#everything is canon nothing is canon no wonder hes got memory issues | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hairstevington · 2 years

Text

"Barb is Alive?!"

Summary: Barbara Holland wakes up next to Steve Harrington's pool after what she assumes is the result of blacking out at the horrible party Nancy dragged her to. Instead, she discovers she's been dead for three years - yet, for some reason, this isn't the thing she finds most surprising. Nancy, Robin, Steve, and Eddie reunite with Barb, and help her come to terms with everything she's missed. (requested) - Ao3 link!

Word Count: 9.25K

Warnings: Steddie/Ronance are sickeningly cute (pretty heavy on The Fruity Four), slight reference to Barb having some self confidence/body image issues, mention of Byler (if you squint), Barb is also not straight, nothing too intense in this one, just a lot of processing the events of the series with funny banter from our faves <3

A/N: This is obviously an AU fic, but I vaguely reference some canon through st4 vol 2, so if you haven't finished the season and don't want anything spoiled I'd sit this one out. Thank you to @eddiemunsonswife for requesting this (original post here)! I followed their prompt to the best of my ability, and they've been very patient and kind with feedback along the way :) I hope you all enjoy!

One time, when she was a kid, Barbara Holland stayed up all night with Nancy Wheeler during a sleepover. Neither of them had actually managed it before, as sleep usually took over around 3am. But this time would be different, they said. They were only eleven years old, but much smarter than the average kid. So naturally, they had a whole plan. They tucked sugary snacks and sodas under their beds for the weeks leading up to it in preparation. Nancy created a schedule by the hour of activities they could do so that they’d stay awake. It turned out to be one of the most memorable nights of Barb’s childhood.

Mrs. Holland picked her daughter up from the Wheeler’s the next day, and wondered why she was acting so off. The thrill of their accomplishment kind of dwindled after sunrise, and after that the two girls were mostly just miserable. Barb fell asleep as soon as she got home, and she didn’t wake up until dinner. She opened her eyes to total darkness, and for a moment she forgot where she was, or even what day it was. Slowly, her surroundings made sense to her, and the night she’d had before with Nancy came back to the forefront of her memory.

Waking up next to Steve Harrington’s pool was kind of like that.

Her eyes snapped open, and she winced at the feeling of concrete beneath her. Her entire body ached worse than she’d ever experienced. She tried to remember how she got there - there was a party at Steve’s. I was with Nancy. Her and Steve went upstairs, and I -

That’s where her memory stopped. She only remembered having that one beer, if you can even count it, but she must have drank more after Nancy abandoned her. That must have been what happened. It seemed out of character for Barb to do, but Nancy sleeping with Steve “The Hair” Harrington seemed equally as unlikely, so she figured she couldn’t rule it out. This was Barb’s first time waking up after blacking out. It had to be.

She managed to stand up, the night much warmer than she remembered it being. Most of the lights were off in the Harrington household, except one in the main hallway and one upstairs - Barb assumed it to be Steve’s bedroom. She felt a rush of anger and disappointment at Nancy. She’d never behaved like this before. Nancy had told Barb to keep her from doing anything stupid, but there was no stopping Nancy when she had her heart set on something. Or someone, in this case. Barb didn’t hate Steve as a person, but she certainly didn’t love him. He had a reputation, and he was funny and attractive and popular, and Barb was seen as a loser, an outcast. But Steve hadn’t done anything to Barb to intentionally hurt her. He didn’t really seem to notice her at all. That was the bit that hurt the most, along with him using Nancy like he was. Barb tried to see the good in people, and she wanted Nancy to enjoy the fact that Mr. Popular was interested in her, but she couldn’t help but feel like this was all a game to him. That Nancy was just another conquest - And Barb knew that Nancy was so much more than that.

She peered through the window on the first floor, seeing no sign of anyone - not even Tommy and Carol. She wondered how long she was out, and why nobody moved her or took care of her or showed any sort of concern for her in any way. She rolled her eyes, and considered just leaving. She was Nancy’s ride home, but she couldn’t help but feel like if the roles were reversed, Nancy wouldn’t stay. She had no idea what time it was, and knew her mom would be worried if she stayed out any longer, so she decided to walk back to her car. There was a van parked in the driveway that she didn’t notice before. The sight of it gave her the creeps, and she started walking faster down the street to where she parked her car. Dammit, Nancy, she thought to herself. The long walk from Steve’s to the car (that Nancy had demanded they take) was a lot less spooky when they were walking together.

It was also a lot longer of a walk than she’d remembered. Too long. She could have sworn she left her car by Cornwallis, but she kept walking anyway.

Her car was nowhere to be found.

Reality hit her like a ton of bricks. Nancy had left without her. Nancy had taken the car. That had to be the case. Cars don’t just disappear like that, and there wasn’t a huge market for grand theft auto in Hawkins. Anger bubbled inside of her, more intense than she’d ever felt in her life. Barb wasn’t one to get angry, in fact, she rarely raised her voice. But this was different. This was betrayal, abandonment. This was awful.

She had no way home, no phone, and no idea how late it was. It was only about 8 or 9 when she blacked out. At least, that’s what she thought the time was. Barb made the trip back to the Harrington house with nowhere else to go. The light was on in Steve’s bedroom, after all, and although Barb hated the idea of asking him for help, she had no other choice. She at least could use his phone, or figure out where Nancy went, and why. Every step towards the house fueled Barb with more rage. None of this made sense. Nancy wouldn’t do this. Was she possessed? Was she crazy? How could someone do this to their best friend? It was mortifying.

Barb went around to the pool again to check the back door, which was luckily left unlocked. The house was quiet, her footsteps echoing up to the high ceilings. She found a clock and realized it was about 10pm - not too horribly bad to call her parents or Nancy and ask for help. But before she went that route, it was time to face her fears and confront Steve. He took Nancy up here, and apparently did something so bad, she left without her best friend. Barb wasn’t a violent person, but she wasn’t opposed to kicking Steve in the nuts if she felt it was appropriate.

She walked up the stairs, following the light under Steve’s bedroom door. There was music playing faintly, and she could tell Steve was at least awake. She didn’t think she was alone either.

“Steve?” Barb asked, tapping lightly on the door.

“Oh shit.” Barb heard various curses and muttering from inside the bedroom. Barb couldn’t really understand the frantic whispers between Steve and his guest, but Barb wasn’t naive - she had interrupted something.

“Nancy? Are you in there?” Barb asked, hopeful. If Nancy was in there, at least that meant she wasn’t completely abandoned.

“Mom, you weren’t supposed to be home until Monday!” Steve called. Barb heard another male voice next.

“Did she just ask if Wheeler was in here?” The question was followed by a violent shushing.

“I’m not your mom, Steve.” Barb said, jiggling the locked door handle.

“What?!” Steve shouted. “Oh. Oh my god, it’s just Robin. Robin, what are you doing here?” Barb heard his voice get louder as footsteps approached, and then the door opened.

Steve looked different than Barb had remembered. He was bigger, more toned, and his hair was different, which didn’t make any sense. Behind him, a random man with hair longer than Barb had ever had hers was crawling back through the window almost as if…as if…

As if he was trying to make a quick exit so as not to get caught by Steve’s mom. And based on the state of their clothes, Barb could infer exactly what he didn’t want to be caught doing. But that…No, none of this made sense.

“W-where’s Nancy? Are you…What’s going on?” Barb sputtered, her brain malfunctioning.

“That’s not Robin.” The strange man said, standing up and fixing his disheveled wardrobe. Steve stared at Barb, frozen and wide-eyed. “Hellooo, Earth to Steve. Who is this chick?”

“Eddie, what did…what was in that joint?” Steve remained completely still, his eyes fixed on her.

“Just normal weed, man. What’s going on?” Eddie walked closer to Steve with concern.

“No, no, no. Nonononono. I’m dreaming.” Steve shook his head and finally broke eye contact. He paced around the room before settling on his bed. Eddie looked at Barb next.

“Hi, I’m Eddie.”

“Barb.”

“Whatcha doing at my boyfriend’s parents house in the middle of the night, Barb?”

“Jesus Christ.” Steve muttered from the bed. He was now lying on his back, his hands over his face.

“Boyfriend? No, he -” Barb looked at Steve, then back to Eddie. “He was just up here with Nancy. Except he looked…different.”

“With Nancy, huh?” Eddie said, amused. “Don’t think so. He’s been with me for, uh. I don’t know, a while. I’ve been here all night.”

“No, that doesn’t make sense.” Barb’s brain was melting. “Nancy and I came over tonight for the party, and she went up here with him, and I blacked out or something.” Steve made a pained noise from the other side of the room.

“Don’t think so, Sweetheart. Sorry. Also, not to tell you how to live your life, but you probably shouldn’t just walk into people’s houses.” There was a lightness to his voice that pissed Barb off. He was being way too calm about this - He just seemed to be making fun of her. How could he be saying these things?

“But Steve’s not -” Barb stopped, hoping she didn’t have to say the word out loud, but Eddie waited patiently, his arms crossed, begging her to say it. “He’s not gay.” It came out almost as a whisper.

“I beg to differ on that one. Although, technically he’s bisexual, if you must know.”

“Eddie…” Steve groaned from the bed. There was a vulnerability to Steve’s voice that made Eddie’s face soften into something a lot more likable than his previous disposition. He walked over to the bed and knelt beside Steve.

“You okay?”

“It’s her. It’s Barb.”

“Yeah, that’s what she said.”

“No, Eddie. Remember when I told you about…About Nancy and I? That one night? And her friend -”

“Oh, fuck. But how is that-”

“I don’t know. Call Nance. I think she’s with Robin. Get them over here. Please.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back.” Barb watched as Eddie tenderly grabbed Steve’s hand, squeezed it, then brought it to his lips. It was a kind of intimacy that couldn’t possibly have developed in one night. Barb’s head spun. It still wasn’t making any sense. “Come on, let’s go downstairs.”

Barb followed him to the kitchen where the main phone was. She was somehow more confused than ever, but at least she knew Nancy was okay. Although, apparently Nancy was with some other friend. Maybe she’s the one that convinced Nancy to steal Barb’s car.

Barb looked around the kitchen while Eddie dialed Nancy’s number on the phone. It was pretty clean. At Barb’s house, there were tons of pictures of her from all ages. Steve’s house had none of that. There was some opened mail on the counter, and Barb happened to glance down at it while she was walking past. And that’s when she saw the date, and everything simultaneously made more and less sense.

“Hey, Nance. It’s Eddie. Sorry, yeah, I know it’s late. It’s Steve….He’s okay, I mean, he’s not in danger or anything. But you should come here. No, his parent’s house.” Eddie sighed into the receiver. “It’s a long story. It’s, um…” Eddie glanced up at Barb, then quickly turned away. “Barb is here. Yes. No, like she’s literally here, dude. Hello? Helloooo? Shit…” He hung up the phone and sighed. “I think that means she’s on her way.”

“Eddie, what year is it?” Barb asked, nervous.

“Uhh, ‘86 last I checked.”

“No, it’s not.” She couldn’t believe this. I mean, time travel? That’s impossible. This is a dream. It had to be. A really weird, insanely detailed dream.

“Okay, so uh.” Eddie began. “Let’s sit down.” He walked her to the couch and sat next to her. He took a deep breath. “I don’t really know how to tell this story. Not really mine to tell, honestly. You, um. You…died…three years ago.”

“What are you talking about?”

“So, I don’t know everything, and don’t shoot the messenger. Nancy and Steve were together back then, and they ditched you, and then you died out there near the pool. Wheeler, she uh. She felt a lot of guilt about it. Ended up breaking poor Harrington’s heart.” Eddie had lost his condescending tone, but he maintained a light quality to him that almost made this conversation seem casual. It wasn’t, but Barb appreciated it anyway, because the words weren’t landing in her head in a serious way. She couldn’t comprehend them at all.

“Wow, uh…I’m…dreaming. Have to be.” She said to herself.

“Do you want me to pinch you or something?”

“Please don’t touch me.”

“Copy that.”

“So, how did I die then?” Eddie shrugged.

“You’d have to ask Steve or Nancy. Or Dustin, he probably knows more than I do.”

“Dustin?”

“Yeah, you know. Henderson?”

“Wait, Mike’s friend? What does a child have to do with any of this?” Barb was getting more confused by the minute.

“He’s not so much of a kid anymore.” Eddie chuckled. “More of an annoying teen. Love the guy, but yeah. Him and Steve have a whole brotherly thing going on.”

“Wow.” It was an understatement.

“You’re taking this pretty well.” Eddie acknowledged.

“Am I? I feel like my head is about to explode.” She looked down at herself, wondering if she looked any different, too. But her clothes were the same ones she remembered putting on before any of this happened. “Wait, so I died. Three years later I just…showed back up at this pool. I’m in the same clothes, I haven’t seemed to age, and I feel exactly the same -”

“If you’re asking for any sort of explanation, I gave up on figuring that shit out a long time ago.” Eddie leaned back on the couch, feeling more relaxed now that he was no longer the bearer of bad news.

“You’re saying things like this have happened before?” Barb asked, astonished. Eddie shrugged.

“Yeah. But since your brain is already about to explode, the rest of the story should probably wait.”

“I feel sick.” Barb said, her hand pressing against her stomach.

“If you’re gonna puke, I highly recommend the bathroom.”

“No, I think I just need to lay down.” Barb said, already doing so on the couch. Eddie stood up so as not to touch her when she stretched out her legs.

“Okay. Nancy should be here soon. Is it alright if I go upstairs to check on Steve?”

“Yeah.” Barb muttered. Eddie waited awkwardly for a moment, in case she needed anything else from him, and then he left to go back upstairs.

Barb lied there for an indiscernible amount of time, hoping that if she managed to fall asleep, she’d wake up back in the world she remembered.

But she couldn’t fall asleep. She couldn’t stop thinking about what Eddie had said, and how Steve had looked, and how even though there was no explanation for how this happened, it clearly had. Eventually, the front door opened, signaling Nancy’s arrival. Nancy. Barb sat up, excited to see her friend, despite everything else that was going on.

“Hello?” Her voice carried from the other room. Barb froze, listening intently to the footsteps walking through the foyer, around to the kitchen, and then -

Barb locked eyes with Nancy, giving her a slight smile and a shrug. Nancy’s eyes grew wide as saucers, her face growing with concern, surprise, fear, and a million other things Barb couldn’t place. Then, Barb noticed something in Nancy’s face that she rarely ever saw - there were tears in her eyes.

“Nancy, hey.” Barb said, standing up and whisking her way to where Nancy was standing. She stopped suddenly at the sight of the woman behind her - someone familiar. “Woah. Robin…Buckley?”

“Shit. Nance, it’s really her.” Robin muttered. “Hi, yeah. It’s been a while.” Barb knew Robin, but she was a Freshman the last time she’d seen her - now, she was older, her style was different, and she was…pretty. It’s not like she wasn’t before, but she was also fourteen before. Nobody is that beautiful at fourteen - Barb wasn’t sure she even was pretty yet at 16, or whatever age she qualified as now. She hadn’t even looked in the mirror yet.

Nancy was still frozen in shock, but she looked mostly the same. Her hair was bigger, and much shorter, but otherwise she looked exactly as she’d had the night of the party. She was still Nancy. Barb was relieved to see at least one thing hadn’t changed.

“Barb, oh my God.” Nancy said, finally stumbling from her trance to launch herself into Barb’s arms. They hugged each other tightly, neither of them wanting to let go. Barb felt like she hadn’t hugged her friend in years, which wasn't technically incorrect. She heard sniffling next to her ear - Nancy was actually crying. Barb never really saw her cry, because she always insisted on being strong. She was a warrior, that’s what they always used to say as kids. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, Nance. I’m here now.” Barb assured her. Nancy finally let go and backed away enough to look at Barb.

“I can’t believe it. You’re really here.” Nancy said. “How did - What was it like for you?”

“I just remember the party, then nothing, and then I woke up outside like an hour ago.”

“No injuries or anything?” Nancy asked. Barb shook her head. “You don’t - You didn’t - The Upside Down, the Demogorgon…?”

“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Wow.” Nancy sighed. “I just…Wow.”

“What…happened to me? To you?” Barb asked. “Did you know Steve’s dating a boy??” Robin snorted.

“Robin!” Nancy admonished in a hushed voice. “Yeah, he’s with Eddie.”

“I met him. He seems nice enough, once you get past the fact he looks like a serial killer.”

“Ha, yeah, about that. You’re not the first person to think so.” Robin said, rolling her eyes.

“Anyway.” Nancy interrupted. “You, um. Maybe we should sit down.” Barb nodded, the three of them walking over to the couch.

“Just tell me, Nance.” Barb sighed.

“I should leave you two alone.” Robin said, nervous. “I can go check on Steve maybe?”

“That’s a good idea.” Nancy agreed.

“He’s upstairs with Eddie.” Barb informed her. Robin nodded, then headed to the staircase.

“So.” Nancy said, nodding awkwardly. “It’s been an eventful three years.”

“Just start with that night.” Barb suggested.

“Okay.” Nancy took a deep breath. “Steve and I went upstairs, and we…We slept together. You were gone when I went back downstairs, so I just went home. I’d told you to leave anyway, so…”

“Yeah, you did.” Barb said, trying her best not to be bitter. But it hurt to know that Nancy had done exactly what she’d feared - she’d ditched her friend to have sex with a guy.

“Barb, that night changed everything for me.” Nancy said.

“Okay, gross. Spare me the details.” Barb muttered.

