#LET NANCY BEAT UP MEN | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pinkrelish · 1 year

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𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐲𝐞𝐬" 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲.

singledad!mechanic!eddie x fem!reader

✶Surely, when two friends set up their two friends on a blind date in the very small town of Hawkins, they make sure those two people don't know each other beforehand, right? And, more importantly, aren't coworkers, right?✶

NSFW — slow burn, fluff, flirting, mutual pining, angst towards the end, drug/alcohol mention/use, 18+ overall for eventual smut

chapter: 3/20 [wc: 6.1k]

↳ part 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06 / 07 / 08 / 09 / 10 / 11 / 12

AO3

Chapter 3: The Accidental First Date

“Is this too much?” you asked, yanking down the visor and checking yourself in the small mirror.

Sitting in the back parking lot of the movie theater, you went through your purse for the finishing touches on your look. Doing your last paranoia check for anything in your teeth, turning your head this way and that to zhuzh your hair, and most importantly, preening your oxymoron of a sweater to show a decent amount of cleavage without flashing the cups of your push-up bra.

Truly a walking contradiction of a top. Cable knit and warm, but with a plunging neckline, to where the top button started at your sternum.

“No, you look hot,” Robin assured with her goofy smile. “New York modest is Hawkins slutty. He’s gonna love you.”

You shrank into your girlish giggle. “Good, I want my dating debut in this little town to be a statement. Set the stage for future escapades.. Until I run out of men, I guess. Seriously, how many bachelors live here and aren’t total hicks? Four?” Robin laughed.

“Could be worse. You could be a lesbian.”

“True,” you concurred. “Good thing you have Vickie. Sucks she couldn’t come tonight.” Robin made a sad huff of agreement, working a mascara wand through her lashes. “Hey, I know I said ‘yes’ without asking, but is this guy you set me up with even my type? Not that I care, obviously; a good story is a good story, but I’m just trying to set my expectations here.”

She furrowed her eyebrows dramatically, and paused unscrewing her lip gloss to rock her entire body into a positive affirmation–almost bumping her forehead on the steering wheel from the force of her nodding. “Oh, absolutely,” she said emphatically. “Looks scary on the outside, but is a total sweetheart on the inside. Overconfident, and obnoxious, but in that charming, swoony way.”

“Perfect!” You clasped your hands together.

Stepping out of the car, she waited for you so you could walk with your arms linked together, and she continued, “I haven’t seen him in years, but Steve was telling me over the phone that he’s been going through a tough time, and hasn’t been on a date in a while.”

“Aw, poor guy.”

There was a beat of silence where both of your faces twisted into knowing smiles.

“I know what that look means..” Robin led, canting her head to you.

Innocent, you lifted your shoulder in a coy shrug, bringing a collection of her soft hair up to your chin. “No idea what you’re talking about. I was just thinking, if he hasn’t been on a date in a while.. Why not make it memorable for him?”

You laughed together, rounding the sidewalk to the front entrance of the theater where the glamorous marquee shined gentle daylight upon the darkened street. Romantic and intimate, with a crowd of people standing in vague suggestions of lines; some broken off, gossiping, smoking.

“There they are,” Robin whispered, letting go of your upper arm to wave at Nancy–who you had met at the grocery store last week. She saw you approaching, and tapped her hand on the chest of the man beside her.

Still a considerable distance away, you peered at him, and placed his luscious hair in your memory. “Oh, that’s the guy who came to the shop today.”

“Steve?”

“Yeah, he was talking to the annoying mechanic I’m always telling you about.”

“The one you have a crush on?”

“Shush,” you bristled at the mention of your not-so-secret. “I do not have a crush on Eddie. Anyway! Did I tell you what he did this morning? He fuckin’ stood outside the window next to my desk, just out of my view for like, full on minutes, waiting for me to look at him. Like Michael Myers or some shit. Scared me half to death.”

Robin, still caught on one detail you had somehow failed to mention in the month you worked at the auto body shop, quietly asked, “..Eddie?”

“Yeah, my coworker,” you answered, not looking at her when she fell a step behind, since you were too focused on greeting Nancy, and introducing yourself to Steve to notice her sudden jog up behind you. Too fixated on complimenting Nancy’s skirt to witness the way Steve aimed his confused frown just past your shoulder. Missed his dismissive hand gestures, and Robin’s panic as she tried to wordlessly communicate something dire to him.

You were too busy listening to the cars cruise by on the street, and chatting casually, and savoring the warmth of a new friendship to scrutinize the sound of quick footsteps from the other direction, or the jangle of metal chains attached to their presence, or Robin’s damning groan.

“Sorry, I’m–” a familiar voice said. A bit nasally and on the higher side. Mirthful, awake with youth, and excited to make a good first impression.

You turned to them. Your date.

“..Late,” they trailed off.

Deer in headlights. Big, brown doe-eyes wide with surprise, framed by beautiful black lashes.

He stared at you.

His stomach sank.

You stared at him.

Your heart raced.

Eddie had stopped mid-step with his hand raised in greeting. The chains on his leather jacket tinkered until they stilled. Kind smile frozen from a better time. Chest filled with a held breath. Presenting himself with his best foot forward, and now his ears were tinted with the embarrassment of trying too hard to impress.

Oh, God.

You blinked away, and were intentional to accept the situation for what it was without showing your surprise, opting for a simple, timid, awkward, shaky, exhaled, “Hey, Eddie.”

He wasn’t so poised.

Shutting his eyes, he allowed the realization to wash over him, scrunching his face in a pained expression as the puzzle pieces slotted into place. He hung his head, and released his breath through his nose. “Your roommate is Robin,” he stated, pointing at her to punctuate his sentence. “And you call her Bobbie.”

“Yeah..” It was an apology as much as it was a confirmation.

“You still call me Bobbie?” Robin asked, tugging on your sleeve, forgetting the tense air surrounding the group for the moment. “I haven’t used that stage name in years.”

“Guess it stuck with me..”

Thankfully, someone else added to the conversation. Unfortunately, that person was Steve addressing the elephant outside the ticket booth.

“So, I take it you two know each other,” he deduced, looking from Eddie’s dejected gaze at the ground, to you wringing your purse strap over your chest.

Eddie enlightened him in a solemn tone, sparing a single glance at his friend, “She’s the receptionist at work.”

“Ah.” He turned his attention to Robin. “You set up two people who work together.”

She threw her hands up and blamed him, “Uh! No way, dunce, don’t put this on me. This whole thing was your idea, and at no point in the conversation did you tell me Eddie was a mechanic! If you had told me he was a mechanic I probably could’ve put two-and-two together myself, and avoided setting up people who see each other every day.”

Increasingly red-faced, Steve very pointedly avoided Eddie’s suspicious squint after being outed as the one who set up the date, not Nancy. “You’re the one who lives with her, how could you not–?”

“Okay!” You clapped once to end their bickering. “Then it’s not a date.”

Nancy, bless her, picked up her improv skills fast. “Yeah! Not a date. Just a casual outing between friends. Steve, get the tickets ready so we can get popcorn before the line gets too long.” There was a ripple of unanimous murmurs, followed by shuffling to the entrance.

“Silver lining,” Nancy muttered out the side of her mouth to Steve, “It’s a movie date, so it’s not like they have to talk to, or look at each other.”

Steve tempered his laugh to a hiss and held the door for Robin, who in turn kept the it ajar behind her for you, but as you went to catch it, it was opened for you.

Clack- clack- clack. You’d heard the sound every morning; his distinct rings on the metal frame of the glass door beside your desk, followed by his soft grunt when pulling it open. But whereas his whispered ‘morning’ normally echoed in the tiled lobby, it was now on the back of your neck, fanning your skin, and it wasn’t a sweet greeting, but a reserved, solemn, regretful, sad, “Sorry for.. yeah.” That’s how he started your date that wasn’t a date. With an apology. And still, as the crisp autumn air was replaced by the humid waft of buttery popcorn, your brain was stuck at the garage, filling in the drag of his heavy work boots on the way to the breakroom for coffee, and the lingering scent of cigarette smoke trailing his stride.

Except, as you were jolted back to reality, you came to know he didn’t present himself so generically outside the context of motor oil. Due to the traffic clogging around the ticket ripper, Eddie ran into you and you discovered the nuances of what he smelled like when not at work, with the added intimacy of his chest pressed to your back.

Worn leather enveloped by notes of vanilla musk cologne. Spicy deodorant carried by the sweet earthy tang of tobacco. Dove White on his heated skin, and Dawn on his hands.

A symphony you could immerse yourself in learning for hours if it wasn’t for the crime of your group moving forward.

“Did you want anything?” Eddie asked you, pointing at the concessions.

“Oh, no, I’m good.” You made a clawing gesture at your mouth. “Eating popcorn before the movie even starts because I have no self control and then being forced to sit there with kernels in my teeth drives me nuts.”

