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helloitstsyu · 1 year

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you get to wear a mask | Tom Cruise [fluff]

my masterlist

Summary : As a celebrity, it's nearly impossible to go and to do normal life activities in public. So, as his girlfriend, you offer Tom a solution.

Pairing : Tom Cruise x female!businesswoman!reader

A/N : it's my first fluff y'all🥹, i hope you like it as much i love writing it. this makes me giggle so much as i imagine it. I wanna know what you think abt this one, talk to me, babes!

WC : 3157

"Babe! I'm gonna go run some errands, do you want something specifically?" You shout as you gather your things before you head out the door.

Tom walks downstairs. He just had finished making a phone call with none other than his creative partner, Christopher McQuarrie. Ever since he landed in Los Angeles this morning, he's been occupied with work phone calls.

"Where are you going?" He asks.

Lifting your head up you see your boyfriend walking towards you, he leans against the doorway of your kitchen and put his hands inside his trousers pocket.

"Grocery, we literally have nothing in here,"

You're a thriving businesswoman. A CEO of an e-commerce fashion startup. You constantly hopping between big cities for work, New York, Los Angeles, London, and Paris, that's why you decided you expand your assets and buying apartments in each city so that you don't waste your money for expensive hotel expenses. Hence, why you don't have anything in your LA home since you haven't lived here for the past few months.

Tom pouts, "I just finished my calls, and now you wanna leave me,"

You and Tom have somewhat of a long distance relationship. With him caught up and busy filming and you running your business. It took extra effort to spend time together with your man. Though, two of you are keeping one important rule, never spend apart for 2 weeks. And for so long you've been living to that.

You smile as Tom gives you puppy dog eyes. "Why? You wanna come with me?" You smirk.

Tom smiles, "If it means i get to spend more time with you, yes," Tom steps forward and pulling you closer by your hips, "But, you know... i don't think whole food is Tom Cruise friendly,"

You chuckle as Tom place a sweet kiss on your cheek, "i missed you so much, baby,"

Suddenly, the brightest ideas come to your mind.

"I have an idea..." You smile and wiggle your brows.

Tom crook his head as he sees that mischievous grin on your face. For as he thought, you might be plotting something that beyonds the world's expectations.

"This is not what i had in mind when you said you have an idea," Tom protests as you sit down in front of him. You turn your makeup bag upside down, and all of your makeup products rain to the floor.

"You get to wear a mask, Ethan, you love when you got to wear a mask, don't you,"

Tom sighs "Never i thought someone would use that line to turn against me,"

"Tommy, you love when i throws you movies references at you,"

Tom chuckles and shakes his head. You take your phone and turn on the camera. You start recording and put your phone on the coffee table, rest it to a coffee mug so it stands still perfectly.

"What are you doing? Why are you taping this?" Tom asks.

"So we can have memory to look back to," You said as you prop the camera.

"Nonono, NO! you're not recording this," Tom reaches to your phone.

"Thomas!" You slap his and before it can reach your phone.

Witnessing the look you have on your face and the shift in your tone, Tom feels like he just seen your inner mother gothel. He sighs and just gives in.

"You're not gonna post that, though,"

"Of course i won't! It'll be our sweet secret memory, yep?" You smile at him, and Tom only smiles back sarcastically.

"Oh, come on, Thomas! It's not like you haven't got your makeup done for carpets or films anyway,"

You take a few pumps of your foundation to the back of your hand. Dotting the product on several spots of his face, then you start spreading it evenly using your brush.

"Yeah? Well, my makeup artist doesn't have that devilish-mischievous grin on their faces,"

"Baby... i need you to trust me," you said seriously.

Tom grunts and stops protesting.

"This is definitely the wrong shade... you're much tanner than me,"

"Oh, great," He rolls his eyes.

You chuckle, "How do you usually have your makeup on?" You ask.

Taking your fenty cream contour, you swipe them on the back of your hand and mix it with the foundation to create darker shade. Et Voila, the perfect match to his skin.

"Just- what do you call it? concealer?... maybe a little foundation if needed, like if i haven't gotten enough sleep,"

"Yeah? You never have like a full face of makeup? Character makeup?" You ask again as you still apply foundation all over his skin.

"Um... not really, maybe for vanilla sky,"

"Oh yeah! i remember that... that was a scary face though, tell me bout it,"

Tom starts to tell the story about the David Aames makeup he had on Vanila Sky. Well, as you thought, work does stop him from protesting and whining like an annoyed little boy.

You giggle after finishing spreading the foundation and concealer evenly all over his face. His skin looks so good, better than yours even. He has such perfect, well taken care of skin.

You take your face pallette next.

"What's that?" Tom asks.

"My fenty contour and highlight stick, it's to redefine the shadows and highlights of your face, cause after i finish applying foundation, your face now is all in one flat tone." You said as you apply the bronzer and contour to his cheek and forehead.

Tom thinks for a moment, "Why are you teaching me this stuff as if I'm gonna need to do makeup to myself?"

You laugh. "Well, baby, you never know... maybe someday your makeup artist catches a cold before red carpet," Tom chuckles and shakes his head.

You continue to apply contour and highlighter on his face. After setting it all with a translucent powder and put some blush on his cheeks, Tom reopens his eyes with you grinning widely.

"You look different," you giggle.

Tom takes a peek on your phone screen to look at what his face looks like.

"Babe, you can't look yet!" You stop him from peeking, but he managed to get a glimpse of what he looks like.

"Oh god! You supposed to make me look unrecognizable, not girly!"

"Your skin looks beautiful tho, you have such nice skin,"

Tom rolls his eyes and grunts.

"Why do i agree to this," Tom mutters.

"Well, darling, you do this because you lo—" Your words stop at the tip of your tongue when you realize the L word hasn't come out yet. None of you have said the L word you've only been with him for a few months.

Tom realizes how your expression drops. He knows what you were about to say. The quick expression shifts on your face from cheerful to a saddened look, sends rushes of pain inside his veins.

"...I mean... You'd do this because you're an adrenaline junkie... right? You like challenging yourself. But i guess you don't have to... i-if you don't really want to," you look down at the scattering makeup products on the floor.

That makes his heart break.

These past few months, Tom has been feeling that bubbling-odd feeling inside him building. He knows he's hooked in deeply. He can't stop thinking of you. You're constantly on his mind, and he admires you deeply. He just hasn't got enough balls to say the word to your face. He's afraid that he's moving too fast.

Tom takes your hand, which is holding a blush brush.

"Come on, need more blush," he smiles.

Beat drops. Even that got your heart swims in wonders. Giggling again, you apply a little more blush to his face, and soon, the apples of his cheek look like a blushing porcelain doll.

Next step, eyebrows. You always love his thick eyebrows. You think it's a statement of him. You take your brow gel, and you brush his brow upwards, and diagonally, you try your best to make them look good.

"I always wanted to do your brows... but it's kinda hard though," you mutter. "Hmm... yeah they look good enough,"

And to make you happy, of course he gives in and lets you do everything to his face. Tom looks at you deeply. Those eyes that he's been giving you for the past 5 minutes starts to make your heart beats faster and your palm sweating. Those eyes are the reason you're here. Everytime Tom looks at you like this, you swear you feel like you've been sent to heaven.

"Stop that!" You chuckle and cover his eyes. He knows you get butterflies when he gives you those eyes and he adores that you try to pretend as if you're not flustered.

Tom chuckles, "I'm not doing anything, darling,"

"Shut up, help hold me this, Tom," you said, handing him an open eyeshadow palette.

"Close your eyes for me, sweet," you kindly ask.

Tom follows all that you said. You begin applying eyeshadow to his eyelids. Deciding to go for an angel eyes look to complement those beautiful emerald eyes.

"Ow! What is that?" Tom asks, look you back in the eyes.

"Just powder," you apply the other eye the same color of eyeshadow too.

"OW! It's like burning," Tom narrows his eyes.

"No, it's not!" You grin

"Right where you just put it, it's burning... seriously!"

You stop applying them and sit back straight. Looking at his eyelids, you try to find if something is wrong, if there's any redness or anything.

"Is it still?" You ask.

"Yes!" Tom grins

You chuckle nervously, "What if you're allergic?"

Just when you start to think he's being serious, you can see shift in his eyes. "What if?!"

"Don't lie to me! I can tell when you're acting!"

"I'm serious!" Tom exclaims, but the grin still stays on his face.

You apply more to his crease.

"Arrghhh," Tom yelps.

"Tommy, stop it! I can smell you lying!" You slap his shoulder, and Tom laughs.

You take your favorite maybelline mascara and your magical shu uemura eyelash curler.

"Wait, what's that? That looks dangerous!" Tom holds your hand down.

"Just an eyelash curler,"

"Nnonono,... don't bringing that thing near my eyes," Tom pushes away your hand.

"Tom,... tommy, relax, just trust me, Baby, come on," you try to stop him from pushing your hand away.

And again, he gives in.

"Look down," you told him to do, adorably, Tom misunderstood and buck his head down.

Pulling his head back straight, you chuckle, "No, baby, you look down with your eyes not with your head,"

"Don't poke my eyes,"

"I won't... i need you to relax, okay?" Tom nods,

"Aaahh..." Tom squeals as you clamp those beautiful long lashes.

You can't stop laughing to your sweet boyfriend's funny reaction. The fact that you have an older boyfriend, a grown man, more than that, your boyfriend is the freaking Tom Cruise. The guy who did daring stunts as his way to pay the check. Now you got him squealing like a big baby. Thank God you tape this moment.

"Okay, okay... I'm done," you said,

Tom sighs hard, "Jesus Christ! it was scarier than hanging on the side of a plane!"

You feel like your stomach starts to get hurt from all the non-stop laughter. This is the best thing that ever happened in your life. Tom Cruise, finally admitting to be scared of something.

"Okay, baby, Mascara, now this will be tricky, just trust me on this one, keep your eyes down and still, ready?" You ask.

"Wait, is that like waterproof? Can it come off?" Tom stops you.

"No, it'll come off,"

"How do i get it off?" He asks.

"You just rub it,"

Tom takes a long deep breath, "Okay, go" he said.

You start applying a good amount of mascara to his lashes. Rolling the wand on his lashes.

"I don't like it..." Tom whines like a big baby sissy.

You can't help but to laugh out loud.

"Aaaahh..., i don't like it," Tom cries again as you put mascara on to his other eye.

Feels like you have a full abs workout. Even you're tearing up from laughing too much.

Now, Tom looks gorgeous, jeez, he looks like a freaking poster model. His eyelashes are snatched and thick long. The sparkly pink and bronze eyeshadows makes his green eyes pop even brighter. Guess you were right, you always thought he'd be pretty too as a girl just as much as he is as a man. He has such a good genes.

You giggle, "you look so pretty, Tommy!" you smile.

"I'm gonna have to contour your nose though. You have such a manly nose, babe," you said as you picked up your go-to fenty contour stick again.

"Um... yeah?! because I'm a man??... I have a freaking annaconda under my pants,"

You gasp, eyes widen in shock, "TOMMY!" You slap his shoulder.

Tom laughs upon watching how your cheek burns in red cherry color. Tom loves to tease you and catch you off guard like that, making you flustered and burn in red.

"Can't believe you said that," you apply the contour again on his nose.

"Well, you like it, don't you?" Tom chuckles.

"I meant you have such a distinct nose! That's such a Tom Cruise nose,"

You blend the contour on his nose. Trying to make it look somewhat different than his famous nose. Tom can't stop grinning widely at you.

As you focus on making his nose look different, Tom looks at you deeply with that look again. The corner of his lips slightly curls up, his tender gaze glued still on you. His hands are on your thighs, softly caressing your smooth skin with his thumb. You feel butterflies fluttering inside of you again.

You giggle, "Can you stop looking at me with those eyes!" You cover his eyes with your hand again,

"What eyes?" Tom smiles wider, he holds your hand down and leans in to place a kiss on your cheek.

"Tom..." You giggle.

"Do i make you nervous or something, Miss Makeup Artist?"

You giggle as Tom sends attacks of sweet kisses on your cheek and neck.

"Tommy, come on, you're not done yet,"

Tom chuckles and sit back straight again. You steal a kiss before you put a nude pink colored lipstick on that lips. Then, you're all done with his makeup.

"There you go... oohhh look at you girl, you look so beautiful!!" You giggle.

Tom looks over at your phone screen. His jaw hangs wide open when he finds the result of your work on his face.

"Oh my lord!" Tom exclaims in a southern accent, which earning you to laugh even louder.

"Darling, what did you do to me?! I look like my sisters!"

You're rolling all over the floor. Bursting in loud laughter. Your stomach hurt and you can't stop some tears to spill out.

"Oh wait, i forgot one thing!" You take your setting spray and spray it to his face.

"What- does it make it not wash off?!" Tom asks.

You grin widely and nod, "Yeah,"

His jaw hangs and eyes widen, "Are you serious?!" Tom crooks his head to the side.

You chuckle, "Yeah... it won't wash off for 6 hours," You lie.

"DARLING!" Tom tickles your waist.

You laugh and hold down his hands. You hand Tom a mirror. He looks at his face closer with wide eyes. Scanning the details of artwork on his face. His eyes nearly bulges out off his head.

"SWEET JESUS! My eyes are scaring me!... Look at my lashes, they grew 2 inches more!"

You for sure can not feel your stomach. Your cheek burns from laughing too much. Feels like the muscles there have their own workouts.

Afterwards, you told Tom to change his clothes with your pink baggy hoodie. Your big hoodie still fits him like a normal-well-fitted hoodie, though this one is better than his previous outfits that hug his body tightly, showing all of his muscles. You also insist Tom to put on your Jessica Rabbit's wig that you have, and you once use them for a Halloween party.

Later that day, You managed to take Tom Cruise grocery shopping in downtown Los Angeles without one person recognizing him. It was a mission accomplished. Well, some of the people there give him a weird look though.

Before you went to bed, you sent McQ the selfie of you and Tammy (you said to McQ Tammy was your new friend), and he too can not tell who's next to you at first! Took McQ a couple of minutes and a closer look before he texted back, "THAT'S TOM?! YO WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Tom comes out from the bathroom. "Honey! You send McQ the pictures?!"

"What pictures?" You act dumb as you eat your strawberries that you bought earlier.

"Oh you know what I'm talking about," He narrows his eyes and have his hand on his hips.

You giggle again, "yeah..."

"Y/N Y/LN!"

"Oh come on, Thomas, no need to be dramatic here, sweetie. McQ couldn't recognize you that means i did a great job... you too honey! You just went grocery shopping! I'm proud of you!" You come to him and kiss his cheek.

"That was your best acting too, baby," you tease him again. Gives him a playful wink as you click your tongue.

