#I couldn’t have asked for a better Emmys watch

[ambeauty]

It was a good night for traumatized people! The Bear family feasted!

Also the non answer about the nature of Sydney and Carmy’s relationship was answer enough for me 😊

#the bear #Ayo won the first award of the evening so it already started on a high note #and then it ending with Ebon kissing Matty #I couldn’t have asked for a better Emmys watch #this is a family #they mean something to me #jaw let somebody else touch her bro #ayo edebiri #jeremy allen white #ebon moss bachrach #matty matheson

[dumbseee]

starstruck.

F1 au/fic: in which, daniel attends the met gala and meet his ultimate crush, y/n l/n.

daniel ricciardo x actress!reader.

fc: jasmine tookes.

note: the timing is terrible

when you finally finished your interview with emma chamberlin, you saw in the corner of your eye a man looking at you, smiling from ear to ear. you didn’t recognise him but by his looks you knew he was someone important. you walked up to him and smiled back, his cheeks were red and he struggled to hold your gaze now that you were in front of him.

"hi! first time here?" you asked, waving at him, "i’m y/n l/n." he smiled again and scratched his neck. "is it that obvious? and i know, i’m kinda your biggest fan, daniel ricciardo it’s nice meeting you." he shook the hand you were giving him and gave it a gentle squeeze, you didn’t fail to notice how big his hand was and how it engulfed yours. you laughed and put your hand against your heart. "oh really? what is your favorite work of mine?" you asked him, genuinely curious. you didn’t know why but you were drawn to his energy. he looked up and thought for a second before answering. "there is too many, but i really liked you in the marauders, couldn’t think of a better actress to play dorcas." you laughed and thanked him. "to be honest, it’s not my best work." he looked at you like you just said the most out of pocket thing in the world. "excuse you? you were amazing! you perfectly portrayed dorcas and the way you showcase emotions just with your eyes is just incredible! seriously you’re one of the best actresses out there and i-…" his eyes were full of sparkles, like a kid talking about his favorite football team, he stopped himself when he saw you look at him with a huge smile. his cheeks were even redder and he couldn’t look at you anymore. "i talk to much, right? i’m so sorry, i do that a lot." you brushed him off and patted his shoulder. "daniel, you’re adorable." he smiled fondly but before he could speak again, your agent came to you. "we have to go y/n, donatella is waiting for you." you nodded and waved at daniel. "it was great meeting you daniel, i hope to see you again soon!" he watched you leave and couldn’t wipe off the smile on his face, he knew how good looking you were but seeing you and talking to you in real life was different. from that small interaction only, daniel knew how much he was infatuated with you.

liked by danielricciardo, daniel.jpg, blakelively and 5 681 972 others.

y/n: you guys know how much i love going to the met gala, but this year was even better. thank to anna for inviting me again this year, and i hope to see you again next year! huge thanks to donatella for customising this dress for me, you’re a legend.

_

donatella_versace: donatella VERSACE 💜

zendaya: i’m on the floooor girl

fan1: not daniel liking with all his accounts

fan2: the queen of the met

fan3: the dress looked so good!

fan4: y/n never misses

fan5: who’s daniel?

fan6: @.fan5 y/n’s future husband

liked by danielricciardo.

fan7: WTF DID DANIEL JUST LIKED THIS COMMZNT???2€:8:9

view all 57 899 comments.

liked by danielricciardo, daniel.jpg, selenagomez and 3 792 000 others.

y/n: we worked so hard on this one so i’m glad it’s finally out! the batman is out in all theatres so grab your pop corn and go watch it!

_

selenagomez: such an icon

fan1: y/n as catwoman is something i HAVE to witness with my own two eyes

fan2: y/n and robert pattinson flirting in imax is going to be the death of me

fan3: i hope daniel can fight because y/n and robert’s chemistry is insane

fan4: @.fan3 leave daniel out of this they’re not even friends

fan5: @.fan4 yes they’re not friends, they’re soulmates.

fan6: i understand daniel’s obsession tbh look at HER

fan7: y/n better get her emmy after that movie

view all 34 899 comments.

liked by danielricciardo, dualipa, taylorswift and 4 782 929 others.

y/n: appreciation post for my number one fan, danny ric. i suck at love confessions so just listen to daylight by my good sis taylor swift <3 (idk why he loves taking pictures of me but he’s ALWAYS pointing that camera at my face)

_

danielricciardo: that’s because you’re my favorite view, my love.

liked by y/n.

fan1: AWWWWWWW

fan2: daniel really went from watching her from afar bc he was too shy to talk to her to him being her bf

fan3: my favorite couple

fan4: don’t EVER breakup

taylorswift: you guys are so cute 💜

fan5: daniel is the perfect man for y/n tbh

view all 68 99 comments.

#f1 au #f1 fandom #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #f1 imagine #f1 instagram au #f1 social media au #f1 x oc #f1 x reader #f1 x you #daniel riccardo imagine #daniel ricciardo #daniel riccardo x reader #daniel ricciardo x reader #daniel ricciardo x you #formula 1 #formula one x y/n #formula one x reader #formula one #formula one x you #formula one x oc

[notti-stellate]

Fated Mates pt.2

a/n: here's part two, I really like this so I hope you do too!

pt.1

Your pov

“Jasper’s gonna be here soon, I better go finish cleaning up before he gets here” I sighed to my friend. She demanded that we facetime before he came over so I could tell her all about him.

“Okay just remember to get his favorite color, I have to start planning the wedding.” She smiled. I was about to yell at her when I heard Jasper’s truck pull up. Checking the mirror one last time I ran down stairs to open the door.

He smiled at me when I opened the door, “Hi”

“Hey, come on in” I chirped

Jasper’s pov

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified walking to her door. I was absolutely petrified but according to Alice that was normal. The second she opened the door with that beautiful smile on her face all of my nervousness was replaced with something else, something I often felt radiating off of Edward when Bella entered a room. 

If anything could make my cold heart beat again it’d be her, I’m sure of it. My attempts to stop the “butterflies” as Alice called them, were all failing as she led me into her living room.

“So what book should we do for our project” I asked as we sat on the couch

“What about The Vampire Diaries?” She replied fairly quickly, “Have you read them?”

“Yes I have” I laughed, I actually read them not long after they started gaining popularity. I like to keep up with what people think about vampires, and Alice loves reading romances so I get forced to read them anyways.

As we started working I found myself watching her more than focusing on the actual work. I watch as she glides the scissors through the black sheet of paper, the way she cocks her head ever so slightly when she focuses on getting the edges perfect. Everything about her made me fall more in love. I wasn’t sure it was real when Alice talked endlessly about falling in love, but watching her was enough to make me believe everything Alice had rambled about in the past few decades.

Hours passed by with occasional conversation here and there, but mostly we filled it with a comfortable silence. It wasn’t awkward to be around her like when I had first saw her in class, it was easy, almost like we had known each other all our lives.

By the time the sun had set completely, we had almost finished the project completely. I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that I no longer had an excuse to see her more. 

“Would you wanna hang out again soon? Like Friday?” She blurted as we walked to the door.

“I’d love to,” I said, a little quicker than I would’ve liked, “It’s a date”

“A date” She beamed up at me, opening the front door.

I couldn’t hide my smile as I started the drive back home.

Your pov

“Oh my god” I squealed, facetime my friend again, “we’re going on a date. Emmy, a real date!” 

“What?” She yelled, clapping her hands in excitement, “when?”

“Friday”

“No way”

“I’m serious”

“I want all the gory details”

I spent the next three hours on the phone with her, going over every detail of the night up until the moment I called her. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this excited” She laughed

“Me too, god I can’t believe he actually said yes. I was fully expecting a hard no.” I sighed, my cheeks were starting to hurt from how much I’ve been smiling. I can’t stop this feeling in my chest, screaming to be near him again. 

“Is it possible for me to be in love already?” I asked, my eyes widening as I fully processed what I had actually said.

“Absolutely, and from the way you were talking about him I’d be surprised if you weren’t” She smiled, “My best friend, finally in love.”

Oh my god, I’m in love with Jasper

#jasper hale x reader #edward cullen #jasper hale #jasper cullen #jasper whitlock x reader #jasper hale imagine #jasper hale x fem!reader #jasper hale x you #jasper hale x y/n #jasper whitlock x fem!reader #jasper whitlock imagine #jasper whitlock hale #jasper whitlock #twilight fanfiction #the twilight saga #twilight saga #twilight

[emmyrosee]

hi Emmy! hope you're doing okay :((

thinking about miya Atsumu today and how if y'all had a dog and you get cute aggression with the dog, you know the aggressive petting, kissing, and squealing cute names, atsumu would pout go all quiet. when you ask him what's wrong he'll just cross his arms and act all childish until y'all get into bed that night. when he thinks you're asleep, he wonders aloud why you don't get cute aggression with him 🥺🥺

GOD HES SUCH A POUTY BABY I WANT TO BITE HIM SO BAD-

Like I feel like Samu went away for a few weeks for a small little vacay, and he left Totoro with you guys because he knows that the little shepherd adores you both (actually, he just adores you, but osamu doesn’t have the patience to tell his brother that).

And you. Are. Off. You’re sprinting around the house with the dog, squishing his face in your hands to kiss his nose, aggressively rubbing its tummy because he’s riled up with you, your hand never seems to leave the dog, and honestly, atsumu doesn’t like not having the attention shocker right?

“Who shit in your pants this morning?”

“You, apparently,” he snaps. When you ask him about it, he denies anything else.

Like hell he's gonna just admit he's jealous of some little rat. He's better than that!

Spoiler: he's not.

Is he proud to be glaring at this rat with four legs and a brown mane for being nothing but cute? No. But there’s not much he is proud of when it comes to his jealousy.

If you two are cuddling and Totoro interrupts, he’ll get up and leave. If you’re playing fetch, he’s pouting on the porch swing. If you’re rubbing his belly, atsumu just glares in frustration.

You finally have mercy on him when you put Totoro in his bed and crawl into your own next to Atsumu, gently kissing along his jaw. He angles his face against your lips, and you take it as a good sign.

“Why have you been such a grumpy pants?” You hum, nudging your nose against his temple. He grumbles and tosses his book to the side.

“I’m not.”

“You are,” You scoff. “Ever since osamu dropped his dog off. You haven’t wanted to be around me, and it makes me sad.”

He clicks his tongue before he cards his hair back, “of course I’ve wanted to be around you. I just…” he paused, and you can practically hear the gears in his head turning. “I don’t get along with Totoro.”

“You’re so full of shit.”

“Whatever,” he grumbles. “Come here, I want to watch a movie.”

You cock a brow at his sudden change of topic, but you curl into his side regardless, even if it is just to appease him.

Your eyes slowly start to droop when his calloused fingers gently rub your cheek, and if you weren’t paying attention, you’d miss the soft sigh and whisper of his voice.

“I wish you were comfortable enough with me,” he mumbles, continuing to gently stroke your cheek. “Never knew how much I wanted to play fight with you until I saw you do it. So cute.”

You don’t have the heart to tell him that you’d love to play fight too. Because it’s more than that; it’s something he’s probably going to be shocked by, and you just haven’t found the right time to drop it on him.

“And I just… I see you with Totoro and it’s adorable, but I don’t want to get a dog. I just want to know why- OW!!”

Okay. You couldn’t wait.

Your head immediately turns to bite the side of Atsumu’s hand, not hard enough to cause damage, but still, very much, a bite. He tries to reel back instinctively, but he is laughing giddily. When your eyes peel open, he’s got his award winning smile plastered on his face, cheeks blushed red and shaking his hand as if you were a dog playing tug of war.

“Guess you heard that, huh?” He asks between snickers, and you nod before biting his fingers, which wiggle under your bites. “Don’t bite them off!”

You say nothing before spitting out his hand and shoving him onto his back, straddling him and grinning down mischievously.

“You keep me up,” You begin with a growl, your fingers latching onto his rib cage which has him howling in laughter. “Complain about my neglect. Make me feel bad for not being more playful-“

“Don’t ttttickle me!” He screams, arms tucked close to his sides. When you manage to work one hand out from between his torso and arms, you grip his cheeks in your hand, steadying his face and smooshing some of the giggles out.

“My baby,” you growl playfully. “Don’t ever doubt how much I want to bug you.” You kiss the squished lips, swallowing up some of the laughter he still has in him.

But you know your boyfriend. You know he’s absolutely eating this up, from the roughness of your words and actions, to the biting and torture and everything in between. He thrives on your attention, and clearly, this is just his favorite time to have it.

Hey. If he wants to wake the beast, there’s no going back now.

#I feel like he intentionally does things now to make you want to wrestle 🥺🩷 #my tsumie boy #atsumu miya #atsumu miya fluff #atsumu miya x reader #atsumu miya x gn!reader #atsumu miya x reader fluff #atsumu miya imagine #atsumu miya haikyuu #miya atsumu #miya atsumu fluff #miya atsumu x reader #miya atsumu x gn!reader #miya atsumu x reader fluff #miya atsumu imagine #miya atsumu haikyuu #haikyuu #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu imagine #haikyuu x gender neutral reader #haikyuu x gn!reader #haikyuu x y/n #haikyuu x yn #haikyuu x you #haikyuu x reader

[callmewrinkles3]

Exclusive: Former Formula One Champion Daniel Ricciardo Releases New Autobiography, Exclusive Excerpts Inside

The Perth News, July 2035

One of the things I’ve been asked is why it took me so long to make my relationship with Em public. If I’m really honest I had more than one reason.

I’m the one who chose this. I’m the one who decided to go into racing, to pursue F1. I made that choice but my loved ones didn’t, and in this case Em definitely didn’t. When we met she had no idea who I was. All she knew was I worked with her neighbour in motorsport and travelled a lot. Even when she found out she chose to stay. She likes me for me and not for my job. It was never fair to make her have to choose between our relationship and her reputation.

More than once I woke up to watch her sleep, wondering what the hell she was doing staying by my side when everyone was throwing rocks at her for being there. But like Taylor wrote, people throw rocks at things that shine and nobody shines as brightly as she does. I always knew that, but some people didn’t and they decided to throw even more at her.

And then we started working together. Making that jump from our relationship to adding working with each other was huge, but the main reason we did it was she was already working with us without realizing it. Before she started she did freelance stuff, and when she had spare time between clients she helped Blake, and then she helped Michael. We were talking about how ridiculous F1 merch was at the time for fans and she had the glorious idea of making Ric3. Then we realized we couldn’t survive a day if she wasn’t there.

How do you explain to people that the woman you love is a genius? How do you explain to the world that she’s the reason your life became not only better, but easier? How do you explain and make strangers understand this beautiful woman is not what ridiculous rumors made her look like? That the reputation they invented for her was just that, a ridiculous baseless invention?

We knew we were in love. But we also knew that some people would think that she was the gold digger sleeping with her boss, or that I was abusing my power. That’s one of the reasons why everything to do with her work went through Blake. He was officially her boss, but really she was in charge. We always joked saying she’s our tiny boss because she really is. She told us where to go and what to do. And the reason we made all of these decisions was because I didn’t want to subject her to the media and paddock gossip. People make jokes about how small the paddock is and how much everyone know. It’s a rotating cast of 1,300 people who live together for half the year. Everyone knows everything and the partners of the drivers on the grid are the best gossip material there is and I didn’t want her to be part of that material.

Em has told me time and time again that it wasn’t our fault that we fell for each other from that very first night we met. She told me she could take whatever happened, and she did and she could, but she didn’t deserve it. She didn’t deserve any of the things people said about her. It was my job to protect her and our relationship and the best way I knew at the time was to keep our love to ourselves, even when we wanted to yell it from the rooftops. Our friends all knew. A lot of people across teams I’d worked with knew. But we wanted something for ourselves. We desperately needed it. 

One of the biggest issues was that when we made the decision to tell people about us that option was taken away from us. It sounds silly but we never got to do the cute social media hard launch - and Emmy had chosen photos - we never got to say it ourselves first. I never got to tell the world “look at this woman who I’ve loved for four years and I feel ok and safe telling you all now.”.

I still remember that day like some kind of sad movie. In a year that was tough on so many levels, it stands out as one of the worst days. It was already hard for Em to go to the paddock. We’d gone through some personal things and she had to miss some races so the gossip machine was yelling all sorts of untrue lies. Coming back was difficult for her.

We had to work out a media plan, and the four of us decided to go our separate ways as soon as we got to the paddock. I went first with Michael, trying to keep the cameras on me. That way when she came in with Blake ten minutes later they could be ignored, it’d just look like two people with paddock passes coming in for the Thursday events. Once we got in it was straight to my drivers room and we could control it from there. Em would do the social media post from her account, when I inevitably got the question about how I was feeling about the race I’d answer “good, I’ve got my whole team around me again so things are great”, we could keep this to our schedule. The start of the plan worked. For some miraculous reason nobody bothered Emma so it was a win. At least, we thought so.

One of the things I hate to see the most is tears in my wife’s eyes. I’ve seen her cry with happiness nine times in my life, every other time she’s cried I’ve just wanted to fix things. And that day the tears were some of the worst she’d cried, and I couldn’t fix any of it. I came out of an engineering briefing to Blake pulling me into a corner to tell me “someone got a photo of you and Ems kissing goodbye this morning. It’s gone viral.”. It was such a hard pill to swallow, and I’m not exaggerating when I tell you my vision turned red and I sprinted across from hospitality to my drivers room where Em was sobbing her eyes out at comments being made about her. All I remember is my girlfriend, the woman I love more than anything in the world, sobbing in my arms because her chance to try control things and let it happen at her own speed was gone.

She knew people were wondering where she was and if she’d appear. Gossip sites online reported alleged sightings of her and that pressure was hard enough. But a photo of what we thought was our last private moment before willingly telling the world being put on social media without being asked? It hurt. It was supposed to be us and our best friends in an empty car park.It was supposed to be one last kiss with my girl while I was still just her Danny and before she had to share me with the world and act like I was just DannyRic. We know people always take pictures outside the paddock, we learn to live with it in some kind of way. It comes with the recognition or whatever you wanna call it. Its part of the job. But nobody was supposed to be taking pictures in that place that morning, especially not a photographer that should only work inside the paddock.

I felt like I failed her. Four years of protecting our privacy and trying to protect her and at the very last moment someone stole that away from us. All I could say was that I loved her but if she wanted to walk away I didn’t blame her, I’d book her flight myself. And then Emmy just looked at me and told me that nobody could get rid of her that easily.

When I tell you she’s incredibly brave and simply badass I’m not joking. There’s a reason some of the younger drivers called her Mama Badger. She was crying in the only place in the paddock where we got any privacy, but then she dried her eyes and covered up the signs she’d been crying, getting me to make sure she looked ok. And then the woman I had known for so long I was going to marry took a deep breath and held my hand to walk into the McLaren garage with her head held high. I could never forget it.

Emmy did it because she knew I needed her, and in the years since I still don’t have the words to thank her enough. I don’t know if I ever will. But the one thing I could do that day was try to control the only piece of the narrative that we had left, so after she gave the ok for me to give a little bit of information I went and did that interview with one of the few journalists we could consider a friend.

#daniel ricciardo imagine #daniel ricciardo oneshot #f1 imagine #f1 oneshot #formula 1 imagine #formula 1 oneshot #formula one fanfic #formula one imagine #ciwyw media #call it what you want fic

[ourloveisforthelovely]

Black Heart Part 11

Regulus Black AU

Request: Will you write a Regulus x Reader fic where Regulus is older than the reader? She comes to help the Order and Regulus falls in love with her. The relationship isn’t easy because of the war and Regulus’ denial that he would be a good boyfriend.

Summary: Admitting that he was in love had never been something that Regulus wanted to do. Now that you were in his life, Regulus didn’t know how to react. Should he love you or push you away just like he had everyone else?

