm-I'm so fuckin' sorry."

"Eddie, don't."

"No, I should've tried harder, turned my life around sooner. Instead, I plunged into a self-induced downward spiral of booze and drugs, and... and girls. I was so... empty without you. I did anything... anything to try and find comfort... to escape the pain of losing you, but nothing worked. Then one night, when I was spending the night in the drunk tank, Wayne came to talk to me. He helped me remember what was important. That if I really loved you, wanted to be deserving of you, and wanted to get you back, I needed to clean up my act. He basically told me to man the fuck up, stop feeling sorry for myself, and get my shit together. It was a slow process. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again, but I told you I'd wait for you, and I wanted to keep my promise. Then I saw you this morning... with a kid, and... well, all my insecurities came flooding back, and the little green monster materialized. I turned into a hypocritical, jealous fuck. I thought, m-maybe your dad finally got through to you, and you moved on, but I never, never should've doubted you. I was the weak one, not you. Please, please forgive me."

"Eddie, we all have our way of dealing, and I don't blame you for anything. I'm just glad you didn't succumb. I wasn't a saint, either. In order to get my parents off my case and lull them into a false reality, I had to play the good daughter and pretend to give in to their wishes, so I dated a couple of guys to appease them, and I was so lonely I gave in to temptation a few times, but it did absolutely nothing to fill the void. I knew it never would, 'cause my heart belonged to you. It still belongs to you."

Eddie nodded and looked at me through tear-soaked eyes. Still holding on to Gage, he held out an arm and motioned for me to come to him. Without hesitation, I accepted, and we cried like babies as we held each other in a vice grip. Eddie clumsily found my lips and shoved his tongue down my throat. I tangled my fingers in his hair and basked in the moment—his taste, his scent... his touch.

"Mmm, Pip... I missed you, craved you... so fucking much, but no matter what I did... I loved you, I've always loved you, will always... love you... with every ounce of my being."

I leaned in and kissed him with all the love in the world. "Mmm, Eddie, don't beat yourself up. We were both in a bad place... and sure, our time apart was agony, but it made us stronger, and smarter, and I'm sorry I didn't contact you as soon as I got here, but I chickened out. I've been so worried and scared about your reaction, but when I saw you this morning... my God, for the first time in four years, I felt hope, felt complete. Of all the people Gage could've found... he found you. It was like... a twist of fate, bringing us all back together. Eddie... I love you... I never stopped loving you. And Gage, he's only known you for a few hours... but he already loves you. He deserves to know his father, and you... you deserve to know your son. We all deserve a chance, and if you'll have us... have me... we never need to be apart again."

He scoffed. "If... what kind of shit is that? I told you, I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, and that's never gonna change. Come 'ere."

I leaned in and he kissed me so tenderly. When he opened his eyes he flashed me the most genuine smile and looked down at Gage.

"I can't believe it. We have a son. A son, Julie."

Eddie's expression was priceless.

"Ha! He's perfect... so perfect." Eddie hugged Gage close, tears still falling. "Hmmm... Jesus, I don't wanna let him go."

"You don't have to. But at some point, we will need to put him to bed."

He nodded. "Yeah, ok, um... I'll-I'll put him in my room." Eddie stood up carefully, cradling Gage to his chest, and walked him to the bedroom. He laid him down, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and stared at him.

I walked up behind Eddie and wrapped my arms around his chest. He clasped a hand around mine and nodded, letting out a huge sigh. Then he turned and wrapped his arms around me, and backed me into the wall. Reaching up to gently cup my face, he brushed his thumbs across my cheeks and crashed his lips to mine. Our kisses were wet and sloppy. We fumbled our way out of his room toward the couch, leaving a trail of clothing in our wake. Embracing, we devoured each other feverishly. He clumsily undid his jeans, wasting no time undoing mine, and plopping me onto the couch. He tore them off in one swift motion and stopped dead.

"Wha-what are those? Are those... Corroded Coffin panties?"

I nodded slowly, biting my bottom lip. He growled and lifted me up, pivoting his body to sit with me straddling his lap. We couldn't keep our lips off each other. He palmed my ass and squeezed as I latched my lips to his neck and savored his salty skin. Reaching up to remove my bra, he pressed his palms firmly against my back and took my tits into his waiting mouth.

"Mmm... fuck, I missed your tits. Mhhhh. So fucking perfect... hhhhhhmmm. I missed you so fucking much."