“No, no. Barb, listen to me.” Nancy sputtered, trying to say things she’d never really let herself say. She’d never had the chance to before. “I haven’t stopped grieving you since that night. Not ever. I mean, it kind of set up a whole chain of events that led me here, with Robin.”

“Wait, with Robin, as in…?”

“I…” Nancy stumbled over her words. She still wasn’t used to coming out, still wasn’t sure of what she even was. “Yeah. I love her.”

“Woah.” Barb said. “You and Steve, huh?”

“Yeah.” Nancy smiled. “It’s a wonder he and I didn’t work out.”

“So that’s why it ended?” Barb asked, confused.

“No, it’s not.” Nancy corrected. “You disappeared, and Steve didn’t really seem to care.” Barb rolled her eyes. Figures. “I promise he’s a good guy, Barb. He’s really matured since then. But, yeah, he shook it off. We dated for like a year, but I just couldn’t get over that.”

“Oh.” Barb said quietly. “I’m…sorry.”

“What for?” Nancy argued. “No, I’m sorry. If I had just listened to you that night -”

“Hey, it’s okay. Teenagers do stupid things all the time. Usually the consequences are less…severe.” Barb pointed out.

“Thank you. I can’t believe how long I lost you.” She whispered.

“Keep telling me the story, Nance.” Barb prodded, wanting to leave space for Nancy’s emotions, but also desperate to know more about what she’d missed.

“Right. So, when you disappeared, Jonathan was the only person who helped me look for you. Because he was also looking for his brother, and - “

“Byers??” Barb asked. “He always creeped us out.”

“Yeah, turns out he’s not so bad.” Nancy shrugged. “We found Will, but you…Well, you were gone. So anyway, I dated Jonathan for a while too, after Steve. Up until we graduated.”

“Seriously?” Barb asked, astonished. Nancy nodded.

“Yup. But he moved to California, and we just had different aspirations, so it didn’t work out.”

“You sound like you’ve really practiced that speech to avoid saying what actually went wrong.” Barb teased.

“Yeah, well. It’s easier than saying I fell for my ex's best friend. Sounds more mature.” Nancy added with a flourish. Barb smiled. “I don’t know how you ended up back here, but I’m so happy.”

“Me too, Nance.”

Footsteps started echoing down the stairs rapidly, signaling that their privacy together was coming to an end. Barb saw Eddie first, who made a beeline for the kitchen. Robin and Steve came next, slightly more hesitant. Steve at least looked less pale than he had before.

“I’m sorry about my reaction earlier.” Steve said, sheepishly.

“Don’t be.” Robin said, smacking her friend on the arm. “This whole thing is bonkers.”

“Robin, could you just, like, chill out?” Nancy asked.

“What? It’s true!” Robin doubled down. She squeezed herself on the couch next to Nancy.

“I’m with Robin on this one.” Eddie mumbled with his mouth full of something he’d found in the fridge. Steve looped around to the far end of the couch, putting as much distance as possible between him and Barb. Eddie joined moments later with snacks, plopping himself between Barb and Steve.

“So…” Steve said, breaking the silence. “Nancy told you…everything?”

“I still have a lot of questions, but I’m at least up to speed on your love lives.” Barb said before she could filter it. “Sorry. I’m very tired.”

“No, I get it. Finding out your friends are queer must be interesting as all hell.” Eddie approved.

“Well, that and the whole monster apocalypse underground secret government agency mind control demon dust evil Russians thing.” Robin vented the words in such rapid succession that Barb had no way to keep up in any capacity. The room fell quiet.

“I actually didn’t get to any of that.” Nancy admitted.

“Ohhh, shit!” Eddie chuckled, amused. “Sorry. You dropped the ball on that one, Nance.”

“Eddie, come on.” Steve groaned.

“You love me.” Eddie said, leaning over and kissing Steve right on the lips. Steve seemed to melt into him instantly, almost giddy from it. Barb stared at them, wide-eyed and entranced. She’d never seen two men kiss in her entire life.

“Okay, right, so.” Nancy interrupted. “How you…How you died.”

“Do you want me to tell her?” Steve asked once he pushed Eddie off him.

“No, it should come from me.” Nancy answered. “When Will went missing, he was taken to this place called the Upside Down. It’s like here, but dark and dirty and gross, and there are…Monsters.” Nancy finished.

“Yeah, and the two dimensions started merging together and a monster came into Steve’s pool and totally attacked you.” Robin added. Nancy shot her a glare, then sighed.

“Uh, yeah. That’s what happened.” Nancy shrugged.

“Well, I’d say that’s impossible, but…” Barb realized at this point, nothing would ever seem impossible ever again. “I’m really tired. I kind of just want to go home.”

“Oh, well…” Nancy bit her lip. “Your parents don’t live here anymore. After the funeral, they…They sold the house.” For whatever reason, that’s the piece of information that affected Barb the most. She had no home to go to, and everything had changed, and she had missed it all. She must have started crying, because all of a sudden, everyone in the room was looking at her differently. Robin was the first to move, extending her arm across Nancy to grab Barb’s hand.

“Why don’t you come home with us? We’ll have a little sleepover or something.” Robin offered. Barb looked at Nancy, then to Robin, and nodded.

“Yeah, that sounds nice. Thank you.”

“And I’ll call your parents tomorrow. I mean, if you want me to.” Nancy suggested. Barb felt herself feeling slightly relieved, knowing that she at least had people right next to her who cared. Nancy scooted herself closer to Barb and snaked her arm around her, pulling her close into a side hug. Robin leaned into them both. After a moment, Barb felt Eddie moving beside her, tentatively, with Steve following his lead.

“This, uh.” Eddie began. “Just feels like a good time for a group hug. But I don’t have to-”

“Group hug is cool.” Barb permitted. Eddie nodded, then shifted himself towards her and put his arm around her back, hooking with Nancy’s. Steve joined last, leaning his head against Eddie’s shoulder and reaching his arm across to grab Robin’s free hand. They sat like that together for a few moments, until Barb eventually broke the silence.

“So, after everything, the four of you are like…good friends?” She wondered. Eddie snickered.

“Yeah, weird, huh? The Band Geek, The School Freak, The Goody-Two-Shoes, and King Steve turned out to make a pretty good team.” He joked.

“Yeah, and you’re one of us, now.” Robin added.

One of us. Barb thought to herself. Maybe, she could get through this.

~~~~~

Robin, Nancy, and Barb headed back to the Wheeler house - At least one part of the Hawkins she knew and loved was still intact. It looked about the same, there were even still a few pictures of Nancy and Barb up in Nancy’s bedroom - but a lot of them had been replaced.

“Can I take a shower?” Barb asked. Her clothes stuck to her, and she felt kind of grimy. She’d been dead for three years, after all.

“Yeah, of course. You know where it is.” Nancy said with her signature tight-lipped smile. “Here, let me grab you some clean clothes.”

“Uh, no way.” Robin interrupted. “No offense, Nance, but your clothes are itchy and uncomfortable. Here, I have something way better.” Robin walked to a dresser and knelt down to the bottom drawer, pulling out a pair of men’s sweatpants and a big t-shirt.

“Are those Steve’s?” Nancy asked, confused.

“Duh. You gave me my own drawer, I get to put what I want in it.” Robin smirked. “Besides, mens clothes are just so much comfier. I keep telling you this.”

“Yes, I know, I know.” Nancy dismissed, chuckling.

Barb stayed in the shower a lot longer than normal, but she felt that was valid considering the situation. She spent a long time washing herself of the night, using Nancy’s soap that thankfully was the same kind she used to buy. She left the shower feeling clean and refreshed, and then she looked at herself in the mirror for the first time since she’d woken up. Woah.

Her hair was the same. Her body was the same. But she still looked and felt older. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she thought she saw a stretch mark that wasn’t there before. She looked at it closer, only to find that - oh. It wasn’t a stretch mark. It was a scar.

She hurriedly put on Steve’s clothes - which, by the way, is something Barb never thought she’d be doing in a million years. But she was grateful for them, because Robin was right - they were really comfortable, and Nancy’s clothes were always too tight.

“Guys, I think I found something kind of weird.” Barb said as she returned to the bedroom. She lifted her shirt up to reveal her stomach and the pale line that crossed it. “I have them on my legs, too.”

“Oh, shit.” Robin said, looking closer. “So does that mean-”

“You were attacked, and now you’re…healed?” Nancy added.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make sense. Where would she have gone then these last few years?” Robin asked.

“I have no idea.” Nancy shrugged.

Barb was moments from passing out, so she quickly got comfortable in the makeshift bed Nancy and Robin had made on the floor in Barb’s absence. She felt herself losing consciousness instantly.

“Hey, you okay?” Barb heard Robin ask Nancy.

“Yeah, I’m….” There was a silence, followed by a sound that broke Barb’s heart - Nancy sniffling.

It was the last thing she heard before she fell asleep.

~~~~~~

When Barb woke up, there was a moment she forgot entirely where she was. She thought she was home in bed, at first, and then she realized she was in Nancy’s room, which also wasn’t weird. But she was on the floor instead of in the bed with Nancy. And then everything from the previous night hit her all over again. She groaned, her body aching from sleeping on the floor - and also probably from the whole being dead 3 years thing.

“N..Nancy?” Barb mumbled as she stood up. She looked to the bed to see her best friend snuggled up to Robin. They looked so natural together that Barb wasn’t even thinking at all about how it was two women, just that they looked like a good fit. And Barb was happy for them, truly. It’s just…

Well, three years ago, or yesterday (depending on who you asked), Barb had some feelings of her own to figure out. She didn’t really even consider dating women to be an option, and now here she was, surrounded by people who were treating it so casually. She couldn’t imagine that in only three years, society had changed THAT much. She wondered if they were open about it, or if they had to hide it. Either way, Barb was grateful they had a small group they could just be themselves around. And now Barb was a part of it. One of us.

She decided she’d let them be, instead finding a book on Nancy’s shelf that looked interesting and reading it until they woke up.

“Morning sunshine.” Barb heard Robin’s voice.

“Mm, morning.” Nancy responded.

“Good morning.” Barb said with a smirk, sitting up so her head became visible to the couple from the foot of the bed. Robin jumped, then laughed nervously.

“Holy shit, I can’t believe I almost -”

“Forgot? Yeah, me too.” Barb agreed.

“Hi.” Nancy said, quietly.

“Hi.” Barb responded.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better, oddly enough.” Barb replied.

“That’s good, because we’ve got some more craziness to face today.” Robin interjected. Nancy looked at her quizzically, then slapped her palm to her forehead.

“Dammit! Dustin’s party is today!” Nancy groaned.

“Again with the Henderson kid.” Barb rolled her eyes, standing up to sit on the foot of the bed. “Eddie said you were friends. I guess I didn’t realize you were…good enough friends to party with him?”

“It’s not like that.” Robin said, chuckling. “But Steve and I planned a sweet sixteen for him, except he’s really only turning fifteen - don’t ask.”

“It’s just gonna be a barbecue in Steve’s backyard.” Nancy explained. “We’ll be there, Steve and Eddie too, obviously. Dustin, Will, my brother, Lucas, Erica, Max, El…Oh, Hopper and Mrs. Byers, too. Maybe Jonathan?”

“And you guys…enjoy hanging out with these people? A bunch of kids, your exes, and the Sheriff?” Barb asked, confused. Nancy laughed.

“Yeah, actually. I mean, the kids are nice, and they entertain themselves while we get the excuse to hang out. The Sheriff and Joyce are actually engaged now.”

“Saving the world together really bonds people.” Robin added.

“I can imagine.” Barb said, having no choice but to just accept this reality. “Saved the world, huh?”

“Oh yeah. I mean, we mostly focused on behind the scenes stuff. El does most of the action.” Robin replied. Nancy took over to clarify.

“El is Mike’s girlfriend. She has superpowers.” Barb eyed Nancy, suspicious. “No, really, she does. Just don’t ask her about them, she doesn’t like being treated like a magician.”

“Okay, good to know?” Barb couldn’t believe a word she was hearing, but she figured she’d get to see it in the flesh soon enough.

“Oh, and we do a lot more than behind the scenes.” Nancy said, nudging Robin. “Lest we forget when you were literally tortured underground.”

“I actually do really try to forget that.” Robin muttered. Barb cleared her throat before speaking.

“Right. Wow, your problems really went from 0 to 100, Nance. Like, last we talked our biggest concern was our chem test and whether or not we were popular,” Barb said. Nancy chuckled dryly.

“Yeah. All that stuff seems kind of silly in hindsight.”

“And Nancy is a total babe with a shotgun, now.” Robin chimed in. “Owns multiple guns and is a great shot. Can you believe it?”

“Actually? Yeah. Nancy’s always been a badass.” Barb said, raising her eyebrows at her friend.

“Anyway.” Nancy said, uncomfortable with the attention. “We should get dressed. Barb, we’ll - I’ll find you something to wear.”

“And then I’ll find you something better.” Robin smirked.

“Right. Do you still want me to call your parents?” Nancy asked, nervously. Barb thought about this for a moment. She wanted to see her parents, of course she did, but they thought they’d lost their daughter for years now. They’d moved on, at least a little bit, and Barb’s reappearance was going to be a huge thing. She wasn’t ready to face that just yet.

“Maybe tomorrow.” Barb decided. Nancy nodded, with both understanding and relief, then got out of bed to start getting ready.

The girls got ready together with Blondie playing in the background. They chatted exclusively about timeless things - Barb couldn’t handle any more surprises. They did each other’s hair and makeup, joking and laughing with each other in a way that put Barb at ease. It became clear that Nancy and Robin had nothing that would go over Barb’s hips. She was embarrassed, at first, but Robin just shrugged it off.

“Here, put on the jeans you woke up wearing, we have time to go shopping before the party.” She suggested.

“I can just wear these.�� Barb replied, gesturing to the ripped, stained jeans she had put on.

“No way. You’re going to be making a grand entrance - your big return to Hawkins, Indiana. You really think we’re gonna let you show up looking like anything less than the total babe you are?” Barb glanced at Nancy, overwhelmed.

“That’s just kind of how she talks. She’s right, though.” Nancy added. Barb was open to the idea of spending more time with these girls, so she agreed.

They went shopping together, and Barb let Nancy and Robin dress her. Every time she put something on in the dressing room, one of the girls threw something else over the door. It only took about fifteen minutes for them to find Barb the perfect dress.

“I think we have a winner.” Barb shouted from inside the dressing room.

“Come out, let’s see!” Robin encouraged. Barb emerged slowly, nervous to be seen in something as bold as the dress was. It was a pale yellow vintage dress - the kind that hugged tightly at the chest, then flared out around the waist. It looked like something Audrey Hepburn would wear. It was completely flattering to Barb’s curves, and unlike any article of clothing she’d ever owned. She looked at herself in the full length mirror, aghast. Nancy and Robin appeared in the mirror behind her shortly after.

“Total. Babe.” Robin said in approval.

“Barb, you have to get this.” Nancy insisted. She knew it was the kind of dress Barb had always imagined herself wearing at prom - of course, she’d never gotten to go.

“It’s way too expensive.” Barb said, disappointed. Nancy pulled at the price tag to check.