Rating: M

Pairings: Regulus Black x Reader

Link to Part 10

_____

The moment Regulus stepped into the room with Ellie, your eyes fluttered open. Regulus had never been happier to see you looking at him. After watching you be taken away from him so fast with little preparation…Regulus was ready to come apart. All of the books that he had read never prepared him for THAT.

Sirius gave you a small nod before moving to sit down in a chair near the window. He wasn’t about to ruin this moment for his little brother. Witnessing it, was more than enough for Sirius.

You smiled seeing Regulus and the small bundle in his arms. Regulus held the baby like the most treasured jewel in the world. All of your hidden worries about Regulus somehow being like his father vanished.

Regulus looked ready to kill whoever may lay a hand on the baby in his arms.

“Are you okay?”

You asked softly. Regulus blinked a few times before quickly coming to join you. He gently placed the baby in your arms before returning to his confused state.

“You just had twins and you’re asking me if I am alright?”

You nodded as you looked down at your baby. Everything about Ellie was perfect.

“Yes, I am. Again, are you alright?”

You asked before stroking a finger over Ellie’s cheek to her little nose. She opened one little eye and looked at you before yawning and snuggling against your chest.

Regulus was sitting in silence for a moment. He was partially taking in your concern about him and partially loving watching you hold his baby. Regulus wanted to sit and just watch you for as long as he could.

How did his father not enjoy this?

It was the only thought that Regulus could make. He would never understand how Orion wasn’t with Walburga when he and Sirius were born. How could he not look at his children and feel some form of paternal love? Regulus couldn't even think about Ellie or Emmy growing up the way that he did. There would be no way that he would let that happen! Emmy and Ellie would always know that they were loved and wanted.

The same question could be said for Walburga too. How could she not care more about her children? The best Regulus could come up with was that he would never understand them or their thinking.

“Reggie?”

Your soft voice pulled Regulus from his thoughts. He leaned forward taking your free hand in his.

“I’m fine now. You scared me nearly to death. How are you feeling?”

You squeezed his hand as Regulus moved to sit closer to you on the bed.

“I’m feeling much better now. She’s perfect, you know.”

You said turning your attention back to Ellie. The baby had opened her tiny eyes and you were delighted to see that they were the same shade as her father’s.

“Of course, she’s perfect.”

Regulus replied before letting his mind go back to Emmy. He automatically frowned as the panic began to surge back. Remembering that his other daughter wasn’t 100% was now Regulus’ thing to fixate on. What if she wasn’t okay? What if she was born too early and something happened?

I can’t think like that.

Regulus muttered quietly to himself before taking a breath.

“Did the doctor talk to you about Emmy?”

You nodded, automatically picking up on your lover’s worry.

“She will be fine, Regulus. This is normal with twins…”

“Yeah, but those twins aren’t our twins.”

Regulus interrupted. You again squeezed his hand, hoping to calm his raging anxiety.

“Yes, the statistics aren’t our twins but I can assure you that our Emmy will be fine. I have taken care of many sets of twins. The healers are going to have her working just fine. There are some potions and spells that they are doing.”

“See Reg, I told you that everything would be okay.”

Sirius commented. Regulus only nodded as a healer came in. You were instantly relieved to see that she was holding what had to be Emmy in her arms.

And not a moment too soon…

You thought with a pleased smile. Of course, you were worried about Emmy but you knew medically that everything would be okay. Regulus didn’t have that knowledge. He only had what information that you gave him. Squeezing Regulus’ hand, you motioned to the doorway. Regulus immediately stood up to take Emmy from the healer. Coming back to join you, the both of you sighed in relief to see that Emmy was just as perfect as her sister.

Sirius had gotten up from his place and came over to join the two of you. He smiled looking at the baby in Regulus’ arms and the baby in your arms.

“Yep, they are identical. I think the both of you literally hit copy and paste.”

(2 weeks later)

Sirius stood outside Grimmauld Place with a frown on his face. Glancing over his shoulder, he made sure that he wasn’t being followed. Sirius had been taking a lot of extra care when he came for a visit now. Call it nervous jitters or whatever you like but Sirius was worried about some death eater following him to where his nieces slept. As far as Sirius was concerned, he was ready to take out any fucktard that looked in Ellie or Emmy’s direction.

That is partially why I am here.

Sirius thought. He was there with news that Regulus may or may not like. Only time would tell on that one.

Regulus opening the door pulled Sirius from his thoughts. He automatically smirked at his younger brother’s rather disheveled appearance. Regulus was normally always put together and tidy. Today, he looked exhausted with his shirt sleeve rolled up and nearly untucked.

“You look…well.”

Sirius commented as he stepped in. Regulus gave Sirius a glare as he shut the door.

“I look like stomped over crap.”

Sirius grinned as he looked around the neatly maintained house. He was thankful that you had brought some life into the place. It didn’t necessarily look like a haunted house anymore.

“Did the little angels keep you awake?”

Regulus yawned before nodding.

“They have been up since four. I swear for them being identical they do nothing identically. When one is asleep the other is awake. When one’s hungry the other needs a change. I’m exhausted.”

Sirius laughed to himself as he went over to where the twins lay.

“Awe, I think Daddy will be just fine. Daddy just needs to get over himself don’t he?”

Sirius commented in a high-pitched voice. Ellie gave him a little frown while Emmy just blinked.

“Daddy is going to kick you.”

Regulus grumbled. Sirius again chuckled.

“That one is always scowling at me. Which one is that?”

“Ellie.”

Regulus commented before motioning to the little blanket the baby was wrapped in.

“If you could read then you would notice that the blanket says their names on them. Molly dropped them off.”

Sirius frowned before looking down at the blankets closely. Sure enough, both blankets had each baby’s name neatly embroidered on them.

“Well, would you look at that? Apparently, Uncle Sirius is a big dummy. I have come to the conclusion that Ellie is your mini. She scowls at me just like you do. Emmy is Y/n’s mini. She’s just peaceful and calm.”

Regulus moved to sit down.

“Yeah, she’s calm alright. Just wait until it's 2 am and she has a loaded diaper.”

Sirius winced.

“Ew, not my thing. You, on the other hand, look like you were born to change dirty diapers.”

A small smile formed on Regulus’ face.

“I suppose so. I’m almost positive that Kreacher is now in hiding. He heard the two of them screaming at the same time and ran for it. I haven’t seen him in days.”

“He may have died.”

Sirius interrupted. Regulus gave him a displeased look.

“Mate, don’t.”

Sirius held a hand up ready to defend his thinking.

“Reg, he’s like a million years old. He was old when we were kids.”

Regulus rolled his eyes.

“Don’t let Y/n hear you say that. You know that she adores Kreacher besides…she’s a little sensitive right now. She’s bursting into tears at the smallest thing…thankfully Tonks and Andromeda showed up like god damned fairy godmothers to help out. They’re in the kitchen having tea. Anyway, what are you up to today? It's early for you to make an appearance.”

Sirius’ smile fell as he, once again, looked over his shoulder.

“I have something for you. I was going to take care of it myself but I figured that you would want to join in. I didn’t want you getting jealous because…”

“What is it, Sirius? I am going on three hours of sleep and don’t want to play charades.”

Regulus interjected. There were just times, like today, when Sirius could be exhausting.

“First, off interrupting is rude. Second, I have Pettigrew tied to a chair in my flat. I wanted to see if you wanted to get a few hits in before I finished him off.”

Regulus nearly broke the chair that he was sitting in to get up. Had he heard Sirius correctly? Did he really say that he had the one man that Regulus wanted to choke? He was almost 99% positive that he had heard his older brother correctly.

“How did you get him?”

Regulus questioned as he moved to make sure that you were still eagerly talking to Tonks and Andromeda. When he was sure that you hadn’t heard anything, Regulus turned back to Sirius.

“It's fine, she’s busy.”

Regulus replied, giving the go-ahead for Sirius to speak.

“I ran into him in a dark ally way. He tried to run, I hit him over the head. As much as I wanted to finish him off for James and Lily… I knew that you would want to get a hit in for how he threatened Y/n and the twins.”

Regulus immediately looked furious. His attention went to the twins who were now cuddled together sleeping. Sirius was right. Regulus did want to kill Peter. He wanted to make sure the other man downright suffered!

Regulus focused his attention back on Sirius. He wondered just how dirty Sirius wanted to get his hands. Regulus knew that Sirius was definitely capable of killing Peter himself. There was no questioning that but the question was, would he?

“I nearly killed him last night but I thought that was too good for him. The worm doesn’t deserve an easy way out.”

Sirius replied, feeling the rage over losing James and Lily return. Peter’s deception and betrayal were still “a cut” that never healed itself. Sirius did well at hiding his true feelings most days but when Peter came back to endanger Regulus’ family’s lives…everything was torn right back open again.

“Did you leave him alone?”

Regulus questioned. Sirius shook his head.

“Remus is with him now. He wanted to get a few punches in too.”

Regulus had already pulled his coat on. He was going to do more than punch Peter. Regulus was going to make damn sure that Peter regretted ever mentioning a word about any member of the Black family.

“I’ll be doing more than that. Excuse me for a moment.”

Regulus turned and went into the kitchen where you sat with Tonks and Andromeda. He felt guilty leaving you immediately even if it was only for a few hours. Regulus knew that you were as exhausted as he was. He justified it, however, by telling himself that he was getting rid of the waste of space…a cowardly, useless waste of space that no longer deserved to breathe.

“Love, can I talk to you for a moment?”

You immediately got up and followed Regulus into the study. Something on Regulus’ face made you nervous.

“Is something wrong?”

You asked. Regulus shook his head, trying with everything he had to appear normal.

“Love, I’m going out with Sirius for a bit. He needs my help with something.”

You raised an eyebrow before glancing to where Sirius stood. Even his expression seemed “off”

“What does he need help with? Both of you seem off. Regulus, what are you doing?”

Regulus took a breath before moving forward to pull you into a kiss. His hand didn’t leave the side of your face.

“I can’t tell you right now. I need you to trust me and know what I am going to do is for the best. It's for the best of all of us. Can you do that?”

Regulus was relieved when you reluctantly nodded. He knew that he would have to tell you the truth soon enough. Until Peter was dead, however, he wanted you to stay in the dark. There was safety in the dark, especially now.

“Just be safe and come home to me. The girls and I need you.”

You said, hoping that Regulus wouldn’t be doing anything too dangerous. The main thing that you wanted to do was plant the seed that not only did the twins need Regulus but you needed him too.

Regulus kissed you again softly.

“I promise, I will be just fine. The three of you are my everything. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Regulus kissed you one final time before following Sirius out the door….

_____

@amelie-black @justfinishthis @jessyballet @knreidy1 @criminalyetminimal @jsjcue @livshifts @ell0ra-br3kk3r @mimisparkle12 @teletubiswszpilkach @golddustwomann @siriuslyceleste @bxcndd @stelleduarte @millies0bsimp @coffeeaddictednymph @readtomeregulus @rogue-nyx88 @i-love-scott-mccall @f4iryluvy @s-we-e-t-t-ea @buttercup-beeee @taylor-will-be-the-death-of-me @panpride @saramaple @missgorldafirst @gugggu6gvai @jag9000 @mentally-unstable-hoe @quinis @yousmellllikecaca @haroldpotterson @goldensunshineshit @aurorasnape12 @ad-astra-again @padf00ts-l0ver @rubyroscoe1 @lucasfilms77 @spideyxalmighty @dumybitch @ravenhood2792 @marichromatic @play-morezeppelin @lostarc24 @un-lovesherself @melaninnbarbie @valvlry @brokencasbutt67-writer @authoressskr @moldy-old-boot @hankypranky @summer-novak @emiwrites3reads @shaylybaby2032 @knight-of-gleefulness @untoldshortsofthefandoms @deanwherescas @shitfaceddaniel-blog @sprnaturallover @wontlookaway @li0nh34rt @tas898 @mycuddlycorner

#Regulus Black #Regulus Black x Reader #Reader x Regulus Black #Ben Barnes as Sirius Black #Timothee Chalamet as Regulus Black #Sirius Black #Remus Lupin #nympadora tonks #andromeda tonks #hp #hp reader #hp marauders #harry potter marauders #marauders post hogwarts #Kreacher #the ancient and most noble house of black #Regulus Arcturus Black #Sirius Orion Black #Walburga Black #Orion black #Regulus Black AU #Regulus Black Series #Regulus Black fics #Regulus Black x Reader smut #Black Heart #Black Heart Part 11 #update

[wordynerdygurl]

Someone to Watch Over Me

Part 3: “He’s the One Affair I Cannot Forget”

Author’s Note:  Oh my lovelies!  Truth time- I almost didn’t post this... I reworked it and reworked it and walked away from it before remembering that I had come too far to turn back now.  So, with my humble thanks to @sweetsweetjellybean​ and @sammy-jo1977​ you now have Part 3!

My taglist is open and reblogs are encouraged!!

It’s filled to the brim, so enjoy!

If you need to catch up:  Part 1 - Love is Blind & Part 2 - Seek & You Will Find are here! Pairing:  Eddie Munson x Plus Sized OC Amanda Patterson Summary:  It’s love at first sound, pitch perfect and fated, everything in harmony.  If only life were a love song. Eddie and Amanda make their union physical, back in 1987.  What does 1990 have in store? Warnings:  There is SMUT ahead (minors DNI), first time with a new partner, and mentions of birth control.  Self depricating thoughts are discussed, some fat phobic ideas are expressed and there’s a passing mention of canon quality Chrissy’s passing.  Also, smoking, drinking and swearing. Happy Reading!

1990

“Well, I think we’ve got everything we need.  Thank you guys for your time.”  Chuck grinned slickly, offering a tepid handshake to all the guys in the group, “The tech team will edit the package together and get it over to your manager for final approval, but yea, this should be on the air in a week or two.  Exciting, right?”

The manufactured for the masses interviewer was looking directly at Eddie as he asked, clearly in need of approval or something less like open disdain from the front man and lead guitarist,  “Uh, yea.  Like, super exciting.  So, thank you?”  Gareth sniggered at his back.  It was becoming way too obvious that Eddie couldn't keep the charade up much longer.  Not when his head was like this- lost in the past but forced to work in the present.  But then salvation arrived at his side.  Maggie, savior, protector, liberator, bumped his shoulder and interrupted with a grave whisper, “Mr. Munson, I’m afraid it’s time.” Vague enough to sound serious, Eddie nodded his head solemnly, “Oh, yea, right.  Well, thanks again Chuck, but, alas, duty calls.”

“No, thank you Eddie-” He didn’t answer the host, having already turned away, hip to hip with Maggie, heads bowed together like naughty kids.  Waiting until they were out of earshot, she sighed deeply, “Ya know, that could've gone better, Emmy.” Eddie snorted at the nickname, his brown eyes rolling, “That guy sucked, Mags.  Forget being a tool, Chuck was an entire tool box.  A goddamned Harbor Freight of bullshit.” Sighing deeply, the sturdy woman fell in step beside him, “So fucking what?  MTV’s gonna be running that shit for days, weeks even.  The least you could do is be, I don’t know, polite?” He barreled through a swinging door back first, Maggie dogging his steps, as he sassed, “I was polite, Magdelena.  I answered his questions.  What else do you want from me?” Eddie nodded at one of the road guys as they passed, the lull in this particular conversation more than welcome.  But of the many reasons he loved Maggie so much, this right here was the kicker; her determination.  That it was also the worst thing about being her friend was one of those unsolved mysteries of life since this dominant personality trait meant that their little moving conversation wasn’t over.  Not by a long shot. Turning down a narrow hall, they pushed into the green room together as she shrugged, “Maybe a little less attitude.  Maybe a little more gratitude.” “Are you a greeting card now, Mags?”  Eddie had flopped onto a sagging gray monstrosity of a couch, his legs kicked up over the arm, his back flat against the indeterminately stained cushion.    Maggie wasn’t looking in his direction.  Instead she was peeking around the corner, checking the exit and generally ensuring that no immediate risks to Eddie’s safety could be seen.  When she was satisfied that a crazy fan was not about to jump out of his closet, she planted her feet and crossed her arms, staring down at Eddie with an affectionate scowl, “No, but I do like my paycheck, so I need you to stay employed.” “Ha!  Honey, the lead singer of Corroded Coffin ain’t goin’ nowhere!” She pulled a plastic backed chair closer, eyeing him from the shadow of her ever present hat’s bill, “Well, that’s not entirely true, now is it?” His eyebrow raised again, curiosity clear on Eddie’s face, “You know something I don’t?” “Aren’t we going back to Indiana?  That Battle of the Bands thing after New Year’s?”  Settling back against the flimsy seat, her legs opened wide, Maggie ran her hands over her thighs, the rolled sleeve of her shirt showcasing her own inky designs.  The caged bird on her forearm always drew Eddie’s attention and even now he caught himself staring at the intricate ink instead of answering his friend and protector’s question.  “Fuck.  I had almost forgotten.” “Bullshit.”  Squinting at him, the same look she gave to overeager fans who lined up alongside the tour bus, the one that made them piss their pants in fright, the one he cherished, Maggie now used on Eddie to get at the truth. Feigning affront, he sat up on his elbows, hair long enough now to get caught underneath his shoulder and pulling, “Excuse me?” “Bullshit you forgot.  You’re going to judge the Battle of the Bands in your home state and you fucking forgot?  Nope.  No way.  And what’s with the song you brought up?  Someone to Watch Over Me?  A little, I don’t know, soft for you, ain’t it?” The blush of honesty scorched through him so fast, Eddie flopped back to the sofa with a soft whoosh sending a swirl of dust out of the ancient furniture.  How many sweaty asses have sat here, he wondered quickly.  A hundred?  More?  Gross. But then Mags cleared her throat, unimpressed by his delay tactics.  It chafed her charge and since Eddie was already feeling some kind of way, more defensive than he meant to be, he huffed, “Yea?  So?  It’s- it’s a great song.”  There were not a lot of secrets between Edward Munson and Magdelena Rios but Mandy?  Yea, that was definitely, absolutely a secret he kept close.  So, of course his bodyguard slash bulldog wouldn’t know about his affinity for Gershwin songs when they were sung into a perfect Indiana sunset.  And she wouldn’t know about the ache in his chest whenever he looked up at the sky and found the silent, silver full moon staring back down him.  Judging him.  Reminding him of regrets that ran deep- goblin green and moss covered, growing mushrooms in the dark.  Clever and always on alert, Maggie saw something cross his face because she nodded and then tipped her chair onto two legs, “Uh huh.  Right.”  “What are you trying to say, my darling Magdelena?”  Swinging his big black boots forward, Eddie pushed up so he was sitting almost normally.  He let his clasped hands hang between his knees as he lifted baleful brown eyes to Maggie’s steely ones. “I’m trying to say that you’re not using your head.”  Her chair clanged as she lowered it too fast making Eddie flinch, “I am saying, flat out, that you got so pissy with Chuck the Tool Box because you were a little too honest today, even if I don’t get why.  I guess-” she leaned forward now, encroaching on the rockstar’s space with a soul deep exhale, “-I’m saying I’m worried about you, my friend.” Twisting his lips into a devilish smirk, Eddie reached over and flicked at the brim of her hat, “Honey, sweetie, darling, Maggie… you got nothing to worry about.  I’m fine.”

They both knew he was lying.

It was during their condensed pre-show warm up that Eddie realized he was in trouble.  Naturally, his fingers felt along the frets of his acoustic Gibson, a melody in calloused pads playing without a lot of thought.  Behind him the other members of Corroded Coffin fooled around, checking levels and making weird noises into the mics, generally acting like the assholes he knew and loved.  Normally he’d be the one leading the rabble, causing trouble and wreaking havoc for the venue staff but there was a riff stuck in his brain.

“Earth to Eddie!  Helllooooo?  Anybody home?”

