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epicsteddieficrecs · 1 year

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Epic Steddie Fic Rec | April 17th-April 23rd 2023

It's a long one this week! I discovered @loveinhawkins and their ficlets as you can see 😆

If you know anyone I haven't tagged, please tag them in the comments!

Complete

🖤 All Night, American Desire by IrisLanding/ @onirislanding (Post-S4, PWP | 4K | Explicit): “Oh my God. Are you telling me I. . . I appropriated a gay cruising spot? Oh my God,” Steve laughs a little frantically. “Robin will–” “Have her best day ever, absolutely,” Eddie replies with a big, obnoxious grin. He holds out the joint to Steve, who shakes his head, then he stubs it out on the sole of his shoe. He puts it back in the baggie, which he shakes a few times and then rolls closed. “Honestly, I don’t know what’s more impressive, that you used the word appropriated or know what cruising is.” (Part 1 of All I'm Saying, Pretty Baby)

🖤 When You're Shaking Your Good Frame by IrisLanding/ @onirislanding (Post-S4, PWP | 5K | Explicit): If, a week ago, someone had told him he was about to have the best sex of his life mainly from Steve Harrington talking, with no penetration, on a Tuesday, he’d have told them to fuck all the way off, take a bus back, and then fuck off again. But he did. They did. And then Steve had to go and say he was going to drive all the way home with a massive boner and spend the rest of the night jerking off thinking about Eddie, because he’s a ridiculous, kinky horndog. (Part 2 of All I'm Saying, Pretty Baby)

🖤 My Fave, Undressing in the Sun by IrisLanding/ @onirislanding (Post-S4, PWP | 9K | Explicit): He tries to soften his features into something less possessed and says: “Eddie and I had sex. Twice.” There is a long, blissful moment of silence that Steve knows is too good to last. “WHAT–” (Part 3 of All I'm Saying, Pretty Baby)

🖤 Cross My Heart, They'll Never Catch Us by IrisLanding/ @onirislanding (Post-S4, PWP | 3K | Explicit): Eddie was pretty sure his head had been emptied and filled with marshmallows or something because Steve Harrington was sitting on his bed, towel sliding off his hips, holding a bright blue butt plug he'd just magicked out of his bedside drawer. He then produced a fresh bottle of lube packaged as nicely as his shower gel, and started saying something about clothespins. Or, Eddie is falling for Steve but he's hesitant about commitment. Steve thumps him on the head with kink and roleplay.

Cat Scratch Fever by Catt360 (Post-S4, PWP | 7K | Explicit): Post killing Vecna, Steve may have developed a small, minute, teensy-weensy and incredibly inconvenient crush on Eddie “the freak” Munson. He figures that he can just ignore it for long enough and it will go away. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. Alternatively titled: Eddie gets a cat and Steve can’t handle his big gay feelings anymore.

First Discovery by percylicious39 (PWP, BDSM | 2K | Explicit): Steve didn't even know guys could squirt. "The more you learn", as they say. He just wishes he learned about it in any way other than by doing it all over himself.

calm me down by corrodednothing (PWP | 3K | Explicit): Eddie Munson loves having things in his mouth. Especially fingers. Oh, and dicks, of course. or; Eddie and Steve hang out and end up doing the nasty

Come and Turn the Tide by gayhandshake (Modern AU, PWP | 3K | Explicit): Eddie is laboring under a misapprehension about the nature of his relationship with Steve Harrington.

takes me to the clouds above by merkintosh/ @lurkinmerkin (Post-S2, A/B/O AU | 3K | Explicit): All Eddie had to do was overcharge Steve Harrington for weed, scoot him out of his glade and then continue on with his day. That's not what happened here.

Dial V for Virgin by LexiRoseWrites (No Upside Down, University AU, A/B/O | 8K | Explicit): Rushing a fraternity so his dad will keep paying for college isn’t exactly Steve’s idea of fun. Being required to lose his virginity in order to get a bid from ABΩ somehow makes it even worse. Which is why finding graffiti in a party bathroom that says, “for a good time text Eddie 555-318-7249,” feels like a sign from the universe.

how far he’ll go by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (S4 Vol. 2 | <1K | Teen): Distantly, Eddie can hear Nancy and Robin tearing up cloth for bandages, but his eyes remain fixed on Steve—and maybe if it was any other kind of situation, his brain would be fixed on Steve Harrington is shirtless in front of me, but right now Steve is lifting up his hand from his side with an awful wet sound, and— “Oh, Christ,” Eddie hisses, feels himself pale. Steve somehow manages an exhausted smirk. “Hey, if you’re gonna throw up, don’t do it all over the hole in my stomach, dude.”

of chocolate frosting and upside down ducks (things worth being scared for) by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (S4 Vol. 2 | 1K | Teen): “If it makes you feel any better,” Steve says, “I think we all just got so used to it, that—” “Yeah, that doesn’t make me feel better,” Eddie interrupts with a huff of a laugh. “If I think about it for too long, I might actually cry for you all, Steve.” “Nah, don’t do that,” Steve says lightly—though he thinks that a part of Eddie really means it. “It’s more like… like I’m a duck, y’know? Calm on the surface, but…” He drums on the table in demonstration. “Freaking out underneath.”

it’s a light and tumble journey by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (S4 Vol. 2 | 1K | Teen): It’s Dustin who saves Eddie. He doesn’t try and carry him back to the trailer, nothing like that—if he could manage that on determination alone, then he would, but his throbbing leg has other ideas. So he stays by Eddie’s side. Throws off his hoodie and starts to rip any piece of his clothing that he can, because he’s come a long way from when he once stuck bandaids on Steve’s beaten up face. “What… what are you doing?” Eddie says in between gasping breaths. Dustin would laugh if he wasn’t so scared. “Buying more time,” he echoes.

The Shire’s Storyteller by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (S4 | <1K | General): Out of the corner of his eye, Steve sees Eddie’s lips twitch into the faint semblance of a smile. It’s very quick, blink and you miss it, before he turns sombre again, looking down at the forest floor. Steve can’t blame the guy; he can’t imagine that he has all that much to smile about. “I just meant,” Dustin says, “that we could use some entertainment.” He jerks his head meaningfully at Eddie—who thankfully still has his head down so he can’t witness this tremendous lack of subtlety—and mouths, You know, a distraction. “And I’m the entertainment guy,” Steve says flatly.

respite (wanna give you forever) by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (S4 Vol. 2 | <1K | General): Steve gestures out to the distance, where the kids are still playing, where Nancy and Robin are re-counting the supplies he’d noted down earlier. “Reckon you’ve got an hour or so, if you wanna get your head down.” Eddie snorts. “Ah, sleep,” he says, with a wry smile. “What’s that?”

like something from the silver screen by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (Pre-S3, Canon Divergent | 2K | General): He jumps up onto the window sill to better enjoy the breeze, stretching his legs and idly looking outside. He just catches Eddie scoffing, the little aside he makes: “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Steve turns his head to him. “What?” Eddie rolls his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitches like he’s fighting a smile. “Just… you,” he says. And it’s said with a kind of reluctant fondness, almost like they’re friends—which is bizarre, Steve thinks, since this is definitely the longest conversation they’ve ever had. But maybe the approaching summer break has Eddie all sentimental.