With me still in his lap, he lifted himself just enough to push his jeans past his hips allowing his thick cock to spring free. Without breaking the kiss he hooked a ringed finger inside my panties, pulled them to the side, and lined himself up with my entrance. I slid my soaked pussy down the length of his shaft and started riding him slowly.

"Ohhhhfuck, uhhhhhh, hnghh. You-You're still so... so fucking tight. Oh, Jesus, you-you belong with me. I love you so fucking much, Mgghh! Are-are you still on the pill?"

"Mhhh, no. Hhhhhh, but please don't stop fucking me."

"Mggghhhh, Jesus, you... you don't have to ask me twice."

He grabbed my waist and started meeting my gyrations, his pained, broken moans egging me on. I put my hands on his shoulders and arched back, using him as leverage so he could penetrate me deeper.

"OhhhJesusFUCK! Wha-what the hell are you doing to me? H-holy SHIT, you-you're gonna make me bust. Huh, mhh, mhh... oh, shit. SHIT! G-gonna cum. I'm gonna cum. FUCK!" He pulled you close and cupped your face so you were mere inches apart. "Can I cum inside you? For the love of Christ, please let me cum inside you."

"Hyou-you damn well better, Munson. Don't... don't you dare fucking stop until you empty every last drop inside me."

"Mmm, MmgghhYES! That's my girl. I wanna knock you up again. Let's-let's give Gage a little brother or sister, yeah?" Your quick nod and ear-to-ear grin were all the confirmation he needed, and you sealed the deal with a kiss. "Mmm, cum with me, baby girl. Cum with me. Oh, fuck, I need you. I need you, I fucking need you! Take my fucking cum! Hohhh... take it. Take my cumFUCK!"

"E-Eddie, oh... oh... GOD!" I started to whimper as the tingling sensation, and Eddie's seed, spread through my body.

We pressed our foreheads together and locked lips passionately as we whined into each other's mouths, trying to stifle our moans as we shared in our united release.

"Mhhh, mhhh, mhhhhhhhahahahahaha!"

He was laughing blissfully as he smoothed back my hair. Neither one of us could stop smiling, hugging each other so tight, breathing heavily as the years of pain and anguish melted away.

"Mmmm... this... this is so surreal. Ha! Am-am I dreaming? Ha! Pinch me."

I pinched him hard.

"Oww! Hahahaha. I-I love you so much, Pip. I'm so happy we found each other."

"Ugg, I missed hearing you call me that. I love you too, Eddie, so very much."

"Hahaha! Oh, Pip. You mean the world to me."

We kissed passionately.

"Hmmmm... w-we can clean up in a bit, but you're not going anywhere. I-I have clothes you can borrow, but right now, I just... just wanna hold you, feel you. Then I wanna hold you in bed and stare at my boy."

I nodded happily and started crying again.

°°°°°°°°°°

"This is so unbelievable. Not having to worry ever again about being caught... I never thought I'd see the day. It's a weight off fucking my shoulders."

Eddie's arms tightened around me as we spooned, and stared at Gage. "I know, but all that bullshit was worth it just to be here at this moment. I wouldn't trade it for the world."

Eddie smiled and kissed your neck. "So... Gage Flynn, huh? Pet Sematary and Tron?"

"Of course."

He chuckled. "Those always were your favorites. It's cute, but I can't believe you gave him my last name. That means so much to me."

"Yeah... my parents were furious, but I insisted. I made sure I filled out that fucking certificate myself. He's yours, and I'm proud of that. And no one is ever gonna take that away from you... or Gage. I'd die first."

"Julie, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you two... that you had to go through all that without me."

"Eddie, it doesn't matter now. What does matter is that we're together. And tomorrow we can resume our lives... together."

"Well... then I guess there's only one thing left to do."

"What's that?"

"Give you my name."

I looked up at him and was met with that adorable smile. He hopped up, walked over to a wooden box on his dresser, and removed a small item.

"I've been holding on to this for four years. I was gonna give it to you after graduation, but I never got the chance. So... I held onto it, in the hopes that one day... I'd find you again. And now that you're here... it belongs in its rightful place."

I sat up and stared at him. He got down on one knee and held up a ring. When I looked at it, my eyes went wide. It was a black, skull, diamond engagement ring.

"Julie Duncan, you're the love of my life... the mother of my child, and I never wanna be without you... either of you. Will you marry me?"

I was in tears. I looked up to the heavens and exhaled heavily before returning my eyes to Eddie's, nodding happily. "You bet your sweet ass I will."

He smiled and crashed his lips to mine, trapping me in a bear hug.

"Mmm, Jesus, this is the best fucking day of my life."