Without looking up, he rumbled, “Fuck off Jeff, I’m working here.” “Hear that fellas?  Eddie’s working while we’re just lazing around.” Yea, this was definitely a song, he could feel it vibrating in his bones.  Excited now, he flashed wide eyes at the boys in the band, “Pen!  Paper!” The dumb fuckers looked at each other with varying degrees of confusion on their faces.  Gareth, the bravest, ventured, “Uh, wh- what man?” “Something to write with- On!  I gotta get it outta me, Gare!” There was a manic energy filling the spaces between microphone stands and amplifiers that made Eddie itchy under the skin.  When the muse came she would not be denied and holy shit but she was coming hard right now.  He knew the grateful smile he flashed at the poor roadie responsible for dropping off a mechanical pencil and three white paper plates must have been terrifying to see, but giving birth was a messy process no matter what form the new life took. Pencil clamped between his teeth like one of his cherished cigarettes, Eddie moved his hands down the neck of the guitar and back up, picking a string or two along the way.  Using a cab for a table, he scribbled, paused to hum, then broadly grinned.  It was over in a matter of minutes. “Here.  New tune.”  Breathing harder than a marathon runner, he shoved the scalloped edged plates covered in gray looping letters at his friends and bandmates. Jumping off a riser, Gareth looked over his oldest friend’s work and nodded slowly, “Uh, ok, Eddie.  What do you want us to, uh, ya know, do with this?” “Play it?  I mean, we are a band, right?  And we make music, don’t we?” “It’s gibberish, man.” “Fuck you!  It’s good.  Great even.  I know it.” Waving Eddie closer, Gareth handed off the hastily scribed song to Jeff, before wrapping an arm around their front man, “Eddie.  My friend.  My musical partner in crime.  I ask with all due respect-” they had been walking towards the wings of the stage, Eddie following where he was led, “- But what the fuck is going on with you today?” Pulling back hard, Eddie’s hair swung at the force of his movement, “What’s wrong with me?  What’s wrong with you, man?  I come to you with a- a new tune and you- you call me out like this?” Revved up and idling, Eddie was a race car in the red.  Gareth recognized all the signs despite it being a long while since this particular engine had been torqued so high.  With hands raised in surrender, the curly blond conceded, “Hey, no one is calling you out man.  I’m telling you that it’s, I don’t know, weird?” “Weird?  What the hell, man.  Just say what you want to say and let me get back to the music for fuck’s sake.”  “Ok.  Ok.”  Eddie had to watch as his buddy rolled his shoulders back before taking a big breath in, “You were an asshole to the MTV guy, which, I get it man.  Guy’s a dick but this is a big deal, Eddie.  I know you know that, deep down, but you’re not acting like you do.”  Dropping his voice lower, Gareth added, “And you talked about- well, her.” The extra emphasis wasn’t needed.  All it did was needle under the thin skin that Eddie was sporting today, a suit that didn’t fit quite right, and he didn’t know why.  But here was friend number two mentioning erratic behavior and well, that sucked to hear. Deflating visibly, his security hair strand pulled over his face, Eddie countered weakly, “I didn’t say her name.” “You didn’t have to, pal" and having the decency to look embarrassed, he added, “You called your new hit ‘Watching the Moon’.” Huffing out a strained laugh, Eddie met his friend’s kind gaze with a grimace, “Not very subtle, huh?” “Naw, not really" was the half chuckled reply. Stretching his neck out, chin to the auditorium’s ceiling, an unhinged note in his voice, Eddie felt obligated to apologize, “I’m sorry, Gare.  Don’t know why but I’m spinning out a bit.” Really ribbing him now, Gareth bumped into his buddy’s side, “You don’t know why?  Gee, let’s see, you have huge rock show tonight, had an interview with MTV today, you’re writing music, touring, and being away from home, from Wayne, from people you lov-” the face Eddie flashed was all the warning he was going to give his oldest friend, and Gareth adjusted accordingly, “-care about sucks.  It’s- it’s a lot, man and you’re allowed to be overwhelmed.  But you’re not allowed to blow it all up because you’re missing your ex.” There it was.  Too honest to be denied, Eddie was caught.  Trapped like a bird in a cage and held hostage by the golden bars of memory. He had moved it past it, past her.  Truly!  There had been groupies in spandex skirts with hair teased higher than Mount Rushmore who took care of Eddie Munson with a reverence he did not deserve.  An actress with a chest so big it frightened him, really.  Plus a model who had the exact opposite problem- all skin and bones with no meat to feast on.  Not his flavor by any stretch of the imagination. So, Eddie had skimmed the oil slicked surface of available tail and was happy for the opportunity.  Appreciated every lovely lady and that one very handsome fella who made him feel worthy again.  Each new conquest a fresh layer of sediment, burying the idea of Amanda further and further down in the rock formation of his heart.

It worked.  Eddie had been every inch the wild child rock singer of his high school daydreams, until the Battle of the Bands was brought up.

The label had it all planned out- two shows in Indianapolis a Thursday night and then again on Saturday.  In between, Corroded Coffin's lead singer would help choose the 1991 Battle Champion, awarding a cash prize and the chance to open the second date's concert.  It was a huge opportunity for some local metal group, a chance Eddie would have loved to take advantage of only a few short years ago, and he was looking forward to it.  Except-

Hidden in the haystack of going back to Indiana was the needle named Amanda Patterson.  The odds of finding that needle at a Corroded Coffin show considering how things ended between them was minimal at best, but it wasn’t zero.  It was that one in a million chance which buzzed boldly between Eddie’s ears, making him think about moonlit nights and vanilla milkshakes and promises whispered under overworn sheets. The tune he’d quickly crafted came back to him now, ‘Watching the Moon’, and of course it was about her.  Them.  All the things he didn’t say and all the things she wouldn’t allow him to. It was absolutely a hit, even though it hadn't been played once and wasn’t recorded yet.  It was a hit because it came from that same well inside of Eddie where love and passion and music all swam together.  A tall tower still ruled by Mandy, despite years and tears and stand-in people.  

He was going to make this song a number one, getting it played on every single radio station from here to Toronto, knowing that if Gareth could see through the title that his Moon Goddess would too.  Maybe, then, his needle would find him.  Maybe going back to Indiana wasn’t the worst idea his management team had cobbled together.  Maybe it was all going to be ok.

Eddie Munson had a plan.  A campaign to make things right.  A strategy that was coming together almost as quickly as his song for Amanda.

Feeling lighter than he had all day, he clapped Gareth on the back and, yea, there might have been a bit too much force in his playful shove but he didn’t regret it.  Gare could take it, it was why they were so close.  So he spouted at his best friend, “You’re just jealous because I have an ex.  There’s no one missing you but the blow up doll you keep in your bunk.” “Jesus!  Shut up, Eddie!”

Craziness crowded into the overly expressive eyes of Eddie Munson as he darted back towards the other guys in the band, “Hey, did Gareth ever tell you about his Lady Latex?” —

1987

They made it to the front door, finally, after agreeing to a truce.  No more touching.  No teasing.  Not until they were inside someplace that wasn’t on four wheels. Now though, they were stopped in front of said door, nervous giggles bubbling free like champagne uncorked.  Cheeks hot from kissing too closely in the heated shelter of Eddie’s van before braving the nighttime’s frosty temperatures, their breaths mixed, making wispy clouds with every panted exhale.  Try as she might, Amanda couldn’t keep the excited tremble from her hands as she struggled to fit the key into her lock. It certainly didn’t help that the overly eager rocker couldn’t seem to keep his lips or his hands or even his hips to himself, “Truce schmuce” was all he said before enveloping her in his embrace.  And he was everywhere- each time the notches of her house key caught the lock, he would nibble on the fleshiest part of her earlobe making her shudder, deadbolt be damned.  

He was distracting in the best and most frustrating way.  Because really, all she wanted to do was get inside where she could return his touch.  Tease him back.  Taste him.  And go on to do all of the other tantalizing things they had been thinking about since their first blissful kiss over vanilla milkshakes. Another miss as the lock continued to do its job in spite of her efforts and she pouted, unable to keep the needy whine out of her voice, “Eddie!  Come on!”  “What?  What’d I do?”  Oh, he feigned innocence, but he knew.  Eddie knew that every sloppy press of his lips to her delicate neck, every roll of his pelvis, every graze of his fingers over her own was making Amanda feverish.  Flustered.  It was also keeping the pair of them on the wrong side of the door. Dropping her frigid hands with a frustrated growl after another failed attempt, Amanda stomped her foot before reaching up to try again.  Shifting away from the long legged leviathan behind her, prompting his dulcet demand, “Quit wiggling and open the door!” “I’m trying but-” “But what, huh?”  Wrapping over her back, the sharp bone of his chin hooked over her shoulder to watch her progress as Eddie’s red, raw fingers dragged strands of unruly hair behind her ear.  Breathing hotly against the golden hoop hanging there, he husked hoarsely, “Need some, ah, help, Mandy?” “Please?”  

Caving into the warmth behind her, Amanda nodded, her head rolling back against the denim vest over his torso, hair catching on his WASP pin causing her to moan pitifully.  That it gave Eddie the chance to litter her neck with wet, open mouthed kisses, his palms squishing against her jacket as he tried to touch more and more of her was just an added bonus.  Arms, creaking leather encased arms, reached around her, crowding her snuggly between the unopened door and his chest as the keys were plucked free from her grip, “Lemme try.”  With her mind and hands free, Amanda’s own fingers could wander and they did.  Quickly finding the dangling chain of Eddie’s wallet, she used the steel links to pull him tighter, earning a stuttered “Fuck.” from the guy at her back.  Now she got to listen as her house keys jangled noisily while he attempted to do what she could not.  Work them into the lock and open the fucking door. “I thought you were- uh, I thought you were supposed to be helping, Ed.”  God, but she sounded wrecked already, her round bottom rubbing him through layers of distancing denim, the hard and firm evidence of the effect she was having making itself known.

And maybe it wasn’t fair of her to grind the curve of her ass into the sharp angles of Eddie’s hip bones while he fumbled to open her front door.  Maybe.  But when Amanda felt the firm length of him straining and stuck in his jeans she didn’t feel bad.  Not even a little bit because that was proof.  Evidence of just how much Eddie wanted her. It made her bold.  Kissing the underside of his stubbled jaw as her keychain jingled in his giant hands, her lips smacked rudely over the sensitive skin at his throat forcing a croak out of him, “Trying, honey, but you’re kinda, Jesus-” She sucked harshly at the divot below his chapped ear, “-you’re, uh, distracting- there it is!”  Triumphantly turning the knob, Eddie shuffled in short steps behind Amanda, tucking her close as they crossed the threshold.  

With a satisfying snap, the door was shut behind them to keep the world out.  But who could worry about something like an open door when there was kissing to be done?  The heated sort of kisses which didn’t stop when Amanda ripped down the zipper of her jacket, shrugging her arms free before flinging it away into the abyss of the living room.  Kisses that went melty in the middle, stretching and stretching but never breaking even when she forced her way under the shoulders of his leather, pushing it to the floor with a satisfying thump. Her hands wasted no time.  Palms flat over the planes of his chest, she marveled for a moment at the solid strength hidden in Eddie’s trim physique.  The muscles that lugging amplifiers and tossing truck tires created, buried beneath bravado and cotton and tattoos, only seen in glimpses now tense and tight and touchable. Fisting into the soft t-shirt he wore, a secretive smile spreading across her face, “Hi.” “Hi yourself, Miss Mandy.”  Eddie’s paws spanned her ample waist, forcing her closer, his fingers tapping out an unfamiliar rhythm on the small of her back.  With his curls brushing over her scalding cheeks, she licked her lips in anticipation, ready for the next press of his mouth to her own.  And following the flick of her tongue, a hungry, haunted look on his face, he gritted out, “Where- shit, where’s your bedroom, Mandy?” Wordlessly she linked their hands together.  A shiver that started in the sacred space below her navel raced through her blood, her body.  Had it ever been like this before?  As if her physical self was running a race that her heart and mind would follow to the finish? No.  Never.  Not once. Tugging against a hand heavy with silver rings, insistent and eager, she led the way and he followed.  It wasn’t far.  A few short steps down a shaggy carpeted hallway then through a door, partially opened already.  

The room, Amanda’s room, was made of comfort- a brown corduroy bean bag sagged next to a record player being held up by two plastic milk crates crammed full of way too many records.  A double tape deck had carved out its place on her desk, a stack of cassette cases leaning precariously, a few already having tumbled to the floor nearby.  Her tawny acoustic guitar leaned against the wall, sheet music and notebook paper scattered around as if it had all been abandoned mid-session, frozen in time but waiting for her return.  Pegged to her cork board was a calendar marking out her work days, school schedule and band rehearsals.  Textbooks for her classes were stuffed into an unzipped backpack, and while the main floor was clear, it was scattered with little things like pencils and hair ties and stuffed mice and take-out forks.

He spied a knitted afghan in garish colors folded lovingly over a quilted brocade comforter and a stack of pillows, each with their own unstained case, piled against the rattan headboard.  Her closet door was hastily shut but the tell-tale bulge of a lot of clothes crammed into not enough space was obvious.  Photos and posters decorated the walls.  It surprised him to see so many band names that he recognized mixed with 70s folk artists and new wave performers. Eclectic.  Varied.  The space was mis-matched but all the better for it.  Personality, Amanda’s personality, wafted from every corner. This was her little nest, snuggled safely between these four walls, burrowed in like a happy mouse.  Surrounded with all the comforts a soft, cozy creature could ever need: books and music and light and sweet things.  Fuck, Eddie loved it. Probably, deep down in the dusky depths of his grimy gargoyle brain, he figured he shouldn’t.  Shouldn’t love the sheer ruffled curtains parted down the middle so that starlight was visible over the neighboring houses, soft and serene.  Definitely shouldn’t stoke the soft fabric with tentative fingers, rubbing the pristine veil between inside and out with thoughtful touches, careful not to stain it.  It was all too nice, everything around him.  Too pretty.  Too put together for a guy who ate cereal over the sink and considered ketchup a vegetable. “This is a real nice place.”  God, he sounded so stupid.  But, like, it really was a nice place. Comfortable and clean.  And quiet.  No noisy neighbors shouting out their frustrations into the cold night air or barking dogs or backfiring cars with tires bouncing over pebbled dirt roads. “Uh, thanks but you haven’t even seen it with the lights on.”  With a click, Amanda turned on the small bedside lamp that filled her space with a golden glow all at once.  She wasn’t surprised to find that Eddie had strayed to her make-shift music station, his eyes lighting up at the variety of singers and bands and artists with what she hoped was appreciation.  Taking a tentative step in his direction, talking with her hands, she edged nearer to the record player.  Keeping her voice small, as though she was afraid of ruining the simple silence between them, “Is it cool if I put something on?” “Yea, yes.  Of course.  It’s your room, right?” “Well, yea, I guess it is.  Uh, just-” and she moved to duck in front of him, already knowing which album to spin.  But he was almost definitely purposefully standing exactly where she needed to get.  “-Maybe you could, uh, let me in here?” Devilish now, an impish grin made his dimples pop, “Oh, am I in the way, Mandy?  Sorry ‘bout that.”  Only he didn’t sound very sorry at all.  And as she shifted nearer, he held his ground, settling his weight in his heels, his arms crossed over his narrow chest.  If she wanted to put on a record, she was going to have to squeeze next to him to do it and boy, did that idea light him up. Eddie was absolutely pushing his luck.  He knew it, but couldn’t help himself.  Blocking her path, planting his feet, he took up as much room as possible.  Call him curious, but he wanted to see what she would do.  Push him aside?  Press those luscious curves in tight?  Go back to kissing him so hard he felt like he was coming unglued?  God he fucking hoped so. Watching her closely, he saw that tattle-tale tilt of her head, the eyes he couldn’t forget reflecting his own mischief making energy as Amanda dropped to her knees.  Her tongue darted out from between her pillowy lips, spreading sweet saliva, shiny and slick in its wake.  Rounding now, he was locked in on the circle of her pout, his body kicking up a gear at the sinful suggestion of what was sitting so prettily in front of him.  Amanda, she knew what she was doing.  When she peered up at him from the floor, raking her gaze over his towering figure through the veil of her lashes, she had a good idea that he was going to take the bait.  So she reached out, not for the trim waist at eye level or for the hands fisted against denim wrapped thighs, but for her worn copy of Led Zeppelin IV sticking out from the bottom bin.

On an exhale through clenched teeth, a curse caught in his bone dry throat, “Sweet Jesus-” “Here.”  Shocked into silence, she handed over the faded cardboard, nodding towards the record player, “Side two, if you don’t mind.”

It was enough to knock him over.  How Amanda looked so innocent while making demands on her knees in front of him, resting back on her heels demurely, was a seismic shock to his system.  It made Eddie’s head go fuzzy, ears full of feedback like when his guitar was too close to his amp with the knobs turned all the way up.  He felt as though he was turned all the way up, cranked as high as possible, crackling explosively, dangerously near the limits of his control. Tacky sweat made his t-shirt cling in the warmth of Amanda’s room.  And if her magnetic eyes weren’t boring into him, waiting him out, then he probably would have shucked the offending layer without question.  As it was, she was too damn cute and too damn close for him to do much beyond blink away this latest round of pulsing need, which was the real problem here.  Somehow he obliged when she raised a hand, asking oh so politely, “Do you mind?” before he gently helped her up to her feet. Puffing out his held breath with a wry chuckle, he smoothly slipped her chosen record onto the turntable and lowered the needle’s arm.  Raising a cocky eyebrow when “Misty Mountain Hop” began to tumble from the speakers at a reasonably low volume, his swagger returned, “Ya know-” he paused to clear his throat, his voice already sounding too blown out, too rough, even to his own ears, “-I’ve seen Fast Times like twenty times.  Harrington loves that movie, so I, uh, know what you’re up to.” “Really?”  Her sweet voice was angel light from over his shoulder, as she spied on him slowly dropping the clear plastic lid on her stereo, “And what is that, Mr. Munson?  What, exactly, am I up to?” “I think you’re trying to get into my pants, Miss Patterson.”

Shrugging, she denied him an answer, her eye contact direct and unwavering.  Color, dusty pink and warm, spread over Eddie’s sharp cheekbones and under the smattering of freckles across his nose.  He made a choked sound, as though something had stolen his breath at the last second, when she finally replied, “And?  So, uh, so what if I am?” She sounded so much braver than she actually felt.  Flirting was the easy part.  The words between them holding added weight, spoken as they were, in the protective yellow glow of her table lamp, a comforting heaviness that was familiar and made the teasing effortless.  Easy.  

Just another stop on the tour.  Because there was a map for this journey and she knew where they were headed.  The terrain was well traveled.  She wasn’t naive.  The road forward was as clearly marked as Main Street, Hawkins, USA.  

And tonight Eddie was going to learn all about the sloping curves and high density areas that she wouldn’t be able to hide behind well draped skirts or shapeless sweaters.  She silently hoped that this pretty man with his broad smile and cocoa colored eyes still wanted to take the drive because Amanda wasn’t sure she could turn back now, even if she might wish for it later.  

Together they had started this engine, all he had to do now was push down on the pedal and off they’d go.  When they ran out of gas, if they sputtered out on the side of the road, and all she gained was the last two wonderful weeks and one night of lusty loving, the emotional equivalent of a “I humped Eddie Munson and all I got was this lousy t-shirt” souvenir, well, then she would learn to live with that.  

