#4882 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ladykailitha · 5 months

Text

I am frustrated with technology at the moment. Windows 11 decided that it was going to save my stories in two places. And with two stories (I almost put twice, it was way more than twice) it only showed the versions that were from before I got my new laptop.

So like with Royal Pain's epilogue, the version I sent @duraffinity for Exit Eddie Pursued By a Steve was the version I posted here and not my edited copy (I at least try to do a SPaG read before I send it to her so it's not too bad).

So I'm struggling with leaving it as is on AO3 or trying to send the version I had worked on for her to get the right on edited and posted on AO3.

Version 2.0 in all its 4882 word glory under the cut:

Eddie had been on his way to the choir room for his weekly “meeting” of the Hellfire Club. They had to have in there this week due to the unfortunate fact that the school musical was currently being preformed and they actually needed the drama room closet.

Suddenly a gaggle of people came tearing out of the stage in a hurry. The last of which was someone in a large red wig and bright yellow dress. But Eddie knew those hazel eyes anywhere.

He let out a low whistle. “Looking gorgeous there, Harrington.”

Steve skidded to a stop in his kitten heels and turned to see who had cat-called him.

“Yeah?” Steve said to him under half-shut eyes. “You like what you see, Munson?”

Eddie gave an appraising glance up and down. “I do indeed.”

“Too bad I have to change out of it,” Steve teased.

Eddie shook his head sadly. “Now, why would you want to go and do a thing like that?”

Steve laughed. “Because I’m in the next scene, and I ain’t wearing this!”

Eddie laughed, too. “Damn shame.”

Steve looked around and then hurried over to him. “If you like it that much, meet me after the play.”

He winked and then gathered up his skirt and ran for the changing room.

Eddie was still standing there when Jeff, Gareth, and Brian came up behind him.

“Who was the broad?” Brian asked.

Eddie licked the top row of his teeth. “That was no broad, gentlemen. That was King Steve in a ballgown.”

“Wait, what?” Jeff asked, his face screwed up in confusion. “No way.”

“Oh yeah,” Eddie hummed. “And I’m pretty sure he just asked me backstage after the play for a little action.”

All three other boys turned to him in shock.

“Ain’t no way,” Gareth hissed. “It’s probably some prank to have the basketball team jump you or something.”

Eddie grinned. “Come on, boys. We’ve got dragons to slay before they kick us out of the choir room, too.”

They all followed him to the choir room, a little confused on what just happened.

Steve waited nervously after getting one of the band and orchestra geeks to help him back into the dress. The wig and makeup were gone, as were the shoes. Those things pinched.

His dress swished back and forth as he paced wringing his hands.

“Oh.”

Steve stopped in his tracks and turned to the open door. Eddie stood there with an expression that Steve couldn’t quite make out.

“I have to know before we do this,” he rambled. “Are you wanting to do this because you thought I was beautiful as a girl in a dress? Or because you thought I looked beautiful in the dress?”

Eddie paused for a moment. “That is a very important distinction and one you are right in asking, sweetheart.”

Steve blushed deeply.

Eddie crowded his space and lifted his chin gently, “You look beautiful, Stevie.”

He gasped and Eddie dived on in, pressing their lips together. Instantly, Steve’s tongue tangled with his.

Eddie pulled away reluctantly. “We are definitely doing this.”

Steve nodded. “Just try not to get anything on the dress itself, otherwise I’ll be murdered by the drama teacher.”

Eddie chuckled darkly. “You’ve got it, babe.”

When Eddie walked in the room, Steve appeared coy. Shy even. And then when Steve asked why he was interested in fucking him in that dress, he suddenly got it.

“Anyone ever take care of you, Stevie?” he murmured, slowly pulling up the folds of the dress to get at those delicious thighs.

Steve shook his head. “I’ve only had sex with girls. They tend to expect you to do all the work.”

“Oh, darlin’,” Eddie cooed. “I’m going to make you feel so good, baby.”

Steve threw his head back and moaned as Eddie caressed the sides of his thighs.

“That’s it,” Eddie purred, mouthing along the expanse of Steve’s neck, “you sound so good.”

He pushed down the pantaloons Steve was wearing and tucked the dress behind his beautiful cock and sank to his knees.

Steve’s hands immediately buried into Eddie’s hair, pulling him all the way onto his cock.

Eddie lifted one of Steve’s legs and tucked it over his shoulder. He took the spit and slick from his blowjob and coated his fingers. He pressed one finger into Steve and the boy let out the most delicious sounds.

Eddie wished he could swallow them up, but he would have to settle for swallowing Steve down entirely. He continued to open Steve up and suck him off. Suddenly Steve was coming in ribbons down Eddie’s throat.

Eddie stood up and kissed Steve dirtily, mouth still slick with his cum.

Eddie gathered up the skirt of the dress and pressed into to Steve’s hands. “Hold on tight to that, darling. We don’t want to get anything on it, right?”

Steve nodded. He let out a low whine, taking in as much of Eddie as he could.

Eddie lined himself up and slowly pierced Steve’s ass.

“Eddie!” he cried. “Oh god!”

Eddie took that as encouragement and slid all the way to the hilt.

Steve wanted to grip the back of Eddie’s shirt and fist his hair, but his hands were occupied by the skirt of his dress. He held on tight, barely holding on as Eddie fucked him wildly.

Soon Eddie was coming into Steve, in rough, hopeless waves.

Steve let out a breathless sigh. “God, oh fuck.” He moved to bring his hands down but Eddie stopped him.

“We need to get you out of this dress first, darlin’,” he murmured into Steve’s ear, “then you can lower your arms, all right?”

Steve nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

Eddie giggled at how far gone Steve was. He removed the dress and hung everything up their proper places, while Steve panted for air, pressed against the crates Eddie fucked him against.

Once Steve was able to catch his breath, he asked, “How did you know where everything went?”

Eddie turned back to him with a grin. “This is where my club meets for D&D. The Hellfire Club, ever heard of it?”

Steve nodded. “I’ve got these kids I babysit that love that game. It’s all they’ve been talking about when it comes to picking out classes and clubs for next year.”

Eddie raised an eyebrow and sat down to watch Steve clean up himself and get dressed. He wondered where it was all going to go from there. Would Steve throw him out? Punch him? Mock him?