We made out passionately for several minutes, lost in the moment. "Mmm... we um... we better stop before we wake Gage."

"Um, ok... one more?" When you nodded, he cupped your cheek and gave you one more sweet kiss. "Let's um... let's get some sleep."

We climbed into bed, and Eddie carefully pulled Gage between us. He was in awe, unable to take his eyes off of him as he played with Gage's little curls.

"He's so incredible. You're incredible. Good job, Mommy."

Eddie's smile was so bright he could put the sun to shame.

"Jesus, I can't stop staring at him. I love you so much, little man."

Eddie leaned down, gently kissed Gage's cheek, and brushed it with his fingers before lacing them with mine just above Gage's head. "Did um... did you mean it? About knocking me up again... or were you just in the moment?"

His smile was wicked. "No, I meant it. We're gonna fuck so much we'll have a litter."

We both gushed at each other, laughing happily.

"Goodnight, my love."

"Goodnight, Daddy. I love you."

°°°°°°°°°°

When I woke the following day, I opened my eyes to the most gorgeous sight in the world. A shirtless Eddie was lying on his back, his wild hair cascading over his shoulders, with Gage resting on his chest. They were both out cold, sleeping peacefully. Gage with his little thumb in his mouth and Eddie's ringed hands resting on Gage's back. I crossed my legs and took in the sight, committing it to memory. When Gage turned his head, Eddie stirred. Momentarily startled, he looked down and smiled, wrapped both arms around Gage, and looked over at me. "Morning, Pip."

"Morning, you sexy bitch."

Eddie started laughing. The vibrations causing Gage to stir. "Oops."

Gage lifted his sleepy, little head, pushed himself up on Eddie's chest, and looked over at me. "Morning, wild child."

Gage was so dazed. He crawled off Eddie, over to my lap, and sat down rubbing his sleepy eyes. He looked around the room.

"Dis isn't my woom."

"No, baby. We're still at Eddie's."

When he looked over, his face lit up. "Eddie!"

Eddie sat up. "Come 'ere, little man." Gage crawled over to Eddie's outstretched arms, climbed into his lap, and was engulfed by his father's loving embrace.

"Um... Gage? Mommy and Eddie need to talk to you."

"Ok."

"So... you know how I said that one day, we would go to Mommy's hometown, and you'd finally be able to meet Daddy?" He nodded. "Well, Eddie isn't just Mommy's friend. Eddie's just his nickname. His real name is Edward Munson."

"Hey, dat's my name!"

"That's right, baby. You're Gage Munson. Here." I pulled from my purse the picture of me and Eddie and handed it to Gage.

"That's Daddy."

"That's right, baby. Look." I took the picture, crawled next to Eddie, and held the photo before us. Eddie leaned over and kissed the top of my head, just like in the picture. It took a moment for Gage to make a connection.

"Eddie looks like Daddy."

Eddie and I both laughed at his innocence.

"Alright. Listen up, little man." Eddie reached for the photo, and with Gage in his lap, he showed him again. "This is your Mommy, and that guy right there... that's me."

"You'we... you'we my Daddy?"

Eddie chuckled, about to burst into tears when he saw the elation on his son's face. "Yeah, little man. I'm your Daddy."

Gage looked at the picture and then put his hand on Eddie's face, and I thought Eddie and I would die. Getting onto his knees, Gage reached up and hugged Eddie. Eddie wrapped his arms tightly around Gage, and we both started crying.

"You love me, and Mommy. She said so."

"She's right, little man. I love you both... so much." He pulled Gage back so he could look at him. "Um, I'm sorry I haven't been around. I wanted so badly to be with you and your Mommy... but we had to be apart for a little while. The good thing is, that's all over now. We can all be together, and we don't ever have to be apart again, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"High five, little man." They clapped hands and smiled brightly.

"Mommy, how come you'we name's, not Munson?"

"It will be, wild child. Very soon. Mommy's gonna marry Daddy."

"That's right. Mommy's gonna be my wife, you're our little man, and we'll all be Munsons. And with any luck, you'll have some brothers and sisters."

"Really?! Wooooow!"

I leaned over, grabbed Eddie's face, and planted one on him.

"Ooooo, Mommy kissed Daddy."

Eddie and I laughed. He mussed Gage's hair, and I kissed him on the cheek. Still sleepy, Gage leaned into Eddie's chest.

"This has gotta be the best feeling in the fucking world. Oh! Sorry." Eddie screwed up his face and covered Gage's ears.

I chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Eddie. He's my kid. He's heard worse."