Tom looks at you still. His shoulders drop slowly as his gaze soften at you.

"Thank God, i love you," he said.

You feel your heart skipped a beat, and the clock stops ticking for a moment. You look back at his eyes with wide eyes. You stop chewing the frozen strawberry inside your mouth.

"What?" You ask with your mouth stuffed full.

"Of course i do, you're my dream come true, I was just afraid to say that too soon, but i can't help it any longer. And I don't expect you to say—"

Tom smiles and sits next to you, "You heard me... i love you, Y/N... i love you so much that i let you do shit to my face,"

Tears start to brimming in your eyes. You feel your heart warming up. Tom runs his fingers through your hair.

"... and I'd let you do it all over again if it means i get to be with you, i love you, darling," he smiles.

Swallowing the strawberry inside your mouth. Tears finally falls to your cheek, to which Tom quickly wipes away. "Y-you... love me?" You ask softly.

"I love you!" You cut him immediately.

Tom freezes for a moment before he smiles, "What?" He asks.

You smile, "I know i said to take this slow, but... but i love you,... Gosh, i love you so much, Tom,"

Tom smiles, wraps his hands around you, and brings you forward for a kiss.

ะ.⋆⸙͎۪۫⋆༶⋆⸙͎۪۫˙კ¸⊹

Tagging :

@malavera @call-sign-shark @tomsf18 @moondustfairies @katherineswritingsblog

#tom cruise #tom cruise x reader #tom cruise fanfiction #tom cruise fic #tom cruise x female reader #tom cruise fluff #fluff fanfic #tom cruise smut

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wholoveseggs · 5 months

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Moonlight - Chapter Two

A woman’s life is turned completely upside-down when she encounters some demons in the woods.

I will be putting specific warnings for each chapter as they come out, there is smut and violence in some but I'll tag those chapters accordingly. If you rather read this on Ao3- Link is here

1200 Words - Warnings: None.

{Masterlist} {Chapter list} - Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three

Beasts

Elijah drank deeply, listening for the heartbeat. When it slowed, he pulled back, using a handkerchief to wipe the blood off his face. He pressed a fang into his finger and rubbed the wound with it, healing the puncture mark on the villager's neck.

He looked the man in the eyes and compelled him to forget, sending him on his way back to the village. He turned to see his brother doing something similar, though less neatly. Klaus gave his villager a pat on the bottom, sending her after her male counterpart. He wiped the blood from his mouth and looked at Elijah.

"I prefer them less drunk," Klaus said bitterly, letting out a long sigh.

"So do I, brother, but this way is safer," Elijah responded, his voice calm but resolute.

Klaus let out a low groan, his impatience evident. "Enough with your constant prattling about safety. I bet that pretty herbalist tastes delicious and is all alone in the clearing," he mused, a sly grin tugging at his lips.

"You should never have gone there. Do you know what the coven will do to her if they find out she spoke to you?" said Elijah, his tone carrying a note of warning.

"I'd imagine something positively gruesome," Klaus replied, his eyes sparkling with dark amusement.

Elijah shook his head, his expression stern. "It's for the best that we stay away from her. You said Tomas is her husband; provoking him will only cause trouble," he reasoned, his voice steady and firm.

"I would love a bit of trouble! This village is so dreary. I desperately need to hear good music and touch a good woman," Klaus chuckled, his boredom evident in his restless movements.

"We need to wait for Rebekah and Kol to return; it should only be another month," said Elijah, his patience wearing thin.

"I know, I know," Klaus sighed, his shoulders slumping in resignation. "When we leave, can I take the pretty herbalist for the road?" he asked, a mischievous look in his eyes.

"No," Elijah said firmly, his gaze unwavering.

"Oh, don't be a hypocrite, Elijah! I see you watching her when she passes the old hall. She goes out of her way to pass by here. I think she's just as interested in us as we are in her," Klaus teased, a devilish smirk playing on his lips.

Elijah remained silent, his jaw clenched with restrained frustration. Without another word, he gathered his belongings and headed into the dense woods, needing some time away from his brother.

He went down a familiar path, heading towards a large field on the village outskirts. He listened to the serene sounds of the wind rustling the leaves and the cicadas' soft hum as he brushed the tall grass with his fingertips. His plan was to find a pleasant spot in the shade to sit and finish his book.

He heard the sound of a beast deep in the woods. He focused, hearing an animal huff and the sound of twigs breaking under its heavy feet.

He continued on his way to the field until he heard the very human sound of a gasp coming from the same direction. He didn't hesitate, running at an inhuman speed through the woods.

He saw her there from the edge of the clearing; she was standing perfectly still, watching a bear creep slowly towards her. Sunlight highlighted her beautiful features and dark curly hair.

He stepped out to intervene, only for her to look at him and shake her head. "No," she mouthed to him as she reached her hands out towards the bear.

It snorted and gave a little growl, making its way closer to her. He could see she was offering it a handful of berries. As it ate out of her hand, she smiled beautifully, then looked at Elijah with delight. She whispered softly to the creature as it finished off her gift, turning away from her and vanishing back into the woods.

Her gaze turned to Elijah, "They are the most lovely creatures, don't you think?" she asked, watching him closely as she rubbed the remnants of the berries off her hands.

"They are indeed beautiful beasts," he responded, walking along the tree line towards her. "You are brave to feed them; they can become violent in an instant."

"Is that what you were hoping for?" she said, smiling, "That the bear would begin what you would finish?" She clasped her hands behind her back, standing perfectly still as her eyes followed him.

"No," said Elijah quietly, taken aback by her question, "I do not desire you to be torn apart."

"What do demons desire then?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, her gaze piercing as she studied him intently.

He didn't know how to answer; he could hear her heart beating with surprising steadiness. She did not fear him but saw him as a demon.

"Nothing more than to survive in this world," he answered.

She nodded, her gaze shifting toward the direction the bear had disappeared. "I desire such things too," she murmured quietly.

"What's your name?" he inquired, stepping into the sunlight filtering through the trees.

"Emma," she replied, offering him a serene smile. "And yours?"

"Elijah," he answered, extending his hand for a handshake.

She disregarded his hand, scrutinizing his features thoughtfully. Sharp intelligence shone in her eyes and in the way she held herself.

"Is Elijah your actual name?" she questioned.

"Is Emma yours?" he countered.

A mutual smile graced their lips, a small seed of trust taking root between them. Her gaze shifted to his other hand, noticing the book he held.

"May I?" she asked, reaching out for the book.

He handed it to her, watching her flip through and begin reading. Her eyes lit up as she scanned the pages, mouthing the words to herself.

"I love these. They take you to another place," she looked up at him and smiled.

"Do you have them at home?" he asked.

"Tomas doesn't know that I can read and wouldn't allow it," she responded, handing the book back to him. Her expression turned anxious, "Can demons keep secrets?"

"It's our specialty," he said, "For a price."

Her eyes narrowed, and she took a step back, looking him up and down. Her heartbeat quickened slightly. His family enjoyed taking advantage of the village's superstitions, but he felt guilty for scaring her.

"I'll keep your secret; all I ask in return is that you hold on to this for the day," he said, offering her his book.

She gave him a skeptical look, then her eyes fixed on the book in his hand. She was calculating the risks of accepting his offer.

"That's it?" she asked him seriously.

"You have my word," he responded, giving her a sincere look.

She took the book from him and walked over to her blanket set up by a tree. She settled down and opened the book, her eyes wide as she began to read.

"Will you be here as the sun sets? I'll come to collect it then; wouldn't want it falling into the hands of your lovely husband," he said.

She looked up at him and smiled, "Thank you, dark one," she said, then returned to reading.

He nodded, giving her a smile as he turned and headed back into the forest.

{Masterlist} {Chapter list} - Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three

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acewithapaintbrush · 1 year

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Should you get bored :)

Perfectly platonic starters hmmm... you pick the fandom (also just gonna say that this one is ripe for oblivious friends to lovers trope and you can hate me for saying it but imma say it 💕)

“… sorry I took a nap on you.”

Sorry it took so long and I don't even know if you watch Owl House and this is strictly platonic Amity & Hunter friendship, but I put some Huntlow at the end😘

🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉

“Sorry I took a nap on you.”

“You didn’t take a nap on me, Hunter! You passed out! Now lay back down or help me Titan I’m gonna… do… something. Something unpleasant.”

“You really got to work on being more threatening. Weren’t you one of these snobby ‘I’m better than you’ girls once?” Hunter curses as Amity pushes him back down and keeps his head on her lap by twisting one of his ears. “Okay okay. I’ll stay down. Stop it!”

Amity blows hair out of her face and slowly lets go of his abused ear. She instead puts her hands on his shoulders. To an outsider it might look like a comforting gesture, but her grip is too tight to be anything less than a warning to stay put. She leans forward so her face hovers over his and she can look directly into his face, upside down. “What were you thinking? You told us you are fine.”

“I was fine.” At her raised eyebrow he looks away. “Fine enough. As if I’m gonna let you all go alone because of a small fever.”

Amity sighs, but her anger has pretty much fizzled out at this point. And maybe it wasn’t so much anger as it was fear. She can’t imagine anything worse than walking through the woods with a friend and then watching that friend collapse. Thank Titan Luz’s mother has insisted on buying all of them those prepaid phones and teaching them how to use them. The others are close by, looking for clues on how to get home, and they should be here soon enough. And as soon as they are done scolding Hunter for his recklessness they can get him home.

Amity looks down at the boy who was once her enemy and who she now considers one of her closests friends. She is reminded of their explosive fight, that time both of them were looking for titan’s blood. She remembers the moment she’d reached out her hand in friendship and how he’d pretty much slapped it away with a manic look in his eyes. Like an animal, desperate and lost, beaten one time too many to ever trust a reaching hand again.

“Look,” she says and loosens her grip. “I get it. You constantly feel the need to do something because if you can do something that means you are useful and that means you are worth something and we won’t send you away.”

Hunter flinches. He still won’t look at her, but his fingers drum against the ground and his eyes flit all over the place, much like Flapjack. “I don’t know what you-”

“But you don’t need to do that. You are our friend. More than that. Luz has pretty much adopted you as her brother and Willow and Gus would burn the Boiling Isles to the ground for you. And I have actually found you a lot less irritating recently.” He snorts and she smiles. “What I’m trying to say is that, for us, your worth isn’t defined by your usefulness. We won’t love you any less if you take some days to recover from your fever.” She lightly slaps at his temple. “So as soon as we get home, you lie down and don’t get up until you are at 100%. Got it?”

“Got it.” Hunter is effectively hiding his face and his voice sounds choked up, but Amity can barely see a tiny smile so she is pretty sure her message got through. Good.

Ugh. She’s exhausted. These emotional pep talks are so much more Luz’s thing.

As if on cue, Hunter pokes her in the ribs and grins up at her. His eyes are red-rimmed, but she is a good friend now so she doesn’t call attention to it. “Luz has really rubbed off on you. She’ll be sorry she missed this.”

“Don’t you dare tell her!”

She’ll be insufferable. Aww’ing and Ohhh’ing and calling them adorable and telling Amity how proud she is of her emotionally mature girlfriend and how she deserves a kiss for that and-

You know what? Maybe Luz knowing wouldn’t be so bad.

“Hunter!” A voice calls out through the woods. “Hunter! Amity! Where are you?”

“Over here!” Amity calls back and pushes Hunter back down again. “Hey! Come on now, just stay down!”

“That’s Willow!” Hunter squeaks. “I don’t want her to see me like this!”

Amity is about to scold him because has he heard nothing of her impassioned speech? But then she notices the flushed cheeks that have nothing to do with his fever and smirks. “Oh don’t worry, Hunt’. She already knows you are a damsel in distress. Maybe if you ask real nicely she will carry you home. Bridal style.”

Hunter gapes at her and the flush gets even darker (which is pretty adorable actually), but before he can argue further, Willow bursts through the treeline like a forest goddess, nostrils flaring and leaves and sticks caught in her hair.

(Willow does carry Hunter home bridal style and insists on it even more when the boy’s face gets redder and redder since that obviously means his fever is spiking. Amity just laughs.)

#owl house #the owl house #owl house fic #owl house hunter #owl house amity #owl house willow #Owl house lumity #Owl house Huntlow #huntlow #hunter toh #hunter noceda #I love that that is a tag #Luc noceda #amity blight #Owl house prompt #amity and hunter #friendship #Cause we need more of that

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unicyclehippo · 2 years

Note

nancy and robin on holiday

‘so. vickie is…nice.’

robin lifts her head from nancy wheeler’s seven hundredth throw pillow and tries to arch her eyebrow in that cool way heroes do in movies to make it clear that she has no idea what nancy is talking about while simultaneously covering up the fact that she’s about to have a heart attack because what had steve told her exactly?

‘she’s my friend,’ robin says slowly.

‘right. she’s an interesting choice for a friend.’

robin squints at her. nancy looks and sounds like she’s being sincere; she doesn’t have that pinched look on her face she gets trying to be too convincing, too perfectly whatever-she’s-trying-to-be. so maybe she’s being sincere. but if she is being sincere, that’s weird too because why would they be talking about vickie when they’re clipping coupons for nancy’s mum and wasting their first precious golden days of summer?

‘what?’ nancy snaps.

robin raises both her brows this time to convey her overwhelming aura of what the fuck are you talking about?

‘it’s just -‘ nancy huffs a sharp little sigh and robin can’t help but grin. most lethal person she’s ever met in a eggshell blue sweatshirt and hair frizzed out to three times it’s normal size (already not insignificant) thanks to the sweltering heat. nancy snips her scissors in a warning—one more joke about her hair and robin is gonna be wearing tatters instead of her favourite jacket—and sniffs, drawing herself up to her full height (small) while seated on her princess bed. ‘i don’t get how you can spend so much time with her. you’re practically the same person, doesn’t it get boring?’

‘what?’

‘we aren’t the same person.’

it’s nancy’s turn to raise her brows. robin has to acknowledge that, like everything else she does, she’s really good at it. she puts down her scissors to count of her points on her fingers.

‘you’re both in marching band, both clumsy, both of you talk way too much and way too fast -‘

‘hey!’ robin drags herself up so she’s sitting properly on the bed too instead of legs dangling over the edge limp like some ragdoll. she flings her throw pillow at nancy, who catches it and flings it back. it thumps her in the face. robin fixes her hair as she says, ‘i - i have a feedback disruption between my brain and my big mouth, okay, which makes me need to talk until i run out of air and it’s basically a medical condition so you shouldn’t make fun of me for it.’

‘having a big mouth is not a medical condition,’ nancy says, but there’s a smile hovering at the corners of her mouth. ‘anyway, i guess i’m just curious what you see in her.’

robin frowns. ‘right. because what could be cool in someone just like me?’