“I think you’ve ruined me for anyone else,” Steve muttered darkly as he ran his hand through his hair. He stood there in sweatpants and ratty old yellow sweater, looking every bit as beautiful as he had in the dress.

Eddie grinned. “Yeah, big boy? How’s that?”

“I don’t think I’ve come so hard in my life.”

Eddie cackled. “Right back ‘atcha, sweetheart.”

Steve blushed and walked over to stand between Eddie’s legs. “We’ve had dessert, what would you say to a late dinner?”

Eddie smiled up at him and then pulled him down for a kiss. “Sounds perfect, Stevie.”

“I call bullshit,” Brian said the next morning at their lockers when Eddie told them. “There is no way you sucked Harrington’s dick.”

“Did a slight more than that, Bri,” Eddie crowed.

Jeff frowned. “Prove it.” He jutted his chin across the hall to where Steve was at his locker getting stuff out for the next class. “There’s ‘your boy’ as you say. Go get him.”

“And even if it is true,” Gareth growled. “There is no way he’d associate with you in the middle of the whole fucking school. He’s going to break your heart and we’ll have to pick up the pieces.”

“Watch and learn, boys,” Eddie said flippantly.

He strutted across the hall to Steve and placed his hand on the locker next to him by his head.

Steve turned around, closing his locker. “Oh, hey, Eddie.”

Eddie smirked. “Morning, princess.”

Steve leaned against the lockers and laughed. “I’m the ugly step-sister, remember. Not the princess.”

“You were as pretty as one last night,” Eddie teased.

Steve grinned and put his arms around Eddie’s neck. “Hmm...that kind of talk is what got us in that position in the first place.”

Eddie grinned right back, putting his hands on Steve’s waist. “You saying flattering works on you, sweetheart?”

Steve cocked his head to the side. “I’m saying it doesn’t hurt.”

He pressed his lips to Eddie’s and they both melted into the kiss.

“Am I going to see you at lunch?” Eddie asked pulling away and pressing their foreheads together.

Steve shook his head. “You have first lunch and I have second.”

“So cruel,” he murmured, his thumb rubbing a patch of bare skin between Steve’s jeans and where his sweater had risen up because of his arms around Eddie’s neck.

“I’ll see you after school, okay?”

Eddie nodded. “It’ll be torment until I see you again.”

“For me, too,” Steve breathed.

And then Eddie was digging his fingers into Steve’s sides, tickling him.

“Eddie!” Steve protested, laughing.

Eddie leaned forward and kissed the smile off his face. “Later, Princess.”

“Later, Eds.”

Eddie turned and walked away.

“Eddie!” Steve called out. “Catch!”

Eddie managed to catch whatever it was on sheer instinct. He looked at it to see that it was Steve’s varsity basketball ring.

“Hold on to that for me,” he said with a smile. “It’s special to me.”

Eddie saluted and practically skipped back to his friends.

Steve laughed, shaking his head fondly.

“Holy fuck,” Jeff said. “He laughed at an Eddie-ism and not mockingly either.”

“His varsity ring,” Gareth replied numbly. “He gave Eddie his varsity ring.”

“That possessive draping his arms over Eddie’s shoulders...” Brian muttered.

Eddie just chewed happily on his pretzels as he watched his friends repeat all the things that Steve and he had done that morning.

“So...no broken hearts this fine Friday morning, is there?” he said into a brief lull in their retelling.

All three heads snapped his direction.

“How the hell did you manage to convince Steve Harrington to be your boyfriend?” Jeff asked.

“I really don’t think you want the play by play,” Eddie teased.

They all made gagging sounds.

Suddenly their table darkened. They stopped talking and they looked up.

There, standing above them were Tommy H, Carol, and about half the basketball team all glaring at Eddie.

“And how I can I help you gentlemen and lady today?” he asked, grinning around chewing on a pretzel.

“What did you do to Steve?” Tommy asked. “What spell did you use, man?”

Gareth snorted.

“This is serious!” Carol shrieked. “You tell your friend to undo whatever it was that he used to curse Steve.”

“Hon,” Jeff said with a raised eyebrow, “if Eddie could do magic don’t you think he would have magicked his way through school and not had to do a second time at being a senior?”

They all kind of looked at each other a moment before the muttering started.

Eddie just shook his head. “Or maybe, just maybe Steve needed someone to take care of him the way he takes care of everyone else.”

His flicked around the room and he could see Nancy and Jonathan inching closer to hear him.

“Because,” he continued a little louder, “if you lot had given as much of damn about him as he did about you, maybe I wouldn’t have had to adopt him like have all my other little sheep. So fuck off. And maybe ask Steve why he abandoned you lot.”

He waved them off and went back to eating his lunch.

Steve was showering after gym and could feel the eyes on him. He looked up to see that half of the boys showering were looking at him and the other half was avoiding his eye.

“Did theater turn you gay?” one of the guys asked.

Steve had give it to the kid for actually having the balls to say something. He sighed and turned off the water. “I like dicks and hard chests, sure. I also like soft breasts and wet cunts. It’s not always an either or thing.”

Some of the guys started covering their junks and he laughed.

“Oh god, I don’t care about your dicks, for fuck’s sake,” he said rolling his eyes. He turned the water back on. “I’ve never looked at any of your scaly dicks. I know how fast you shower. I don’t need to look at your dick to know you didn’t wash it.”

Some of them ducked their heads as they knew he was talking about them.

“And don’t think for a second that I’m the only queer in this shower room either,” he continued. “You lot aren’t as slick as you think you are. Plus, what would I want with any of your dicks? Have you seen Munson’s? Take it from someone who has, it’s far superior to you lot.”

Steve finished up rinsing his hair and got dressed. The second he was out the door, the locker room erupted in a cacophony of gossip. He just shook his head.

Steve walked out to the parking lot where Eddie was waiting for him. He strolled right up to where his boyfriend was lounging against the driver’s side door of his van.

“Hey, honey,” Eddie greeted with a big smile. “Miss me?”

“Always.” Steve kissed him soundly.

Eddie pulled him closer to deepen the kiss, hands buried into Steve’s gorgeous locks.

When they finally broke apart, Eddie licked his lips. “Damn, Stevie, if you kiss all the girls like that it’s no wonder they’re after you all the time.”