🖤 bled out without a trace by loveinhawkins (Canon Divergent, S4 Vol.2 | 4K | Teen): “You’ll be fine,” Steve says. He discreetly pats at his pockets. Feels the handle of the switchblade. Touches Dustin one last time, a palm across his brow. “Look after him.” “Hey, I—I don’t like your tone, man,” Eddie says. “We’re looking after him, together. Together, all right? Fucking promise me, Harrington.”

can’t bear it alone by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (Dustin POV | 8K | Teen): He thinks about the relief in Eddie’s voice when he said he had a hunch about Steve’s whereabouts, like Dustin is the chosen one for understanding what makes Steve tick. Eddie’s joked about it before; he’d called it “sibling telepathy” when Dustin had silently communicated his popcorn order at the movies, and he’d nudged Steve in the ribs when Steve’s nose wrinkled meaning Gross, dude. Then Steve had huffed a laugh, nudging Dustin back. Okay, okay. I’ll pay for it, you little shit. But Eddie gets Steve, too, Dustin thinks; that’s why he called him. And yeah, it’s different than the way Dustin understands Steve, but it’s significant enough for Eddie to make the cut of Steve Harrington Interpreters in Dustin’s mind.

be kind, rewind (and check what’s inside!) by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (Pre-S4 | <1K | General): Of course, Steve finds the tape later, because the universe likes to laugh at Eddie, apparently.

and it’s a song you know by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (POV Dustin (1,5K | General): The lyrics are clever, because they hide under metaphor, apocalyptic imagery and all that stuff, but it clicks when Dustin gets to a verse about a tune echoing through a mall, ‘and it’s a song you know, you’ve known it all your life,’ and he’s suddenly thrown back to when he explained how Steve worked out the location of the Russian code, and Eddie was taking it all in, eyes as round as pennies. Dustin sets down the notebook and says, “It’s about us.” It’s not a question.

take me by the hand by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (S4 Vol.2 | 1K | Teen): When he’d found the radio in the RV, he had planned on it being a backup to the Walkman, a last resort measure—but the volume is feeble, too temperamental to rely on. Every so often, he can pick up a fraction of a song before static takes over again. A natural lull falls, not uncomfortable, and it’s during that silence when the radio picks up another song: catchy bubblegum pop that Steve vaguely recognises. “Can you turn that up?” Eddie says suddenly. He’s sitting up straighter and there’s an odd look on his face that Steve can’t decipher.

The Vigil by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (Post S4 | <1K | General): There’s a movement in the corner of his eye; Eddie stops writing and looks over to see Steve’s head nodding sleepily. He smiles to himself. But then he realises that Steve isn’t falling asleep, not completely: whenever he catches himself drifting off, he jerks, straightens up, before the cycle repeats again. And, every time, his hand moves to his jeans pocket, as if checking for something. It’s not a panicked gesture, not exactly. It’s something more… habitual. Ingrained.

you’re too young to be lost by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (Dustin POV, Post-S4 | 5K | Teen): Dustin knows that as soon as you cut one monster’s head off, another is bound to grow in its place. So when the late Jason Carver’s family and friends move out of Hawkins, he’s secretly glad about it, sure, but he’s not exactly relieved. Rumours are a hard thing to kill.

🖤 why are they watching me? (they're watching you.) by rabbitinrain/ @stargazersteddie (Truman Show AU | 25K | Teen): Eddie Munson lives a normal, comfortable, mildly mundane life in Hawkins. But two new faces in town turn everything he thinks he knows upside-down, and he quickly learns that nothing about Hawkins (or himself, for that matter) is as it seems.

Eddie Munson: 19-year-old Virgin by pterawaters/ @pterawaters (Post-S2, PWP | 4K | Explicit): Eddie turns in his seat, facing Steve as he admits, “I’m a nineteen-year-old virgin. How the hell am I supposed to front a metal band without having done it? I’m holding the whole band back, I know it. They’re not saying anything, but we all know they’re thinking it.” “Right,” Steve says, thinking the virgin thing does seem at odds with the rest of his persona. “So, you’re here to ask which girl you should go after? I mean, Wendy’s usually up for anything. Lydia might be more your style, though.” “Steve,” he says, putting his hand on Steve’s wrist. “I don’t want to ask out a girl. I want you to fuck me.”

Every Single Time by AidaRonan/ @aidaronan (Post-S4 | 2K | Teen): Eddie and Steve haven't talked about it yet. What they are. What they want to be. On Hawkins' Senior Bonfire Night, maybe they will.

Dear Harrington by IndigoFudge (Major Character Death | 3K | General): Steve weeps. That’s the only word to describe it. His chest aches and aches, burning with words that he never got to say. He presses the vest to his lips. It smells like smoke, like sweat, like blood - though Steve supposes a little of that is his. Love, he thinks again, and the word feels like home. • Steve finds a letter that Eddie wrote to him.

for everything I long to do (it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin) by stellarpoint (pettifogger)/ @letterfromvienna (Will POV, Post S4 | 3K | Teen): Will wakes up early after a sleepover at the Harrington house. He sees something in the kitchen he wasn't meant to see, which prompts the realization that he might not be as alone as he thought.

WIP

🖤 better by you, better than me by palmviolet/ @palmviolet (Canon Divergent, Season 1-2 | 28/? | 147K | Mature | Warning: Violence): November 1983. Between unpaid bills, the supposedly straight jock he’s seeing, and letters from his convict dad, seventeen year old Eddie Munson’s got enough to worry about. But when Will Byers goes missing, it sparks a chain of events that will show there are more depths to Hawkins — and to certain people in it, like infamous Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington — than he realizes. / or, the excessively long slow-burn in which Eddie is involved in the Upside Down from the very beginning.

🖤 nothing but the dead and dying by loveinhawkins (Canon Divergent, S4 Vol. 2 | 22/? | 61K | Teen): Steve sighs, like he’s trying to laugh but he can’t quite manage it. “I’m sorry, man,” he says too lightly, “gonna need you to drive for a bit. I know it’s not part of the plan, but hey.” He gets out a laugh now, but all it does is set Eddie’s teeth on edge. “Henderson said you’re good at—what’s it called, in your game? Improv?” And Eddie hates it, hates how soft Steve’s voice is, hates how the conversation is so clearly a distraction, a last ditch attempt at protection from… he doesn’t know. He doesn’t want to know. - In the RV, Vecna’s curse changes course.

🖤 Swing and a Miss by deadonarrival (Baseball Player Steve, Fake Relationship | 4/5 | 29K | Explicit): “Apparently they usually reserve the box for the wives and girlfriends … so either you’re gonna have to be my boyfriend or you’re going to have to sit in the stands with the fans. It’s not that bad, you just need to like, pretend to be my boyfriend so you can sit with the other WAGs and like, then you can be in the box and have all you can drink alcohol and snacks.” “Did you agree to this!?” Eddie asks. “If I say yes, how mad are you going to be?” Steve asks.

🖤 Reboot by plutosrose/ @plutosrose (Modern AU, Actor Steve & Eddie | 6/10 | 23K | Explicit): In 2012, Steve Harrington and Eddie Munson film a scene in the teen drama Normal Stuff that launches a popular ship on ao3. By early 2013, they aren’t speaking anymore. In 2024, Robin calls Steve with an offer to reprise his role as Andy Hartley in a reboot of their old show, with one important update–his character gets together with Eddie’s.

Online, Offline (Out of My Mind) by LexiRoseWrites (Modern AU, A/B/O, Actor Steve | 4/10 | 15K | Explicit): Online dating and scent-matching are used by desperate people who want to find their soulmate, but will settle for a compatible partner. Steve is more worried about what he’s going to say in his acceptance speech for the Oscars. He doesn’t need romance, he needs to prove his parents wrong. And besides, masquerading as an alpha for his entire acting career has worked great thus far. Why risk losing everything he’s accomplished over something he’s getting by just fine without?

#steddie #steddie fanfic #steddie fanfiction #steddie fic #epic steddie fic rec #steddie fic rec

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sammy-is-not-smiley · 2 years

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Replacement (Part 1/2)

Steve Harrington x fem!reader

S4 SPOILER FREE

Summary: After coming across Steve and Dustin on the railroad tracks, you ended up accidently going through hell with them fighting demodogs and helping the Byers at their house. Now, you were tasked with keeping the kids safe at the house with Steve. The only thing is you assumed you were keeping them safe from interdimensional monsters... not Billy Hargrove.