��what? no! no - that’s not what i meant.’

‘no, that’s cool,’

‘robin, that’s not what i meant,’ nancy says again, and her eyes are wide and weirdly desperate. ‘i just—‘ nancy blows out a breath. ‘sometimes, when i see the two of you hanging out…’ she pulls a face down at her coupons. ‘i might be way off the mark here but sometimes i get the impression that you…like her.’

robin’s throat closes like she’s in the upside down again, and the air is noxious, thick in a way air shouldn’t be, like she’s trying to breathe water.

‘robin?’ nancy peers at her from under tense brows.

‘i - i don’t -‘

nancy’s expression clears. her worry, her tension disappears like she’s punted it clear to the side and she takes robin’s hand, grabs it tight.

‘hey. breathe. it’s okay. it’s okay, i promise.’

a promise is all well and good but it doesn’t help at all, it really doesn’t. robin can feel the world closing in around her and she stares at nancy, can’t look away, as a million of the worst scenarios flood her mind in an instance. she knows every way this could turn out, has imagined it thousands of times; she has never imagined that nancy would tilt her head just so or that her eyes would flash with a familiar gleam. but she should have.

‘i’m right though, aren’t i?’ nancy asks, very softly. so softly that even if her family were listening at the door with a glass cup to eavesdrop, they wouldn’t hear a thing. the image makes robin laugh, if the strangled sound could be called a laugh.

‘you’re shit at being reassuring, you know that?’

nancy grimaces but nods. she tries to wriggle her hand into robin’s but both her hands are clenched into tight fists, so nancy just rubs circles against the back of her hand. for a few long minutes, that’s all she does. sits with robin and holds her hand and doesn’t pull away, which is more than robin had ever dared to hope for and actually can’t believe it’s true that her two best friends are maybe the chillest people in the world about this.

‘please don’t tell anyone.’

‘i won’t.’

‘it’s just that there’s a certain type of person who is deadset against people like me and they make up about a solid ninety per cent of the good folk of hawkins population and i would like to keep my job and not get chased out of town with a pitchfork and -‘

‘i won’t tell. not even steve.’

robin finally unclenches her fists and opens her eyes. this, this she has to see. she smirks at nancy. ‘steve knows.’

‘…what?’

‘steve knows. i told him last summer.’

complicated expressions cross nancy’s face. annoyance and disbelief are chief among some others.

‘steve knows? he never said—of course he didn’t.’

‘he’s a pretty good guy,’ robin nods. she shakes her head, dismissing everything about the last few minutes and refocusing, definitely not lingering and thinking about her racing heartbeat and the way it feels like all her blood is going in reverse and that she might puke. ‘wait - so why are you really asking about vickie? was it so you could ask about - me? or…’

nancy rolls her eyes. ‘that’s just it—i’ve been trying to figure out what you could see in her! she’s - shes -‘ nancy pulls a face. ‘nice, i guess. but you’re too similar, it would never work! take me and steve, for example. we never would have worked out. we were too similar.’

‘you and steve “take my life before you touch my hair” harrington are too similar?’

‘you didn’t know us back then. we were both…pretending to be people we weren’t.’

‘kind of the point of high school, isn’t it?’

nancy shrugs a shoulder. there’s a mulish set to her chin that means she thinks she’s really onto something. ‘we didn’t know who we were or what was important and did what everyone else wanted us to do. and it didn’t work.’

‘again, pretty par for the course for high school. and what does that mean for you and jonathan?’

‘what do you mean?’

‘i- no, nothing,’ robin backtracks quickly under that sharp stare.

‘no, go ahead, say it.’

robin gulps. ‘i’d rather not.’

nancy looks like she wants to shake her until the words come out but she doesn’t. she sighs instead until she deflates—everything except for her hair, which seems to grow bigger in comparison, or because it’s an evil hair demon that is consuming her and growing every day, who could say for sure?

‘we’re both more invested in doing the right thing than being together.’

‘i was going to say you both need a haircut,’ robin teases.

nancy snips the scissors in the air, eyes narrowed. ‘careful,’ she warns.

robin grins. she thinks carefully about what she wants to say. ‘he’s kind of a coward.’ nancy bristles. presses her lips tightly together. it’s a look robin associates with certain doom but even as she thinks about shutting up, her mouth starts up. ‘it’s like, you’re both really similar in a lot of regards like doing the right thing no matter what or whatever but then in the ways you aren’t alike, he’s kind of the worst. or maybe he’s just so not you that it’s hard to figure out why you two would be together at all. i mean, you want to be a reporter for gods sake and go to college and really make something of yourself and see the world and be bigger than this town and this tragedy and he wants to stay here and do the same thing day in day out because his brother needs him and, like, good for him because that’s swell and all but at a certain point it’s like, how much of who you are can you make about other people before you stop being who you are?’

nancy is staring at her by the time she’s done and robin is full sweating. air out the pits not glamorous sweating.

‘i’m sorry,’ she offers when the silence stretches on. ‘i think i should add that i like him, i think he’s nice. i mean, he’s fine,’ robin adds, which sort of undercuts it all.

nancy snorts. ‘yeah, sounds like you really like him.’

robin smiles. ‘i guess i don’t get it. you’re the coolest person i’ve ever met and you deserve someone who is equally cool.’

that makes nancy smile. ‘thanks.’ her eyes narrow. ‘you’re not so bad yourself,’ she says, which sounds like it ought to be a good thing but the delivery is the most threatening thing ever. ‘so why vickie?’

robin shrugs. ‘why do you crush on anyone? i stand next to her in marching band and she makes me laugh and always kinda smells like brass polish but in a good way, if that makes sense, and i like her freckles.’ robin flinches a little when she looks up; part of her forgot where she was and with whom, so comfortable sharing these things with steve now that nancy’s contemplative look is way too intense, way too keen when she’s accustomed to someone who thinks love is out of reach and everything else ought to be about boobs.

‘does she know? that you like her?’

robin sighs. ‘sometimes i think she does. other times, no not at all.’ she drags a pillow and the rescued mister rabbit into her arms, flops sideways. ‘can we stop talking about this?’

‘oh. yes, yeah. of course. what do you want to talk about instead?’

robin shrugs. ‘hellfire? are you coming tomorrow?’

nancy rolls her eyes but nods. then, ‘how would you even find out if vickie was interested? how does that work? it seems like you would have to be careful-‘

robin groans. drags the pillow over her head, and dreams of being smothered or otherwise killed to avoid this conversation. nancy has no such mercy, merely plucking the pillow off her face when she’s been gone too long. her hair is all frizzy and unmanageable, and the eggshell blue sweatshirt makes her skin look pale, like a marble statue, and her eyes—robin is pinned in place by the acute intensity of her, and as she struggles to answer literally any question nancy poses to her, she can only think that she’s utterly fucked because nancy is beautiful and sharp and sets her brain alight in a way she’s never felt before. and she’s also steve’s ex, and someone else’s girlfriend, and none of that feels like it matters.

#nancy x robin #tagging my stories #prompt fill #sorry I’m just sort of rambling it out on mobile

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carnal-lnstinct · 2 years

Note

Ok ok i’m craving some fluff

And by fluff i mean some fluffy monkeys (but also fluff)

If you’re interested can i request something with a pining Gogeta (bonus points for ssj4 Goge 💖)?

However you wanna go about it is fine! If it’s one of the boys pining, both the boys, or Gogeta is his own person i’ll eat it up 😹

if I am presented with an opportunity to go for fluffy monkey, imma choose it every time. 👌🏾

Pairing: Pining!Gogeta x Female Reader ( Requested By @emmacornell ) Rating: E ( everyone ) Warning: ( fluff, referenced canon-typical violence ) A/N: Writing this felt like writing a fluffy, charming prequel to Neither Goku, Nor Vegeta before the jealousy sets in. 👀 I'm also convinced metamoran fusions are straight-up magical beings

He appeared in a blinding light of gold, the two base-level saiyans perfectly performing the fusion dance and merging into one before all of you, giving life to this transformed warrior. When the light faded into something easier on your eyes, you looked up towards him to take in the new sight. With all of you standing behind him, it's you the vibrant blue of his eye shines over his shoulder and finds in return, an upward tug of the corner of his lips appearing barely visible through the thick red locks draping his shoulder. Not that your eyes could focus on his face long enough to catch it, the long tail waving stealing your gaze.

You don't really know what you expected seeing Goku and Vegeta fuse for the first time, but this was far from anything you could have imagined. There was a lot to take in from him. The bright-eyed stare looking him over said it all, even his aura was nothing like you ever felt before. It was as if he was all around you without even touching you.

Gogeta turns slightly and extends a closed fist towards you, taller stature startling your distracted self for a moment before you looked up to see his gallant grin.

"For luck." He encouraged, waiting for you to return the gesture despite the imposing danger going on and the clock counting down on him at the moment. "He's going to need it." He quipped so assuredly, that it set a sudden comfort in your chest. Something familiar of the two saiyans that raised your faith in his unknown abilities. You smile up at him and nod your head, bumping your fist to his larger knuckles and feeling braver yourself. He nods back in return and his fist gently bumps the tip of your chin in a playful manner. "Wait here."

Gogeta slips two fingers to the center of his brow and vanishes from your sight. A blip in your peripheral turns your eyes up to find him before your enemy. From there, you could barely keep up with what was going on, but the others who could follow the action—for the most part—cheered towards a victory that the fusion was definitely putting the enemy in their place, and with merciless haste. A final explosion of energy rattled the very ground around you all as the blast grew smaller the farther up it went into the sky, taking the remains of the villainous soul with it beyond the edge of outer space.

You watch the sky in awe once the natural light of the day settled back in place, searching for your savior when he was already behind you. The Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta, upside down with folded arms and crossed legs, drifted down to the level of your ear and gave a smug snort making you jump and turn in surprise.

"Well then, that's that." He shrugs his shoulders, tilting his head toward the sky in a final farewell to such an inferior opponent, then turning his eyes back to you. "What did you think, enjoy the show?"

"I...I tried to." You confessed with a soft laugh, unable to keep track of every bounce and volley of the action with your human eyes but grateful it was finally over. "You're not easy to follow, but thank you for your help! Um...Do you...know who I am?" You asked, uncertain to let the question go from your lips but it found a way. A silly one for sure, you thought. He had Goku and Vegeta's memories—He remembers you're all friends, right?

Hard to tell with him being tail up and head down, but you can feel the odd gaze he gave you being asked. The Fused Saiyan slowly rotates around and untucks his legs to stand back on the ground, affirming his arched brow and fixed stare reading you.

"Why wouldn't I?" The duo-toned voice answers as he tilts his head at you, a charming smirk rising in his features. Gogeta unfolds his arms and a hand brushes down your head, a finger tracing the shell of your ear. "There is plenty I know about you, (Y/N)..." Uttered in a soft manner you don't think you ever heard from the two saiyans making his united voices before.

It was like something of a dream come true that his hands could comfortably feel you and set a smile on your face. He could admire these acquainted features of your form and relish these trusting eyes of yours looking up to him, and so easily sink into the beguiling effect you had on him. Or at least half of him. Maybe both now like this? Ah, the details weren't that important. He couldn't resist you, either. It was the first time he's ever seen you, and yet admiring you like this relieved an old, unsatisfied ache. He certainly had the boldness to touch you like this, so openly and intimately. Lacking the uncertainty of half of his separated forms to do it. He could see it happening often, these hands of his making you bubble and brim from his worship and be rewarded with your long-awaited tenderness. He yearned for it from somewhere deep in his spirit.

Time itself felt like it stopped around you and him, eyes lingering on each other in a warm silence before a cleared throat popped your cozy bubble. You and Gogeta turn simultaneously towards your awaiting friends and their knowing gazes. He leans away from you a little, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish laugh and you softly gasp feeling his tail leave your hips. It was then you realized you were holding your breath at some point and becoming aware of your heartbeat in your warm chest.

As your friends move in around you both to congratulate the fused saiyan for his easy victory, your own finger touched your ear in a bashful manner, finding something thin bump against your fingers and pulling back from your ear with a vibrant flower of a favored color of yours between your fingers.

When did that get there?

#♚ ;; [ asks ]#gogeta x reader #gogeta imagine #gogeta #dbz fics #dbz imagine #dbz #dragon ball z #♚ ;; [ requests ]#my writing

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hazbincalifornia · 4 months

Text

Mother Knows Best

The idea of that one character being Alastor’s mom compelled me. That is all.

Summary: Alastor goes to his mother for advice when a spell has an unexpected consequence.

Wordcount: 807

Warnings: Mentioned mpreg

He was worried.

She could feel it through the door that he was hesitating outside of, static crackling the little radio across the kitchen that was playing a jaunty swing as she drummed her fingers on the oak of the table.

“It’s not polite to darken a doorstep for too long, dear. In or out?”

The static intensified for a moment before he knocked, and she told him to come in. Much better.

“It’s been an… unusual day.”

“I imagine, if something has you all ruffled like a puffed-up hen.” She gestured at the chair next to her and he folded into it, legs crossed at the ankle but foot bouncing for a moment before stilling. Up close, she could see the dip in his ever-present grin as teeth hid behind lips, as well as the way his knuckles tightened around that microphone stand he had clung to like a lover even before taking one. “Don’t leave your poor, weary mother in suspense, out with it. Did that girl of yours do something ridiculous?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.” He glanced at the door before leaning closer, despite being aware that few knew of this place. “We were planning to have a second child-“

“Good! It took you a hundred and fifty years to give me a grandchild, you have plenty of time to make up for, mister.” He groaned a little and she grinned, patting down her dress slightly. “Go on, go on. I’ve earned a bit of a right to gloat after all this time, you know.”

“I’m pregnant.”

“Oh, congra-“ It took a moment for the words to process properly, and she would swear there was a record scratch screeching through the air if she’d been granted the same abilities he had. “Excuse me?”

“The spell was rather more undiscerning about who should bear the child than we thought it would be.” His knuckles were gray, and her eyes darted down to his coat as she adjusted her glasses. Still trim, no visible bump at all. He must have just found out.

“Are you keeping it?”

“I'm… torn about that, I must admit.” She could hear a hint of his natural accent underneath the practiced one he’d smothered himself in for the airwaves, a slip of the baby boy she remembered bouncing on her knee as he gnawed at chicken bones and spilled the story of his life every day to the rocks by the creek.

She drummed her fingers again, feeling the fur of her mink catching the sweat from her neck. She’d been planning to go out for a walk on the town. “Does she know?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.” She tapped her chin. “Will it kill you?”

“That is up in the air. Most likely not, but she was equipped to carry, while the spell apparently rearranged some of my organs. However, she has a family friend who helped with Clove in magical matters.”