Eddie laughed and cradled Gage to his chest, kissing his head. "Daddy loves you, little man."

"I wuv you too, Daddy." He noticed Eddie's necklace and started playing with the guitar pick.

"Can we pway guitaw now?" Eddie laughed heartily.

"You bet, wild child. And I'll teach you all about the fantastic world of Dungeons and Dragons too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~♡♡♡~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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no asking for overly nsfw stuff (suggestive jokes, implied death, etc. is allowed but dont go too far!)

dont spam! id occasionally ask for more asks but please dont overfill my inbox lol

no begging! this does not include asking to get your character drawn (heck i allow it) but yeah dont pester me pleaze

remember im just one guy LOL my posts aren't consistent but ill try to pump some out once in a while!

dont fill my inbox with non-asks unless its related to something you sent before or a question for me specifically (no personal stuff here doe)

crossovers are fine but specify the show/media a character or thing is from!

HCs are allowed! this blog revolves around my own but occasionally ill accept a few from others heehee

hide tag #ooc i think to hide non ask posts! look up #bfdi asks for asks only!

(30/7/2023) I MAY occasionally take an unannounced hiatus once in a while... sorry!

TDLR; just dont be mean and were all good

(reposted because i updated the theme!!!! and its probably easier to read than wtf my previous pinned is)

#ooc i think

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twotangledsisters · 1 year

Note

I'm really sorry to hear about your art getting reposted!

Is it okay if I ask if you are not scared you'll lose fans over calling somebody out who loves your work enough to repost it?

Would you be okay with reposts that include credit, or is it never okay to repost?

It is always okay to ask questions!

I love that people want to learn!

And thanks, I'm feeling better today!

Am I scared of losing fans?

Not really. The person who I called out had an account purely of reposted art, none of which had given credit and AI art. People who do this do not respect artists, thereby do not respect me. Thereby, I do not consider them a fan. Plain and simple.

If these are the people who stop following me over calling out harmful behaviour towards artists, GOOD. I don't want those people here.

And maybe they do love my work, but loving somebody's work does not justify TAKING it. And if they believe this is the case, again, I'd rather lose them.

Reposting with credit?

Some artists will allow reposting with credit.

Personally... Ask me.

Send me a PM.

"Hey, love this piece, mind if I post it on pinterest with credit for my inspo board?"

I will probably say yes. Or maybe I already posted it there and can you send you the link to pin!

For me this is fine, it's fanart, I'd love for more people to see it! But I want to be able to see the feedback on my work. If you post something even with credit and I don't know, it's a small minority of people who will bother to come back to tumblr. Most will comment on the repost and that is all feedback, I, as the artist, miss out on.

I have writing advice of mine from back when I posted on @deardragonbook all over the internet, and there are hundreds upon hundreds of comments I never will get to read because I can't track down every repost of my work. It makes me sad. The fact my work was consistently taken without my permission is why I stopped posting there. I took time to put those posts together, so it hurt to have it taken.

To this day there is less feedback on original posts than there are on reposts on Instagram that gave credit but often did not inform me, the original creator.

A lot more artist than people realise are tired of this dynamic. And it leads to burnout.

It leads to less art, less writing...

I know I'm kinda repeating stuff from previous posts. Sorry if this is boring, but it is important!

An artist takes time to create a piece, that time leads to not being able to compete with accounts that just repost. Which leads to artists being left out of the conversations to do with their art.

I don't know what the solution is; I do know I'm going to fight for the right to keep my own art.

(Also a quick note REPOST and REBLOG are not the same, re-blogging is perfect because it shares art and posts without ever separating the artist from the art! Tumblr has an amazing system that I cannot praise enough and wish people would understand more!)

EXTRA ADDED HAPPY INFO!

The reposted art that got me talking about this whole thing had been taken down! By pinterest, so that's great.

It's always nice when social media sites are fast and effective with their intellectual property protections. And if you're an artist going through this same strife and wondering, is it worth filling out the form... Yeah! It's quick, and it works.

#ask answered #rambles #ramble #respect artists #artis rights

4 notes · View notes

vampirerosearin · 2 years

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Say Hi To Larry (Chapter 14 2/2)

Book Title: Widowed Willow Warnings: Bugs, Amari accidentally slaps Elena, Seance, Bonnie gets possessed, Amari passed out, Damon is a dick, Carolines an asshole DO NOT REPOST MY WORK! YOU MAY REBLOG BUT DON'T REPOST! Story Masterlist | Previous Part | Next Part

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“Who the hell is that?” Amari asked from her place on top of the counter, she heard Elena walking towards the door. “It’s Stefan.”