Not finding you as endearing as you intended, he slipped his hands into his pockets, and motioned for both of you to stand off to the side, out of the way while you waited for the others to get their snacks. And he just stood there. Not saying anything. You were turned to him as if to carry a conversation, but his gaze was set ahead; not on anything in particular, just away from you.

Rarely had his face been this slack, this devoid of emotion. Even when doing menial work like filling out invoices for parts you would need to order, there was activity. Liveliness in the tic of his eyes reading lines on the paper. Movement of his tongue sliding across his top lip. A subtle crease between his brows. Something. Anything.

You spoke above the giggly teenagers sneaking into the film next door, “For a stick in the mud, you look nice.” He really did, in his well-loved jacket draping his frame after years of being broken in to perfection. Tight black jeans. Sensible boots. More accessories than just his rings.

Try as he might to cut you an unamused look, his freshly washed hair bounced in immaculate waves around his face, catching the low mood lighting like a messy halo.

“Thanks,” he said, not meaning it.

“I can see why you don’t get many dates if you always look this miserable.”

“I’m not miserable.”

“Glum, then? Woebegone? Hapless? Crestfallen?” When he seemed hellbent on wishing he were anywhere else, you eased up on your act. Harboring the pit of rejection eating away at your stomach, you pried, “Disappointed?”

The glimpse of vulnerability in your words was not lost on him.

He snapped to, shaking himself out of his funk to reassure you in his gentle timbre amongst the chaos of someone beating the top score on the pinball machine, “I’m not disappointed to be here with you.”

“Then what are you?”

“Sorry,” he guessed, shrugging. He was the type to speak with his hands, moving them despite being confined to his pockets. “I’m sorry our friends suck at communicating and this is how your night turned out; you being here with me when you were clearly expecting someone else.” His gaze didn’t dare dip lower than your nose, but the effort you put into your appearance did not go unnoticed. It wasn't the first time he stared a little too directly into your eyes after you decided to stop covering yourself up.

“I don’t go on dates intending to find my one true love or anything lame like that,” you said, honestly. “I go on them to have fun, and I think we can still have fun, even if we have to share the same tiny lunch table come Monday, and we side-eye Carl for bringing tuna again.” He almost smiled at that.

Sensing he needed another boost of confidence, you kept going, “Before I knew it was you, Robin was talking you up in the car. Going on about how my date was some sweet guy, super handsome, and with a heart of gold. You know, the Prince Charming type. Oh, and totally obnoxious too. Real loudmouth who never shuts up.”

Okay, maybe some of that was ad libbed, but you wanted to know how much of it was true.

Eddie shifted from foot to foot, subduing his grin by biting his tongue, literally. “That’s a pretty apt way to describe me back in high school, yeah, especially with how I’m dressed.”

“What changed?”

“Uh, I had a kid,” he laughed. “She stole all my charm. I swear Adrie can talk me into anything.”

“I think you’re just a pushover.”

“Probably,” he surrendered. Raising his brows, he mused aloud one of the many things on his mind, “Do you not agree that she described me accurately? Sweet Prince Charming guy, all that?”

There was no way in hell you were going to speak your truth. Instead, you smirked. “I don’t think you want to know what adjectives I’d use to describe you.” They were far too vulgar to utter in a crowded room. Hot in the most annoying way. Absolute pain in my ass. Just the worst, especially when I don’t hear you sneak up behind me in the kitchen, and you think it’s funny to scare me right as I open my drink from the Coke machine, and you laugh your stupid laugh when I drop it. An absolute eye-sore when you look up at me while you're on your hands and knees cleaning up the mess you created. Irritatingly handsome when you grin and buy me another one.

Ignorant to your private thoughts, he swung his elbow out to push you, and smiled.

Relaxing into the natural lull in conversation, you both watched your friends make it to the front of the line and order their food. They waited at the counter, starting the clock on when they would inevitably make it back to the two of you, and cease your alone time with Eddie. (Although, first, they’d have to traverse an entire bucket of dropped popcorn, and navigate around more than one group of children reenacting a fight scene they just watched on the big screen.)

“Were you disappointed I was your date?” you asked.

Robin was right. Eddie was a sweetheart. As soon as he detected an inkling of insecurity–whether it be in your strained voice, or etched into your face, or imbued in the question itself–he was quick to absolve your worry.

“No, no,” he said. “Relieved, if I’m being honest.”

“Relieved?” You weren’t expecting that.

“There’s a reason I haven’t dated since having Adrie. It didn’t sound like Steve made it clear to.. you, well, my anonymous date which happened to be you. Jesus, this is confusing. Whatever, you know what I mean, he didn’t say if he told my would-be date that I’m a dad, and I was afraid of coming here and having to tell them myself. Even if we hit it off, it’s a deal breaker for some people, y’know? Not that I blame them. I would’ve said the same thing five years ago.”

You nodded as you listened to him. “Never thought about it from that perspective. All my dates have been one-and-dones. Super casual. Kids were never really brought up.”

“Yeah, the dating world isn’t always so gracious. I’m kinda glad I’m here with you–someone who knows me, at least.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you spied Steve raising his sodas above his head as two boys ran past him, pretending they were in a shootout.

Knowing he wouldn’t have time to respond, you informed Eddie, “You’re worrying about the wrong thing. Adrie’s an angel. You should be more concerned about your curmudgeonly attitude being a deal breaker.” His narrowed-eye glare had never felt so sweet.

Robin’s giddy presence became known. She dropped her chin to your shoulder with a satisfied hum, and wrapped her arm around your waist to hug you snug to her body. You laid your head on top of hers, swaying with her.

She must’ve made a face at Eddie, because a different emotion flinched across his features, and he was back to avoiding making eye contact.

You, however, were more enticed by the drink in her hand than analyzing his change in demeanor. “Shit, now I want an Icee.”

“Yeah, I got cherry,” she said, angling the straw towards you. “They have Coke too–Okay, bye, dork,” she giggled after you.

“Go ahead and sit without me! I want an Icee.” Nancy clutched the largest size of popcorn to her chest to avoid spilling it as you stumbled out of Robin’s hold and darted for the concession stand.

Eddie raised his voice, “You couldn’t have decided that five minutes ago when I asked?”

“Nope!”

————

The theater for the low budget horror flick reflected the town’s perception of it. As soon as the heavy door closed behind you, your footsteps on the dense carpet echoed around the empty room. Your group was sitting in the back row, and their murmurs could be heard from the bottom.

You climbed up to them and flumped into the seat next to Eddie. “We can share,” you said excitedly, shaking the drink at him before placing it in the cupholder at the end of the single armrest.

When the subtle pinch of concern around his eyes remained, you promised him you didn’t have cooties.

He played with his rings, pulling them down the length of his fingers and spinning them while he worked through his confusion. “You don’t have to sit next to me.. You can sit next to Robin.” He motioned beside him, to Steve munching on his popcorn while Nancy held it, and Robin whispering on the end, rolling her eyes at something Nancy said.

“Why wouldn’t I sit next to you?”

Eddie’s mouth opened and closed, struggling to settle on what he wanted to say, and finishing with a submissive shrug, leather jacket groaning at the act. He bounced his foot quicker, shaking the aglets on his laces against his boot in a chaotic rhythm. “Dunno..”

“You’re silly. I’d pinch your cheek if I didn’t think you’d bite me.” He reeled at that, and you giggled. You didn’t mind making him balk at your weird quirks; whatever put him at ease. Rather, whatever made him stop rubbing his knee against yours, because you were certain the friction was about to cause a fire.

Digging through your purse, you took out a rectangular box and slid your finger under the flap, popping it open and dumping a handful of candy into your palm. You threw it back into your mouth. “Want sh-ome?” you chewed, offering the box to him.

“Who the hell eats Mike and Ikes?”

“Uh, me, jerk.” Right as the lights dimmed to pitch black, and the curtains drew back from the screen, you hit him with the most exaggerated pout. “I only eat them at the movies. They’re a ritual, and you’re rude.” The shadows lining his face twisted into a deeper grin. “Are you more of a chocolate guy?”

“Maybe,” he answered like he was suspicious of your motives.

And maybe he should be. Afterall, you committed the number one sin when it came to cinemas.

“Looks like I chose right,” you said, reaching into your purse and pulling out a Kit Kat. “I was hoping my date would be a chocolate sorta guy–” You went quiet seeing his eyes widen a touch. “I mean, not date. Begrudging coworker? Tentative acquaintance?”