Was it ideal?  No.  But then, things seldom were.   And even though those three magic words had been said, had been kissed into her lips so many times since making their mutual confessions in the underused alcove at Steve’s house, it was still freaking her out.  Because hadn’t this all happened before?  Hadn’t she given so much of herself, of her heart, time and again, thinking that her feelings were returned- that this time it would be different, only to wind up disappointed? Tonight though, that kind of thinking had to be pushed aside.  There was no more room to be bashful.  To worry about what came next.  Not when the guy in question was trembling from the task of keeping himself civil, the tense set of his jaw giving him away as he kept a respectful distance.  Even still, the base maleness of him thrummed, vibrating the way guitar strings do when a chord is struck, the energy shimmering into sound. And Amanda had a great ear for that sort of music, too. At her taunting words Eddie’s mouth pulled to the right, a half smile making itself known as he crossed his arms over chest, “Hey, I’m not complaining, Mandy.” “Oh?  Good.  Yea, that’s good.”  And she danced away from him, hips swaying in time with the driving beat.  She stopped, popping the button on her dungarees with intention before shimmying them down her thick thighs, delighted by the pinch of Eddie’s teeth as he bit into his bottom lip.  He was going to draw blood.  The sweater she wore barely covered the swell of her hips but if he squinted, he was certain he could see the elastic of her panties.  White?  No, heather gray and spun out cotton.  Simple, straightforward and charming as hell.

Swallowing over the hard knot of want that pushed against his Adam’s Apple, barely managing to keep his grunting in check, “Damn, Mandy.” “Hmm?”  When she kicked her pants to the side he had to look away - at the ceiling, her wall, the mossy colored floor or risk cumming in his blue jeans. He slammed his eyes shut at the image in front of him.  It didn’t help.  Imprinted on the insides of his eyelids he could still see her.  Bare legged, her supple skin nearly glowing, practically begging for his touch.  Too sweet.  Too fucking precious.  Shit.  Fuck.  He wasn’t going to survive.  So close to short circuiting, Eddie dragged a hand across the back of his neck, going so far as to squeeze the skin there, just to bring himself off the edge because, holy shit, there was no way that she knew what she was doing to him. The song shifted and Amanda sat herself down on the edge of her bed before leaning back on her hands.  This new position thrust her chest forward, those smooth legs barely parted but making his gargoyle mind wander just the same.  It wanted… to bite, to suck, to mark and mar.  His goblin wanted to claim the fair maiden then lock her in the tallest tower, far away from anything or anyone harmful, except him, of course.  His first step was cautious, feeling his way forward with only Amanda’s signals to light his path.  The pull between them was undeniably strong, had been from the beginning, but he didn’t want to screw anything up now by being overeager.  And he sure as fuck didn’t want to scare his girl away by coming on too strong or making a wrong move.  Not when Robert Plant was singing and the room smelled like Avon lotion and lavender flowers and fabric softener, the expensive kind.  Not when his pulse ticked wildly, darkening his eyes and steeling his resolve.  Not when he could see a similar something simmering in Amanda’s expressive eyes. “You- you’re fucking gorgeous, Amanda.” “Eddie-” She let her head fall back, the tight tendons of her neck stretching, her rushed breathing making her chest rise and fall rapidly, the sound of argument loaded and ready. But he cut her off, moving a leg between both of hers, palms hovering over the width of her dimpled thighs, “-I wanna touch you.  Wanna, wanna feel you.  Can I?” “Can I?”  she parrotted sweetly, upending his advancement, deflecting a little.  And he must have nodded because then she was leaning towards him, gentle hands smoothing over his quads, her stare trained on his rapidly reddening face.  Roving, she touched him lightly, delicately, over the clothes he was still wearing.  Butterfly wings brushing over a flower's petals, never lingering before spreading goosebumps somewhere else, testing the waters of his tenacity.  When her clever fingers found his handcuff belt buckle, he stopped her, gathering her hands in his own, “It, uh, it catches.  Hang on.” He put a fraction of space between them, moving faster than she would have thought possible to catch up to her state of undress.  He toed out of his sneakers, shunting them out of the way as he huffed out a laugh, wrestling with his belt, “Fucking thing, I don’t know why I even-” “I like it.” Popping his head up, Eddie caught sight of Amanda’s playful smirk, “You do, huh?” Raising her chin so that she could spy on him through the fringe of her lashes, she nodded with a chuckle, voice sounding like spun sugar, “Yea, of course I do.  Goes with your whole bad boy image, ya know?” His fingers paused, the curtain of curls swinging while he asked, “Is that why you’re with me?  Because I’m a bad boy?” “Nope.”  She answered plainly, her focus never shifting, even though her hips did, thighs stopped from providing relieving friction by his knee, “I’m with you because of how you look at me, Eddie.  Me.  Like I’m something- someone worth looking at.” Pants forgotten, he traced a finger over the sweep of her cheek, “I love looking at you, you know that right?  It’s like you’re the fucking moon, Mandy.  Bright and, and beautiful and when you shine your light on me-” shaking his hair off his back, tone too earnest, voice too honest, “-it makes me forget about my darkness.” At the admission Eddie’s eyes drifted shut, his chin tipped skyward as he struggled to compose himself.  There was uncertainty shadowing his words, in the shape his lips made while speaking, entirely unsure if his mouth should be trusted to relay all of the things his heart felt to be true.  Because when he actually thought about it, three weeks ago he hadn’t known that there was a person named Amanda Patterson who even existed in this world.  Now?  Well, now she kind of was his world. And his world was reaching forward with tender, impatient hands, sliding his broken down leather belt free from the beloved buckle easily.  Nimble fingers making quick work of the rivet fastening his pants closed but she stalled there, blinking up at him with confusion clear in her eyes, “Did you call me the moon?” A wide thumb hooked under her chin, lifting those thoughtful peepers to his own, “Yea, Mandy.  The moon.  Like when it’s full and round and close and you can’t believe that it’s real, looking down on you all lit up and so-” her touch was so so so close to his throbbing hardness he grunted, “-fucking hell.  So ca-captivating.  Can’t take my eyes off you.” It happened again.  That thing where the world narrowed anytime she was with him, a hyper-focused momentary shift of time and place that made Amanda’s heart flutter wildly, blood roaring in her ears.  A second when everything else around her faded into the background leaving no one else but her and Eddie.  Together.  Alone. So she didn’t laugh at his poetic confession or joke about his Shakespearean ideals.  Instead, her pretty lips parted, mewling musically as his tongue licked into the honeyed cavern of her mouth.  Sharing each inhale and exhale, pressing his advantage and Amanda higher up the bedspread until she was flat against the mattress, caged between strong tattooed forearms. Breathing heavily, sitting back with a sigh, he traced a hand over the fuzz of her sweater, “Can you- can I take this off you?” Something about being compared to the moon freed her from whatever worries she carried about herself, her body, to fade into the ether.  When he asked to see her- all of her, her answer was a demanding, “God yes.” Eddie’s mouth fell hungrily to the newly exposed skin on her collarbone, hot and wet and needy.  A tiny whimper tumbled out of her panting mouth when he slurped over the slope of her bra covered breasts, his hands politely cupping the cotton covered flesh.  Desperately, her own hands clawed at his head, keeping his pursed lips tight to her body as he devoted himself to devouring her in bite-sized pieces. “Shit, h-hold on f’me.”  Stuttering, sitting up on his knees, Eddie took a second to rip his own shirt off, tossing it behind him without a second look.  His jeans were open, belt dangling loosely from the loops, the elastic waistband of his boxers low enough to display the cut of his hip bones.  There were silvery scars in concentric circles that didn’t look as purposeful as the tattoos she’d been dying to see, and before she could be told not to, she was tracing over the slightly raised skin with her index finger. Eddie let her touch.  Explore.  The graze of her hands was intentional, not teasing and not pitying either.  He would know because he’d been on the receiving end of both before.  More than that, he appreciated that she asked no questions about what had created the mottled pattern on his abdominals, just accepted that they existed and were part of him. If he wasn’t already in love with her, that alone would have surely cemented his fate.  Surging in his system like the first inhale of that kind bud Rick got from Canada, he relaxed into the feeling, letting it blossom while sampling the sensitive stretch of her neck, the ball of her shoulder, the space between her breasts.  A starving man facing a Golden Corral buffet table wouldn’t have sounded happier than he did at that moment. “God, look at you, Mandy.”  He hummed as he worked his way over her ribs,  “Moon goddess.  My moon goddess.”  Writhing beneath him, she folded towards him at the praise, little huffing sounds pushing over her lips, “You look so good right now.  So sweet.  So goddamn sweet for me.”  The words were honey hot, warm and sticky, and they chafed like his denim covered legs. rubbing deliciously against her naked ones.  The friction too much and not nearly enough for the pleasure taking root in the warm, moist soil of her center.  Even touch drunk on Eddie she bucked at the sentiment, practically pouting, “Hmm, I’m not-” she scrunched her eyes shut, tossing her head weakly against the blanket, “-I’m not that sweet.” Dropping down to his forearms, his nose nuzzled into hers as he chided tartly, “Maybe I should taste you again then and make sure?  Gonna let me?  Let me taste you and touch you and make you feel good?”   Nodding from beneath him, keen eyes locked on his, “Hmm- Yes, yes, uh huh.  I want that.  So bad.  Want you so bad.”  Shutting her eyes at the sensation, his calloused fingertips slid up the satin of her outer thighs, leaving shivery bumps in his wake .  He dug his fingertips into the pillowy softness there, loving the feel of her flesh under his touch, “I’m gonna give you everything you want, Mandy, don’t worry.  Gonna make you mine.  Keep you in bed until the sun don’t shine.” A sound then, half groan half giggle, floated between them, Amanda sighing through a playful smile, “Eddie Munson’s a- a poet.  Who knew?” “Credit where credit’s due, babe.  I’m a songwriter.  A lyricist, ya know?  Whoa!”  His answer was smug but faded fast when she yanked down on his jeans before brushing the pads of her fingers over the newly exposed tattoo on Eddie’s right hip.  

It was beautiful; a snake in black and gray, coiled around itself, the wide fanged mouth biting into the tail in an unending loop.  This piece was big.  Artistic and finely detailed.  Her open palm barely covered half of it when she reverently pressed against the permanent artwork.  “And, uh you just bring it out in me- Jesus Christ!  Your hands are freezing!” “Are they?”  with a tone turned thick with teasing, she widened her smirk before those frigid digits were skating over his pecs and poking into his ribs.  Like a startled grasshopper, he jumped back far enough to catch her tickling fingers, the grip on her wrists keeping her from reaching his more sensitive areas despite her wiggling attempts to get free. Leaning in closer, loopy laughing aside, he tsked, “Oh, bad move, Mandy!”  “Ah!  No, Eddie, please!  I’m really ticklish- Ah!”  She started to scoot away, further up the bed, side to side, trying to shimmy out of his hold, laughing the whole time.  Loudly.  Happy to be caught.  Using his teeth, feral and frolicking, Eddie bit into the roundness of Amanda’s shoulder, the small sharp pain widening her eyes, “Did you just bite me?” Flashing her his lady-killing grin, he clicked his tongue, “Told you I had to know how sweet you were, Mandy.  And-” settling his hips between her parted thighs, “-I gotta say, you’re pretty damn tasty.” An answering hum of appreciation met her ears as Eddie continued lower.  Without question or qualm, he nuzzled and nipped at her abundant flesh, his happy hands squeezing indulgently whenever she sighed out encouragement.  And all Amanda could manage was a continuous begging cry of “Please, please Eddie, don’t, don’t stop, ok?”  

Why would he?  There was some addictive element, a chemical, an additive that laid across every inch of her body and he craved it.  Couldn’t get enough.  Landing somewhere between cinnamon sugar coating and honeyed dust, the flavor of her skin was exactly the thing he had been ravenous for his whole life long.  There was no way in hell he’d stop searching it out, not when he found the source, “Not a chance, Mandy.” She felt his grip on the flimsy fabric of her panties, tense and twitchy.  Hands slipped under the legband, cupping the expanse of her bottom in two palms before digging into the meat of her ass as Eddie’s nose pressed against the soaking gusset.  His moan was the kind that shook mountains to their foundation.  It created tidal waves that ravaged cities.  For Amanda it twisted the knot of her need tight enough to snap, her thighs wanting desperately to slide shut, but falling further apart shamelessly, instead. There was no trepidation to the touches now.  With a rough pull the cheap drug store underwear disintegrated, the scraps unneeded and unwanted any longer.  Amanda didn’t have time to bother about it because Eddie’s hard working hands were parting her legs, holding her open and on display with the weight of his body. Chest heaving, he called to her, “Hey, look at me, baby.  At me, Mandy.” “Yea?”  She was a mess of lavender and lilac stains, streaked with spit and red wine colored bruises.  But she was smiling, half-cocked, when her stare met his blown out pupils. “If you want me to uh, to stop, you gotta say it now.” Amanda did not.  What she did was whine, low in her throat, as her cleft clenched around nothing, “Don’t stop.” “Just remember that I love you, yea?” Licking over her dry lips, rolling her hips under his strong hold, she nodded, “Love you too.  Only you-”

The rest of her sentence remained unsaid as Eddie’s tongue licked right over her juicy center, circling the swollen firmness of her clit with expert precision.  He wrapped his arms around her legs from beneath, keeping her parted for his pleasure as he lapped at the drooling opening between her lower lips.  He wasn’t gentle as he moved Amanda’s thicker body closer, jerking her down and onto his waiting tongue over and over and over again.    It was maddening to be pummeled by the slick wetness of his textured tongue, only deep enough to create more wanting, before he would flick the tip higher, aiming for the bull’s eye of her clitoris.  Sloppy from excitement he swapped light licks for sucking.  Drawing her pulsing pearl between his slick lips, eyes closed, enjoying the softer than silk sensation of her sweaty self, bow tight and at his mercy. He didn’t let up.  Couldn’t.  And when he felt the shaking in her muscles, Eddie took it as the invitation is it was, gliding two fingers into the pulsing tunnel of Amanda’s willing body.

She contracted around the invasion, her hands seeking a hold and finding it in the flowing strands of his mane.  Wrenching him snuggly between her parted knees, she was dangerously close to losing control.  Could already feel the tell-tale concentration of her energy drawing inward.  The wetness that sluiced down the crack of her ass, the hummingbird fluttering of the muscles in her pelvis, the sticky press of Eddie’s cheek to her inner thigh.  All of it webbing together, a thread winding tighter and tighter and tighter. And the rough texture of his fingers grazed her front wall exactly the right way.  And he hummed out a laugh which puffed over her swollen lips exactly the right way.  And the strings of her satisfaction snapped under the burden of his ceaseless passion. She must have made noise.  Had to have, since her mouth moved at least.  Falling open as the first flush of her orgasm gave way to a rolling tide of pleasure that broke through her in waves but she didn’t hear anything beyond the crashing pounding of her pulse.  Fists full of Eddie’s hair fell away as all of Amanda’s bones turned to jelly, her tendons to jam, while she melted into the bed beneath. Pulling away from her, panting hotly into her dampness, through slick shiny cheeks he grinned cockily, “Sweeter than candy, Mandy.  I knew you would be, fuck, and you-” he stopped talking to watch the way she accepted his intruding digits as deep as possible, bucking into the touch he offered wantonly despite just cumming, “-you just want more, don’t ya?” “Hmm, yea.  Want wha-whatever you’ll give me.”  Leaning up on her elbows she caught him licking her spend from his fingers before dipping right back into her, a devilish glint in his eyes. “Whatever I’ll give you, huh?”  Eddie curled his fingers inside of her quivering core, stretching apart, taking up space, as his smoky voice purred, “You asked for it.” There was a flurry of sudden movement; he stood up fast, wiggling his hips until the heavy denim of his jeans hit the floor with a satisfying thump.  His boxers dropped free in a flash.  The bed dipped under his weight and before she could react, Eddie clasped a firm hand around each ankle and forced her knees back, nearly bending her in half. For him, the view was spectacular.  The cro-magnon part of his brain flipped on, wanting only to take.  Conquer.  Consume. Who could blame him when he had his dream woman, his Moon Goddess, his Mandy, slick and spread out for him to feast on?  The now painful stiffness of his hard on trembled at the sight.  A patch of dark curls matted with pre-cum dotted his navel as the prolonged anticipation became too much to bear.  Gripping himself, squeezing really, Eddie stroked over his cock, trembling as he asked, “Do you have a- a rubber?” Tossing her head, hair in tangles around her face, Amanda reached for him, “I’m on the pill.” For a second the heat abated and Eddie met her eyes, “Yea?  That’s great fucking news.” “Have to be- Oh my GOD!”  Rubbing the head of his dick between her folds, he slapped it into her overstimulated clit, cackling at her startled reaction, “Aw sweetheart, you don’t have to call me God.  I’ll always answer to Ed-” But he bit off his sentence when he felt her hand glide over his shaft.  If he was going to tease, so was she, “Fine, Ed- don’t keep me waiting, alright?” “Wouldn’t dream of it, baby.  Wouldn’t dream of it.”  Amanda’s back arched violently as her tender flesh parted around the thickness of Eddie’s erection.  He notched into her slowly, rasping through held breaths, “You- you doing ok, Mandy?” Nodding was the only response she could give considering the ripples of pleasure already bubbling through her, but he pinched at the fat of her hip, “Need you to say it, Amanda.  Tell me.  Yea?” 

And the last note was pleading, tender, which brought her back into herself long enough to whimper, “I’m doing ok, Eddie.  Are- are you?”

He was struggling to be a gentleman, that was certainly true, and his gargoyle brain wanted to run amok but, “Yea, I’m fucking fantastic.” Laying her head back, exposing her neck, she managed to smile before sighing, “Good.  That’s so good.” He groaned then, deep and rumbling, before rocking his hips forward.  Seating himself down to the root, Amanda took everything he had inside her quaking core and damn, it was exquisite.  To be surrounded by the yielding silver softness of her body, cool and clean, when his own was made of hard angles and rigid lines made Eddie want to howl.  Wasn’t that what a wolf would do under the light of the full moon?    And what of the moon?  Did she reply to the lovesick creature, crying to the heavens?  

Digging her heels into the beloved bed clothes for more traction, driving herself along his length so that he could know just how incredible it felt to be joined with him in this way, Amanda met him thrust for thrust.  Ratcheting her own hips eagerly, moaning brokenly through every inhale, “More.  I can take it.  Please?  Please.”

Her wolfman didn’t need to be asked twice.  A hand palmed her thick ass, grinding her bones against his without withdrawing, seeking the untouched places deep inside with wet and warm and wild abandon.  Dropping over her, he used his tongue to find her nipple, sucking harshly as if there was a way to taste her heart, her veins, her muscle and fascia.  Lewdly.  Rudely.  

And she didn’t hold back.  Her nails, sharper and painted a rosy color, scratched along his forearms, his shoulders, his back.  Anywhere that could be reached, touched, marked as ruined by her hands as she struggled to hold fast through the pummeling, punishing pushes. Bejeweled rings snagged her hair as his hand curled around the nape of her neck, dragging his mouth to hers.  Their tongues mimicked the movement of their lower halves; pushing, pulling, tangling together.  And when the kiss became too much, the threatening rasp of teeth nipped at the bulge of his Adam’s Apple, his exposed throat too great a temptation to ignore.

For her effort, his moon was serenaded by a ceaseless chant of words such as “want” and “love” and “forever”.  That his every uttered syllable was met with the sounds of her surrender; of her body, her mind, her soul, was not lost in translation.  Eddie recognized what each utterance meant, a natural interpreter of the noises she emitted, and thought that a recording of her sexy sounds had the potential to climb the charts.  Top 100 for sure- if he was even remotely willing to let anyone else hear the concert of their lovemaking.  He wasn’t though.  Not just because of the intimate nature of this particular show but because he was a selfish, selfish man.  No one else should be allowed to hear the symphony that was their ode to an evening.     She was beaming, could feel the radiant heat off of her own skin in the swell of her cheeks and burning through in patches where a bite mark or bruise might show in tomorrow’s light.  Biting into her lip with a hum, she grinned, giddy and glowing under all the tender affection of being loved so well by Eddie.  He was thorough, kissing and clinging in random places at random moments and her sex drunk brain couldn’t be bothered to keep up.   Already pliant, no longer entirely in control of her movements, when the muscles of her right thigh let go, she didn’t fight it.  Catching on the jutting crest of his hip like it belonged there, curled naturally around his waist, it trapped him tightly to her.  The change in position was ruinous.  Overwrought and overworked, she was going to cum again, and harder than the first time.  When she spoke the words, punctuated by his quickening thrusts, his smile grew wolfishly wide.  Gleeful at her stuttered announcement, praising her, “You feel so good, M-Mandy.  S’ perfect.”