“Well, now you know some of how your poor mother felt when she had to bring you into this world.” A pause. “You’re a dead man walking, Alastor, and have been for over a century. If this is about the amount of pain birth will be, I know you’re strong enough to manage. And if it’s about anything else, you’ll figure it out if you want to. You’re clever.”

“So you don’t think it’s-“

“Odd? Certainly! But we live in Hell, dear. Our neighbors are men shaped like animals and the walls watch us if we step too far into the city. My tolerance for the absurd has gone up quite a lot.” She reached up to pinch his cheek, and he rolled his eyes but she could see the way his smile loosened a little, a touch softer than before. “You ravaged this world and turned it upside down to show what you were made of, you can handle this if you choose to.” She tilted her head. “Besides, I want more grandkids, you hear? If you decide not to, I expect her to pick up the slack.”

“She’s perfectly fine with that, although the spell may not work again, based on how it backfired this time. Who knows, perhaps next time it would hit some random civilian, wouldn’t that be a sight!” A dozen stations cycled through in a fraction of a second before he nodded, more to himself than anything as he patted her hand and stood up. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, dearest. Do let me know so I can bring a gift basket around to that gaudy building you call a home now.”

“What can I say? The rent is free and the company burrowed under my skin.” He laughed with a wave of his hand, the music from across the room back to flowing smooth as butter, and she knew he was going to be just fine.

#daddy alastor #stellastor #shadow writes stuff #helluva mpreg

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bippot · 2 years

Text

Summary: After his time in the upside down, Eddie is quieter than usual and needs comfort more than anything. That's okay because his girlfriend is more than willing to help him through.

Tags: Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Competition, Fluff and Smut, Sex, Trauma, Eddie Munson Lives, fuck the duffer brothers

Music Recommendation: I Was Made For Lovin' You by Kiss

Stranger Things, Eddie Munson Masterlist - here

Chapter 1

It wasn't long before the insane Hawkins mob learned that the evil and insane cult leader, Edward Munson, had a sweetheart. And it took absolutely no time for them to find her since, well, she was in the Merry-go-round working. Imagine that. A young adult innocently working at her job. How crazy.

Y/N was mindlessly placing a new batch of clothes on the racks when she noticed a fair few customers arriving. And then some more. And more. And more. Okay, this was weird. There wasn't a sale on or anything, so why was the shop absolutely packed? Was there something about a bunch of dead teenagers that made people want to buy new outfits? Because that's what it felt like. It seemed incredibly confusing to her. That was until she had to get on her tippy toes to reach a higher rail and immediately felt what seemed like a thousand eyes on her tattoo. Yeah, the one that was exactly the same as Eddie's.

Fuck, their glares definitely screamed 'I'm gonna kill you' loud and clear. But that was ridiculous. She was going to be accosted for a crime that her boyfriend hadn't even committed. This was insane. So very, very insane! She looked around, looking for help, and saw nobody.

Shit. She was screwed. Totally. Completely and utterly screwed. She didn't know how long they stared at her like that (she wasn't counting), but it was enough to give her a pretty uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. It was making it difficult to breathe properly. She couldn't tell if it was from anxiety or fear. Both? Definitely both.

"Hi!" She yelled out, trying to break the awkward silence and be as polite as possible, "Is there anything I can help you guys with?"

The silence stretched out for a few more moments before someone stepped forward. He looked vaguely familiar, like someone she'd passed in the school hallway years ago; he had short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. When he spoke, his voice held just the barest hint of amusement in it.

"You can start by telling us where you're hiding the freak you call your boyfriend."

Yeah, that's what she thought he'd say. Summoning all her courage, she managed to joke back, "Oh, Eddie's out at the moment. Would you like to leave a message for him?"

Clearly, the guy was not amused. He stalked towards her. As he drew closer, she recognised him. "Carver, right? I remember you. Basketball team. You got so nervous at the semi-finals in 84 that you threw up on Gloria Pendleman as you got up from the bench."

"Shut up, you little-"

A voice interrupted. "Hey now, I must insist that you treat my employees with respect, young man." A middle-aged man came up to Y/N. He was quite tall and broad-shouldered, with light brown hair and brown eyes. Dave, her manager, had finally come to her rescue.

Jason gritted his teeth. He opened his mouth to shout back at her manager, but never did, as Dave quickly intervened again. "That's quite enough. I think I've made myself perfectly clear that I do not tolerate any hubbub here in my store. Do I make myself perfectly clear? Are we clear?"

He huffed loudly before storming off in anger. Dave gave Y/N a reassuring smile and said, "It's okay kid, he won't be bothering you again."

Well, that statement was and wasn't true. Jason didn't bother Y/N again. Honestly, he'd already moved on to the next of Eddie's friends to intimidate into giving in on his whereabouts, but he did keep a couple of his minions to essentially stalk Y/N.

As for Y/N, she still felt rather shaken from the whole incident, but she tried hard to push it down and continue with work, not wanting to worry her manager more than he already was. But she kept an eagle eye on the two ladies he'd entrusted with her watch. Obviously, she ignored them. Or tried to. She still had to serve them if they came up to the counter. And since she was on her own for the majority of what was left of her shift, as David had gone on his lunch break, she'd deal with it alone. Yet two similar-sized people were more manageable than fifteen, and especially a group of mostly jocks.

They followed her for a couple of days. Y/N even waved out of her living room window to the women who sat outside on the side of the road with a pair of binoculars, peering into the L/N residence as if that would help them see through walls.

"Are you hiding Munson under there?"

"Nope."

"What about in the backroom?"

"Aw, actually he's stuffed up my ass."

Both of the women had picked up a fashion patch as that was the cheapest thing in the store and they needed an excuse to be served. The practical threw it down for Y/N to scan.

"I heard a rumour that you killed them together," one of them remarked, stalking closer to the counter.

"If you heard a rumour that I killed someone, why would you bring it up when you're within killing distance of me?" Y/N deadpanned, completely done with the conversation. Her day had been pretty draining already. "Bit stupid to do that, don't you think?"

The women froze. Then, they started whispering to each other as if they were planning their next move. This was something she'd had to deal with plenty of times before, after all, so she just stood there, mindlessly twirling the rings on her finger like Eddie did whenever he got agitated.

"Crissy Cunningham, did you know her?"

"Heard of her."

"Also heard that your man really gave it to her in more ways than one. None of which she wanted."

Now there was a line. Calling her boyfriend a murderer crossed it already. That statement hurdled past it. The mere thought that someone would believe that Eddie could do something like that made her sick to her stomach. It was almost impossible to imagine him doing something like that. He was too kind, too sweet, too kind-hearted, too good to be associated with such awful things.

Even though it wouldn't get through to them, she still felt like she had a duty to defend the man she loved no matter what, so she reached over the counter and grabbed the lady who had made that statement by the collar. If she had to hold a stranger by their collars to shut them up and prevent them from making more accusations, she'd gladly do so. "What's your name?"

"S-Sonya."

"Listen here, S-Sonya," she snapped, causing them to jump slightly, "Eddie has been nothing but sweet and caring ever since we met. That was in fucking elementary school, for God's sake! Don't try to imply anything that he's not, because he isn't and will never be a goddamn psychopath."

There was quiet in the store for a minute. Y/N released the woman's collar, but not without sending her a glare as she did so. Sonya simply stared at her in shock, not knowing what to say or do. But that momentary calmness was soon shattered as the other girl decided that it was time to attack. "How dare you speak to her like that! You're nothing but a stupid whore! And a fake, disgusting piece of shit with bad taste in men!'

Okay, Y/N wasn't proud of what she did next. Well, she was a little bit. A tiny bit. Without realising what she'd done until she'd done it, Y/N stormed around the counter and sucker-punched the woman across the face just as David walked in. After the impact, Y/N shook the pain away and mentally prepared herself for what was to come. Blood spurted immediately, and the woman fell down, yelping as she landed roughly on her ass. Y/N winced at the sound. But she knew she deserved this. She needed some sort of discipline for being such a fucking bitch.

"Y/N!" David barked as he approached her. "Badge. Now."

Honestly, she barely heard him over the blood rushing in her ears. Being fired was expected after a move like that. With quick, efficient movements, she produced the badge and thrust it into his hands. He quickly scanned it over, and although he didn't look pleased, he said nothing as he helped the woman to her feet and watched as his ex-employee walked into the back office to gather her stuff to leave. Seemingly, never to return ever again.

Her father was not pleased with her behaviour. She knew her mother wouldn't be either. It had been a rather shitty day.

Until… They pulled up on her drive to find somebody else parked there. A very familiar van had made it back to Y/N's house, and an extremely familiar mess of brown curls was visible as they got out of the car.

Without hesitation, Y/N whipped open the car door and ran to Eddie. His head shot up at the sound and a grin spread across his face at the sight of her, only to fall backwards when she tackled him into a hug. She squeezed him tightly as he whined and they hit the floor, clutching her with the same ferocity.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly, leaning away and cradling his head in her hands, scanning for any injuries. There were a lot. Even at first glance, she could see that his clothes were covered in dirt and had some sort of sludge on them. Hell, some of them were ripped. And, there's no polite way to say this, but he looked like absolute shit. Hadn't slept for days. Definitely hadn't showered. His arms had cuts and bruises littered on them. Worst of all, the light behind his eyes had gotten a little dimmer.

Yet, as clear as day, that was her Eddie. Carefully, Y/N gently sat up and pulled him with her. He was just as beautiful and just as perfect as she remembered, just as she loved. He nodded and smiled weakly at her. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just a bit banged up." His voice was hoarse and strained. In an attempt to cheer himself up however he could, he flirted, "I'm better now."

"Y/N, get away from him."

Both of them turned to see their dad approaching slowly. She looked at the two of them, not moving. Not daring to. Eddie couldn't see his expression clearly, but based on the tone, he knew exactly what was coming. He could tell by the way Y/N held onto his arm that she wanted nothing more than to ignore him. "Hey, Mr L/N, uh... the police totally cleared me. Yeah, I'm all good," Eddie tried to reassure nervously. Honestly, all he wanted was to go up to Y/N's room and cry in her arms for hours on end. Instead, he had to do this. He had to convince people he'd known his whole life that he wasn't some crazed, demonic serial killing cult leader.

"I don't believe you," he stated bluntly. Y/N sighed and looked at Eddie apologetically, trying to convey everything she had to say without words. As always, he understood.

Mr L/N walked up to the pair and aggressively grabbed his daughter's arm to tug her to her feet, not allowing her time to protest before pulling her towards their front door. "Let go of me! What is wrong with you!? Dad, let me go!" she pleaded as she struggled against his grip, eventually managing to yank herself free. Y/N took a step back and rubbed her wrist where there was a red mark developing from the tight grip.

Eddie's jaw clenched and he gritted his teeth at seeing his girlfriend getting hurt. He hurried to her side and took her hand in both of his own, rubbing small circles over her skin to ease the pain. He wasn't able to take his furious gaze off her father as he spoke, "Call the police, they'll tell you. Please believe me, sir."

It went unspoken how desperate he actually sounded. He may look all tough and confident, but right at that moment, he was a wreck. It took all his strength to keep his emotions in check and not punch her father right in the nose then break down into a fit of tears. But that wasn't an option. Not yet at least. So instead, he swallowed, straightened his shoulders, and waited patiently as her father went inside and checked with Chief Powell if the boy's claims were true. When the inevitable moment came where he found out that it was true, the front door swung open for the two to come inside, which was lucky because Jason's watch dogs were just about to park up.

Seconds after Y/N closed her bedroom door behind them, Eddie began sobbing uncontrollably. Y/N instantly ran over and wrapped her arms around his shaking figure, holding him close and letting him cry all he'd kept bottled up. She rubbed circles over his back and whispered soothing words into his ear.

"I'm sorry. I bet you're getting sick of dealing with me when I'm crying."

"I'm sorry that things keep happening that make you cry." He clung unto her so desperately, it hurt, but it was worth it. He needed her. He needed her to make him feel better. To make him forget about everything that had happened. He needed her to keep him safe. He needed her so much that he started crying harder.

As comfortingly as she could, Y/N shushed him softly, rocking them side to side to soothe him. "Shh. Shhh. You're okay. It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay..." she repeated over and over again. She'd repeat it as many times as he wanted to hear. "I've got you, rockstar. I've got you. It's going to be fine."

Tears continued to leak from his eyes and drip down his face as he hiccuped and sobbed, trying to control his breathing, but failing miserably. He felt weak. He was tired. His body hurt so badly. It seemed like there was no limit on just how much he needed Y/N right now.

And Y/N noticed it. Her heart broke a little as her boyfriend cried. How she wished she could take his pain away, heal every single scar left behind by whatever horrors he'd gone through. But she couldn't. No matter how much she would love to. She couldn't even kiss away his pain and replace it with a happy ending. She couldn't make it disappear. All she could do was try to offer him as much comfort as she possibly could.

After ten minutes or so passed by with Eddie still clinging to her waist and shaking slightly with emotion, Y/N lifted her hand from his hair and moved it to caress the side of his cheek gently. He raised his teary eyes and gave her a soft smile, sniffing lightly. She grinned softly, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead before she whispered, "Do you want anything to eat? A shower? Some clean clothes?"

"Yeah to it all," he mumbled tiredly, nodding as he leaned into her touch. He really did need to take a hot shower. He didn't even know how long it had been since the last time he took one. He probably smelled horrendous.

With careful motions, Y/N helped him up and led him to her bathroom, helping him out of his stained shirt and jeans before taking care of his injuries. Once she cleaned him up, she guided him to the tub and turned the water on to fill it up for him. The poor thing was exhausted beyond words. His eyes drifted shut and he sank deep into the warm bathwater; sighing deeply as the soothing warmth enveloped him. Tenderly, Y/N began washing away the dirt and grime on his arms, neck and torso, making sure to wash away every last inch of the evidence of the Upside Down. Although, he did have so many purple splotches and red slashes everywhere that she almost couldn't count. She winced slightly when she heard him hiss and curse under his breath at a particularly nasty cut on his left arm.

Trying to keep collected, she frowned as her eyes trailed over his injuries, wondering what kind of monsters he'd been forced to fight. What kinds of horrors he'd seen."Do they hurt, baby?" Y/N questioned softly, her voice laced with concern, but her eyes never leaving the cuts across his chest.

"Like a bitch."

"Well, that can't be healthy," she replied absentmindedly, focusing solely on his wounds and making mental notes of them in case there was something she needed to tend to later.

There was a slight pause of silence as Y/N started on his hair and scrubbed it gently, lathering shampoo into his thick dark locks. She didn't even realise she was humming their song until Eddie opened his eyes and chuckled quietly. "I've missed that sound."