“Reluctant friend,” he answered smoothly, taking the package from you and ripping it open with his teeth.

~~~

Trailers for other films played, bathing the room in flickers of light interrupting the darkness. The opening credits began. Your candy was half-eaten. His was devoured. You took a sip of your Icee, and from the vantage point of pressing your back into the cheap theater seat, you observed him in your periphery.

His gaze hardly left the drink. Your offer to share it gnawed at him in a visible way. Scoping out the straw, the possible trace of spit you left behind, the possible trace of spit he’d leave behind. He peered at the screen to acknowledge the intro, and then back down it was, boring holes into the Icee.

You were no better, nibbling at your lips when he finally caved and took a sip–all too quick, and clumsy, almost missing the cup holder when he put it back down with lightning speed.

The edge of your thighs touched under the arm rest; worse so, when you folded one leg under you, and leaned into him. “Do you hate it when people talk during movies?”

“Not these kind.” He meant the genre in general, which made for great fodder for ripping apart in friend groups, but another popular trope among this realm of fiction became apparent. The first set of tits flashed on screen, and you both found yourselves lacking in the commentary department.

After a moment, you tilted your head. “That actress looks familiar..”

“She’s been in other cult classics. Always acts with her eyebrows.” He turned to you and nudged your shoulder, vying for your full attention. He emphasized the end of each word with an inflection as if it were a question, and raised his eyebrows in every way possible, mocking her slowly, “She’s the one who always talks like this–!” He looked crazy contorting his face to make his point.

“That’s it!” You snapped. “Her wearing glasses really threw me off.”

“Mhm.” His hum vibrated along your upper arm pressed to his, and he asked quietly under the screams of the first gorey death, “Do you like B movies?”

“Hell yeah. Back home they would play them at this rooftop drive in place. I rarely paid to watch them, though. The next building over had a good view of the projector screen.”

His banter dropped in favor of chewing on the corner of his thumb. If it wasn’t for the wild change in scenery cast across his face, you could’ve sworn his faint smile faltered into inscrutability.

Did you say something wrong?

————

“Damn, that was a cool practical effect,” Eddie complimented the purplish fizzing ooze that once was a person.

“I know, right? That’s why I love these bad movies. There’s no budget for good CGI, so they have to do creative stuff like that.”

It was inevitable. Bound to happen. A mere act of fate. Stars aligning in the close knit group leaning forward to exchange witty quips about the hare-brained plot holes in the movie, and not minding their surroundings except to receive everyone’s laughter, making jokes at the expense of the bad acting.

Steve was asking a question that was technically answered by the movie’s lore if he’d paid attention to the dialogue during the second gratuitous stripping scene. You or Eddie could have answered, but Robin took it upon herself to explain, and you two nodded along.

Absentminded, you reached for the Icee.

Distracted, Eddie reached for the Icee.

The waxed paper cup was cold under your fingers, but your hand was blanketed by warmth.

Slow to process, you both glanced down at the reason why neither of you were achieving your goal, and the overload of sensory inputs faded away to one: touch.

Your thumb was trapped under his palm, and his fingers stretched around the cup, meeting yours on the other side and housing them beneath his in a steady amount of pressure. They were almost interlocking. Holding. Wrist on top of wrist–his with the extra harshness of his leather and chain bracelet on your skin. The heaviness of his forearm resting on yours.

Truly, the accident lasted all of two pumps of your heart, but it felt like more when he stroked his calloused fingertips over your knuckles as he let go.

“Sorry!” he blurted.

“S-Sorry,” you laughed, jittery from the encounter.

Your cheeks were hot. His were flushed red. The lewd moaning of a woman feigning to orgasm just from the male lead removing her bra alone played in the background. Neither of you could decide which plan of escape was less embarrassing: continuing to stare like idiots at each other, or watch the actress’ ginormous boobs bounce as she faked riding a guy.

You blinked. His eyebrows ticced up.

Boobs it was.

He adjusted how he sat, tugging his jeans down his legs a little, and crossing his arms. Eyes laser focused on the woman’s face. The why was obvious, and you couldn’t help but tease him for pretending to be a gentleman in your company when you held no such modesty when it came to ogling her tits.

“Thinking about how much Aquanet she uses?”

“Shut up.”

————

Later into the film, after the plot circled back to the juicy gore, you leaned into Eddie to ask him a question.

What that question was, you couldn’t remember.

As soon as you placed your elbow on the armrest and used the back of your hand to tap his shoulder, he dipped his head to hear you. It was an automatic thing starting from the moment you slouched in your seat. That’s all. A shift in your sitting position and intake of breath, and he knew you were going to speak, and he wanted to listen. He cared about what you had to say. He leaned into you as well, because listening to you took priority over the movie.

“Eddie?” You sought any words. Any words at all. Any would do. Any question, even if you knew the answer. “Uhm. The music sounds really familiar. Do you recognize it?”

“It’s the same composer as Chopping Mall and Deathstalker II.”

“Ah.”

Ah. All you could muster when you were charmed by the silhouette of his lips moving. Watching them form letters, pout on the plosives, press into a line on his thick swallow.

Ah. All you could say when his hair brushed over your fingers. Dry, in need of a deep conditioning. Curling around your forefinger. Tickling your palm.

Ah. All you could respond with when you lifted your gaze, and caught him staring at you like you stared at him.

————

As predicted, the filmmakers padded the runtime with another topless scene, and the movie ended on a witty one liner that included not one, but two puns, and no resolution to the numerous plot threads left hanging.

“That was.. certainly something!” Robin summed up, holding the doors open to the subdued hours of the night.

Once outside in the fresh air, the dynamic reverted back to its original status.

Your friends made themselves scarce in the worst way; whistling, shuffling to the side as they found asinine things to comment on, leaving you and Eddie alone. Their intentions were pure, but reality was not so kind.

Eddie cemented his gaze on the sidewalk as he picked at his callouses, and apologized for the mistake of going out with you. Again. “Sorry about all this.”

Itchy sweat broke out across your back. It sucked he was so brazen about rejecting you. You had hoped some of the tender crush you had on him extended past the armrest you shared, the looks you shared, the touches you shared; but maybe you were just tricking yourself into finding things that weren’t there.

Wanting to end on a better note, you appealed to him in a last ditch effort to smooth over the situation, “I meant it when I said you looked good tonight. It’s nice to see you outside of your work clothes.”

“Thanks.”

That’s all. Thanks. A shy glance from beneath his curtain of messy hair, and a somber tone to maximize the awkwardness of the not-date with your coworker.

You needed to get the hell out of there. “See you Monday?”

“Yeah, see you Monday.”

The group winced in unison when they saw the way you two departed.

Robin was quick to link her arm with yours and gather you closer, bringing your heads together to gossip as you walked back to her car. “That bad, huh?”

Around the corner and out of sight, you gave her half a smile, trying to appear in better spirits. “Well, I don’t think he likes me. He didn’t return any of my compliments, and he apologized for being on a date with me no less than four times over the course of the evening.”

She cringed for you. “That’s worse than Balloon Guy, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” you said, remembering what would go down in history as the shittiest date you’d been on. “Yeah, that’s more times than Balloon Guy.” Robin hugged you tighter, making your steps go clumsy. She apologized for Eddie’s weirdness, but you shrugged. Maybe you were supposed to find it weird, too. Maybe you were supposed to disapprove of the idea of romantic feelings for your coworker, too. Maybe you were supposed to have no expectations for it to lead anywhere, too.

Maybe you were supposed to reject him, too.

————

Still loitering outside the theater, Steve exchanged a look with Nancy, and jogged to catch up with Eddie before he made it too far in the opposite direction.

“Uh, hey buddy!” Steve clapped him on the shoulder to stop him. “It sounded like you two were hitting it off during the movie, what happened?”

Eddie sulked under the question. His chest fell with a surrendering sigh, and his boots scraped the concrete as he turned to him, not bothering to mask the dullness in his slack expression. Everything about him was tired, including his voice when he slipped into a lower, raspy octave. “She’s nice, but..”

“But what?” Nancy asked, searching his face.

Bottling his burdens, he clenched his teeth, and worked his jaw as he contemplated evading their insistent prying; but after ruminating on it, he explained the source of his problems, “She lives a very.. whimsy life.” He fluttered his hand like a bird flapping its wings, or a butterfly. “She does this thing where she says ‘yes’ to anything anyone asks her; it’s why she moved to Hawkins, and why she ended up on this date to begin with. Y’know, just doing whatever seems like fun. It’s cute, in a way, and obviously I.. feel a way towards her, but this place isn’t where she’s looking to lay down roots. New York is her home.”

