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#Eddie and venom return
jibberjibbsart · 1 year
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I saw @socially-awkward-wizard ‘s text post and I had to draw it
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carma-tjol · 5 months
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Some symbrock art I made in 2021. I really really hated this when I first made it so I didn't post it anywhere. Although I'm not sure why, looking at it now it's actually very sweet.
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samasmith23 · 6 months
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One of my favorite Spider-Man: Clone Saga stories has always been the 4-part "The Exile Returns" arc, which not only features Ben Reilly's debut as the Scarlet Spider, but also Benjy's first major victory as a superhero since returning to New York after 5-years when he singlehandedly defeats Venom in mortal combat. What made the fight between Ben and Venom so epic was that the story was actually a response to a previous story in Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #375, which had Peter Parker make a deal with Venom to stay out of each other's way. The reason that was done was because Marvel wanted to turn Venom into an anti-hero during the 90s, but a lot of fans and creators were really pissed off about that story, since they felt that Peter making a pact with Venom betrayed the character's sense of responsibility. And this frustration was openly expressed in The Exile Returns, with Ben Reilly being incredibly shocked that Peter would have done such a thing, basically declaring to himself, "If Peter's not going to accept responsibility and bring Venom to justice, I'll have to step in and do it myself!"
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Spider-Man group editor Glenn Greenberg even commented on the writers of The Exile Returns deliberately referencing ASM #375 in the 36-part online essay, "The Life of Reilly," which extensively covers all the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding The Clone Saga:
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And the way Ben defeats Venom is so clever and inventive! Instead of relying upon the symbiote's usual weaknesses of loud noises and extreme heat, Ben utilizes his own original inventions as the Scarlet Spider. Ben shooting multiple "impact-webbing" pellets down Venom's mouth which immediately expand into hundreds of little webs that get caught directly in-between Eddie Brock and the symbiote, weakening their bond as Ben then shoots his "stinger" web darts to further weaken Venom as he beats him into submission.
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Seeing Ben Reilly singlehandedly take down the one supervillain that Peter Parker was never able to truly defeat up until that point was honestly one of the most badass and entertaining fight scenes that I've ever read in a superhero comic!
And its honestly shocking that neither impact-webbing nor stingers stuck around in the comics after The Clone Saga ended (only appearing in the video game adaptations), since those things are so FREAKING awesome!
From adjectiveless Spider-Man (1990) #53 by Howard Mackie & the late Tom Lyle (May he Rest In Peace...).
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robotsafari · 7 months
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this has to be a metaphor. for something
#robo ramble#im just going to read this as a thinly veiled metaphorical critique for the writing of the guild in xrd.#the writers made him faithful to the DQ blue raspberry misty float. all of his character development thrown in the trash completely#missing the point of the entire guild's story in favor of the dairy queen blue raspberry misty float coming back on the menu.#people liked the taste of the misty float but never got the point of its creation. it was only the taste they wanted. you could've easily#recreated this taste but they sought to return it in the worst way possible. without getting the point either.#that misty float ruined the lives of the people around him. and yet diary queen missed the point in favor of genre defining puppet characte#they wrote him back in and just made everyone around him feel like i guess everything is fine now??? its horrendous.#they made venom continue to be faithful to the dairy queen blue raspberry misty float. they tried to convince him that he had saved his#life all along or something??#like?????? the fuck. thats awful. horrible taste in my mouth-- LIKE THE HORRIBLE TASTE OF THE DAIRY QUEEN BLUE RASPBERRY MISTY FLOAT.#like if you wanted to make the dairy queen blue raspberry misty float playable again then just revive eddie and only eddie like tf?? you#could've come up with an excuse to make him live without a host. i mean you came up with bedman suddenly reprograming his bed in his final#moments what that doesnt make sense but ok..........#its better than diary queen blue raspberry misty float#i did it. these gifs have officially made me go insane. please dont read these tags.
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peachbread · 2 years
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raz-writes-the-thing · 5 months
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Sweet Like Chocolate (Venom Drabble)
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Eddie/Venom x GN!Reader / requests are open
Summary: Venom's enjoys it when you're his host.
CW: fluff, making fun of Eddie
Venom Tag List: (send an ask to be added to a tag list!)
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WE ARE NOT A BABY.
You tut and continue about making Venom’s tater tots. It hadn’t really been a genuine thought. It’s just that when you and Eddie trade Venom between you like parents trading a toddler for alone time, it kind of felt that way at times. Not that you were complaining, of course. Any time with Venom piggybacking in your head was time well spent in your own personal opinion. 
It was just a shame that you weren’t a better match. Then he could come around with you more often. But no, that was Eddie’s responsibility, it would seem. 
“I know, V- you know how human brains work. Thoughts just pop in unannounced.” 
I WILL ALLOW IT.
 
You chuckle and pour yourself a glass of wine. A tendril of Venom’s form spreads from your back to put the wine bottle away for you, and you thank him kindly. Checking the timer on the tots, you frown. They were going to be at least another fifteen minutes. 
“What do you want to do tonight, V?” You ask, plopping down on the lounge chair and taking a sip. 
WE WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU. 
You smile softly, and Venom chuckles in your brain in response. That took some getting used to, actually, hearing someone laugh in your mind. But like all things, you acclimated. 
“We’re doing that, buddy,” you reply. 
YOU ARE FAR NICER THAN EDDIE. EDDIE IS MEAN. 
You take another swig of your wine and flick the TV on quietly, flipping through to get to Venom’s favourite channel. 
“How do you mean? Eddie’s a sweetie deep down,” you respond, finally finding the channel and putting the subtitles on for yourself. Eddie was always a sweetie. It was just that he was a bit gruff. Venom grunts. 
EDDIE’S AN ASSHOLE. 
You hear the bathroom door creak open and turn around, seeing Venom’s tendril rooting around in there for something. You don’t question it further than that, knowing that whatever he’s looking for will be found. 
You’re proven correct when the tendril returns with your hairbrush. You dutifully fluff your hair out from the neck of your cardigan for Venom, who hums appreciatively and begins to brush at your hair. 
It’s something he likes to do for you. You’re not sure whether it’s because he enjoys the sensation himself, or whether it’s something he does for you. It could be both, all things considered. Your eyes flutter shut, and you lose yourself in the motions for a few minutes. 
“He can be an ass,” you finally acquiesce. “But he means well.” 
Venom’s head materialises from over your shoulder and faces you. His tendril pauses its ministrations in your hair for a moment, and he appears thoughtful. 
“I suppose,” Venom replies. “We prefer you. Prettier host.” 
You flush pink and brush a hand over Venom’s cheek. Or what would be his cheek, you supposed? 
“You’re a sweet thing, V.” 
Venom nods, ripples of his skin flowing over his form. 
“Like chocolate, yes?” 
You laugh and make to get up when the timer for the tater tots goes off. 
“Like chocolate.”
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val-made-a-mistake · 6 months
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❝PUSHING THE LIMITS.❞
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(not my gif)
summary: eddie might fuck you good, but venom pushes your limits.
warnings: SMUT SMUT SMUT, nasty ass smut, surprised-myself-while-writing-it kind of smut, sorta dubcon towards the end, oral sex f and m receiving, sticky tendrils and tentacles and appendages and such, bondage using v's tendrils, hair pulling, spanking, double penetration, eddie spitting in reader's mouth, eddie slaps reader's cheek a lil bit in the beginning, overstimulation central, names like "good girl", "sweet angel", "sweet girl", "beautiful girl"... don't wanna hype myself up too much, but i think y'all are gonna be eating good while reading this one. monsterfucking. i am definitely not getting into heaven, so make my sacrifice worth it and grab some popcorn!
word count: 2k
a/n: if you've ever wanted me to write a sequel for fics like "take the reins" and "don't pretend", this is for you. i can't believe this is my official return to fic writing LMAO, but we're pretending like i never left! (yes i know i posted my last fic in april.) i hope you enjoy, please give me some feedback for this one!
//////
“Gooooood fuckin’ girl.”
You struggled to hide your wince as Eddie harshly slapped your cheek again: you were on your knees, your face raised to look at him as he knelt over you, directing your face in whatever way he wanted it to go. Some parts sweet, some parts rough - whether it was pulling your hair until your cunt twinged with need, or spitting in your mouth when it got too dry for him to fuck, or how fucking good his cock felt when it was shoved into your mouth, you took all of it enthusiastically. 
You hadn’t heard Venom’s commentary in a while, but at least Eddie seemed to be enjoying himself.
“That’s great, honey,” Eddie gasped as he slipped the tip of his cock in your mouth again: you sucked on it dutifully, slathering your spit over his already glistening length, but throughout all of it, your eyes were locked on his face.
He was almost out of breath just from watching you. “Jeez, that’s fuckin’ nasty…”
Overachieving, you responded by taking his whole length into your mouth until the tip of his cock slammed into your uvula and you were forced to gag.
You meant to stay there, but Eddie’s hand was buried in your hair very suddenly, tugging you backward: he evidently hadn’t been expecting that.
“Easy, honey,” he told you. “It’s not every day I got a girl jumping all over me, y’know.”
You sat back on the bed and stuck out your tongue for him, grinning widely. “Sorry.”
Inside his head, Venom scoffed.
PUSSY.
“N-no, don’t be sorry for anything,” Eddie managed to say to you as he allowed his cock into your mouth again, determined to keep Venom at bay inside his thoughts. “Feels so fucking good, just like that…”
Sucking him off until he came had to be the plan, you figured, so you kept going, keeping your tongue flat along his length as he fucked your mouth. His cock was so goddamn thick, and your tongue kept brushing along a prominent vein as you went. The best part was his hand, firm in your hair, ensuring he was using you in whatever way he wanted.
Meanwhile, Venom’s voice was a reassuring purr in Eddie’s ear.
SHE LOOKS SO GOOD LIKE THIS, EDDIE.
So it came as a bit of a surprise when Eddie decided he wanted to move: he was off of you in an instant, but he was grabbing your leg, indicating he wanted you to move with him.
His voice was soft, almost sweet, keeping you wet. “Up, honey, c’mon.”
Breathless, your heart pounding now that there wasn’t a hand in your hair anymore, you got off your knees and, following his direction, rolled over on the bed.
“Shit,” Eddie commented appreciatively, just before he spanked you harshly. “Pop that up for me, honey.”
Grinning sheepishly, you buried your face in the pillow and lifted your stinging ass in the air for him.
“Fuck,” he gasped as the palm of his hand brushed over your pussy - yeah, you already knew you were dripping, and the humiliation of it made you flush. “You always get this wet just having a dick in your mouth?”
“It’s just you,” you mumbled weakly, which earned your another spank.
“Just me, huh?” Eddie replied, mockingly, making your face burn. “Not V? You’re telling me this pretty pussy’s dripping just because of me?”
You opened your mouth to respond, but he’d spanked you directly on your pussy this time, making you moan weakly.
“Fuck,” you gasped, burying your face in the pillows. You had a feeling that Venom would’ve teased you endlessly if you moaned for him, and you weren’t sure if you could handle it when your pussy was already this wet, but God, you’d never been more tempted.
Inside his head, Venom was sounding impressed, but he hadn’t revealed himself yet.
KEEP GOING, EDDIE. YOU WILL BREAK HER.
Keeping your head in the pillow, you spread your legs wider for him, trying to expose as much of your pussy as you could. Spurred on by Venom’s praise, Eddie grinned.
“Fucking glistening,” he laughed, running a finger delicately along your drenched pussy, sending sensitive nerves haywire. “What a pussy. I mean, Jesus…”
He leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to your damp inner thigh, and that simple, two-second touch had your mind speeding out of control with obscenities. No doubt about it, spreading your holes like this turned you on: you could feel your slick running down your inner thighs, and if your brain wasn’t jammed, you would’ve been begging for Eddie for Venom to come out, to finally fuck you.
Breathless with anticipation, you grabbed a fistful of pillows instead and waited patiently, keeping still.
Inside his head, Venom was chomping at the bit, too.
WHEN WILL YOU LET ME OUT, EDDIE?
Just give me a few more minutes, Eddie’s thoughts responded, a bit urgently.
He opted to pretend as though nothing had happened, keeping his control over you.
“Spread your legs more, baby. I want to see how turned on I made you.”
Moaning weakly, you did as he said, spreading your legs to reveal your glistening wet mess of a pussy: you had yet to touch yourself, or do anything to stop the spread of heat in your most sensitive spot, but you felt like if he didn’t touch you soon, you were going to go into cardiac arrest.
You closed your eyes and listen to him move closer.
Eddie’s hands were warm around your thighs, and you could feel him kiss both of your inner thighs - dear god, he’s about to kill you - before he kissed your clit, enveloping it with warmth. 
Everywhere. Oh God.
You gasped weakly. “Oh, Eddie…”
Again, Venom’s voice was a reassuring purr in Eddie’s ear.
YOU ARE UNRAVELLING HER, EDDIE. KEEP GOING.
“That feel good?” he whispered, kissing you softly again.
Well, fucking obviously: you were clutching the pillows above you with all your might, doing your best not to squirm in pleasure. “Eddie, please…”
You were so fucked out you couldn’t finish that sentence, but Eddie knew what it meant, and Venom did too.
LET ME OUT, EDDIE. YOU KNOW SHE WANTS IT.
“You need V, honey?” Eddie whispered from between your legs: he sensed from the growing warmth in his abdomen that he wouldn’t have control over his body for much longer, so he was determined to savour it for as long as he could.
You nodded weakly, flushed with pleasure - Eddie’s tongue may have been a natural, non-monstrous length, but it was pressed to your clit nonetheless, and it would’ve made anybody come after long enough. “Give him to me.”
That did it: Venom came out with a flourish, enveloping Eddie’s body entirely in black goo until he wasn’t Eddie anymore, but tendrilled and sticky and terrifying and one hundred percent Venom.
You almost came at the sight of him. “Oh, V…”
Venom’s tongue protruded from his mouth, licking clean his impressive row of fangs. His milky white eyes might’ve caused others to cower, but you stared directly into them, breathless. It was fascinating, really, how quickly Eddie had disappeared.
Venom’s voice was a deep purr, deeper than anything you’d ever heard.
DID YOU MISS ME, SWEET ANGEL?
“I did, V,” you gasped as a glittering black tendril snuck up your leg, “God, I - I want you so bad.”
Venom cocked his head to the side, watching you intently, like a predator watching its prey.
I TELL EDDIE THAT ALL THE TIME.
You gasped as the appendage finally breached your cunt, pulsating and sticky, giving you exactly the feeling of fullness you wanted. “Oh, Venom��”
The pillow you were clinging onto was gone in a second, replaced by two tendrils pinning your arms onto the bed. Before you knew it, two other tentacles were wrapping around your ankles, fully restricting your ability to move, and there you were, trapped on the bed as Venom was leering above you, his cock sliding in and out of you.