Steve draped his arms around Eddie’s neck. “Only you, sunshine.”

Eddie tucked his hands into Steve’s back pockets. “You got the play again tonight?”

Steve hummed. “And tomorrow, too.”

Eddie chewed his bottom lip. “I want you to meet my Uncle Wayne. Is it too soon?”

Steve shook his head. “I’d love to meet your uncle, baby. You just don’t want to meet my parents.”

Eddie pursed his lips. “You won’t get into trouble by dating me so openly, will you?”

Steve shrugged. “I don’t honestly know. But it wouldn’t matter if I did. I’d pick you over those jackasses that haven’t been around much since I turned sixteen.”

Eddie hummed. “Okay, baby. I just want you safe.”

Steve kissed him. “Thanks for that. But I’ll be fine.”

“So I’m coming to the play tonight,” Eddie said, “all proper, with a ticket and everything.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “You hoping for a repeat performance after last night, Eds?”

“And if I was?” he growled in Steve’s ear.

Steve giggled. “I have an outfit that I’m actually wearing at the end of the play that I think you’ll enjoy a little more than the ballgown, baby.”

Eddie’s nostrils flared in want. “Yeah, honey, we can do that.”

Steve kissed him deeply. “Can’t wait.”

“What time do you have to be here tomorrow for the play?”

“About three o’clock, why?” Steve asked, rubbing his nose along Eddie’s.

“My uncle has work at two,” Eddie explained, “so why don’t you come over tomorrow for lunch and meet him.”

Steve kissed him fiercely. “Okay, sunshine. I’ll bring pizza, is noon okay?”

Eddie nodded. “I’ll see you then, princess.”

They finally broke apart and Steve walked back the school.

Jeff shook his head and clacked his tongue. “Dude that was the most disgusting display of affection I’ve ever seen. And you’ve met my parents.”

Eddie cackled. “Just wait boys, I have feeling we’re about to get so much worse.”

Eddie sat in the back of the school auditorium and grinned when Steve came out in a yellow robe over just a corset and pantaloons with stockings and kitten-heeled shoes for the scene with Cinderella trying on the glass slipper.

Eddie ran his tongue over his lips slowly. Steve had been right. The ballgown had been a treat, but this? This was the fucking main course.

He waited until all the other guys had filed out of the drama room to enter. He nearly growled when he saw Steve draped against the sofa dressed as he was in the play minus the silk robe. Which was fair. That was a lot harder to keep out of the way.

“Like what you see, beautiful?” Steve murmured. He rand his hands down the corset and Eddie growled. And then pounced.

Sex that time was different. Now that they both knew that they were on the same page, it was both more tender and a lot raunchier.

When they were getting dressed, Steve hummed.

“You know,” he said. “you really are good at making sure there isn’t anything on the clothes.

Eddie huffed out a laugh. “That’s because if you’re sneaking around and don’t want people to know, you learn real quick the art of not letting it show on the outside.”

Steve stopped what he was doing and walked over to him. He lifted his chin and gave him a deep kiss. “You’ll never have to worry about that unless you want to. Like tonight and last night. This is just a bit of fun, but...” he held up Eddie’s right hand that held Steve’s varsity ring, “this is a full on declaration, okay? I won’t ever hide that I’m yours.”

Eddie nodded. “You’ve got it, sweetheart.”

“Good,” Steve murmured. “I’m starving and Benny’s has pancakes on special on Fridays.”

Eddie laughed. “Yeah, baby, it’ll be my treat.”

The next morning Wayne found Eddie pacing the living room.

“What’s got you around the twist?” he finally asked after the hundredth sigh.

Eddie wrung his hands. “So you know how I don’t introduce you to the guys I sleep around with?”

Wayne snorted. “I figured they just liked leaping out of windows when I came home.”

Eddie giggled. “Well, this one wants to meet you.”

Wayne raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Eddie chewed on his bottom lip. “He’s really good to me, Uncle Wayne. And I mean, really good.”

Wayne hummed. “What do you mean?”

Eddie started pacing again. “It’s like every time I think, ‘oh this is it, this the part where he gets embarrassed by me’ he does something super sweet and cements that he’s with me for the long haul. It’s like he’s inside my head reading my insecurities and coming up with things that would allay those fears.”

He stopped in front of his uncle and handed him the ring.

“He gave this to you?” Wayne asked before really looking at it.

“In front a large crowd of people so that people wouldn’t say I stole it from him.”

Wayne’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously? Wasn’t that dangerous?”

Eddie nodded, close to vibrating out of his skin. “But he wanted people to know he belonged to me and no one else.”

“It doesn’t look very expensive,” Wayne said with a chuckle.

“No,” Eddie agreed. “It’s a chintzy thing, but it’s important to him so...”

Wayne actually looked at the ring, like really looked at it. “Ed. This is a varsity basketball ring.”

Eddie nodded again. “That’s the other reason I’m nervous introducing you to him. We were both targets of jock bullies in school until we became untouchable through admittedly very different ways. You with auto body and me with metal.”

He sat down and then back up again. “And I won’t lie and say he wasn’t like that, but after getting a concussion he started to realize popularity wasn’t all it cracked up to be so he joined drama, ditched his asshole friends and–”

“Who are you trying to convince me or yourself?” Wayne interjected gently.

Eddie blushed. “He’s just so good, Uncle Wayne.”

“So why are you trying so hard to convince me?”

Eddie gulped and sat down on the sofa, hard.

“Because it’s Steve Harrington.”

Wayne stared at him for a moment and then moved to sit next to him on sofa. “We’ve talked about him before, what so different this time?”

“He wants to meet you for a start,” Eddie said furrowing his brow. “Like even the boys that were out when they were with me didn’t want to do that. He bitched out a bunch of boys in the locker room for ragging on me. And I didn’t hear that one from him by the way. I overheard a couple of guys from his gym class talking about it. When I asked it about it later, he brushed it off like it wasn’t a big deal.”

“It wasn’t a big deal to defend you against bullies?” Wayne asked, eyes wide.

“Yeah.”

Wayne licked his lips slowly. “All right, let’s meet this boy of yours. When is he coming over?”

“Today at noon?” Eddie said with a grimace.