“No, it’s not. We’re getting it. Come on!”

~~~~|

They showed up to Dustin’s party about fifteen minutes late, although it didn’t really matter, as people were still trickling in. Robin had already called Steve that morning in secret, telling him to warn everyone he could about their surprise guest. The only people there that really knew Barb were already adjusted to the idea - other than Dustin, Mike, and Jonathan. But they didn’t really know her THAT well. Hopper obviously knew of the case, but he as well as everyone else was so used to chaos and people dying and coming back to life that he was hardly fazed. After all, he had “died” and come back, too.

“Do people know about…You and Robin? Steve and Eddie?” Barb asked Nancy in Steve’s backyard.

“These people do.” Nancy replied. “Like I said, they’re a good group.”

“Oh. Huh.” Barb said. As she stood in the corner of the backyard with Robin and Nancy, she inspected Steve and Eddie further from a few feet away.

Steve was at the grill, wearing an apron that said Kiss the Cook. Robin informed Barb that she’d gotten it for Steve as a joke, and Steve was basically like, “jokes on you, I needed an apron anyway.” It was strange to see Steve like this, so confident in his masculinity that he’d be wearing an apron in public, around the freaking Sheriff, sneaking flirtatious glances with the long-haired man in the denim vest and ripped jeans. She watched Eddie lean against the brick wall, smirking at Steve. At one point he tried to help Steve cook, although it was obvious he really just wanted an excuse to be physically close to his boyfriend. Eddie would reach around Steve to grab the spatula, and Steve would smack Eddie’s hand away, playfully annoyed. Barb was close enough to hear their banter.

“Sorry, I just - I got this, alright?” Steve said.

“I knowwww.” Eddie teased. “And it’s alright. You’ll just have to kiss it better.” Eddie held his hand up to Steve’s face. Steve grabbed it, bringing the back of his boyfriend’s hand to his lips briefly with a roll of his eyes, then threw his arm back down.

“Happy?”

“Ecstatic.”

They were perfect together. It was so weird.

“Barbara?” Nancy’s voice brought Barb back to the moment. “You okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just - They’re really cute, aren’t they?” Barb said, nodding towards the boys in question. Nancy chuckled.

“Yeah, it’s gross.” Nancy countered.

“I think it’s amazing.” Robin added. “I mean, Steve needed someone to rough him up a little, you know? Expand his mind, or whatever. Obviously, I loved him even when he was striking out constantly with women at Scoops Ahoy, but I gotta say, Eddie’s influence has really changed him for the better.”

“How so?” Barb asked.

“He’s just more…Well, he’s not pretending anymore, I guess.” Robin replied. Barb smiled. She liked that answer. “You ready to make your debut?”

Oh, right. There still was that. Barb was clearly overdressed to the event, which she realized as soon as they’d gotten to the party. That’s the reason she pulled Nancy and Robin to the back corner of the house - to hide from everyone else before they could see her.

“I stick out like a sore thumb.” Barb said, nervous. “I’m already the zombie girl, I just - It’s a lot of attention.”

“Yeah, but it’s the right kind of attention.” Nancy responded. “Look, let’s just get out there, and if you hate it, I’ll take you home. Well, my home.” Barb pondered this, then sighed.

“Okay. Here goes nothing.” The three of them walked into the backyard, in full view of the others. Barb saw many people she recognized - Dustin, who thankfully was talking to some girl about something and paying little attention. Jonathan, who was taking pictures and also therefore oblivious. Mike was hanging out with the girl Barb correctly assumed must be the one with superpowers, and holy crow. Puberty had hit Mike like a bus. He was tall and lanky now, but his mannerisms had at least stayed the same. Will Byers was next to him - He was also a lot taller than he had been the night of Barb’s disappearance. He no longer was the little kid on the Missing Person’s posters that had lined the halls of Hawkins High. He looked…healthy. Well-adjusted, despite what must have been a great deal of trauma. It gave Barb hope for her future.

“Come on, let’s go say hi to Steve and Eddie.” Nancy said, tugging at Barb’s arm. They walked together towards the grill, interrupting yet another cute moment - although those moments seemed to be constant, so Barb didn’t feel too bad about it. Eddie managed to look away from Steve towards the ladies approaching, then did an actual double take in Barb’s direction.

“Woah!” He said, his mouth agape. Barb waited for Eddie to continue his train of thought, but he didn’t.

“You look good, Barb.” Steve said with a sweet smile.

“Yeah, you clean up real nice. Prettiest former-dead chick I’ve ever seen.” Eddie finally managed to say. Barb blushed, far from accustomed to being complimented by boys.

“See? Told ya.” Robin whispered in Barb’s ear. She found herself giggling, and was finally able to relax into the dress she was wearing. They were interrupted by a loud, booming voice.

“You sure you know what you’re doing there, champ?” Barb turned to see the Sheriff, now outside of uniform - which was kind of like seeing your teacher in the supermarket.

“Yeah, I got it under control, Hopper, thanks.” Steve replied.

“Let me know if you need any help.” Hopper offered.

“I’d let him be, sir.” Eddie said, smirking. “With all due respect.”

“Watch your attitude, Munson. I’m still watching you.” Hopper’s eyes narrowed, and Barb couldn’t tell how intimidated she should feel about it. Maybe it was a joke between them, or maybe Eddie was often in trouble with the cops - it wouldn’t surprise her, considering what she knew about him already. Suddenly, a very tiny woman appeared right behind Hopper. She looked kind of like -

“Be nice, Hop. It’s a party!” She hooked her arm in the Sheriff’s and leaned into him. He happily brought her closer, kissing her on the top of her head. She smiled, then looked over at Barb in shock. “Oh.”

“Mrs. Byers.” Barb acknowledged, nervous. She continued to look at Barb, a million expressions crossing her face.

“Oh, please. Call me Joyce - I won’t be Mrs. Byers for much longer, sweetie.” Joyce’s arm slipped out from Hopper’s, and she took the chance to walk straight up to Barb, pulling her in for a hug. “Welcome home. Hawkins is happy to have you back.”

Barb had never really interacted with Joyce personally - I mean, it was a small town, so they knew each other, but they didn’t have a rapport. But at that moment, it didn’t matter what history they had, because everybody at this damn barbecue seemed to have some communal understanding of each other. Joyce was warm and comforting, and while her hug was nearly a little too long, Barb didn’t mind at all.

“Thank you, um. Joyce.” Barb finally said, overwhelmed. Joyce released her, and Barb locked eyes with Hopper next.

“I guess we have something in common, Miss Holland.” He said.

“We do?” Barb asked.

“We’ve both had funerals.” His joke was mediocre at best, and poorly timed. Still, Eddie and Robin couldn’t help but snicker.

“...Okay?” Barb replied. Hopper bit his lip, his eyes going slim.

“Sorry, I just - Don’t really know what to say here. I worked on your case, you know.”

“Was that before or after your funeral?” She asked. Hopper’s look of worry eased into a smile.

“Okay, well, uh. Welcome back, kid. And all that other stuff Joyce said.” He pulled Joyce back into him again. “She’s always been the words and feelings person.”

“And he’s always been the muscle.” Joyce added. “And the person who gets things off the top shelf for me.” She winked at Barb, then gestured for her and her fiancé to leave the teenagers in peace.

“Wow. I can’t believe I’m not even the first person at this barbecue that’s been resurrected.” Barb said, amused.

“You’re actually the third.” Nancy said. “Will technically had a funeral, too.” Barb paused for a moment, confused.

“Is this town….Like, are you guys okay?” Barb asked. Nancy and Robin glanced at each other, then to Eddie and Steve. All four answered at the same time.

“Nope.”

“Absolutely not”

“I mean…”

“We’ve been worse.”

Barb shook her head, laughing.

“This is all so crazy.” She repeated.

“Yeah, give it time.” Eddie said, patting Barb on the back. “Pretty soon you’ll look back on this and consider it a normal day - trust me.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” Barb agreed.

“Order up!” Steve exclaimed, spinning the spatula in his hand. “Bonjour, psychos.”

“I’m sorry. Did you mean bon appetit?” Robin said, laughing.

“Uh, yeah. What did I say?” Steve wondered. Barb and Nancy laughed with Robin, while Eddie just stared at his boyfriend in admiration. “Okay, well, sorry. I took Spanish in high school.”

“Right. And how’s that going?” Nancy teased him. Robin reached her hand out and high fived Nancy at her hip. Steve glared at them, then thought for a moment, searching for a comeback that never came. He sighed.

“You’re so lucky I don’t remember enough to insult you.” Steve untied the apron and set it on a nearby chair. “Food’s ready!” He shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear. He turned back to the girls. “Was that better?”

“Oui, c'est bien mieux.” Robin said. Steve scoffed while Eddie rolled his eyes, then both of them stuck their middle fingers up in Robin’s direction.

“Show-off.” Eddie muttered. They lowered their hands and intertwined them.

“You know, with love and all that.” Steve added to soften the blow. He could never truly be mean to Robin or Nancy, even in jest.

“You guys spend way too much time together. It’s honestly alarming how similar you’re becoming.” Nancy pointed out.

“That’s rich coming from you two.” Eddie said, gesturing to Nancy and Robin.

Their conversation screeched to a halt when everyone in the backyard appeared in line to get their food.

Barb wasn’t feeling that hungry, and besides - there was no way she was going to risk accidentally spilling on herself. So, while everyone else ate, she continued to observe the people around her. Dustin seemed happy, which was good considering this party was for him. He’d also had a growth spurt, but he still had the same goofy kid energy Barb remembered from before. He was with Eddie, doing what Barb could only describe as play-wrestling, which she thought was odd. Then again, the way guy friends interacted never really made sense to her.

“Hey. Uh, Barbara.” A soft voice said from behind her. Barb turned to see Jonathan Byers, a man she’d spoken to only once or twice in her life. He at least hadn’t changed in the slightest.

“Hi, Jonathan.” Barb responded. Jonathan awkwardly shifted his weight back and forth, fiddling with the buttons on his camera.

“I guess I just wanted to - “ He stopped himself, as if he shouldn’t say the thing he had wanted to. “Actually, I don’t really have anything to say.” They both chuckled awkwardly.

“That’s okay. I’m more or less getting the same reaction from everyone.” She responded.

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” Barb furrowed her brow and lowered her voice, impersonating nobody in particular.

“Hey, uh, wow. Look at you, um, back from the dead. Must be Wednesday, ha ha. ” Jonathan laughed.

“Yeah, it’s been a pretty packed three years.”

“So I’m learning.” She responded with a nod.

“Do you want me to get you a drink or something?” He offered.

“Yeah, sure.” Barb agreed, smiling. Jonathan nodded, then walked a few paces to a cooler. He returned moments later with a bottle of water. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” Barb noticed him looking past her, so she turned to follow his gaze. He was looking at Robin and Nancy. “Is it…Is it weird for you?” Jonathan’s eyes snapped back to Barb.

“Oh! Sorry. Well, honestly, yeah.” He said, chuckling. “I mean, we ended on good terms, just kind of went our separate ways. We wanted different things.” Barb tried not to smile at the fact he had almost the same explanation for the breakup as Nancy.

“Alright. So what have you been up to, then?” She asked him.

“Mainly spending time with Will. A-and our mom, although she’s mostly been busy planning the wedding.”

“Will’s doing okay?” Barb wondered. Jonathan smiled.

“Yeah, he is. I mean, he’s got a few things on his plate right now, but - “ Jonathan looked to his brother, who was still with Mike and El. “- He’s one of the best people I know.”

“Do you think it would be weird if I…talked to him?” Barb regretted it as soon as she’d said it. “Actually, forget I said that. It would totally be weird -”

“I actually think you should. Come on, I’ll introduce you.” Jonathan motioned for Barb to follow him across the backyard to Will, who smiled at his brother’s arrival. “Will, this is Barbara. She, uh-”

“I know who she is,” Will dismissed. “Nice to meet you, Barbara.” Will seemed kind. He was soft spoken and slightly awkward, just like Barb. And they’d both gone missing at the same time, so they were kind of like kindred spirits.

“Nice to meet you, too.” Barb knew she had specifically requested to talk to Will, but now that she was actually doing it, the words had fallen from her head. “Shoot. Sorry, I don’t mean to be awkward, I just-”

“I-it’s okay,” Will said, empathetically. “I remember how weird it was for me. To be back, you know. After missing so much.”

“Yes, exactly!” Barb said, thrilled someone actually understood. “So much has changed, I can’t even wrap my head around it.”

“Yeah, I only missed like a week and that was already insane to come back to. I think it’s impressive you’re acting as normal as you are.”

“Thanks, Will.” They smiled at each other in understanding, but then Barb turned to catch the eyes of Mike and El, who were watching her with unease. “Uh, hi you guys.”

“Hey.” Mike waved, non-committal, his discomfort obvious. Barb snuck a glance at Will and caught the way he looked at Mike - Barb knew that look well. She’d had that look before. Suddenly, another piece of the puzzle clicked together.

“You were - “ El began, processing what she was seeing. “You were gone.” She shook her head, unable to make sense of it.

“Trust me, I’m just as confused as you are.” Barb assured her.

“But I saw you -”

“Hey, hey.” Will said, cutting El off. “What matters is that she's here now.” Mike jumped in a moment later.

“It’s like when we found Will in the quarry, and then it turned out to be a fake body.”

“So what I saw…Barb in the Upside Down…That was fake?” El wondered.

“No, it’s a little different, but…” Mike thought for a moment on how best to explain it. “Remember when you saved Max? Someone must have saved Barbara, too.”

“Oh. Like Henry.” El’s eyes narrowed. Mike grabbed her hand quickly.

“No! No, not like him. Like -” Mike sighed. “Help me out, here?”

“Don’t look at me, I’ve been dead for three years.” Barb said. Suddenly, a mop of curly hair showed up beside them.

“Are you guys talking about how Barb came back to life? Because I have a theory,” Dustin began.

“By all means,” Barb said, permitting him to share.

“Okay, so we defeated Vecna, then the gates closed, and Max woke up - right?” Everyone nodded (except for Barb), listening intently. “Okay, so since Barb died in the Upside Down -”

“Everything reset.” Mike said, softly. “Barb was the only person killed in the Upside Down.”

“So when the Upside Down ceased to exist…” Will continued.

“Barb got a second life.” Dustin smiled, content with his theory.

“Huh,” Barb said, processing all of it. She had no memory of her death, and certainly didn’t feel the time that had passed. But, did the how of it all really matter? She was here now, with a great (albeit incredibly strange) group of friends - some old, some new - and she was accepted for exactly who she was. Hell, she was accepted for who she was and she was accepted as some zombie freak of nature. If they could still treat her as a normal girl after all that, she couldn’t imagine a single thing they wouldn’t accept, which was a very freeing feeling.

Barb had missed out on a lot. She didn’t get to graduate, or go to prom, or grow up. She hadn’t even had her first kiss, yet. She’d fallen asleep next to a douchebag’s pool at 16 years old, angry over being ditched by her best friend, and she woke up next to the same pool, except now she felt pretty and loved. Her future felt full of possibilities. The next day, she’d talk to her parents, and her life could actually be normal, finally.

She looked out across Steve’s backyard, admiring the people she knew were going to become like family. Everything seemed all right, now.

Barb chuckled to herself in disbelief. She’d conveniently missed the craziest and most dramatic part of her life, of her friend’s lives.

Maybe all of this was a blessing in disguise.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TAGLIST: @ofherscarlettwitchways @livvyshmiv @paintballkid711 @abraca-fxckyou @allbimyself26 @jellybabiesforall @allbymyselfexceptformycactus @aethermint @mysteriousxmidnight

Feel free to send requests! :)

160 notes · View notes

ghaniblue · 9 months

Text

Red, White & Royal Blue recs, all Alex/Henry. I've been doing nothing but read rwrb fic all week. I'm obsessed with the damn movie. All recs are using book canon as the starting point. All fics are 50k+ and explicit.

If you have any recs, please share!

the poem you make of me by @omgcmere (91k, explicit)

Charming, happy-making AU

Henry writes gay erotic poetry (enough said)

check out the author if you're into explicit sub!Alex fics

After being discovered on Instagram as a teenager, Alex Diaz is thriving as a social media influencer and model who just landed a high profile, high fashion contract with Calvin Klein. Alex can get any girl he wants, and he’s loving it. Meanwhile, British poet Henry Fox has just arrived in L.A. to kick off a North American tour promoting his new, steamy book of gay erotic poetry, and he’s attracting a lot of attention.

Bad blood is immediately sparked between them when Henry blows Alex off at their first meeting. Several tabloid rumors and an Instagram tantrum later, Alex and Henry are reluctantly thrust together to make nice, resulting in a grudging friendship and a magnetism between them that Alex can't explain. Why is Henry's poetry making Alex feel like this? And just what is it about Henry Fox that gets to him so much?

all that glitters (is not gold) by @indomitable-love (112k, explicit)

(book)canon-compliant, post canon, established relationship, Alex focused

Sensitive exploration of mental health issues

Alex Claremont-Diaz has it all. His mom won the election, he’s got the perfect boyfriend. He gets to love Henry out loud. Everything is great. Perfect.

Except for the itch under his skin every time he goes outside, and the tightness in his chest when he goes online, and the fact that he can’t fucking sleep.

But it's fine. He's fine. Really.

—-

Or: after the emails, Alex Claremont-Diaz isn’t fine.

(our last summer) memories that remain by bleedingballroomfloor (91k, explicit)

AU, getting back together, dual timelines

love the setting and watching them fall in love twice over

Fresh out of law school and fresh out of a relationship, what Alex Claremont-Diaz needs is a goddamn vacation. He plans to spend his summer on a small island off the coast of Wales, three months of peace and relaxation and figuring out what the hell he actually wants to do with his life. But all that is thrown out the window when he runs into his ex-fling, Henry Fox, who just so happens to be running the hotel he's staying in for the next three months.

Four years prior, Henry Fox meets the most beautiful boy he's ever seen at an NYU party: Alex Claremont-Diaz. Henry soon finds himself whisked away to Texas with Alex, a summer full of poetry and skinny dipping and stolen kisses, and everything is perfect. Almost too perfect for a summer fling. Yet Henry can't stop himself from falling in love with Alex, falling for the lake house and everything Alex loves, even when he knows it's too good to last.

Two summers, two places of falling in love, one filled with memories of the last. It leaves Alex and Henry wondering: is this summer truly going to be their last one together?

With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest) by @kiwiana-writes (WIP 14/17, 56k, explicit)

Work in progress, AU, getting together

love the structure and Rafael Luna's role in this, hits a lot of the emotional beats of the book (without the outing)

Alex is a former child star struggling to make the transition into being seen as a serious actor. He jumps at an opportunity to perform on stage in the UK, seeing it as a way to break free from the typecasting and show what he can really do. But he wasn’t prepared to star alongside someone he hates.

Henry is a recent theatre graduate who accepts an amazing role in a queer reimagining of Much Ado About Nothing. And then it turns out his co-star is none other than the man he’s been hopelessly pining after for years—even though Henry made a terrible first impression when they met.

It’s… well, it’s practically Shakespearean.

>> more rwrb recs <<