His pace was relatively slow, but you soaked up every pulsing inch succeeded inside of you, and every now and again, he’d make the tendril twist, bringing you closer to the edge every time.
I DON’T EVER THINK I’VE SEEN YOU THIS WET, SWEET ANGEL.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this wet, your thoughts responded incredulously, but all that came out was a choked, “Ngh!”
You were coming, you knew it, and it still hit you like a fucking freight train: the orgasm rushed through you as blood thundered to your brain, euphoria crashing over you at maximum intensity. Everything welling up inside of you just burst, and nothing had ever been so lovely.
You went deaf for a moment as the only thing you could hear was your heart absolutely pounding and the shrill ringing in your ears, but you knew you were gasping for breath, completely overtaken by this orgasm. You’d never tell Eddie, but it was Venom who knew how to pull orgasms from you like this, and only Venom, his glittering black cock absolutely destroying you from the inside out.
Of course, it was then Venom suddenly decided to slam his cock into you at full force, overstimulating you beautifully.
The confidence in his voice never wavered.
I KNOW YOU CAN TAKE IT, BEAUTIFUL GIRL. I HAVE SEEN YOU TAKE IT.
“Oh, Venom,” you were gasping over and over, but you couldn’t fully hear yourself over the ringing in your ears and the sounds of Venom’s glittering black tendril sliding in and out of your drenched, abused pussy, filling you up to the maximum. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
He did the pulsating, twisting thing inside of you once again, and your eyes nearly rolled back into your head: when he was pinning you down like this, you had nothing to hold onto, it was just you, the cock inside of you, and the threat of this monstrous creature swallowing you whole. “Oh my god, Venom!”
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT EDDIE SEEING THIS, SWEET GIRL?
“Oh, fuck, Venom…” you moaned from underneath him, incoherent now as his cock pistoned in and out of you. You were blathering, but the message was clear: don’t fucking stop!
Venom was smug, now.
HOW DO YOU FEEL KNOWING I CAN TAKE YOU BETTER THAN EDDIE EVER COULD?
“You’re better than Eddie,” you mumbled incoherently as Venom ramped up speed, “Loads better than Eddie, I just - oh fuck - holy shit, V, keep going!”
WILL YOU COME FOR ME, SWEET ANGEL?
Yes, I will, your thoughts responded immediately, but actions spoke louder than words: your second orgasm ripped through you as your legs shook, you were pushed to the point of insanity. This one really took you by surprise compared to the first, but you revelled in it, your vision flashing with white as Venom fucked into you. You could feel your body sinking into the bed despite the restraints, spent, and you almost thought it was over, but–
Venom, of course, didn’t care.
COME FOR ME AGAIN, BEAUTIFUL GIRL.
“V,” you whispered weakly, your entire body damp with sweat from your last orgasm, “I - I don’t think I can, I just came.”
Above you, Venom absolutely snarled, and his tongue slithered down to force your legs even further apart.
WHEN I SAY COME, YOU COME!
A second, bigger tendril sank into your ass this time, and you gasped: you were filled, completely and utterly filled, and God, you’d be lying if it didn’t feel so fucking wonderful.
“I - I’m gonna come,” you blathered, blinking hard as the realization set in: you were about to come faster than you’d ever come in your life. “I - I’m gonna come, V, holy - oh my god-”
The words I’m coming were lost in your throat, but it didn’t matter: in a matter of seconds, you’d came for a third time, and the euphoria this time around was still there, yet with a bitter and harsh edge. Your body was exhausted, but your pussy was drenched, and all Venom knew was to keep fucking going, so–
You were gasping, half-deaf with your vision flashing with white, trying to make peace with the reality that Venom was going to fuck you until you passed out.
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loveinhawkins · 1 year
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During the tail end of November 1984, the stars align in cruel and unusual ways: Eddie ends up sharing a compulsory Phys Ed. class with both Steve Harrington and Billy Hargrove.
Eddie groans when he find out, slams his forehead against his locker when no-one’s looking.
And the thing is, Steve isn’t the problem, not really. In fact, if he had been sharing the class with Steve alone, Eddie might’ve even considered it proof of some benevolent God existing. He’d probably have a few stressful occasions of trying not to make a complete fool out of himself—team sports are truly the worst, although he’s secretly not that bad of a soccer player—but at least he’d have a… nice view.
But no. Instead, the almighty schedulers of the Hawkins High timetable have decided to light the proverbial fuse.
Because sure, Steve’s known for being competitive, even borderline pissy if things don’t go his way on the basketball court. One would probably be subject to his baleful eyes for, like, five minutes at most before he got over it.
Hargrove, on the other hand, is another kettle of fish. In fact, he’s in a completely different fucking ocean.
He stalks through the school like a bloodthirsty gladiator, treats the gym like it’s his personal Coliseum.
Eddie honestly doesn’t know what the deal is, but he only has to witness Hargrove stare at Steve once from across the cafeteria to know that he loathes him. And from the quietly venomous look Steve gave in return, the feeling is definitely mutual.
So now he’s got to suffer through an entire period of playing baseball outside with the pair of them glaring daggers at each other. In a hilariously misguided attempt at easing the obvious tension, the teacher’s put Steve and Hargrove on the same team: Hargrove’s a center fielder and Steve’s the pitcher.
It’s neck and neck. Eddie is the last up to bat.
He steps forward with sweaty palms.
He’s got absolutely zero interest in being witness to the Hargrove v Harrington dick-measuring contest for any longer than he has to.
Please just let the ball be caught immediately, Eddie silently prays. Make my execution swift and painless.
“Hey, batter, batter,” Hargrove calls with his usual menacing sleaze.
Fucking juvenile.
Annoyingly, when Hargrove predictably yells, “Swing!”, it still makes Eddie jolt, swinging the bat on impulse.
But Steve’s not thrown the ball yet; he’s still tossing it up into the air, like he’s got all the time in the world.
Okay, I know you’re pissed, but quit the mind games, Harrington.
Steve catches Eddie’s eye, gaze lingering too long for it to be a coincidence. Then he drops the ball.
Billy chuckles. “Still clumsy, huh, King Steve?”
Steve rolls his eyes. He bends down to pick up the ball.
Even from this distance, the fading bruise on his cheekbone is easy to spot.
Eddie doesn’t like to think about it too often, especially when paired with the nasty gleam in Hargrove’s eyes. It makes his stomach sink.
Steve picks up the ball with one hand, but he stays low, one knee to the ground.
And then…
When he speaks, his lips barely move. “Hey, Munson. Left-handed, right?”
Bewildered, Eddie nods.
Steve stands up.
Eddie’s expecting to be caught off guard, for the ball to suddenly spin towards him.
Steve shrugs one shoulder back, looks Eddie right in the eye.
He mouths, Ready?
… What the fuck?
Eddie nods again.
Steve throws the ball, and it feels as if it’s being drawn, like an irresistible magnet, right to Eddie’s bat.
Eddie swings.
Crack.
The ball soars.
Eddie sees Hargrove’s jaw drop, hears him swear as he dives for the ball. He misses, sprints after it as it speeds through the grass—
Steve laughs. “Dude, what are you waiting for? Run!”
Eddie does.
He hits a home run before Hargrove can even attempt to throw the ball near him.
Breathless and grinning, Eddie lies down with his back on the ground, as his teammates cheer.
But someone else is by far the loudest.
Eddie sits up to see Steve yelling in triumph, hands cupped around his mouth.
Then he winks.
And Eddie thinks he’s never seen Steve Harrington look more delighted to lose.
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mysecretlittlelibrary · 11 months
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NFWMB (Nothing Fucks With My Baby)
Pairing: Reader x Venom
Word Count: 2.4k
Warnings: you get kidnapped, there's some cannon level violence, nothing to write home about <3
Genre: idk if I should really classify this as angst fr but the ending is fluffy!
Summary: Carnage returns, his mission remains the same; kill Venom. And he plans to use you to do it.
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Based on this ask by @weebnotheree (thank you so much for the request, I know it took a while so I appreciate your patience, I hope you like it <3)
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***
"Hey y/n!" Your coworker skirts over to your desk with curious excitement.
"Yes?" You glance up from your computer at her.
"Your boyfriend is a reporter isn't he?"
"Correct. Where is this going exactly?"
"Well do you think he'd be able to come cover the charity gala this weekend?" She asks.
"He doesn't really- cover this sort of thing? He'd need to get assigned to it. But I can check with him, he can ask his boss and maybe they'll send someone else down." You concede. It can't hurt, after all, you do need the exposure for the event anyway.
Hours later, after you've both gotten home from work and eaten dinner. You're winding down for the day with Eddie by watching a show together when you propose the question from your coworker.
"Eddie quick question." You say, not lifting your head from his shoulder.
"Yeah?" He's been tracing patterns against your leg for the past ten minutes.
"Do you think you could come cover the charity gala this weekend? My coworker Dani thought it'd be a good idea." You tell him.
"I don't usually write those sorts of pieces." He hums.
"I know I told her, but I also told her I'd ask anyway. It doesn't have to be you, if your boss sends someone else that's fine. We're just aiming to get more eyes on the event." You shrug.
"I'll talk to my boss. He'll probably send someone. Not me though."
"Yeah that's fine, I know these aren't your thing, you don't have to come." You say.
"Say what?" You feel him shift to look at you.
"I drag you to enough work functions. I'll let you skip out on this one." You pat his chest lightly.
"Don't have to tell me twice." Eddie snorts turning back to the TV.
"Technically I already did tell you twice." You chuckle.
"Smartass." He pinches your thigh.
"Always." You sit up just to wink at him.
The following day, you are accosted by Dani pretty much as soon as she walks into the office.
"Did you ask him?"
"Ask who, what Dani?" You ask though you know exactly what she's talking about. "Also have you forgotten that the proper way to start a conversation is with a greeting? What happened to hi? What happened to how are you?"
"Hi, how are you? Did you ask your boyfriend about covering the gala?" She says.
"Hi Dani, I'm doin' alright. How are you?" You ask her.
"Y/n!" She huffs.
"Yes Dani I asked. He said he'd talk to his boss. Knowing Eddie, someone will probably be at the gala. It's handled." You finally cave and give her the answers she came for.
"You're the best!" She tells you.
"I know, thanks." You chuckle. You shrug.
The day of the gala is chaos from the minute preparations start. It's not really anything that surprises you and you've been handling everything that comes your way with ease.
"Y/n!" Your coworker Wendy grabs your attention when you're sorting out something with one of the photographers.
"Yes Wendy?" You aks.
"The uh catering staff is here do you know where they're supposed to-"
"They just got here?! They were supposed to be here an hour ago! Who was on that? They should've been checking for- oh never mind! Their tables are over there on that wall and tell them to hurry Wen the event is literally starting." You sigh pointing her in the right direction. The event is just gaining momentum, doors opened about twenty minutes ago and aside from the catering situation that has just been taken care of, as far as you know, everything is precisely as it should be. At least you hope so since you did come here a couple of hours in advance to make sure things were ready. You aren't technically in charge of this event but you are naturally better at organizing chaos and these events tend to be a bit of a frenzy on the day no matter how prepared you are in advance.
Tonight is your company's annual charity gala. Every year the board votes on a cause to raise money for by hosting a huge party. This year's cause is a charity that supports kids getting involved in the arts. There are a bunch of art projects on display, some of which will be up for auction at the end of the evening, but the goal is to shmooze with the community members effectively enough that they want to support the charity. You spend most of these galas working optics; talking to reporters, setting up pictures, and just generally organizing things throughout the night. As part of the company's public relations department events like these are your specialty. Carefully curating the perception of everything that goes on here tonight with the help of the other members of the department here tonight.
You're pleased to say that a couple of hours in, the event is going off without a hitch. Once it's in full swing, you have your hands full giving statements to different press outlets and sending photographers to snap the board of directors with guests of the event. Just as you're preparing the host for his introductory speech, you notice a small crowd gathering by one of the large glass windows overlooking the city.
"What's going on over there?" The host frowns at you.
"I'm- not sure. Probably just some nightlife chaos got people's attention." You shrug but before you can walk up the stage there's a shout from a few of the guests followed by the sound of shattered glass as something crashes through that large window. The room erupts into chaos as red goop shoots out at people. It only takes you a couple of moments to realize the thing currently ruining your gala is Carnage. You didn't meet him or anything last time they faced off, but Eddie gave you enough of a description to come to that conclusion when you spot the bright red tentacles and eyes so like Venom's but different at the same time.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me." You huff quietly from where you're crouched behind a curtain with the gala host.
"What is that thing?!" He hisses.
"Doesn't matter. Find the nearest exit and run like hell." You tell him.
"What?! You want me to go out there?! What if it sees me?" He shakes his head. You poke your head out just enough to see Carnage. Weirdly enough he just seems to be picking up people and dropping them on the ground again.
"You ever seen that thing before?" You ask.
"God no!"
"He's looking for something. Unless you think it's you, I'd suggest taking the risk before he starts getting snackish!"
"W-what?!"
"We know you're here! We did our RESEARCH!" The man beside you is practically shaking as Carnage's deep voice rings through the room.
"He's coming this way, you have to move now." You say.
"What about you?"
"He's more likely to notice two of us. I'll be out after you." You're so busy directing the guy you don't realize how close Carnage is to you all until the curtain you're behind is ripped off its bar.
"AHA! THERE YOU ARE!"
"GO! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" You shout to the guy as Carnage reaches for- you. He's reaching for you, you realize only when one spindly spider-like appendage wraps around your waist.
"How noble of you. We weren't after him- but if you must be the hero-" Carnage easily reaches the scrambling host before he can get to the door and all you can do is shut your eyes tight when Carnage lifts him up. It's only when his screams stop suddenly and something warm drips onto your arm that you're sure is blood. You don't dare to check what Carnage has done, but if you had to guess, he bit his head off; much like Venom does when you or Eddie allows him to. Your eyes only shoot open when Carnage starts to move again, swinging back out the hole he came in through and taking you through the city. You're in the air for quite some time before eventually, Carnage drops you, rather gently for a kidnapper, on the ground inside a dusty building.
"Hello, little thing." Carnage says to you.
"I could have sworn Venom dealt with you already." You cross your arms.
"Almost. I was lucky to escape."
"Unfortunate for the rest of us." You muse.
"Rude!"
"Let me remind you that you did kidnap me so excuse me if I'm not kind." You roll your eyes. "I take it my role is to lure Venom to you? Right?"
"Correct. He cares for you. So he will come."
"Of course, he will. Though, disrupting my work event was an unnecessary scene just to lure him out to- where are we?"
"An old firehouse!"
"Wow you really are a baby." You scoff realizing he's chosen another location where loud noise is common.
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing nothing. I presume you have a different host now right? That other guy, the serial killer, died the last time, didn't he?"