Wayne looked around at the newly tidied trailer and simply said. “Ah.”

“He’s bringing pizza for lunch,” Eddie said sheepishly, “if that helps.”

“Depends from where.”

Eddie pushed him playfully. “You are such a pizza snob, God!”

There was a knock on the door and Wayne looked at his watch. “Looks like your boy is a little early.”

Eddie blushed.

“I wonder if I can have him teach that trick to you,” he said rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

He got up to get the door and had his hand on the doorknob before Eddie came to his senses.

“Don’t you dare open that door, old man,” he said scrambling to the door. “I won’t have you to scare him off because of his pizza choices.”

Wayne laughed, but let Eddie open the door. On the other side was a grinning Steve.

“I hope Carlos’s Pizza is good enough,” he said holding up the two large boxes.

Wayne took the boxes from him and peeked into the top one. “You’ll do.”

He wandered off into the kitchen for plates.

Eddie grabbed Steve by the lapels of his stupid Members Only jacket and hauled him inside to kiss the daylights out him.

Steve yelped in surprise, but went willingly into his boyfriend’s arms.

“You brought pizza from the only Italian pizzeria in town,” Eddie breathed. “He is going to love you.”

Steve laughed. “I have an Italian grandmother and rich parents, we only have ever gotten pizza at Carlos’s.”

Wayne stopped short in the small area between the kitchen and the front room, pizza shoved in his mouth. He swallowed roughly.

“I hadn’t thought about that,” Wayne said a little sheepishly. “Of course he brought good pizza.”

Steve couldn’t help feel like that had lost him points.

“I’ve set some plates out for you two,” Wayne said, jutting his thumb behind him.

Eddie and Steve went to kitchen. The plates didn’t match, but Steve couldn’t find it in him to care.

Eddie opened the top box and grimaced.

He went to pull out a slice, but Steve slid the bottom box out and opened it for him.

“Cheese?” Eddie asked looking into the new box. “You bought me a cheese pizza?”

Steve smiled. “Sure. You always pick off the pepperoni off your pizza when we had it at school.”

Eddie opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before snapping it shut to kiss Steve senseless.

“I didn’t know you noticed that,” he admitted shyly.

Steve laughed. “Dude, you used to throw the pieces into Tommy H’s hair.”

Eddie giggled. “Oops!”

They went out to the front room and Eddie sat on the sofa, and Steve sat on the floor between Eddie’s knees.

Wayne raised an eyebrow at Eddie’s meatless pizza, causing Eddie to blush.

“So Eddie tells me you’re dating now,” Wayne said after polishing off one of the slices he picked up for himself.

“Yes, sir,” Steve said, curling one hand around Eddie’s calf and rubbing it soothingly.

“You’re not worried about what’s gonna happen to two boys out in Bumfuck, Indiana?”

Steve looked up at Eddie and then back to Wayne. “Not really. I probably should. I know it’s dangerous. But I’m tired of hiding who I am to be palpable for other people.”

“You aren’t worried about what your parents are going to think?” Wayne pressed.

Steve shrugged. “They’d have to actually be home to do shit.”

Eddie and Wayne shared a glance over Steve’s head.

“What do you mean, baby?” Eddie asked softly.

“They started taking trips together when I turned sixteen,” he explained, picking at the crust of his pizza, tearing off little chunks. “The trips have gotten longer and longer the older I’ve gotten. Some days, I don’t think they remember they have a son.”

Wayne wanted to poke that statement a little bit more, but Steve was already shutting down.

“They will find out eventually,” Wayne said gently. “It’s not as though they aren’t completely disconnected from the Hawkins rumor mill.”

Again Steve rubbed Eddie’s calf, a move Eddie was starting sense was about Steve’s comfort and not his own.

“They didn’t come home when Billy Hargrove bashed my head in with a plate for stepping between him and a black fourteen year old kid for daring to hang out with his step-sister.”

The glance between Wayne and Eddie was far more concerned the last.

“Is that why you came to school after missing a couple of days with your face all black and blue?” Eddie asked softly, not sure he could say it louder. Not with Wayne nearby.

Steve nodded. “Quit the basketball team after that. That got my dad calling let me tell you. Hurt and in the hospital in the second major concussion in two years, fucking crickets. Quit the basketball team, on the phone screaming about wrecking my chances to get into a good college.”

“That’s more reason to be concerned, you realize?” Wayne asked.

Steve sighed. “Probably. But when I turned eighteen, I opened my own bank account and have been stashing away money to get out if I needed to.”

Eddie bristled at that. “You shouldn’t have to.”

Steve shrugged again. “I’ve been wanting to get out that house for a while now, and I have enough saved up to do it. Which probably why I outed myself, I guess. I knew I could walk away if I needed to.”

“So why Eddie?”

Steve blushed. He looked up at him with a dopey grin. “I’ve had a crush on him for years. Hell, my first major girlfriend was essentially fem!Eddie. Beautiful, dark curly hair, deep soulful eyes...” He ducked his head in embarrassment.

“Years?” Eddie asked. “Seriously?”

Steve stroked Eddie’s calf again and hummed in agreement. “Yeah. Ever since I started high school. You were so unapologetically yourself standing up to bullies, making sure the weirdos, freaks, and outcasts were taken care of. God, how I wished I could be one of your sheep. But I had to have the right friends, date the right people, take the right classes. So I watched you from afar.”

He looked up at Wayne. “Did he tell you how we got together?”

“Yup,” he said, sucking on his teeth.

“All of it?”

“Yup.”

Eddie laughed. “Sorry, sweetheart. I tell him everything.”

Steve shook his head. “That must be so nice.” He scratched his cheek. “When Eddie told me he was into me, that it wasn’t just about having sex, I wanted to make sure everyone knew how much I was into him.”

Eddie leaned down a kissed the top of his head. “That’s because you love loud, Stevie. And I wouldn’t have any other way.”

Steve kissed Eddie’s knee as a thank you.

“Ed said that you seemed to recognize the doubts in his head,” Wayne said, “and take steps to combat them before they took root.”

Steve blushed. “Oh, I didn’t even realize I was doing that. I just knew all the fears I had and what I would have liked my partner to do to allay them. And then did that.”

“You’re so sweet, babe.” Eddie ran his fingers through Steve’s hair and he leaned into the touch with a sigh.