Steve squeezed his shoulder, knowing what was about to come.

“I’ve already been left for someone better.. I can’t go through that again.” Eddie’s eyes begged them to understand. “I don’t want Adrie to get attached to someone who’s just gonna leave.”

Nancy started, “Eddie–You don’t know if she’d leave.”

He shook his head, and pulled away from Steve’s lingering grasp. Shushed his friend’s well-meaning words about him being valued, and to forget his insecurities about not being good enough.

“A girl like that doesn’t need me weighing her down,” Eddie said, imparting the wisdom he’d come to accept since you made a mark on his life weeks ago, when it became your mission to befriend him. “I’ll pick up Adrie in the morning. Thanks for watching her.”

The night got darker as he left.

Darker still, when Steve waved at his back, and Nancy played with the locket around her neck, and her goodbye went disregarded.

————

Silence.

It surrounded him. Blood pulsing in his ears, his heart beat, the refrigerator hum, the tink of glass bottles as he grabbed the full six pack and brought it to the couch, springs squeaking under his weight.

Utter emptiness welcomed him.

Not a sound in his home. Not a giggle from his daughter, or scrape of a skillet from Wayne’s makeshift breakfast-dinner before he went to work. Even the dogs around the trailer park were quiet.

Just.. nothing.

It was what he wanted, right? A night to himself; a break from the chores, the questions, the food making, the taking care of a tiny human being who made everything tougher than it needed to be.

He got his wish.

Two beers down in peace, he got his wish.

Eddie looked around his trailer lit by the single lamp beside him.

Quiet, empty, nothing.

Dark silence.

The jolt of his sob startled him. It erupted from his chest so suddenly. Ripped from the tightness of repressed emotions; the things he tried to deny, to feel and then lock away. To keep safe, buried down deep where he could manage them from progressing past the boundaries he created for his own good, and Adrie’s. He felt the agony of them all at once. The morning smiles, the afternoon laughs, the evenings of pretending you didn’t plan to bump into each other in the doorway to the lobby. The game of seeing how long he could watch you twirl the phone cord around your finger before you looked up from your desk. Your sweet way of comforting him after the hard nights of Adrie’s sleep regression by taking his tan work jacket and draping it over his shoulders while he slept at the lunch table in the break room. Your gentle method of fixing his collar when it was tucked on the inside of his coveralls.

The date was too good to be true.

In fact, the truth itself was far more painful.

The date was amazing. He couldn’t remember a time in his life when he had more fun. More thrills, sure. But not more fun. There wasn’t a day in his youth where he experienced more of the flirty thrum in his veins than when he committed himself to learning the way your lips moved when saying his name in the darkened theater.

The date was perfect. He was happy. And he couldn’t have it again. Shouldn’t have it again. Wouldn’t have these feelings again.

Eddie doubled over and put his third beer on the floor before he spilled it. Nothing was discernible beyond the water invading his ability to see, to fathom his reflection in the old TV. Sad, miserable, and lonely. An idiot for finally getting attached to someone, and it was someone he wasn’t supposed to.

Tears slipped from between his lashes. He smeared them on his cheeks, covering his sweaty face from his possessions bearing witness to his stupidity.

It was in his best interest to reject you–reject your casual stance on dating, and relationships, and people with kids–but the face you made when your advances went underappreciated churned his stomach.

He needed to be stronger. But he was weak.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” he sighed into the stale air. Opening another beer, he nursed it as he huddled into the corner of the couch, and searched for Adrie’s quilt to soothe him. But of course, he sent it with her when he dropped her off at Steve’s.

No baby blanket to hold onto. No Adrienne to sleep on his chest to ease the pain of loneliness. No reason to look forward to Monday after he royally screwed everything up.

“Goddamnit,” he groaned.

Maybe, if he apologized enough, there was a chance you wouldn’t hate him.

Maybe, if you forgave him, you’d go back to the morning smiles, and the afternoon laughs.

And maybe, if he was enough of a masochist, he’d let you gently ease past those boundaries meant to keep you, and your kindness out. If you wanted to trespass, that is. He didn’t know. He was an idiot.

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #stranger things #eddie x reader #eddie munson smut #mechanic!eddie #eddie munson fanfic #stranger things fanfic #the yes policy

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madelynraemunson · 2 months

Text

CALL ME WHAT YOU WANT 𓆩♡𓆪

(Book #1 of the Hellfire Gentlemen’s Club series)

strip club owner!eddie x fem!exotic dancer!hargrove!reader

𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐀𝐔 18+ MDNI

Chapter 020: ‘Red Thong, Party’s On!’ (Epilogue)

a/n: pov you’re back at hellfire, but this time you’re sharing the stage with eddie, stripping while he plays a song for you to dance to 🤭🤭♥️ (SURPRISE AT THE END) it’s been a WILD ride my loves, thank you all so much for the support for CMWYW. i hope we all continue to create more beautiful things together. readers, writers, artists, creatives of all kinds keep the world going round. 🤟🏼💋 all my love, maddy

MESS WITH HER? SHE’LL FUCK YOU UP

↳ chapters: 001, 002*, 003** , 004**, 005 , 006 , 007* , 008**, 009, 010, 011, 012* , 013**, 014** , 015, 016**, 017, 018, 019, 020*

CW: strip club behaviors hehe, grinding, pole-dancing, ass-shaking, all that hellfire goodness, implications that shy girl c*me on eddie's guitar

word count: 990 words

♡

Mom always used to say, "Inside of you, there are two wolves: a good one and a bad one. Depending on which mouth you feed, one will triumph the other.”

She left out one thing, however: sometimes being bad feels so fucking good.

“We’ve got a verrry special treat for you tonight folks!” the DJ announces. “She took a break for a little while but now she is BACK… and here to stay with us, FOREVER! Put your hands together for the ONE, the ONLY — Hellfire’s Princess — SHYYY GIIIIRL!”

And the crowd goes wild.

You emerge from the side stage in your glimmering scarlet set, flipping your plump, bouncy locks around as you dip your hips to the beat. Your regular customers swoon as you blow them kisses, and the petty kisses you issue to the Hellfire Girls (they came to pick up their severance checks) leave them shaking in their stilettos.

"WOOO, HARGROVE!" Nancy cheers for you backstage, dancing to the song as she curls Nina's hair.

"LET 'EM KNOW, BABY!" Nina shouts after her.

You acknowledge them with a wink, giving one to Chrissy as well as she cheers for you on the opposite side of the stage, bouncing up and down in her sexy Hellfire cheer uniform.

“Let’s go, Shy Girl!” ‘Cherry’ cheers as she waves her pom-poms in the air. "LET'S GOOOO!"

She's hot! Can’t stop! Up on stage doing shots!

You shake your ass when the song calls on it, grinding your hips to the beat to match the lyrics as they come. The crowd hoots and hollers as you dance, showering you in dollar bills as you make the pole your bitch for the night.

“YEAAAH!” Max cheers. “That’s my sister!”

As you glide down the cylindrical silver steel, you wave to the crowd and thank them all for coming out.

“Thank you! Aww, thanks so much! OMG, how are you? Long time no see!”

But just because you’re doing your thing on stage doesn’t mean you aren’t paying attention to the happenings beneath you. Because while you have a bird’s eye view of Vecna’s Lair, you can’t help but fix your gaze on Lucas, who is dressed rather sharper than usual tonight, going up to Maxine in attempts to ‘rizz her up’.

“I see spiciness runs in the family,” Lucas remarks to her as they stand beside each other in Vecna’s Lair.

The self-proclaimed 'Dark Chocolate' shoots her an awkward wink, to which Max responds with a grimace on her face.

“Genetics wasn’t playing ‘bout y’all,” Lucas continues. "You're looking mighty fine tonight, Max."

“Thanks. I guess,” Max shrugs, refusing to entertain it. “But, if you knew anything about family dynamics and DNA, you’d know she’s my step-sister."

"Psh," Lucas scoffs. "Yeah! Yeah, I knew that."

"Course you did," she jeers. "Stalker."

“Stalker?! I thought we were friends.”

Max rolls her eyes. “Whatever this is, is far from platonic.”

She begins to strut away, giving Lucas the opportunity to race after her. And Sinclair wastes no time, pushing himself past the sea of sweaty men to catch up to the beautiful redhead in front of him.

“So there’s a chance we can be more than friends?!”

You chuckle as you watch it unfold from the stage. Then you turn to everyone else.

Argyle and Jonathan give you two stoned-filled waves hello. You wave back. Henry whose the designated bone-snapper bouncer tonight blows you a kiss. You catch it and return the favor. Mike and Will don't even give you the time of day.

You then turn your attention to Dustin who is both head-banging to the song, and holding up a lazily written message on the black screen of his phone: “I AM LOOKING RESPECTFULLY”. You can't help but giggle. It's like he's a mini Eddie.

Speaking of your boyfriend, your eyes dart back to the side stage where you meet Eddie’s gaze.

She likes to pull my hair when I make her grind her teeth.

You watch as the curly-haired, metalhead-turned-strip-club-owner eyes you steadily, situating his guitar around himself, giving the body of his NJ Warlock one more wipe down with a cloth.