#rwrb fic recs #rwrb #firstprince #firstprince fanfic #firstprince fic #rwrb fic #acari recs

26 notes · View notes

teecupangel · 2 years

Note

Hi there, Alamut!Bonnie with non-Alamut question here. If Lucy wasn't killed when she was, and reported the oncoming Catastrophe to Templars, do you think they would have thrown in their lot to help access the Temple, or tried to turn it into opportunity that grab more influence?

Alamut!Nonny! It's nice to hear/read from you again!

Oh man. I read this one and my brain immediately went "HEY, LISTEN!" so buckle up 'cause this is half-me rambling on how it could work and half-actual short fic. (with my personal headcanon at the bottom)

First of all, we'll have to look over what needs to change so that Lucy isn't killed in the end. For this one, do we go for:

Desmond manages to fight off Juno's control

Desmond still stabs Lucy but she survives (the others managed to administer first aid and get her to a hospital perhaps? Maybe Desmond manages to resist just enough to hit her somewhere less fatal?)

Either way, I personally think we should still put Desmond in a coma because:

Desmond fighting Juno/the Apple is canon, whether he wins or not doesn't change that fact

AC Revelations deserve to exist for Clay, Ezio, and Altaïr

Desmond learns of the Grand Temple because of Tinia's message that Ezio got from Altaïr's last memory seal

(Altaïr is my blorbo and I will find ways to throw him into anything I write regardless of what it is, no, I am not sorry)

Lucy's survival will have a butterfly effect, that's for sure.

For one, everyone will be wondering why the hell Desmond just tried to kill Lucy? Was he being controlled? Did he learn something?

And Bill will step in because Desmond is in a coma, the leader of their cell was just targeted by his son and something fishy is going on, that's for damn sure.

And the target of his suspicion is Lucy.

Rebecca and Shaun will side with Lucy, of course, because they've known her for a while.

Bill will not.

Bill will remember Daniel Cross. Of how Abstergo managed to use him as a sleeper agent and how the carefully built foundations of the Modern Brotherhood collapsed because of everything Daniel Cross gave Abstergo after killing the last mentor.

Bill was there. Bill lost so many people during the Great Purge. Friends, allies, colleagues. Every day, he would look at his phone and try to tell himself that his wife hasn't called him meant that the Farm was safe.

That Desmond was safe.

But, now, Desmond is in a coma after trying to kill Lucy.

Was it the Apple? Was it Desmond himself?

Regardless of which is true, Bill knows what must be done.

Lucy is kept in a locked room. No windows, nothing in the room itself that could be used to escape or worse. She is stripped of all her gadgets and her clothes are replaced with a hospital gown that they stole on the way.

Rebecca and Shaun will protest, of course. So Bill issues them an order.

Find out if Lucy Stillman has been compromised.

But Bill doesn't end it there. He calls an Assassin he trusted more than anybody else. He calls up Gavin Banks and orders his crew to do the same.

And he adds another order.

Find out if Rebecca Crane and Shaun Hastings have been compromised as well.

Rebecca and Shaun try to prove her innocence but they're not stupid. They start seeing the inconsistencies. They start seeing information Lucy kept from her reports.

They start to think that there's more to Clay's death than what Lucy wrote in her report.

And then...

They find out the emails she sent to Vidic with the fake William Miles email address.

Shaun is the one who tries to say it must be a mistake, maybe Lucy got duped by similar email addresses. Rebecca is the one who doesn't believe that because they both know Lucy isn't that stupid. The timestamps made it clear that Lucy was in contact with both email addresses at the same time.

It's not a smoking gun.

But it's damning enough. And they're both loyal to the Brotherhood enough to present it to Bill.

Gavin and his crews find more evidence. More inconsistencies.

Not with Shaun and Rebecca, of course. (Although, the number of crazy conspiracies Shaun has written was a bit worrying.)

All of these were to Lucy alone.

Everything they find points at one thing.

Lucy Stillman is a traitor.

So when Bill interrogates Lucy with Rebecca, Shaun and the entirety of Gavin's crew listening in, they're not surprised when Lucy finally admits it. Shaun and Rebecca don't want to believe it but they also know they need to face the truth.

Lucy betrayed them all.

Against everything they got, Lucy has no other choice but to admit it.

She will try to deny at first, of course, but the isolation made her realize something important.

Everyone is ignoring the most important thing right now:

The impending catastrophe that destroyed a civilization more advanced than they were right now.

So she pleads with Bill and tells him that, right now, the best chance they all have of saving the world is to join forces. To use Abstergo's resources to find whatever it is that Minerva wanted Desmond to find.

The supposed Temples...

That's when Bill reminds her.

"You already told Vidic about it, didn't you? About Minerva's warning to Desmond. So..."

"Why hasn't the Templars done anything? Why hasn't the Templars reach out to us by using you?"

That makes Lucy pause.

Why haven't they?

Lucy did manage to send word to Vidic beforehand about Minerva's warning and they took pictures of everything Clay drew and wrote before he died. Someone must be in charge of checking what they all mean.

So... the Templars must have known. Must have had an idea of what was going to happen.

Even before Lucy sent them Minerva's message to Desmond.

So why haven't they done anything?

Someone might say that maybe they're doing something. Maybe they're racing to find POEs that would save the world.

Maybe they never bothered to suggest a truce with the Assassins because they knew the Assassins would never agree to it. Not after everything that had happened in the past years. Not after the Great Purge.

At this point, there will be a debate among everyone who heard Lucy's interrogation. Some will argue that a truce could be possible, that they should try for the sake of the world. Another side would focus on everything Abstergo (and the Templars) had done and how they cannot be trusted.

And that's when Desmond will wake up and tell them about the Grand Temple.

====== Ending Rambling ======

Yeah, I'm 'ending' it there. Sorry? XD

But here are some of my notes concerning Abstergo and how possible this what-if scenario is (headcanon-wise).

First of all: there's no way the Templars don't know about the Catastrophe. At the very least, they should have an idea about it and, with the lax security Desmond's cell had considering Lucy is in charge of it, Lucy had ample time in AC: Brotherhood to send them a message.

This email pretty much tell us that Vidic (and the Templars) did know about it. (from AC wiki)

They had 'suspicions for years' and they had 'decades'. Whether they knew the entire sun going whoosh at them, that's debatable but they knew that something big and dangerous is going to happen on Dec 21 2022. The short amount of time left implies that (or, to be a devil's advocate in my own writing, it could actually pertain to the deadline that Rikkin gave Vidic in AC1 XD)

This means that they kept it a secret for a reason.

The Templars want total control of the world for different reasons. Some like the Borgias wanted it because they believed it was their birthright or because they wanted power/riches. Others like Sofia Rikkin believe in the Templar cause because they believe humanity is imperfect and that imperfection must be changed so that the world could achieve true everlasting peace. Others like Robert de Sablé and Haytham Kenway pushed for control because they believed that humanity needs to be controlled as they are too stupid or powerless on their own. Then there are those like Berg and Cross who had no choice but to join and stay with the Templars for personal reasons (Berg's daughter, Cross' brainwashing and dependency on the Animus to keep his mind intact, etc)

The Templars as they are now, as Abstergo, are united by their desire for control and to profit from it but their reasoning behind that desire vary depending on the person.

However, all of them are under the Inner Sanctum. The Inner Sanctum has the final say in Templar (and Abstergo) activities.

And you know who is a member of the Inner Sanctum?

Warren Vidic.

The same Vidic who sent the email above to Lucy just weeks before the incident with Juno.

The same Vidic who told Desmond in AC1 that he agreed with the Assassins' way of killing a few evil people to save thousands but believed that they didn't go far enough and that the entire human race needs to be 're-educated'.

This meant that Vidic did everything in AC3 knowing that the world would end on December 21. He would rather spend months searching for Desmond than suggest a truce between their two warring factions.

And the other members of the Inner Sanctum either supported him (Rikkin and Cross) or did not make any attempts to stop him.

When you asked if they would help the Assasins or not?

Honestly, they could have had. Lucy didn't need to survive for that. She already gave them enough inside information about what's going to happen.

And they still decided to continue this whole Assassins versus Templars.

Why?

My best guess is that they already had a plan in motion and the Assassins weren't needed in it or would not agree with the plan.

Either their 'The Eye' project (not the Isu's The Eye) where they shoot out an Apple to space was not just meant to 'reprogram humanity' but also provide some kind of protection (kinda like how Abbas in AC Revelations got the Apple to send out waves of energy every few seconds that will throw Altaïr off)

There was already an alternative plan that didn't involve any POE at all. A plan that will not save the world but will let them (and their 'chosen people') survive the catastrophe. In the same way Minerva and Juno informed Desmond that the Grand Temple can protect them from it and how there will be other people who survived too in their 'alternate future', it's highly plausible that Abstergo also had a similar idea. Bunkers perhaps or they may use Temples they already have under their 'protection'. Something that would keep them safe from the sun and help them survive the aftermath.

Either way, the Templars would have never joined forces with the Assassins to save the world. Warren Vidic's actions from AC1 to AC3 showed where the Templars stand in that scenario.

... Unless... someone in the Inner Sanctum says "fuck Vidic and fuck this shit" and go behind the other Inner Sanctum members' back to contact the Assassins.

#... did i just... make bill actually competent in this one?#i feel so dirty right now #yes desmond spends the entire fic being sleeping beauty #ac revelations will happen with minimal changes #clay lives because i say so #honestly think modern day ac story could have worked well #if they kept desmond #ask and answer #teecup writes/has a plot #assassin's creed #fic idea: assassin's creed #desmond miles #william miles #lucy stillman #warren vidic #i may have implied that the rogue is cross #maaaayyybbeee #headcanon: assassin's creed #teecup analyze more than necessary

31 notes · View notes

soldierboysbitch · 2 years

Text

I always wanted some rugrats of my own. Now I got nothing (part 1)

My first soldier boy fic, soldier boy/f!supe!reader.

TW: violence, possible smut, obvious cursing, soldier boy in all of his soldier boy glory, future pregnancy. If there’s anything else that should be tagged let me know.

May be slightly OOC sometimes, manipulating canon as well.

It had been a long time since anyone had bothered to show up to your door asking for Banshee. Despite that, when you threw open your door early in the morning still clad in a very old set of Vought produced Payback branded pajamas, it was the first thing you heard.

“Banshee? Would have thought you’d be a hell of a lot older.” A heavy British accent and a slightly unnerving smirk greeted you as soon as your door swung open.

Taking a moment to snap into old habit, you assessed the man in front of you. Rough looking, with a glint of danger in his eyes but he wasn’t a supe. You could tell that the tall skinny man behind him who looked like he might be about to throw up wasn’t one either. They looked familiar, familiar enough to set alarm bells off.

“Who are you and what the hell are you doing at my house?” You asked looking between the two men, decidedly putting most of your attention on the man with the accent. He seemed like the bigger risk in this scenario.

“Seems we might have a common enemy… and a common friend.” He spoke again glancing at your pajama shirt before back up at you again. “Names Butcher, and a little birdie informed me that you have a problem with Vought. Now… we do too.”

Now that was something you couldn’t deny. Vought had done a lot to make your life a living hell. You’d been part of the first trials of compound V, experimented on with promises of changing the world. Instead you’d ended up as nothing more than a cheesy marketing gimmick and a photo opportunity. When you’d lost your appeal, they’d used the chance the experiment a bit more. As soon as Vought got what they wanted, you’d gotten a tiny severance check and thrown out on your ass.

“Well congratulations, you’re one of millions with an issue with Vought. Hop in line.” You said about to shut the door on them. A familiar voice stopped you in your tracks before the door was fully closed.

“I’m sick of waiting in the fucking car like a kid while my mom goes shopping.” The voice rang out, that smooth timber and angry edge sending a rush of adrenaline and shock through your system.

Just as soon as the door was about to close, you flung it open again. You felt like you were looking at a ghost, he hadn’t changed one bit. His hair was the only thing that had really changed, instead of his polished slicked back army cut, it flopped a bit in his face now. Everything else was spot on compared to the memories you relived almost nightly.

“Ben?” Your voice sounded far away, even to yourself, as you stepped out of your house pushing the British man out of your way easily.

His head snapped towards you, and his face looked much like you assumed yours did. It had only lasted for a moment before that same old whiskey and honey smirk crossed his face. You noticed a hint of danger behind his eyes you never had before now, and you wondered what exactly had happened to him.

“Well fuck me upside down… (y/n)? Look at you.” That same old swaggered walk had you pushing the skinny one out of your way too as you closed the distance between the two of you.

“They said you were dead… in Nicaragua. Edgar came back and said you’d been killed and they’d taken your body…. How?” You asked, stopping an inch in front of him.

“Yeah well they fucking lied. Set me up and sold me out to the Russians. My own fucking team.” His fists were clenched at his sides and he was jaw was locking up the way it did when he was angry.

You reacted before the two men behind you could, gently putting your hand on Soldier Boy’s chest. “Hey… you want a drink?” You said simply, knowing him the way old friends did. “Come on… whatever these two fucking dicks wanna talk about they can talk about inside.” You gave him a little grin moving to turn on your heels and head inside, knowing he would follow.

Behind you, you heard the skinny one let out a relieved sigh and you wondered just what Soldier Boy was doing to them to have them this on edge. You knew he could be pretty aggressive, relying on his fists to do what he couldn’t say but neither of them looked beat up. You moved to the cabinet above your sink, getting out four glasses. “Whiskey or rum?” You asked already knowing the answer as you poured the whiskey. You filled Soldier Boy’s a bit more than the rest passing the glass over before taking a seat at your small kitchen table.

“Nice pajamas. Glad to see you’re still walking around with my face on your tits.” Soldier Boy’s self satisfying grin made you roll your eyes as you took a long sip from your glass.

“Part of my severance package, Vought really knows how to rub your face in the dirt when they’re done with you.” You said with a bit of a scowl, Vought really had a sick sense of humor.

“If you two are finished with your little, flirting session, we came here for a reason. We’ve come to a little agreement, that I think you might like to get a piece of. We’re finding Soldier boy here’s team, and in return he’s helping us take down Homelander. Now we know you’re the only part of that team that didn’t make it to Nicaragua, and we know… you want to get rid of Vought just as much as we do. We could use another supe against Homelander.” Butcher, you were pretty sure that was his name, drawled in that accent with a look on his face like you’d already said yes.

“So… who’s left on that list of yours? I saw Gunpowder and Crimson Countess are dead… that leaves the fucking wonder twins, Mindstorm, and Noir right?” You asked glancing between Butcher and Soldier Boy before finishing your drink. “Fucking count me in…. Not like I have much else going for me.” You said finally.

The look on the skinny one, who’s name you still didn’t know’s, face was a mix of surprise and hope. It had been a long time since you’d seen anyone look at you with hope in their eyes. You sent a look between them all before heading back into your room, opening your closet and digging to the back. It had been almost twenty years since you’ve even bothered to put the costume on. It took a moment to remember how to even tug it all on, but you managed. Slipping on your boots, you heard the door open and you didn’t need to look up to know just who it was. There was no mistaking the sound of those boots and the permanent gunpowder scent. You could still remember the first time you’d seen him.

It was 1951, the world was recovering from the Second World War and superheroes were appearing left and right. Vought had such a success with Soldier Boy that they’d decided they needed more. A world full of heroes specially selected to make them the most money. You’d been the first trial to be injected as a child, testing the possibilities. You’d destroyed home after home, even a Vought compound once before you’d learned to control your powers.

At twenty, Vought had decided you were ready. Going from concrete rooms to the spotlight had been such a change, and then you’d met him. Soldier Boy. He’d been barking orders and downing drinks like they were water but something had drawn you to him. Like a moth to a flame, you’d found yourself circling him. He’d sent you that swaggered grin, and he’d called you songbird. You hadn’t been sure if that was one purpose, or if he hadn’t bothered to learn your name. It hadn’t mattered then and it didn’t matter now.

“I’m glad you’re alive. I missed you.” Your voice was barely audible but you knew he heard you.

“Don’t be a pussy.” Came his reply, but you could hear the smile in his voice without ever turning around.

#soldier boy #soldier boy x you #soldier boy x reader #soldier boy x y/n #the boys amazon #the boys spoilers #the boys tv #the boys #billy butcher #hughie campbell #mother’s milk #frenchie #soldier boy fic #soldier boy reader insert #part 1 of idk how many

40 notes · View notes

kerie-prince · 3 years

Text

the intern

Peter Parker x Reader (college au)

requested: (anon) plz plz plz give me some college aged, super powerful ( think stark ceo powerful ) peter parker shit. idc what the rest of the story is about, i just need a brooding, smoldering, suit wearing, extremely expensive, college aged spiderman. plz and thank you!!!!

warnings: language

summary: When you start a new internship at Stark Industries, you're not only surprised to find Peter working as your boss, but that he's not the shy neighborhood boy you grew up with

a/n: this doesn't follow canon so for this imagine, hammer industries is just a rival company and the snap never happened lol also i don't know anything more than operating a phone so don't expect me to write sciencey, techy stuff lmao

(gif source)

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” you were running across the road to jump into a cab that was available. Your phone hadn't been charging all night as you thought it had which caused you to wake up forty-five minutes before the start of the interview. You need this internship before you graduate from Empire State and get your degree in robotics.

On the way there, you nearly got car sick as the driver took sharp turns and nearly ran past intersections seconds before they became red. Once in front of Hammer Industries, your heels clicked loudly as you ran inside the tall building. You checked in with the front desk and took the elevator up to the 10th floor.

Just as you arrived, Justin Hammer was calling your name. “I'm right here!” you nearly tripped on your heels and your breaths were short.