Amanda’s eyes rolled back in her skull, the powerful release pulling her under as her muscles stiffened, fighting against the rising tide before dropping into the pocket, waves of pleasure lapping against each other.  Gasping, his name the only sound filling the still of the night, an incantation recited over and over again until her lungs burned from want of oxygen.  Her’s wasn’t the scream of a porno actress from a secretly rented video, over dramatic and purposefully false.  And maybe that’s why it hit Eddie right in the darkest depth of his heart.  She wasn’t acting out her ecstasy.  She couldn’t be faking the erratic pulsing rhythm of her orgasm as it spurred on his own. Slippery.  Constricting.  Lake bottom deep, he sunk himself further into her silk and let go with a moan, “Amanda-” Her arms wrapped around him.  Legs too.  And as he shuddered, a ragged breath blowing the sweat stuck strands of hair off his forehead, he felt the smallest nudge along his jaw.  Tiny presses of her mouth, little mini kisses to his bicep, over his collar bone, and down the proud slope of his nose. “Hey you.” Giggling at the gangly guy situated between her knees, she bit her bottom lip, tilting her head in her signature sassy way, “Hey yourself.” Wiggling his hips slowly, still incredibly hard, he flashed Amanda a sheepish grin, “I’m almost afraid to, ya know, pull out.  I think I- I made a mess.” Now she was outright laughing, “Oh really?  You think so, huh?” “Shit, you have to stop that!”  His jaw was clenched tight despite the lighthearted way he spoke.  Every nerve ending was raw, receiving too much stimuli, but he wasn’t ready for it to end.  Didn’t really want to separate and go back to being two people, two bodies, two hearts.

Innocently asked, Amanda’s eyebrows crinkled in confusion, “What?” “Laughing!  You’re still- ah!  You’re still squeezing me!” But that only made her laugh harder, “I’m so sorry!  But, you’re pretty fucking funny after sex!” “Is that so, little missy?”  And that’s when Eddie leaned up, making to kiss her, but licking a thick stripe up her cheek at the last second that made her squirm and squeal in mock disgust.  Easing himself free, a trickle of wetness following, Eddie pressed his forehead to hers, “If I’m pretty fucking funny then you’re just fucking pretty.” If it hadn’t struck her before, it hit her with the force of a baseball bat now; her lover was beautiful.  Even with limited light illuminating his sweaty skin, he was glowing and her heart thumped at the image before her.  Eddie, her Eddie, with his bangs sticking to his forehead, tacky with sweat from the exertion of fucking her so hard, happy and melty at the edges like a really good grilled cheese sandwich. “I love you.” Laying his head on her chest, sighing like a young girl with a crush, he answered, “I love you.” He didn’t say “I love you, too.”  There was no “too” about it.  He knew how he felt, in his heart, in his body, in his mind.  And even with the cloudiness of a great orgasm hazing his thoughts, Eddie felt the truth in it. Groaning in protest, she made to move to get up, to leave the bed, but he stopped her, “Tell me where I can get a towel, alright?” “I can get up, Eddie.”

He shook his head sending his sweat soaked waves into the air, “Yea, you can, but I don’t want you to, ok?  So, bathroom?  Where can I find it?” She extended her hand lazily, pointing, “First door on the right.  It has a toilet and a tub, so you know, can’t miss it.” Pushing up on his hands and knees, Eddie thudded to the floor on heavy feet.  Turning to bow, naked as the day he was born, using a put on cockney accent, “Yes m’lady!  Right away!  Your faithful servant won’t let you down!” Her sparkling laugh chased him down the hallway.

Not much later, when water had been shared from a jelly glass with Tom & Jerry running around the rim and the damp, once warm towel used for cleaning up had been chucked into the hamper, Eddie thumped his head back against the headboard.  His body lax as he drew Amanda closer, “I gotta say, Mandy.  Thought you said you were new to all this, had me thinking I was going to need to show you how it’s done, but you just, ya know, rocked my world.”  His kiss was affectionate, playful even, without the fevered heat of desire burning it to ash.  Shifting up to her elbow, head in her hand, eyes heavy but watchful, “I’m not a virgin.  I’ve, ya know, had sex before.” That was news to him.  Not that he would stake his life on it, but there had been a conversation about experience over patty melts and paper napkins.  About newness.  About being without skill or practice.  “But-” Flopping forward, her head laid on his sweat cooled chest, cheek squished against his zombie tattoo, “I wasn’t lying to you, if that’s what you think.  I just- I haven’t dated much but, this-” she waved a hand taking in the bed, the room, the nakedness, “-I’ve done this a few times before.” He rolled onto his side, scooching lower so he could see her better, his warm hand finding a home along the expanse of Amanda’s ribs and rubbing continuously, “I know my head is still a little fuzzy after all the great lovin’ and all but, uh, I’m not sure I’m following.” Blowing out a breath that sounded something like frustration, she shrugged, “Guys take me to bed but not to dinner.  I’m not, ya know, girlfriend material, I suppose.  It’s like, I’m good enough to make out with, especially if it makes some other, prettier, thinner girl jealous.”  Her mouth twisted up, not really a frown but a far cry from the sweet smile Eddie had come to appreciate.  She was staring through him, seeing images made of memory, “Good enough to- to fool around with in the dark.  Places where no one would see, like under the bleachers or behind a dumpster.  But take me to a restaurant?  A movie?  Out with friends or family?  No way.  “And I’m always so-” she rolled her eyes, trying to find the right word, “-I don’t know, needy?  Desperate maybe?  That a guy pretending to be interested could offer me kisses in corners or bathroom stalls where no one would ever think to look and I do it.  Gladly.  Because even their half assed affection is better than nothing, right?”  But Amanda didn’t wait for Eddie to answer, carrying on with an edge in her voice, “If I touch them, let them touch me, then they’ll give me what I want.  Flowers and romance and, and-” he heard the way her throat caught, a strangled sound shaking through her as she finished, “-love.” Tossing her head, she banished a wayward tear, smiling thinly at her man’s silhouette in the muted light, “Now though, I’m here, with you.  A guy who sees me, all of me.  You see me and you don’t make me feel bad about who I am.  How I look.  You see me, and, and you like me even in broad daylight.  And no one’s ever done that before.  I mean, you already brought me around your friends.  Your family.”  Her emphasis on the last word not lost on him and neither was the twinge of pride in her voice at how she said it.  “Amanda-”  He wanted to reach out, reassure her, but she shook him off. There was more to say, more to tell and for the first time in a long time, she wanted to share her thoughts with someone.  Not someone.  Eddie.  

Swallowing, she looked up at him, comfortable and relaxed under her threadbare bedsheet, “You wanted to know what happened tonight?  When I was at practice?” Maybe there was something in her voice that gave her away.  He could tell that this was uncharted territory for his Moon woman, taking her out of her depth, a thing difficult to share.  Maybe he also realized that something was shifting, something important, so he bobbed his head, locking her fingers with his, “Yea, but only if you wanna tell me.  There’s no pressure, you know that, right?” Nodding, Amanda sat up now, pinning the sheet under her arms so that it covered most of her breasts.  Her hair was a knotted mess, wild and untamed, but she was lit from within.  Eddie felt as though she was worthy of sculpture, ready to be captured for all time in alabaster stone or graying quartz.  Some Italian master should be committing the image before him into marble.  The combination of fragility and strength on display was overwhelming even if the underlying hurt etched in her face made Eddie’s chest ache. “I know and that’s kind of why I want to tell you.”  It was an admission of trust, of respect, and another stunning example of how strong her feelings truly were.  With a small gesture encouraging her to go on, Amanda inhaled sharply, “Right.  So, tonight, at rehearsal?  Mark, you know my drummer- uh, the drummer?  He was being the biggest asshole.  To everyone, not just me.  Really picking on us all, which was weird.  ‘Cause normally he’s kinda, well-” Stepping on her sentence, Eddie finished with a shit eating grin, “Steady?”  “Oh, that was bad, even for you.”  She groaned at the ill timed, but sort of hilarious drumming joke.  Lifting his hands, signaling his apology, she tilted her head thoughtfully, “Anway, he said some stuff and-” That made Eddie sit up too, his legs folding and taking the blankets with them, “Wait, he said something about you or about me?” “Um-” her fingers fiddled with the fabric, eyes avoiding his baleful brown orbs for the first time all night.  Not a great sign. “If it’s about me, no problem.  I can handle that, Mandy.  Hell, I’ve been handling that shit my whole life.  But you?  Baby-” Eddie cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him, “-You don’t deserve that shit.” “About us both, I guess.”  Her shoulders lifted in a shrug, “Mark was, well, he was angry.  At me.  Said that I sounded ‘desperate’ when I was singing the other night, that I was ‘begging for a man’ like- like some kind of tramp or something when I was singing to you.” Holy shit, was he struggling right now.  With every other word Amanda uttered, Eddie’s blood ran like frigid November rain, in icy sheets that burned or in magma hot lava-like flows that scorched his heart from rage.  Luckily he was hiding it well.  

Going for cool, casual even, he cast about asking, “So, uh, what else did Mark have to say?” With a guilty gulp, she went on, “A lot.  And he kept running his mouth so much, too much, really.  It’s just- I thought he was my friend, you know?”  And honest to god, her chin shook as she held back the tears her emotional meridian begged to release, her voice going warbly with the effort, “But in the end, he was just like the guys at school, the boys back home.  Wanted the- the thrill of being with a girl like me, a big girl, and thought I should be-” in a barely heard whisper she trailed off,  “-grateful for his attention.” Now, young Mr. Munson had spent time as an angry juvenile.  The world and the way it worked had done its level best to beat him down over and over again.  Before the interdimensional trauma that left him scarred and scared, he had trained himself to live and let live, a philosophy that he was pretty certain had saved his life on more than one occasion. But hearing the way she spoke about Mark, a dude she knew and trusted, filled him with a furious anger so white hot that he almost could not believe that smoke wasn’t spilling out of his ears like in a Bugs Bunny cartoon.  It didn’t seem like the darling at his side noticed when his unoccupied hand closed in a tight fist that he was currently imagining ramming right through the skin of a bass drum directly into the sternum of Mark, as if he might bend the laws of physics and somehow be able to beat the shit out of this asshole from the safety of Amanda’s bed.  

Because, like, who the fuck did this guy think he was? She wasn’t crying, not outright, but was sad about the circumstances all the same.  And from the pure desire to make his woman feel better, he snorted hotly, “Fucking dipshit.  He’s the one that should be grateful.” “What?” “I said, this Mark person, he’s the one that should be grateful to even, ya know, know you” he added, tugging that self protective strand of hair down and over his mouth.  Starting at a mumble that grew stronger the longer he talked, Eddie’s stare locked on Amanda’s, “Look, I already told you how I feel.  And, even if we weren’t, ya know, together, I’d still be thankful that you’re in my life.  You are something special, Amanda Patterson.  Something-” and then he couldn’t resist any longer, dragging a finger down her cheek until he could tip her chin up, those bright eyes searching his own, “-out of this world.  A treasure.” Rewarded with a wry shake of head and rolled wet eyes, Eddie carried on, “Honestly, thank fuck.” She sniffled a bit, asking through a thick throat, “What’s that supposed to mean?” His pink lips screwed up in a crooked smirk that scrunched his nose cutely, “It means, sweetheart, that those-” rings glinting the gloom, his hand flailed dramatically, “-dumbasses didn’t know they had struck gold when they met you.  Lucky for you, I know the good shit when I see it.” Deflating visibly, she huffed, “Gold plated is probably more accurate.”  It was meant to be lighthearted.  A little self deprecating, sure, but wasn’t it easier to make the joke then become one? “Hey, don’t do that.”  He caught her cheeks in a grip which was firm while his voice cotton soft, “I’m not joking around.  Not about this.  Not about you.” She didn’t move, frozen in place by the sincerity he was forcing her to accept.  Whispering into the quiet night, a hardly spoken rush of words, but he heard them all the same, “I’m nothing special, Eddie.” A fever of frustration climbed through him at that midnight confession.  The worst part was how truly she believed what she said, that there was nothing special about her, no reason for Mark’s misplaced interest or his own adoration.  That somehow she didn’t deserve Eddie’s praise, his attention, even his love, was all layered into that one sentence. “Mandy, don’t you ever talk that way about the person I love.  Never again.”  It was his gently uttered warning. “But, Eddie-”  she wanted to argue the point, make a case for being less than. Shifting quickly, he caught her around the bare expanse of her shoulders, “If I have to say it everyday, for the rest of your life, I will Mandy.  You’re amazing.”  A kiss, hungry and scalding, melded their mouths together, “You are so fucking sexy.”  Lips traced the line of her jaw, moving upward, “And I haven’t felt, well, whatever this is, ever before.” Even if her mind wasn’t quite convinced, Eddie’s nearness coupled with the sultry kisses and his heartfelt words had made her body a believer.  She smoothed a hand along his straight spine, her forehead tapping his own, “I imagine you say that to all the ladies you take to bed.” A warm, happy laugh rumbled through Eddie at her smart ass comment.  Pulling back, needing to see her eyes, “I’m going to be real honest with you, alright?  Put it all on the line, k?”  When she agreed with a short nod, he continued, “You may think that I do this sorta thing all the time- pick up chicks and service them until the sun comes up, until they uh, scream my name into the night- but I don’t.”  Tilting her head, really looking him over, she shook her own, her teasing edged with something harder, “You’re telling me that you don’t seduce the housewives who bring their cars in for oil changes?  Or, or, um, bang groupies after a good show at The Hideout?” “Me?  No way.  Not a chance.  Reputation ruiner, remember?  So I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that you are in my, my top 3, all time.  Easy.”  Mindlessly, Eddie started tracing stars into the skin of her thighs, consciously avoiding her piercing stare. But now she was curious, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, her eyebrows lifted, “Out of how many?” Yanking his hair forward, Eddie snickered, still bashful, “Um, out of three.  But, uh, out of those three, you’re my number one.  No question about it.”  The grin he flashed her was so deep, his cheeks aching from smiling so widely, that Amanda had no choice but to giggle too, “Number one, you said?” Reaching for her hand, linking their fingers together before nudging her closer, he corrected her gently, “Uh huh, you’re my number one.  Best I ever had.”  

“What are you doing to me, Eddie Munson?”  It was rhetorical, obviously, but it had to be asked even if she was unable to keep the tendril of truth out of her voice.  Because this conversation was powerful enough to capsize her, she realized too late to stop it from happening.  If he was going to sink her ship, she was going to have to grow gills or drown trying.  Otherwise she was never going to survive being cared for by the romantic rockstar in training who was taking up half her bedspread. Scrunching his eyes as he bit into his bottom lip, Eddie hemmed, “I’m uh, watching out for you.  Tryin’ to be a knight or a, a paladin.”  Rubbing his thumb in patient circles against the back of her hand, a little lost in his thoughts, “Want to be who and what you need, Mandy, because, yea, you deserve that.” “And what do you deserve?”  That drew him up short as she freed her hands so she could skate them over his exposed chest, “‘Cause I think you deserve things too.  Like someone to love you back.  Someone who hears you-” rising to her knees, she scooted a leg over his waist, bracketing his body between her dimpled thighs, “-and your terrible jokes but still laughs anyway.  Someone who appreciates you for all the wonderful and wild things that make you, well, you.”  She punctuated her sentence with a bop on the tip of his broad nose. His mouth was dry but his betraying eyes were damp as he cleared his throat roughly, hands already resting on the full rise of her hips, “Is uh, is that so, Miss Mandy?” “Totally.”  She pulled one of his hands away, the lined and creased side facing her before pressing her lips to its very center.  Covering it with her own she held it against the smooth expanse of her sternum, directly on top of her beating heart. Swallowing thickly, unable to look away, he asked, “Maybe I’ve found her?”  Bare and unashamed, leaning into his space, her sleek slit skimming his slowly solidifying length made his cheeks burn hotly as she rocked her hips back.  Nodding, she looked down at him, purring, “Maybe you have.”  Grinding down, her full weight holding him to the mattress, to the earth, he thanked whatever deity was closest for this brilliant, beautiful creature with the enchanting voice and bewitching eyes full of shining devotion.  Whatever she was before didn’t matter to him or the gargoyle who guarded his own thumping mess of a heart in its crumbling tower.  Amanda Patterson was his now, and he’d be damned before letting her go.  

—

1990 - Fall

“Let’s hear it once again for Mandy and the Maniacs!” All around her the crowd went ballistic.  Shouting, screaming, stomping, clapping noise filled the bar where the band, her band had taken the stage with the hope of making it through one more round.  One step closer to fortune and fame and everything that goes with it.  Based on the deafening roar of this particular crowd, Amanda had high hopes.  Fuck, but she wanted to win 1991’s Battle of the Bands.  Prove that she was good enough to make it on the strength of her own abilities, on the unflagging determination of her dream to sing for a living, and do it on her own. So she was smiling through the tears of happiness that filled her eyes, blinking rapidly as she committed the raucous riotous scene below her into her memory banks as the emcee was thrusting a plastic trophy complete with a fake gold guitar glued to the top into her sweaty hand, “Congratulations to our winners!  And don’t forget that you can see Mandy and the band here at Stingers every Friday night.  Doors open at 10pm!”