He smirks to himself, satisfied at the thought that only you two know why that guitar needed wiping down in the first place. But he’s mostly pleased with the fact that, despite the long list of handsome, eligible bachelors after your heart, the passionate, down-to-earth, sexy, siren of a woman that is you, is all his.

My girlfriend's a dick magnet. MY girlfriend…

Eddie then takes to the stage, using the same fingers he’ll use to ravage you tonight to strum the chords of the sexy guitar solo of the song — you know, the song about a guy…..with a hot stripper girlfriend…..whose seducing everyone around her while she does her thing…..in that beautiful red set.

“HOLY SHIT!” someone from the crowd raves, causing Eddie’s eyes to light up like a little kid. “DUET OF THE CENTURY!”

You’ve healed so many parts of Eddie that he was too scared to explore: Love after Isabelle. Showing him that self-care is just as important as caring for Wayne. Encouraging him to find a hobby outside of Hellfire that didn't include doing payroll or grocery shopping. And healing his inner teenager by letting him play on stage with you, as he relives his glory days as the guitarist and frontman of Corroded Coffin one last time.

And as Eddie continues to strum, he stays thinking of you. He couldn’t wait to heal more parts of himself…with 'Shy Girl' Hargrove by his side.

“So,” you pant, edging closer to your boyfriend as the music draws on. "What's next after this?"

Eddie smirks. As the instrumental allows, he presses you against his body, kissing you softly against the lips before trailing all the way down your neck. Your breath hitches in arousal as he hums against you.

“Whatever you want.”

The End

SIKE! King Steve has entered the chat… 😉

CALL OUT MY NAME ♛

(Book #2 of the Hellfire Gentlemen's Club Series)

CEO!bachelor!steve × fem!college grad!reader

MODERN AU • 18+ | BOOK #1 (e.m.)

slight age gap (Steve is 31, reader is 23); reader goes by the nickname "Sweets"

*loosely inspired by sara cate’s salacious players club*

Summary: 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐄. Steve Harrington has the WORST luck with the ladies. His high school sweetheart left him for another dude, his former fuck buddy is dating his roommate, and his dream girl is a lesbian. King Steve is losing hope. That is until he meets you — a newly graduated university student from Seattle — when your paths cross on a fateful night in Sin City. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas... that is until your risky business trickles over to Hawkins, Indiana, a town your best friend knows of a little too well.

theme song: call out my name by the weeknd

tag list is open 💌✨

PREVIEW

♛

Winter 2024

“WATCH OUT INDIANAPOLIS — you're about to get... absolutely SOAKED!”

The booming voice of a man in Steve’s bedroom stirs him awake.

Letting out a ferocious yawn, The King rubs his eyes free of the annoying crust in the corner of his sockets, flopping around one more time before doing his routine stretch.

“Google,” Steve commands. “Turn off the TV.”

The TV immediately switches off. It’s nothing personal to meteorologist Marcus Bailey, but if Steve ever needed an accurate forecast of Indianapolis, all he would have to do is look outside his penthouse window. And that, after brushing his teeth, is just what he does.

"G'morning Indy,” he sighs happily on his balcony before going back inside.

Steve then makes his way over to the kitchen to fix himself some breakfast.

“Google,” he calls out again. “Open the curtains, please.”

Google replies:

“Opening curtains. Good morning — Steve.”

"Google, what's my schedule looking like today?" "Google, text Dustin." “Google, what is the weather looking like in Nevada?” “Google, turn on my shower tunes.”

The best thing about not living with Eddie Munson anymore, is that Steve can shamelessly sing Amy Winehouse in the shower without being hounded about it.

“We only saaaid GOODBYE, with WORDS!” Steve sings, confidently off-key. “I died a hundred times! You go back to her, and I goooo baaack toooo…”

"Scanning fingerprint...”

an automated voice announces at the entrance of Steve's walk-in closet.

Swish...

The door slides open. Sauntering his way inside, Steve ventures for some slick black athleisure down to the shoes, his usual musky cologne, and some matching sunglasses (despite the gloomy forecast prediction).

Black. 🎶

Steve Harrington is ready for the day.

---

"Google, make reservations for 3 people at Tony's Steakhouse at 7pm please."

All Steve had left to do for the day now was grocery shop. Which was always a hassle. Because sometimes, the store doesn't have the specific brand he's looking for so the shopper has to opt for an alternate version. Or sometimes, the shopper assigned to him that day chooses produce that is nearing its expiration date making every fruit in his bag a mushy mess. It doesn't happen too often, but it sure feels inconvenient as hell when it does. There are worse problems in life though, so Steve really can't complain.

*Ring, ring. Ring, ring*

The very distinct and custom ringtone has Steve bolting across the room to answer the call. One of his best friends was on the other line.

"Yello?" he says into the phone.

"Hey, it's Shy Girl," comes a voice. "Eddie and I are pulling in."

"Pull off to the side. Valet's got it. I'll send you guys up."

A bottle of cabernet sauvignon a la Steve awaits the pair when they make their way over. Consider it a Tony's pre-game.

"GameWorld stock is up 4% today,” Steve's buddy, and owner of Hellfire Gentlemen's Club Eddie Munson announces as the two clink glasses. "I don’t have much faith in it though, figure I’ll get my pie slices from actual grocery stores. Like Meijer.”

“Everyone's always gonna need groceries,” Steve points out. "Definitely. Just don't day trade. Not now."

"Ooh, you hear that, Eds?" Shy Girl nudges him. "You gotta be careful where you put your money."

"I gotta be careful with my money, period," Eddie smirks. "You're a danger to my pockets, angel."

"Oh but you love me," she says.

"Yeah," Eddie gives in, grabbing his lover's dainty digits, trailing his fingers across hers, and rubbing the glistening rock that took up most of her left hand on the distal side. "I sure do."

"I'm just... so proud of us," Steve sappily reflects. "So much has happened over the past two years and we've all come so far."

"Yeah," Shy Girl agrees. "And it's about fucking time we celebrate."

"I agree," Eddie chimes in, raising his glass once again. "This weekend trip is going to be... one for the books."

"Viva Las Vegas," Steve toasts. "Cheers."

"Viva Las Vegas!"

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Black and red.

They're the two colors that occupy your closet the most. But of course, after graduating from Washington State University (or Wazzu, for short), you expected nothing less.

You could do with some more sequins though, you think to yourself as you pack your bags.

"What do you think of this, Sweets?"

Peering over your shoulder, you see that your best friend, Elle has started festivities early, managing to hold two glasses of champagne in one hand, and six-inch stilletoes in the other.

"Can't take the party out of the girl, that's for damn sure," you respond.

When you left Seattle to attend WSU Pullman, Elle was your only friend in business class. Mainly because the class was predominantly for dudes, but eventually you found out that you two have a lot in common.

Elle is everything you would want in an older sister figure: she is both book smart and wise, she is sexy, and she eats men for breakfast. And, now that she's about to celebrate the launching of her lingerie business (along with her Dirty 30s Era), and you're about to enter your new-grad era, you two are hitting up Las Vegas to go ham together one last time.

It's all so bittersweet. You owe everything to the Warrens, having taken you in when you were a lost undergrad. It also sucked quite a bit not having a support system after graduating high school. You and Elle were all each other has. Which makes this inevitable separation so much more painful.

"Are you sure you're okay with Vegas by the way?" you question. "I know since the split, being surrounded by gorgeous girls 24/7 can kinda be triggering.”

"Don't worry about it, love," she shakes it off. "The past is in the past. This is a new era of me."

Cheers to that. Clinking your airport-pregame champagne glasses with one another, you raise a toast to yourselves, celebrating how far the two of you have come over the past four years.

"To friendship."

"To being elegant and educated."

"To elegance and education."

"And to being girl-bosses for the rest of our lives."

You giggle as you raise your glass of champagne even higher.

"To being girl-bosses for the rest of our lives," you two take a sip at the same time. "And no matter how near and no matter how far, we're always gonna be besties."

"I love you, Sweets."

"I love you too, Isabelle."

🏷️ tag list: @chrrymunson , @the-fairy-anon , @ali-r3n , @corrodedcoffincumslut , @bebe07011 , @mmunson86 , @eddiesguitarskills , @chelebelletx , @imonhereforareasonsadly , @eddies-trailer-babe @motherfckerr , @jxpsi , @sidthedollface2 , @manda-panda-monium , @elvendria , @micheledawn1975 , @hereforshmut , @siriuslysmoking , @mediocredreams @nymphetkoo , @m-chmcl-rmnc , @ahoyyharrington , @keepittoyourselftellnobodyelse @kellyxo1 @emsgoodthinkin @winchester-angel @chloe-6123 , @redbarn1995 @angietherose @kiyastrf94 , @purplewitchcauldron @kellsck @joyfulfxckery @munsons-mayhem28 @dragonfire @emma77645 @drivelikenina @livosssblog @thinkingth0ts @hugdealer @ellielunamckay @xblueriddlex @maskofmirrors @babyloutattoo89 @queenofhawkins @feral-pumpkin-energy @bl0ssomanddie

divider from: @plum98

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson smut #strip club owner! eddie #stranger things #stranger things 4 #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things fanfic #eddie munson fanfics #joseph quinn #joe quinn