Once he was cleaner, much cleaner, she wrapped him up in the fluffiest towel they owned and got him some food as he dried off. It was a total surprise to see her brother in her room, casually handing Eddie some clothes as she returned. "Yeah, hope the clothes fit, man."

"Thank you." Eddie smiled gratefully at him and turned his attention back to Y/N who stood silently by the doorway, staring at her brother in disbelief. He was being kind for once, which may have been the most insane thing to happen today. But it was also nice and made her heart swell slightly, seeing how he still cared for his old friend.

Eventually, her brother retreated back to his room and left the couple alone. Eddie wasn't a fan of the clothing he was provided with, but it was the only option. "This is torture," he commented with a smile, looking down at his outfit. A bright blue football jersey and small neon yellow track shorts. It was the most colour she'd ever seen him wear.

"Woooah, look at those pale legs!" She joked, crouching down and poking him in the knee playfully as a way of cheering him up. It worked. Eddie laughed and slapped her hands away.

Y/N quickly changed into comfortable pyjamas and hopped onto her bed, curling up next to Eddie who immediately snuggled up to her as they tucked into the food. They ate in silence for a while as he watched her every movement, making sure she was alright, making sure she was real.

"Why are your knuckles red?"

Due to his question, she glanced down at them. Fuck, they were busted. There was no point in lying. "Oh, I punched a customer."

Well, that was a surprise. His sweet, dear girlfriend Y/N didn't usually go around punching people. "Why?"

A shrug was her response and her face fell. She knew what her answer would cause Eddie to say, so she downplayed it, "I don't know, I guess I lost my temper and snapped at her. I... I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"I bet you were really hot in action, princess."

That made her giggle softly as she reached out and brushed away a few strands of hair from his eyes. "Oh, super hot."

Under her instructions, he lay against her pillows and allowed her to properly disinfect and bandage his wounds. It took a while and it was an uncomfortable amount of extra pain, but it had to be done. She couldn't help but to ask when she came across an area littered with bites, "What animal did this to you?"

"Bats."

"Fuck."

"I might need to get tested for rabies." It wasn't a joke. It was an actual concern, so why did that cause both of them to laugh? Y/N was the first to break. At his sentence, she let out a little chuckle that got more hysterical as soon as she realised how serious he was. Eddie joined in after realising what he said, and soon, they both found themselves giggling uncontrollably at each other. Their laughter filled the air, filling the room and causing them both to forget their earlier troubles and worries.

Newly patched up, Y/N ordered, "Under the duvet, rockstar," and Eddie obeyed, curling up beneath the blankets and smiling sleepily at Y/N as she got in beside him. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked softly, placing a comforting hand on his chest. Nope. No way. Not yet. Eddie shook his head. She understood. They didn't talk about what had happened, they didn't need to. She was sure he'd tell her when he was ready to. That could be in two days or three months or seven years, and that would be fine. If he never told her, that would be fine too.

His arms made their way to her waist and pulled her closer, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder as he ran his fingers through her hair lovingly. He lifted it for a moment and brought his thumb along her cheekbone to just lay there for a moment, staring at her face. Taking in every little detail. The way her lips were slightly parted. The way her cheek was lightly touching his palm. The way her hair fell haphazardly around her face.

"I love you," he murmured softly, leaning forward and capturing her lips gently on his own, kissing her slowly and tenderly, savouring every second of this moment.

She responded instantly, kissing him back desperately as if her life depended on it.

And maybe it did. "I love you, too," she sighed in contentment against his lips. They stayed like that for a few minutes, wrapped in each other's embrace as they kissed and basked in each other's presence and affection.

When Y/N finally broke the kiss and leaned back to stare at him with wide sparkling eyes, he simply stared back and smiled softly. "My poor, poor baby, I'm not going to stop until you're all better," she cooed lovingly, planting kisses all over his face. So many pecks all over his cheeks and forehead and any exposed skin she could find. "Gonna kiss it better for you, my love."

Eddie couldn't help but grin dopily at her adorable antics as she peppered his face with soft kisses. "Y/N," he groaned, trying to hide his grin, but failing miserably. She only giggled and continued to shower his face with kisses. Soon enough, she stopped and rested her forehead on his, both of them still grinning like idiots at each other. "You're such a dork."

"Yeah, proud to be." She guided his head back down to her shoulder and found the spot near the nape of his neck, scratching it so he'd relax enough to fall asleep peacefully.

"Please be here when I wake up."

"Of course I will." She kissed his forehead tenderly before pulling the covers further over them, covering Eddie in a cocoon of warm safety and comfort. He closed his eyes and drifted off into dreamland quickly, feeling a lot safer knowing she was right there with him; and that he wouldn't have to go through this alone.

Once she was sure he was 100% asleep, she let her own tears fall. And not of sadness, though she was definitely conflicted. She was crying tears of joy. Tears of joy because he was safe. Tears of apprehension because whatever he went through sucked - she knew that was an understatement. He'd need time to rest and repair, so she'd be there any step of the way.

Wiping away her tears before they'd drip on him and wake him up, she calmed herself down by running her fingers through his hair over and over again. He was safe. He was with her, and she'd make sure he was alright.

An hour or two passed. It seemed as if he'd startle himself awake every twenty minutes as his heart rate would speed up and he'd sit bolt upright. He was restless until she brought him back down to her chest. She kept a tight grip on his body, rocking him slowly back and forth as she spoke, "Hey, hey, I've got you, baby," trying to reassure him the best she could. "You're ok. You're safe. I've got you." Her words had been soothing enough to lull him and let sleep take him again.

And, with that, they fell asleep in each other's arms as they would for the majority of the oncoming weeks as he slowly but surely regained himself. It was painful at times, but Y/N refused to let him suffer alone, even if it meant sacrificing a bit of her happiness to see him happy.

Going back to his trailer was the last thing that Eddie wanted. Not good things happened there. Chrissy. The portal. The other shit. Yeah, he'd need some time to gain the resolve to stay there the night. Wayne understood that. He would, if he wasn't working, meet up to check up on his nephew and bring him any clothes or other bits and bobs that Eddie needed from his room.

Now that they were finally getting to know him, Y/N's parents realised that Eddie was very much the same sweetheart that he used to be when they were children. The metalhead exterior hadn't changed his nature at all. And, just like the rest of the town, they'd pigeonholed him in a box with the words 'Menace! Do not interact with' on it that he truly didn't belong in.

Y/N woke up to the smell of pancakes. And eggs. And bacon. And toast. And syrup. Whoever made breakfast had really gone above and beyond for some reason. She rubbed her eyes groggily, and looked down at Eddie, who was still peacefully wrapped around her. With a smile, she pressed a quick peck to his forehead and then pushed him away gently, "Get up, sleepyhead," she whispered.

After making sure he was still alright, she pushed herself up to a seated position and blinked at the ceiling, trying to remember if it was a special occasion or something. School. It was the first day back. Yet like everyone who has ever been to school, Eddie didn't want to get up. That was clear by the way he tightened his grip on Y/N's body, and buried his face in the crook of her neck. "Nooo," he mumbled into her skin.

"Rockstar, nobody likes going to school." He groaned quietly in protest and pulled her impossibly close to him as if he could keep her forever and ever. He didn't want to let go, he never wanted to let go. "Eddie."

"Y/N," he said softly, looking up at her with half lidded eyes and a lazy smile that made her heart melt every single damn time she saw it.

She rolled her eyes fondly and pressed a quick kiss to his nose. "Get up, honey."

"No."

"C'mon. We need to eat breakfast." She pushed him gently and watched fondly as he slowly opened his eyes and stretched lazily before turning and pressing his lips against hers to give her a long loving kiss, holding her close to him like a teddy bear. Y/N laughed and kissed him back enthusiastically before pushing him again. This time harder. "Can't you smell it? Smells good."

Reluctantly, Eddie reluctantly untangled himself from Y/N and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes tiredly before sitting up straight, yawning widely and stretching lazily. He was met with the sight of Y/N as she reached out to ruffle his messy hair. His eyes lit up and his mouth curved into a smile. "Morning."

"Morning, handsome." She stood up from the bed and threw his clothes at him before walking over to her wardrobe to get dressed herself. He watched her, his eyes trailing along her curves and taking in all her perfect features as she took off her pyjamas and began to put on her outfit for the day. "Get changed."

"You're so bossy." But he started dressing anyway. Y/N just raised an eyebrow at him and walked over to him once he was fully dressed. Kissing him lightly before turning away, she moved to the bathroom to brush her teeth, leaving him there standing in front of her door smiling goofily. "So bossy," he mumbled to himself as before following her downstairs.

They made it downstairs and found a small feast of breakfast food before them. All for Eddie. Well, Y/N's mother didn't expect him to eat all of it. That would be way too much. It was in his honour and he'd get first dibs. But, she figured, it was his first day back, so why not? "I can't thank you enough for this, Mrs L/N," he said, sitting down at the table. "Letting me stay and now this? I mean, it's too much."

Mrs L/N chuckled and gave him a soft look as she set his plate down in front of him. "Oh hush. Now eat up." He happily dug into his meal, making appreciative noises whenever he tasted something new.

Frankly, Eddie knew that he'd have to move back in with Wayne soon. He'd have to deal with not being inches away from Y/N at all times, and the first step to becoming accustomed to that was going to school. It would be difficult, but he'd do it. For her sake, he would do anything. He glanced over at Y/N who sat across from him, sipping her coffee and talking to their mom while eating her pancakes. He smiled softly and nudged her leg with his knee under the table, catching her attention.

Once he did, she turned to look at him, giving him one of her usual bright and beautiful smiles. "What's up?"

"Nothing," he replied nonchalantly. She furrowed her brow and gave him a questioning stare. "You're just so pretty."

"Shut up, Eddie," she giggled, blushing slightly. The rest of the breakfast passed without any trouble and then it was time to begin their journey to Hawkins High.

Driving there, he was quiet. So quiet that she could tell the gears in his head were turning. Thinking. Probably about a lot of things. Other than the occasional grunt or sigh, he didn't say anything. She just sat there brushing her thumb over the back of the hand he kept on the gearshift and only let go when they pulled up to the school. Y/N got out of the car and walked with him to the front entrance.

"You've got this," she reassured, gently cradling his head and giving him a soft peck on the cheek. "And if you don't, you can try again tomorrow. Or the next day. Or whenever you're ready."

"I can do this."

"Of course you can, babe." Shit. Eddie stared at her, soaking in all the love and care in her eyes. A love he was certain he didn't deserve. "Go get 'em tiger," she grinned, kissing his cheek again. He nodded, squeezed her hand tightly and headed inside.

1st period was fine. 2nd too. He was free through 3rd so he thought he'd check out the Hellfire Club room. The Hawkins mob had gotten into the room and made an absolute mess. Everything was a mess. They had set fire to the character sheets. His monster manual was somehow in tatters and aimlessly scattered around. His DM screen had been ripped in two. The PC's figurines had been squashed under someone's boot.

During the last session, he'd intended to pack all the gear away but he was busy with the meeting with Chrissy and forgot. The damage was done. There was nothing he could do to fix it. And that realisation hit him hard. Like he'd lost something precious. It's a harmless game of make belief and thanks to one asshole with a big mouth, and an even bigger ego, it was now destroyed. He couldn't believe that they had done such a thing. After all the years, all the work, everything was ruined.

All that was left in one piece was the figurine of Vecna. Eddie picked it up and stared into the plastic, dead eyes of their enemy, trying to hold back his tears. Why had this been the only thing still intact in this room after what they'd done to it? He slipped it into his pocket for now and hurried away, accidentally bumping into someone as he made it outside.

"Oh, shit, I'm sorry," he blurted out, quickly stepping back. When he looked up, he saw who he'd bumped into. Jason Carver. Oh fuck. That's the last thing Eddie needed. Not now. Not after everything that had happened. The pair just glared at each other. Neither wanting to acknowledge anything. They'd had their run-ins before, but nothing like this. What the hell was he supposed to do? How could he pretend like nothing had happened between them?

Jason stepped forward a little bit, causing Eddie to take a step back. He was afraid of what Jason might do now. "You better watch your step, freak," Jason angrily muttered, poking Eddie in the chest.

Normally, Eddie would have some snarky comeback prepared. But right now, he simply couldn't. He was too busy fighting the overwhelming urge to cry. To scream. Anything. All he managed to mutter out was "Sorry" before walking away without another word. He wasn't even sure where to go. He just wanted to go somewhere safe and alone and bury his face into his knees until he felt better.

Because right now, he couldn't help feeling utterly and completely crushed. and it was tearing him apart more than he ever thought possible. Because he hadn't expected anything to happen between him and Jason. But it did. And now all the pent up emotions he'd hidden deep inside of him were boiling over and it hurt. He didn't know how much time he spent sitting on the forest ground crying and staring blankly at nothing. It felt like hours until someone sat down beside him.

It was Y/N. He barely registered her presence beside him because he was drowning. She didn't say anything, just held onto him quietly as he cried silently into her shoulder. They stayed like this for god knows how long, neither speaking nor moving, before finally, Y/N decided it was time to pull away. He looked up at her tiredly, blinking owlishly and sniffing a couple of times to try to wipe the last few stray tears away. "How did you know I wasn't in class?"

"Henderson got worried when you didn't show up at lunch and gave me a call." He looked away from her gaze and stared blankly at the dirt beneath his feet. "Your van was still in the car park, so I knew you were still on the grounds. And other than the Hellfire room, this is your second favourite place. I took an educated guess."

Rummaging through his pockets, he pulled out the figurine and showed it to her. "This is all that's left." She stared down at the figurine in his hands for a moment, pursing her lips together and letting out a sad sigh. They sat there in silence for a while. Eddie still sniffled and wiped his nose with the sleeve of his hoodie. Y/N watched him carefully from where she sat and took a strand of his hair between her fingers and twirled it. It was a calming gesture for both of them. It was a sign of comfort. Of warmth. It meant he was here, with her, and not alone.

"I-I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything. For, you know, this." He gestured at him and the surrounding woods. "For skipping."

She leaned closer, taking hold of his arm and looking him straight in the eyes. "Baby, if I had the choice, I'd skip. I'd skip skipping, skip everything." Her other hand made it to his cheek, cradling it as she admitted, "I'd skip everything but you."

Her words made his heart melt and his mind go fuzzy. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily, leaning into her touch. It felt nice knowing that Y/N cared about him so much. Even though he didn't understand why she did. He knew that he loved her dearly, no question. But he didn't understand why she loved him. He couldn't comprehend it. It seemed impossible.

"What's the plan? Want to go back inside or stay here until the bell rings?"