— “Good show tonight, Mandy.  You know, you guys are really going places.” Amanda toweled off the grimy sweat from being under too hot stage lights and the melted mascara that always found a way to slip down her face after a show, grinning broadly, “Thanks Davey.  We all appreciate your hosting and, of course, having us back week after week.” “Can’t have a rock bar with no music, that’d be like having a peanut butter sandwich without jelly.  Just doesn’t taste right, ya know?” Laughing politely, she nodded, “I think I get what you mean.”  And before he could ask again, Carly slid up to her side, “Ready to load in the gear?” A thankful expression crossed her face as she looked at her friend, still sweaty and streaked herself, “Yes ma’am.  Hey-” leaning in to shake Davey’s hand, Amanda’s black mesh fingerless glove pressing designs into his palm as she added, “-again, thank you for tonight.” “It’s always a pleasure, Mandy.  Uh, is there any chance you might wanna grab a dri-” Swinging a microphone case onto her shoulder, her back to the bar’s owner, Amanda answered swiftly, “Have a good night, Davey.” When they were in the chilly night air, sans jackets or even clothes that were close to appropriate for the weather in Indiana during an early cold snap, Carly lit up a cigarette, smirking, “He asked you again, huh?” Taking the flaming stick of death from her friend, Amanda took one, tiny puff, the smallest possible because her voice was still her best instrument, and lifted her heavily made-up eyes, “Was trying to, I think.” “Could it hurt?”  Carly ashed the butt quickly, staring at the bumper of the broken-in mini-van that they used to lug amps and instruments in, purposefully avoiding Amanda’s bewildered look. Toeing at the slushy puddle that gathered around the back tire, her big black boots with neon laces keeping her away from the muck, she considered it.  Would it hurt to let Davey buy her a drink?  No, probably not.  As a general rule, a single drink was not enough to hurt someone, but it was what came after that stalled her in her tracks. From under a jagged line of self cut bangs, Amanda tilted her head at her friend, one eye squeezed shut while the other stared dead on, “Eventually, yea.  Yes it could.  And not for nothing but I’m too toxic for anyone right now.” “That’s horseshit and you know it.”  Carly flicked the used filter of her cigarette with a flourish, her shirt sleeves swinging at the effort. Laying back against the frozen metal of the van, Amanda shivered, “Come on, don’t fuck with me, ok?  It’s been a good night.  Great even.  Let’s not fight about Davey and drinks that I’m not going to let him buy.” Kicking at the rims now, Carly grumbled, “You need to get laid.” “Fuck you, I do not!” This time her friend’s pretty pouting face found hers under the parking lot’s hazy yellow lights, “You do and so goddamn badly.  It’s been what, like two years since Ed-” “Don’t say it.” Exhaling wickedly, anger heating up her sigh, Carly jumped right into her diatribe, “I can’t even say his name, Amanda.  What is that about?  Are you ever gonna, I don’t know, get over him?  Go out with someone else?  Let another person stick their fucking tongue down your fucking throat?”  And when she didn’t reply, Carly pressed on, ranting into the empty night air, “Or are you going to die on this hill?  Because ‘I once loved Ed-” she shifted her focus to Amanda before softening up, “-a, a future rockstar who broke my heart when he left this town and me behind’ is not going to fit on your tombstone, sis.” Toying with the van keys, their metal ring going cold in her hands, Amanda shrugged.  She was tired all the way down to her soul.  Tired of being tired.  Tired of grinding so hard for the things she wanted.  Tired of Carly being mostly, sort of, almost totally right.  Tired of being alone.  Tired of missing a man with a name she couldn’t bear to hear. And yea, ok, she would absolutely own that her sad sack routine was going stale.  She bored herself most days, honestly.  But what was the point in letting Davey or any other person buy her a drink and think they stood any kind of chance when Amanda Patterson no longer had a heart to give? Nope.  Like the Tin-Man, she was kept alive by electrical impulses managed by some other organ because she’d lost her heart in 1988.  The year Corroded Coffin was discovered through Carly’s college radio station connections.  The same year a mid-western county fair tour was planned.  The year that took him away for the big life he was always supposed to lead.  The year that took her heart and never looked back. “Hell.  Give me a smoke, would ya?”

“‘Manda. You don’t like cigarettes.” Carly taunted in a sing-song voice. Shrugging, sad and cold, she waved her friend on with a uselessly gloved hand, “Maybe I do now.”  And when she took her first full inhalation a thought moved through the neural pathways of her brain.  It might kill her, in the end, smoking, drinking or whatever, but she then, had been dead inside for a lot longer.  Besides, there was no one watching out for her now.  No one to disappoint.  No one to worry.

Her lungs burned and the back of her throat protested, but Amanda smiled warmly in the cold night, “Thanks Carly.” Blowing out a held breath, the shorter girl rolled her eyes, “Fuck, you’re dramatic.  Just like him.  You know that right?” Her chuckle was hollow, raspy because of the smoking, “Uh huh.  I do.”  Dropping the burnt paper to the ground she stomped on it with the toe of her boot, unlocking the car, “Wanna get the fuck outta here?” “Yea.  Let’s go home.”

—

1987

Morning light cast the entire room in a golden glow that was entirely too ethereal to be real.  Only it was.  It had to be, because Amanda was laying on her side, the plush padding of her bum tucked against Eddie’s bare pelvis, as she slept peacefully in his arms.

Now that his eyes were open there were things he needed to do: take a piss, take a shower, get some food in his body that did not come out of a cardboard box and get to work.  Except he’d be  leaving this downy nest of a bed and the warmth of a very willing body to do any of it.  So, yea, Eddie didn’t want to do that, not even a little bit.

The alarm clock said seven thirty six, and if his bedtime math was accurate, he could stay until 8 o’clock.  Any later and he’d be in deep shit with, well, virtually everyone.  Why did it have to be Friday morning?  How come he had bedded his dream woman on a Thursday night, mid-week, knowing there were still responsibilities on the horizon?

As if she could sense that he was awake, she shifted her figure flush with his, and there was no way to hide his morning wood.  There was also no way she could not feel it pressing insistently at the small of her back.  He swallowed his spit, curling Amanda closer, and shut his eyes.  Eddie could manage the morning after.  He absolutely could.

“Mmm, morning.”  

Sleep stained and supple, Amanda started to roll his way but he stopped her with a kiss to her shoulder blade, “Uh, maybe don’t.” “Wha?  Oh.  Oh.”  And saucy minx that she was, she stretched her body so that his erection rubbed over the silken skin of her bottom. Groaning from way down deep in his chest, Eddie chided, “You’re a tease.” “You’re too easy.”   She was on her back now, head turned his way, outlined in the pale yellow rays of morning light.  His heartbeat sped up at the coy look she flashed from under her lashes.  Amanda wanted Eddie and in spite of the hard work he’d put in last night, he wanted her again too.  Dipping a hand under the filmy sheet, his fingernails scraped the swell of her hip, when the alarm clock clicked to 7:45 and began buzzing obnoxiously. “Shit!”  Scrambling up, Amanda hit the digital display’s off button, silencing the sound.  Slumping into herself, she looked his way with a frowny face, “I have class at 9.” “I’ve got work, myself.”  It was a guilty admission, no matter how true. Nodding, Amanda bit into her bottom lip, “Then I guess-” “We both have to go?”  They spoke over each other.  Whatever easy energy they had shared was taut now, stressed and strained but neither one moved.  Neither one really wanted to. Except a new day was started, one with expectations for Amanda and Eddie alone.  Still, she had to ask, hand twisting in the stray strands of her hair, “Will I, uh- um, maybe you can-” So Eddie took pity on his girl, lifting her hand to his lips chastely, “Are you trying to say that you wanna see me again?  Like, tonight?” “Do- uh, do you want that?”  She was barely suppressing her hope, struggling to keep her expectations of Eddie in check, regardless of all his pretty words when the lights were low. Thrusting out his little finger, Eddie wiggled it quickly, “Well, yea, of course I do.  Promise.” Linking them together, a chuffed out giggle escaped her pouty lips when he swung their hands like that, childlike and silly.  He used his leverage to drag her to his chest, a kiss landing on her nose, on each cheek, and finally her parted mouth.  They let go reluctantly when her alarm rang again, this time marking the hour as 8. “Shit.  I really, really, have to go.”  Eddie swung his leg over the side of the bed giving Amanda  a phenomenal view of his bare ass as he crisscrossed the room searching out his clothes.  Too easily the boy stepped into his jeans, forgoing his underwear, she noticed, and shrugging back into his tee. Hugging her knees, she could only watch, conflicting thoughts filling her head.  Her body was sore in the best possible way because of all that they had gotten up to last night.  She knew she’d be thinking of him all day, anytime she shifted in her seat or caught sight of the purple markings that littered her neck and chest. And she definitely wanted to do this- do him, again.  Without question, Eddie Munson was phenomenal in the sack.  But now he was leaving, and she understood it, alright?  She had shit to do herself.  Because it was a weekday and she paid so much for school and the music shop was letting her pick up a shift… Only, she wanted to linger in bed with her very cute and very sexy lover at her side.  Maybe get to lick his hardest parts, or, his softest.  Maybe get him to lick her again and again and again. “Don’t?”  Amanda hadn’t planned to say it out loud, but there it was, echoing around her quiet room.  A pleading question spoken from the depths of her heart, pushing pause on the guy in the middle of pulling up his socks, seated primly on the corner of her bed.  Shocked by her own actions, her eyes rounded as she backpedaled, “I mean, I know you have to and, and I have to, but that doesn’t mean I want you to- to go.  Ya know?  Last night was like-” she breathed out, willing herself not to get emotional even if she could feel the cold prickle of tears in the back of her throat, “-really special, for me at least.  And-” letting her eyes find Eddie’s coffee colored eyes, finished, “-I don’t want to say goodbye.” Blinking a couple of times, taking a beat, he wanted to get his answer right.  “Who says we have to say goodbye?” “You’re leaving.” Reaching for his boots, smile wide and shining under his mass of waves, “Uh huh.  But-” yanking the laces hard, he grinned her way, “-I’m coming back.”  “Are you though?”  

He cut off any other protests, standing quickly and walking around to her side of the bed.  Amanda had her feet planted on the floor, her sheet barely covering her most private of places, as she lifted her fretful face in his direction. Voice tighter than he wanted, shoulders tenser than they should be, Eddie looked down at this woman who had come to mean so much to him so quickly.  One ring clad finger tripped down the hill of her nose, “Shit, Mandy, I’m probably losing all my cool guy street credit when I say this, but, uh, this thing-” using his thumb under her chin, the skin there yielding to his even pressure, “-You and me?  This.  It fucking scares me-” She had the audacity to look surprised, those beguiling eyes going wide from the raw honesty he was showing, that tilt to her head more pronounced as she nervously whispered, “I- I scare you?” “No!  Shit, that’s not- I meant-” recovering quickly but feeling much shyer now, he tried to explain, “How I feel about you, I mean.  How much I care- it’s a lot.  For me, it’s everything.”  With the sound of knees cracking, he dropped into a squat so that he was looking up at Amanda’s face, not the other way around.   

“Oh.” her gaze softened shifting her focus until it landed on something far away, her mind working fast.  Loving her was already a burden.  Already too much to ask of a guy like Eddie, so wild and carefree.  And the realizations stung.  Maybe she didn't have a night to remember after all.  Maybe her knight in shining armor didn’t see her the way she imagined.  Maybe he wasn’t who she thought he was, after all. And her brain would have kept on running in ragged circles of self doubt if Eddie hadn’t nudged against her parted thighs, “Hey, Mandy?  Come back to me, yea?” “Sorry, I- uh-” steeling herself, her back stiffened, her smile slipping, “-Look.  We don’t have to do this.  I get it, Eddie.  And, ya know-” those eyes were back on him, sadder now, holding him still, “-we don’t have to do whatever this is.  Not now.  Not, ya know, ever.  I understand how this works, ok?” Despite his nearness she started to push off the mattress.  It was too difficult to sit there thinking he was afraid of her, of having feelings for her, of being with her.  Convinced that he probably wasn’t going to touch her again, that she couldn’t have him or his love for more than one night, no matter what he said or what promises were left unfulfilled was a punch in the gut- leveling.  

Shame burned through her because she should have known better.  It was all too good to be true like any other fairytale.  A story.  A fantasy. And she had to go, right now, because she wasn’t going to allow him to see so down and out.  Straightening her arms, rocking forward, she was ready to get away, to bolt.  But she didn’t get far.  Fingers dug into her leg, holding her fast, delaying her escape, “Damn it.  That isn’t- that isn’t what I said, Amanda.”  Eddie’s voice was pitched low- dark and rumbling like the growing thunder of a terrible storm.  It locked her in place even if she couldn’t bear to meet his eyes, terrified that she’d find pity or some other weakening emotion on his stupid, loving, handsome face.  A violent vermillion flash of fury surged through her, spewing caustic, cutting sarcasm from her pursed lips, “No?  Because that’s what I heard, Eddie.  I heard you say that you’re scared to- to, to be with me.” 

“Wrong.”  “Excuse me?” “I said that you’re wrong.  Even though you are so smart, right now?  Sweetheart, you are 100 percent, entirely and utterly wrong here.  What frightens me, Mandy-” his hands slipped around her waist as, falling to his knees in front of her, he carried on, “isn’t that I’m afraid to be with you.  I’m afraid to be without you.  I’m terrified that you won’t want to be with me.” Holding onto to her steely edge, glaring now, she swung another verbal dagger, “Why wouldn’t I want to be with you?” “Fuck, Mandy.  Take your pick-”  Counting on his fingers, the list started, “-former mega-nerd with a talent for collecting little lost souls and ensuring their survival through high school.”  A second finger went up, “Uh, lead singer of a regionally successful rock band full of said misfits that hasn’t had its big break yet.”   A third, “The best damn Dungeon Master in the state of Indiana, if I say so myself.”  Little finger, number four bent slightly, “Oh, not to mention I’m crisscrossed with scars from North to South no matter how great the tattys look and-” his thumb jumped, spreading his palm open wide, “-not that many years ago I watched a person I cared about get murdered which, ya know, messes a guy up pretty damn good. “On the plus side?  Let’s see, I’ve got great friends, my totally bitchin’ guitar, a halfway decent van, and I’ve finally met a girl that I fucking love.  But, shit, maybe she doesn’t feel like I do?”  And now he let his cinnamon eyes burn into hers, really revved up and showing no signs of stopping, “Maybe she just says pretty things when I’m making her cum and afterwards, well, she wants to be with some other dude.  Someone like Mark who’s gonna make something of himself?  Steady as fuck and boring to boot.  Someone who doesn’t love her like I do, because they don’t get it, they can’t love her like me.  How could they when they don’t get how my world spun off its axis when she jumped into my arms at the goddamned music shop.  Or how-” Her cheeks flushed at the memory, the moment when this love affair began, and she felt herself smiling wide, the momentary rage ebbing almost as quickly as it started.  Cutting him off, she cupped his jaw with firm fingers, “I do!  I promise you, I-I understand.  And, and I feel the same way.  Haven’t been able to get you out of my head since you seduced me into a dance in the sheet music aisle.”

“You’re the one who fell into me, Mandy.” Airy like a summer’s breeze, Amanda countered, “You tripped me.” Scoffing, he settled his weight on the balls of his feet, “So you do remember then?” “Of course I do.  And that’s why I didn’t want you to go.  If- if you leave today and never come back, what’ll I do, Eddie?”  She had nuzzled into the unshaven haven of his neck, just below his ear, and was keening like a fitful kitten, “Now that I have you, I don’t want anybody else.  I only want to be with you.  Only you.” Exhaling harshly, pulling her forehead to his, he husked, “Sad to say, darling, but you may be stuck with me.” Only he didn’t sound sad at all.  Neither did she when she moved a hand to either cheek, a dreamy smile on her face, “Yea?  You mean it?”  “Of fucking course I do.  And to prove it, come to my show tonight?” “Like, seriously?  Because I would really love to see you play.” The alarm toned again, 8:15am.  But fuck it, he could be late to the garage if meant seeing Amanda grin at him like this- all excited and eager, “Hell yea!  You can meet the guys and see what all the fuss is about when Corroded Coffin hits the stage.” Nerves jangled, she bit into her lip, worry creeping into her tone, “And you wouldn’t mind me being there?  Like, that wouldn’t be, I don’t know, embarrassing for you?”

His head fell back far enough for the tendons of his neck to stretch, the bulge of his Adam’s apple tantalizingly close, while his stare locked on hers, “Embarrassing?  No.  Hell no.  I’d be honored to have you there, cheering me on.”

“You’re not messing with me, are you?”  She raised her eyebrows playfully, giving him the out if he wanted to take it. And that same anger at Mark, at all the idiot guys who had hurt her flared up briefly, but he tramped it down like a lid on a grease fire, reassuring her again, “No way.  I want you there.  Need you there, Mandy.  Besides-” that impish grin was back, “-it’s only fair.  I saw you perform, now I get to return the favor.” Her mind was working, spinning his words around in her head faster than an unbalanced washing machine, as she processed what Eddie was saying.  When she finally came to a conclusion, Amanda nodded decisively, “Yea, ok.  I’ll come.  I-I’ll be there.” Pressing up to his feet, Eddie beamed down at her, “Sweet.  But, now I really gotta split, ok?”  She raised her chin, the permission for a kiss implicit in the action and he took advantage.  It was so easy to get lost in the flavor and feeling of her lips under his or the slide of his tongue over her own.  In the end, she had to push him away, breathless and begging, “Yea, go on.  Get lost, Munson.”

Groaning, he stomped towards her door, “Fine.  Fine.  I’m going.” Pleased and purring, Amanda stretched out along her bed, her head already thinking of the night to come when Eddie’s face appeared in her doorway again, “Oh, hey.  Don’t forget that you’re banging the lead guitarist and front man of the band, k?  You gotta look the part so uh-” he took in the room at a glance, “-no pretty flower prints or whatever.” “You came back just to tell me that?” His hands rested against the pale wooden door frame as he stepped back through it, “Yes.  And this-” it took three running steps before he launched himself onto the mattress and landed as gently as he could with her pinned underneath him.  Her hands caught on the tangles still knotting his hair, dragging his mouth to hers, whimpering into the wet cave of his mouth. So Eddie was an hour late to work and Amanda missed her first class.  Worse things had happened in the name of new love.

—

1990 - Winter

“Well, it was a great night!  To Mandy and the Maniacs-”  The ladies clinked their bottles together in celebration, stilted happiness filling the air around them.  The founding members of their female fronted metal band had come home exhilarated and exhausted, ready to unwind, share post-show snacks and celebrate their advancement to the Battle of the Bands finals.  It had been another grueling show but they had done what they meant to: melt the faces off the audience and get another step closer to that Big Win in the new year. 

MTV was on in the background, as it always was when they weren’t practicing or writing or recording, and the videos on Headbangers Ball were always welcome at the end of a long Saturday filled with rocking.  Rick Rachtman was talking about some up and coming band as Amanda crunched on a cheese ball, barely listening.  

If Carly was tired, Amanda was wired, her mind still on tonight’s crowd and what it was going to take to win it all in a few weeks.  Already she was in her head, planning what their set was going to be, which songs were the most likely to sway the ever growing swell of music lovers standing shoulder to shoulder when they played.  

That's when she heard a ghost, a breathing memory of the apparition who haunted her still.  His familiar cadence filtering through her television speakers jerked her from her thoughts, a voice she knew better than her own- “Holy shit.  Is that- Is that Eddie?  Your Eddie?”  Carly sat forward, the electric blue glow of the set outlining the surprise on her face.  The banishment of a certain man’s name forgotten in the excitement of said man’s picture on the television. Her beer bottle thunked to the table clumsily, “What?  Eddie?”  Amanda hadn’t said his name in over two years.  Around the time when the walls around her head and heart had gone up, and thankfully all of her friends knew better than to bring up that sensitive subject.  Or at least were willing to honor her wishes that the rocker in question never be spoken of in her presence. But fucking hell if Carly wasn’t right.  There on the illuminated idiot box that was her twenty inch screen was Eddie Fucking Munson himself and the rest of Corroded Coffin, talking to Chuck Stillman about their tour.  Answering questions for the fans to get to know them better and helping sell their metal image.  “Did you know about this?”  It was shock which filled Carly’s tone and Amanda felt a little bit guilty because of course she did.  She still talked to Steve, saw Robin from time to time, and even taught Mike Wheeler some guitar basics a year or so ago.  

When she didn’t answer, her very best good friend Carly leveled her with a sideways glance, “You did, didn’t you?” Shrugging, her go-to move these days, she grabbed the cable box’s remote and goosed up the volume.  It really fucking sucked to see how good Eddie looked, all in black leather and mesh lace, with his guitar pick necklace centered on his bare chest, tattoos barely visible but she knew they were there.  Could draw them from memory, if she really wanted to.  And his curls!  They were styled expertly, shiny and bouncy, making Amanda’s hands itch at the memory of them clutched between her fingers. Through the tinny speakers they heard Chuck’s question, “So, the people want to know, what is Eddie Munson’s favorite song?” There was a pause and if she didn’t know Eddie so well, she wouldn’t have seen it, but his eyes lost their twinkle for a second and his smile dropped the teensiest bit as he replied, “My favorite song?  That’s a great question, man.  And, uh, ya know, I wanna say something hard rocking and fast.  But honestly?  Someone to Watch Over Me by the Gershwin brothers.”