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afewproblems · 7 months

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Season Two Halloween AU Part Eight

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six Part Seven

Synopsis: What if Eddie had been at Tina's Halloween Party in Season Two? Featuring Steve!Whump, Stancy Breakup, and Eddie just trying to keep up with all these new revelations about who King-Steve actually is...

As always, thank you thank you to the lovely Jess @strangersteddierthings for letting me brainstorm and send spoilers!

***

Eddie pulls gently on the strap of Dustin's safety goggles, trying as much as he can not to snag his curls in the process.

Almost everyone is decked out in their make-shift protective gear, with bandanas over their mouths, swim goggles --hell, even an old diving mask that Lucas found in the Byers basement. Mike won the painters mask, even though it's slightly too big on his little face.

When Eddie asks if all of this is really necessary, Dustin, Lucas, and Mike all glare ferociously at him before shouting over top of one another about how the Upside Down is toxic and that Will had been lucky last year, and to stop being an idiot.

Eddie looks to Max who shrugs and pulls down her own swimming goggles over her eyes.

"Don't look at me, I'm new here remember?" She mutters, walking towards the pile of various items the kids brought with them. She grabs a pair of rubber gloves and tosses them at Eddie who manages to catch one while the other falls limply into the dirt.

"They went in full body suits last year, on oxygen, to save Will," Dustin adds, his voice slightly muffled by the floral scarf wrapped around his face, "as little exposed skin as you can, it isn't safe".

Eddie can't help but picture the last Sci-Fi pulp story he read in a zine with government conspiracies and men in yellow suits investigating supposed 'crash sites' in the desert.

He shivers and pulls his own black bandana from his back pocket to put on.

Steve hasn't moved since they parked and hauled everything out of the van for their descent.

He sits in the sliding side door of the van with his head between his knees and the bat between his hands. Steve had insisted on coming with them, despite the fact that he'd only just managed to stop vomiting about five minutes ago and the nausea is still kicking his ass.

Stubborn idiot.

Eddie shakes his head as he turns back to Dustin to find the kid has wandered closer, standing right beside him now.

"He's dating Nancy," Dustin says quietly, tipping his head towards Steve as surreptitiously as he can.

Eddie freezes at the words and tries to keep his face blank in the way he's seen Steve do, he's not sure he's managed it but the way Dustin rolls his eyes.

Eddie opens his mouth to respond, with what he isn't sure of given the chorus of shitshitshitshitshit playing on a loop in his head.

Dustin beats him to it.

"But Mike told me they've been fighting lately, if it helps?"

Eddie just stares, his mind running a mile a minute, his eyes search Dustin's face for any hint of malice or disgust. But there's nothing.

"You don't…care?" Eddie says slowly, softly, he looks around to the other kids to see if anyone else is listening.

They all continue to argue and bicker over the equipment except for Max who has walked over to Steve to hand him a pair of rubber gloves. She leans down and tilts her head to look at Steve who still hasn't moved from his position in the van door.

Dustin shrugs, "why should I? I know what people say about it, but you protected us, you stayed," he looks at Eddie with fierce blue eyes, "bullies talk a lot of shit about other people for what they like".

"And you're not bad Eddie, you're good, just like everyone here".

Eddie blinks trying to ignore the tightness in his chest at the words and the sting behind his eyes.

'You're a good kid Ed, that's all that matters,' Wayne had told him the day he came out. 'And I'll love you no matter what'.

So that was at least two people who didn't think he was the town 'freak' -- but a stubborn image of Steve's expression that night by the pool comes to mind as he vehemently argued against being scared of Eddie during the now infamous Halloween party.

Three people then.

"If it helps, he wouldn't shut up about Dallas after he and Nance watched the Outsiders last year so," Dustin shrugs again, this time with the slightest teasing grin.

Eddie is overcome with such a strong feeling of fondness for the kid that he reaches out and pulls Dustin into a one armed hug that's really more of a headlock than anything else. Eddie takes off Dustin's hat to ruffle his hair before putting it back on and tugging it down over the kids eyes, he snorts at the squawk that Dustin makes in response.

"Dallas huh?" he says with a grin before clearing his throat, "I've always been more partial to a pretty boy myself".

He laughs as Dustin pushes him off muttering under his breath, "everyone's obsessed with relationships," which only makes Eddie laugh harder.

Maybe it's the hysteria of the situation, maybe it's the exhaustion loosely wrapping itself around his hands, but in this moment Eddie lets himself push away why they are standing in the middle of this field in the pitch dark, and lets himself reach out for what was previously impossible.

He claps Dustin on the back and tips his head towards the rest of the party getting ready.

"How distracting can you be?" Eddie asks in a low conspiratorial voice.

Dustin frowns, his eyes dart from where Max is struggling to pull on a second blue rubber glove after getting the first one on to where Steve is finally managing to sit up in the van, pulling on the gloves Max left him with, and rolls his eyes again.

"Yeah, yeah, you get five minutes," Dustin drops his voice slightly, and if it's an imitation of Eddie barking orders at the kids earlier, it's pretty good actually.

Eddie huffs and sends Dustin a wink before turning on his heel and making his way to the van.

Steve has managed to finally sit up properly and in the moonlight it appears that the green caste to his face is also gone. He looks up as Eddie approaches, and sends him a wane smile.

"How you feeling?" Eddie says softly. He crouches down on the balls of his feet so he and Steve are at eye level and reaches out for his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. It's as though a dam has burst ever since he was able to gather Steve in his arms in the van, he can't stop reaching out for him.

"Like my head has a pulse," Steve answers after a moment, "kinda how it felt after Jon cleaned my clock last year, but worse".

He shrugs and gives Eddie a small smile that stretches his split lip until a small bead of red appears, Steve winces and swipes his hand over the cut, "I'm kinda hoping it doesn't become a yearly thing, you only get so many concussions ya know?"

No Eddie doesn’t know, but he was also never a jock, dodging elbows, or balls, or apparently monsters in the woods on the regular.

He looks back at the kids, only to see Dustin pointing at the watch on his wrist; even in the dark Eddie can read Dustin's expression.

Hurry up.

Eddie swallows roughly and turns back to Steve, who doesn't move his gaze quickly enough to hide his own stare.

The wistful pinch of Steve's brow is still there, plain as day, and it cements Eddie's decision.

He leans closer, close enough that his nose is nearly touching Steve's own.

"I need to tell you something, and I need you to let me get through it because we don't have a lot of time, okay?"

Steve blinks once, his wide hazel eyes search Eddie's face as he slowly nods, his mouth opens but Eddie reaches up and presses his palm to gently cover it.

"You caught me off guard before," he whispers quickly, before Steve can move the hand on his mouth, "when you told me about your Nonna".

He sees Steve's eyes go even wider and feels him freeze under his hand, but he has to keep going.

"And I thought, you couldn't possibly be saying what I thought you'd were saying, I couldn't--"

Eddie forces himself to meet Steve's gaze this time, as though he could simply transfer his thoughts directly, save himself the embarrassment of trying to make the words come.

He takes a deep breath in, releasing it slowly through his nose.

"I couldn't let myself hope, not then".

"But when I thought you were dead on the floor, that Billy had broken you into a million pieces and we would never be able to put you back together again and I realized," Eddie moves his hand now, letting it travel along Steve's jaw, to the back of his head. He swipes his thumb along the crest of Steve's cheekbone and tries not to let the way the other man holds his breath deter him.

"That I might not get another chance to be that person your Nonna told you about, if I didn't tell you how I felt".

Steve blinks again and Eddie halts, letting go of Steve completely as he watches the wide hazel eyes grow shiny in the moonlight.

Oh fuck.

Steve's nose flares slightly with how rapidly he's breathing and his mouth opens and closes in quick succession as he seems to struggle to find the words to respond.

"I--"

"Steve! Eddie!" Mike calls out from behind them, "we are running out of time! Let's go!"

Eddie curses under his breath and whirls around; Mike stands at the edge of the cavern, his hands on his hips in a similar position to one Steve held earlier, the painter's mask pulled up to reveal the irritated frown on his face.

Dustin has his own face in his hand but looks up soon enough to offer Eddie a resigned shrug.

He catches Max watching the exchange with curious eyes, her face tilting between Eddie, Dustin, Mike, and Steve, but he can't think about that now.

Not with Steve pushing himself up from the van on unsteady legs, he brushes past Eddie, reaching up with a shaking hand to pinch his nose.

Eddie darts a hand out to catch Steve's elbow, halting his path.