Word count: 4.1k

Warnings/tags: Fist fight, anxiety, gross non-con kiss, creepy Billy, hurt but not much comfort yet

A/N: This one starts a little boring but gets interesting towards the end lol. If I missed any possible trigger warnings please feel free to let me know! I’m still learning how to properly put them. I want to be able to give proper warning for those who need it. Part 2 will be available immediately :)

Read Part 2

Pondering over the night once again, you stared in the mirror, face dripping with cold water. Just the day before, the thing you were most worried about was your upcoming math final. Now, that final was a fading blip in the back of your mind. The night had consisted of fighting dog-like beasts with Steve Harrington, hiking in the woods with a nerdy group of middle schoolers, and meeting a little girl with superpowers who saved your life right before your eyes. To say nothing felt right was an understatement.

A majority of the group that had been at the Byers’s minutes before had just left to carry out a plan you barely could keep up with. They all seemed to know what they were talking about though, and that was enough for you. In the end, you and Steve were left to keep the kids at the house and keep them safe while everyone else went to their separate missions. Considering the exhaustion you felt from the events of the evening, you were more than happy to be a co-babysitter.

With a heavy sigh, you wiped your face with a clean towel and exited the Byers’ bathroom. As you did, a crashing erupted from the kitchen.

“All right,” You heard Dustin say. “It should fit now.”

You cautiously turned the corner to see the dead Demodog from the living room wrapped in a quilt in Steve’s arms. Dustin stood in front of a completely empty fridge, metal racks and bottles of condiments littering the floor next to him in a messy pile.

“Is this really necessary?” Steve asked in labored breaths. He noticed you as you entered the kitchen and looked at you with pleading eyes.

You rolled your eyes and fought a smile at Steve’s inability to say no to Dustin. “Dust, what are you putting him through now?”

“I’m preserving science,” Dustin replied sternly. “This is a groundbreaking scientific discovery! We can’t just bury this like some common mammal, okay? It’s not a dog,” He said to both you and Steve.

You and the taller boy glanced at each other, thinking the same thing. You looked back at Dustin, “Dude…. Demo-dog.”

Dustin rolled his eyes. “I call it that because it sounds badass, not because it’s scientifically accurate! It looks like a dog but it probably isn’t part canine.”

Steve groaned loudly, patience fraying, and started approaching the empty fridge. “Whatever Dust, you’re explaining this to Mrs. Byers,” He stressed.

He attempted to stuff the creature into the fridge but very obviously struggled, making you smirk. Your eyes trailed over and you caught yourself having to pull your eyes away from his jawline and neck as it flexed.

Now? Really? You shook your head as you chastised yourself. This is where being exhausted gets you.

The fridge shook as the head of the Demodog smacked against it. “Agh, help me out,” Steve grunted at Dustin.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Get the door or something!” Steve’s head turned and he pleaded your name. “Help.”

You scoffed and put your hands up, shaking your head. “Not my circus, not my monkeys. I’m not touching that thing.”

Groaning in response, Steve continued his struggle until finally, the fridge door could be slammed shut. You could hear the clang of glass bottles inside and the two boys let out a huff as you turned and began walking into the living room to get a subtle head count of the other kids.

Lucas and Max swept up the shattered glass from the window Eleven had thrown the Demodog through. Mike paced back and forth nervously, not paying any mind to you or the other two.

“Mike!” Lucas snapped suddenly, making you jump as you walk in. “Would you just stop?”

“You weren’t in there, okay, Lucas? That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs,” Mike snapped back with just as much bite. It was obvious he was worried sick for El.

“The chief will take care of her,” Lucas weakly tried to reassure, an air of annoyance in his tone. You admitted to yourself you were a bit annoyed with Mike too. He’d been nothing but pissy the whole night.

Max quietly scoffed. “Like she needs protection…”

Your shoulders sagged at the children's lame attempts to try and put Mike at ease. He might be irritable, but those kinds of responses wouldn’t pull him down from it. You took a step towards Mike. “Max is kind of right. I mean, you saw what she did to that…. Demodog,” You hesitated, the word still foreign on your tongue. “She threw it through the window with her mind. I think she might be able to handle a few more dogs.”

“You weren’t there either!” Mike practically barked your name. “This isn’t just ten or fifteen of those dogs, it’s hundreds. What’s this to you anyway? Why are you here?”

You felt a flame of anger burst into your chest. This was the first you had talked to him that night and you weren’t going to stand him shoving that attitude onto you. You thought Hopper had put this kid in his place before they left, but apparently not. “I don’t know, maybe because I want to help while it feels like the world is suddenly falling apart? News flash, Michael, I am as scared to death as you are. Don’t put us below you because you think none of us understand,” You fumed at him a little louder than intended. You really couldn’t regulate your own emotions while exhausted.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Steve interjected between you and Mike, a dish towel in one hand as he lifted both hands up. “Time out you two.”

You both rolled your eyes, turning in opposite directions. Mike really wasn’t worth the little energy you had left.

“Listen, dude,” Steve directed toward Mike. “Tone it down a bit. If the coach calls a play in the game, bottom line, you execute it. All right?”

Mike turned to Steve, a newfound rage in his eyes. “Okay, first of all, this isn’t some stupid sports game, and second, we aren't even in the game. We’re on the bench.”

Steve nodded as he wiped his hands on the dish towel. “Right, so my point is… Yeah, we’re on the bench so uh… There’s nothing we can do.” He concluded and threw the dish towel back and over his shoulder.

“That’s not entirely true,” Dustin argued. “I mean, these Demodogs have a hive mind. When they ran away from the bus they were called away.”

Lucas leaned against a broomstick. “So if we get their attention…”

“Maybe we can draw them away from the lab,” Max said.

“And clear a path to the gate,” Mike finished.

Steve folded his arms over his torso. “Yeah, and then we all die.”

“Or not,” You piped up. If you didn’t know any better you would think these kids had a hive mind too. Their plan was thought up quickly but it sounded about right as far as you could tell. And with Mike’s mood making yours go sour, going out and doing something useful didn’t sound half bad. Otherwise, you might end up beating a child whos name starts with an ‘M’.

“Really?” Steve's shoulders sagged at you. “You’re the one supposed to be on my side here!”

You shrugged and gave an insincere apologetic expression. “Steve, as much as it annoys me to say this at the moment, Mike is right. This isn’t a sports game, there are no rules. And I’m pretty sure the opponent plays dirty anyway.”

Steve put his hand up to his face to shield it from the kids and mouthed a dramatic ‘ fucking stop it’. All you did was innocently smile in response.

“I got it!” Mike exclaimed and ran past you into the kitchen. He squat down and pointed to a spot on a drawn vine put together by papers on the fridge. “This is where the chief dug his hole. This is our way into the tunnel. So…” He stood and ran to another area. A larger one where all the pages of drawn vines led to. “Right here, this is like a hub. You got all the tunnels feeding in here. So, maybe if we set this on fire--”

“Oh yeah, that’s a no,” Steve shot down immediately.

“The Mind Flayer would call away its army,” Dustin followed Mike’s thought process, ignoring Steve.

Lucas grinned widely. “They’d all come to stop us!”

“Guys--” Steve tried to interrupt.

“Yeah, and then we circle back to the exit,” Mike continued. “By the time they realize we’re gone--”

“El would be at the gate!” Max followed as well.

“Wait, all this is a real map?... Are you sure we could make it out before they get there?” You asked, reminded that once again you were missing details of the situation.

“Hey! Hey! Hey!” Steve hollered as he clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “This is not happening! I promised to keep you shitheads safe, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing. Especially you,” He jabbed a finger at you, making your eyes widen and your heart jolt. “‘Cause with all due respect, you aren’t supposed to be in this mess in the first place.” He looked back to the children. “We’re staying here, on the bench, and we’re waiting for the starting team to do their job. Does everybody understand?” Steve lectured as he put his hands on his hips.

“This isn’t some stupid sports game!” Mike reiterated himself.

“I said does everybody understand that?... I need a yes,” Steve finished in expectancy.

A moment of silence fell on the room.