“I've called your name three times, do you understand what that makes you look like, correct?” Justin stood unphased as you stood up straight and tried to steady your breath. “All these people are on time. Some of these folks have been here for hours, even.”

“Yes, sir. I’m so sorry–”

“Shame, I really liked your resume and your report on the expansion of nano-technology. Try again next year, maybe.” Justin started to call out the next participant and when she got up you stepped in front of her, “Please Mr. Hammer, I need this internship or I can't graduate.”

The people in the waiting room had their eyes on the two of you, tension so thick that it was almost hard to breathe. “Then maybe you should have come on time,” he pushed you aside to let the next person in to interview. You quickly ran back out and spoke to no one all the way home. Your eyes and cheeks were aching as you held in the tears during your Uber ride. The driver wanted to ask if you were okay, but if you were to break down in his car he’d probably be stuck having to listen to what happened and if he was honest with himself, he didn't actually care.

Once you got to your apartment, you made a straight line to the kitchen. “Hey, how’d the interview go?” MJ, your roommate, asked while still looking at her computer. You reached into the freezer for your emergency ice cream pint, snatched a spoon and walked into your room without saying anything. “That bad, I guess,” MJ said to herself.

:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆:

You sat with MJ and Ned in the cafeteria, but had not touched any of the food on your plate. Your head was laid on the steel table and you just continuously groaned. “I’m a failure,” you whined.

“No, what you are is fucking dumb,” MJ commented as she ate.

“Thanks, Michelle, that makes me feel so much better,” you looked up to glare at her before laying her head back down. Ned felt bad that his friend was in despair, “How come you didn't ask Peter for help?”

“Huh?” you lifted your head back up some of your hair falling onto your face.

“Yeah, Peter already works at Stark Industries, why didn't you just ask him to get you in? You could even skip the internship altogether and be in full time,” Ned suggested. You gave it some thought, but something about it didn't sound right.

“No, I don't want to bother Peter. I don’t want him to think that I’m only calling him for a job,” you sighed. Ned texted Peter anyways. Unexpectedly, Peter texted him back immediately.

“He says it’s fine,” Ned showed you his phone to read the text. ‘Yeah man, tell her to come in tomorrow and Ms. Potts will interview her’

You let out a deep breath you didn't know you were holding and pulled out your phone.

‘Thank you so much for helping me out’

(…)

‘No problem, anything for a friend’

:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆:

The Stark Industries building was huge. It almost looked taller than the Empire State Building, and maybe it actually was. Your legs were shaking as you stared up at it. “Here goes nothing,” you assured yourself.

The lobby was bustling with people; workers walking around, a group of kids that seemed to be here on a field trip, and some teens taking pictures in front of one of Mr. Stark's Iron Man suits.

The trip up to the 17th floor was crowded with people as more and more entered in every passing floor. You had to squeeze yourself out and accidentally stepped on someone’s foot in the process.

Looking around, your jaw dropped. It was an open laboratory with groups of people putting together small robots, flying drones, and people laughing and talking. It was such a fun and cool looking environment, you wondered why you didn't just apply here in the first place.

Pepper Potts spotted you walking around and approached you with a tap on your shoulder. “Hi, I’m Pepper. You must be Y/N,” she reached her hand out to shake yours which you accepted. “Hi, nice to meet you.”

“Peter’s told me a lot about you. Come, follow me,” Pepper’s office had glass walls and a view of New York from behind her desk. You weren't particularly fond of heights, but even you would love to have an office view like that. Pepper gestured to the chair in front of her as she smoothed her dress to sit in hers. “So, I see here that you had an interview at Hammer’s. Can I ask why you chose them?” You didn't even know how they got that information. You hadn't seen or spoken to Peter in quite a while, so how Pepper knew that was beyond you. You sat there with your lips moving to say something but nothing was coming out.

Pepper seemed to have caught on what you were thinking and elaborated, “Before I do any interviewing, I do full background checks on everyone.” She had a gentle smile which made you feel better. You thought she would scold you or something considering the question did more than catch you off guard.

“My mother used to work there for a long time and I figured that I would follow,” you explained. Pepper nodded her head and wrote some notes down. She looked onto her computer and looked at everything there was about you. “Well, I see here that you have exceptional grades. 4.7 GPA since you started school and your paper on nano-technology has gotten much praise. I think even Tony read it.” No way. The Tony Stark read my paper? “So tell me, do you see yourself working here at Stark Industries?”

You looked outside and watched everyone in the open lab again. “Yes.”

“Then that’s all I need to hear. We’d love to have you here,” she reached over to shake your hand. You looked at her surprised and hesitantly shook hers. “Welcome to the team, Y/N.”

“Thank you so much!” You cupped her hand with both of yours and shook it a little too quickly, but she didn't seem to mind. You were ecstatic to start your path to your career, and at a dream place at that.

:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆:

Your alarm rang at the time you set it to, but there was no need for it. You couldn't sleep all night. Today is your first day of your internship and you were feeling so many things at once. Excited, nervous, happy, scared…

You tried to restrain yourself to a light breakfast, but MJ’s pancakes were to die for that you ate two whole stacks. You looked through your closet just about fifteen times; you had already picked an outfit the following night with the help of MJ, but when you put it back on, you hated it. It sucked for your roommate seeing as she had to sit through you changing from eight other outfits.

You tried to picture the lab again to see how other people dressed for a better idea to base it on your outfit choice. From what you remember, it was pretty casual, so that’s what you stuck to.

You were given your pass the day you were hired, so you had no issue walking inside. The elevator was just as packed as it was last time, but you were more composed so there were no toes being stepped on this time. You weren't exactly sure as to where you had to go, so you looked around to see if there were other interns to ask where to start.

“Y/N!” Peter’s voice surprised you from behind. Your shoulders jumped a bit, but relaxed at the view of his face. His face… you actually hadn't seen him for quite a while. Months, maybe. His jawline was more defined, and his once floppy hair was styled neatly. You tried to not look him up and down, but the temptation was definitely there. And the other thing, his voice was deeper than you last remembered. Is this really Peter Parker? “Hey, Peter.”

He gave you a hug that nearly made you lose breath. He was stronger than you remembered. A memory flashed back to when you were in junior high; you, Ned and Peter were hanging around the local park and you beat Peter on rounds on the monkey bars. He gave up after a couple bars, but you went back and forth a couple times. ‘Show off.’ But now, he had muscles that the shirt he was wearing hugged his biceps.

The hug was quick, and you had to pretend that he didn't just squeeze some life out of you. “Do you work on this floor?”

“Yeah, you’re actually assigned to work with my team. Come, I’ll show you around.” He started walking and you noticed how his posture changed. Damn, I know it hasn't been this long since I've seen him. Why does he look so different? He was wearing trousers. Trousers? Peter hates trousers. But his ass is looking great–

“Hey guys, this is Y/N. She’s going to be working with us as an intern. And I'll say this beforehand, no she's not going to be taking coffee or lunch orders,” Peter introduced you. There were various aged people in this group. Some were your age, and one person looked to have been in his thirties. Peter is in charge of this group? They all said ‘hi’ to you and went around introducing themselves.

Once that was finished, Peter pulled a chair for you on the table. “You’ll take notes for me while I give this presentation,” he whispered to you before walking in front of the table and started writing on the clear glass board.

He was talking quickly and didn't stumble over his words like he used to. Everyone was listening to him attentively and you jotted notes down as quickly as you could. Every now and then, you would steal glimpses of him and feel a sort of… well you felt something. Amazement? Inspiration? Adoration?

No doubt was Peter one of the smartest people you've ever met and here he was leading his own team and making potential products for Stark Industries at such a young age. Seeing him at work was so… it was indescribable to you but all you could think of was how different he is now. In a good way, of course.

Peter Parker has been your friend for years and to see him change from a bumbling, shy, adorable nerd into a confident, intelligent working man attracted you.

When you got home, you thought a lot about your first day. Being an intern at Stark Industries was really fun, so far. You weren't expected to do silly things like get coffee or lunch for everyone or pick up someone’s dry cleaning. You actually learned something and even had your opinions heard on some of the things that Peter suggested for his team’s upcoming product presentation.

If this is what it's like to be an intern, you couldn't imagine what it would be like working full time.

“How'd it go?” MJ stuck her head in your room. “It was fun. I'm working with Peter,” you explained your day to her.

“Cool,” was the last thing she said before she went to her own room for the night.

:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆:

In the past few months, your internship at Stark’s has been going swimmingly. Everyone's been so nice, and the work is so fascinating. You've gotten closer with Peter and along the way, he felt like he was more than a friend and boss to you.

Currently, everyone was getting ready for their final presentations for the upcoming annual Stark Industries Convention. It was going to be Peter’s first year presenting his own project with his team and you were so excited to be a part of it.

The time you’ve spent with Peter was really fun. He was a good mentor and a great friend. The only thing was that you couldn't help but look at him a little too long, and you’ve found yourself thinking about him during your classes or doing your homework. The shy boy from Midtown High was no more, replaced– no, grown into the Peter you know now. But you pushed all feelings aside to focus on your next thesis paper and mock-up of the handout brochures of Peter’s project.

Sometimes, you didn't even feel like an intern as Peter would ask for any ideas you had to make the project better and even let you help with assembly. He stayed true to his words and you’ve never once had to run for coffee or things like that. There’d be times when you would study some of the little parts under a magnifying glass and he’d come up slightly behind you and explain about some of the bits on the working table.

And every time he did that, your breath would be stuck in your throat and you’d have to remind yourself that this was just Peter helping you out and you’re just learning. But it was normal to want more every now and then… right?

:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆:

The convention was just a few days away and you had trouble finding something to wear. These events were usually black tie events, but did that mean the presenting teams as well? Wouldn't that be uncomfortable?

One of the guys on your team, Richie, sat with you during lunch and talked about how he was probably going to wear the same suit as always. Not because he couldn't afford a new suit, but he was just a simple person and he only wears it once a year for the conventions and that’s all, so it’s still in mint condition.

The girls on your team and some from others were going dress shopping the day before and invited you to join. You were excited mainly because now you don't have to bother MJ for it.

Speaking of MJ, you were going to ask her to come with you. Pepper sent out the electronic invitations to everyone in the company and authorized plus ones to even interns. She’s never been to one – for reasons you were still confused about – but you wanted your best friend to be there for you. And if not MJ, then you bet Ned would still come with you. Wait, what if he’s going with Peter?

On cue, Peter had sat in the chair next to yours in the small break room, “Hey, Y/N.”

“Oh, hey Pete. You excited for Saturday?” Peter quietly stirred his coffee and gave you a small smile, “Uh, yeah. I’m nervous, but I’ve worked really hard on this. And everyone, too. Including you.”

You slightly blushed. I didn't do all that much you thought. You two just sat there taking small sips from the hot, bitter beverage.

“So… I wanted to ask you something,” Peter started.

“Mhm?” The coffee nearly slipped past your lips. You quickly grabbed a napkin to lightly dab some of it off of your lips.

“Well, as you know, we can bring anyone with us to the convention,” he trailed off.

“Yes?” Is he going to…

“And I wanted to know if you were bringing MJ with you.” Oh. You nodded your head and thought you hid your disappointment well but without knowing, Peter actually caught it for a split second. “Good. You can come with me,” he smiled and stood up.

You were in awe; without effort, Peter just asked you to be his date for Saturday.

:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆:

“Dude, how are you not ready yet? He’s gonna be here any minute,” MJ sat at her computer per usual working. Your music was too loud for her taste playing from your shared bathroom. Peter said he would pick you up at 7, and it was currently 6:50.

You had put on and removed your make-up at least five times. Something was always wrong; one of the wings would either be thicker than the other, the blush would be the wrong shade, or the lipliner kept going out of place. But, alas, you finally nailed it.

Your hair was styled half up with elegant curls and braids. In between some braids were little bits of baby’s breath flowers. Most likely, you were going to have a hard time taking those out but they looked cute and it was too late to take them out.

Your dress was right above your knee and flowed comfortably so you wouldn't have a hard time walking. It was a neutral taupe color and had a V-line that ended just above cleavage and hugged the curve of your waist. You paired it with simple black heels and a small, white handbag.

“He’s here,” MJ informed you.

“Okay,” you took a deep breath, “what do you think?” You spun around and held your arms out. “You look really pretty. Now go get ‘em. I’ll watch it on the live stream.” She gave you a lazy thumbs up and resumed her work.

Outside was Peter in an all-black apparel. His dress shirt had only one button undone, and he had a loose blazer that accentuated the dip of his shoulders. He stood against the limo with his hands at his sides. God, he’s gonna be the death of me.

When he caught sight of you, he had a flirtatious smirk on his lips and held out for your hand. “Peter, where’d this limo come from?”

“Mr. Stark set it up for me,” he stated like it was no big deal. Must be nice being his favorite. He held the door for you to climb in and closed the door behind him. “We’re ready, Happy,” he told the driver. Happy rolled his eyes, closed the window and drove off.

The convention was off to a great start; Tony Stark came in with his suit as he always loved to do and started introductions before everyone else scattered around to look at the projects of the many departments in his company. Some groups of certain departments had large stages, some had small stands, like Peter’s.

There were still large crowds coming to see the smaller presentations, and everyone seemed to be fascinated with Peter's. You stood on the side as his team operated the machine and Peter spoke. He looked confident and it was mesmerizing to watch him.

After the night was over, all employee’s and some guests were brought back to headquarters for the after party. You walked around with Peter and had flutters in your heart every time he held the small of your back. The most exciting part of the night was meeting Tony Stark in person. He greeted Peter warmly, and then his eyes landed on you, “Peter, who’s this?”

“Oh, this is Y/N. She’s a friend of mine,” he gestured for you. You shook Tony’s hand and stood starstruck. “The one you don’t shut up about?” Pepper hit his shoulder and laughed nervously.

“Wait, I’ve heard about you. Buddy of mine works at Empire State and he showed me your paper, it was really good.” You were still shocked that he had even read it and here he was talking to you about it. You went back and forth talking about nano-technology.

On the way home, you and Peter talked and laughed about things you told him as you caught him up to what was happening on campus when he couldn't be there. It was a really fun night, and Peter was more noticeably relaxed now that the hard part was over. “Alright, home sweet home,” Happy announced through the window.

“Well, that’s me,” you smiled sadly, not wanting the night to end. You reached to open the door but Peter climbed out from his side. He walked around to open your door and just like he did earlier, held his hand out for you to grab and assist you out the limo. What was different this time was that he kept his hand in yours as he walked you to the door of the apartments. “I had a great time with you tonight,” Peter confessed.

“Me too,” your voice was soft and low for only him to hear. Peter’s eyes switched from looking into yours to your lips before he grabbed your face with both hands and kissed you. The kiss was needy, passionate, but had a certain gentleness to it. Once he felt you kiss him back with the same fervor, he deepened the kiss and brought one hand to pull your waist closer to him.

You pulled apart to regain your breath and looked to admire his swollen lips and he copied the same notion. He leaned in to give you a gentle kiss and pulled away, “Good night, Y/N.”

“Good night, Peter.” Your cheeks were flushed and your face was warm. You watched him as he left and ran inside. Upstairs in your apartment, you found MJ and Ned sitting on the couch with a bag of chips in each of their hands.

“Good night?” Ned asked. You just nodded and walked slowly to your room.

“We saw the whole thing, by the way,” MJ said nonchalantly. You looked back to glare at your best friends, Ned smiling innocently at you and MJ keeping her straight face.

You changed into your pajamas and laid on your bed on your back, looking up at the ceiling. You couldn't wait to go back to work on Monday.

—

requests open!

#peter parker #peter parker imagine #requested #requests open #peter parker au #peter parker x reader #peter parker x you #peter parker x y/n #marvel imagine #avengers imagine #spider man imagine #spider man x reader #spider man x y/n #spider man x you #peter parker fluff #peter parker smut #spider man fluff #spider man smut

404 notes · View notes

twdmusicboxmystery · 2 years

Note

i appreciate the 5 x 10 review. even though i knew nothing about symbolism, dialogue, anything---when that music box played i got goosebumps. and when aaron said, i have good news, i immediately thought of the angels to the shepherds---the only thing missing was the "behold" :)) my question/comment--are we supposed to imply something from daryl working on the music box, fixing it---maybe beth was alive? he "worked on her"? but later she "quit"? not sure, but it has to mean something

Well, obviously we don't know for sure yet, but personally I think it's more of a foreshadow. I wondered for many seasons how to interpret that as well.

But TD has always wondered if Beth will have memory issues due to her injury. More recently, with Madison's imminent return, I've wondered if it might not be something more like brain washing. Either way, I think they'll do something where Beth won't be entirely herself as we knew her before, back in S4/S5. I think various people (like possibly Carol) will try to get through to her, to help her remember who she really is, but will fail.

Daryl will succeed. Daryl will "fix" Beth. I've even wondered if they'll so something where, when we see her again, she doesn't really sing anymore. Hasn't for years. But after she remembers everything, she will. Hence the symbolism of Daryl "fixing" the music box and then it starts singing again.