“SHUT UP!”  Carly smacked a hand into her arm, “He’s talking about you!  That night, in the park!  Holy shit, Eddie Munson, rock star rising, is talking about you, 'Manda!  On MTV!” And wouldn’t that be something, she thought, sinking back into her second hand sofa.  Him sparing the time to think about her at all these days seemed like such a shot in the dark, such a foreign concept, that she reckoned it wasn’t even a possibility.  There was no way he gave as much of his day to thoughts of her, to their time together as she did, right?  

No.  Not possible.  That he answered the basic question with the title of her favorite song, the song that meant so much to them both, didn’t mean a goddamned thing.  Not anymore. “I don’t think so, Carl.  I think you’re reading too much into things.” Sitting back, her own beer held tight, Carly rolled her eyes at friend, prickly at having her fun ruined, “What if he was?” “Huh?” “What if Eddie was thinking about you?  After these last couple of years, what if he- what if he misses you too?  It is possible.” Huffing out a derisive laugh, she tapped a finger against the nearly empty bottle of Budweiser, using the sassiest tone of voice she could wrangle when she answered, “Right.  He misses me when he’s out at nightclubs surrounded by strippers and groupies and backup dancers.  I’m sure all Eddie wonders about is little old me, back in Hawkins, when he’s walking red carpets and taking movie stars out to dinner in New York City and LA.” “You’re doing it again.”  Carly was focused on the screen but talking to Amanda, frustration thick in her tone. Equally riled up, Amanda chirped, “Yea?  What’s that?” Unblinking, Carly stared at her best friend, band mate, and roommate, “Selling yourself short.  You should really watch out for that.” Her friend meant well, she knew that, had proof of it all around her, but because her brain was fickle and memories were monsters, she found herself whispering, “Eddie said he would.  He promised me.  Said he was always gonna look out for me.” Staring down at her pinky finger, she would swear she felt his littlest digit wrapped around her own, the supposedly iron-clad arrangement made in a post-sex haze of brightly burning new love too long ago to hurt so freshly but so recently it still might bleed.  He had promised to watch over her, to change her mind and love her through it all. But when the man you loved had the chance to make his dreams a reality, you couldn’t stand in his way, right?  At least that was what she told herself late at night when sleep wouldn’t come and the moon was high above, laughing at her.  So, she watched, unflinching, as Eddie talked about burning grilled cheese sandwiches in a shitty hotel and the possibility of coming back to Indiana with the tour. She watched every shake of his head and every movement of his hands, taking them in like physical blows, wounds that would need cream and bandages and pain medication to heal up properly.  And she drank another beer, going silent since her mind refused to do the same, replaying the sentences from the tv interview on an endless looping track, trying to work out any hidden meaning that proved Carly right and her own sense of self wrong. When the programming shifted, some early morning sketch show or something, Carly said goodnight and moved off to her room but still Amanda sat there.  Was it fair to be so mad at Eddie?  Did she really have a right to the hurt and anger she was holding onto with an iron grip? As the sun climbed through the window above her record player, Armando the Wonder Cat jumped into her lap for pets.  Between scratching behind his pointy ears and patting down his back, she realized she was crying.  Sure, she was disappointed in Eddie.  In the promises he had never seen to fruition, but that wasn’t the only reason to be so upset. Because hadn’t she made promises too?  And hadn’t she broken them all?

---

Thank you for reading!  Part 4 is on the way!

Want to read more?  Please visit my Masterlist!

My Minxes:

@thatsonezesty13​ @sxlly-pxbble​ @kerri-leighjade​ @carleighsworld​ @mediocreaf​ @weird-stranger13​ @cupiden​  @sereisstuff​ @elviqs​  @ethereal-daydreamerr​  @armyangxls​ @alana-stewart​ @lonely-af-fangirl​ @darkhairedmenrule​ @b1tchbabytears​ @ravencrap-hufflefuck​  @rosegoldarti​ @boeutiful​ @atlwhatevs​ @mermaidsandcats29​  @aereth​  @drfrank211​ @ladysteddie​ @friendly-neighborhood-ghoul​ @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore​ @sweetsweetjellybean​ @sammy-jo1977​ @hiscrimsonangel​

#eddie munson x plus size reader #eddie munson x plus size reader smut #eddie munson x plus size oc #eddie munson x plus size oc smut #rockstar eddie munson #rockstar eddie #eddie munson rockstar au #eddie munson rockstar #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson slow burn #eddie munson romance #Eddie munson love story #Eddie my love #EDDIE MY BELOVED #ALL EDDIE ALL THE TIME #not over eddie munson #wordynerdygurl #wordynerdygurlwrites #wordynerdygurl master list

[vicc000]

Will on Emory & Alex

Alex was always easy to disappear into. I didn’t have to talk or put up a front. I didn’t have to seduce her or pretend. She was my port in the storm and I was hers. She was the only person that I’ve ever felt completely safe. The only person I never fear disappointing because the only thing she expected of me was to be there. Why couldn’t I love her? She got along with my friends. She made me laugh, and her presence was always a comfort. Always. She fit in my life. Watching her, I balled my fist, almost convinced I should do it. I should go and lift her into my arms and take her to bed and sync inside of her and…

I shook my head, sighing.

I couldn’t.

Because every time I close my eyes, I saw the girl who made me want to be better. More. I saw Emmy Scott. Alex was like Damon. They loved me. They indulge my dark side. They were too forgiving into enabling.

They kept me from being lonely, but Emory taught me that not everything I wanted was going to come easy. That there were things I was going to have to fight for and there was pain in the world that my shallow lifestyle in high school kept me ignorant of. She made me feel like a man.

Even though her words were sharp and the battle she constantly fought in her heart, felt like a knife in my own. Her eyes on me made me feel strong. Her arms around me made me want to take on anything. When I close my eyes, I saw a girl with glasses too big for her face, and I heard the sweetest, most timid voice asking me if I still wanted to hold her. I could still feel her cradled in my arms.

————————————————————————

Both Emmy and Alex looking so beautiful that I swore I felt myself back in my old room in my parent’s house, nestled in my damn bed as the morning light heated the sheets. Alex’s chin rested on Emmy’s shoulder, and she slid her fingers around her naked waist, caressing her.

#will grayson iii #emory scott #alex palmer #nightfall #devils night #penelope douglas #willemmy

[weltonlasso]

can confirm the Brendan interview helps with the grieving process. like don’t get me wrong im still mad as shit but the like PIT in my stomach has lessened and the gaping hole in my chest is gone. (I thought if I misinterpreted Ted/Rebecca i couldn’t trust myself) but Brendan really doubled down and said Beard and Jane aren’t toxic, she’s not manipulative and abusive! THEN he double-doubled down and said it was an intentional choice not to have Ted at his best (and truly ONLY) friends wedding cause he’s busy with soccer practice (but this was not said in jest-fuckhead was dead serious). AND THEN then they let Beard and Jane wed with the red string of fate WHILE pregnant. AFTER THE SHOW TEASED THAT STRING OF FATE TO TR AND WROTE REBECCA WANTING TO BE A MOM.

and for the BIG FINALE he said that WE were conditioned to see those connections and to expect a relationship between Ted and Rebecca through years of M/F lead media. Sorry but that’s fucking rude and GROSSSSSSS!!!!! someone needs to get him logged out of Reddit. what a fucking slap in the face to us AND their own writing. What he is describing is literally the opposite of the entire narrative for me, so I literally can’t be bothered to care it they don’t. it seems like we watched two entirely different programs so why not treat it as such. My cannon is mine based on the exposition and character development with deep connections and meaningful relationships and idk just legitimately paying attention to the writing/directing/editing/acting choices that were made.

Like are the creators really so fucking far removed from their final product that they can’t see the collective of the story they’ve put together?

Someone ask them to go back and rewatch the show from the beginning and then come tell me they thought season 3 actually was good or even decent. And give me legitimate reasons for everyones stories being “subverted” and confirm that all of those final storylines make sense

because they DO NOT if you’ve followed the story from the beginning. Or even this season. Like legit the BEST storyline this season was the Jamie growth and Jamie/Roy relationship evolution. Lol what a gross take for them to end that with them regressing back to “dumb men” over Keeley. this season literally feels like every episode was written by someone who subsequently forgets to tell next weeks guy about his main plot points. the audience is watching and waiting to connect the storyline/ arcs together.

Idk idk man but im fine with it being trash if they are!!!!

Emmy winner Ted Lasso put out a pedestrian finale to appease a casual viewer and allow the writers to ignore storylines from the episodes they clearly didn’t have time to read.

In my head, in our collective blogging, and in fanfic we have truly captured a deeper more beautiful story than what they made. Their ideas were too pedestrian, but we saw two middle aged people, damaged in almost opposite ways, beautifully come into each others lives for the better, and fill them up in all the ways they were missing, like puzzle pieces. We allowed them to be themselves and LOVE themselves and to choose themselves and their wants and happinesses. And they can do it together. After every similar traumatic backstory and all of the same HURT we had to witness these two go through. They deserved happy and they deserved it together. Sorry the creators missed out on that. It was incredible.

#I’ll still be grieving for a time but not sick to my stomach anymore and just generally over IT at this point #decisions were made #finales are sometimes written to be controversial or memorable #and I guess that’s what they thought they wanted for the story they told #but the story I consumed was so fucking far from that that I have to still give them props that I could FEEL so many feelings #ted lasso #ted x rebecca

[smollangrycat]

I wish I had wings

Late Nights

————————————— OJ woke up with a jump, startled and disorientated she looked around the dark room. Panic started to settle in but the sound of Trudys soft snores brought her back to reality.

She’s was okey, she was safe.

As quietly as she could OJ shuffled off her bunk and made her way to the door. It made a quiet swoosh as it opened, OJ looked back - worried it would wake her friend but she was still sleeping.

The girl made her way into the cafeteria where she poured herself a glass of water. She sat at one of the tables and quietly when through the events of the day. 

Waking up late

Helping Max

Meeting Norm and Jake …

OJ smiled at the thought of Jake but then immediately groaned. She much of seemed like such a weirdo! The girl hid her face into her hands and sighed - she was so good damn exhausted.

A sudden noise made her jump and she swung around to see what it was.

… Jake.

OJ - “Hey, didn’t think you’d still be up.”

Jake smiled at her as he wheeled himself over to the table she was slumped over.

Jake - “Could say the same for you.”

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while just existing in each others company and it was surprisingly relaxing.

Jakes mind wondered to the question he had wanted to ask previously before they where interrupted.

Jake - “So, how do you know about marine ranks? You don’t exactly look like someone who enjoys combat.”

OJ smiled sadly and Jake immediately regretted his question, stupid, stupid! He should have just kept his mouth shut.

Jake - “Hey, you don’t have to …”

He stoped when OJs sad eyes met his.

OJ - “Jeez marine, it’s okey. My mom is head of weaponry here and she’s been a Marine since before I was born. “

Jake thought for a moment and then asked another question.

Jake - “So, how long have you been on Pandora?”

OJ counted on her fingers trying to work out how long she had truly been on Pandora. In all honesty she had lost track after the 3rd year.

OJ - “We’ll, when I arrived on Pandora I must have been around sixteen/seventeen, maybe?”

Jake was confused by her responds.

Jake - “I thought kids couldn’t go in cryo?”

OJ sad smile came back.

OJ - “They can’t. I left earth when I was eleven … I think, I spend six years in that ship while my mom was in cryo.”

Jake was stunned, what kind of parent leaves an eleven year old to fend for themselves for six years?

OJ sighed.

OJ - “it was better than growing up on earth tho, I had the medics to talk to and like three copies of the same book. Dr Augustine’s research in pandoras flora and fauna, probable the reason she likes me so much is the fact I can almost recite the book word for word.”

Jake laughed as she rambled, he felt all warm inside when she talked. He caught himself staring at her eyes and big dopy grin on his face as he listened to her talk.

Eventually OJ ran out of breath and it was Jakes turn to talk. He talked about his brother, his time as a marine and what his life was like on earth. OJ listened intently and when she noticed  how his eyes glazed over as he talked about Tom she there his hand and whilst it was only a small gesture, Jake felt grateful.

Once Jake had finished they went back to a comfortable silence until OJ stretched while a yawn escaped her.

OJ - Wow, I’m beat. I’m going to get some sleep, you should get some to marine.

Sully mock saluted and watched as OJ stumble walked back to her room, the same goofy grin was plastered on his face.

Ah shit, he might be catching feelings.

——————————-

@mxyz-nex

@inutheangel

@abbersreads

@mashiromochi

@emery-aka-emmy

@octavias-next-meat-bite

@sophiexoxo-lol

@ksata

@just-another-queer-writer

@quietshyashlyn19

@kitkat27

#Avatar #Avatar Oc #Oc #Adult Oc #Female Oc #Polly Oc #Jake x Neytiri #Jake x Oc #Neytiri x Oc #Jake x Oc x Neytiri #fanfic #long fan fiction

[queenimmadolla]

VIVIIIIIIIII!!!!! i just watched lisa frankenstein and I ABSOLUTELY LUUUVD IT!! i did not know carla gugino was in this and that was such a nice surprise?!?! also i hope to see kathryn newton in almost every horror comedy from now on. she was amazing in freaky as well!!! ahhh now i can finally read ur series im sooo excited omfg <33

I’M SO EXCITED YOU WATCHED IT, EMMY!! Carla lowkey kinda steals the show, i dont know how she nails every. single. thing. she’s in but it makes me so happy that she still does these “small” (compared to big budget blockbusters) films, the quality she brings to them is just chef’s kiss. Couldn’t have asked to hate a better woman for this movie. And i wasn’t the biggest fan of Kathryn newton before this, but NOW I AM.

I’m literally a ball of energy, eagerly awaiting your opinion on Freak Like Me, it’s such a little crack series but i love hearing the opinions from people who both haven’t watched the movie and have, so far they’re relatively the same kind of reviews which just solidifies the fact that everyone would enjoy the hell out of the film.

Oh, damn, you got me monologuing, LOVE YOU!!! MWUAH 💋

#Every single time i see you in my inbox i am filled with joy #jsyk #$ replies #freak like me

[cloudlessly-light]

But until the sunrise, hold tight - Epilogue

A/N: This is the last chapter for this chapter and I really hope you like it. Thanks to everyone who’s interacted with this story!

Summary: There were too many reasons why he shouldn’t give in to his attraction towards Emily Prentiss. But all those reasons he’s spent months focusing on disappears the moment he finds himself alone with her in a motel room.  

Rating: Explicit

Overall story warnings: Angst, cheating, smut

Warnings for this chapter: None!

July 2011

“Emmy!” Jack ran towards her as she sat on the sunchair in the backyard of the house that Aaron and her had moved into only a couple of weeks earlier.

“Jack be careful!” Haley came running after her son to keep him from jumping into Emily’s lap. “I’m sorry Emily,  are you okay?”

“I’m fine Haley, really.” Emily rubbed over her swollen belly, less than three weeks from her due date. “Come on Jack, I need my cuddles.” She laughed as the almost six-year-old squeezed as close to her as he could, only huffing slightly at her stomach forcing him to hug her sideways to be able to reach.

It was the first time they had people over at their new house, a small housewarming consisting of Jack and Haley and her fiancé, Jessica and the team.

“You want to see your new room honey?” Emily asked and when Jack nodded with a beaming smile on his face she looked to Haley who was quick to help her stand up, only a small groan leaving Emily at the pull on her back. The other woman gave her a sympathetic look and rubbed her back gently.

“I knew I shouldn’t have sat down.” She joked dryly as Haley chuckled.

“Trust me I remember.” She let go of Emily only for Jack to take the brunette’s hand instead. He didn’t tug, remembering his mom’s words about being careful with Emily until the baby came and grinned as Emily ruffled his hair as they made it towards the patio and then inside. They found Aaron, Spencer and Dave in the kitchen, preparing the meat for the grill and Jack jumped into Aarons arms.

“Hey buddy!” Aaron kissed Haley on the cheek and then put his child down, eyes moving to Emily almost automatically by now, always needing to know if she was okay.

“Emily is gonna show me my room.” Jack was bouncing on his feet, making the adults around him laugh.

“That’s great, go with mommy and Em, I’ll be right there.” He said and watched as Spencer gave Jack a high five. “You okay sweetheart?”

“Your daughter is moving around like crazy, but I’m good.” She kissed him gently before they started to move through the house again. She smiled at Haley as Jack ran towards the door she pointed out, a laugh escaping when they heard his jumbled words.

“This is my room?! It’s awesome!”

They found him standing in the middle of it, taking in the superhero themed room that Aaron had promised him.

“This is great Emily.” Haley smiled at the other woman, a comfort between them by now. “Where’s the nursery?”

“Three doors down, next to our room.” The words were barely out before Jack bolted towards the nursery, almost tripping over his own feet.

“Hey Em,” Haley stopped her before Emily had the chance to follow him. “I know things didn’t start out ideally between you and Aaron, or that we made the right decisions in our marriage even before you. Definitely didn’t make the right decisions at the end of our marriage, but I’m really happy everything worked out between us. All of us.”

Emily gave her a reassuring smile, her eyes tearing up which she blamed on her hormones.

“Me too Haley.” She squeezed her hand. “We all made mistakes back then, but in the end, I couldn’t have imagined things working out better for any of us.”

 *

 Aaron found Emily in the nursery, Jack and Haley had walked back downstairs but she hadn’t joined them, needing a moment to herself. She was seated in the rocking chair, humming softly as she rubbed her swollen stomach.

“Hey baby.” She smiled when he entered.

“Haley said that you needed a moment. Is it your back?” He kissed her forehead and kneeled in front of her and pressed a kiss to her stomach.

“Yes… no.” She gave him a sheepish smile “it’s your kid and these damn hormones.” She sighed as he sat back and waited for her to continue. “We never really talk about that year of hell anymore, but Haley mentioned it and said that she was happy and I realized that even after all that bullshit it got us here and now I’m emotional.”

“Did she upset you?” He asked, eyebrows knitting together as he kept his hands on her stomach, thumbs stroking slowly over the bump.

“No! No not at all. I’m really happy, I’m too happy and my body doesn’t know how to handle it.” She chuckled and he relaxed in front of her.

“Well, if you’re sitting here crying about being happy, then I think we’re doing okay.” He stood back up and then pulled her to her feet as well.

“More than okay.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, fingers automatically finding the short hairs to play with.

“More than great.” He smiled into another kiss and she hummed against his lips.

“Love you.”

“Love you too.” He broke away from her only to take her hand in his. “Now, I know two blondes who just arrived and who are looking for you.” He kissed her cheek as she walked ahead of him. “And the mountain of gifts one of them is carrying is actually scaring me.”

 *

 Emily looked around at her friends and family, when she first started at the BAU almost 5 years ago she never would have thought that this is where she’d end up. JJ sat on her left, Derek on her right as Aaron grilled a few feet away under the watchful eye of Dave.

“Gotta say, you fucking our boss really did turn out great for all of us.” Derek teased with a smirk before taking a swig of the beer in his hand. His grin only widened when she rolled her eyes at him.

“Derek!” JJ scolded him as she held Henry on her lap, the child almost asleep in his mother’s arms.

“Hey, it wasn’t like you were supportive in the beginning, ass.” Emily pushed him and he winced as he remembered his anger at the both of them. His worry for the team quickly turning into anger as he realized that the months he had spent seeing his friend so miserable was because of Aaron. He hadn’t supported them, had basically cut off all unnecessary communication with the both of them until Penelope stepped in, the blonde the only one who got through to him.

“I apologized for that didn’t I?”

Spencer and Penelope came to sit across from them a smile on the blonde’s face as she watched Emily’s bump.

“Is he being mean again? Do I need to set him straight?” She handed Emily a glass of water which she drank thankfully,

“No, he knows that if he steps out of line I’ll just sit on him and he’ll get crushed.” She deadpanned as JJ and Penelope laughed.

“You look beautiful, much better than I did.” JJ told her and Emily grunted.