“We would have to be quick,” You broke it, looking down at the hub all the vines led to. A hint of guilt directed at Steve sat in your stomach at ignoring him… But the more you thought about it the more you were on the kid's side. It wasn’t your fault Steve felt responsible for your wellbeing. Plus, you were pretty sure the kids would follow through on their plan whether you and Steve supported it anyway.

Steve yelled out your name. “What the hell?” He snapped. “We’re not doing this!” He gestured his hands out.

You sympathetically look back to meet his brown eyes, which once again were pleading with you to help him out here.

You ran a hand through your hair in exasperation. Walking up to him you sternly held eye contact with him. “The other team doesn’t play fair, so why should we?” You repeated yourself in nearly a whisper. “I think all hands on deck might be necessary for this one.”

Just as it looked like he was wavering and about to break, the roar of a car engine revved from the driveway. Headlights blared through the front living room window.

Max’s eyes went round in recognition and she ran to the window, looking out to confirm who had arrived.

“It’s my brother. He can’t know I’m here,” She looked at Lucas at her side, who had followed her suit. “He’ll kill me… he’ll kill us,” She said shakily.

“This is the WORST TIMING.” You mumbled, looking back at Steve for his reaction. He had turned toward the door, his face suddenly plastered with a newfound determination.

You knew Billy, or at least as well as you could being in the same grade as him. He was also someone who played dirty, you saw that clearly from watching him on the basketball court.

Steve suddenly slapped his dish towel to the ground and strode over to the door. He walked out and closed it behind him as you watched with wide eyes.

“What’s he doing!?” Max hissed, looking back toward you.

You put a hand to your face and drug it down your cheek as nerves made your stomach knot. “Keeping us shitheads safe?...”

The kids took up all the space around the window, leaving you to stand to the side and rely on them for info. “What’s happening?” You asked in a hushed tone. You sat and watched the beams of light, hoping to see them turn away and disappear. However, they remained.

“They’re just talking,” Lucas replied, staring intently out the window.

“I don’t think it’ll stay that way for long,” Max speculated, shaking her head slightly.

You shook your head. “I don’t think so either.”

Suddenly the three younger kids ducked down below the window and onto the couch.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Dustin swore.

“What!?”

“He saw us in the window! I didn’t think he would be able to see us, ah shit!”

“He knows I’m here,” Max professed, eyes wild and panicked.

“Oh my god, okay, off the couch!” You commanded, practically yanking them by the arms and pulling them back toward the hallway. “Do you think he’ll try to get inside?” You tried to ask Max, but before you could get an answer the door swung open and slammed back against the wall.

You whirled around to the doorway to see a shadow standing in the frame that definitely wasn’t Steve.

“Quite the party in here, huh?” Billy boasted and slammed the door behind him. On instinct, you put your arms out protectively in front of the kids. However, Billy looked right past you as if you weren’t even there.

Where the hell did Steve go?

“Lucas Sinclair, what a surprise,” Billy said, attempting to advance toward the boy.

You stepped forward and came between the two. “Billy, get out of here,” You warned in as stern and protective a voice you could muster. You were surprised, though, at how bold you managed to sound.

Billy scoffed dramatically. “You know (y/n), I’ve never known you to be the excitable type,” He said smugly, finally acknowledging your existence in the room.

“You don’t know me,” You seethed back at him, trying to maintain the painful eye contact. “Just leave. Leave us all alone.”

He rolled his eyes and took a puff of his cigarette, tossing it to the floor. He shifted his gaze to Max. “I thought I told you to stay away from that loser, Max,” He grumbled, glaring at Lucas.”And the rest of them while you’re at it.” He glared at you like you were chopped liver. Your eye contact faltered slightly under his gaze.

Max drilled a fiery stare at her stepbrother. “Billy, go away.”

“You disobeyed me,” He continued. “And you know what happens when you disobey me.”

Your hands tightened into fists at his tone.

WHERE IS STEVE?

“I break things.” Billy barely finished the sentence when he shoved you out of the way and lunged at Lucas.

The motion taking you by surprise, you stumbled over your own feet and smacked your head on the ground, landing hard on the floor. The house around you visually shifted and you tried to regain your senses as Billy picked Lucas up by his jacket over you. He swiftly carried him into the kitchen and slammed Lucas’s smaller body into a shelf with a crash. In a panic, you attempted to grope around you for something. You guessed you were looking for some sort of weapon.

If Steve wasn’t here, then it was up to you to protect these kids, even if it wasn’t from monsters from another dimension. Billy was enough of a beast as it was.

“Since Maxine won’t listen to me, maybe you will,” Billy growled at Lucas. “You stay away from her. Stay away from her! You hear me?”

Suddenly a new figure burst through the front door. Steve’s eyes fell to see you on the floor, disoriented, as Billy’s yells echoed from the kitchen. He stared at you, then at the frightened children trying to help you up, and his eyes blazed with anger.

“Get off me!” Lucas yelled and kicked Billy, causing him to groan and release his grip on the boy.

“You’re so dead Sinclair! You’re dead!”

Steve turned the corner into the kitchen with purpose and spun Billy around by the shoulder. “No, you are.” His fist collided with Billy’s face.

“No, no, no, no,” You muttered under your breath as you finally stood, Dustin and Max’s grip still on your arms. After the first punch, you knew exactly where this was headed. It couldn’t end well, not with Billy.

A lump formed in your throat when instead of groaning or responding in anger, Billy began maniacally giggling like a clown. “Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh?” He digressed at Steve. “I’ve been waiting to meet this ‘King Steve’ everybody’s been telling me so much about.”

“Get out,” Steve replied sternly.

Billy stared at him a moment, meanwhile, you hoped whatever fire that had been lit beneath the two had diffused. You shook off the children’s grasp and just when you thought it was over, the fire raged again and Billy took a swing at Steve. He ducked, causing Billy to strike the air, giving Steve the opportunity to punch once more. Again and again, Steve pivoted successful blows as the kids began to yell and cheered him on.

All you could do was stand silent with a pounding heart and frozen body, not exactly sure what to do. You’ve never intervened in a fight before, let alone been in one. You fought dog monsters just hours earlier, why couldn’t you get your feet to move and help Steve now?

Just protect the kids.

You corralled Lucas back over to you, putting him behind you once again. Looking back at the fight, you began to feel hope rise in your chest when Steve looked to be handling the still laughing lunatic pretty well.

Until he wasn’t.

Billy took hold of a plate and bashed it against Steve’s head, shattering the plate to pieces. He then took Steve’s moment of weakness and progressed toward him, throwing punches equal to what he had received from the other teen.

You pushed the kids back as the two moved their conflict past you and into the living room. Billy clutched Steve’s jacket and the two locked eyes.

“No one tells me what to do,” He grossly sneered, then pushed Steve across the room with terrifying strength.

Billy then got down and pounded Steve’s face relentlessly into the floor with his fists, to the point where Steve’s face was an unrecognizable bloody mess. With each hit you found yourself flinching.

You stared at Billy in horror as tears began to sting your eyes. Then your eyes met Steve, who no longer looked conscious. Something snapped inside of you at that moment and a flood of pure rage ran through your being, exploding from your chest. Your hands were squeezing into fists again, your nails digging into your palms, and you strode over to Billy. Roughly, you gripped a clump of his hair and yanked him back from Steve’s limp body.

Billy landed on his back at your feet and stared up at you. The children’s yelling suddenly ceased. Your eyes widened at the realization of what you had done and you took a step back. Bringing your hand up from your side, you clearly saw a wad of Billy’s crusty, curly mullet woven in your fingers.

A smirk began growing on his face as Billy observed the fear washing over yours. He laughed wildly again. “Very unexpected,” He said with a grunt as he slowly stood up. “So, what, are you, Harrington’s pet now?”

You let the hair in your hand fall to the floor. “... Huh?”

Billy began walking toward you in deliberate menacing steps. “You know, a little bird told me you’re just a lonely pervert. A little perv who likes to watch us guys on the court.” He took another step closer.