Steve laid his head on Eddie’s knee, soaking up the comfort. Eddie kicked Steve’s thigh with his foot.

“Eat up, Stevie,” he murmured.

Steve straightened up and began to eat. The rest of the meal, descending into a comfortable silence.

They cleaned up and Steve let them keep the leftovers.

Steve said goodbye to Eddie and Wayne and him walked out to their vehicles together, Wayne for work and Steve to the final practice before the last performance.

Wayne patted his shoulder. “You’re a good kid, Steve. And if you ever need a place to run to, run here.”

Steve blushed for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon, but nodded. As he got into his car and pulled away he shook his head fondly. In the space of two hours, he had found himself a home.

The last two days had really changed his life. He had someone who loved him for who he was and a place to run to if things got bad. The ugly step-sister didn’t need a prince to happy, all it took was one earnestly sincere metalhead and Steve would take that over Prince Charming anyway. Especially since the prince had been played by Tommy H.

#my writing #ladykailtiha writes #trouble with technology #editing #ao3

14 notes · View notes

commander-krios · 8 months

Text

Wherever You Lead

Fandom: Andromeda Six Pairing: Calderon Lynch/Traveler Rating: Teen Summary: Goldis is back in the hands of the Peg'asi monarchy, but big changes are coming to the planet and the rest of Seleota. At least Calderon gets one night of peace with the princess he's fallen head over heels for. Words: 4882 Additional Tags: Royalty, Politics, Ballroom Dancing, Sexual Tension, Romance, Kitalphan Traveler, Post-Game, Post-Canon, Game Spoilers