With one look at the picnic bench, gazing at the exact spot he'd once comforted Chrissy and replied, "Can you stay with me? Please, princess?" She smiled brightly at him and scooted closer. Eddie rested his head against her shoulder and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to his body and pressing his cold nose against her neck, inhaling deeply and releasing a content sigh.

The first month after spring break, Eddie managed to walk back into his trailer. He still couldn't stay when it got darker, but it was something. Wayne was so relieved to see his nephew back home. Wayne was one of the main reasons why Eddie felt safer in the trailer. His uncle had stayed there with no issues, so Eddie could too. Right? Yeah, Wayne didn't have the image of Chrissy's floating deformed figure in his mind everytime he looked in that direction, but no supernatural forces had fucked with him. It seemed to be safe from that.

Things weren't perfect. Nothing could be. Not yet. But, despite everything, life went on. As long as they kept going, things would turn out alright. At least, that's what he hoped. He'd somehow managed to maintain his grades enough to still graduate, admittedly they were significantly lower than the beginning of the year, but that was understandable.

A couple weeks before graduation, Eddie decided to attempt to stay in the trailer again. Originally, he'd declared that he'd stay there alone, but as soon as Y/N went to return to her house, he reached out and stopped her.

"Please don't leave me by myself." He said, voice cracking slightly. She immediately understood and crawled back on top of him. He curled up, burying his face in her neck and wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, holding her against his body and he felt her warmth, the soft press of her body to his, and he didn't feel scared anymore. He was thankful for it, he really was. She didn't ask questions, she never demanded answers, and most importantly, she never judged him.

Comfortably at ease, he decided that it was a good time to study. Y/N had developed a system where if he got a question right, he'd get a kiss. A quick peck on the lips and then she'd move onto the next question, repeating it a couple of times till he'd finished. She always waited for his answer patiently and patiently, giving him time to think and study properly, making sure that he understood.

Eddie was getting tired. She could tell. Tired and bored. So, she declared, "Let's take a break, huh?"

"But -" He stopped what he was going to say as soon as he saw those big, doe eyes of hers. "I hate it when you do that."

"Do what?"

"Do the eye thing." He blushed a little, rubbing his neck awkwardly and averting his gaze. She couldn't help but laugh. Y/N moved closer to him, putting a finger under his chin and raising his head to make him look into her eyes again. Throwing the book off his lap onto the floor, he continued, "You do it because you know I can't resist."

Busted. She grinned mischievously at him, leaning up and pressing her lips against his. He kissed her back, placing one hand behind her neck and using the other to grip her hip and bring her even closer to him. She moaned softly into his mouth, parting her own lips and deepening the kiss, allowing him deeper access.

God, she'd missed this. Missed being able to kiss him like this. She'd been waiting to do it since he came back. And it felt damn good.

After a few minutes of blissfully kissing, his hands began to move her hips against his own gently. She broke the kiss for a bit to glance downwards at him and smile seductively, saying, "So you're telling me you want more than just a kiss right now, huh?"

"Well...yeah, obviously. Why wouldn't I?"

"Just checking, honey." She smirked down at him and ran her hands up his chest and stomach until they cupped his cheeks and brought his face close to hers once more. She pressed her lips firmly against his again and knew that he had rebuilt himself enough that his sex drive had come back online. Still, it had been a while so she'd have to take it easy with him.

Graduation came and went in a blur. Before Eddie knew it, he was up on the stage as Principal Higgins handed him his diploma. With a huge grin at his girlfriend and friends, he flipped off the audience and hurried away, clutching his diploma to his chest.

"I did it, princess!" He exclaimed happily as he met Y/N outside of the auditorium. She laughed, throwing herself into his arms. He kissed the crown of her head and tightened his embrace. "In a way, eighty six was my bitch."

"Knew you could do it, rockstar!" She grinned brightly and pulled back to look at him dressed up in that graduation cap and gown. She reached over and tugged on it lovingly, happily declaring, "Who is this fancy looking man!?" and flicking the corner of his hat up to reveal the bright yellow tassel. Instead of answering, he placed his hand on the small of her back and dipped her down for a deep kiss. The whole world faded to black for a moment as they pressed their lips together in a tender and passionate display of affection.

"Uh...Munson?" A small voice behind them spoke up, interrupting their moment.

"What do you want, Carver?" Y/N shot back, making sure she was ready to back Eddie up with anything he needed. Eddie swivelled around to face his bully, slowly moving in front of his girlfriend so he'd take the brunt of the interaction instead of her. Jason didn't have the other basketball dweebs around him. And he certainly didn't have that smug bravado that he usually did.

Instead, his face was full of uncertainty and nervousness, his hands fidgeting and tugging on his shirt collar nervously as he mumbled out, "I, uh, just wanted to say that sending a mob your way was not one of my finest moments. I mean, I thought you murdered my girlfriend, but still. Yeah, not cool. Pretty big fuck up on my end with that one."

An apology? Fuck, Eddie never expected that. He let out a short awkward laugh and kept his eyes on Jason, staring in disbelief like some kind of deer in the headlights. His jaw dropped open a little bit, blinking rapidly as he tried to process everything. Jason stared right back at him, unsure how to proceed from here. He cleared his throat, looking back at Y/N who stood silently behind him, watching the scene play out. "Um… and forcing people to keep you and your home under surveillance must've been annoying to go through."

"It was."

Jason continued, his voice dropping a few decibels, "I know you're not such a bad guy. You just look a little weird..." He paused before holding out his hand for Eddie to shake. "Truce?"

Truthfully, Eddie should be angry at the guy for starting a mob that was hellbent on murdering him. He should be. But, as he looked at Jason, he was reminded of his girlfriend. Chrissy. Jason had lost Chrissy. Just the mere thought of losing Y/N made Eddie's chest tighten. It would crush him. Maybe he would've acted as angry as Jason did. Maybe he would've done something rash too.

"Truce." The pair shook hands and gave each other reaffirming nods before parting ways, hoping to never come across each other ever again.

"Well, that was weird." Y/N commented, watching as Jason faded into the crowd. "Do you think he dyes his hair?"

"Oh, definitely."

Taking some time to interact with his friends to tell them all about his run in with Jason, Eddie seemed to be at ease. He was back to wild gestures and strange voices, keeping a playful tone with whatever he spoke about, and overall, he seemed happier. Everything seemed okay. The entire interaction, he kept his hand in the back pocket of Y/N's jeans, occasionally jabbing her in the ass when he wanted to annoy her or make her laugh. The light, playful touches never failed to make his dimples appear as he watched her face brighten every time he did it, and she found herself giggling.

By the end of the night, they were in his van on the way to his house. Y/N had her head resting on his shoulder as they drove through the dark streets, her mind on her own thoughts and her eyes flicking to his every time he did anything cute. Like when he turned down the music and started tapping on the wheel rhythmically, or he leaned back to stretch his back out, causing the top of his shirt to ride up. Or, he glanced briefly at her through the rear view mirror, his eyes lingering on her lips for a second or two longer than was necessary before turning back to the road and focusing on driving.

"You love me, don't you?" he asked, his voice soft.

Jokingly, she jeered, "Who told you that?"

"You did, asshole." He turned his head and looked at her, giving her a coy smile. With a mischievous laugh, he took her hand and kissed it. "So, you love me and I've graduated. You know what that means?"

"No. Not a clue."

Pulling up to his trailer, he quickly got out of the car and hurried his way round to the passenger side to lift her down. "After you, princess," he stated, smacking her ass as she passed him. She jumped a little at his playful display before he followed her into his home. Seconds after he shut the door behind him, his hands found themselves clamped on her hips, bringing her butt closer to his crotch. He began to declare into her ear, his voice low and husky, "I'm going to fuc-"

"Hi, Wayne," Y/N greeted, dropping her bag to the ground as a blush came across her face as Eddie's uncle saw their heated embrace. Eddie immediately broke apart from her, but ensured that her body was still hiding his since his uncle really didn't need to see the tent that was growing in his pants.

"Hey, I...uh, I had no idea you'd be home."

"Everyone at the plant got sent home. Something about faulty wiring or a leaky water main or some shit," Wayne explained, looking between the pair before adding, "Me and the boys are going to celebrate our night off down at The Rockingham, so I'll be out of your hair."

Phew, Eddie thought. He planned on being very loud, and now he could without traumatising his uncle. That was great. Things could carry on as he planned. He'd just have to move them a half an hour or something, which was annoying but he'd have to deal with it.

Remembering what day it was, Wayne announced, "Show me this fancy diploma then, kiddo," and Eddie was more than willing to present his uncle with his achievement. Wayne took the piece of paper from him, reading it, beaming with pride. "That's my boy."

"Thanks, Uncle Wayne," Eddie said, and felt his cheeks turn warm. "It sucks that you had to work and couldn't make it."

Getting up to pat his nephew on the back, Wayne asked, "Did you flip off Higgins like I told you to?"

"You betcha."

Pleased with his response, Wayne slapped him on the back and made his way to the door. "Good to hear it. He always was a prick when I went to school with him." He looked at Y/N and facetiously warned, "Don't keep him up too late, you know how grumpy he gets in the morning."

"I'll try not to. He is a nightmare," she replied with a laugh.

With that, Wayne left to go drinking with his buddies, leaving the couple by themselves. The moment the door closed, Eddie returned to the position they were when they first entered, pushing his body into hers.

"I'm a nightmare?" he questioned, a smirk spreading across his lips. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer to him until she was flush against him. He moved one of his hands underneath her shirt and ran it up along her stomach, feeling her bare skin with his fingers "Is that right?"

She blushed, unable to reply as his mouth began to kiss and suck her neck, leaving a trail of kisses towards her ear, whispering when he reached the shell of her ear, "Do you remember our deal?"

Y/N nodded, biting her lip softly to stifle any noise of pleasure she could possibly release. "Are you ready for it?" he breathed, pressing another tender, lingering kiss to her earlobe, making her shiver lightly. Her breath hitched slightly as he pulled away, allowing a small grin to grow on his face as he gazed at her with pure adoration in his eyes.

"Anything you want to do, you can do, rockstar."

Immediately, she could tell how excited he was. She could feel how excited he was. He spun her around and hooked his arms under her thighs, lifting her up with ease. She wrapped her legs around his middle and held onto the collar of his shirt to steady herself as he carried her over to the bedroom, where he kicked the door shut and tossed her onto the bed.

It took absolutely no time to get undressed.

"Hands up." He demanded. Her hands flew up to obey his demand, and she lifted her eyebrows at him. What was he planning? He took his cuffs and manacled her to the bed, sitting beside her. His hands rested flat against the mattress as he studied her, trying to read her expression. "They're not too tight, right? You like this? I'm not going to do anything you feel uncomfortable with...obviously."

"I like it," she assured. His hands dropped to rest on her thigh, rubbing small circles into her skin. "And, I trust you."

He nodded, seeming to believe her words because his lips curled up into a soft, gentle smile. "Good. We can continue." He stood up and started his search for the item that was on his mind.

"What are you looking for?" she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. Her question was answered when he let out a 'Ah' and lifted the object so she could see. "Where the hell did you get a vibrator?"

"Sex shop in the town over. The man behind the counter took one look at my fake ID and I know he knew, but hey, still let me buy this bad boy."

Slowly, he kissed down her body, stopping once he was almost close to her core. He stared into her eyes, watching her gaze dart around his features, her cheeks turning pink, her pupils dilated. His movements were languid, taking his time, showing her that he was enjoying every moment of this. He trailed kisses up and down the inside of her legs, pausing once he was at her knee before continuing all the way back up to her hip.

His tongue grazed against her clit teasingly, causing her to jerk and his lips to curve into a devious smile as he heard her moan. He gave her thigh a squeeze as he continued to lick her, his tongue swirling around the sensitive spot, making her arch off the bed and groan loudly as the tension built within her body. He continued to tease her as she slowly became lost in the bliss.

The sound of her moans filled his ears, causing his breathing to pick up in pace and his cock to stiffen and throb as he grew harder and harder in his trousers. His fingers dug into her thigh hard, holding her leg firmly in place while his tongue flicked over her clit repeatedly.

In her heightened state of arousal, she arched her hips upwards, loudly whimpering as she felt his fingers begin to tease her entrance. As much as he loved fucking her, as much as he wanted to drive her insane with the feel of him. He needed more of her. She needed more of him. And he knew exactly what to give her.

Eddie's finger slid into her wet pussy effortlessly. A second later, two digits another the first; both sliding deep inside her. He pumped his finger in and out, finding her sweet spot easily, eliciting a cry of pleasure from her throat. She writhed against the bed sheets as he pleasured her, causing her to tighten around him. He kept hitting that spot, never slowing his movements, loving her reactions and feeling her orgasm building.

Lifting his mouth from her, he reached out for the vibrator that had rolled further away due to all her squirming and turned it on. It whirred to life and he held it against her as he watched Y/N's face contort with ecstasy. He smirked as her eyes rolled backwards and her head fell backwards, moaning louder as he finger fucked her into oblivion.

"Should we use this thing more often?"

"F-ffuck yeah."

When the wave of pleasure overtook her, her legs shook violently, her knees buckling beneath her. A high pitched moan escaped her parted lips as she came, her whole body shaking violently, and the chains rattling against the bars of his bed. She cried out his name, her eyes closing tightly as she tried to calm herself after having her climax, only to find herself still trembling as his fingers continued their rhythm inside her, pumping as he upped the level of the vibrations.

Her hips were still jerking uncontrollably with each thrust of his fingers as he stroked her insides, sending her over the edge again and again, her cries becoming louder and louder until she was reduced to a puddle of cum on the bed sheets, shuddering and gasping for air.

"I can't hold on anymore. I have to fuck you."

"Please."

Pulling out of her, he placed himself between her spread thighs, kissing her passionately and licking her bottom lip before sucking it gently, causing Y/N to gasp softly. He pressed himself fully against her and positioned himself properly, resting the tip of his dick on her entrance. "Eyes on me, princess," he demanded, his voice serious as he looked into her eyes.

Thoughtfully, He waited for a moment, savouring the feel of her, before slowly pushing his member inside of her. He didn't move for a few seconds as he waited for her to adjust to his size, before sinking himself deeper and faster, causing her to cry out, filling her completely.

"Oh god. Oh shit. Eddie. Eddie!" He grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her closer to him as he thrust deeply inside of her, repeating the motion until he finally found the right speed. He leaned down and bit her shoulder to make sure she would feel every thrust as he pounded into her harder and harder, his grip tightening around her scalp.

Every nerve ending in his body was tingling and buzzing, begging to come. He couldn't wait any longer. He buried his face into her neck, taking deep breaths as he pumped his hips rapidly. The sensations of her spasming around him was intense.