While you couldn’t properly voice it in the moment, you didn’t go to basketball practice at school to site see. You always went to meet with your math tutor. But of course, Billy would twist it like that…

You could feel the tingling behind your nose of tears beginning to well. Desperately, you fought the feeling. “That’s…” Your mind went blank as you backed away from the taller boy. You fumbled around in your mind for a good comeback or even just a name to call Billy, but nothing came of it. Humiliation quickly took a firm hold on you.

He laughed again, a disgusting, prideful laugh. “Oh, come on, it’s all true isn’t it?” He bellowed. “And I bet the only reason Stevie’s with you is because no one else will give you the time of day. Am I right?” He smiled wickedly. “He’s gone mushy.”

“We’re not together,” You barely said audibly. Of all things, your tired brain chose that to say. The rage that had flooded your system only a minute before was long gone and you struggled to find it again.

You continued to step back away from him only hit a wall, halting you in your tracks. Billy took a step closer and slammed both hands up on the wall on either side of your head, trapping you. You aren’t much shorter than him, but at that moment he seemed to tower feet over you. Although you suddenly refused to make eye contact while he was that close, you could still smell cigarettes in each hot breath he exhaled. Hot and sweaty breaths that made you want to gag.

“What was that, babydoll?” He asked in a low brusque tone that masked his thunder. It made goosebumps erupt over your skin… And not in a good way.

You inhaled shakily and grimaced, trying not to choke on the foul stench of his breath. “Don’t call me that. I said… we’re not together. You need to leave.” Your chest felt tight and you squeezed your hands into fists again, not out of anger but in fear.

“Oh, really? You two aren’t an item? Well, I guess it’s okay if I do this, then.”

Your eyes widened as you felt his lips forcefully press onto yours. Immediately, you put your hands on his chest, trying to push away only to be met with the wall on your back. He brought his hands up and held your head with a painful grip on the sides, fingers pulling your hair at the roots. His grip was too strong and, in panic, you began hitting his chest with your closed fists.

The smell and taste of smoke was overwhelming as Billy forced his slimy tongue past your lips and into your mouth. Salty sweat and a hint of metallic blood made its way off his upper lip and into the kiss, causing you to finally gag. You started to dig your nails into his bare arms, desperately trying to make him pull away as you weren’t able to.

Abruptly, he pulled away and put his hand to his neck as something stuck out of it. You didn’t even try to see what happened, instead, you crumbled to the floor in defeat. Earnestly you wiped at your mouth with your hoodie sleeve, squeezing your eyes shut, trying to will away what had just happened. Your body jerked and convulsed in tremors and you could feel the hot tears finally flowing down your face.

Suddenly, a rough thud rattled the floor in front of you, causing you to jolt and look up. Your watery eyes were met with Billy laying there, barely conscious, yet still horrifically chuckling to himself.

“From here on out, you leave me and my friends alone. Do you understand?” Max warned Billy as she held Steve’s spiked bat over him threateningly.

“Screw you,” He mumbled.

Max swung the bat down onto the wood floor between his legs, making your body jolt. “Say you understand! Say it… Say it!” She screamed.

“I understand.”

“What?” Max pressed.

“I understand,” Billy grunted, then quietly went limp and passed out.

Max let out a breath as she dropped the bat to her side, once again making you jump. She turned and looked at you, still sitting on the floor with shiny streaks of tears streaming steadily down your face. Your head was turned toward Billy, but you wouldn’t look at him.

“Oh god,” Max lamented your name. “I’m so sorry, so so sorry,” She knelt down next to you, wrapping her arms around your broken body.

You simply let your head fall back into her arms, closing your eyes. Shame flooded your chest as you realized the kids had been there and saw the whole thing. Your tears quickly soaked the girl’s green jacket, but you paid no mind. You heard footsteps next to you, then the soft embrace of more arms. As you sat in the fetal position on the floor, the children embraced you in a shield of themselves. Their body warmth radiated safety, a concept you were struggling to hold onto in the moment.

“I- It’s not you- your fault,” You finally managed to hiccup.

#steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington x you #steve harrington fic #stranger things fic #steve harrington one shot #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington fanfic #stranger things

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goosewriting · 9 months

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❇️ REQUESTS OPEN 📢🪿

» before requesting, make sure to read the rules in the pinned post! «

→ requests will remain open for 24hs approx → i only write GN!reader (seriously go read the rules pls)

→ this time around i’ll be taking requests for the following characters:

🐢 Rise of the TMNT

Future Leo

Future Donnie

(please specify/pitch a timeline of your choice)

💫 Star Wars

Fives

Zeb Orrelios

Armitage Hux

Cal Kestis (i haven’t played survivor yet, no spoilers please! only JFO for now)

🕸️ Spiderverse

The Spot

Miguel O’Hara

Hobie (disclaimer: i know virtually nothing about english accents and their particular inflection/lexicon so pls bear with me)

🚀 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Christopher Pike

Erica Ortegas

(i’ve only watched SNW and Lower Decks, and i’m about to start S4 of Discovery, so pls no spoilers ;3; and yes i'm aware i'm watching everything in the wrong order lmao)

#goose requests: open #rottmnt x reader #star wars x reader #atsv x reader #star trek x reader

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strangertheories · 2 years

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Who is Will's mystery crush?

In the newly released character descriptions, it is revealed that Eleven suspects Will has a crush because of his odd behaviour. This has raised a lot of questions and speculation. Does Will actually have a crush? How is he behaving oddly? But most of all, who is Will's crush? In this post, I've laid out my thoughts on the matter and who I think is Will's mystery crush, if anyone. (Spoiler alert: it's Mike Wheeler)

First of all, there's a possibility that's it's all a misunderstanding on Eleven's part, although I don't think this is the case. Why would they make a plot line about Will not having a crush on someone? The only case they'd do that in is if Eleven thinks he has a crush on a girl and then he uses that to come out, but it also mentions he's acting weirdly so why would he act oddly if he didn't have a crush? Him acting unusually implies that he didn't act like that before meaning something had to have changed, like the arrival of an old friend perhaps. I suppose he could also be him acting different for totally platonic reasons because he's super excited for Mike to come, but I don't know why Eleven would think that's odd. Unless he does have a crush but on Mike.

I mean, let's think about it. Will is acting oddly because he has a crush. They wouldn't have put it in his character bio if it wasn't going to be a part of his arc this season. What else would the grand reveal be, that he is just acting goofy for no reason? To me, it's obvious Will's feelings will be a big part of his character in S4, what with all the focus on self discovery and the fact it's mentioned in his description for what he's doing this season. I highly doubt that they're going to make Will have a major crush on a random background character or nobody at all.

So if he has a crush, who's it going to be on? As @pigeonspige0n debunked, it's probably not going to be a random background character as they would have an introduction like Vickie's to an original character's love interest, especially one that would be so relevant to Will's self discovery. I also don't think the crush is going to be on a girl, considering the seasons of queer coding and also the fact that the only girl he seems to interact with is his sister. This means it's going to be on a male character Will frequently interacts with this season and that only leaves one person: Mike Wheeler.

Let's also look at the promo material and interviews. It is said time and time again that Will is jealous of m*leven and feels like a third wheel in interviews and heavily implied in the show/script (whole of S3 and note in script about Will looking at Mike during the Snow Ball). Match that with the shots of Will looking longingly at Mike and Eleven, seen in the trailers and the deleted interview with Noah and Millie, and it's obvious what's going on here.

I think what's going to happen is that Will is going to become unusually excited for Mike's arrival, which Eleven doesn't find odd because they're best friends. However once Mike arrives, Will seems nervous and awkward around Mike. That or he seems miserable and jealous. In either scenario, Eleven notices that Will is acting oddly around Mike and that's when she puts two and two together and realizes Will may have a crush. Will's probably not being as subtle as he thinks about these feelings as well because Eleven who has issues with socializing picks up on them.

On the other hand, they could go down the misunderstanding route, but if Will is suddenly acting oddly something would have to trigger that behaviour. It wouldn't be a kid from school because this season is in Spring break. The only thing different about Will's environment is, yet again, Mike Wheeler. Eleven might not understand this however and think he suddenly likes a girl, which could be an opportunity for him to admit that he actually likes Mike.