"I am bonded to his blood! I can regenerate!"
"I'm sorry- so you regenerated… an entire head for your last host?"
"Yes!"
"That is- very strange." You frown. "Still, this place doesn't hold sentimental value to Cletus so- how will they find you?"
"Oh just call them." Cletus makes an appearance, finally, and rolls his eyes as he makes his request.
"Call them? You want me to call them and lead them to where you plan to kill them?"
"Yes. Or I'll kill you."
"That would be stupid. Killing me won't get you what you want." You scoff.
"CARNAGE! YOU TOOK MY CHOCOLATE DROP! I'M GOING TO RIP YOU TO SHREDS!!"
"Guess we don't need to call him." Carnage says pushing you into the fire engine that's collecting dust in the unused building.
"WAS DYING ONCE NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU?!" Venom stomps towards Carnage.
"Father. I'm not that easy to get rid of!"
"EVIDENTLY!" Venom charges at Carnage and the two of them are quickly destroying the old brick firehouse you're occupying. From inside the fire truck you're in, it's hard to tell who's winning for most of the fight. It's all too quick and too fluid the way they're throwing each other around. By the time you've gotten a handle on what's going on between the duo, Carnage has Venom pinned to one of the walls that they haven't totally ruined already. Frantically you turn towards the control panel of the fire engine, you can't imagine it's still fully operational but there's a chance you can find some way to make noise with this thing. You need to give Venom the upper hand somehow.
"V!" You shout and cover your ears for only a moment before pressing as much of your weight as you can into the horn of the truck and hoping for the best. You can't explain the relief that you feel when that horrid loud noise fills the small space and Carnage screeches. You let up on the horn once he stumbles away from Venom, his attention on you now that you've gotten involved.
"You!" Carnage snarls. You lay into the horn again before he can get to you and the sound seems to disrupt him enough to almost completely separate him from Cletus. You let up when Eddie has crept up behind them and Venom takes over to fully rip Carnage from Cletus by force. You didn't think that was possible and it is extremely strange to watch. Venom grabs Cletus with an extra appendage and holds him far in the air as he eats the angry red goop that is Carnage.
"EVEN WORSE THE SECOND TIME." Venom grumbles and you can't help but giggle a little. The noise makes Venom wink at you before turning his attention to Cletus. "THIS TIME STAY DEAD!" Venom says before biting his head off, out of your line of sight. You come out of the fire truck just in time to catch him dropping the body.
"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" Venom runs over to you and lifts you into his arms so you're eye level with him as he looks over you for injuries.
"I'm fine V. He didn't actually hurt me. You got here so quickly." You muse.
"EDDIE WAS WATCHING COVERAGE OF YOUR GALA." Venom explains.
"It was going so well until he crashed it." You pout. "You don't have any other errant children we should know about right Venom?"
"NO. NOT THAT I KNOW OF." Venom shrugs lowering you back to the ground.
"Good because this kidnapping thing is very inconvenient." You say. Eddie chooses that moment to reappear and he quickly wraps his arms around you.
"Y/n, baby, thank fuck you're okay. I am so sorry." He breathes out.
"You're sorry? What for?" You frown as you hug him back.
"If I had just come to the damn gala in the first place-" You pull back and hold Eddie's face in your hands to make sure he hears what you say next.
"No. It wouldn't have changed anything. In fact, it would actually have been worse I think. There were hundreds of people in that building and we were on one of the higher floors. The casualties if you had fought him there would have been so not worth it. This was the best outcome. I'm sure there were several injuries but I think there was only one death besides him so- don't apologize. Especially because there was no way you could've predicted him crashing my event. Don't blame yourself because other than a ruined charity gala and the inconveniences that come with a kidnapping, I've barely got some scrapes. You two did well." You tell him.
"We couldn't have done it without you. The fire horn was a great idea."
"Yeah well, you were going to die. And I didn't have any fire." You shrug. "We should get out of here though, I can't imagine it'll take much longer for authorities to get here in search of the red monster that crashed a charity event." You add.
"True. The party looked beautiful by the way. You know, before Carnage trashed it." Eddie says scooping you into his arms.
"Thank you baby." You kiss his cheek just before Venom appears again to take you all home.
"I WANT A KISS TOO! I DID ALL THE WORK."
"You can have as many kisses as you want V." You say kissing his cheek too as he walks out of the trashed fire station with you in his hold.
"I WANT ALL THE KISSES THEN!" He declares as he swings you both up into the air.
"Once we get home I'll kiss you til my lips fall off if you so wish my love." You giggle.
"NOT THAT MANY! IF THEY FALL OFF I WON'T GET ANY MORE IN THE FUTURE!"
"Okay okay. Reasonable amount of kisses, once we get home. Deal?"
"DEAL!" Venom says before taking off from building to building to get you home. There's no such thing as normal when your boyfriend is sharing his body with an alien you suppose, but you wouldn't have it any other way.
***
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sanguineterrain · 1 year
Text
i'll put us back together at heart - s.h.
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Summary: It's 1987. You haven't spoken to Steve Harrington in nearly five years. Then Dustin Henderson tells you about a sweet deal he has at Family Video, where he can rent any movie he wants.
Pairing: ex-best friend!Steve Harrington x fem!reader
Word count: 8.8k
Warnings/tags: friends to strangers to lovers. the reader is twenty in 1987 and i technically made steve twenty-one/about to turn twenty-one. s4 happened but eddie's alive and vecna's dead. no earthquakes or anything like that; reader has no idea about what really happened. lots of angst, mentions of billy hargrove (yuck) and steve's s1 asshole friends.
A/N: oh my lord. i don't know where this eighteen-wheeler of a fic came from but here it is. there is a happy ending, not to worry. i'd never do that to y'all &lt;3 feedback and reblogs are always always appreciated!
divider by firefly-graphics
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August 1981
"I wish we could stay eighth graders forever."
You lift your head from your orange pool floaty. Steve drifts on the surface of the water. His hair is longer, way longer than you've seen it in the three years you've been friends. He says it's better for styling that way; he's even bought a gel and cream for his hair. You don't understand why he wants to change something that doesn't need changing. 
"Why?" you ask. "I thought you were excited for high school."
He hums. The sound echoes in his backyard. 
"It's bigger than middle school. More kids, more teachers, more work. I like eighth grade."
"I'll help you with your work," you say. 
Steve turns his head and smiles at you. Part of his face is in the water, the image distorted. 
"You'll do great," he replies. "You're so smart."
Steve doesn't say those things to get you to help him like other kids do. Steve means it. 
"You'll do great too," you say. "You're funny and nice and my best friend. People will like you."
"You think?" 
You nod. Steve turns his head and closes his eyes again. 
"We'll stay friends, right?" he asks. 
The floaty squeaks as you move to sit up. You paddle to Steve so you can look at his face. 
"Why wouldn't we?"
"I dunno." His eyes are still closed. "You might make super smart friends. And I'll just be a dumbass holding you back."
You shove Steve's shoulder lightly. 
"You are not dumb, Steve."
One muggy June night had had Steve admit he wasn't thirteen, like you and all the kids in your class, but fourteen. He had been held back in third grade after his parents moved from Illinois. It's why my brain's mush, he'd said. I was born dumb.
He had made you swear not to tell anyone. 
"You're not dumb," you say again. "Say it, Steve. Say you're not dumb."
His frown deepens, but he still won't look at you. 
"Tommy says I am."
"Tommy Hagan is a shithead," you shoot back with so much venom, Steve's eyes fly open. "It's not true, whatever he tells you."
You hate that they've been hanging out more this summer. You can't tell Steve that, because it's not like you own him. He can be friends with whoever he wants. But you can't help that your skin crawls when Tommy and his stupid girlfriend, Carol, drops by and pulls Steve away from you. 
“Promise?” he asks.
“Yes, Steve. I promise.”
“‘Kay.” Steve smiles a little. “Thanks.” 
You nod and lay back on the floaty. 
“Wanna get ice cream after this?” he asks. 
“Just us?” 
“Just us.”
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Now. (January, 1987)
You slam the phone back onto the receiver. A girl playing Pac-Man carefully glances at you. 
Whoops. Right. You're still at work. 
You smile and give a thumbs-up. She turns around. You return to your wallowing. 
You’ve called three different video rentals. Jewel Films, which is about to go out of business; More Movies, whose attendant hung up on you before you could say Molly Ringwald; and finally, Blockbuster, which is thirty minutes outside of Hawkins. None of them have a copy of Pretty in Pink. 
And okay. You could just watch another movie. You don't need that specific one. But this year has been shit. You'd thought after starting college, you'd finally break out of the Hawkins forcefield that had limited your social life. You'd thought you'd make friends and not be so terribly lonely. Life is supposed to get better after high school, isn’t it? 
Obviously, whoever said that is a big, fat liar. 
“Dude!” you hear a familiar voice exclaim. “Stop hogging the game!”
Tawny curls peek from under a green and yellow hat. The hat hovers over an older boy who’s glued to the Tempest booth. You go to them. Dustin Henderson lights up when he sees you. You can read his hat now; it says Camp Know Where ‘85.
“Hey, Y/N!” he greets brightly. “This guy has been here for a half hour. I left to get nachos and when I came back, he was still here.”
“I’m this close to beating my score!” the kid insists.
“Come on, guy," you say, one arm on the machine. "You gotta give other people a turn."
The kid, evidently demon incarnate, sneers at you.
“Who’s gonna make me? You?” 
You lean against the side of the game, considering.
“How old are you?”
“Sixteen,” he says.
You snort. 
“Sixteen? And you’re still on Tempest?”
He glances at you. 
“So?”
“Everybody your age is playing Rampage, that’s all.” 
You wink at Dustin. He beams.
“And, uh, I saw a couple girls hanging around Rampage,” you add. 
The kid turns to you. You tilt your head innocently. 
“Seriously?” he asks.
“Seriously. People always flock to the new games.”
Which is true. The girls part is not, but he doesn’t need to know that. With that attitude, he won't be getting many phone numbers anyway. 
You drum your fingers on the game like you have all the time in the world. And sure enough, the kid takes his quarters and heads towards Rampage. Dustin jumps in delight. 
“You’re awesome, Y/N!" 
You grin. “I try. Where are the others?”
Dustin sours.
“They ditched me. To hang out with their girlfriends! Can you believe that shit?” 
“No way!"
He shakes his head.
“I know, right? My friend told me that that’s what happens in high school. People change, y’know? And he’d know, I guess. He’s old like you.”
You scoff. “You make me sound like some kind of ancient. I’m not that old, Henderson.”
“It’s okay, Y/N.” He pats your arm. “In many cultures, the elderly are wise. Now in my experience, this hasn’t been the case. But I think you’re wise.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Dustin smiles like the little shit he is and puts his change in the slot. 
“Well, contrary to what this other friend says, I’m sure it’ll pass,” you say. “You guys will hang out again." 
You swallow your acidic truth. Dustin's a good kid, and so are his friends. You don't want him to turn cynical like you have. He's too young. 
Dustin shrugs, starting the game.
“I guess so. I got a copy of The Lost Boys for us to watch on Friday. They said they’ll be there.”
“Whoa, seriously? That one just came out, how’d you get a copy?”
“My friend,” he says. “The one I mentioned. He works at Family Video and reserves stuff for me.”
“Huh. I thought Family Video was closed."
You'd applied to work there last year and never got a call back. You'd gone by once and it had looked abandoned. Hence why you now work at the arcade across town. 
"It almost did, but Keith took over so now it's barely scraping by."
"Ah. Sweet deal on the movies."
“Yeah,” Dustin agrees, eyes crinkling. “My friend's pretty cool. You'd like him."
"Would I now?"
"Absolutely," he gushes. "He's a total badass too. He won his first fight last year. He used to be a jock but he's recovered." 
"Wow. Impressive."
"Mmhm. I could ask him to hold stuff for you too, if you wanted.”
“You would?”
The game makes a sad game over noise. Dustin sighs and takes a gulp of his slushie.
“Yeah, totally,” he says through a mouthful of blue raspberry ice. “Which one do you want?”
“Pretty in Pink? I missed it in theaters."
“Sure. I’ll tell him to hold it tonight and tomorrow you can pick it up.”
“Cool. Thanks, Dustin.”
Dustin gives you an apple-cheeked grin.
“Gotta stay in good graces with the arcade attendant who lets me play Tempest as long as I want.”
"I don't know what you're talking about," you say, walking away. "Don't get slushie on the game."
"'Kay!"
Dustin only gets a little bit of slushie on the game, but he cleans it up with about a million of the cheap snack bar napkins. When he leaves, he tells you to mention his name at Family. 
"Who do I ask for?" 
"You can talk to either of them," Dustin says. "Doesn't matter. Except Keith. You know Keith, right?"
"Unfortunately.” Keith used to terrorize the arcade before he blessedly moved on. “He works there?"
"Barely." Dustin scoffs. "He's almost never there, so don't worry. And feel free to ask for more movies. They owe me one."
Your sole interactions are with professors and a gaggle of high school freshmen. But now you get to watch any movie you want. Maybe this year won't totally suck. 
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The bell rings pleasantly as you step inside. There's a few people on line, so you take your time walking in. There's a movie display with about thirty copies of RoboCop. A cardboard cutout of RoboCop stares back behind his red helmet.
"Can I help who's next?"
You go to the counter. A girl about your age with a choppy haircut smiles at you but it's sort of strained. She has a pin on her green work vest that says Ask me!
"Please don't ask for Adventures in Babysitting," she says. 
"Oh. No, I'm, uh, Dustin's friend?" 
You can't believe you're name-dropping a high schooler. 
She nods in realization. 
"Oh, yeah. God, I keep telling that dweeb not to promise holds."
You wince. 
"Sorry. If it's going to get you in trouble…"
Her brows raise. She smiles a bit. 
"No, it's okay. Usually my coworker deals with it but, well. He's taking an extra long break today. So, what movie was it?"
"Pretty in Pink," you say. 
"Classic," she replies. "John Hughes fan?"
"Somewhat. I didn't get to see it in theaters. I like Molly Ringwald."
She grins.
"Me too. She's pretty."
"Super pretty," you agree. 
The girl considers you, then sticks out her hand. 
"I'm Robin," she says. "Nice to meet you."
You take her hand. "Y/N.”
"Did you go to Hawkins High?"
"I did. Graduated last year."
"Oh, cool. Are you in college?"
You nod. 
"Hawkins State. Twenty minutes from here."
"Sweet! I'm taking a gap year, but afterwards, I’m gonna apply there. It's cheap. College is college, right?"
"College is college," you agree. "But I wish I'd gone away for school."
You don't know why you're telling her this. You've known Robin for all of two minutes. But she seems friendly. And her sense of style is cool. She wears a blue blazer and tie underneath her vest. 
"How come?" she asks. 