Furrowing her brows, Amari glanced at Bonnie who shrugged before they both followed the brunette teen. “Thanks for coming, I wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t important.”

“I know,” Stefan reassured as Amari nudged Bonnie towards the stairs, “Could you wait upstairs for us?”

Bonnie nodded as Amari kissed her on the cheek, once she was upstairs Amari shoved the remaining pair out the door with her and closed it behind her.

“Tell your creepy stalker brother to leave Bonnie alone,” Amari huffed, as soon as she shut the door.

“Amari.”

“Woah, wait, slow down,” Stefan demanded, confusion clear in his voice. “What’s going on?”

“Damon’s a creep who jerks off to people’s terrified faces,” Amari answered, immediately wincing when Elena punched her in the shoulder. As Amari softly whispered an apology, Elena turned to Stefan and enunciated. “He threatened Bonnie, Stefan, he’s harassing her.”

“What would Damon want with Bonnie?” Stefan wondered, his brows pulled in a frown as he glanced between the girls. Elena paced the porch avoiding Amari’s hand swatting a mosquito, “She has this necklace, Caroline got it from Damon, she gave it to bonnie, and now Damon wants it back,”

“Like this mosquito, Damon is annoying the shit out of Bonnie,” Amari added, swinging her arms above her head in hopes of hitting the intruding bug, she accidentally hit Elena in the head.

Now grabbing Amari’s arms and pinning them to her sides, Elena sighs, tired of the day's events, “Tormenting is what you meant to say.”

“Over a necklace?” Stefan asked in disbelief.

“No, a talisman. It belonged to her ancestor back in your time, if I remember Michelle correctly.”

“Emily, yeah,” Stefan nodded, looking to the side in thought before looking back at the pair in front of him. “She was Katherine and Amethyst’s handmaid and Laila’s mentor. She was also a witch.”

“Ok, Stefan knows she’s a witch, lovely.” Amari huffed, yanking free from Elena and slapping another mosquito from Elena’s face. Ignoring the cry of pain from her friend, Amari continues her thought aloud, “Damon knows as well, and wants the necklace talisman thingy.”

“But why?” Elena asked, rubbing the side of her face in hopes of soothing the sting. Stefan shrugged, glancing between the two and doing a double take at Amari shuffling away from a spider.

“I’ll… I’ll find out,” He said, huffing at the girls’ cry of surprise when a bug flew at them. He turned to walk away, laughing when he glanced back and saw them running into the house. “Lena, the bug is in your hair!”

“GET IT OFF!”

──────

Sighing loudly, Amari sat on the counter again, after killing the bug and flushing it away. Now she was just sitting in awkward silence with her best friends, two of which were in the middle of a silent argument. The dark-skinned girl watched as Elena nudged Caroline, pointing at Bonnie in a silent demand to apologize. Grabbing her phone, Amari sends her blue-eyed friend a text.

Why didn’t we invite you to the sleepover?

Cause I told you not to after you said Care and Bon would be there.

Gee Mitch, really feeling the love

“I’m sorry, there I said it,” Amari’s head shot up, smacking it on the cupboard behind her head, creating a loud thud. The group glanced at Amari before looking at each other and laughing. “Don’t laugh, you were supposed to apologize. Elena, help my hair is stuck”

While Elena goes to help Amari, Caroline turns towards a chuckling Bonnie. The blonde tried and failed to look apologetic, “I’m sorry, Bonnie. If you want the ugly ass necklace, keep it. It’s yours.”

“Would you hate me if I threw it way?” Bonnie asked, hesitating slightly glancing over at Amari when she hissed, “Hypothetically, she meant if she hypothetically threw it out. Elena that’s my scalp!”

‘If you’d stop sitting on the counter like a cat, you wouldn’t be in this situation!”

“You threw it away?!” Caroline repeated, ignoring the arguing pair in favor of glaring at Bonnie. The dark-skinned brunette winced, playing with one of her braids while explaining, “It sounds crazy, I know, but it was given me nightmares, I had to get rid of it.”

“You could’ve just given it back to me,” Caroline suggested, crossing her arms over her chest with a sarcastic smile on her face. Elena scoffed, finally getting Amari’s hair untangled from the cupboard hinge, “Why? So you can give it to Damon?”

Huffing at her friend's desire to interfere, Amari hopped off the counter and towards the island. “Are you guys seriously arguing over a necklace that some guy, who is an abusive piece of shit, by the way, wants? You’re gonna let this random guy you met, what? A week ago? Over someone you’ve known since a few years after you popped out ya momma’s coochie?”