Will liking Mike is, in my opinion, the only explanation for his character description. And genuinely, that's not me being an optimistic shipper, I cannot think of another explanation that would make sense. I'll be shocked if it turns out Will doesn't have a crush on Mike this season, but for the first time in a while, I'm feeling really hopeful.

(Sorry if this post made no sense, it was made in real time as I thought so I may have repeated myself)

#byler #will byers #will byers is gay #byler is endgame #mike x will #stranger things #stranger things theory #stranger theories #stranger things four #mike wheeler #byeler

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bugsbenefit · 5 months

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answering an ask about potential tfs plot under the cut so beware SPOILERS. (didn't just want to answer it ass out in the open in case someone doesn't want to see)

i'm honestly really curious right now! we don't really know much about the vibe of the whole play yet, what the main focus is etc. so i'd really like to know if they're going for parallel where both cases are supposed to be the same, or it it's a "what if we used the same premise but with a different outcome/set up" type of parallel. i could see both so i'm hoping someone comes through with more info

making judgments about the play right now is really hard since we really only have 15ish bullet points and a few posters in the theater entrance hall. re character relationships/relationship progression and actual plot we really don't know that much yet sadly

if they're actually supposed to parallel each other that similarly though it's looking so bleak for all of these guys 💀 the whole superhero worship thing is one of the most prominent things that pulled mleven down. starting in s1, with establishing that El has no interest in Mike's superhero/power comic/fiction hobby and Mike having his main interest in El be defined by her powers and how they're potentially useful, and then dragging through s3 and all the way to s4 where the whole "superhero" metaphor even makes it into the monologue Mike gives El and directly goes against all the self discovery journey El just started at NINA. so them specifically picking the superhero aspect of mlevens relationship to carry over to henry and patty in tfs is, interesting to say the least

makes me really curious how the play ends, especially in regards to patty (which i haven't seen anywhere yet). i mean there's obviously no happy ever after (which is also not looking good with mleven soo, they are kind of similar there), but i do wonder where patty went/how the play wraps Henry/the creel massacre up (especially with it apparently ending with Hopper going off to war? if that's true? so i do wonder how/when they end henry's involvement in the story)

#ask tag #tfs spoilers #<- these are spoilers fr this time! be warned #(unless everyone on reddit and twitter is lying out of their asses simultaneously ig but i'm willing to take the odds here lmao)

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sunfoxfic · 1 year

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bible leaks and asked answered under readmore

anonymous asked:

prev anon here, thank you for saying that! It has been actually really making me anxious, so it is calming to see another neutral perspective about it:) what actually saddened me about the leak was that salters who previously insisted that they didn't have a biased opinion and that all their opinions were actually right when they were actually not started using these vague summaries from the Bible as a 'I was so right all along' and I just... don't know. I actually read it solely because I was fed up with people saying the season would be horrible but after I read it I was like...is THIS the thing people are so worried about? Because it also maybe outdated ( a bit,I think. The whole Adrien nino reveal was apparently supposed in illusion but as we saw, it was actually nino revealing that adrien ALREADY knew his identity) and after summaries for this show don't really tell how the episode is going to go. Even with the ending with Adrien, we don't know the circumstances or situation leading up to that point even in the Bible, yk? (And the reveal wasn't even mentioned AT ALL which actually scared me at first because I was apprehensive whether it wouldn't happen this season at all lol) Anyway, thank you very much for your answer, I appreciate it!:)

There's definitely been an effect where most of the people genuinely invested in the ending of the show chose not to read the bible, which means that the only people who read the bible are people engaging in bad faith, aka salters. Which means that a lot of the louder perspectives on the bible come from biased sources, and often these people do not care about properly labeling their spoilers. This doesn't apply to you but there are a lot of people who are stumbling on bible spoilers by accident that are framed in the most negative light.

Anyway, yes, the bible is a bit outdated, as proven by Illusion (the version we got was dated January 2021, so before S4 even started airing). And it is painfully nonspecific at times. It doesn't mention anything about the apparent sentibeing plotline, which is a major indication that we have to be scrutinizing either for unmentioned details or things that have likely changed.

I've been saying since I first read the bible, don't judge too harshly based on the bible. There's so much space for the show to make this season absolutely fantastic, and so far, they have! Look at the discrepancy between the description for Elation and what Elation actually was:

When Ladybug chases after Cat Noir, he runs away from her. When Adrien chases after Marinette, she runs away from him. Tikki and Alya grow increasingly concerned as they watch Marinette’s moves: is their friend looking for yet another excuse to run away from her feelings for Adrien, or is she really falling for another boy? When they cross paths with Andre the ice-cream maker – whose ice cream is supposed to know and reveal the mysteries of love – Marinette and Cat Noir make a chilling discovery that will freeze their hearts!

I have faith in this show, and I think you should too.

Anyway, like I said, feel free to pop by again, I love talking about the bible!

#asks answered #anonymous #ml bible spoilers #ml bible leak #ml bible #ml leaks #sunny reads a series bible

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dragons-in-spaceee · 11 months

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If there was some way to actually draw a sentient sort of computer system contained within a ship, there would be SO much more Zora fanart in here

#I will find a way #star trek discovery #disco s4 spoilers

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sennqu · 2 years

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just some thoughts from a byler shipper who only really got into the byler/general ST tumblr fandom after Season 4 Vol. 1. I think it helped me bounce back quicker after Vol. 2.

I never expect canon main queer relationships in media that aren't explicitly marketing itself as queer or with significant queer content (watch Star Trek Discovery if you wanna see a gay protagonist in a relationship have powers and be plot relevant in a mainstream-ish sci-fi setting). Plus I never thought about Stranger Things as anything more complex than popcorn flick media. I've been watching it since it aired, read a few fics here and there, but still, basically I only really had one month of invested time getting into the byler "hype". Which of course were dashed by Vol. 2. TBH I still haven't rewatched Vol. 2 because I still think it sucked outside of byler lmao. But then I remembered what I said myself just a few days after I watched Vol. 1:

link to the tumblr post since my screenshot is very low contrast.

it's very broad strokes but early June me was pretty much right on how ST would go about byler this season. Did they do it in a heavily problematic way? Hell yeah, especially if they don't follow through. But did they accomplish what I assume to be their goals (root for Will, feel weird about supporting MiIeven, have no concrete answers for either ship, while letting people in denial about byler believe it won't ever happen)? they totally did.

Like, listen. I'm not purporting to be some know-all fan. There's still a chance the series isn't going to follow through. But they did set things up for byler so that it reasonably could be the endgame ship. And right now, that's enough for me. I still really dislike S4 regardless, and likely won't watch S5 without reading spoilers/reviews first lmao but in the end, we've got about 2 years to wait this out, why not spend it with some moderate amount of hope? and also maybe watch Star Trek Discovery in the meantime

#ku blarghs #strangely blogging #byler #i'm just a nobody but hopefully? this helps some fans #also. this makes me want to make a complete write up and analysis on the whole of the cali plot #like not just one scene but the whole of it from vol 1 to 2 #because there's a disconnect in between that people see #and i wanna know if it really is there

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starseneyes · 2 years

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Miggy - Magnum PI - S4 Ep 20

Those who read this blog know I love to break down ships and go in-depth with Metas. I’ve done the entirety of the first season of A Discovery of Witches. I’ve covered Theloise (Theo and Eloise) in Bridgerton Season 2, and today I want to do a MINI Meta of Thomas Magnum and Juliet Higgins in the Season Finale of Magnum PI.

SPOILER ALERT: This is a Meta, so I will spoil the entirety of this episode. Yes, I’m taking it from the Miggy point-of-view, and I’m obviously a fan. But, I’m also going to dive into the performances because I feel like Perdita Weeks and Jay Hernandez gave their all to this.

Considering his very vocal objections to this ship as anything other than a series finale send-off, I respect the heck outta him for not holding anything back from the performance.