"Everybody from Hawkins is there," you say. "And I… I just want a new start."
Robin smiles sympathetically. 
"They're jerks," she says. 
You huff. "Yeah."
You'd turned yourself into a social recluse a million years ago. It's your own damn fault you can't befriend anybody in this town. At least, not anymore. 
Robin types into the computer, then smacks the monitor. She groans. 
"Ugh. Gimme a second," she says. "Stupid technology."
"No problem," you say, smiling. You like her. Maybe you can integrate Family Video into your regular routine, become friends. You can see Robin becoming a good friend. One you wouldn't grow apart from. 
She disappears into the back room. You browse the old releases and stop at Die Hard. This one you saw in theaters. John McClane is a badass. 
You think of Dustin, and his supposedly badass new friend. It's too bad you didn't meet today. Dustin has a good sense about people. If he says so, it's possible you and this friend really would get on. 
The bell rings again. You're slow to look up. The entrance is empty when you do. You keep reading about John McClane's adventures. 
"Have you been waiting long?"
You turn at the new voice. The video slips out of your hand and clatters onto the counter. 
Steve’s hair has grown since you last saw it. He looks different too, though he has yet to break out of his signature church boy polos. There's a smattering of stubble on his jaw. His arms are lean with muscle. He wears a matching work vest like Robin's, name tag printed Steve in blocky font. 
He looks at where you've dropped Die Hard and smiles. 
"This is a good one," he says. "John McClane is a total badass."
You blink.
"Did you want to rent that one?" he continues, meeting your eye. 
"No," you manage. 
"Okay, no problem. Just browsing?" 
He doesn't remember you. 
You stare and stare. Steve leans in, concerned. He's changed, but he hasn't. He's still handsome with his swoopy hair and big, dark eyes, but the Steve you knew wouldn't have been caught dead working at a video store.
And he doesn't remember you. 
"Are you okay?" he asks, sounding genuine.
You take a step back from the counter. The blood roars in your ears. Robin comes back in, Pretty in Pink in hand. She looks at you, then at Steve. 
"Got it!" she tells you. "Computer should work now."
"I have to go," you say. 
You don't look at Steve again, instead focusing on Robin. 
Her brows rise. 
"Oh. Is everything—"
"I forgot my wallet," you blurt. "I can't pay for the movie. Sorry."
"That's okay, we can just—"
You run. The bell chimes over her words. You keep running until you get to the bus stop, three blocks away. 
Only there do you stop to catch your breath. 
And then you cry. 
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February 1982
"What do you think about Marie?" 
You look up from your textbook. Steve is doodling in the margins of his notes. You gently prod his arm. He returns to reading but his leg starts to bounce under the table. 
"Marie Iverson?" you ask.
"Yeah." 
Steve glances at you. He pushes his hair back. It had taken him freshman year to get his bearings with all the gels and creams, but now, his hair is a point of pride, always perfectly coiffed. Seniors call him "The Hair" and high-five him in the hallway. You hate it. 
"I don't know. I don't know her that well."
"She's cute." 
"I guess so," you say. 
It's harder to get Steve to focus on homework these days. Last year, he happily made flashcards with you and even bought fancy gel pens to share for your notes. Now, he prefers to talk about girls or—
"I was thinking of asking her out."
The tip of your pencil breaks. You really ought to start using pens, but you don't like being unable to erase. 
"Shit, here. Take mine." 
Steve offers his still perfectly sharpened pencil. You stare at it. 
"Y/N?" 
"Yeah." You take the pencil. "Thanks."
"Sure. So what do you think?" 
"I don't know, Steve. I thought you talked about this stuff with Tommy."
"I would, it's just…" Steve shifts uncomfortably. "He can be rude about it sometimes. He doesn't even get why we're friends, y'know? Doesn't understand why I don't just date you."
Tommy is a moron, but you've said that since last year, and Steve's never listened before. 
"Some people don't get it," you say mildly, because you have an upcoming French test and there's no use in getting upset over Tommy Hagan right now. 
"But you do. And you know about this stuff better than me. Girls and all."
"Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I know what girls are best for you to date, Steve. It's weird to talk about."
Steve deflates. 
"Oh. Yeah, I guess so. Sorry."
You sigh and rub your temple. 
"I thought you knew all about that," you say, extending an olive branch. "Asking girls out and stuff."
"Well, I mean, I've kissed girls but I've never… you're, like, the only girl I really know."
Something like pride swells in your chest. Selfishly, you want to keep Steve. You don't want to help him if it means losing him. Oh, you're so greedy, aren't you? You watch Steve run off with Tommy and Carol and nameless seniors and seethe, because Steve was yours first. Steve is yours.
"Y/N?"
"Yeah." You give him back his pencil and fish for another one in your bag. "Did you ever think about writing how you feel?" 
"Writing?"
"Yeah, like a poem or a letter."
"I'm terrible at writing," Steve laments. "The letters get all jumbled and I never spell a damn thing right."
He'd told his mom once how letters melt into each other, how b's become d's. She'd taken him to get his eyes checked, and when the doctor said Steve was fine, Deborah Harrington had told her son to stop begging for attention. 
"Someone who really likes you won't care about spelling mistakes, Steve," you tell him. "As long as you write from the heart. Don't do that cheesy shit and quote Romeo and Juliet. They're young, impulsive, and they die at the end, and that's not romantic."
Steve laughs, nose scrunched. 
"What!" you demand. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, 's just—of course you'd have something to say about quoting Shakespeare."
"It's overdone," you say, crinkling your nose. "And girls would much rather read your own words." 
"So you think I should write Marie a letter?"
"If you really like her," you say. "Only write letters for girls you really like. Otherwise they lose their meaning."
Steve frowns. "I don't know if I should write her a letter, then."
Don't, you want to say. Don't write any of them letters.
You shuffle your papers into a stack. 
"Can we study now?" you ask.
"Oh, sure, yes. Sorry."
"You don't have to keep apologizing, Steve."
He shifts closer to you. His leg has stopped bouncing.
"Lemme take you out," he says. 
You nearly swallow your tongue. 
"Wh–what?"
"For ice cream," Steve clarifies. "Like we used to. Dairy Queen."
"Oh. Okay, sure. But after we study."
Steve beams. "I'll drive you."
Steve's dad had bought him the BMW as a birthday present this year—not that Richard Harrington actually knows when his own son's birthday is, considering the gift was three months early. Still, it's another point of pride for Steve and about all anybody talks about whenever his name comes up. Steve is the only person in your grade with a car. Junior girls hit him up for rides. You make yourself scarce when they do. 
You don't care. You liked Steve before the car. And the clothes. And the hair. 
Your throat feels tight. You want your best friend back. 
"Just us?" you check. 
You can't tell these days. Steve seems to hang out with everybody but you. You're shocked he'd even asked to study together. 
"Oh, sure," Steve says. "I just have to drop off Tommy and Carol first, okay?" 
You check your watch and close your book. 
"I have class," you lie. "I'll see you later." 
Steve catches your wrist. He looks at you and you're struck by how sweet his face is. It's not like you didn't understand why girls want him but it's Steve. Your Steve, who still sleeps with a nightlight and who framed a picture of a sports car he cut out from a magazine because he'd thought it would make him cooler (it didn't. You still tease him about it.) 
"Please," he says. "For helping me."
Your eyes slit. "I didn't help you to get stuff, Steve. I helped you because you're my friend."
Steve blinks like he's forgotten what it's like to be friends with someone just for the sake of being friends. 
"You're right," he agrees. "You're not like that. I'll tell Tommy and Carol to find another ride. It'll be just us. I promise."
You perk up at that. "Really?"
"Really. You can sit in the front with me and we'll play Bruce Springsteen, like we used to. Please?" 
"Okay, Steve." You ache. You’ve never been very good at telling him no. "I'll meet you in the parking lot."
And maybe… maybe your best friend is still in there after all.
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Now
You ask your shift manager if you can work at the snack bar today. It's in the back and you won't have to deal with any game hogs. 
"You didn't put enough syrup in my slushie."
You might have overshot the perks, though. 
Slushie Girl's hair is bleach blonde and hairsprayed to God. You want to tell her that all that hairspray doesn't keep friends. Or brain synapses. 
"I don't make the slushie," you say for the third time. "That's how it comes out of the machine."
She shoots you a mean look. 
"I'm complaining to the manager."
You paste on a smile. 
"You do that. Have a nice day."
She finally walks away, probably on the hunt for your manager, who's definitely smoking a joint outside to avoid this exact situation. 
Dustin comes around the corner and this time, he's with the rest of his party. You smile. 
"Hey, Y/N!" Dustin greets.
Lucas waves at you. Max and Mike are arguing and therefore are in their own world. And there's their newest addition, El, whose story you're still not clear on, as well as Will, quiet as always. 
You lean your elbows on the countertop. 
"What'll it be, gang?"
"Six nachos and six slushies, please. One blue raspberry, three cherry, and two Coke."
You fill up the slushies first. Dustin dances on his toes. 
"So did you pick up the movie?" he asks.
"Oh." You try to smile. "I went there but I couldn't. I forgot my money. Pretty dumb of me."
Dustin accepts this with no argument. 
"Well, you can go back. They'll hold it for a few days."
You're never setting foot in there again, but you don't tell Dustin that. 
He takes his slushie and immediately starts drinking. 
"Slow down, dude. You'll get a brain freeze," you say. 
"You sound like Steve," Dustin informs you. "Doesn't Y/N sound like Steve?" 
Lucas nods. 
"Yup. They're both parents."
You feel queasy. You focus on making the nachos, the cheese pouring out thick and gooey. 
"Did you meet Steve?" Dustin asks. "You probably know him from high school, but he's different now."
"Yes," you say quietly. "I knew him."
"I promise he's different. Even Mike likes him, and Mike hated his guts. Right, Mike?"
Mike pauses in his animated discussion with Max and looks at you. 
"What?"
"I'm telling Y/N about how Steve is cool now," Dustin explains. 
"Oh." Mike shrugs. "He's fine. Much better now that he's not dating my sister."
"He's not?" you ask. "But they were in love. I–I mean, that's what I heard, at least."
"She dumped his ass," El says, and it sounds a little ridiculous in her soft monotone. 
Max scoffs, taking her Coke slushie. 
"Did you live under a rock? It was a huge thing."
"Now Steve is lame," Mike says with a snort. 
"Getting dumped doesn't make somebody lame," you say with an old ferocity you'd thought had disappeared. 
"Okay, jeez." Mike holds up his hands. "Steve's alright. He's different, that's for sure."
"He's our paladin," Lucas says. "A protector." 
Dustin nods eagerly.
You blink. "He protects you guys?"
Max elbows Lucas. You have no idea what that's about. El steps forward and smiles softly. 
"Yes," she says. "He's our babysitter."
"Aren't you guys freshmen? I thought you were too old for babysitters."
"Oh no, Steve doesn't get paid for it or anything," says Mike. "He just does it 'cause he has nothing else to do."
"That's not true!" Dustin argues. Then he shrugs. "Well, it's a little true. But he does like us. He's a good guy. He cares about his friends."
You bite your tongue, not wanting to reply to that. 
"That's great, guys. The girl, Robin? She seems pretty cool too."
"That's Steve's best friend," says Dustin. "She's great."
"Oh." You wince. "Best friend?" 
Dustin huffs. “Yeah. They don’t date. He won’t say why."
"Platonic with a capital P," Max confirms. “It’s obviously because he’s in love with somebody else.”
“Not Nancy!” Lucas protests.
“There are other girls besides Nancy, Sinclair.”
You busy yourself with serving the last set of nachos. The kids pull out crumpled bills and coins in return. You count the money and stack it directly into the register; you know there won't be any change. 
When you turn, they're still there. Dustin has his signature grin on, eyes squinty. 
"Yeees," you drag out. "Can I help you?"
"We need a favor," Lucas says. "Please."
"Hmm." You lean over the counter. "What's up?"
"They're showing Prince of Darkness on Friday," Dustin explains. "But it's rated R."
"So just sneak in. Isn't that what you guys did at Starcourt?" you ask.
"We had an inside man then. They're a lot stricter at the new one," Lucas frowns. "They ask for IDs 'cause some mom complained after her kid snuck in to watch Risky Business." 
"And why can't your babysitter take you?"
You sneer at the thought. Steve spending his Friday nights herding a bunch of adolescent teens into a movie theater. There's a reason you consider Dustin affectionately delusional. 
"He has a stupid date," Dustin groans. "He's a serial dater, Y/N. It's terrible. He gets lucky once and totally ditches us."
Now that sounds like the Steve you knew. 
"I see. I don't really like horror stuff."
"You don't have to stay!" Dustin insists. "You can watch whatever you want after we’re in. I'll pay you back for the ticket."
“This would be so much easier if Steve still worked at Scoops,” Mike grumbles.
You blank for a moment, the image of Steve in a sailor’s hat and those ridiculous shorts whiting your brain.
“Um,” you begin. “You know I don’t have a fancy BMW to cart you guys around in, right?”
“It’s cool. We’ll get there,” Max says.
“So?” Dustin bounces on his toes. “Sooo?”
You sigh. It’d been nice of Dustin to get you the movie, even though you’d chickened out and ran. And it’s not like you have anything better to do.
“Okay,” you say. “I’ll get you guys in.”
Dustin pumps his fist. “Thanks, Y/N! You’re my favorite old person.”
You roll your eyes. “Funny. Any funnier, and I might rescind my help, Henderson.”
“Byeeee!”
They all disperse to the arcade. You wonder how on earth Steve got involved with them.
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March 1983
“Okay, but if you had to choose.”
“Pass. I would literally rather swallow pennies than kiss Principal Coleman’s bald-ass head, Steve.”
Steve takes a triumphant swig of beer. “So you’re saying you’ve got the hots for Benny the janitor.”
“No!” you insist through giggles. “I don’t. God, you’re gross. Can’t believe I’m being treated like this on your birthday.”
“Exactly! My birthday.”
He rolls onto his side in his deck chair and nearly faceplants on the cement. You reach out, reaction time delayed.
“Steve!” you yell. “Careful.”
“I am, I am,” he mumbles, and rights himself on the chair. “Jus’ wanna see you better.”
“I keep telling you you need glasses.”
“I do not,” he whines. “My vision’s ten outta ten. Could a guy who needs glasses do this?”
He crumples up a Twinkies wrapper and throws it towards the garbage. The wind picks up and sends the wrapped into the pool. 
“Shit,” he says.
You belly laugh in delight.
“Wait, wait, redo. Go fish it outta there.”
“Oh, as if. I’m not going in there. I told you you need glasses. Even Mother Nature agrees.”
"She does not. Mother Nature thinks I'm a doll."
You hum and close your eyes. Alcohol always makes you sleepy. 
The chair scrapes against the concrete. You hear a crinkle of a chip bag. Those are your only warning before you’re crushed by two hundred pounds of drunk boy. 