They were too intense, and it wouldn't be long before he couldn't control himself anymore. His eyes squeezed shut as he fought the urge to come. Just as he was about to explode, he slammed back into her, releasing all that had built within him. He collapsed onto her, burying his face into her neck and letting out grunts of pleasure.

After a few minutes, he lifted his head up to look at her, and he noticed that she had closed her eyes, clearly exhausted. "You okay?" He whispered, wiping away the sweat that coated her brow.

"I didn't know it was possible to come that much. I thought I was gonna pass out or something," she joked, smiling weakly as her eyelids fluttered open. He smiled and brushed her hair out of her eyes, leaning forward to press a chaste kiss to her forehead. He traced patterns across her abdomen with the tips of his fingers as he listened to her breathing return to normal. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than ever. That was, that was..." He paused to collect his thoughts. "Fuck, I need a cigarette."

Placing a ciggy between her lips, he lit it and took it from her mouth, fascinated when she blew the smoke away from her, her eyes drifting shut as she basked in the afterglow. He took a drag and playfully blew it in her face. A laugh slipped from her mouth as she looked up at him. He leaned down and planted a gentle smoky kiss on her lips. He could hardly contain the happiness bubbling inside of him as he laid next to her, admiring her beauty underneath the light of the room. She looked so beautiful, so relaxed and content, just like she should look.

"My arms are getting tired. Mind letting me loose?"

Oh shit. Where had he put the keys?

It took far too long for him to find them. But he did. Eventually. In the end, he managed to free her hand and made sure to comfortingly rub them in an attempt to physically apologise for her extended discomfort.

"Sorry, baby," he said, taking a drag from the cigarette. He looked at her, admiring her flushed cheeks, her eyes heavy lidded from their recent activities, and her cute pouty lips. She'll go down in history as his one and only. He was going to make sure of it.

Sitting there, bare and carefree, the faintest glimmer from the streetlights outside, Eddie looked picturesque. He always looks cute. But this? This was different. And luckily, she could capture it.

Polaroids. What a great invention. For Christmas one year, her parents had gotten her a camera and she had a habit of only bringing it out for really special occasions. Like a graduation. Or capturing when your boyfriend looks especially hot.

Retrieving her bag from where she left it, she got it out and carefully looked through the viewfinder, making sure the picture was perfect. He managed to blow smoke out just as she clicked the shutter.

"Did you just take a picture of my junk?"

"Yeah. It's to show all of my friends," she teased, carefully placing the developing image on the table. "It was boobs up."

"I don't have boobs!"

She playfully groped him and taunted, "What are these then?" He moved his hands over hers and forced them to squish at his chest, which she gladly did.

Holding out his hand, he urged, "Give me the camera," so she did as he asked. He grabbed it from her, a devilish grin on his lips as he pulled her against his chest (in an effort to conceal hers) and went to snap a photo. But as he held the camera in his hands, he realised he was unable to look away from her.

"You've got to press the button."

"I know how to work a camera."

"Weird. It doesn't look like you do."

Proving to her that he could, he successfully snapped a photo. And then another. And another. On the final one, he decided that he was so good, he didn't need to look at what he was doing. Instead, he used one hand to operate the tech and the other to move her head closer to his, taking the image as their lips touched in a tender, loving press.

As soon as he saw each one as they developed, he knew the last one would be going in his wallet, where it would stay until he bought a new one. Then it would be moved to the new one. And then the one after that. And after that. And after that.

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson & reader #Youtube

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deliriousfangirl61 · 1 year

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Grounded [Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw] Chapter III

Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Liv "Queenie" Fairdon

Masterlist [~~~~]

18+

Series Warnings: Death, Violence, Cursing, Smut (later chapters). MINORS DO NOT INTERACT 18+

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Description: It's been two years since the accident that turned Liv "Queenie" Fairdon's life upside down, and she's fine... supposedly. She seems to have come to terms with being Grounded permanently and the ache in her chest after losing her brother lessening day after day. She has come to love her job at the base and her home that she fixed up. Liv thought being Grounded was going to do her in for good but she seems absolutely fine. However, when a high-priority mission arises forcing the best of the best back to North Island old feelings begin to stir forcing Liv to deal with feelings she has buried. Not only that, but Bradley (Rooster) Bradshaw is gonna force new feelings causing Liv to question the walls she had perfectly put in place.

I'm running late. I know I am because Bob has texted me, worried that I had ditched him like I'd ever do that. I haven't seen my best friend in three months. I wouldn't just ditch the chance to meet up with him. Which Bob knows. He just gets nervous after a bit.

I wasn't expecting Warlock to interrupt me on my way out the door with some more information on how I'm to report tomorrow morning for my debrief on the upcoming mission.

It's one thing to skim over the details in the packet that Cyclone gave me, but it will be a whole other thing to hear it in full tomorrow. I can only imagine the mountain of worry that is going to encompass me tomorrow.

Warlock had been gentle and kind when he spoke to me just like he always is. He is a lot less subtle than Cyclone when it comes to his affection and slight favoritism toward me. So as he talked about my debrief and other responsibilities that Cyclone didn't mention, Warlock checks in on me. Asking me if I'm okay. If it's too much.

Is it?

I don't really know yet. None of the previous missions I have been working on have ever had this close of a resemblance to my last. I don't know how I'm gonna handle it. Not really anyway.

What I do know is that it is going to be extremely dangerous and unpredictable, and I really need someone to come home from this one if he's picked.

The thought of kidnapping Bob appears back in my brain again. I could lock him away for a few weeks, maybe drive him down to Tess' place. We would hang out with baby Thea and all would be well.

No, I can't do that.

I also agreed to this mission.

I don't need Cyclone to worry about more than he already does, which he would if I suddenly backed out now. No I could do this, I can do this. I'm just gonna be writing analytical reports on the aviators performance. That's it.

I can defintley do that.

After Warlock had finished giving me some last minute details I had rushed home changing into the first pair of pants and tee I saw. My hair is down from it's bun and it's now blowing around rapidly from the wind of my open window. My AC doesn't really work but I haven't had time to take it in yet.

I pull a little hazardously into a parking spot next to a cyan colored bronco. I wish I had time to admire it but instead I rush out of my car.

The Hard Deck is bustling like it normally is on a Friday. I spot Penny first, she's wearing a devilish grin as the talks to the man in front of her. Her eyes trail behind him briefly and spot me. I make a beeline towards her and she is beaming by the time I reach the bar.

"Hey Liv! Bob says your late." She slides away from the man in front of her and I get a good look at him.

"Yeah I know I am." I roll my eyes before I turn towards the man Penny was talking with to get a better look, he offers me a kind smile and a nod of his head.

Holy crap.

It dawns on me why I recognize him.

Well I guess I'm getting a head start.

"Captian Mitchell." I nod my head and he looks confused.

"I don't think we've met."

"You havent." Penny butts in and slides my usual in front of me. "Bob's by the pool tables." She gestures her head in his direction.

I thank her before pushing off of the bar sipping on my drink as I do so. Robert Floyd is one of the many aviators around the pool tables. He's glancing down at his watch, no doubt checking the time for me again. I smile, he is the same old Bobby as in high school. A flashback of seeing Bob waiting on the front steps of our school checking his watch anxiously as he waits for me and Andy to arrive flashes through my mind. It brings a warm smile to my lips.

"Floyd!" I call as I grow closer.

His head snaps up and a large dopey grin spreads onto the man's cheeks. He straightens up moving past the two men who are standing next to him, who are now also looking at me now with cocked eyebrows.

"Dang Liv, you are losing your touch. I mean 20 minutes late… tut tut tut." He shakes his head at me all while keeping that grin on his face.

Staring at him now I almost forget why I was so scared to see him. Why there's a perpetual knot that's been growing in my stomach since I read over the mission.

I can't dwell on that now. Instead I mirror his grin.

"As if Bobby, you can blame Warlock and the old lady in front of me on my drive over for the delay."

Bob and I meat in the middle.

"Blaming old ladies Liv? Now that's just cruel." He feigns a look of dissapointment at me and I laugh as I l grab one of his shoulder and move to hug him tighly. I'm careful to not spill my drink over his head

"So Warlock is an old lady now? I'll make sure to tell him that tomorrow morning."

Bob's laugh reveberates through me as his chest shakes. I breathe him in, he smells like he always does, he smells like mint. I know it's because of the pack he always keeps in his pocket but it reminds me of home. It reminds me that things will be okay.

I pull back after a moment but Bob stays close his eyes roaming over my face. Searching for any hints that I may not be okay. He finds none.

"I am sorry I'm late though. I tried my best to speed but I couldn't bring myself to pass by the poor old lady." I say and Bob shakes his head at me.

"It's a miracle how that old junk box you call a car is able to go above 40 at all, let alone speed."

I gasp holding a hand above my heart.

"Robert Benjamin Floyd, do not talk about my baby like that. Don't forget she got you to your senior prom and graduation mister so be grateful for her."

Bob rolls his eyes at me but there's still that endearing smile on his face. "It furthers my point about how that thing is nearing it's end Liv."

I shake my head at him narrowing my eyes playfully.

"Hate to break up this little reunion. But you gonna introduce us to your friend, Bobby?" A voice pipes up from behind Bob's frame.

Bob's jaw twitches of the use of the nickname not coming from me. He doesn't comment on it though as he steps back revealing me to the group of aviators who are reguarding the two of us with curious glances.

Bob wraps an arm around my shoulders.

I feel warm with all the eyes that are now staring at me.

Which seems a bit crazy to me because I use to revel in the attention. Even before I became a pilot and that naval aviator confidence was injected into my veins I didn't mind the attention. Since the incident though I find myself hating it more and more. I never know if they're staring at my face or the awful scars that poke out from behind my shoulders and peak out around the base of my neck.

"Everyone this is Leutienant Liv Fairdon, callsign: Queenie. We went to highschool and the academy together so we are old friends." Bob introduces.

All at once I see a ripple of recognition flow through the group. I should have expected this, but nonetheless, I feel my throat tighten and my palms begin to sweat. I force the smile on my lips to stay.

"The legendary Queenie, the one with..." The blonde man who piped up is cut off by a woman who claps him on the back with a loud laugh that leaves her lips.

"With three confirmed air to air kills. Looks like I was mistaken Bagman you are not the only one." She exclaims looking a little too pleased to rub it into the mans face. She turns to me. "I didn't realize you were still flying. Everyone said you left after your last mission." The last part is spoken gently but I still feel Bob go rigid beside me.

The blonde man is glaring slightly at the back at the girl's head, who doesn't seem to notice or care.

"I'm not flying actually. I'm an advisory analyst now, probably why you didn't hear about my return." I say it casually like it doesn't pain my heart a little at the reminder that I am stuck on the ground.

Sure it was hard to fly after Andy but I felt so close to him back up in the sky after the incident and that wasn't an option anymore. Clara's words ring in my head. "You have maybe one or two flights left Liv, but after that, it's too much. Your body can't handle the pressure and stress, not anymore."

I had one flight after the incident and now I have one left. A gift from Admiral Simpson after he discovered that I could never fly permanently again.

"Well that's a shame Queenie, I would have enjoyed having some actual competition. I guess you being decommisioned though does give me a chance to beat your record." The blonde grins at me, a cocky smirk on his face.

"What a cowboy." I hear Andy's voice say in the back of my head. He would've already been talking circles around Hangman, getting into an ego war about missions if he was here. He always did that when a pilot got too cocky around me, his brotherly protectiveness showing through.

"It wouldn't have been much of a competition, but now you may have a chance." I retort.

Bob stiffles a small laugh but the man just seems fueled by my comment. His eyes ignite with a fire and I can already tell he will be causing me problems on this mission.

"Let's introduce you to everyone. That is Hangman." Bob points to the blonde man who is still staring at me intensely. "Over there is Payback, Fanboy and Coyote. There's Rooster and then Pheonix, she's going to be my pilot."

I follow Bob's finger, I'll have to committ their faces and callsigns to memory because by Monday it will be my job to analyze and critique their performance.

I sip at my drink, hoping that the alchohol with ease the tightness in my throat and the nerves knotting in my stomach. Only now do I realize that somehow I have nearly emptied my glass. I must have ben sipping on it nervously throughout this conversation.

Bob's arm has fallen from it's place around my shoulders, and he has relaxed slightly falling into a conversation with Fanboy who had moved around the pool table closer to us.

"Nice to finally put a face to all those stories I've heard about the famous Queenie." A deep voice draws my attention and I am met with a gaudy Hawaiian shirt that reminds me of those dads in cheesy vacation movies. It's Rooster, I'm almost sure of his callsign.

"I wouldn't believe half of them. Drunk navy men tend to exagerate." I turn to him fully.

The Hawaiian shirt is over a tightly stretched white shirt and I try not to stare. Instead, I move my eyes up to lock with his hazel ones. Rooster is attractive, I will give him that, despite the 80's stache he gots going on.

"Oh, I doubt that, you ruled the skies even in flight school, it's how you got your call sign, right?"

I chuckle softly.

"Those cocky boys made it far too enjoyable to kick their asses. It's the only reason why I did so well, that and I had an amazing WSO."

Rooster nods and I see a flash of something in his eyes, sympathy maybe. I never know much people do know about Andy, or Casper as he was better known in the Navy. I know that people know he died, along with three other aviators around the same time, but they don't know the specifics. They really don't know the horrors of that mission.

"Well then Queenie, you will have to tell me the real stories one day," Rooster says, slightly grinning.

"Call me Liv, please. I don't really go by Queenie anymore."

Rooster nods.

"Alright, I'll call you Liv on one condition."

I raise an eyebrow at him.

"You let me buy you a drink."

I laugh. "Alright, seems easy enough."

Rooster grins. I tell him my standard drink order and he starts toward the bar disappearing into the crowd.

I turn back to Bob who is already staring at me, a teasing look on his face.

"Were you flirting?" He muses softly.

I roll my eyes. "No Bobby I wasn't." I turn towards the door as an I hear loud whistles. "Looks like the others are arriving." I direct my attention to the wave of aviators now entering the bar.

I can see Bob give me a look out of the corner of my eyes. One that says "I will bug you about it later."

"That's Harvard, Yale, Omaha, shit that's Fritz." Payback mutters surveying them as they enter.

"Holy crap, how serious is this mission?"Fanboy pipes up and despite having more knowledge on the subject I don't answer them.

Bob glances at me but I just send him a wink. I will explain to him later in the comfort of my home just how serious and dangerous this mission is. Explain that he needs to be the best he has ever been. I will also need to figure out how to handle this mission. I guess I could shut down, look at it from just an analytical point of you, be hyper-rational, and don't think of this mission any other way. However, as I glance around the aviators, I have a feeling that won't work for me.

"That's what I'm beginning to wonder too." Rooster appears so suddenly back beside me, my drink in his hand.

"That was fast."