Steve lets him.

Eddie takes a step closer, wracking his brain, trying to figure out what he could have said to make Steve so upset, had he read him wrong after all, had he overstepped somehow?

"Steve," he says softly, his grip on Steve's elbow is loose but steady as he pulls him closer.

Steve doesn't turn to look at Eddie but he doesn't move away either.

"What the hell is the hold up assholes!" Mike barks out again and Eddie lets himself throw a dirty glare at the kid, which Mike merely rolls his eyes at.

The attitude on these kids.

Mike does eventually turn, pulled by Dustin, back to the rope that Lucas is securing to the nearby fencepost, hopefully distracted for long enough to let Eddie figure this out.

But before he can say anything, Steve is pulling himself away from the grip on his elbow, “Eddie--”

"Please,” the word falls out of his mouth, desperate, louder than he wants, “please Steve, just, promise me we'll talk”.

Steve turns his face slightly, just enough that Eddie knows he sees him.

His eyes are no longer wet, but still red rimmed, his nose slightly pink, the same way he looked that night at the halloween party sitting on that rock in the dark.

“Okay,” Steve whispers into the night air, quickly and quietly before he presses forward.

Eddie lets him go, his empty hand drops limply at his side as he watches Steve make his way back to the kids. He snatches an unused pair of goggles from the nearly empty pile on the ground and checks the post where Lucas had secured the rope.

Eddie watches from the sidelines as Steve seamlessly moves back into Babysitter mode, and while some part of Eddie is relieved at this, he can’t help but miss the way it felt to hold Steve, to put him back together again.

Even if it was just for a moment.

Part Nine Now Up!

Tag List:

@eriquin @luvinthefreaks @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @goodolefashionedloverboi @ellietheasexylibrarian @bambibiest @sadboislovebeans @howincrediblysapphicofyou @coleys-a-nerd @whycantiuseunderscore @airconditioning123 @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @corrodedbisexual @starman-jpg @ilovecupcakesandtea @yoriposts @clumsiluni @pelinelin @phantomcat94 @lololol-1234 @anaibis @steveshairspray @hellfireone @eddielives1986 @sunswathe @tentativeghost @robin-not-batman @estrellami-1 @manda-panda-monium @tinyplanet95 @perseus-notjackson @queenie-ofthe-void @rainbowsaw @sp0o0kylights @littlebluejane @hi-im-eff @phantypurple @just-ladyme @thoroughlycollected @justrandomfandomstm @swimmingbirdrunningrock @finntheehumaneater @dynamic-powerm@nightmareglitter @genderless-spoon @zaddipax @thebiblesays @pyrohonk @emly03 @geekymagicalpotato @sidebarre @lemon-astra @cipounette @discreetapple @starlitlakes @saphhicwitchbitch @marvel-ous-m @lingeringmirth @honorarybrit81 @bookbinderbitch @finntheehumaneater @lololol-1234 @eddie-munsons-missing-nipple @monsterloverforhire @gaydrieeen @starlight-archer @homosexual-having-tea @devondespresso @rennnnon @my-hyperfixations-hell-blog

And a few people I think may be intersted!

@steddierthings @steddie-there @stevesbipanic @henderdads

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florallylly · 3 months

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finally caved and posted bc i have the most delicious idea ...

those spiderman/deadpool crossovers for steddie but like also following mcu backstories bc i unforch have never read the comics OKAY . be patient with me please

eddie munson as deadpool and steve harrington as morena baccarin's character but set in high school. like maybe after breaking up with nancy and getting beat up by billy, steve goes looking for something to help with the pain (migraines? maybe bc he just got the shit kicked out of him a week ago and he has a hairline fracture from that dumb plate? you decide...). either way, everyone says that eddie munson deals at that picnic table behind the school.

somehow, the two of them end up together. i'm trying to decide between a fwb situation with mutual pining or a whirlwind romance established relationship, but it always ends with eddie munson being diagnosed with cancer.

now this follows the general plot from the deadpool movie with the experimentation/clinical trials for a miracle cure and eddie becomes a mutant (bc deadpool is part of the x-men universe right... i actually have no idea what the correct term for him is. he has powers basically). ALSO, opportunity for a horrible lack of communication. does steve know that eddie has cancer? does he just think that eddie disappeared in the middle of the night? what if he told eddie he loved him and that was when eddie made the decision to go through with the experimental treatment because if there was a possibility to live and stay with steve, he'd do anything to have that.

considering a steve harrington mourning the loss of eddie after he disappears/dies depending on if he's aware of the cancer diagnosis, and not applying for college at all or submitting lackluster applications. his parents don't understand his grief bc they don't know/care that he just lost someone he loved, and he ends up working at scoops with robin.

and robin is great, like platonic soulmates i'm going to spend the rest of my life with you great. she encourages him to get back up and apply to college with her (nyu? to be more canon to spiderman. it could also be indianapolis, but a city either way for a superhero who swings off buildings)

anyways, maybe a year or so passes but the time frame doesn't matter as much as the fact that steve harrington was bitten by a radioactive spider. and now he's spiderman and all of the whatnot that goes into fighting crime and secret identities.

this could also be somewhat canon compliant with stranger things in a steve "why does supernatural shit keep happening to me" harrington way. he got bitten in the russian bunker perhaps? i think it would make most sense for the upside down to be closed off completely after starcourt because hawkins isn't... doesn't make sense to me for deadpool and spiderman to exist in, but also like personal preference.

ugh anyways pls let me know thoughts bc i desperately need someone to talk to about this

#steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #steddie #robin buckley

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rollerskate2theface · 1 year

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5+1 five times someone noticed Steve Harrington liking men and the one time everyone noticed he loved one

1 Steve

Steve never really put much thought into who he was attracted to. Girls were easy he didn’t even have to try for them to be all over him, really it’s just a matter of convenience.

Nancy was like that at first, all flustered and flirty. But he could tell it was all some sort of act even if she didn’t know it. He was proven correct after Nancy’s whole “bullshit” stunt on Halloween. Steve really couldn’t even blame her, he knew he was bullshit.

Going after girls only girls because it was convenient? That sure seems like bullshit to him. So, he began to actually acknowledge things. Like how no other guys on the swim team seemed to admire each other’s physiques or how Tommy never seemed to understand Carol’s constant ramblings about how hot Mel Gibson is.

Steve always knew he just began to actually act on it, ya know, occasionally.

2 Erica

The first to notice was surprisingly Erica Sinclair. Well, maybe not so surprisingly considering she seemed to make it her goal for the summer to have his complete and undivided attention. Seeing as he was the only thing between her and 4x her weight in ice cream.

“Hey Nerd what could possibly be more interesting to you, a costumer service employee, than me, a costumer?”

Without looking at her Steve spoke, “You’ve come in everyday for the past 3 weeks and have only bought 1 single scoop in total. He however,” Steve pointedly looked at a guy in his early 20’s licking a drop of melted ice cream up his hand and back to his cone, “seems to be very content with his purchase.”

Erica huffed “barf me out, if I wanted to see some narbo make goo goo eyes I would’ve just stayed home with Lukie and Max.” With that Erica made her way out of the shop in hopes of getting more free samples from Hot Sam’s pretzels.

2.5 Robin (sort of)

Robin didn’t really get Steve Harrington. First he showed up to work on Robin’s first day with that hideous sailor’s costume on before introducing himself to her as if they weren’t in the same class an entire year and romantic rivals. He acted kind enough despite his near constant complaining.

There was also those damn kids that Robin couldn’t comprehend belonged to Steve. They had the guy wrapped around their little fingers, it was honestly kinda pathetic -maybe she should make another board. He was always giving them his company provided scoops they were allowed during breaks.

“Need to stay in shape; no high school athletics anymore. Plus those kids are skinny as twigs,” he’d brush her off.

At first Robin thought it was just the kids he was giving his free ice cream to but then she’d notice how he missed the payment of a couple of guys around their age that had come in.

“Hey Dingus! You forgot to charge them, I’ve seen you do that twice now!” Robin was annoyed if Steve kept doing that they’d both get written up.

“Don’t worry, that was my ice cream mark out,” Steve said offhandedly.

That made Robin stop, those didn’t look like any of the guys in King Steve’s posse of friends. “Why’d you give them your mark out? Do you know them?” Robin’s curiosity beat out her annoyance at the older teen in front of her.

“Nope! Let’s just say I’m hoping for a good tip,” Steve tossed out as he winked and walked into the back room.

This idiot most people tipped at least a dollar even when they had to pay… whatever it’s his mark out.

3.5 Dustin

Say what you may about Dustin Henderson but he was a scientist at heart. So, when he began to notice things about one of his favorite people he decided he needed to test his theory.