Read on AO3

~~~~

The hallways in the south wing were quiet, the damage nearly gone thanks to the servants and artisans who had cleaned and reconstructed anything destroyed in the fighting. The war to take the throne from Zovack was won nearly a month ago, a tense peace brokered between those who still stood. Now, it was time to decide what the future held for them all.

Calderon Lynch stood outside of one of the royal suites, staring out of the window at the gardens below. The palace was another world entirely, gold and glittering and its people ignorant of the struggles of those in the districts. At least, it had been. He hoped with Nerissa as the figurehead, something would change. That the blood he and the rest of his crew had given would mean something.

The suite’s ornate door opened to reveal a tiny person with greying dark hair, a beautiful face lined with slight wrinkles, but they wore their age with dignity and grace. Fleur was always radiant, even when Calderon was a child, but there was something humbling about seeing his mother against the ruined backdrop of palace walls. The knowledge that despite the horrible circumstances that brought them here, they were safe and that they were here. His past collided with the present in a strange limbo that still made him feel small and insignificant. That made him feel unworthy of the life he’d been given.

Fleur stepped out of the room, closing the door behind them with a click, only to throw their arms around his middle, hugging him with as much strength as their small form allowed. He didn’t hesitate to return the embrace, pulling them tight against his chest.

“Calderon, there are no words to describe how happy I am to see you.” They whispered, pulling away slightly to smile at him, tears sparkling in their eyes. They brushed a hand down the elaborate navy jacket he wore, gold embroidery reflecting the light. “I knew you would look so handsome in this.”

“You’re never wrong.” He replied, a soft grin crossing his lips.

They sniffed, taking another step back, examining the rest of his attire with a critical eye. Clearing their throat, they straightened his cape, smiling through their emotions. “I’m so proud of the man you’ve become, Calderon. You’ve come a long way from the young boy who ran wild through the streets.”

He snorted, remembering those days with Jasper, back when they were nothing but Gold District kids who had big dreams. “I expect you never imagined I’d end up here. Especially after joining the Guard.”

Fleur smiled fondly, meeting his gaze with a love that he missed on his darkest days while on the run. “Considering how you got on with little Nira as children…”

“You mean how we nearly came to blows as often as she did with her twin?”

“Arlo.” Fleur chuckled, running a hand over their hair, taming a few stray strands, memories dancing in their eyes. “He was always a shit, but you had her back when he took things too far.”

“I didn’t even remember who she was when she walked on my bridge.” Calderon admitted with a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “She… hasn’t let me live it down.”

Fleur laughed in that soft way they always managed. “She wouldn’t, would she? Princess Daianira was always a handful. But seeing you so happy… It’s what I always wanted. What your mother and I always wanted. No matter what choices you made in the past, you deserve to be happy.”

“Thank you.”

Daianira had told him, back on Tilaarin, that he deserved more than he thought he did. For the first time since Jasper’s betrayal, he actually believed it.

“Now,” Fleur began, smoothing their hands over their own attire, mind clearly elsewhere. “The coronation starts in an hour. The princess should be nearly ready, but she’s a bundle of nerves.”

Calderon raised an eyebrow, concerned for the first time since stepping foot in the palace that morning. “Is she alright?”

“Oh, she’ll be fine. It’s been a while since she’s attending anything more formal than tea with her mother. She’ll get back into the swing of it, I’m sure. Besides, she’ll have a handsome guard to escort her.” Fleur winked at him and he knew his blush was fierce in response.

“I don’t think I can be considered a guard anymore.” He sighed, the fluttering in his chest at the thought of being on Daianira’s arm too tempting. It was dangerous territory to explore when the future was so uncertain. “But I’ll do my best to help.”

Fleur raised an eyebrow, barely hiding their suspicion as they watched him. “Of course you will.” They paused briefly before pointing a finger into his chest. “You better not be late, Calderon.”

“I’m not going to ruin Daianira’s evening, mother.”

“It’s not her evening I’m worried about. It’s mine.” They teased him. “I’ve worked hard on the gowns for the coronation and I do not intend to let one of them waste away on the floor.”

Calderon didn’t get embarrassed often, but the way his mother was staring at him, he couldn’t help but glance away with a nervous laugh, face heating at the thought of skipping the entire ceremony to spend the night locked in Daianira’s private suite. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Mhm. You haven’t seen her yet.”

He managed to swallow around the lump that’d appeared in his throat, giving his mother a tight smile. “We’ll be there.”

Fleur smiled, placing a hand on his arm. “I’ll see you soon then.”

The sound of their heels echoed down the hall as they made their exit. Calderon took a deep breath, filling his lungs until they felt like they’d explode before releasing it through his nose, trying to find a calm amongst his turbulent emotions. The anticipation over the coronations, his nerves concerning seeing Daianira dressed like a real princess for the first time, and the fact that they were finally free: from Zovack, from running. Once they made it past Nerissa’s coronation, they could work towards a better future for the entirety of Seleota.

When he finally managed to get the courage, Calderon knocked against the door to Daianira’s suite, the sound reverberating in the quiet. It took only a few seconds before she called out for him to enter. Taking another quick breath, hoping it would calm him, he pushed the door open.

The room appeared empty, the sun pouring through the open windows, birds singing as they flew past, a beautiful Goldis summer day that he never expected to see again. He’d never been in many of the palace’s suites before. Only on the rare occasion when Fleur was requested to dress the Stellar Queen for a royal function and he tagged along.

The room was designed like many other sections of the palace, in burgundy and gold, chestnut moulding and furniture, the entire scheme too dark for his tastes. The carpet beneath his feet was plush, muffling his steps as he walked in, the door clicking shut softly behind him. The sun did little to brighten the interior, but the room still had some charm. Roses in shades of cream and pink sat on the table in front of a sofa, their fragrance mixing with the warm breeze.

A pair of pearl combs sat on a dresser, discarded amongst other items: A silver handled brush, a pink sequined scarf that glittered in the sunlight, a clearly loved book with a tattered leather cover. He trailed a finger over the cover, reading the title and not recognizing it.

“Calderon?” Daianira’s voice was small and he nearly missed it.

“I’m here. Are you ready to leave?”

“I…don’t know.” Her voice trailed off, catching his attention. She never lacked confidence. It was inspiring though it exhausted him at times, the two of them butting heads over the stupidest things, but he always loved how she knew who she was, what she wanted, and had no hesitation in making decisions. But this wasn’t the Daianira he was used to hearing: this one sounded terrified.

“Is something wrong?”

A sigh met his ears and he had to stop from smiling. She sounded so frustrated that he could already see the scrunched nose, the slanted eyes, the downturn of her lips. “Just… don’t laugh.”

“I would never.”

Stepping from behind the dressing curtain, Daianira faced him, her hands clutched nervously in front of her, eyes downcast, tracing the patterns in the carpet with her gaze. It was odd to see her so quiet, so unsure of herself, but he couldn’t find the words to speak. Not when she looked like that in a dark gold gown that spilled in soft waves around her, a sweetheart neckline that plunged low enough to see the top of her breasts. A cuffed choker dripped diamonds across her collarbone, sparkling as she moved into the sunbeams. Her rose gold hair was pulled up into a simple tucked bun, a few pieces of hair curling around her face, framing the beautiful turquoise eyes now lined in gold and burgundy.

Calderon lost the ability to breathe at the sight of her standing there, looking every bit the princess that she was born to be. “You…”

She sighed, fingers itching her nose as she tried to hide her irritation. “I look ridiculous. Like a goddamned porcelain doll.”

With three quick strides, he crossed the distance between them, afraid to touch her but his hands twitched with the need to. He hooked a finger under her chin, tilting her face so that she met his eyes. “You look bewitching, Daia.”

She scrunched her face at him and he almost laughed at how disgruntled she looked. “Is that some new kind of insult?”

Calderon shook his head, fingers trailing across her throat, brushing gently over the necklace. She tensed at his touch and he felt like he was touching fire. She burned every part of him, whether she realized it or not. “I don’t need a fancy way to insult you, smartass.”

She swatted at him, a smile twitching her lips. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist before she could make contact, lifting her hand slowly and pressing a kiss against her palm. Her cheeks flushed slightly, biting her lip as she met his gaze. “You know…”

“Don’t even think about it.” He chided her, huffing a laugh. “We don’t have the time.”

“Oh come on. You can’t tell me you didn’t think about it for a second.” Daianira rested her free hand against his chest, eyes burning with a passion she only looked at him with. A passion that he returned a thousand fold. “You want to rip this dress off of me and I won’t stop you.”

Calderon scoffed, pressing a kiss to her hair, the smell of her favorite cinnamon tea lingering between them. His fingers trailed down her arm, leaving goosebumps behind, and she trembled against him. “I’m not going to risk the wrath of my mother. Or your sister.”

She sighed, toying with the fringe on his cape. “Coward.”

He stilled her fingers, squeezing them affectionately before dropping their hands to his side, entwining his fingers with hers. When she met his gaze again, her eyes had softened, affection shining so brightly there, the walls she usually kept built high crumbling the moment he smiled at her.

“Fine. But you better make it up to me later.” She stood on her toes, brushing a kiss over his jaw. He tensed slightly, his hands sliding around her waist, squeezing her sides gently, possessively. Her breath warmed his skin when she lingered, lips tempting him to turn his face and claim them. Somehow, he managed to beat down the desire to a simmering flame.

When she dropped back to her heels, Daianira searched his expression, a grin tilting her lips at whatever she saw. “Good boy.”

His hands dropped away as she turned her back on him, but Calderon refused to yield just yet. He reached out to circle his fingers around her wrist, stopping her from moving more than a few steps. When she glanced back, he could see the laughter in her eyes, a teasing smirk aimed at him. He pulled her closer until she collided with his chest, letting out a breathless laugh, her fingers curling in his jacket.

Dipping his head, he pressed his lips against her gill scars, feeling her melt against him, her hands slipping into his hair, gripping the strands hard and he had to bite back a moan. “This isn’t over, stowaway. Not by a long shot.”

“Sounds like a threat.” It came out as a whisper, her voice straining with the passion she felt.

“A promise, sweetheart. One I’m happy to keep.” As much as he didn’t want to, he forced himself to step back, breaking the hold he had on her hips. Offering his arm instead, Calderon sighed, his smile lighter, happier. It was the happiest he’d been in a long time. “May I escort you?”

Daianira laughed again and his heart soared on the sound. She slipped her arm into his, tilting her head so she was resting against his shoulder. “I’d be honored.”

~~~~~

The coronation had been long and dull, like he’d expected, although there was a decent distraction in the form of a princess sitting in the front row. She’d pretend to inspect the stained glass windows and statues that surrounded the throne room, only for her eyes to land on him, a devious smile curling her lips. Once she turned away, eyes focused on her sister taking her vows, he thought he’d imagined it.