Rooster shrugs his shoulders at me throwing a smile my way as he sips from his beer.

"You guys are missing the bigger picture," Pheonix calls out turning from her spot at the pool table.

"Then enlighten us Nix," Rooster replies.

"Everyone here is the best of the best, right?"

They nod.

"Who in the hell are they gonna get to teach us."

I lift my drink to my lips, hiding the small smile that appeared on my lips. However as if realizing that I am still here and what I do, heads turn in my direction. They arch eyebrows at me willing me to spill the information that I know. When I don't immediately say anything Fanboy takes a step toward me.

"Do you know?" Fanboy asks.

"Of course, I know, but where would the fun be if I told ya?" I grin.

They groan at me. "Easy lady and gents, you will all find out on Monday morning."

I can see Rooster shaking his head at me. I turn mine in his direction just as he sends a wink toward me and disappears into the crowd once again.

"You gonna tell us anything about the mission," Pheonix asks a teasing grin on her own lips. I have a feeling she already knows the answer.

"Nope."

Bob shakes his head at me an amused grin on his lips before falling back into his conversation with Fanboy. He hasn't strayed too far from me tonight probably feeling obligated as my friend to stick close by. Pheonix gives a shake of her own head before turning back to her pool game.

I stay in my place watching the aviators interact with each other. They will all be pushed to their limits soon, and will all be fighting for their spots on this mission.

The music cuts off with a chorus of groans and noises of annoyance coursing through the bar. Somewhere through it, I hear chords from a piano.

I watch as Pheonix drags Bob and the others in the direction of the piano where Rooster had disappeared too. Hangman however stands confused by the pool table obviously not liking the interruption of his song.

Somewhere behind me, the bell is rung. I bow my head as a soft laugh leaves my lips. Oh Penny, did that poor man really deserve it? I know of their history, just like I know of Admiral Kazansky's fondness for the man, no doubt the reason he is here. I only hope Penny does okay with him being back. Sure the woman acts like a mother to me and definitely doesn't need my protection but she still has it.

Hangman and Coyote smirk as they take off to the bar. I should stop them, and tell them that they are about to throw out their commanding officer. I don't though. I can only smile to myself as I watch as they along with Payback toss the captain out onto the sand.

I down the rest of my drink in two big gulps before pushing off from my spot exiting the bar from a side door. Hangman closes the door loudly behind him not noticing me as I watch Captain Mitchell scramble up from the sand.

He doesn't notice me as he stumbles and tries to shake the sand off himself.

I take a deep breath.

"Are you alright Captain?"

His hand snaps up to meet mine, halting his pursuit to dust the sand off his jeans.

"I'm fine, although I would appreciate an introduction if I'm being honest"

"Lieutenant Liv Fairdon, I will be your advisory analyst on this mission, and in the concept of complete transparency, I've been also tasked with keeping an eye on you," I say and he seems a bit taken aback by my honesty.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Admiral Simpson asked me himself this evening."

He scoffs softly to himself. "Well, then he's probably already told you everything you need to know about me then?" Captain Mitchell shoves his hand in his back pocket as he stares at me, a look a mixture of annoyance and perplexment.

"No he didn't tell me anything, but I've heard a lot about you, Captain, from Admiral Kazansky."

His eyes widen only for a second before he looks down. "Oh."

"I've spent a lot of time with him the past year, helping him get his naval affairs in order. Though he spent a lot of time in between talking about you, and how great of a pilot you are. Not better than him but still." I pause taking a step toward the man. "Both Admiral Kazansky and Admiral Simpson have done and mean a lot to me. I know one dislikes you greatly and one cares for you immensely but I don't really care about either of their opinions."

I remember those long hours locked away in Admiral Kazansky's study as we poured over old flight reports and studies. As I patiently sat on the stool as he typed out stories when he got tired of staring at the pages in front of him. A lot was of his old WSO, Slider, who joined us once or twice but an even amount was of Captain Mitchell who stares back at me now with skepticism in his eyes and his mouth slightly agape as he looks me over.

"All I care about from you is that you make sure that the person I love comes home... That all of them come home. I don't care about your past or your stubbornness or anything else that lead Admiral Simpson to dislike you so, all I care about is them coming home. Do we have an understanding?"

He doesn't say anything, just stares at me. After a moment he nods.

"We have an understanding."

I nod curtly allowing my body to go rigid. "Good... Captain Mitchell." I salute before turning quickly to my feet and heading back into the bar.

Bob spots me after a moment and waves me over. I am quickly tucked under his arm as he singly loudly and off-key as Rooster pounds on the piano keys to "Great Balls of Fire."

My heart is still pounding loudly in my ears from my confrontation with Maverick, but I manage to fall into Bob's side as I join in the song. I catch Rooster's eye's behind his sunglasses and there's a gleam in there as he loudly sings the chorus, the veins in his neck pop and strain turning red as he practically yells it.

I can barely hear my own voice as I yell along with him.

Everyone is bumping along, swinging randomly to the song. Even Hangman has joined in, standing beside Coyote as he nods his head along.

I really hope Maverick understands me, because, while I want Bob to come home so badly that it physically hurts me to think otherwise, as I watch the group singly awfully to the song I know that I really need all of them to come home. I don't want to see their faces hung beside Andy and the others in the long hallway near my office.

I really need Maverick to succeed.

I know it took me forever. I just didn't think any of my drafts were good enough!

But anyway here it is!

[~~~~] Next Chapter- Coming Soon!

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berenwrites · 1 year

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Whole New Us Ch18 - Stranger Things - Steddie

Whole New Us: Trauma Bonded and Beyond

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Summary: Steve has been ignoring his own problems, he’s been busy. They’ve all been busy, preoccupied with fixing everything that was broken. Vecna has been defeated, but the Upside Down is still there, and the gates are not completely closed even though Hawkins has almost returned to normal. It’s been a couple of months and the aftereffects of Steve’s encounter with the demobats is about to come back to bite him. However, it also brings some unexpected hope.

Pairing: steddie (Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson)

Rating: Teen (with mature content in later chapters)

Chapter 18. Back to the Grind

Steve did not sleep well. Even with Eddie’s arms wrapped around him and Robin curled in front of him, anything resembling deep slumber was in short supply. The one and only time he did manage to properly fall asleep, he had a nightmare about the Russian lab and woke up crying. It seemed that his subconscious was perfectly happy to let him doze during the day, but when it came to the night, it had other ideas.

In the end he crawled out of bed at around five, gently coaxing Eddie to go back to sleep and leaving Robin snoring. He grabbed some clothes and used the main bathroom to take a shower, so he didn’t disturb the others, before heading downstairs. The coffee pot cooperated, so with a mug in hand he headed outside, sitting on one of the loungers in the pre-dawn twilight.

It was peaceful. There were some enterprising birds already trying out their songs even though dawn was a little way off. There were no cars on the road yet. Sitting there it was possible to imagine that everything was normal, no Upside Down, no Russians, no government spooks. He could even ignore the way the world was louder and brighter than it used to be. For a while he let himself enjoy it.

The coffee was bitter on his tongue, the air temperature was comfortable, and there was a light breeze that brought with it the smell of the woods. He felt at home. After the troubled night, it was settling.

Dawn was just properly breaking when he heard the door behind him open.

“This is where you got to,” Eddie said, padding over in bare feet.

“Letting nature set me up for the day,” he replied, giving Eddie a smile.

It had been a rough night, but it wasn’t like they weren’t used to them. There was no point in dwelling on it.

“You’re sure that’s not the caffeine?” Eddie asked, looking at the mug now sitting on the ground.

“Well that too,” Steve agreed with a laugh, catching his boyfriend as Eddie plonked down in his lap. “Good morning,” he added, winding his arms around Eddie properly.

“Good morning,” Eddie replied, leaning in for a quick kiss. “I hate to break it to you, I think we’re either going to need a miracle or the smell of frying bacon to wake Birdie up today. I did try, but she threatened to unman me with her elbows.”

“Yeah, she does that,” he said. “I only didn’t believe her once.”

Eddie winced on his behalf.

“A half-asleep Robin is a dangerous thing,” he added.

“Never in my life would I have guessed that would be information important to me,” Eddie said and leaned back in for another kiss.

Steve just hummed and enjoyed the slightly longer kiss. Eddie was still in the clothes he had slept in so it was easy to get a hand up under the loose shirt to run his fingers over Eddie’s back.

“Fuck,” Eddie said when they broke apart, leaning his forehead against Steve’s, “are you sure you have to work today?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Steve replied, equally as reluctant to stop, but knowing he had to. “Come on, let’s go back in and I’ll start breakfast before we get completely side-tracked.”

“I hate it when you’re sensible,” Eddie complained, but did climb off. “Can we have French toast?”

“French toast and bacon coming up,” Steve said and unfolded from the lounger. “The breakfast of kings.”

“My liege is most generous,” Eddie said with a deep, theatrical bow.

It was impossible to resist, and Steve slapped him on the ass on the way past.

“That’s just taking advantage,” Eddie mock complained. “Do it again.”

~*~

Steve was on opening, so he and Eddie arrived at Family Video after dropping Robin at school. It was way earlier than his shift, but he figured a little time back after all he had missed wasn’t so bad. The way Eddie pushed past him as he opened the door and canvased the whole area like a secret service agent made him smile. Eddie was taking keeping him safe very seriously.

Eddie, usually the rugged individualist, had also decided to dress down for the occasion. The fact Eddie had yet to go out in public was on Steve’s mind. He’d tried to bring it up, but Eddie had shut him down. The fact that Eddie’s solution was to borrow his clothes and tie the glorious mane of hair into a neat ponytail had Steve conflicted. In no way did he want Eddie ever compromising himself for him, but he couldn’t help feeling it was safer.

Hawkins was so predictable that most of them wouldn’t remotely recognise Eddie without his metal-head armour. Not even with the pale scar on his cheek.

There was also the matter of Eddie’s neck. Steve had a thing for Eddie’s neck. All that pale skin on display had him thinking impure thoughts. It would undoubtedly drive him crazy.

“I’m going to start on the returns bin,” he said, making sure to lock the door again behind him. “You can help if you like, or y’know keep yourself entertained.”

“You might not get any work done if you say things like that,” Eddie replied with a broad grin.

“If we try anything like that, I definitely will get fired,” he replied and headed over to turn the lights on.

He knew Eddie had brought his notebook and was working on a new campaign, so he wasn’t too worried his boyfriend would be bored out of his skull.

In the end, he managed to keep himself busy and not think at all about what had happened last time he was here until he was ready to open. After he had unlocked the door and flipped the sign, he went to stand behind the counter. He took up his habitual position without thinking about it. Then he looked up.

For a second, all he could see was the Russian woman’s face smiling at him lecherously as she leaned over the counter. He couldn’t move.

“Steve.”

His name and a soft touch on his shoulder snapped him back to reality. He gasped in a breath and grabbed the counter as he swayed.

“Hey, Big Boy,” Eddie said, looping an arm around his waist to keep him steady, “deep breaths, okay?”

He nodded, doing his best to comply. It took a little while, but with Eddie’s calming touch, he gradually got his racing heart under control.

“Want to talk about it?” Eddie asked quietly.

“Saw her standing there,” he said, closing his eyes and trying his best to banish the unwanted thoughts. “This is … this is where I was when they drugged me.”

“You going to be okay?” was Eddie’s next question while rubbing circles on his back.

He did his best to nod.

“I just wasn’t ready,” he admitted. “I just did what I always do, and it hit me.”

“Can I do anything to help?” Eddie asked.

“You already are,” he replied and gave his boyfriend the best smile he could manage. “I’ll be fine,” he added.

Eddie pursed his lips. Steve was pretty sure Eddie didn’t believe him, but, after a moment, Eddie gave in with a sigh.

“If I didn’t think it might cause a riot I would stay right here,” Eddie said. “I’ll be watching, okay?”

Steve reached out and gave Eddie’s hand a squeeze.

In the end it was a long, tense shift, but nothing terrible happened. The only events of note were firstly when Keith came in during the afternoon and tried to have an actual conversation with him. It was plain weird, and Steve bluffed his way through it by pretending that everything was perfectly normal. Hideously, as predicted by Robin, Keith did eventually give up and headed for the back room.

The second thing was utterly adorable. An older woman who had to be eighty if she was a day, had been looking over the romance section. She’d accidentally knocked a tape off the shelf and Eddie, being the gentleman most of the town had no idea he was, had swooped in to pick it up for her. The woman had recognised him from the paper, but contrary to all their fears, she had believed the cover story. She had spent half an hour telling him what a lovely boy he was for saving the sweet Henderson boy, while Eddie made ‘help me’ faces at Steve. He had been able to hear the whole conversation from his position at the counter.

Only when the sweet woman had mentioned she had a granddaughter just Eddie’s age had Eddie finally made his escape.

And the third thing was when the Party had decided to invade after school. Dustin’s exact words when he had laid eyes on Eddie had been: “Dude, what are you wearing?”

Eddie’s response had been: “I’m incognito.”

Which had almost satisfied the kids, but not quite. Luckily, they had had Will with them because the Byers had now officially returned from California and introducing Eddie to Will had taken over from any outrage at Eddie voluntarily wearing Steve’s clothes. When Max got home at the end of the week, everyone would be back in town.

That thought had set Steve’s mind turning about the weekend.

“I know it’s graduation on Saturday,” Steve said when he, Eddie and Robin were in the car on the way back to his place, “and everyone who’s graduating will be doing stuff with their families after, but do you think everyone might enjoy a pool party on Sunday?”

They hadn’t all been together since they’d all helped put Vecna down for good, and Eddie had never had a chance to experience everyone in one place at all. It was summer, school was finishing, somewhat late thanks to Vecna, and Steve wanted to see everyone able to relax.

“Steve, you got kidnapped under a week ago,” Eddie pointed out, “do you think that’s a good idea?”

Glancing sideways he gave Eddie a small smile for that.

“Actually, I think it could be a great idea,” he replied.

“Don’t even bother, Eddie,” Robin said from the back, “he’s already made up his mind.”

“Have not,” he protested. “That’s why I asked both of you. If you think it would be a disaster, I can be sensible on occasion. I just think it would be good to all get together when it’s not the end of the world. No doubt the Hooper-Byers household will want to host something at some point this summer, but the house isn’t quite finished, so not yet. Which leaves our place, which has the added advantage of a pool.”

When he took his eyes of the road for a second, he noticed Eddie had a small, pleased smile on his face, but Steve wasn’t quite sure why.

“Dingus has a point,” Robin commented.

“Can’t argue with the logic,” Eddie agreed. “But I suggest we come up with more of a plan before inviting everyone.” “That we can do,” Steve agreed.

End of Chapter 18

Chapter 19

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