Ready? Steady... Let’s Go!

“Juliet, do you want a romantic relationship with Magnum?”

Juliet starts her morning off running, her music turned up loud. But, despite the adrenaline rushing and the endorphins coursing through her body, she can’t distract her mind. There’s too much noise in there, considering the events of the day before.

Yes, it was one day earlier that Thomas Magnum stood nervously in the wine cellar, gathering his courage to extend a vague enough offer to gauge Juliet’s interest.

Yes, it was one day earlier that she shattered his heart with news that she had other plans.

Yes, it was one day earlier that she called up her therapist for an emergency session because she couldn’t shut out the feelings anymore.

Today is a new day... a day of action.

“It’s better than the alternative.” “Which is what?” “Saying no to what you really want.”

Juliet is at a standstill, which is so poetic. All season she’s been running... running from her thoughts. Running from her dreams. Running from the realization that Magnum, yes, THOMAS MAGNUM is the one she wants.

The words play back in her mind, and she comes to a terrifying decision... she’s going to do this.

Juliet takes a deep breath, then sets off-camera. She’s no longer running. She’s no longer drowning it all out. She’s ready.

Now, I want to pause for a moment to acknowledge that from what we’ve seen of Higgins and relationships, the early stages are not her forte. Even with Ethan, she was terrified of getting hurt, and even wanted to run a background check on him.

Thomas is not unknown in the same sense. She knows who he is at his best and his worst. She’s walked by his side when she could barely stand him, as they formed a functional partnership, and as they transitioned to best friends.

The unknown is what comes next.

If he wants to be with her, then they have to navigate their partnership, their friendship, their ohana, and their own emotions. If he doesn’t, then she will feel awkward and embarrassed for ever broaching the subject. If they try it and fail, they could lose everything.

But the noise is too loud for her to shut out any longer. She has to try.

“Thomas?” “Higgins.”

Juliet takes one more breath, then knocks before slipping into Magnum’s Guest House. It’s obvious from the get-go that she’s feeling extremely awkward. But, she’s committed to this. Let’s go.

“Uh, normally, you know and wait for a response.” “But some people use knocking as a heads-up.”

He smirks at this, but he can already tell something’s off. It’s not like the two of them seek each other out often without reason. The day before, it was him seeking her out to ask her out. Today, it’s her turn. Of course, he doesn’t know that, and she doesn’t know who he has in his bedroom.

Okay, I know that sounds more salacious than intended, but if you’ve seen the episode, you know it works out in the end.

“Are you okay?” “Me? I’m fine.”

Juliet feels completely awkward, here, but he’s also a little guarded. At first, we don’t know why, but a part of him must know that Higgy’s going to be caught off-guard to see Lia back in the Guest House.

“The reason I came over is... Well, I want to tell you something. I just want to make sure that I, that I get it right.”

She’s already avoiding his gaze, fiddling with her fingers. He’s intrigued, but guarded. There’s no way he can guess what she was about to say. In fact, he looks like he’s bracing for bad news.

“Thomas, have you seen my jacket?”

And every shipper shouted expletives in one voice, so loud the world briefly tremored with its power. Juliet, herself, feels the shock.

She backs away from the counter, putting distance between herself and the perceived couple on the other side.

“Excuse me for a second.”

Lia turns to get some coffee (and for those who were paying attention, Thomas did have two coffee mugs out at the very top of the scene... a little early warning system I know I missed the first viewing).

Thomas walks around the counter, separating himself from Lia and trying to reconnect with Higgy.

He doesn’t know what she was about to say, but he can tell that whatever it was, the walls that came down to open her up to whatever it was are going back up fast.

“Higgins, do you want to talk privately?”

She can’t even look at him. What she was about to do was so hard for her... to muster the courage to risk everything... and here he is... with Lia.

“No, no, no. It’s fine. Don’t worry. It’s not important.”

She’s deflecting. It really is important—and she knows it—but she can’t go there, now. She has to retreat, to refortify, to recover.

“Bye, Lia. It’s good to see you.”

She takes the out.

Higgins retreats outside the Guest House, giving herself a moment to catch her breath. As she does, reality sets in...

She was too late.

“Nothing happened. You know, the only reason why she spent the night is because she drank too much... I actually slept on the couch. So, like I said, nothing happened.”

Thomas is absolutely on the defensive. He knows that Higgy had a strong reaction to Lia, and he doesn’t know what it was.

“When Higgins saw her, uh, she had this look. It was, it was very subtle, but it was like she was disappointed. And I didn’t even do anything wrong!”

Thomas is perceptive. I remember at the beginning of the MI-6 story line I kept wondering when he’d sort the whole thing out. I was so happy when he did.

Thomas is capable. He’s not the world’s leader on emotions, no, but he’s a solid detective, and he knows Higgins better than anyone.

“I’d be thankful that you found out about Higgins and Cole before you said anything.”

The thing that stood out to me the first time I watched this scene was how casually the three of them were talking about his love life, even so far as Higgy was concerned. We all witnessed the confession to Rick, but at some point TC was looped in, as well.

It serves as a nice call-back to the end of Season 3 when TC and Rick were encouraging Magnum to shoot his shot with the newly-single Higgins.

Thomas nods to Rick’s declaration. So, he’s got it in his head that Higgins and Cole are definitely a thing. So, there’s no way he knows why she was really disappointed.

“Hey, um, about last night. I just wanted to say nothing happened. Between me and Lia. I know what it looked like. And, uh, yeah, nothing happened.”

Seizing his moment, Thomas wants desperately for Higgy to know that nothing happened between him and Lia. In the back of his mind, despite the “Cole” obstacle (that’s a non-obstacle), I think he’s still hopeful.

He’s hoping for some sign from Higgy that this is the source of her discomfort... some level of jealousy. But, she shuts him down with some nonsense about him being a grown adult.

“It just seemed like you were bothered or... maybe not bothered, but... something.”

Her defenses are on high alert. It took a lot for her to be vulnerable that morning, and her walls have snapped back into place. Firewalls upon firewalls. But, Magnum sees it as a brush off. He doesn’t understand the internal battle she’s experiencing. Instead, he thinks that she isn’t interested, so he lets it go.

“Good luck.” “You, too.”

It’s not that they don’t face dangerous situations all the time. They do. But most of them are spontaneously dangerous—being discovered mid-job by bad guys, getting ambushed, a situation turns on its head.

This time, they’re walking into danger headlong fully aware that none of them may make it out alive. It’s not the time for speeches. They’re both too professional for that. But this little exchange shows their headspace—they’re concerned for the other, but know they have a job to do.

And should we get a Season 5, I really think that’s the proper headspace for the pair of them going forward... but I’m getting ahead of myself.

“Go!”

Thomas finds Higgins and Whelan, and they tell him where Gordon’s gone.

There’s no hesitation on Higgins’ part. She’s a capable woman who can hold the position well no matter what comes at them. Gordon needs Magnum in that moment, and they both know it.

Again, there’s no hesitation on Magnum’s part because he knows Higgins has it handled. Their respect for one another is a huge component of what makes them work in a partnership. They’d hammered out a lot of the kinks in how they work together, and there’s a complete trust, now.

“Just... suddenly got a bit overwhelmed.”

Higgins has never been an overly emotional human. She tends to attack things in life with her head instead of her heart. We have seen before that it was hard for her to make friends, to make connections, to embrace her found family.

The events of the day have been overwhelming, and now everything is catching up to her. The walls that insulate her so well are feeling constricting, so she goes outside to catch a breath of air.

But Thomas is hyper aware of her right now, and he follows to ensure she’s okay.

“I’m lying. I’m not alright.”

This is always a huge admission for someone who usually brushes aside their emotions and keeps going. Even with MI-6, Higgins lied to Thomas and only told the truth when she was caught.

And she could have deflected, again, but in the emotional moment of reunion in the hospital between mother and child, and this ohana that has grown a little larger... the walls started to crumble.