It would also make their conversation on the porch in Alone an interesting bit of foreshadowing. "You gotta stay who you are..." etc.

Of course this is just conjecture. And a good dash of head canon. But even if I'm wrong about the details, I think it will be something along these lines. When we see it, we'll understand it, and exactly why they did the music box scene the way they did.

I'm also very excited to see Madison's return. I think what they do with her will be a template for what they do with Beth.

Hope that helps! Thanks for the question, Nonny! Xoxo! 🌺💓

#beth greene #beth greene lives #beth is alive #beth is coming #td theory #td theories #team delusional #team defiance #beth is almost here #bethyl

9 notes · View notes

narukoibito · 3 years

Text

Fic Recs: Angst

Sure thing, Anon! Glad you are enjoying my lists! Though a lot of my recs in general are angsty, so many of these will be repeats from other lists, but I decided not to re-rec every angsty story since that would be too much. Everything I’ve rec’ed before is indented in case you are only looking for new stories. Saddle up, this is a long one. Enjoy!

Anything with * is a WIP.

Canon-Compliant

Realising by @floreatcastellumposts

Missed Moment: Harry realizes he loves Ginny. It’s so painful and heartbreaking. Note that I also list a bunch of other favorite MM by Flo in my All-Time Favorites List though not all are angsty.

22 by @floreatcastellumposts

Harry realizes he has outlived his parents.

the train station by @ink-splotch

An absolutely chilling story of Ginny’s near-death experience in the Chamber of Secrets. The writing, like most of dirgewithoutmusic’s work is riveting. This is Ginny-centric rather than Hinny/Harry-centric.

Post-War Canon

gone was any trace of you by @annerbhp

Amnesia, Married: Again, one of my all-time favorites because I can’t not rec this for angst. Harry loses his memories. Counting this as post-war canon since there’s nothing in this that contradicts it being part of canon.

i just really need you here right now by @annerbhp

Harry and Ginny, like all couples, have things they need to work on. That doesn’t mean they give up.

as the morning steals upon the night by @could-have-beens

My favorite canon reuniting after the battle story.

Chambers by starfishstar

After the war, everything isn’t okay, but maybe eventually it can be. A Ginny-centric post-war story.

Ghost of You by blacktag189

An incredibly angsty story of Ginny suffering from mental health issues after the war and how she comes to recover (with a lot of challenges to her and Harry’s relationship along the way). The author does a good job depicting mental health issues and long-distance relationship challenges.

A Life Closed Twice Before Its Close by tosca

Halloween comes around again, and Harry can’t shake a feeling of unease. I loved how tosca depicts an established Harry/Ginny in this story.

will you stay by NaruKoibito (me)

“So? What was the verdict? Any Veelas?” Harry and Ginny after the war.

Next Gen

Between Walls and Harvest Moons by @ellizablue

During Albus’s third year in Cursed Child timeframe. It’s heavily focused on the Al’s disconnect with his parents. Ginny pays him a visit. There are heartbreaking moments of Harry angsting over his relationship with Al, but I have such a soft spot for Ginny & Al stories, and this one hit all of them.

Put Your Curse In Reverse by @ellizablue

The second part of the amazing It’s Tea Time* series. It is not heavily Harry/Ginny focused, but there is a lot of angst, great Hinny marriage moments, an epic moment where Harry encounters a Boggart that ripped my heart out, and much, much more.

Alternate Universe

The Changeling and Armistice Series* by @annerbhp

You all must know by now that this is my all-time favorite story, but if you need an angst rec, this is it, my friends. There’s angst everywhere, really, but in my head we do everything right has some of my favorite angst ever.

Keeping Even the Broken Promises* by Summer Potter

Amnesia, Harry/Other is a part of this story: Four years after Harry wakes up with no memory, he begins a journey to discover what he left behind and the promises he inadvertently broke.

you will bleed to death from the pain of it by lullabyknell

Soulmark: This painful, amazing story inverts the trope in the best way.

take what i took and give it back to you by fairytiger

Soulmark: Harry decides to breakup with his soulmate.

The World I Leave Behind by NES85

What if Voldemort hadn’t killed Harry in the forest but everyone thought he had? He traps Harry in the Chamber of Secrets – but what happens when Harry escapes? Oh Harry being Harry in this and his scenes with Ginny definitely are gut-wrenching.

Unravel Me* by NaruKoibito (me)

FWB: My canon-divergence story where Harry and Ginny never got together in HBP. After a drunken night, these two angsty idiots wind up in a friends-with-benefits relationship full of agonizing mutual pining.

Angst-Without-A-Happy-Ending

Okay. Okay. Sometimes I dabble in the dark arts. Sometimes I read stories of such pure, unadulterated angst, just to cry my heart out.

Warning: There are several stories below that contain a major character death. I oscillated between marking them or not, but some of them it’s better that you’re not spoiled. So...you’ve been warned that at least these stories below do not clearly end with Harry and Ginny together. Nothing but PAIN ahead!

Without Love by @captainyellowsturm

Every time I read this, I cry. Every time. It’s such sweet, torturous angst. (No, seriously, I really go to reread this when I want to cry.)

Perpendicular by akissincrisis

AU Harry never goes to Hogwarts. This story. THIS story. Ugh, it packs such a punch. Harry never attends Hogwarts, but meets Ginny through a Muggle party. It’s beautiful, so full of hope and possibilities, the what-ifs, the why, whyyyyyyy... I forever wonder why at the ending. But I love this story (even if I imagine a happy ending).

When the Timer Pings by Alchemilla

I read this story 10+ years ago and it still gets me every time. Ginny is about to get married and runs into her ex-boyfriend, Harry. She’s hoping for closure, but is that what she finds?

Lacking by pinkdigi

If Ginny didn’t wait for Harry. Ugh, so painful. I love the author’s style, the hardness of their Harry and Ginny. My heart breaks and breaks, yet I keep coming back.

Couldn’t Keep Him There by Mad Maudlin

Ginny finds Harry after the war. The mood and tone of this really gets to me. This one moment where she puts a wrapper in his hand kills me every time.

Wednesday Dates by fizzmonkeys

I’m not sure whether this is just angst or angst without a happy ending, so to be safe, I’m putting it here. I loved this story so much that I printed and saved it from 10+ years ago.

–––

Want more recommendations? Send me an ask or check out my:

All-time Favorite recs

Muggle AU / Coffeeshop AU recs

Post-War Canon recs

Missed Moments recs

Pregnancy recs

Outsider Perspective recs

Amnesia recs

In Every Universe recs

#fanfiction rec list #angst #all the angst #angst without a happy ending #hinny #Harry/Ginny #Harry Potter #Ginny Weasley #god i really do love those fics without the happy ending though #they're really good!#at breaking your heart #i added a few of my angsty stories if you're interested

207 notes · View notes

shadowofthelamp · 2 years

Text

Covering Up

Summary: There are a few minutes between when Starline is knocked out and when he wakes up. Spoilers for Imposter Syndrome Issue 3.

Wordcount: 925

Rating: G/T, Surge has some violent thoughts but not much further than canon.

Ao3 link

Starline’s head rested underneath her foot. It would be so easy to grind down. A skull was a skull was a skull, whether it had a motobug or a platypus underneath it. He’d made her good at crushing skulls. (Had there been a test session a day? The tapes had gone up over 600. Even if it were multiple a day, like recently, it was probably still over a year considering it had seemingly been some time before they got to that point. Everything past the last few months was fuzzy, but she’d never thought about it before, too focused on the future, on getting to finally kick Sonic’s ass. Check that, she had and didn’t remember thinking about it. Memories locked away, bubbling and boiling and corrupting away in a swiss-cheese brain.)

Kit chewed on his lip as she tapped her foot a few times before dropping it off. Splattered brains weren’t going to help finish off the plan, at least not until they were called for.

“I’ll… I’ll go get his clothes,” Kit muttered, and she tilted her head before it clicked.

“Got it. Good call, squirt.” She ruffled his hair, and he gave a weak smile before activating his tendrils to hurry away- who knew how long it would be before the doc woke back up again.

In the meantime, she flipped him over and untied the belt from around his waist, peeling it open to expose creamy white fur. It was… odd. Not the bare chest itself, half of Mobius walked around without shirts, but seeing it on Starline in particular… She traced her fingers over it, feeling faint scars hidden underneath the silky smooth softness. He took good care of himself and maintained his appearance, but he’d always played on the edge of fire, and must have gotten burnt before. Maybe she’d even left some of them, before he could lock her back in her own head.

Surge had never seen him as unhinged as he was on those first tapes. Saliva sprayed from his beak, his hair was ruffled and split on the ends, and his words screamed out, spilling all over each other in frantic, emotional mess. The cut to him pacing in front of their tubes had been like night and day. All that emotion had been in reaction to Eggman tossing him out on his butt.

If he hadn’t, she wouldn’t be here. This was all his fault as much as it was Doc’s. Her fingers curled.

Kit returned with the shirt, and she tugged the bathrobe off, crumpling it up and tossing it over to Kit as he traded for the silk. She had to tug Starline up into her lap in order to pull his arms into the sleeves. He was nothing but a bundle of meat that breathed like this, oblivious to the world around him. He really couldn’t take what he dished out so easily.

Surge’s fingers lingered for a moment on the button, the metal of her ring scraping against it before she tugged it through the fabric, completing the illusion of collected control. Put together by her hand, instead of the other way around. (Her hands were shaking.)

She’d been in a an oversized shirt that looked like a hospital gown in the early footage, a malleable, identity-less thing. A weak thing. A thing he’d stripped down and rebuilt, given wonderful powers at the price of whoever she’d used to be. Kit fussed with the belt in Starline’s robe, as if it could give him answers its owner didn’t seem keen on sharing. He didn’t say anything, but she could hear his breathing, eyes darting between her and the bundle of fabric in his hands. His pack whirred, and one of his tendrils massaged at his left arm. A nervous tic, maybe.

“Go put it away, we need to convince him everything’s normal when he wakes up. He did it to us a billion times, it can’t be that hard to do it back, right? We’ve-" She swallowed. "We’ve got this.”

Kit paused before he nodded, little hands curling into fists against the silky robe before he scurried off. Surge traced her fingers over Doc’s hair, tugging it back just hard enough that he’d feel a faint echo, but not enough to do anything beyond dismissing it. (Perhaps there had been someone smart in her, at some point.) His throat was bared, slim and soft and vulnerable and it would be so so easy to just short him out or crush the windpipe or snap off a quill and slit it, but…

But.

Four were better than one. She could wait, even as her teeth ground against each other, electricity sparking and frizzing his hair. Her fingers loosened, and his head lolled back again as she lifted him up, body dangling limply as she walked back over to his chair. Depositing him down, she clicked her tongue. “Ugh, missing something, missing- ah!” A zip back to where he’d dropped and she deposited his glasses on his bill, tongue sticking out a bit as she adjusted them before sliding the glove off her hand and back onto his.

(How often had he done this for her before, trying to reset the scene?)

She spat in her palm, smoothing spit over his hair to dismiss the frizziness before hopping up on the railing as Kit came back in. He dropped down to the floor in front of Doc just as the man started mumbling something and stirring in the chair.

Showtime.

#surge the tenrec #starline the platypus #doctor starline #kit the fennec #idw sonic #idw #shadow writes stuff #sonic blogging

18 notes · View notes

mittensmorgul · 3 years

Note

So for the most part, I outright reject the finale. But I do think, in light of the whole "Jimmy was supposed to be in the bar, and Dean was disappointed by that because his perfect heaven would have Cas in it" just makes me all the more convinced that the final episode was some kind of djinn dream. Like.... There's no other explanation in my opinion. If Dean's perfect heaven was supposed to have Cas, and he tragically gets faked out by Jimmy (????? Why tf would jimmy be there anyway), it just proves that it's not ACTUALLY heaven. That, along with he El Sol beer he's drinking is all the evidence I need. I think after 15x19, Dean and Sam got whammied by some monster, and are stuck in a hallucination, and that's what we're seeing. (My headcanon is that it's actually The Empty doing it, because it knows if it doesn't keep Dean and Sam occupied and spinning in circles, they'll invade the Empty to save Cas. So its trying to prevent that) :)

Hello, anon friendo! I am gonna start by offering the socially distanced version of a high five, because yeah... There is just so much to unpack here, and you provided such a succinct and all-encompassing series of statements to start from. Thank you!

*flings open array of questionable suitcases*

First off, Congrats on having rejected the finale. I know a lot of folks are still struggling with that one, for many reasons. But you have hit upon so many of the points I’ve been trying to make about the finale since it aired. I’d just like to start with some of the assumptions I’ve heard from folks about the finale that make it impossible for me to consider it fully honestly canon. Because so much about it just makes no goshdang sense... like... not at all...

One of the biggest issues I have surrounding the reception of the finale in parts of fandom is that it portrayed a “happy ending.” The show itself spent the entire final season telling us that a gravestone marked Winchester was not and never would be a happy ending (thank you Becky Rosen-- words I never thought I’d say, but honestly and most sincerely meant). Let’s break this down a bit.

Starting from the assumption that “heaven was fixed” so that characters could have true free will there, making it satisfying in any way that Dean died so young and never got to truly experience happiness during life, I would like anyone who has adopted this attitude to then explain Kansas the band. I mean... explain that in any satisfactory canon-compliant way. (hint: you can’t. it makes zero sense in canon, if heaven is truly reformed and “happy” with everyone in possession of free will.)

Which brings me to Misha’s comments about Jimmy being in the Roadhouse. Why, if heaven were truly fixed, would Jimmy ever in a bazillion years attend a party for Dean Winchester? If Heaven were truly a “happy” ending for Dean, why introduce this element of eternal tragedy and heartbreak to his heaven experience? Why taunt him with the eternal loss of Cas-- even if you don’t think he reciprocated Cas’s romantic feelings, he was canonically the best friend Dean ever had, and being forced to exist forever in a place where he had everyone else he ever cared for except for Cas? Is frankly horrific.

How the actual fuck is that a happy ending, in any sense of the word?

How is this the sort of heaven that Dean would’ve made for himself before it was “fixed?” At least in the memorex heaven, he could’ve lived in oblivious peace with Cas, even if it was always just his own memories and not ~actually Cas~. I honestly think that would’ve been happier than the abject tragedy of what we did get, and what we would’ve gotten had the original script played out.

All of this kind of makes me wonder if they ever even actually defeated Chuck. Like... it feels more like Dean got pulled into the Empty at that moment with Cas and Billie, and everything else after that point was the Empty’s endless experience of sorrow and despair we knew it subject its charges to. So that’s one potential for what could’ve actually happened. I mean, everything about the finale was sorrow and despair, you know? Dean didn’t even get to enjoy his pie at a pie festival because Sam smashed in in his face. How is any of it happy, in any way?

Because if that was actually heaven, there wasn’t actually any free will (because why tf would Kansas the band have chosen to put on that concert? why tf would Jimmy have been there, just to torment Dean with the taunt of Cas returning to him only to have that hope snatched away again? It’s cruel. It’s, in fact, a source of intense despair).

The djinn theory could also work, and I’ve read some excellent fix-it fic using that as a premise. But that doesn’t really explain what happened to Jack (and Amara, since she was in there with them) after hoovering up Chuck’s power, you know? I think the simplest explanations in canon are that Chuck actually won via the unified power of Light and Dark being transferred into Jack and effectively using him as a vessel. With Sam and Dean convinced they’d won, they effectively stopped resisting Chuck’s story for them, and using Jack’s understanding of humanity and the Winchesters specifically, Chuck finally was able to implement a version of his story that the Winchesters would just waltz into without thinking it was supernaturally influenced at all. Going bigger and bigger with monsters and cosmic troubles hadn’t worked, but going so small Sam and Dean would barely even notice the influence-- even with the incongruous reappearance of a vampire that appeared in their lives once, for like two whole minutes 15 years ago, and an unsolved case from the journal from more than 30 years ago that John had never even linked to vampires at all.

At this point, I need to mention that I’m watching 10.23 as I type this up. An episode in which we confront the Mark, along with Death, and Dean’s despair, where he learns a version of the truth (but by no means the full truth, or even accurate truth in some respects) about Chuck’s Story, Amara/The Darkness, etc. That would unfold more fully over the next five seasons. And what was the case Dean took in this episode? Vampires. LOLOL omg this show is nothing if not horrifically consistent, yes?

So because of this, I went haring off through my own blog looking for a post I made a long time ago about the symbolism of how various monsters are used on this show (because again, consistency). I got sidetracked by other posts in my monsters tag, including this from after 15.09 aired, which feels particularly awfully relevant. This was my reaction to Chuck’s Story he showed Sam in that episode, about what the future would look like should he successfully trap Chuck with a Mark, and which... yeah is basically exactly thematically consistent with what we saw in the finale, right down to a cheesy twist on vampires. Read the whole post right here, but this is the part that reached up and punched me in the face:

this is how Dean personally reacts when he loses Cas. We know how he reacts when he loses anyone else– think about what he did when Charlie died. He went on a murder rampage against the Stynes for killing her. When Mary died he broke some furniture and went full bore toward both resurrecting her and stopping Jack. But without Cas, Dean loses the will to fight. Sam has… always been different. He referenced Jess in 15.04 to remind us of how he was after she died in the pilot episode. Just like John, he picked up the revenge mission and ran with it. But for Dean, Cas is different. Without Cas… Dean gives up.

Because... Dean gave up. Sure, he and Sam weren’t overrun by vampires in the end. Chuck knew they’d never stop fighting the monsters, one way or another. The only way to get Dean to give up is something Chuck hadn’t quite figured out yet... maybe not until after 15.17, after confronting Cas in the hallway of the bunker, after absorbing Amara’s power, knowledge, and perspective on Dean.

Chuck needed Dean to give up, and honestly? Pushing Billie to clear him off the table and send him (and Cas, that pesky angel who never did what he was told) to the Empty would’ve been a direct way to deal with that... pretty much akin to having one sibling locked in a cage forever, yes?