“Steve!” You wheeze, squirming as his hair tickles your face. “Get off!”
"’M sleepy,” he mumbles.
“Well, don't sleep on me, weirdo.”
“‘S cold.”
“You run, like, a hundred degrees, don’t lie.”
He lifts his head. “So you’re saying I’m hot?”
“I’m saying all that booze cooked your brain,” you reply sweetly.
“I’ve been wounded,” he moans and plops onto your shoulder.
“Ugh.” You resign to your fate and lean back. Steve’s not actually that heavy; even drunk, he has a lot of control over his weight and he’s situated himself so he isn’t crushing anything important. No, you squirm underneath him for a very different reason. 
“Steeeeve,” you whine. “You’re gonna squish me into a pancake.”
“Can’t believe no one else came.”
You still. Steve’s face remains buried in your shoulder. His body is beside yours, and he has an arm slung over your belly.
“I didn’t—didn’t want a party,” he continues. “I always throw parties. I thought I’d do somethin’ different. An’ none of them even wished me a happy birthday. ‘Cept you.”
You rest your hand on the back of his hair. It’s wind-blown and messy from the drinks, free of his heady hair gel. You’ve never loved it more.
“Did you tell them your birthday is today?” you ask gently, even though you know he did.
“Yeah,” he says. “Told all of ‘em. Guess they weren’t listening.”
“I listen.”
Steve looks up at you. His eyes are glassy.
“God, I miss you,” he says.
You feel the wall you’ve built this year crumble, just a little. 
“I’m right here, Steve.”
“I know but—been a jerk lately. I know I have. You’re my best friend, okay? Nothing’ll change that. I–I love you so much.”
Your breath hitches. Steve barrels on, not noticing.
“And I’ll be better. We’ll hang out more. Not–not here, drunk. But for real. We’ll go to the movies. Y’wanna see a movie?”
“Yeah,” you whisper. “I wanna see a movie.”
“‘Kay, what movie? Anything you want. We’ll get popcorn and Raisinets.”
“You hate Raisinets,” you choke through a watery laugh.
“I’d eat Raisinets anytime with you.”
You lay there, in the dark, the only sound being the pool filter.
“Let’s watch the new James Bond.”
“Hmm, okay. But you’ll have to say the name eventually.”
Your nose crinkles. “I am not calling it by its name.”
His laugh is warm in your neck. 
You don’t tell Steve to get up again. He snuggles into you, leg over yours. You fall asleep like that, curled underneath him.
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Now
“Wait.” Max stops. “Shouldn’t we have, like, a game plan?”
“Game plan?” El asks quietly.
“Yeah. Some of us aren’t so great at playing it cool.”
She stares at Lucas.
“I play it cool!” he squawks. “I am so cool!”
“Right.”
“Just let Y/N do the talking,” Will says. “She’s technically the adult so she should act like this is a conscious choice.”
You shrug. “Makes sense to me.”
Dustin beams. “This is gonna be great!”
“Or a total disaster,” Max says.
You go to the counter, the kids trailing behind like ducklings.
“Six tickets for Prince of Darkness, please,” you say. “And uh, one for Dirty Dancing.”
The attendant looks at you, then at the kids.
“Don’t you mean seven tickets for Prince of Darkness?” she asks. “It’s rated R.”
Shit. “Right, yes. Sorry. Seven tickets. And one for Dirty Dancing. We have another friend who’s late.”
“Uh-huh.” 
The attendant, whose bored expression you’ve recognized on your own face after long days in the arcade, hands you your tickets without any questioning. 
“I think we’re in the clear,” Lucas whispers when you enter the concession area. 
You wait for them to buy their snacks. Max persuades Lucas to let her mix M&Ms into their bucket of popcorn. He agrees and shuffles closer so they’re pressed shoulder to shoulder while they share. 
“Okay, last stretch,” Mike says, shoveling a frighteningly large handful of sour worms into his mouth. “We just have to get past the ticket guy.”
Said ticket guy is a kid who can’t be much older than you. You think you might’ve gone to school together, but you’ve made it a point to eviscerate everything about high school from your mind.
“Hey,” you say, trying to act cool. Maybe you’re the one Max should’ve been worried about, instead of Lucas. “Uh, here are our tickets.”
He takes the tickets, then looks behind you.
“Prince of Darkness is only for people seventeen and older,” he says.
“I’m an adult, so I’m with them,” you explain. “I’m, like, their guardian?”
“Yeah, uh—” He hands you your tickets. “No can do. There needs to be an adult for each person under seventeen.”
“Come on,” you cajole. “They’re high schoolers. It’s not like they’re gonna be scarred for life watching some zombies, or whatever.”
He shrugs. “Rules are rules.”
“She’s an adult!” Dustin argues.
“Look, if you’re gonna hold up the line, I’m gonna have to—”
“Yo, Gillespie! That you?”
Dustin turns and lights up. The seven of you part for Steve Harrington and his date, a pretty strawberry blonde you think you had biology with.
“Harrington, man, what’s up!” 
Ticket Prick gets up to slam Steve into a bear hug. You barely resist an eye roll.
“Shit, I haven’t seen you in a year! Where’ve you been all this time? Hey, did you hear about that shit with Munson?”
Steve flinches. It’s a tiny movement, indiscernible to the trained eye. But it’s there all the same.
“Gillespie, c’mon. Don’t bring the party down with that,” Steve says, all sweet charm. 
“Sorry, sorry. Daisy,” he greets the girl attached to Steve’s arm.
“Gil,” she replies with a giggle. “You smell like popcorn butter.”
America’s future taxpayers. Terrifying. 
“Are you gonna let us in or not?” Max interrupts, arms folded. 
You feel a burst of pride.
Gil shoots her a dirty glare and puffs up, ready to fight a fourteen year old. Steve cuts in smoothly.
“Gillespie, listen. I know her.” He points to you. You bristle. “I can personally vouch that she’s just trying to do right by these kids. They wanted to see Prince of Darkness, y’know? Get away from the parents.”
“It’s a sick film,” Gil agrees. “You seen it?”
No, of course Steve hadn’t seen it. He hates horror. 
“Planning on it,” Steve says, the ultimate image of playing it cool. “Look, you remember sneaking into the movies. Fast Times? Ring any bells?”
Max rolls her eyes. You’re inclined to do the same.
Gil laughs dopily, and nudges Steve. “Hell yeah, I do. That was a crazy night, Harrington.”
Steve smiles thinly. “Sure was. So whaddya say? For old times’ sake?”
Gil considers your little troupe. Then he shrugs.
“Why not. Manager’s not here anyway.”
He takes the tickets and tears them to stubs, then gives them back.
“Theater six. On your left. Enjoy.”
The kids stampede into the left theater wing. You hang back with your own ticket. 
“Appreciate it, man,” Steve says, all smiles. “Take care, alright?”
“Hey, you too, Harrington! We gotta catch up!”
Steve and Daisy go in. You expect them to walk right past you, and Daisy does, predictably. But Steve stops.
“I’ll catch up, okay?” he tells her. “Find us some good seats?”
She paws at him a little, then goes, sodas in hand. You stiffen as Steve walks and stops three feet away from you. 
“Hey,” he says. “Sorry about that. Gil’s an asshole.”
“I know. He yawned during my poetry reading sophomore year. And then you guys went to the movies together.”
Steve shrinks. “Your poems were great.”
You’re suddenly exhausted.
“What do you want, Steve?”
“I just… I wanted to see you. Say hi.”
“Okay.” You cross your arms. “Hi.”
“You forgot your movie,” he says. “The other day.”
“I didn’t want it that much.”
“Dustin said you looked everywhere for it.”
“Well, in the end, it didn’t really matter,” you say. “Not enough to stay.”
“Y/N—”
“I think your date’s waiting for you,” you interrupt. “Better get back to her. Wouldn’t want to taint your reputation.”
Steve makes a noise like he’s been wounded. You turn on your heel before you can think better of it. 
“Wait.” He catches your wrist. Steve’s grip is light, like you’re something precious to hold. You wrench your arm away. “Y/N, I want to apologize. I’m sorry.”
“For what?” you ask. “For forgetting me? I didn’t expect you to remember, Steve.”
“I didn’t forget you,” he insists. “I could never forget you. I wasn’t—please, can I just explain?”
“I don’t need your explanations,” you snap. The hurt corrodes your tongue like acid. “I know what happened. We were both there. You left.”
Steve’s eyes are huge and dark. He looks like you just stabbed him in the heart, and that makes you feel worse. You’d thought telling him how much it hurts would put you back together, but all it did was break you more.
So you run. Again. 
You slam through a back exit and rip your ticket into a million pieces. The wind is cold and unforgiving. Your eyes sting. 
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You call out sick for two days in a row. You kind of expect to get fired, but then again, people have been leaving Hawkins and if you’re not here to serve the masses their slushies, who will be?
So, after lying in bed not thinking about movies and strawberry blonde girls and how sick you are of this town, you get up and put on your arcade vest.
Now it is two in the afternoon. You’d heard it was supposed to snow today.
Robin eyes the snack counter like it holds the next plague outbreak. You don't blame her; you make it a point to wash up to your elbows after work.
"Slushie?"
She looks at you like she’d forgotten you were there. "What?"
You point a thumb at the machine. "Are you here for a slushie?"
"Oh. No, sorry. Red dye makes me insane in the brain. Steve actually—"
Robin stops, grimaces. So he's told her. Probably everything, if the kids had been telling the truth. 
You're honestly surprised she's here. Unless it’s to, like, swirlie you in the vat of artificial cheese. 
"Are you here to drown me in nacho cheese?" you ask.
Robin's eyes go wide as dinner plates. "What? No!"
"Just checking." You lean against the counter. "What can I do for you, Robin?" 
Robin suddenly looks like she's never interacted with a human being before. You like her a lot. Steve probably does too. 
"I came to drop off your movie." She holds the tape over the counter like it's a pool of lava. 
"But I didn't pay for it." You shove your hand in your jean pocket; you only have a couple dollars on you. "I guess I can get you the money tom—"
"It's on the house. For a fellow Molly fan."
Robin wiggles the tape with two fingers. You take it and wait for a catch. There is none. 
"Thank you," you say. "You didn't have to do that."
"Actually, it wasn't me," she confesses. "I'm just the mailman."
You prepare to hand it back but Robin shakes her head. 
"He's not going to pop out of the slushie machine, okay? He's just trying to make it up to you."
"He doesn't need to make it up to me," you bite, except those aren’t the words you mean. "Why does he even care? We're not in high school anymore."
Robin smiles a sad smile. 
"I know," she says. "We’re not. I know he should've known to fix things earlier. He's received a lot of blows to the head, though, so he's still catching up."
The thought turns your stomach. More? More you weren’t there to protect him from?
"He doesn't owe me anything," you say and wave the tape again. "You can take it back and leave it for somebody else."
"Y/N, I know we don't know each other, like, at all. But it's important to me you know that Steve cares about you, because you’re important to him. And you knew him way before I did, and you probably know a lot of stuff I don't, and that's good because he has a friend like me, but he should also have a friend like you too, Y/N."
"I don't want to be his friend," you mumble. 
"Yeah," Robin says. "I figured. But I don't think that's a confession he should hear secondhand."
You look at her, stunned. She's such a clever girl. You hope she treats Steve well.
"If you two are—"
"We're not," she says, like this is a regular explanation she goes through. "Steve and I are friends. Steve has crashed and burned with every single date since his fall from regency. Steve is the best person I've ever met." 
"Yeah, I’ve heard. You and Dustin are his biggest fans."
Robin snorts. "Trust me, I'm not proud of it."
You shake your head. Your eyes feel hot. 
"This town is so shit," you say. 
"Yeah," Robin agrees. "It really fucking is. But I'm not asking you to give this town a second chance. Just him."
"Why are you trying so much?" you ask. "You don't even know me."
Robin shrugs. "No, but you're the one person Steve used to be friends with who's not an asshole, and I think us non-assholes need to band together."
"I can sometimes be an asshole."
"Me too. So are those little dweebs. How about calling ourselves the Semi-Assholes Club?" 
You laugh. "We'll get jackets."
"With partially drawn butts on the backs," Robin says with a giggle. 
You look at the tape in your hand. 
"Does Steve like John Hughes?" 
"He does. He's a total sap for those. He thinks he's in his own coming-of-age movie because he's delusional."
He sounds perfect. He sounds like the friend you loved. 
"I did want to watch this one," you say. 
"It won't hurt you to," Robin promises. 
You suppose not.
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December 1984
You don't believe the whispers. All week, the rumor mill spins tales of Billy Hargrove finally pushing the King off his throne. There's no way he'll show his face, a girl at the adjacent lunch table astutes. I sure as fuck wouldn't.
Steve Harrington is a loser. Steve Harrington got dumped for Jonathan Byers. Steve Harrington may as well be dead, and on and on. 
Every line gets you angrier. A boy who sits behind you in chemistry taps his pencil like he always does. Tap, tap, tap. 
Halfway through class, you snap at him to quit it. He does, but not without a tinge of embarrassment. You’re so angry this year. Angry at your loneliness, angry at the unfairness of said loneliness. You might’ve done this to yourself, and that fact only gets you angrier.
You see Nancy Wheeler in the hallways with Jonathan Byers, and the confirmation of that rumor should make you happy. It doesn't. 
A week later, most of the excitement has died down. Everybody’s moved onto the next big thing, which is to deduce who fucked in Vice Principal White's office. One look at V.P. White, and it had been decided that it can't have been White himself. 
You can't care less. Once upon a time you might’ve laughed about it with a friend, but you don't have any more of those, and high school is bullshit with or without them. So.
Steve walks in twenty five minutes into the period. Mrs. Kaplan gives him a downright beastly glare and demands to know where he had been. 
"I'm sorry," is all he says. "If you give me detention, I understand."
There are a few snickers that rub at an old hurt, one that had flared up whenever somebody dared to make fun of your best friend. It doesn't bother me, he'd said, and you'd known it was a lie. 
It bothers me, you’d replied, and Steve had hugged you tight.
Mrs. Kaplan seems more stunned Steve hadn't swaggered past her like a peacock escaped from the zoo and lets him go sit down without a fight. He takes the only empty desk, two rows across from you. You stare. You can't not. 
Half of his face looks like it was mashed in a garbage disposal. It's purple and a sickly yellow. His eye and lip are still swollen. You stare and stare. You feel queasy. 
Billy had done that. You're so angry. You think you might never get past this grief, this loss of a once permanent fixture in your life. 
No one wished Steve a happy birthday this year, you realize out of nowhere.
You stare and stare and stare until Steve looks right back. You're blindsided by thick guilt, like blinking through a milkshake. And then the familiar curl of anger returns because why the fuck should you feel guilty? You aren't the one who fucked everything up, who mascerated this good thing. Steve did this to himself. Steve deserves to walk the halls alone. It's Steve's fault. 