Facing him, out here, alone, no interruptions, no other people, no reason to pretend... Juliet chooses to be vulnerable.

“I wanted to tell you something, but then I saw Lia there, and I just couldn’t.”

Higgy is avoiding eye contact during most of her confession. She feels uncomfortable and exposed.

It’s a terrifying thing, to open yourself up completely to another person, risking very personal injury in the process. He doesn’t know it, yet, but he is about to have the power to hurt her in a way that can never be erased. The fear of rejection is one of the most debilitating fears, I believe.

But, Higgins pushes through.

“So, uh, I came to tell you... that I have feelings for you.”

She meets his eyes long enough to try to read him, to gauge his reaction. Shock registers on his face, absolute surprise that that is what she wanted to say to him that morning. It’s not what he expected to hear.

“I tried to deny it, and I just can’t anymore.”

Thomas starts putting the pieces together in his mind, a sly smile crossing his lips. No doubt, he’s thinking about the day before when he asked her out, and how confused he was by her initial reaction, then the backpedaling to the picnic with Cole. It’s all starting to make sense.

He thought she was in deep with Cole, but now it’s apparent that was never the case. He has a shot. He freakin’ has a shot!

Higgins misreads the expression because she has no idea what’s going on inside his head. (and, heck, I don’t know, either... but it’s fun to try to figure it out, right?)

“Yeah, right. I bet this is just doing wonders for your ego.“

I love this line. It’s so Higgins that even in a vulnerable moment she’s going to call out his ego.

She evades her eyes, again, waiting for the pain to come. Waiting for the rejection. Waiting for the inevitable moment where her vulnerability doesn’t pay off, but proves a foolish venture.

But, that’s not what’s happening here.

“No, no. It’s... It’s not that.”

He’s stammering here, gathering his own thoughts before looking back up to meet her eyes. She instinctively meets his, genuinely confused... but too afraid to hope.

“When you were in the wine cellar yesterday, I wanted to spend the day with you... because I wanted to say the same thing.”

I love his read on this.

The emphasis on wanting to spend the day with her is so important, because in the previous episode he brushed it off when she asked... It was because everyone else had things to do... Right? Just two friends hanging because it was there, right?

Here he’s admitting there was intent. There was an active decision. There was a reason.

“Wait... what?”

Look at her face. She’s watching him intently, now, no longer evading his eyes. The “wait” registers confusion, but on the edge of “what” there’s pain. The pain of hope. The expectation that she’s wrong, but that tiny sliver of belief that she’s understanding him correctly... that he’s saying what she’s secretly wished he would say for months.

Higgy’s still unsure of what he’s saying. She want to think that what she thinks she is hearing is true... but maybe it’s not what he’s saying. Doubt is at play here. Higgins has had plenty of time to fill her head with it while weighing the many cons of even accepting her own feelings, let alone sharing them.

He registers her confusion, and realizes he can’t beat around the bush. He can’t talk in circles. He has to just... go for it.

“I have feelings for you.”

The emphasis on this is so fun. The emphasis is on “I”. It’s not about feelings. Feelings are already on the table. She put them on the table. The emphasis is on the “I” because this is reciprocal. This is shared. This is returned.

The empty vacuum of vulnerability fails to consume Juliet. Instead, she’s gobsmacked by the words she’s hearing.

“I think I have for a while. I just didn’t know it.”

Watch. Her. Face. Watch the words sink in. Watch her try to think of what to say besides, “Oh.” She can’t. In her wildest dreams she was terrified to think that this could happen, that he would be on the same page in the same chapter of the same story.

A moment passes, each of them regarding the other, wondering what the next move is.

Higgins is the first one to gather her thoughts, but she’s had a lot longer to consider this. Yes, she’s been fighting valiantly against her emotions, but it has given her plenty of time to process and consider. Plus, the conversations with Dr. Ogawa have no doubt illuminated all her possible fears. It’s her default position—I need to think of what could go wrong.

“I mean, of course I have my reservations.” “So do I, yeah.”

I love how she meets his eyes again, on that. It’s almost, “Okay, so you’re scared, too...” She goes through the possible things that can go wrong... all the things they’ve both expressed to others, but never each other.

“... Maybe we shouldn’t go there.” “I think you’re right.”

She nods, but she also looks away. There it is. There’s the pain and heartache she was expecting out of this conversation. It’s right there, cutting into her.

“We probably shouldn’t.” “Right. Yeah.”

The line is drawn. Higgins’ walls are going back up. Thomas watches her, completely aware that that isn’t what she wants, either. Sure, it’s easier to never go there—but is that the right call, here?

He looks to her lips, then to her eyes. His own eyes slightly narrow as the choice is made. And I LOVE her reverse shot, because I’m 90% sure it’s from a different part of the conversation (Jay Hernandez’ jaw is moving in the shot, suggesting talking), but it’s edited in beautifully.

Editors are magicians. And good editors can change the entire flow of a scene to bring it to its best point before airing. I love bringing her eyeline back to his before Thomas makes the move to close the distance between them.

He holds her gaze the whole way, waiting for her to give him a sign she doesn’t want this. But, she can’t. She’s wanted this for so long.

Lips meet, but this isn’t some thin-lined kiss. His lips part automatically, and hers part to meet him in response as they feel their way through their first kiss. It’s the magic of a first kiss that has a bit of awkwardness to it because, in real life you don’t know how another person kisses until you’re actually doing it.

Think about it... the WhiteBell kiss at the beginning of the season feels perfectly choreographed, complete with bare-chested manliness, his utter control of the situation by moving her head where he wanted it, and every tongue in place.

This isn’t that. This is the real Juliet and Thomas meeting mouths for the first time. This is learning how another person kisses, and feeling your way through. By the second kiss, they’re finding a rhythm, and her hands move, first to his jaw, then to his neck.

She’s not holding on, yet. She’s not committing, yet. She’s cautious... but she can’t keep her hands off of him.

He deepens the kiss, and she responds, matching him move for move.

We know from Higgins’ relationship with Ethan that she can take control when she wants to. But, right now, she doesn’t want to be in control. To be completely vulnerable means the release of control, to an extent.

Right now she’s letting him take the lead because she’s the one whose scared and he’s the one who dared.

They pull apart, and he’s quick to check her... to look for her reaction. To see her response. She looks to him, nerves on high alert. Was this a kiss to what might have been? Or is this the beginning? She has no idea.

Her fingers drop off his jawbone, her hand falling away from his neck. He pulls away from her, but as he does there’s a smile on his face—a satisfied, excited, celebratory smile.

Juliet glimpses his face and cannot help but smile herself. The light falls upon her, and I swear she glows in that moment, basking in it. All the dread and worry of their conversation is replaced with a cautious hope.

As his footing settles, he’s clearly given her space... but they are closer than they were through the duration of the scene. There’s no going back.

We end the season on Thomas, pressing his lips together as he looks at her anew—as though seeing her for the first time.

What’s next? Heck if I know! I don’t even know if we get another season, at this point. I do hope we do. This was one of my favorite episodes of the season all the way around. The teaser was sensational and getting to see Gordon unravel was played elegantly by Tim Kang.

I do believe these two can sustain a relationship and keep the show going. Like Brooklyn 99, the show is not about this ship. It’s about the ohana and the cases and how they navigate life as this found family.

So long as that’s kept in view, I think that Thomas and Juliet can exist in a romantic relationship while remembering that they are each capable, intelligent, bad*ss people.

I mean, they proved with that final scene that these characters can still be true to themselves and share a romantic moment. Higgy commenting on his ego was perfectly in-character. Magnum drawing a line in the sand only to immediately, trample it is so him! It’s possible to do this right, I believe.

But, again, this is all just my opinion. I’m one fan in this sea! But, I’ve loved being on this journey with each of you. Thanks for reading.

#magnum pi #magnum p.i.#Thomas Magnum #Juliet Higgens #Miggy #Magnum Season 4 #Perdita Weeks #Jay Hernandez #thomas x juliet #magnum x higgins

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