Also, still looking through my monsters tag, I’m reminded of 14.15, and still cannot differentiate the version of Heaven in 15.20 from what was done to the people of that town. This... is not... paradise. This is actively what Dean has been insisting is the OPPOSITE of paradise since like… 4.22… No ending where Dean was a “Stepford bitch in paradise” ever had the possibility of being “happy,” at the core of things, and this “fixed” version of Heaven just doesn’t hold up to any degree of inspection. Something is seriously wrong here. https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/183465650390/so-can-we-talk-about-this-monster-of-the-week-for

And since I was unable to find the post I wrote who knows how long ago about Monsters and how they’re symbolically used on Supernatural to represent larger themes in the episode, I’ll just attempt to sum up what Vampires have been used for. Revenge. Vampires are always, in some way connected to themes of revenge.

(and hooray, I found at least a post adjacent to the one I’ve spent the last four hours trying to find... https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/187207052080/i-obviously-did-not-think-this-through, where I mention that shapeshifters are about revealing hidden truths (mostly about Dean since most shapeshifters are connected to Dean), zombies are about grief and the inability to move past it.)

So why... why at the end of their road is the monster that comes after them-- literally FOR REVENGE for something that had never been blamed on Sam or Dean to begin with, from season 1, directly connected to John’s revenge mission and the first time they learned about the Colt AND the first time they learned in canon that Vampires were even real... like... this feels very specifically like some kind of layers-of-meta levels of shade on them, you know? Vampires are for revenge, so what vengeance exactly is being visited upon Sam and Dean in this episode? If not Chuck’s entire story for them itself?

So yeah, 100% agree, something is incredibly rotten in the finale. And I am sick to effing death of people trying to convince us that anything about this was “good” or “happy” or “satisfying” in any way. Or even “how it was always supposed to end” with Dean dead bloody, as if the entire back half of the series hadn’t been suggesting that a true win was the subversion of all of Chuck’s story for them, and Dean finally being able to have his chosen family all alive, happy, and chilling on a beach somewhere watching the sunset. Nothing will ever convince me that the ending portrayed in 15.20 wasn’t exactly how Chuck thought he “won,” rendering it entirely irrelevant to the rest of canon, unless all of canon was ultimately the tragedy we’d been encouraged to believe would be firmly defeated in the end.

Folks, you can’t have it both ways.

#spn 15.20 #chuck's process #if this was the 'happy' ending for dean they sure did fail big time to make it actually happy!#it makes me feel sick thinking that dean's happy heaven ending was more like an eternal pit of torment #like actively tormenting him and taunting him with the fact that cas was truly gone forever #like wow they went all the fuck out to make it clear that even in heaven #dean would never be allowed to respond to cas's declaration of love #like... it's the most hurtful and hateful thing the show could possibly have done to us #and it still fucks me up knowing there's people who think this heaven was a 'good' ending for dean #like... fuck that entirely and with extreme prejudice #i feel like i have not been emphatic enough about my absolute hatred for this episode in these tags #but sadly there are limitations to expressing the actual feelings i'm feeling in the english language #sometimes the only effective word for these feelings involves velociraptor screeching #Anonymous

123 notes · View notes

chocoholicannanymous · 3 years

Text

Gonna Come True (Glee)

AN: This is a follow-up to There's a Miracle Due which was written for the Glee Twistfest, “What if Mercedes & Kurt got Maria & Tony?” back in 2014 (yikes). I had the storyline for this already back then (hello, all of three lines in a document), it's just taken me until now to actually write it.

For @krummavisur who wanted it.

Thanks to @elledelajoie for looking it over .

The title is taken from “Something Coming”, West Side Story.

Oh, and I am not trying to follow any kind of canon time-line. Just, go with it.

Gonna Come True

Kurt throws himself into preparing for West Side Story with an energy that makes Mercedes envious. She understands though – he doesn't feel like he got the role honestly, which is bullshit, but. He still thinks he needs to prove himself. In her eyes he did so during his audition, and it's everyone else who needs to prove themselves to him, but he doesn't see it that way. Years of Lima bullshit stops him from seeing it.

He doesn't drop out of the race for senior class president though, not even when he's complaining about balancing that with Tony and school and Blaine. She asks him why and gets an answer she should have expected.

“At first this was about getting at least something on my resume. But that's not it any longer. I'm running as a reminder that bullying is a problem at this school, and that something needs to be done. If I win – and I don't expect to, not here – then I have a shot at making the administration do something. If I lose I still raise awareness. Every time I speak about my agenda I force the people listening to remember that bullying is an issue, that bullying kills, and that it is not okay.

“That's worth losing a little sleep.”

Mercedes's heart swells at hearing her boo speak so passionately about it, and it breaks as she hears an angry Santana tell Brittany that she should run against Kurt.

Kurt who is currently pulling down unicorn posters around the school while pushing back tears.

She waits until Brittany walks away before cornering Santana.

“We need to talk. What you just told Brit? That's a shit thing to do.”

Santana starts to argue, all fire, and under other circumstances Mercedes would admire her willingness to go to bat for her girl, but not now.

“No. Don't you dare. Do you know why Kurt is so upset over those posters? It's because to him they represent everything that he's been bullied over. And that? Has a lot to do with you. You have been sitting in the choir room for two years, mocking him for what he likes and for who he is.

“So here we are. Him running on an anti-bullying platform, and your girlfriend plastering the school with posters reminding him of exactly that bullying. Do I really need to explain to you why it is that when Kurt looks at those posters he doesn't see Brit's intentions, her meaning – he sees your bullying.”

Mercedes sees her words are hitting home, even if Santana is putting up a good front.

“Oh, and Santana? When you mock Kurt for being gay it makes you a hypocrite. But when you mock him for being 'girly'? It's even worse. Because when you say that there's something wrong with being like a girl, you're implying that there's something wrong with being a girl. And I'm not okay with that.

“Now, you are going to go back to Brit and tell her exactly what happened here, and you're going to make sure that she forgets all about running against him. He's had enough of his so-called friends doing that, I'd think.

“I'm not saying this – any of this – to be mean. I'm trying to be a good friend, to Kurt and to you. But make no mistake. You ruin this for Kurt? I'll ruin you.”

Mercedes might not be popular like a cheerleader, but she's got friends and she's got contacts outside of school. Her threat's not an empty one, and Santana knows it.

Her phone's ringing. There's something hitting her window, and her phone's ringing. At half past eleven on a school night.

Whoever it is, Mercedes is going to cut them.

Except it's Kurt, and he's not looking right.

As she lets him in through the back-door Mercedes notices the wrinkled clothes and the mussed hair that doesn't fit with a night of dancing. More making out, but Kurt doesn't have that well-kissed look. Plus, he's pale and shaky.

Something's wrong.

It takes her a long time to coax the story out of him, about Blaine trying to rape him. Except when she says that Kurt denies it, vehemently.

“Are you serious right now? Are you defending him? No! Okay? No. Hell no even.

“Look, if I showed up at your place and told you Shane had pulled me into the backseat of a car, had tried to get my clothes off and wouldn't stop touching me even though I said no, what would you tell me? Would you tell me it was okay because we're dating? That he's allowed to do that because I'm in love with him and he treats me good the rest of the time? Would you tell me to suck it up and forgive him?

“Would you explain away that and tell me that if he won't respect my 'no' the solution is to say 'yes' instead?”

Kurt's even paler now, his eyes blown and unfocused. He doesn't say anything though. Instead he just whimpers and rushes out to the bathroom.

When he comes back he's regained some color. He still looks like shit though. Mercedes pulls out some comfortable clothes that were bought for her brother, but got conscripted as backup for unplanned Kurt-visits, and leaves him to change while she gets them some chamomile tea.

Later, as the lights are out and they're curled up together, trying to get what rest they can Kurt whispers: “I'm going to have to break up with him, aren't I?”

She holds him as he cries himself to sleep.

The next day Kurt pretends like nothing's happened. He doesn't want to rock the boat before the West Side Story premiere, he says, or deal with the bitchfit Rachel would throw. “I'll do it after the final performance on Sunday” he promises, and Mercedes doesn't have it in her to push him. Not with the memory of his tears so fresh.

Dress rehearsal that night goes well, right up to the point where Artie comes to talk to them after. They need more fire, more passion, he claims and then proceeds to tell them that they should hurry up and have sex before their first show so they can portray lovers more believably. Oh, he doesn't put it quite like that, but it's pretty obvious that's what he means.

Mercedes is stunned at first, and then furious. She's surprised that Kurt's not ripping into him, with everything, and oh. Hell no.

“Are you telling me to have sex to improve the show you're directing? Really? How about you get some classes or something, to improve your part? You know, instead of sexually harassing me.”

Artie sputters out what's probably meant as a denial, but she just talks right over him.

“If you as much as breathe about this again, to anyone, I will report you. And then my mama will go have a talk with your parents about how they've failed at raising you to be a decent human being.

“Do you get me?”

He nods quickly, mumbles something and makes a hasty retreat. Just as he goes out the door Kurt's voice rings out, cold.

“And to think I remember a boy who grieved that his first time wasn't romantic enough. I wonder what he would think of you now.”

Artie doesn't say anything, or slow down, but he slumps a little in his chair as the barb hits home. Mercedes shifts her attention to Kurt and sees pale skin, rigid posture and shaky hands. He's thinking the same thing she is.

“Boo...”

“No, 'Cedes, please. Let's not speculate about whether or not he had that speech with the others first. I can't, not now.”

So she lets it go. For now.

Mercedes is on stage for the opening show Friday night along with Kurt. Not in the spotlight, sure, but still there. She can't help but compare Rachel and Blaine's performance with what she and Kurt can do, and they come up short. Tomorrow night, she thinks. Tomorrow night we're going to show them how it's really done.

She says as much to Kurt as they leave together and he laughs, the first sign of happiness she's heard from him in two days. The laughter dies out soon as he spots a bunch of well-dressed boys waiting outside. She recognizes a few from Kurt's time at Dalton, but not all of them. She'd think it nice of them to come see their friends perform, except judging from Kurt's reaction they're not an entirely welcome sight.

He still greets them politely, smiling that small “company smile” she doesn't like while asking if they remember Mercedes.

“And this,” he says with strained, icy politeness, “is Sebastian Smythe, this year's new transfer to Dalton.”

This then is the reason they're not welcome. Still, she follows Kurt's example and pulls out church manners.

Apparently the boys have been given tickets by Blaine, the tall new boy explains, before trying to needle Kurt.

“So, Officer Krupke? How did that feel, such a...manly role?”

Ouch.

“Oh, you know, it's not about the role, it's what you put into it. And it makes for an interesting contrast to tomorrow and playing Tony. ”

Everyone quiets at that and the mood gets slightly uncomfortable. Trent is about to break the silence, but Sebastian talks right over him.

“Right. Well, we'll have to withhold judgment until after of course, but I'd say you'll have a hard time measuring up to Blaine. And you,” he turns to Mercedes, “are you also playing another role tomorrow? This one's Maria perhaps?”

She nods without explaining, and then listens as the boys stumble over excuses about not knowing exactly who'll be there tomorrow, but “We're sure you'll do great, Kurt!”

Once they're out of sight Kurt sags a little.

“He didn't tell them. He went to Dalton to tell them about the show, and give them tickets, and he didn't tell them I was in it. Didn't tell them I was also playing Tony. They tried to cover it up, but... They were my friends too, and he didn't tell them.”

She loops an arm around his waist and snuggles close.

He deserves so much better.

There's a group of Dalton boys there next evening again, making Kurt smile and Blaine startle. Some are from the evening before, including the sharp Sebastian, some are new. They all applaud enthusiastically, and wait so they can congratulate Kurt on his performance. Mercedes pays extra attention to Sebastian, for some reason, but all he says is “not bad”. It sounds genuine though, and so is Kurt's smile as he nods and thanks the other boy.

Mercedes knows they did better than “not bad”. They were awesome together. She doesn't need to hear it from this reluctant boy though. She's got a better source.

They skip the cast party. Kurt's not eager to be with Blaine, especially since there might be alcohol involved, and Mercedes prefers celebrating with her boyfriend who has been a rock. There's a small sting as Kurt walks away alone, but it slips away as she accepts Shane's flowers and kiss and walks out on his arm.

The next morning Mercedes shows up at the Hummel-Hudson house almost uncomfortably early. She drags a still sleep-tussled Kurt to the dining table and spreads out the Gazette in front of him. It's already open to the right page and she sees exactly when Kurt realizes what she's got.

“You read that, I'll fix breakfast.”

She's brought coffee from home along with juice and fresh croissants from the bakery a block away and a small carton of strawberries. It's a luxury, but it's a well-deserved one. It's the work of no time to put it all out along with cups and plates, and as she does that she hears Kurt's voice rise, reading select paragraphs out loud.

“Rachel Berry's 'Maria' is technically perfect, with the singer hitting every note. Sadly that excellence does not extend to the rest of her performance. Ms Berry fails to provide personality and emotion, and simply put she lacks the ability to bring Maria to life.”

He stops, shakes his head and looks at her.

“Ehm, ouch?”

Yes.

“Blaine Anderson as Tony does not help. Where a better singer and actor could shore up his counterpart Anderson falls flat. 'Flat' is in fact the word that comes to mind most often when seeing and listening to him performing. Anderson fails to hit the notes in several of the songs, and often resorts to what must be described as screaming instead of singing. He lacks the range needed to play Tony, and obviously also the training needed to make up for his shortcomings.

“On the acting side it's equally flat. Anderson's body language and facial expressions are mostly too subtle – or possibly non-existent – to come across from the stage, making it like watching a cardboard cut-out most of the time. On the other hand, when he does come across it's much too exaggerated, making his Tony look like a caricature. (I find myself looking at the playbill to see if this is meant to be a comedic take on this epic show. It's not.)

“Holy shit, 'Cedes!”

Yessssss.

“Finally, the dancing. Here, Anderson does better – most of the time. He clearly favors certain parts of the choreography, and there he does very well. In other parts it is obvious that Anderson lacks either the desire or the ability to perform according to choreography. This shows, as other cast members – including Ms Berry's Maria – often have to adjust their own moves to accommodate Anderson, either because he takes up too much space or because he simply isn't where he is supposed to be.

“Towards the end of the show Anderson also shows a surprising lack of stamina, and almost literally falls flat as he stumbles through some of the steps.

“The rest of the cast...”

Kurt's voice peters off, and he looks at her, stunned. Mercedes only smiles, satisfied.

“You should read on. Really.”

Kurt looks at her with skepticism, but does as she says. She knows exactly when he hits the part she wanted him to see, because he looks up at her, wide-eyed and slightly stunned.

“After this the pair playing Maria and Tony during Saturday's performance – as well as today's matinée – is a pleasant surprise. Mercedes Jones and Kurt Hummel bring our lovers to life in a way that looks more like a professional setup than a high school play. Not only are they both talented singers, but they also manage to communicate the story to the audience and play off each other in a way that lifts the entire show.

“It is noticeable, having seen both sets of performers that like Anderson Jones has some difficulty with the choreography. However the adjustments made to cater to her limitations in no way come off as a lesser version of what Berry performs, and does in fact make her look better than Anderson's attempt at a more complex choreography. Meanwhile Hummel needs no such adjustments and manages to pair vocals with dancing in a truly impressive manner.

“Hummel's vocals could take up an article of its own, and so this reporter will just note that it comes as no surprise that Hummel is pursuing schooling and later a career in performing arts. We are looking forward to seeing him on stage on many more occasions.”

Kurt drops the paper and blinks like an owl.

“Am I dreaming? Did an actual reporter not only attend a West Side Story performance at McKinley to write about it in the Gazette, but they actually went twice?”

“Yeah boo.”

“And they actually wrote that we did better than Rachel and Blaine?”

“Yeah, they did. And they were right, you know. You did so much better than Blaine that he should be embarrassed.”

Kurt blushes a little, then pulls a grimace.

“What?”

“I was just thinking... I've been wondering if breaking up with Blaine over what happened was an overreaction, because...” He meets her eye, and looks away. “Anyway, I'm reading this and instead of being happy for me – for us – I can't help but think that Blaine's going to go ballistic. And that waiting for the show to be over probably wasn't that great of an idea. He's going to expect me to listen to him whine about this.”

Mercedes isn't surprised to hear that Kurt's been considering forgiving his boyfriend. A bit disappointed, sure, but not surprised. He always was more loyal than people deserved. She is surprised that he's being that clear-sighted about Blaine though. That's good. That means he's probably going to follow through.

As if cued Kurt's phone starts buzzing and they both look at the screen. Blaine. Mercedes makes an unhappy face. Kurt... Kurt looks upset and rejects the call before turning the sound off.

“Boo?”

“I am not going to ruin my afterglow by listening to him complain about how no one appreciates him. Not when I'm already going to break up with him. Just, no.

“Instead I'm going to enjoy this lovely breakfast with my gorgeous leading lady, and then I'm going to read that article again and gloat. Oh, and then I'm going out to get myself a couple of extra copies as proof that even in Lima people can see our talent.

“I don't know how you did it, but you, my dear, pulled off a miracle.”

And she has, hasn't she? Not by making someone see and recognize Kurt's talent, though, but by making him smile, wide and open.

That's her miracle, right there.

~ The End ~

#chocoholic fics #mercedes jones #kurt hummel #not for the klaint of heart #not rachel or blaine friendly #i guess

35 notes · View notes

rein-ette · 3 years

Note

Are you still working on your Commonwealth study? Do you have any thoughts on Arthur's relationships with his colonies apart from Canzuk + US?

Not properly, unfortunately with exams and then work I haven’t had mental/emotional capacity to do real research (and probably won’t for a while 😔). But I have continued to think about and develop certain relationships, and I think I also have old hcs I’ve never shared, so I’ll put those down!