But when you look at him, at his raw wounds, at his bruised knuckles, you know that he already believes he deserves every punch Billy Hargrove gave him. 
You hate Steve Harrington. But you really wish you'd been there to drive him to the hospital. 
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Now (And Forever)
The tape sits buried in your drawer for three days. You don’t know what Family Video’s return policy is, but you hope you’re not racking up late fees. You doubt name dropping Dustin will work again.
It’s Saturday when you decide to watch Pretty in Pink. You remove the video from its sleeve. An envelope falls out.
The front has your name printed in squished, loopy script. You remember January at Steve’s house, a stack of thank-you cards courtesy of his mother awaiting the Harringtons’ sign-off. Steve’s hand would cramp and you’d take over while he made grilled cheese for the both of you. Love, The Harringtons, and there was no love in that house, but you think maybe Steve loved enough to make up for it. 
Hi, the letter begins. I hope you’re good. Robin told me you’re going to Hawkins State.
That’s fucking amazing. I’m so proud of you. Are you still writing poetry? I liked that one you wrote about the birds who shared a branch and kept each other warm. I still have it in my notebook in my room.
I’m sorry for the other night. I’m sorry for every night since freshman year, honestly. I’m kind of a dumbass, but you know that, so it doesn’t really excuse anything. I think I’ve actually lost brain cells since we drifted apart.
You crumple the corner, suddenly hot with anger. Who keeps telling him he’s dumb? You want names.
I didn’t forget you, you know. I got scared and I thought maybe I could ease into it, but then you recognized me and… well. I don’t blame you for running.
Anyway. I’m talking too much about myself, when there’s nothing to say. I’m really sorry about what I did, or, actually, what I didn’t do. Somebody told me I was living on autopilot, and that it wasn’t really living at all. I think it was you. 
I’m not living on autopilot anymore. I woke up. And I realized that you’re the best fucking thing that’s ever happened to me. I love Robin and the kids and this little family that has apparently invayd invaded your life too. Sorry about that. They never leave and they eat all your food. Good luck. 
But I miss you. I always have.
Shit happened these last few years that I’ll tell you about one day, if you want. I’d rather not, though, because you’ve always been the paranoiac (like that one? Robin said it’s an SAT word) of the two of us and I feel like this would just make you even more of one. But I will tell you, if you want to hear it. I want to tell you everything. I want you to tell me everything too. Like we used to.
I want you to tell me how college is going. Who the annoying jerks in your classes are so I can go beat them up (kidding). I want you to stop by to rent movies so I can lend them for free and you’ll yell at me about taking advantage of fre friendships. 
Fuck, I miss you. It’s always been there, bubbling below the surface. I never stopped missing you. I never stopped loving you. I’m sorry I didn’t write this sooner. I know you said writing is how we express things we can’t say. You were right. You always are. Can’t believe I forgot that. 
It’s okay if you don’t want to be friends. I mean, it hurts, but I respect it. I understand. Most days, I can’t believe people can bear to be around me. But then I hear your voice in my head, telling me that most people are shitheads and that I’m golden and. Well, I don’t know if I believe that, but you were right that most of the people I surrounded myself with were shitheads. Except you, of course. And then I went ahead and fucked that up.
I’ve been working on finding the non-shitheads of the world. I think I’m doing pretty well. And I wrote this because I realized that while I will probably end up buried in this fucking town, you’re going to do something incredible. And nothing incredible ever happens in Hawkins, so I figure you’ll be far away when you do it. 
I didn’t want to miss this chance to write things I never said. So here they are. And you can do whatever you want with them. You’ve always been the best of the two of us. I trust you.
You should watch Dirty Dancing. You’ll like it. I did. I’ll see it again if you want. I’ll watch anything with you.
Did you know there’s another Bond movie coming out in the summer? We could watch that one together too. If you wanted more time to decide.
Sincer
Lo
Your friend,
Steve
You don’t bother ejecting the tape. You run all the way to the bus stop, Steve’s letter in hand. 
You have to see him. No other thoughts register except that one. You have to know if Steve wrote these words because he can’t say them or because you won’t listen.
It isn’t too late when you get to Loch Nora. The neighborhood is dead, which is weird. Steve’s house looks frozen in time: his parents’ car isn’t in the driveway. You wonder if they’ve ever come back since you’ve been gone. You wouldn't be surprised if the answer is no.
There’s a tarp over the pool. The gate is locked with a chain. You can’t sneak in through the fence like you used to. Not that you would. You don’t think strangers can sneak through pool gates.
You knock on the door three times. And wait.
Steve’s car is in the driveway, a duller burgundy than when he first got it. There are a few scratches in the paint. No longer a prized possession. Maybe well-loved instead.
The door swings open. 
Steve says your name like a prayer. You swallow and steel your spine. 
“I got your letter,” you say.
“Oh.” He rubs the back of his neck. His hair is damp like he’s just showered. It curls around his ears. Waves of want hit you. 
“I don’t want to be friends,” you continue before he can speak. “I don’t—I can’t do that again.”
Steve’s mouth draws into the saddest frown you’ve ever seen.
“Okay,” he says softly. “Thank you for telling me.”
“No.” You shake your head. “No, that’s not—I don’t mean it like that.”
His brows knit. “What?”
“I…” You pull out the letter and wave it. “Did you mean it? Do you love me?”
“Yes,” Steve whispers. It’s like a shout in the quiet street. “I meant it.”
“Like a friend?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“Will you love me like a friend forever?” you ask. 
“Always.” 
You squeeze your eyes shut.
“I love you as something more,” you blurt, watery. “I have for a long time.”
You hear the door shut. This is it: your heart on the line, all for nothing—
“Then I’ll love you as something more back,” Steve says. “I’ll love you any way you want me to.”
And he holds you the way you’d held him so many times. You inhale and wrap your arms around his neck. You’ve got an iron grip around the letter. Tears slip down your cheeks.
“I missed you,” you confess.
Steve nods against your shoulder.
“Yeah,” he says, and it sounds a little wet. “I missed you too.”
“You were wrong,” you say into his neck.
“Hmm?”
You pull back to look at Steve.
“Incredible things do happen in Hawkins.”
“Oh, yeah?” Steve smiles, cheeks blotchy. “Like what?”
“We found each other again.”
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darlingdekarios · 1 year
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buffet.
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rating: explicit. 18+ only. length: 3,146 content: Eddie Brock/Venom x f!reader, symbiote involvement, is this technically a threesome?, tentacles, smut [v fingering, unprotected p in v, alien tentacles & tongue, double penetration, receiving oral]
the only kind of sharing Eddie Brock will agree to.
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It was really only a matter of time before something like this happened. After months of a casual fling with Eddie Brock – quick meetups in your office at work had evolved into hours spent between the sheets of your bed, which had turned into nights of him crawling into his bed beside you. The frequency that flowers came to your office signed with his name had increased, his visits to bring you lunch nearing every day – the other people who worked at the paper with you had their assumptions. And yet, despite the obviously growing intensity between the two of you, there had never been an official name put on whatever was transpiring.
But tonight, the two of you had escalated things by going to a very public press fundraiser together. It was the kind of event Eddie hated – everyone in their fancy suits and dresses, signing checks not to be good people but to make others think they were so, the sticks shoved firmly up their asses as they ate overly-expensive and shitty food. While most of the people present got an idea of the situation when you arrived arm-in-arm with him, the irresistible allure of every dip and curve in your body in your sleek black dress had pulled in attention you didn’t want – or need.
It was Eddie’s final thread snapping that had changed the evening. While you were speaking with one of your old colleagues, his eyes had lingered downward far too long for his taste, and he had put the man in his place with a raised voice. Veins protruding in his temples and neck, Eddie had openly chastised the man for being so indecent toward you, and in doing so confirmed what most of the people in the room already knew – he was hopelessly in love with you. You’d watched on, cheeks pink as you bit into your bottom lip, watching him loudly stake a claim over you that you had to wonder exactly when he’d began to feel entitled to it – not that you had any arguments to present.
It wasn’t a surprise when the two of you were escorted out and refused a car service home due to the scene he’d caused, and so you found yourselves walking through the park to return to whichever apartment was closest. The chilled air was helping to simmer the anger that was boiling in him, and yet he was still walking with an intensity that quickened his step, his breaths coming out in frustrated huffs. Once you were fully removed from the lights and sounds of the ongoing party behind you, one of your hands found its way to grip his shoulder, steadying his movements for a moment. Slipping your hands around his middle you pressed yourself to his back in a gentle hug, your cheek leaning against the leather of his jacket that was warm thanks to the heat he was giving off.
“I’ve never seen you like that over me, Eddie,” you purred, using a quiet voice to soothe him into the relaxation you knew you could bring him to. His large hands came to rest over yours on his stomach, a deep breath releasing from his chest with another huff.
“I’m sorry to embarrass you like that, baby,” he relented, his hands giving yours a light squeeze. His voice was hoarse, rough from the shouting he’d been doing not long before, and yet you knew him well enough to hear the hidden worry his voice carried – he didn’t want you to be angry for hastening the end of your first real night out together. “I didn’t mean to yell, I just…couldn’t handle the way he was looking at you. I didn’t fucking like how anyone there was looking at you, like I wasn’t even there. Like I wasn’t right fucking there.”
“You weren’t the one in the wrong, and I don’t think there’s any question about who I was there with now, Eddie,” you cooed quietly, sympathetic to his rising anger, knowing you could truly subside it whenever you wished. “And you don’t need to be sorry to me. I…will never complain about seeing you that way…for me.”
And at the same time you were coaxing him into a calm lull, the symbiote attached to him was in his mind, its words infused with something primal. 
She likes when we show possession of her, Eddie. We can smell it on her.
 Eddie turned himself then, his arms wrapping to hold you against him firmly as his eyes searched for yours in the pale moonlight. His mind less clouded in anger now, he took in the red hue to your cheeks, the way your bottom lip had already begun to swell due to your repeated biting, the way your eyes had begun to darken – this was a look he was familiar with, a look he coveted. His lips curved upward into a smirk, a look you also knew – a look that meant he’d finally relaxed enough to catch on. The hoarse gavel to his voice did nothing to satiate the flaming heat in your own stomach.
“Seeing me what way for you?” he inquired, the answer already running through his mind. His hands found your lower back, pushing you forward into him so you could relish in his heat. One of his hands slid to grasp your chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting your face up toward his as he bent downward to lightly rub his nose against yours. “You like seeing me get possessive over you, pretty girl? Does it get you all hot and bothered to see me lose my mind over you?”
Pulling your lip between your teeth again you could only bring yourself to nod, quiet breaths increasing in pace embarrassingly quickly as he leveraged his proximity to you by allowing his lips to brush against yours. He loved to see how flustered you were for him – even Venom continued to mentally remark how you looked for them – but you knew what he truly wanted from you. Miraculously, you found your voice, nothing for than a quiet murmur against his lips.
“You look sexy when you’re angry like that, yeah…but what really made me hot was you getting so possessive over me,” you whispered, lips brushing his with feather-light movements as you spoke. His hold on your chin became firmer, his hand at your back slipping to grasp your hip. “Almost like you think I’m yours or somethin’.”
The taunt was intentional, he knew that, and responded in kind by slotting his lips against yours, beginning to pull you with him as he stepped backward repeatedly to disappear into the trees. Returning his kiss, you quickly found your tongue entering a dance with his, his hand sliding to cup your cheek into its warmth. When he felt there were enough trees between the two of you and the path, he pulled away from your kiss carefully, shrugging his jacket free of his shoulders as he went.
“You are mine, I guess maybe I need to do a better job at showing you that,” he teased, his lips connecting with yours again as he began to cover your back and shoulders with his jacket. Backing you into a tree he leaned down closer to you, testing how sturdy the thick trunk appeared to be. “But I know you like it, because Venom says it can smell how fucking wet you are because of it. I didn’t know you wanted to be mine so bad, you could’ve asked nicely, you know?”
“Eddie, Jesus, you talk so fucking much sometimes,” you whimpered, your complaint pulling a laugh from him as he began to trail kisses across your jaw. Your fingers bunched into his shirt on his chest, pulling him closer as you sought to rub your core against his thigh for any amount of friction you could get. His hands began to pull at your dress, bunching it up until he held most of the skirt at your hips, shifting his leg between yours to knock them apart.
“Try to keep quiet, pretty girl,” he whispered when his lips reached your ear, sucking into the delicate skin beneath your ear immediately after before he began to sink to his knees in front of you. “I’d hate to have one of those stuck-up assholes ruin our fun.”
Before you could question his intent, he leaned forward, running his soft lips along the inside of your thigh, inhaling deeply as each of his instincts screamed for him to. Keeping one hand on the fabric of your dress he reached the other to push your delicate underwear to the side, immediately diving into your wet folds with his tongue to test for himself how wet you were. Groaning on at the familiar honey-sweetness of your arousal his hand slipped to lift one of your legs over his shoulder, lapping against you as though it was all that had been on his mind for hours.
A quiet moan slipped from your lips, your head leaning back to the tree as your eyes rolled back – a good thing considering the mere sight of him on his knees for you was enough to make you scream. As his lips sucked against your swollen clit he slipped his hand back to your ass, squeezing firmly before running his tongue downward again. Fucking his tongue into you he released another groan before pulling away, placing kisses along the insides of your thighs.
“You taste so good,” he cooed, his murmured words of appreciation striking into you deeply, pulling another quiet moan from you. “All that fancy fucking food at that dinner tonight and not a single thing tasted this good.”
We want a taste, Eddie.
 The low rumbling voice, no matter how familiar it had become in the last several months, always sent a shiver down your spine. Even the symbiote was conscious of the situation and desperate not to ruin it, quieting its voice to much lower volumes than normal – though only for the benefit of the humans, as if it were left to the alien, it would cherish your moans bouncing off the trees. Eddie licked another desperate line between your folds, flicking his tongue against his clit as he savored every drop of you he could. His voice was husky when he finally found it.
“I’m not the one to ask, V,” he explained, his hand pushing against your backside to encourage your core to his face where his tongue waited again. “I’m not so sure if she’s ready for that.”A cold, slick and slightly barbed tongue licked a surprisingly solemn stripe along the inside of your thigh, chasing the path Eddie had taken minutes ago now. Goosebumps raised across your skin, a soft gasp falling from your lips as your eyes shot open to confirm the sight for yourself. Venom, careful not to anger Eddie, stilled its movements on your thigh as Eddie fucked his tongue into your warm channel again. Your fingers found Eddie’s hair, tangling into the soft locks to steady yourself as you nodded your head weakly, struggling to find words appropriate for the situation you found yourself in.