After the third time, Ayame nudged him in the arm, drawing his attention. He was met with the sight of her wagging her eyebrows at him, a conspiratorial grin on her face.

“What?” He muttered, trying to concentrate on the ceremony, but Aya laughed quietly next to him, her giggles shaking her tiny body. “Shut up.”

Ayame leaned closer to whisper in his ear. “You’re blushing.”

“I am not.”

Aya laid a hand on his arm, smiling at him with sincerity. Or as much sincerity as she could muster while still laughing at him. “It’s nice to see you happy, Calderon. I didn’t think you were capable of smiling so much.”

He swallowed nervously, ignoring the obvious jab at his normal grumpy countenance, but knowing he should say something. “Thank you, Aya. The same goes for you and Khadar. You two seem to be keeping each other company a lot lately.”

She flushed, shifting closer to Ryona on her other side, refusing to look at him again. He felt a laugh in his chest, but he stifled it when Daianira glanced at him again. His skin itched, the desire to skip the rest of the night and take her back to her suite making him tense, but he knew it wasn't an option. So he tried not to fidget as he sat next to his crew, watching Nerissa Peg’asi be made Queen.

After the coronation concluded, they were whisked away to a ballroom where Daianira and Nerissa were immediately swept onto the dance floor, twirling with the rest of the nobility of Goldis. With a sigh, he situated himself in a quiet corner away from prying eyes, content to watch as his princess enjoyed her evening.

Calderon wasn’t one for small talk so he avoided most of the guests, especially those he wasn’t particularly fond of, nursing a glass of wine and keeping out of the eyeline of his mothers. The last thing he needed was either one of them getting on his case about being a spoilsport.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to keep hidden for the entire night.

“Why are you sulking over here while my sister is dancing with one of your crewmates?”

Calderon froze, the gentle sound of Nerissa’s voice jarring him from his thoughts. He glanced to the side, not surprised to see she’d somehow sneaked up on him. He’d been distracted all evening, mostly by Daianira and her habit of making him smile despite his surroundings. She’d even managed to drag Damon out onto the dance floor and after a few minutes, he was dipping her and making her laugh.

At the moment, June had her in his arms, an enormous grin on his face before he spun her, that golden dress that his mother sewed billowing out around her, glittering under the lights. She was gorgeous, always had been even in the crew’s second hand clothes when she’d first come aboard the Andromeda Six. But now, seeing her in her old life, he felt a twinge of regret at how nothing would ever be the same again. They’d both lost so much and he wasn’t entirely sure what was next.

Rubbing his neck, he sighed, eyes sliding to Daianira again of their own free will. “She’s having fun and I… am not a fan of dancing.”

Nerissa made a noise that he swore was a sigh but it was too soft to tell. She stood next to him, her eerily violet gaze on the scene as well, watching with affection as her youngest sister laughed. “She’s right. You’re stubborn as hell.”

He couldn’t help the snort that escaped. “I’d like to think I’m the least stubborn out of the two of us.”

Nerissa laughed quietly, as reserved as ever. “Considering she finally got her wish, I’d say you have a point in your favor.” She trailed off, her smile disappearing, eyes turning sad as she watched June dip Daianira, her hair nearly touching the ground. “I’m going to miss her.”

Calderon glanced at her, his attention diverted completely now. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“She’s withdrawn from the line of succession. After tonight, she’s no longer a princess.”

When his eyes found Daianira again, she was standing off by the refreshment table, chatting with Ryona and Bash, an excruciatingly beautiful smile on her face. He felt peaceful seeing her so at ease, so free from the pain that crushed only her months ago. “She didn’t tell me.”

“We only decided on the details this morning. She’ll represent the throne as an ambassador to Cursa for the time being. Working with Alisa and Zane to establish an alliance, trade routes, and the planet’s future. Which includes independence. In time.” Nerissa sighed, glancing at her hands, lost in thought for a moment. “She wants to be free from the burden of the throne and I envy that. She deserves to be happy.”

On that point, Calderon could agree with her.

“So, since you didn’t answer my earlier question, I’ll ask you again: Are you going to stay in the corner all night or are you going to ask Nira to dance?”

Nerissa nodded her head at where he’d been staring, only to see that Damon had whisked Daianira onto the dance floor again, looking strangely at ease with the movements. Calderon huffed through his nose, realizing how much it irritated him to see Damon make her laugh. It should be him there with her.

Nerissa laid a hand on his arm briefly, but he found he couldn’t bother looking at her. Not with the way Daianira was smiling, like the sun on a hot afternoon: altogether too bright and beautiful. “It’s her last night here. It should be one to remember.”

The new queen walked away after that, her heels clicking in a steady rhythm as she began to mingle with the uppercrust of Goldis. Smoothing the jacket he wore, he made his way across the dance floor, somehow dodging the waltzing dancers with quick steps, only to come face to face with Daianira and her dance partner.

Damon smirked at his appearance, blue eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh, look who decided to take those difficult ten steps over here. Jealous?”

Calderon’s jaw tensed, but he managed to keep a lid on his anger. “You’re delusional.”

Damon’s grin widened, stepping away from Daianira. Calderon expected him to return to whatever the hell he was doing before the dance, but he bowed over her hand instead, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. When he spoke, it was clearly to Daianira, but his eyes were on Calderon. “Let me know when you want to go for round three, sweetheart.”

“Keep flirting and I’ll let Alisa know where you keep that damned cat.” She crossed her arms over her chest and Calderon thought it was the sexiest thing to witness whenever she handed Damon his ass. “And don’t go crying to Zane. He’s just as much Alisa’s bitch as you are.”

“You’re no fun.” He muttered, but the smile on his face said otherwise. “Good night, Princess. Cal.”

Damon disappeared into the crowd at the edge of the dance floor, probably to find some unsuspecting idiot to badger. Calderon grinned as he watched him leave, feeling like a battle had been won, but when he turned to speak to Daianira, she was watching with a cold expression.

“What is this?” Her arms were still crossed over her chest and he only noticed in the light of the lanterns overhead that there was glitter dusted across her collarbone and breasts, sparkling each time she caught the light at the right angle.