Born into the Empire

Australia

@oumaheroes has already done such great hcs on him idk what I can add, but basically he was a little bit of a rowdy child, always breaking windows and shattering fancy pots, never able to sit still. I think rainbow once mentioned that Ken (short for Kenneth, my name for Aus) was a lot like England as a child in his curiosity and energy, and I wholeheartedly agree. But I think Arthur’s intensity was more inwardly directed, pushing him to pursue and master new talents and learn whatever he could, while Australia is a little more carefree in his love for the outdoors, exploring, jumping around and off things, little wild animals. Unfortunately for him, he was born in a period of the empire when Arthur was very serious about his kids education, and therefore often praised those who studied hard and learned fast, which really just wasn’t Australia’s cup of tea. Australia took this kinda hard and thought he was the “dumb” one in the family that Arthur was always scolding, but in reality Arthur knew and appreciated that Australias interests lay elsewhere — he was just a frustrated, tired, parent who really wanted to give his kids the best while also holding his empire together, two goals that were never going to fit well in the end and would completely exhaust him.

As Australia’s grown older he’s realized a bit of this (not entirely, though) and also that 1) he really did break a lot expensive things and cause general mayhem 2) scolding us Arthur’s way of showing he cares, if he didn’t he wouldn’t have payed attention to him at all 3) despite being a penal colony, he was still one of Arthur’s more “legitimate” children (being white and a boy) and was therefore still incredibly privileged — never having to question, for example, why it was that Arthur was his dad, if it should be this way, or if he had a seat at the family table at all (more on this later).

New Zealand

Zee, from birth, was a clear favourite. Obedient, calm, quietly intelligent, he would also later develop a blistering sense of humour which combined with his appearance made it overwhelmingly clear who’s child he was. If Ken questioned his place in the family because of his poor academic record and others did because of their appearance/race/other complications, Kaelan never had such problems; his siblings called him the “prince.” Zee, however, also had a charm that, like Matthew, endeared him to his siblings and mostly protected him from jealousy, though he certainly still had issues with being called a try hard, daddy’s boy, bossy, arrogant. Certainly as a child Zee was a little prideful and, under that unperturbed demeanour, willful, but he grew out of it by the 20th century and became one of those most trusted by Arthur, second only to Matthew. He’s also always been inseparable from his brother Australia despite their differences, and today they both have one of the healthiest and most amicable relationships with Arthur of any nation, let alone former colonies (family road trips, every summer).

Bermuda

I absolute fell in love with this girl after reading about here, once, in this fic by @shachaai, and after that my mind just ran away with me. For me, her human name given to her by Arthur just has to be Ariel — for the little mermaid reference, yes, symbolizing her connection to the sea and stunning good looks, but also because:

1. Ariel is a biblical name, meaning lion of God. This makes sense to me, because Bermuda began as a Portuguese trade post, so Arthur definitely consulted our resident bad catholic Port before naming her.

2. Ariel used to be boys name. This also makes sense, because I hc Bermuda was and still is a tomboy. Bitch is fierce, takes no prisoners, and has zero filter. Her letters to Arthur, which all the colonies sent so Arthur could keep an eye on things, were full of shit like “I swear to god if the Spanish don’t get out of my waters I might eat one of them,” and “father, I asked you for destroyers two months ago, and yet you sent them to Hong Kong — could you explain this most unusual occurrence, surely it’s not that you forgot”, and “thank you for the harpoon on my birthday, I caught a small shark a couple days ago and have sent you some of its teeth for your collection.” Arthur tolerates this attitude because he’s weak when it comes to girls; he absolutely spoils his daughters (and flushes like a 16 year old when a woman so much as bats her eyelashes at him). Yes, p*ssywhipped Arthur is a hill I will die on.

3. It also suits her because? Ariel? Shakespeare? The Tempest? Bermuda Triangle? Shipwrecks? Daughter-like figure of powerful and vengeful sorcerer? Yeah. And this girl is a fire spirit — she is so lively, snarky, clever. As she’s grown older she’s mellowed out a little, but still: a no shit taken, no fucks given type of gal.

4. Speaking of growing up, she’s also become quite the beauty. Shacha, if I’m remembering correctly, described her as dark skinned, wavy-haired, and green eyed and that image has been burned onto the back of my eyelids ever since. Those Iberian genetics really be pulling through for her, that’s for sure. Engport love child if I’ve ever seen one. Definitely one of the prettiest in her family.

Singapore

I’ve already mentioned this to needcake, but I’m not too big a fan of canon Singapore, so this is my oc version. Singapore is fascinating to me because it had only a very small local population before it became a colony (The original settlement had actually been destroyed by the Portuguese about two centuries before the British started building a port there.) So nation-tans like Singapore and Bermuda really are Arthur’s children in the most direct sense of the word. And yet, Singapore is mostly ethnically Chinese, with Malays being the second largest group. Growing up Asian in a white, Victorian era family surely cannot have been easy and more than once Singapore probably wondered if there hadn’t been some mistake. To make up for the constant fear that he wasn’t “really” British, Singapore studied ferociously and had a truly terrifying work ethic. I’m not sure if this is common knowledge outside Asian circles, so I’ll mention that this hc comes from the fact Singapore is well known for having truly exceptional students and some of the most prestigious schools. Singaporeans score highly in literally everything and they have an advantage with good English learning environments, a highly desirable trait in Asia, but these results come from brutally long hours — and its really saying something that they’re known for working hard, considering the studying ethic of students in Korea, Japan, and China aint nothing to sneeze at, either. To me this actually fits really well with Singapore’s upbringing in Arthur’s household, because Arthur himself prizes intelligence and hard work above all else, being a workaholic himself.

As for their relationship, it was probably the best when Singapore was young and peaked in the 1930s with the massive naval base the British built at Singapore, at the time the largest dry dock in the world. Singapore was a well-behaved child, not necessarily introverted but not rowdy either, and all the way into his teenage years he truly admired Arthur and was proud to be a part of the British Empire, despite his lingering unease and insecurities. The British defeat in World War II, however, was a massive turning point. He had worked his ass off to be a good son, a good brother, to contribute to the only family and system he had ever known, and he had thought by the 30s he was finally on his way to becoming a fine adult. And suddenly, the British surrender brings his entire world crashing down. He had followed the rules faithfully thinking it was his destiny, but suddenly it was clear that all rules were made up. Of course, his insecurities exploded. If the empire was a ruse, what the hell was he? A part of the illusion? He couldn’t have a truly Asian identity, because many of the old East Asian nations shunned him for his Western upbringing, and he could not entirely understand their values either. So he was a kid who kinda had to figure out late and very very suddenly who the fuck he was and wanted to be.

And, well, he’s done pretty well for himself, hasn’t he. After having a total crisis and questioning everything, I think Singapore slowly started to realize that just because the British Empire as a political entity didn’t last forever, that didn’t mean that his entire childhood and identity weren’t real. The love he gave to his siblings and the love he got back, the hard work he put in, his bond with Arthur and the safe, happy childhood he had — those memories and feelings didnt have to be diminished by what came after. Essentially, he learned the lesson all nations have to learn, which is that one needs to be able to discern between duties as a nation and feelings as a human being, and to some extent keep them separate to protect both.

Whoooooo ok I’ll stop there because this turned into a dissertation, sorry. Let me know if there are any specifics u want me to elaborate on or anything I missed, but I’ll leave this here for today :)

#hws england #hws Australia #hws new zealand #oc: hws Bermuda #not gonna tag anymore I’m lazy #fun times with the commonwealth #I probably won’t write so much for all of them I just put it there to remind myself #needcake #ask #my hcs

43 notes · View notes

atruththatyoudeny · 3 years

Text

Happy 28th! Here are all the 14 fics I read and enjoyed this month. As always, all the love for all the amazing authors in this fandom! ♥

In The Still Of The Night | jacaranda_bloom | Dirty Dancing AU - a/b/o - prejudice - gender stereotyping - class divide - angst - pining - smut - 69k In a society where omegas are expected to follow a predetermined path, Louis strives for more; for his voice to be heard, for recognition, for true love. In a world where your past defines your future, Harry fights against the system; for equality, for a different life, for acceptance. When their two worlds collide, will they be beaten down by conformity or will they rise up and forge a new path together? OR the Dirty Dancing AU where Louis is a feisty omega who wants to change the world, Harry is an alpha from the wrong side of the tracks, and nobody puts Louis in a corner.

Plant New Seeds in the Melody | 28sunflowers | enemies to friends to lovers - miscommunication - misunderstandings - emotional hurt/comfort - Original Character Death - grief/mourning - slow build - smut - 58k After losing his husband in a tragic car accident, the last thing Louis needs is to keep running into popstar Harry Styles, who David was quite fond of. Obviously, that’s exactly what keeps happening. But as their unlikely friendship blossoms, Louis realizes that, maybe, having Harry in his life was the only good thing that came out of his adverse circumstances. Harry could be just the right person to help Louis find trust and intimacy in someone new.

take my hand, wreck my plans | amomentoflove | Cinderella AU - a/b/o - royalty - Minor Character Death - emotional abuse - magic - 38k Louis meets the man in the center of the room, feeling every eye on him. “Mr. H,” he whispers. The man smiles brightly and laughs as if he can’t believe his eyes. “It’s you,” he says breathlessly. “I didn’t think I would see you again.” “Nor I you, especially under these circumstances.” “Even so,” Mr H says, his eyes bouncing from Louis’ eyes to his lips. “Will you do me a great honor and join me in leading the first … um…” “Dance?” Mr. H laughs and nods. “Yes, that’s the one.” Louis bites his lips and doesn’t hesitate before whispering, “Yes.” Mr. H beams and reaches for Louis’ hand. Sparks fly at the touch and a zing of excitement shoots through Louis’ body. His face heats up as he’s afraid his scent would give away his feelings towards the other man.

One More Taste of Your Lips | Canadianlarrie & MsHydeStylinson | canon compliant - reunion tour - angst - internalized homophobia/biphobia - cheating - smut - Coming Out - 80k It had been eight years since the hiatus began, and Louis had spent that time writing and recording music, touring and making it safely through the pandemic. When the opportunity arose to go back on tour with One Direction, Louis knew he'd be a fool not to take it. Sure, life on the road would be different after all this time apart, but he was looking forward to experiencing that comradery again. What he hadn't realised was that living the better part of nine months in each other's pockets was bound to dredge up issues from his past. And when one of the pockets belonged to Harry, who he'd had a rather unconventional friendship with that drifted apart during their last tour, life on the road again would upend both their lives in irrevocable ways. * Harry wasn’t that sixteen year old boy anymore. Nor was he the young man in his late teens who was on the cusp of conquering the entire world. But some traits seemed to remain the same; his vibrant green eyes, the dimples set deeply in his cheeks whenever he laughed earnestly, or his curls that were the same shade of cocoa that Louis remembered fondly. And yet, Louis had absolutely no idea who this man that stood a mere twenty paces away was today.

Old Photographs & Times I'll Remember | jaerie | time travel - Eroda - period-typical homophobia - anxiety - depression - discussion about suicide - self-discovery - post-break up - 54k Carefully he set that negative down and lifted the paper to see there was another beneath. This one again was a young man, this time posed against an antique car. He lifted a few more negatives out one by one, each a portrait of the same man with various backdrops. The man in a meadow, in an office, leaning against a doorframe — even one in his underwear grinning at the camera. On the edge of each negative printed in slanted, handwritten characters were the initials and date. H.S. 1924. He quickly but carefully packed them back into the box and buzzed with excitement. He couldn’t wait to develop them to see exactly what had been captured in the images. It was a find that felt like a puzzle to piece together. H.S. was likely the man in the photographs as well as the owner of the suitcase. Who was he? Why had his suitcase found its way into Niall’s attic? Was he still alive and well somewhere in the world? A camera, a suitcase, and a relationship forged through time.

Know a Trick or Two | SadaVeniren | Harry Potter setting - mpreg - magic - kid fic - - genderfluid character - smut - intersex - 44k The night before Louis is scheduled for a Portkey to begin training with the Vratsa Vultures in Bulgaria he heads into Muggle London for one last night of fun. A few months later he finds out he’s having a child. Eleven years ago Harry had a one night stand and now there’s a strange man on his doorstep telling him his daughter is something called a wizard and she’s got a place at the British wizarding school Hogwarts. Aka the one where Muggle Harry and Wizard Louis have a one night stand and get more than they bargained out of it.

come away with me | suspendrs | Minor Character Death - friends to lovers - sexuality crisis - emotional hurt/comfort - anxiety - smut - 80k Louis had such big plans. He wanted so much out of life, and so did Amy. Now Bridget is going to grow up without a mother, and she’s always going to wonder what it would be like if this hadn’t happened. He wonders if she’ll blame him for her mother’s death as she gets older, or if she’ll understand that this is just as painful for Louis as it is for her. Louis doesn’t know how he’s going to raise her on his own, because he’s a fantastic father, yes, but he’s always been the fun parent, and Amy was in charge of the rules. He doesn’t know how to make sure Bridget has everything she needs all the time, doesn’t know how to make her favorite meal or how to do that one braid she loves to have in her hair or how to teach her to be the best person she can be. He doesn’t know how to live without Amy, he doesn’t know what he’s going to do. Or, Louis has to pick up the pieces of his and his daughter's life after his wife dies, and Harry is a beautiful stranger that just wants to help.

we made our promises (we said our vows) | millsx | Military AU - established relationship - kid fic - angst - hurt/comfort - mentions of PTSD - mentions of depressions - mentions of anxiety - injury - long-distance relationship - 21k Fairy tales always end with the Happily Ever After; the princess escapes her evil stepmother and gets married to the knight in shining armor. It turns out real life doesn’t care about Happily Ever Afters and sometimes problems appear when you don’t expect them to. Harry sure didn’t, not after years of being married.

Love, Ever After | jacaranda_bloom | a/b/o - farmers markets - soulmates - pining - miscommunication - fluff - banter - smut - 21k One would assume that the charismatic omega in charge of the local matchmaking service would have found a mate and settled down ages ago. His clients, in fact, are always a bit surprised when they come to learn that Louis is still single. But Louis doesn’t mind, not really. His standards are just high; he is happy holding out for his alpha, his soulmate, and chooses to not waste his time with anyone else, despite what his friends might think. That is, until his best mate from uni drags him out of bed far too early on a Saturday morning after a night of drinking to go to a farmers market, of all places. It’s there that he proceeds to make an utter fool of himself in front of the hottest alpha he has ever laid eyes on. There’s truly no coming back from that, is there? OR The one where omega Louis makes love matches, alpha Harry makes cheese, and meddling friends might finally make their dreams of finding their soulmate come true.

Hometown | allwaswell16 | High School - College/university - driving - heartbreak - memories - friendship - happy ending - angst - 2k On the day Harry gets his driver’s licence, he drives through the suburbs, heartbroken that he can’t drive home to Louis.

fever dream high | wildestdreams | friends to lovers - childhood friends - a/b/o - fluff - angst - smut - mutual pining - High School - 30k "Excuse me, what?" Harry licked his lips, carefully looking him in the eyes. "I will spend your heat with you so you're ready by Monday to play your game." "Harry," Louis began, suddenly at a loss for words. "I couldn't ask you to do that." "Why not? You just said you trust me." "You're my best friend. There's no one I trust more than you." "Then what's the problem?" "Well, friends don't usually help you through your heats or ruts, so excuse me for being a little skeptical." or A High School ABO AU where Harry and Louis are best friends and nothing more until things start getting a little complicated and they're faced with feelings they never wanted to confront.

We are the same, you run in my veins | 28sunflowers | a/b/o - non-traditional a/b/o- soulmates - wolves -pack dynamics - 4k When the time for Louis to become the Alpha leader of his pack comes, he can’t rise to the occasion for not being yet bonded. A series of trips to neighbouring packs in search of his soulmate is fruitless until he meets one of the other packs’ Alpha heir. Harry. The world seems to stop turning for a second and then it shifts, clicking into its axis. All the distress and wrongness he felt until that very moment suddenly disappears. Louis is finally whole. But two Alpha leaders from different tribes soulbonding is something unheard of before.

Divinely Blessed | thinlines | a/b/o - non-traditional a/b/o - established relationship - PWP - 17k “I heard you, Ni. But what do you mean?” “What do you mean what I mean?” Harry rolled his eyes as he shoved his alpha friend down onto a seat. “Did you mean you lick someone out or…?” “Nah, mate! It was me! I got licked out!” Harry could only stare at Niall in horror. Alpha Harry prides himself on having the bravest and most caring omega who might or might not just fulfill his sudden curiosity.

This chemistry like candy to me | CuckooTrooke | a/b/o - kink discovery - mpreg - male lactation - smut - 8k "It's just... Are you aware, that, uh... You're- You're kind of leaking." Harry feels his blood run cold. The heart that was thudding so loud and fast drops to his stomach, and his shoulders hunch in embarrassment. "Excuse me?" Harry asks once he manages to gather himself and recover from the shock. He automatically steps back but since he's already squeezed in the corner, it doesn't do much to put any distance between them, "Who the fuck do you think you are?" "Wha- No. Oh my god, I wouldn't- No," The man says as he realizes the misunderstanding, and wildly gestures to his chest, "I mean your- Your chest. Is leaking." OR Harry is 8 months pregnant with a poor balance and traitorous nipples. Unfortunately for him, that is precisely when he meets a beautiful alpha in a packed London Tube. Fortunately for him, the said alpha might just be the best thing he has ever come across.

#28th appreciation #fic rec #my fic rec #my reads #monthly fic rec #monthly reads #completed fics #larry fics

65 notes · View notes