“You…you’re both part of one another,” you replied, words shaking as you fought to consent through the waves of pleasure crashing through your body. Eddie could feel Venom reaching out to every inch of his body, soaking in the desire every part of them felt. As you managed to nod your head you found words within yourself again. “I don’t want to keep myself from any part of you. Go…ahead, V.”
Eddie’s mouth fell open in brief shock before he reached to connect it with your clit again, sucking against the swollen nib gently as the tongue on your thigh reached higher now. The cool, wet muscle eagerly reached for your dripping hole, experimentally swirling the tip around your entrance. When they were rewarded with the sweetest moan they’d ever heard a groan rumbled in Eddie’s chest, his own tongue flicking against your clit as Venom’s tongue slipped into your cunt, far deeper than any human could hope to reach. As Venom began to swirl its tongue inside you Eddie continued his attention on your clit, reaching his hand that didn’t grasp fabric at your waist to force his pants down, freeing his straining cock with a rough slap against his stomach.
The pressure built in your stomach impossibly full as your legs began to shake, Eddie’s teeth nibbling your clit gently as Venom continued familiarizing its own tongue with the taste of you. It wasn’t long before you had to throw your head back again, a tidal wave of pleasure washing through your body as your orgasm gushed through you, the majority finding its way to Eddie’s mouth – he wouldn’t be the one to waste a drop.
Once content with how clean he’d ensured your folds were, Eddie began to raise himself back up, pressing greedy kisses to any part of your torso that was exposed to him. As Venom’s tongue withdrew from you Eddie hoisted you up, immediately burying his cock to the hilt as he pinned you against himself and the tree, shuddering with a groan as he buried his face in your neck. His strong exterior always melted in those first moments he felt your warmth welcome him in again, and with his face hidden in your neck and eyes squeezed shut he was oblivious to the sleek black tendril that wound itself around your middle, securing you to the tree further so Eddie didn’t have to focus on his hold. You welcomed him home with a moan, as you always did, which encouraged him to give a beginning thrust, grunting into your skin as he began to nibble on the tender skin beneath your ear.
“You’re so fucking wet, baby, my god,” he groaned into your ear, picking up the pace of his thrusts into you. With a particularly perfect thrust the head of his cock knocked against your cervix, eliciting a loud moan from your chest. Another tendril took advantage of your open lips, slipping into your mouth with nodded approval from Eddie. “We told you we gotta stay quiet, baby. Don’t worry, Venom’ll help – be a good girl and suck, love seeing those pretty lips workin’.”
Your moans were muffled by Venom, your glazed over eyes finding Eddie’s as he raised his head to look at you, to confirm that you were following his suggestion. Holding his eye contact and feeling the way your walls clenched him at these new sensations, you began to work your mouth over the perfectly sized appendage. A low, appreciative growl rumbled through the air from the symbiote, Eddie’s thrusts becoming more desperate as he connected his mouth with your neck again, sucking an obvious mark into your skin.
Between grunts he spoke praises, thanking you for how good you were being with your mouth and complimenting how fucking hot you looked for them. Within minutes his thrusts were becoming sloppy, and he took a deep breath to steady himself, unwilling to finish before you could again. Knowing Eddie’s predicament, Venom’s tongue slid carefully up your thigh again before flicking against your clit, mirroring the action it had watched Eddie do many times. Your hips bucked forward into Eddie’s roughly, a deep moan sounding in your chest even passed your stuffed mouth, your eyes rolling back before closing. Eddie reached a hand to cup the side of your face, coaxing you to look at him again with soft words as he began to time his thrusts with the flicks of Venom’s tongue.
“That’s right, pretty girl – keep those eyes on me,” he pleaded, his words broken up between heavy breaths. Though you pushed yourself to remain fixated on his eyes, both of you broke the loving gaze when you felt additional tendrils on your legs, working up your bodies slowly – almost inquisitively. “Venom…wants to make sure we’re both nice and full. You gonna let us?”
You could barely nod, eyes finding Eddie’s again to communicate your consent the best you could with a look. Even if your mouth wasn’t full, you wouldn’t have been able to find the words to describe just how it felt when an intentionally wet tendril prodded at the tight ring of muscle at your backside – nor how it made you feel to see the same was happening to Eddie. Venom worked the tendrils into each of your asses like it had planned to do so for a long time now, like it knew exactly how it needed to enter both of you to make it feel as good as possible.
Venom’s thrusts matched Eddie’s perfectly, its tongue swirling around your clit in a sinful synchrony that had your thighs shaking within minutes. Your hands reached for Eddie’s shoulders, nails digging into his skin even past the t-shirt covering him. Eddie’s breaths were ragged, and yet as you’d mentioned before – he just couldn’t bring himself not to speak to you.
“Gonna let me fill you up, perfect girl?” he questioned, his hands finding your hips as he began to relentlessly ram his cock up into you. He took a moment to look down between the two of you, watching how his cock disappeared into your tight walls with each thrust before fixing his gaze on your face again, groaning when you nodded your approval. If it were any other time, he’d want you to be able to speak – but he couldn’t chance the scream he knew you wanted to let rip through you. “Gonna fill you up so much I’m leaking out of you for days,” he promised, followed quickly by another, “and then I’m going to fill you up some more when we get home.”
Your thighs already shaking, you wrapped them around him tighter as you rocked against him, part of your moan slipping past the tendril in your mouth as your eyes rolled back. Your walls clenching around him pulled Eddie’s own release from him, his thick, hot load shooting deep into you as a low groan sounded in his chest along with a string of compliments.
When your shared euphoria had subsided, Venom departed from where it filled you so you could lean forward to claim Eddie’s lips in a kiss, your hands still clutching to his shoulders and body shaking as the pleasure continued to surge through you. Eddie returned your kiss hungrily, slowly pulling himself from you and steadying you back on the ground with his hands on your hips gently. When both of you were redressed, he pulled you back in for another kiss, his lips moving against yours as he spoke a final promise into the night.
“That’s the only kind of sharing you’ll get from me.”
masterlist. marvel masterlist.
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weyirn · 11 months
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Hello :)) I hope you’re well! could i please ask for a sort of reaction-type thing with marvel men x male reader, where the reader smothers their face and hands in small kisses, especially when they’re in a bad mood?? thank you!!
Hi!! I hope you're doing good as well!! :3
Marvel Men x Male!Reader
Smothering Their Face and Hands With Kisses
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☆Steve blushes and smiles every time. He gladly returns the favor by grabbing your waist and kissing you on your lips, as well as giving you forehead kisses. If he's in a bad mood, it probably won't change his mood drastically, but he will appreciate you trying to make him feel better.
❄️Bucky hasn't gotten this kind of affection in a long time, but this is still a pleasant surprise for him. He absolutely just melts underneath your touch and the kisses you give him, especially when you're using this to comfort him when he has nightmares. He's a little shy on returning the favor at first, but when he eventually does, he gives you all the hugs and kisses you desire.
💲Tony teases you about how you just can't get enough of him and then brags about how irresistible he is (ugh lol). He'll probably kiss you in public and have his arm around your waist to show you off. Doing this while he's in a bad mood will cause him to roll his eyes and say something among the lines of, "a kiss can't fix everything." (And then he'll ask for some later lol)
🕸Peter gets flustered every time and just stutters over his words, not sure what to say. There are times when he's too shy to ask for kisses when he wants them, so he uses little hints instead, which may result in him being teased about it. It will give him comfort when you give him kisses when he's in a bad mood.
⌲Sam jokes about you doing this all day long (which you probably would do lol), but admits that he wouldn't mind it. He can always count on you to cheer him up, laughing while you give him kisses, lifting his mood. He loves to give you surprise kisses every now and then.
🐜Scott would immediately cup your cheeks and kiss you all over your face in return. When he's in a bad mood, it catches him off guard and he might just forget what he was mad about.
💚This surprises Bruce and makes him a little flustered at first, but he still appreciates it. It's beneficial if you do this when Bruce is in a good mood; it makes him feel loved and he appreciates the affection.
⚡️Thor gives you just as much kisses (if not way more). But he kisses you anywhere and everywhere, not just your hands and face.
🐍Loki doesn't know what to think about it at first since he's not used to receiving affection. Over time, he slowly just wants more and more of it. When he's in a bad mood, he acts like he doesn't want it or enjoy it (even though he actually loves it).
🖤Eddie definitely needs something like this. With all the stress and how tired out he gets from it, it's good for him to finally wind down, along with you just pressing kisses on his face. Venom on the other hand teases you about it.
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matchingbatbites · 21 days
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You know how sometimes you think of a scene that belongs in a long fic, so you write the fic just so you can share that scene that started it all? I had one of those scenes come to me today, but you're not getting a full fic. Eddie is caught posing as Princess Nancy and is brought before Prince Steve.
Steven is going over the plans for the kingdom's expansion when the door slams open and Thomas and Jason step through. They appear furious, and held between them is Nancy, only- only she's half dressed, and she appears to be a he.
“What's the meaning of this?” Steven asks as he steps around the table, and the two men throw their captive to the ground before him. He crumples in a heap but still attempts to right his clothes where they've been torn from his person, trying to recover a bit of modesty.
“This imposter,” Thomas spits, “has been deceiving you. Carol saw him in the bath yesterday and discovered his truth. He's been posing as princess Nancy for his own sick gain and he must be properly punished for this indiscretion.”
“He should be hanged for it,” Jason says, his tone full of venom. Said imposter looks up, clearly terrified at the possibility, and his eyes plead with Steve as he says “My lord, please-”
“Silence!” Steven snaps, and all three go quiet. He looks between Thomas and Jason before giving the command of “Leave us. Now.”
The two men nod and each shoot the stranger a vile look before they exit the room. The prince stares down at the man, at this charlatan brought before him, and can only feel a sense of betrayal from someone he'd quickly grown to care for.
“Explain.”
The man takes a shaky inhale before he begins. “My name is Eddie- Edward. Nancy is my half-sister. When she received the news of her betrothal to you, she was concerned about your character. There were- rumors. I volunteered to take her place, to learn your true nature so she could make an informed decision about your union without having to abandon her duties.”
He looks properly ashamed of his actions, but it doesn't stop Steven's heart from breaking. Instead of falling in love with Nancy over these last weeks, he'd fallen for a farce, a sham.
“What was your plan for after? If you'd decided I was acceptable for her?”
Eddie hesitates, but says “She was going to return herself and reveal the truth to you.”
“And what? Pray that I wouldn't take offense to being tested?” He scoffs, and Eddie winces at the sound.
“Thomas and Jason were right,” Steven says, unable to keep the hurt from bleeding into his voice. “You were lying to me.”
The man looks up at him, his gaze open and pleading once more. “Only about my intentions. I swear to you, where my feelings are concerned, I've only ever spoken the truth. I'm- I was never supposed to fall for you myself.”
It echoes what Eddie-as-Nancy told him the other night as they walked through the gardens, the soft ‘I do believe I'm falling for you, your majesty,’ meant only for Steven and the roses and the stars. He thinks about the hours, the days he's spent with this person. With this man, who has shown Steven a mere glimpse of the love he's always dreamed of.
“This plot is the most foolish, most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of,” Steve says, and Eddie's head drops with a sob. Steve feels weak at the sound, and he falls to his knees before Eddie. He takes the man's hands in his own, and shining brown eyes look up at him in disbelief. 
“But I would be truly foolish to let you go. All I've wanted in life is for someone to love me for my truest self. You’ve shown me a future where that desire is not just a dream.” 
Eddie sobs again as Steven pushes a hand into those wild curls and tugs him closer, resting their foreheads together. “Sorry- I'm so sorry-” he stutters, and Steve shakes his head.
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loveinhawkins · 1 year
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i’ve recently become aware of this starcourt mall commercial & i’m dying at the thought of Eddie seeing it, bored out of his mind, until Steve appears on screen with that stupid sailor’s hat and the world’s most awkward, “Ahoy!”, and, oh, Eddie’s grin is evil.
“Why did you tape over Dallas?” Wayne asks that night.
“Wayne,” Eddie says solemnly, “I needed to record the best moment of my life.”
Of course, Steve finds the tape later, because the universe likes to laugh at Eddie, apparently.
Spring Break of ‘86 is a few weeks away—thanks to one distracted moment, Eddie unknowingly puts the wrong tape in the case before returning a rental to Family Video, then speeding off to band practice.
Steve doesn’t notice the mixup until a few hours later, when he routinely opens the VHS cases to check that the tapes have been rewound. When he sees the tape devoid of any movie sticker, he can’t resist watching it; his shift is dragging by.
He gets 20 minutes into Dallas before it cuts off, and the commercial plays.
His jaw drops, and he groans in embarrassment, but he’s laughing when he calls for Robin in the back room, and then they’re watching it together, cracking up. They both remember filming it, remember looking at each other and swearing to never speak of it again, but they’d never actually seen it, and well… it is pretty funny.
Steve gets an evil grin of his own when he sees that the rental account is in Eddie’s name.
When he calls, he gets Mr. Munson on the phone, and because Steve can also be a meddling little shit when the conditions are right, he makes up some story about the store having new forms, that he just needs Eddie to sign one quickly.
The next day, Eddie strolls in, and Steve looks him right in the eye.
“Ahoy, Munson,” he says, deadpan.
Eddie freezes in place. He briefly considers turning around and walking into traffic.
“Harrington,” he says stiffly.
“Hey, man,” Steve says, relentlessly chipper, “so we’re kinda down on one copy of—” He glances over to the computer. “—Life of Brian, and up one copy of, uh…” He lifts Eddie’s tape off the counter, smirks. “I guess, half of Dallas.”
Eddie stalks over. “It was… for school,” he blurts out unconvincingly. “Recording Hawkins history. Nothing personal, King Steve.”
Steve lets the venom in the nickname bounce off him. “Starcourt was pretty, uh, historic,” he says mildly, fighting another smirk.
“Whatever,” Eddie snaps, losing what little patience he has left—despite all of his performances to the contrary, the thought of people laughing at him still makes his skin crawl. “Let me get out of your massive hair, Harrington, and I’ll bring your fucking video back.”
Steve raises one hand, palm out. “Woah, chill,” he says, and as Eddie’s nostrils flare, he feels a little twinge of guilt; he didn’t actually mean for all of this to come across as mean-spirited or anything. “Sorry, man. I’m not trying to be a dick, I swear.”
Eddie rolls his eyes. “Could’ve fooled me.” But he looks a little calmer, raises an eyebrow. Well?
“Here,” Steve says, handing over the tape, and he doesn’t react when Eddie snatches it back. “Oh, and I extended the rental on your movie.” He shrugs. “Saves you a double trip, y’know?”
“Thanks,” Eddie says, after a pause.
“No biggie.” And when Eddie makes to leave, Steve calls, “Hey, Munson?”
Eddie turns at the door, no longer quite as cagey. “What?”