“Shut up, no one will ever look as good as you did pregnant.” She scoffed this time pushed the blonde much lighter than she had Derek.

“How about, you’re both beautiful and I’m not listening to this conversation again?” Derek interrupted before JJ had time to reply.

“Yes please not this again!” Penelope agreed. “Have you decided on a name yet?”

“Last year Charlotte was the most popular girl name.” Spencer said before she had a chance to answer, but quickly stopped when Emily sent him a less than amused look.

“No, we are still in disagreement but I think I should have the final say considering I’m the one pushing human life out of my vagina.” She smirked when both Spencer and Derek made faces of unease. “And it won’t be Charlotte.” She gave Spencer a pointed look as he nodded with eyes filled with dread.

“She does not get the final say on the name because she decided everything else!” Aaron who caught the end of the conversation yelled at them making Derek snort.

“All lies!” Emily yelled back with a smile just as Jack came and tried to sit in her lap but found that there wasn’t enough room so he settled for standing beside her, head nuzzled against her ribs in a way that was uncomfortable but she couldn’t bring herself to nudge him away.

“Can I decide the name Emmy?” He asked as she ruffled his hair.

“Maybe, if you’re on my side.” She winked at him as he laughed with a nod.

“That’s cheating.” Aaron muttered just as Haley came to stand beside him.

“You’re not one to talk about cheating, are you Aaron?”

“Haley!” He exclaimed in shock just as Dave burst out laughing.

“Hey, neither am I.” She shrugged before she started to laugh as well.

 *

 Aaron sat down beside her quietly as he listened to the conversations going on around them, food and drinks all gone, kids asleep inside and all that was left was good company. Emily leaned into him without a second thought, her warm body heavy against his. He kissed her temple with a smile.

“Hi honey.” She turned her head to catch his lips in a quick kiss.

“Hi.” His hand fell to her stomach and he rubbed it, he couldn’t wait for his daughter to be born. “Are you okay? Getting tired?”

“A little.” She sighed as she relaxed into him, a small smile on her lips. “But I have a feeling we won’t be getting much rest tonight.”

“Hmm, how come?” He mumbled into her neck, his lips soft against her skin.

“The contractions started about an hour ago.”

“What!?” If she hadn’t expected it, she would have fallen from the way he jumped from his seat and her smiled turned into a laugh which in turn turned into a slight wince as another contraction started.

“What’s going on?” Derek looked between them with a worried expression on his face.

“She’s having the baby.”

“Uhm yeah, the stomach and mood swings didn’t tip you off?” Derek scoffed but immediately stopped when Penelope hit his shoulder.

“He means that she’s having the baby now!” Penelope rolled her eyes as the people around them all started to stand up from their seats.

“It’s no rush, they’re still far apart.” Emily tried to calm the men around them as the women started to pack up the glasses and plates. She stood up and Aaron wrapped his arm around her, a bright smile on his face.

“Let’s go have a baby.”

#hotchniss #hotchniss fanfiction #aaron hotchner x emily prentiss #Criminal Minds Fanfiction

[moon-ursidae]

THE LAST OF US SPOILERS

okay so i’m with a friend watching this so this may not be as extensive as my notes usually are.

I’M SO EXCITED. RANCH HOUSE SCENE.

RANCH HOUSE SCENE. THE CHOICE. AHHHHH.

THREE MONTHS LATER WOO

TEEEAAAAAAAA JOEL MILLER

I LOVE THIS

THE MAP TACTICCCCCC

I FUCKIN LOVE THIS COUPLE

THE PANIC ATTACK UUGGHHHHH LEMME HUG HIM

TLOU GOODNIGHT AHHHH

THE CINEMATOGRAPHY

THE CAMPFIRE CONCEPT ART AHHHHH

THE DUCT TAPE ON THE BOOT AHHHHH

BELLA LOOKS SO MUCH LIKE ASHLEY

THE ASTRONAUT TALK AHHHHHHH

this wjole sequence has me so EMOTIONAL

THE BRIDGE

THE WHISTLING

THE CINEMATOGRAPHY

OMG THE HYDRO PLANT

JACKSON SOON

GRABBING HER HAND AHH AHHH AHHH

AHHHHH MARIA

THE WAY JOEL STARTED TO PANIC I’M GONNA YELL

ELLIE WITH THE DOG😭😭😭😭

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME WITH THIS CINEMATOGRAPHY

JACKSOOOONNNNNNN

IF I HEAR RETURNING I’LL LOSE IT

MUSIC FRIM THE SECOND GAME FUCK OFF

THE HUG

THEM LAUGHING

ELLIE LOOKS SO SAAAAAD

joel and his manners i love him

ELLIE IS SO FERAL I LOVE HER

THE WAY JOEL SCOLDED HER LMAO

“joel, say congrats.” “congrats.”

I LOVE THEM

“we’re communists” THE WAY JOEL SMIRKS AT TOMMY HAHA

SHIMMER!!!!!!

the wat ellie wants to stay by him UUUGGHHH😭😭😭

HERE COMES THE TALK

the way he’s lying AHHHHHH

TOMMY GONNA BE A DAD???

THE TENSION

ALL GONE SEASONS

JOEL’S TRAUMA PLEASE

CRYING CRYING

THE ROOM

THE ROOM

THE GIRAFFE PLUSH

AHHHHHHHHH

i love that they’re addressing menstration

THE JACKET FROM THE GAME

AHH AHHH AHHHH

IF SHE SEES A PICTURE OF JOEL AND SARAH I’LL LOSE IT

I LOVE MARIA

SARAH WAS JOEL’S DAUGHTER😭😭😭😭

ellie doesn’t miss a fuckin beat man

HIS HAND AHHHH

THE TALK HERE WE GO

HIS FUCKIN PUPPY EYES PEDRO PASCAL YOU MOTHERFUCKER

ELLIE IS GONNA SEE THEM TALK AND RUN OFF AHHHHH

IS JOEL GONNA CRY WAIT

I’M GONNA FUCKIN VAULT OVER THE SIDE OF A BRIDGE

I LOVE JOEL MILLER WITH MY WHOLE HEART

I LOVE PEDRO PASCAL WITH MY WHOLE HEART

THE FUCKING MUSIC I’M DONE

IT’S GONNA FUCKIN HAPPEN

THE SCENE

THE SCENE

THE SCENE

AHHHHHHHHH

HERE WE GO

AHHHHHHHHHH

FUUUCK MAN

GOVE THEM EVERY AWARD

THE FLASHBACK FUCK OFF

YOU DESERVE A CHOICE AHHHH

I’M GONNA CRY UUUGGHHHHHH

IF IT ENDS WITH HIM FALLING ON THE REBAR I’M GONNA LOSE IT

THE LAST OF US ASTRAY

I LOVE JOEL AND TOMMY

THE WAY ELLIE’S HOLDING ONTO JOEL UUUGGHHHHHH

GIMME THE CINEMATOGRAPHY YEAAAAAAA

HIM TEACHING HER TO SHOOT

HIS SMUG SMIRK

THE PATH ARE YOU KIDDING

I’M GONNA CRY JUST BC OF THE SONG

HIS SMILE TALKING ABOUT CONTRACTING

HIM MOCKING HIM AHHHH

IS IT GONNA END WITH HIM ON THE REBAR????

I WANTED TO BE A SINGER AHHHHHHHHH

ASKING PERMISSION FOR THE GUN AND HE DOESN’TBHAVE TO THINK ABOUT TRUSTING HER BUT IF SHE’LL NEED IT OR NOT UUGGHHHHHH

OH FUCK STRAIGHT TO THE LIST

OH FUCK OH FUCK

DON’T GO UPSTAIRS

I’M SO SCARED

IT’S GONNA END WITH HIM ON REBAR ISN’T IT

OH SHIT RAIDERS

I’M SO SCARED

AHHH THE CHOKING ANIMATION FROM THE GAME

OH HE GOT STABBED INSTEAD?????

OH SHIT????

FALLIN OFF THE HORSE AHHHHHHHHHH

ELLIE AHHHHHHH

OH MY GOD

FUCK OFF WITH DEPECHE MODE

GIVE EVERYONE AN EMMY

LEFT BEHIND NEXT EP OH MY GOD

BTS WOOOOO

“that’s what i would have” AHHHHHHHH

HIM CRYING I’M GONNA LLEEEAAAVVVEEEEEEEE

ugh oh my god

i need to rewatch that episode bc i couldn’t fully process the ep

more analysis later bc jesus fucking christ

ALL GONE PLAYING FUCK OFF

i know joel miller does not believe they can make a vaccine and said that to make her feel better

#the last of us spoilers #tlou spoilers #the last of us hbo spoilers #tlou hbo spoilers #the last of us #the last of us hbo #tlou #tlou hbo #pedro pascal #bella ramsey #gabriel luna #joel miller #ellie williams #tommy miller

[multiversal-madness]

Ahh...a fellow LuCrow shipper! Glad to meet you, sir/madame! If you're okay with me asking, what dynamics do Crow and Luke have in your Pandora's Call au and your Vigilante Descole au? After all you mentioned that in Pandora's Call, Crow is one of the few people Luke trusts, and in Vigilante Descole, they might have encountered each other before Layton and Emmy showed up, so what are their relationships like? Thank you for your time, and have a lovely day/night!

In Vigilante Descole Au, Luke and Crow hang out a lot more before the Professor shows up than in canon.

There’s a limited amount of places that are safe for him to go where Targent won’t find him and the Black Market is among them.

When Luke initially disappeared, Crow had assumed he’d just left to avoid the spectre like a spoiled rich kid and abandoned them. Then one night he sees a chase, a masked man running away from people with guns, Luke clutched in his arms.

Crow, having seen the masked man before in the black market and knowing he’s probably more trustworthy than the people with the guns, decides to step in and help, guiding them to the black market for safety.

Crow feels bad for assuming those things about Luke, especially when he finds out Luke’s parents are still trapped, so he tries his best to cheer him up. Crow already feels responsible as the leader of the black ravens, so Luke is now another person he wants to keep safe.

As for Pandora’s Call, Luke saved Crow’s life.

(Under the cut because this is getting long, CW for non-graphic injury to a child)

You see, the Black Ravens are a thing in this au, but they don’t run a black market. They don’t need to in Dropstone.

Instead, they run the Raven’s Guild, the Black Ravens are adventurers. And where is their main point of adventure? Why it’s the ghost town only accessible through the Molentary Express.

In the beginning, most of the Ravens were scared of the spirit, Crow included (not that he’d ever admit it). Then the Spectre attacks started and there was something else to watch out for. Crow became the raven that would most often head to Folsense, the others sticking to safer, less scary adventures.

One night though, Crow got too close.

Folsense’s spectres are different to Misthallery’s one. The canon, single spectre lumbers around, smashing things sure but it moves about as quickly as you’d expect a being of that size. The Folsense spectres though are very fast and their fights very destructive.

Crow went to investigate one, curiosity having gotten the best of him. When the spectres fight started heading towards him, he couldn’t get away quick enough. A piece of rubble sent flying by their destructive trail hit crow in the head, greatly injuring the top left side of his face and eye.

This had also messed with his head in the moment. He could barely stand upright never mind run from the inbound spectres.

Then the spirit appeared, but he didn’t try to scare him. Instead he took his hand and guided him away from the spectres path, taking him somewhere safe before helping with his eye.

It was also when the spirit was helping him that Crow got to see his face for the first time, since he had taken off his mask to get a better look at Crow’s injury. Crow had never expected him to be so young, younger than him even, though only by around a year or two.

From that point on, they started getting closer, Crow claiming that the Black Ravens were loyal to the Spirit and the other kids going along with it because he did save Crow’s life. Luke also stopped scaring the ravens, as long as they spoke to him about where they were planning to go in each visit.

No raven is as close to Luke as Crow though. I can see Crow calling him “M’Lord” as a nickname and maybe even being let into Herzen Castle sometimes (though Crow was still pretty nervous around Anton and Nigel).

#Pandora’s Call Au #Vigilante Descole Au #Professor Layton Au #Professor Layton #LuCrow #Luke Triton #pl Crow #ask #vigilante Descole accidentally befriends the black ravens and they follow him around like masked ducklings #also I am drawing something for Pandora’s Call Black Ravens #also also I realise I didn’t include too many dynamics so you are free to ask again if you want any specifics

[callmewrinkles3]

16 & 20?

Hugs with big squeezes.

What is your problem? & We have a contract!

September 2019

Em stared at her laptop screen, glaring at her bank balance and imagining that maybe if she stared at it hard enough it’d jump up four figures. Five would be even nicer. But no, she was staring at just enough money to cover rent for next month. Fuck.

She wasn’t supposed to be travelling but after Spa she couldn’t say no, she had to do it. She couldn’t take the risk that anything would happen. And Dan was paying for her flights and hotels and most of her food, she barely needed to pay for anything. But her savings hadn’t gone back up since she’d bought that last minute flight to China and this was the result. She was broke and had to work more. It was her own fault, she’d cut back on clients while travelling, content to help Blake and Michael out when they needed something. But that wasn’t payment, it wasn’t her job, and now she was suffering.

The transcription site she freelanced for had some available work so she got stuck in as Dan was at a pre media day event, headphones on as she typed and double checked what she’d written. Every little helped.

Em didn’t realise she’d fallen asleep, but she woke up to Dan shaking her arm, her head on the keyboard. She’d at least submitted her work, but she shot up and glared at Dan.

“Huh? What’s going on?”

“I’m just back, I thought you were coming to the sponsor gala tonight? You able to get ready?”

“Yeah, sure.”

It was easy to smile as she stood on Dan’s arm and listened to weird Russians talk to her. But he kept a solid grasp as she nodded towards Egle Hulkenberg, the two women commiserating silently about being there. All she could think was the wealth in this room could fix all her issues, could pay her rent for a year. Dan would do it if she asked but her pride wouldn’t let her. He was her friend. She couldn’t ask him to do that. So she smiled and nodded and ignored the shiver going up her spine as shots of vodka were handed to her, a polite “cheers” as she took the first one, swapping the rest for water. Finally they could go back and curl up before Dan had to do media day the next morning.

She was up ahead of him, one of her long term clients reaching out with some extra work. The timezone difference from the US meant that she received it after she’d gone to bed so she sat at the desk in Dan’s suite while she got to work. An arm on her shoulder scared her, making her jump.

“What is your problem?!” Dan looked like he’d been stung. “I’m sorry, sorry. Just stressed. That’s all. What’re you up to?”

“Seeing if you were getting ready for the paddock, I’m getting a shower. Want one after me?”

“Yeah, please.”

Before Dan came out she checked her bank balance yet again, wishing there was extra cash in there. The numbers were unchanged, Em swapping her tab back before going to shower. The paddock probably wasn’t where she was going, but she’d be clean and get through this work quicker if she felt better. When she came back out with her hair wrapped up, Dan was at her seat and her bank webpage was up.

“What the fuck Dan? What’re you doing looking at my bank?” The idea that he could see how much stress she was under was humiliating. She’d always been able to look after herself. Always.

“Why haven’t you been paid? We have a contract. I know Blake gets paid the fifteenth and the last, you’re missing two pay cheques. Why didn’t he pay you?”

“What are you talking about?” She tried to calm down, pulling her underwear on and not caring that Dan was watching.

“The amount of work you do, why haven’t you been paid? I thought Blake brought you on staff?”

“I’m a freelancer, Dan. A freelancer who hasn’t worked in four weeks and didn’t have enough savings as it was. I don’t work for you or Blake.” She watched his face change, for the first time in a year not able to read him immediately.

“Emmy…no. Blake was…fuck. You’ve been working with him, working with Michael. You’ve been planning my schedules. Of course you need to be paid.” Dan was genuinely upset, pulling her into a hug and pressing a kiss to her shoulder. “I honestly thought you were. I’m gonna fix it.”

“I don’t want to come in between you and the boys.” It was her biggest fear. That she’d arrive and be friends and her and Dan would stop sleeping together and she’d lose everything. That it would all be broken. She was content to be on the outside if that was what could happen.

“I’ll talk to them. But you’re getting paid for everything you’ve done already. Whatever your rates are, you tell me. And you’re getting extra for not getting paid sooner.”

She held onto Dan, wanting to just stay in that little world of the two of them. Working officially for Dan was terrifying. She was putting all her eggs in his basket. But just maybe this could work out for her.

#call it what you want fic #ciwyw drabble

[trippin-over-my-fandoms]

Hi so if this is a weird ask yet what are your thoughts on what Allison did to Luther.

I was furious! Livid is probably a better word but when they kissed I had to pause the show and go vent to my sister bc “of all the comic book things I’ve been hoping for and THATS what they give us?” I’ve been rooting for Mr. Pennycrumb (sad he couldn’t be Five’s dog but he still made it in!) and the twins reveal (which we won’t get but ah well I can live w that) so to get the non-consensual Luther/Allison was a massive shock. But other than the initial shock and anger I had/have some other feelings!

I was actually fearful it might cause a rift between Luther and Sloane actually! Ever since Allison first saw him with Sloane actually I feared that- even before 3 came out! I worried she might rumor one or both or maybe even just say something off hand. Which it’s very interesting to me that the kiss was the only thing netflix did. Luther didn’t even bring up his past with Allison to Sloane (and I’m wondering if there’s a season 4 and crossing my fingers Sloane is okay if it’ll happen then), instead they made Sloane/Luther the “the world is ending but we have each other so everything is okay actually” couple. The sunshine couple in short. Which is fine! I love them as is- but there was certainly a drama opportunity there! And maybe they didn’t go with it because it would have drawn it out and maybe they wanted to steer clear of a full blown love triangle side plot with everything else going on.

Overall I think the direction the took Allison in this season is so, so interesting. I mean, in season one she’s definitely entitled and used to getting what she wants with her power but her divorce and losing connection with her daughter because of it clearly shook her that set her on the “I’m done using my ability to get what I want” path she’s on in season 2. And then in season 2 she’s undergone this massive transformation- she’s a progressive icon making waves in desegregation movements and shes made a real like for herself without cheating her way through it. So to end up in season 3 for all of that progress to disappear and then some, to the point she’s literally in her villain arc- is so interesting. I’ve never been a Allison fan like I am a Luther fan, like the other siblings I love the academy but am very much obsessed with Luther, so I’d be so curious to see how an Allison stan would view her change. I enjoyed it, I think it’s interesting, but it’s certainly shocking. I can’t wait to see how she further develops in season 4 (fingers crossed!). And it’s also as Emmy said in a video on that exact scene- trauma shows itself in a lot of different ways and for her it’s just spewing out into anger and a coldness she’s never seemed to let herself experience before.

I really liked how moments before Luther actually stood up to her. Which he doesn’t do really at all in regards to any of his family. Him telling her she can’t just use him like that whenever she wants was a big move- as big of a move as the “family shouldn’t hurt this much” line from season 2 when talking to Lila about the Handler but also acknowledging his own pain in regards to Reginald. Luther has been getting some massive character development arcs that are actually pretty subtle which makes me really wanna go back and watch all three seasons over to see if I can pick up on that for any of the other siblings- it may even provide more insight to Allison. Because I am an absolute sucker for why people (more specifically characters) do what they do and what leads up to those actions.

I think the moment it happened she definitely got vibe checked but it did not change her attitude. Possibly inflicting a “well I clearly can’t ever do anything right and I’m always the bad guy so I might as well be that” kind of mentality.

This became such a tangent because I have so many season 3 feelings! So uh, TL;DR, that was not the comic book accuracy I was expecting, it shocked me and I had to take a second to calm down! I don’t hate Allison but I definitely don’t like her actions! I’m interested to see what happens in wake of that moment, and if it’ll ever come up between Sloane and Luther!

#tua s3 #tua s3 spoilers #the umbrella academy #luther hargreeves #allison hargreeves #anon #asks #sloanes thoughts