“Amari please!” Elena pleaded, huffing out a laugh as Caroline leaned forward to catch a laughing Bonnie. The blonde nodded, looking at her friends, “You’re right, screw Damon. Are we doing manicures or what?”

“In my bag,” Bonnie replied, shifting to grab her glass of juice.

“So, Elena-” Caroline grinned, digging through Bonnie’s bag to get her kit. “How long do you think this fight with Stefan’s gonna last? Is it, you know, like a permanent thing?”

“I don’t know Caroline,” Elena sighed as she ate a piece of Amari’s sour patch kids. Dodging Amari’s fist, Elena continued, “I think me and him should stay friends. I think I wanna see someone else and I know he’s better off with someone else.”

“Why are you such a little liar, Bonnie?” Caroline snapped, everyone’s heads turning to her in shock and Amari choking on her spit.

“Excuse me?” The Bennett demanded before her eyes widened when she saw Emily’s talisman in Caroline’s hand.

“Now she’s just fucking with you,” Amari spoke, clearing her throat when Elena glared at her. “What? We both watched her throw it in the field, not it’s in her bag. How that work?”

“Who is she and why is she fucking with Bonnie?” Caroline asked, twirling the necklace in her hands. Bonnie sighed, explaining the ghost issue and Emily constantly bothering her. Caroline chuckled in disbelief, looking between the other girls to see if they believed it. They hadn’t even batted an eye, Elena looking at Bonnie in concern and Amari counting the remaining sour patch kids in her hand.

“Ok, I’ll play. Why wasn’t I told this? You guys always leave me out,” The blond snapped, crossing her arms on her chest. Elena shook her head, softly whispering, “That’s not true.”

“Uh, yeah it is. I had to invite her here 'cause she didn’t know about the sleepover,” Amari spoke, still digging in her bag of candy, “Don’t get me started on the number of times I had to catch her up on different topics.”

“I can’t talk to you, you don’t listen,” Bonnie spoke, huffing in annoyance as the blonde cast an offended look. “That’s not true, I listen. When do I not listen?”

“I’m a witch,” Bonnie sighed, Caroline tilted her head, “And don’t we all know it.”

“You think Aiden would mind picking me up?”

Bonnie groaned, rolling her eyes at her blonde friend. She turned and stormed out of the room causing the other girls to wince. The tallest of the group glared at Caroline until she followed after Bonnie, grumbling under her breath about apologies and annoying friends. While their friends talked, Amari and Elena sat in the kitchen throwing sour patch kids at each other in hopes of landing one in the other’s mouth.

“You guys can come in now!”

Smiles on their faces, the pair walk into the living and sit in the living room wondering what they should do. “Let’s do a seance?”

“And die like they do in the horror movies? Or end up posses?” Amari scoffed, looking at her blonde friend in surprise before shaking her head and picking at her fingernails. “No thanks.”

──────

“Why am I doing this again?”

The group sat in a circle in Elena’s bedroom, candles lit around the room, and windows closed. They all held hands, their eyes closed except Amari, who was peeking at Caroline in irritation. “Be quiet, Bonnie needs to concentrate. Now, call to her.”

Rolling her eyes, Bonnie sighed in defeat, “Emily, I call on you, I know you have a message and I’m here to listen.”

Not a second later, the candles all flared making the girls jump out of the circle. The flames grew higher almost reaching the ceiling, “We’re gonna die1” Amari hollers, Elena yanking her away from a nearby candle before turning to Bonnie. “Ask her for a sign.”

Bonnie shakes her head making Caroline huff, “Emily if you’re among us, show us a sign.”

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

Silence, after a moment Amari sighs. Glancing around, “Emily?”

The windows slam open causing the four to scream, Bonnie shook slightly as she yanked the necklace off her and threw it on the floor, “I can’t, I’m done.” The candles fade out leaving the room in complete darkness, the girls shout over each other trying to turn the lights on.

“I got it!”

With the lights on, everyone glances around and Amari’s the first one to notice. “Alright Care, hand over the necklace.”

Looking over at the candles, where Bonnie had thrown it, there was no necklace. Caroline’s eyes widen as she glares at her friends. “I didn’t take it, why would I want it after we just almost died?!”

Floorboards squeak right behind Elena in the hallway causing the color to drain from her face. She shouts as she dives straight into Amari’s arms, “I’m not looking back, I remember! That’s how they die!”