Steve shrugs again. “Thanks for the mixup, I guess?”
“You’re kidding,” Eddie says flatly.
“No, I mean it, dude. Like, once I got over the, well, embarrassment of, um, everything, it was actually kinda… nice to see it.” He nods to Robin in one of the aisles, guiding a customer over to a movie. “Me and Robin, we—it was nice to have something about Starcourt that we could laugh at.”
Eddie considers him. “Were you in the fire?”
Steve smiles, and if Eddie didn’t know any better, he’d say there’s more than straightforward sadness on his face. “Yeah, got caught up in it.”
Eddie slowly, thoughtfully, opens the door but doesn’t leave, leans against it. He looks Steve up and down. “Damn shame you don’t have a hat in your get-up here, Harrington.”
Steve mock scowls, ruffles his hair. “I’m not suffering through that again.”
Eddie finds himself smiling without meaning to. “You poor thing. I guess once is enough.”
And Steve rolls his eyes this time. “Yeah, yeah, once. You’ve goddamn immortalised it, Munson.”
Eddie snorts. “Oh, but I had to,” he says, tucking the tape under his arm, “for posterity. In a hundred years, there’ll be sonnets written about your sailor outfit, Steve Harrington.”
And, whoops, that wasn’t planned, Eddie thinks. Laying it on a bit thick there.
Steve laughs, but not at him; Eddie can tell now. “Go enjoy your Saturday, Munson.”
Eddie gives a lazy salute. “Ahoy.”
And as Eddie leaves, he spots a note on the counter, next to the usual Be kind, rewind reminders. It’s handwritten, with a cartoony winking face: And check what’s inside!
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oneforthemunny · 11 months
Text
nothing new |dom!brat tamer!eddie x sub!brat!reader|
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prompt: eddie tries a new punishment. you don't like it. you push eddie to go back to his old ways.
contains: 18+ MINORS DNI, dom! brat tamer! eddie, brat!sub!reader, dom/sub themes, orgasm denial mentions, degrading, language, mean-ish reader, mean!dom!eddie, spanking (mentions of cane / use of slipper)/ slippering, after care, fingering fem receiving, oral, p in v sex
"You know that's not how I like my toast." You snapped, eyes glaring so fiercely in the back of Eddie's curly head, you were sure those brown curls would catch on fire from the heat of your gaze.
Eddie's shoulders tensed, spine straightening and drawing up tight at your tone. It had been like this for the past three days. After incessantly breaking his rules all day, he'd punished you. The cane and a punishment of no cumming for the next few days.
He'd got the idea from magazine, one of the seedy ones that were hidden in the back of the stores, the X-Rated section that teenagers would whisper and try to sneak into see. The magazine said it would break them into submission, a sure-fire way to keep your sub in order that wasn't physical punishment. Eddie figured it would be fine to try, exciting even. He'd tease you until you were so close, toes curling and heavy panting, only to pull away. He'd give a smack to your ass, pointing a finger and scolding you, calling you a "bad girl" with a stern glare- like you were a dog in training.
It had the complete opposite effect than what the magazine had said. You were furious. Whatever attitude you had before was now amplified by a million. It teetered on real anger and aggravation, not the spoiled and bratty personality you played up for him. You were frustrated, sexually and emotionally.
Every snap of your harsh tongue, lashing and dripping in venom when you'd bark at him, was met with a look of warning and a threat. Eddie tired to stay firm, unrelenting in his decision to punish you, but, fuck, we're you making it difficult.
You'd woken up before him this morning, learning from the past mornings that he'd tease you awake with sweet kisses, even sweeter touches. He'd roll on top of you, grinding into you while smothering your cheeks and neck with sweet, pillowy kisses. He'd dig his fingers in your cunt, curling and rubbing your swollen clit, getting you dizzy with ecstasy in your sleepy state. You were so sweet, so warm, holding him tightly and begging him to let you cum in a nasally, high pitched tone.
Only for him to pull out of you at the last minute. You'd huff, eyes snapping open in protest. Eddie would tut at you stupidly, shoving his fingers in your mouth.
"Oh, you didn't think I'd let you cum, now did you?" He'd mock you, face exaggeratedly copying your pout. "Silly, dumb girl, you know better than that."
You would be frustrated all day. Dropping to your knees at the beginning when he'd tell you, excited and desperate to please him. Hoping he might please you in return.
He didn't.
Eddie would finish down your throat, shoving his flaccid dick back in his pants, patting your cheek lightly before going about his business. He'd leave you, stunned and horny on your knees, unsatisfied entirely and a little hurt.
That hurt turned into rage in an instance.
This morning, you weren't entertaining him with it. You'd gotten up and sat on the couch, watching TV while sipping your coffee until Eddie came in. He was still soft and warm from sleep, leaning down to press a lazy kiss to your lips. You turned your head with a huff, letting his lips barely brush your cheek.
Eddie pulled back, stunned, blearily blinking at you. "What's'a matter, baby?" He asked sweetly, head still foggy and fresh from sleep.
You glared at him, mean and pointed, before rolling your eyes back to the TV. You were cuddled up in your fluffy robe, fluffy slippers curled under your legs. You looked positively adorable, and normally, Eddie would let you know that; if you weren't being so mean.
Eddie pressed his lips together, brow furrowing. He shuffled over to the pot of coffee, the smell of the ground beans in the air, wrapping around him and carrying him to the machine. It was empty.
Eddie frowned, lifting the empty glass pot. "Did you drink all of the coffee?" Eddie asked. You didn't look at him. Just lifted your steaming mug, slurping it loudly, obnoxiously.
Eddie rolled his eyes, shoving the pot back under the machine. "You couldn't make more?" He pressed.
"Why would I do that?" You scoffed, eyes still glued on the TV. "I didn't know how long you were going to sleep. You usually sleep all day."
Eddie scoffed, shaking his head. His own jaw clenched, ripping open the Folgers' can and spooning in the ground coffee into the machine. He would just ignore it, ignore your attitude. He knew you were trying to get him to break, to go back on his punishment. He wouldn't.
"Did you eat?" Eddie asked, finger jamming into the machine, turning it on.
You didn't look at him, sipping your coffee calmly, eyes on the screen. Eddie's teeth grit. "Baby, did you eat?" He tried again.
"No." You huffed. "I just had coffee."
Eddie closed his eyes, taking a calming breath. "Do you want breakfast? Eggs?"
"I want toast." You muttered. Your eyes finally met his, cutting over to him for a moment, brows still pulled into a furrowed frown.
"I'll make you toast." Eddie nodded sweetly. "You want butter on it?"
You scoffed loudly, ignoring his sweet tone. "Obviously. That's how I always have it."
Eddie's eyes flashed in warning at you. You shrunk for a moment, throbbing between your legs. Your obedience was temporary. The moment the pulse between your legs started up, aching and incessant from days of no relief, your attitude came back stronger.
You rolled your eyes hard at him, making sure he saw you, before going back to the TV. Eddie decided to let you be. Let you sit and stew in your own little fit. He'd still cook you breakfast, still be sweet to you in the hopes of bringing you back into submission. He knew there would be some resistance with this punishment, the magazine had warned him, but he hadn't expected this.
This was miserable. Felt like a punishment for both of you.
Eddie had calmed down a little. Buttering the bread and putting it in the toaster, a routine that was mundane and let him focus on tasks. He set the timer on the toaster, two minutes, not too burnt but golden brown- how you liked it. How you always liked it.
Not today, apparently.
The snarl you gave him when he presented you with your plate had his face falling. Your lips twisting in displeasure, winking your nose down at the bread.
You're snappy response, mean and degrading, sent him over the edge.
Eddie smacked his hand on the counter, turning to glare at you. "That is exactly how you like your toast." He snapped. You didn't even flinch under his harsh glare, your own displeased place rivaling his. "What's going on with you, huh? You just gonna be mean all day?"
"Are you?" You challenged, brows raising at him.
"You were the one who couldn't keep your mouth shut the other day." Eddie pointed at you. "You had to go and break my rules, and now you don't want to be punished? What good is that?"
"It's not a good punishment, it's a stupid fucking punishment, and you know it." You growled, nails digging into the counter.
"Hey," Eddie warned, lifting a brow at you. "You watch it, alright? I'm sick of your attitude-"
You rolled your eyes at him. "Whatever." You snarled, looking down at the plate of toast. Your stomach growled silently, seeing the perfectly buttered and toasted, though you couldn't let him know that.
"I'm not eating that shit." You huffed, shoving the plate towards him. Not hard enough for the dish for fall, sending it sliding over the counter to stop in front of Eddie.
Eddie watched you stomp off to the couch, little slippers clacking against the linoleum floor to the carpet, plopping down hard enough for the springs to creak.
Eddie paused, eyes flicking from you to the toast in front of him, mocking him and fueling his fire. The truth was, he was struggling too with this punishment. His stubborn side would rather have blue balls forever than give into your bratty demands, but the rational side of him was begging for him to call it.
Eddie moved in front of you, heavy footsteps shaking the trailer until he stood in front of you, blocking your view from the TV. "Move, Eddie," You snap, glaring up at him.
Eddie put his hands on his hips, bristling gaze burning down onto you. You snarled in response, lip pursing in annoyance. "Move, Eddie, fuck, I can't see." You huffed at him. "I can't see. God, you're so annoying."
"Really?" Eddie raised a brow down at you, challenging. He was fed up, irritated with you too. "This is how you're going to play?"
You squinted, challenging at him. Eddie's tongue rolled over the side of his cheek, nodding slowly. "Holy shit, Eddie, can you just move?" You snapped, throwing your arms out. "God, you're so full of yourself all the time. All the attention has to be on you at all times, I swear, fuck. You're just being a dick now-"
You didn't get to finish your little rant. Eddie moved, just how you asked, sitting next to you on the couch. Thighs spread over the cushions, his hands gripped your wrists. Your eyes widened in realization, before you were yanked over his knee with a light oomph! and a bounce of your upper half dangling onto the ground.
Eddie didn't let you adjust, barely giving you time to steady yourself before your robe was thrown up, pajama short pulled down. His mouth watered, erection growing against your hip at the sight. The fading lines of the cane still striping over your ass, healing but still apparent. Your slippered feet kicked in the air in protest, pink and hard soled, catching Eddie's attention. He smirked to himself, free hand grabbing your wiggling ankle, pulling your leg close before plucking the slipper off your foot.
You stilled for a moment in realization, frantically squirming to look over your shoulder. "Wait, Eddie, I-"
A resounding slap, loud and clapping against your flesh cut you off, filling the room. You gasped, the sting of the slipper was shocking. A itchy burn that stung worse than the cane or the crop, one that you just wanted to reach back and rub the irritation out.
Eddie brought the slipper back down again, tongue poked out in concentration. You whimpered, pushing off the ground in protest, only for his heavy hand to press into your shoulder blades.
"You want to be mean?" Eddie snapped, the slipper falling on your already tender ass. "You want to be a little brat to me? Not follow my rules?" You howled when he brought the slipper down again, lifting at the sting of the slipper.
"That's fine, baby, I'll just remind you want happens to mean girls, bad girls." Eddie sneered.
He brought the slipper down fast and hard, peppering smacks that covered every inch of your cheeks. You squirmed, pleading and fighting against him while he held you in place. The burn was unimaginable, so uncomfortable- you couldn't understand why it made you throb the way you did. You were certain with every snap of the slipper, sending vibrating shocks to your core, that you'd cum before it was over.
Eddie's put the slipper on your robe clad back, admiring the red, splotchy glow of the globes of your ass. He licked his lips, fingertips tracing of the hot skin. He dipped low, towards your core, feeling your soaking spend that coated your thighs, smirking when you whined.
Eddie reached to your hair, fingers threading through your locks before pulling you up. You cried out, back arching on his lap. "You gonna keep being mean to me?" Eddie growled, lips brushing against the shell of your ear, sending shivers down your spine.
He could see the wet streaks of tears down your face, the sniffling and pouting lips made his cock lurch in his pajama pants. He regretted not wearing boxers for a moment, sure you could feel his hard cock pressed against you.
"I won't be mean anymore." Your bottom lip wobbled, looking over at him. Eddie's hand loosened in your hair. "'M sorry I was mean to you and broke your rules. I won't do it anymore."
Eddie's face softened, shoulder dropping in relief. You sniffled hard before he could answer, turning to face him fully, teary eyes meeting his. "P-Please don't ignore me anymore." You begged, lip wobbling. "I'll be good."
Eddie let his hand drop from your hair, moving to pull you up onto his lap. "Baby," Eddie cooed, hand cupping your cheek. "Did you not like how we've been playing for the past few days?"
Your breath stuttered under the cry, head shaking when you met his big, brown eyes. "I don't like it when you ignore me." You admitted, wiping your eyes with the heels of your hand. "I didn't like it when you'd cum and then-then just leave. I felt...used." You admitted, looking down at your fingers, nervously playing with the tie of your robe.
Eddie's fingers moved under your chin, eyes dropping in hurt. "Why didn't you tell me? Or safe word?" He asked gently.
"I didn't know I could." You admitted bashfully. "We weren't, like, doing heavy stuff so I-I thought I just had to."
"Baby," Eddie said firmly, brows knitting sternly at you. "You can safe word anytime you want. If you don't like something, safe word and tell me. It's only ok if we're both having fun. If we're both consenting to it, right?"
You nodded gently. Eddie leaned forward, pressing a kiss to your salty, wet cheeks. "Good girl." He smiled sweetly at you. "Thank you for telling me, ok? We won't do that again."
You gave a soft smile, moving to press your lips against his. Eddie kissed you sweetly, no dominance or hard kisses. It was sweet and long, lips moving against yours like in the morning when he was leaving for work, getting every last taste of you on his tongue to last him through the day.
Eddie's hands moved down your hips, to your bare center. Your pajama shorts had long been kicked onto the floor, leaving you exposed to him. Eddie slipped his fingers between you, running his calloused fingertips through your slick folds. You moaned into his mouth, eyes pinching closed, melting into his touch.
Pulling apart with a gasp, your forehead rested on his, looking down between the two of you. You watched Eddie work you, lazily circling your clit, sending shockwaves of pleasure that had your tummy clenching.
"Let me take care of you, alright?" Eddie muttered, trailing kisses down your cheek. His breath ghosted over the wet skin, leaving you shivering. "Won't do that shit again. 'S been miserable to me to." Eddie admitted lowly into your skin.
You giggled lightly, airy and followed by a content sigh. "Please don't." You muttered, letting your head drop to his shoulder. "Missed you too much."
Eddie more than made it up to you. He let your come undone on his fingers, his tongue, before finally splitting you open with his cock. Fucking your hard with your legs held up in the air, leaving you gripping the worn material of the couch. He snapped his hips against you until he was spilling deep inside of you. The toast and coffee running cold on the table. Not that either of your minded.
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