His mouth went dry, tongue useless in his mouth as he stared at her, mesmerized by the anger scrunching her nose, her full lips pulled tight, the fire in her turquoise gaze. She was ablaze on that dance floor, pink and gold and glittering. Beautiful and dangerous, a woman whose only fear was losing him to the war they’d fought. She was giving up her life of safety and comfort to make sure her friends, the people she cared for more than any riches in all of Seleota, got their fair chance.

The woman he loved more than anything in the galaxy.

“Who threatened you? Because I know you didn’t come to dance of your own free will.” She glanced into the crowd, looking for Nerissa or perhaps one of his moms. It didn’t matter because she wouldn’t find them. They were too smart for that. “It was N, wasn’t it?”

Calderon sighed with a roll of his eyes, pulling her into his arms before twirling her along with the music. She gasped, but fell in sync quickly, the dance coming as naturally to her as breathing. She clutched at his shoulder, her hand tightening against his almost painfully, but he could handle her rage as long as she’d let him kiss her breathlessly after.

His hand flexed against her waist, feeling ridiculous as he moved around the dance floor, even if it was with her. He could feel eyes on them, burning a hole in the back of his head, and he flushed, wishing the floor would open up and swallow him. Clearing his throat, an uneasiness settling over him, he met Daianira’s turquoise gaze, feeling his heart stutter in his chest at her smile, all hints of anger gone.

“I need to talk to you.”

She tilted her head, face softening as her hand slid from his shoulder to settle against his neck. “I’m not stopping you.”

A sudden, breathless laugh left his mouth. “I meant somewhere that doesn’t include your sister, my moms, our entire crew, and half of Goldis staring at us.”

A sly grin curled her lips. “Why? Is this talk actually code for something else?”

“If you want it to be.” He promised, resting his forehead against hers, the press of her body along his promising a passion that he always happily fell victim to. “But I do want to talk first.”

“I’m listening, Calderon.”

And she was, her attention solely on him, the other dancers and guests only background noise to what went on between them. She squeezed his hand softly, waiting for him to speak.

“So… Ambassador?”

She flinched slightly, such a small thing that he was certain no one else noticed it but him. He shifted closer to her, her chest pressing against his, and he was certain she could feel his heartbeat through his jacket. “Nerissa told you.”

It wasn’t a question, but if it wasn’t public knowledge, very few people knew about it which meant her guess was going to be correct. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Daianira glanced away, biting her lip. After a few moments, she sighed. “You were so happy about being back home, I didn’t want to ruin that for you.”

Her selflessness never ceased to amaze him. “Daia-”

“This isn’t my life anymore, Calderon.” She wouldn’t meet his gaze and it hurt to see that even now, she was afraid of failing everyone else. “I was never good at it to begin with.”

Taking her chin between his fingers, he forced her to look at him. “Whatever you choose, I know you’ll be amazing at it.”

Her hand left his neck to rest against his chest above his heart. “Flatterer.”

It didn’t take much more prompting to get her to finally leave the dance floor and wander out into the gardens, the scent of thousands of blooms in the air. The moon lit their path as they walked in silence, Daianira on his arm, heels clicking softly on the pavers. It felt like a fairytale, being outside after the stifling air in the ballroom, with the princess on his arm, but nothing in their lives had been so simple.

They paused near one of the fountains that King Fenris had built for the Lunar Queen, Nikolle. One of Daianira’s favorite places in the palace. Or at least, it used to be. Her arm was still snugly tucked into his, her eyes on the glow of the moon overhead. His gaze was only for her, the golden beauty that somehow broke down the walls that guarded his heart.

She still managed to shock him after all of the time they’d spent together. Even with all of her discussions about removing herself from the line of succession, Calderon never expected her to follow through. Not with how convincing Nerissa was.

“I’m proud of you, you know.”

Daianira leaned her head on his shoulder, hair brushing his neck as she sighed softly, a happy sound. “You are? You don’t think I need to do what’s best for Goldis?”

“The last few months helped you figure out who you are. And who you’re meant to be. Not what other people wanted for you. If that means you aren’t royalty anymore, it doesn’t change what I think of you.”

It didn’t change how he felt.

“And being an ambassador is important. There are so many people out there that need you.”

She was quiet, glancing at the fountain in front of them. The water poured from the sculpture of a mermaid holding a vase, her eyes fixed on them as they stood there in the darkness.

“And what about you?” She turned to face him with worry and something else lingering in her gaze. Something that he’d be able to read even if he didn’t know her so well.

Do you need me?

Entwining his hand with hers, he tugged her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Who is going to keep you out of trouble on Cursa? Damon? We both know he’s the cause of most of it.”

“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.” She said, wrinkling her nose in irritation, stubborn to the end. “I thought Nerissa offered you the command of the entire guard.”

Calderon shook his head, this woman driving him insane every day of his life. But, despite how much she might get under his skin, he would still choose her after everything. “I’m not a guard anymore, Daia. I haven’t been in a long time and I can’t go back.” Not after everything he’d been through. “Besides, being an ambassador means you’ll need transportation. Luckily, I know a Captain who will take a stowaway.”

His heart felt like it was in his throat, but he managed a smile. She stared at him, expression clear, and he found for the first time since they met he didn’t know what was going through her mind. And that scared him to death.

What Calderon wasn’t expecting was for her to throw her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a kiss that scorched him down to his soul. His fingers curled into the folds of her dress, getting lost in the feel of her heat against him, her mouth dancing against his, the slide of her tongue between his lips. He drank everything she gave him and he wanted more.

Somehow, Calderon managed to break contact, forehead falling against hers, their breaths intermingling in the space between them. “You’ll be the death of me.”

She laughed, fingers brushing the nape of his neck, sending shivers through his body. “Well, I haven’t felt this alive in a long time.”

A growl rumbled in his chest, something primal, needy and brushed his lips against her neck, feeling her fingers tighten in his hair. “Did you want to test that claim?”

Daianira opened her eyes, blinking briefly before meeting his gaze. “I’ll go wherever you lead, Captain.”

#my writing #andromeda six #a6 #a6 fanfiction #a6 traveler #kitalphan traveler #oc: daianira #calderon lynch #traveler x calderon #daianira x calderon #nerissa peg'asi #damon reznor #ayame ikeda

19 notes · View notes