Bonnie whines as another board squeaks, this time much closer to the door. The group all crawl into the bed and wrap the blanket around themselves. Elena pokes her head out, “Jeremy?”

“Is at Aiden’s house.” Amari answers.

“Jenna?”

“She’s not here,” Amari yanks Elena back under the covers, “She texted me earlier about her not coming home tonight.” Sighing, Amari crawls out of the covers she smacks Caroline’s hand away. “I’ll be right back if something happens to me. Jeremy can have my sketchbook, Elena can have my sour patch kids, Caroline can have my clothes, and Bonnie can have Nemo.”

She creeps towards the bedroom’s doorway, Amari glances back at her friends, a piece of the blanket lifted slightly so they could see. She chuckles, “We really think a blanket is gonna protect us from a ghost.” Bonnie yanks a pillow under the blanket while Elena and Caroline grab smaller objects to protect themselves. Amari shrugs, flinching slightly when she hears another floorboard creak.

“I won’t let him free them.” Spinning around, Amari sees the outline of a person. She screams falling backward and crawling towards the screaming group of girls. Now under the covers, Amari leans into Elena’s chest. “I saw a thing, it looked like that guy who could turn invisible from the movie Zoom.”

Bonnie sighs, handing Amari the pillow and crawling out of the blanket, “I’ll be right back.”

Bonnie glances around, A creak in front of her causes her to look towards the bathroom. “Uh, guys?”

The group peaks out and sees Bonnie walking toward the bathroom. They share a look before yelling in fright when the door closes and locks, trapping Bonnie in the bathroom.

“Bonnie!” Amari cried out, the group falling off the bed and running towards the door. Hearing Bonnie screaming they all try yanking the door open, Caroline slams her shoulder into the door, “Bonnie, what’s going on?!”

Suddenly, Bonnie’s screams stop and a thud is heard before silence. Trying the doorknob again, Amari slams the door open leaning on the ground next to Bonnie. She looks up at Amari, her brows furrowed, “I won’t let him free them.”

Seeing the color drain from Amari’s face, Elena leans next to her. She places her hand on Amari’s cheek before glancing up at Caroline who scoffs, “Unbelievable, you were totally faking it.’

She turns to run out of the bathroom with Elena following after, “Caroline!”

──────

“I must go,” Bonnie spoke, walking towards the front door causing Caroline to frown. “If she’s leaving then I’m leaving.” Elena scoffed, shaking her head as she exclaimed, “You guys can’t just leave!”

Amari yanks Bonnie from the door making her slowly turn towards her. “Explain, woman.”

Bonnie sighs as she stares at the dark-skinned teen in front of her, she smiles slightly before frowning as she lifts the necklace slightly, “I can’t let him have this, it must be destroyed.”

“Damon wants to save Katherine, but to save her he’d release the others,” Bonnie continues, staring at Amari with an expectant look. Glancing over at her other friends, Amari frowns when they shrug at her. Bonnie grabs her hand and drags her towards the door, “I’ll show you.”

The blonde’s eyes widen, glancing at an equally shocked Elena, they follow their friends. “Where are you going now?!”

“Back to where it all began,” Without sparing a glance, Bonnie answers. Amari glances back, still attempting to keep up with Bonnie’s fast walk. “Elena, stay here.”

Suddenly, they’re pushed into the house and the door slams shut. Elena reaches forward, trying to open it but it clicks, the lock shutting in place. After a moment of silence, the door opens causing the girls to scream. Staring at the pair in confusion is Jeremy, he shouts in surprise when Caroline shoves past him shouting in horror, “I’m out of here.”

Glancing at Elena, Jeremy shakes his head slightly before jogging up the stairs and into his room. Running her fingers through her hair, Elena pulls her phone out and calls Stefan, “Stefan, it’s Bonnie. I think Emily possessed her or something, she took Amari and said something about showing her something and that she had to stop it.”

Grabbing her keys and running outside, deciding to close the door in fear of it yanking her back in again. She climbs into her car, putting it on speaker, “Elena what exactly did she say?”

“I don’t know, I was panicking,” Elena spoke quickly, looking around her house. There was that random mark on the wall again. “She said she won’t let him have it, that it must be destroyed. Then she grabbed Amari and dipped.”

“Where do you think they went?” Stefan asked, after a moment he checks his phone to make sure she hadn’t hung up. “Fell’s church, by the old cemetery, Emily took Bonnie there in her dream.”

“Alright, I’m going to find them, stay home,” Stefan spoke, before hanging up. Elena scoffed as she pulled out of her driveway before speeding towards Fell church.

──────

Stefan frowns hearing his brother groaning, rushing towards him and yanking the branch out his side. The raven-haired man sighs in relief as he heals and sends a frustrated look toward his brother. Damon frowned and yanked Stefan so he turned around, behind him stood Amari and Emily. The latter drew a pentagram on the floor with a large stick, Amari standing there while hitting the side of her leg. She looked up as if sensing them, “Stefan?”

“Are you alright?” He questioned, stepping forward slightly with Damon following. Before she could answer, Emily spoke up, “I wouldn’t harm her, she’s the reason we exist. Once I complete the spell, she’ll remember. She and these people don’t deserve this, they should never have known such evil.”

“What evil?” Stefan frowned slightly, Emily glares at Damon “I won’t let him release them. To save her, I had to save them.”

Stefan’s eyes widened in shock, “You saved everyone in the church?”

“With one, comes all.”

“I don’t care about them-” Damon huffs, yanking his hair, “I just want Katherine.”

Finished with the stick, Emily throws it at Damon before lifting her hands, “Incendia!” Letting out a shout of fright, Amari grabs onto Emily as a ring of fire surrounds the girls.

“Amari!” Stefan yelled, trying to run towards her but jumping back when the fire grew bigger. Emily yanks a bracelet off of Amari and throws it in the fire, “What the hell are you doing?!”

Emily sighs as she turns to face Amari, “I used this necklace to save Katherine I must destroy it to prevent him from letting the vampires out. To do that, I need you to remember.”

“Amari!” Elena yelled, running towards the pair only to be yanked back by Stefan. They watched as Emily threw the necklace in the air, the remains of the bracelet following it. Amari gasped, grabbing at her chest in pain before falling to her knees and screaming. She hears someone shout her name, it sounded like she was underwater before it cleared and she could hear Elena, Stefan, and Damon calling out to her. She sees the fire die out before falling forward, face first on the floor.

Bonnie glanced around in confusion before screaming when Damon rushed towards her a bit her neck. He’s thrown back by a hand grabbing his hair, and Bonnie falls to the floor next to Amari. Seeing the faint rise and fall of Amari’s chest, Stefan checks Bonnie’s pulse. Biting into his wrist, he feeds Bonnie his blood and watches as the wound on her neck heals.

Gasping awake, Bonnie glances around before crying out, “Amari!”

Elena sits on the floor cradling Amari to her chest, Stefan next to her checking his friend for wounds. Bonnie gapes at her friend, “I don’t understand, what happened?”

Elena glanced up, “How do you feel?”

“I’m fine, it’s just-” She flinches back when Stefan looks up at her. He sighs, “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

──────

After placing Amari in the back of Elena’s car with her head in Bonnie’s lap, Stefan and Elena stand a little away from the car. The brunette sighs watching the car before turning to Stefan, “Bonnie’s not in danger of… you know?

“She’d have to die with my blood in her system,” Stefan said, shaking his head, “Keep an eye on her tonight, once it leaves her system she’ll be fine.”

“I need to tell her the truth, we can trust her,” Elena stated, glancing back at the car before looking back at Stefan, “What about Amari?”

He frowned, glancing at the car before looking down at his hands, “Emily said something about her remembering and that she was the reason they existed. I think she’s probably going through flashbacks of…”

Glancing at Elena, he sees her frown in concern and concentration, “I’m listening.”

“I know,” He assures, wiping his face before continuing, “I think she’s getting flashbacks of someone’s past so she can remember things. Like how she was able to lift Damon.”

“And give him a migraine,” Elena realized, nodding her head. She looks down at Stefan playing with his fingers, a habit he picked up from Amari. She smiles as she glances between the car and Stefan, “You don’t have to push her away, we can do this.”

Stefan shook his head, looking toward the car and smiling slightly when he sees Bonnie lift Amari at the perfect angle for him to see her face. “I sho- I can’t, Elena, I have to leave. Too many people have died and your friends got hurt.”

“If you think you’re protecting us then you’re an idiot,” Elena glared, her smile completely gone. She frowns when Stefan chuckles, “Amari said the same thing. Well, she called me a dumbass, but still.”

“I have to do this,” Stefan stepped back, looking around and away from Elena, “Coming home was a mistake, I can’t be a part of your lives anymore.”

“Don’t go,” Elena pleaded, stepping forward slightly and frowning when Stefan took two steps back. “Please, you don’t have to leave. What about Amari?”

“Goodbye Elena,” Stefan spoke, sending a wave towards the care before walking away from Elena, “You can’t just leave”

──────────────────────────────────────────

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