“So, uh, Steve,” Dustin threw out while he and Steve were listening to music in the older man’s family room. Steve was jogging on his fathers treadmill as Dustin wrote his letter to send to Suzie in the mail.

Steve gave an uninterested ‘mmhm’ in response.

“Will’s been complaining about how all the party has girlfriends but him-”

“You go easy on him middle school’s hard enough without a bunch of dickwad friends and relationship drama-”

“High school, Steve, we start high school in the fall. No more middle school baby shit for us!”

“Yeah yeah whatever just lay off Will. Not everyone is interested in romance so young,” Steve finally finished once their bickering stoped.

Dustin scoffed, “No that’s just Mike, he’s the only one being weird about it. But anyway that’s exactly what I was about to ask! When did you start showing romantic interest?” Dustin preened himself on his subtlety.

Steve looked surprised at that, “Oh! Well I guess I really started liking people romantically in 6th grade. I mean I had my first girlfriend in 7th grade,” he snorted, “if you could even call it that, we just held hands at recess and gave messages through friends…”

Dustin tuned the other out. ‘People’ damn that was a bust alright new approach.

“Yeah yeah uh huh sooo, Steve? Which Star Wars character do you think is the hottest?” Dustin asked thinking back to the film he’d watched the night prior.

The treadmill stopped as Steve sighed and turned to face Dustin, “dude I keep telling you I’m not going to watch your geeky movie.”

“How dare you! Star Wars is a cinematic masterpiece! I-” stay on track Dustin don’t jeopardize the experiment, “whatever who do you think is the hottest actor from one of your lame rom-coms then?” Okay, so much for subtlety.

Steve raised an eyebrow at that -oh no he noticed- he walked over and plopped down on the floor next to Dustin, “Alright, what’s going on why are you acting weird?”

“What? I’m not acting weird? I just,” another unconvinced look, “Ugh fine. I’ve just started to notice how you aren’t only flirty with… with just girls anymore… Which is totally fine! Cool! Awesome even! I just, I wanted to find out if I was… right? I don’t know, now I sound like an asshole.”

Dustin isn’t sure if it’s a good sign or a bad sign when Steve began to laugh. His laughter died down after a couple seconds, “you’re a strange kid, you know that? But to prove- confirm your hypothesis or whatever. Yes I like men, and women, both I like both,” Steve stammered. “You’re actually the first one I’ve said that to.”

Dustin grinned twisting to hug Steve from where he was sat beside him. A thought just occurred to the almost high schooler, “ This means double the potential set ups.” This sentiment was met with a groan and a plead of not needing that.

4.5 Mike

Mike Wheeler has been told he’s at that ‘difficult’ age in puberty -gross- where he’s mad about everything. Well if you ask him it’s pretty freaking easy to be mad at everything including how his mom sold his bike at a yard sale because, “You’re too big for it now Michael you can barely ride it. This money is going towards a new one you’ll just have to save up.”

Hence why he’s waiting for his ride who’s currently working in a too cold, too bright shop, with an annoying smile on his face talking to some long haired weirdo with like 8 different chains hanging off his pants and a black bandana sticking out of his back right pocket. A weirdo that’s been here for over an hour making Steve stay late. “Steve! We were supposed to be out of here 12 minutes ago! Hurry up!” Mike yelled tapping his watch as though Steve could see it from across the store.

“Hold your shit Wheeler we’ll be out in a minute,” Steve yelled back earning a bark of laughter from the weirdo. Mike heard Steve start to finish up speaking with the- costumer? Actually, Mike doesn’t think he ever saw that guy even order anything.

Feeling curious Mike meandered towards them trying to catch the end of their conversation.

“-my house or yours tonight?”

“Wayne has tonight off so he’s gonna be hogging up the trailer soooo”

“Yeah yeah my place just remember no blasting music in my neighborhood the Inslee’s are already this close to calling the cops”

“Oh yeah, and heaven knows what we’ll be up to when they arrive-”

“Shut up! Alright I gotta go see you in a couple hours Ed!”

With that Steve and Mike exited the Scoops Ahoy walking through the food court and out the mall towards Steve’s Beamer where it sat in the mall parking lot. The two settled in, Steve making sure Mike had his seatbelt on before pulling out. From the passengers seat Mike eyed Steve trying to decipher what he had heard the two older men in the mall talking about.

Giving in Mike gave an annoyed huff admitting he was actually interested in something to do with Steve Harrington. “Who was that guy and how often do you have sleepovers?” he asked.

This was met with shifty eyes and a soft laugh from the older teen, “who? Eddie? The guy from the mall? He’s no one, just a friend,” there was a strange tinge of guilt in his voice.

“You shouldn’t do that.” Mike said firmly staring out at the road in front of them.

This made Steve confused turning to look at Mike before redirecting them back to the road, “do what?”

This made Mike even more pissed. “Lead people on. You and I both know you like girls, you’ve dated girls, you dated Nancy! Did you not care about her? Did you not love her? I know you broke up or whatever, but she definitely loved you once, I can’t believe you faked the whole thing!” Mike had tears welling in his eyes.

The car came to a slow as Steve pulled over to the side of the road, “woaah hey man I did- I did love your sister. Sometimes I think a little more than she loved me. I was never lying about what I felt for her.” Mike sniffled. “And yes, I do like girls always have, still do. But, I think you may have noticed,” Steve attempted to joke, “I’m also of the uh, male persuasion? Ugh that sounds gross. Men I like men too.”

Steve expected some backlash after the start of this conversation and was surprised when he was met with Mike’s odd look of clarity. “You- you can like both?” The younger boy asked. Steve hadn’t heard him sound so small since he saw him take care of an unconscious Will during their last run in with monsters.

“Yeah, you can like both.”

5 Robin (yes again)

Okay so Steve Harrington wasn’t that bad. In fact he was kind of cool. And not like popular, eggs cars and makes out with chicks under the bleachers cool. But genuinely a cool dude that basically saved her life, well, with the help of a couple children.

Maybe it was the drugs, maybe it was the probable head trauma, maybe it was even the thrill of actually escaping a secret Russian base but Robin felt like she could tell this guy anything. Which probably wasn’t great considering her… situation.

The two teenagers were sitting in the bathroom heads hanging over toilet bowl rims. They were joking around but the girl knew she didn’t want to be asked any heavy or revealing questions not when she didn’t have complete control of her mind so instead she asked Steve.

“Have you… ever been in love” she’d asked after some thought. This should be easy enough for him, he’s known for his prowess with the ladies.

She received a small cackle from the stall next to her. “Yeah a couple of times. Nancy Wheeler my first love I went insane for that girl, first semester senior year,” Steve made a gun motion shooting into his heart, “honestly I’m glad I had what I had with Nancy and also glad that it ended? If it hadn’t I would’ve never been with who I’m with today, the person I think I want to spend the rest of my life with,” Robin could tell there was a smile of his face when he’d said that.

Wow Robin really hadn’t expected that confession, she was honestly a bit worried he might admit to liking her. Who would’ve thought Steve Harrington tied down. “How’d you know?” Robin asked she’d never been able to think that strongly about anyone not even Tammy who she’s had a year long major crush on.

Steve sighed, “I don’t know… He just makes me feel happy and excited whenever I’m near him.”

Robin’s breath hitched when she noticed the pronouns he’d used, okay she definitely wasn’t supposed to be told this, he wasn’t in the right state of mind, neither was she. And yet, she couldn’t stop him; it felt so good to hear about someone like her actually being happy and finding love even if it was surprisingly Steve Harrington.

“He’s a lot different than everyone else I’ve dated, but he’s also different from everybody else in general so I guess that makes sense. He’s dramatic and weird, and impossible to look away from. I still can’t even believe he likes me back.”

Hearing Steve talk about his boyfriend gave Robin the confidence to tell him about Tammy much to his great judgment which they joked about until Dustin and Erica barged into their little sanctuary of a bathroom.

+1 Everyone

If you ask anyone, that day after Vecna was defeated the whole party piled into their meeting place at the hospital. They wouldn’t tell you the first thing they noticed was a limping Dustin crying silently as though he could no longer make sound from screaming so loudly. It wasn’t Robin walking through the door with a broken guitar in her arms. It wasn’t even the boy bleeding out, unconscious, clothes ripped to shreds.

No, they’d tell you they’d noticed Steve Harrington sobbing as he yelled for ‘someone anyone please help him please my Eddie please help him somebody Eddie please Eddie’. He held Eddie Munson in his arms as he ran through the hospital begging them to save his Eddie.

Eddie was taken into surgery immediately and nobody could think of what to say to Steve. He was hunched over in a small waiting chair right outside Eddie’s operating room.

It was Joyce Byers freshly off a death helicopter from Russia that kneeled down in front of the boy. She held his hands in hers as she said, “he’ll be okay. He knows your out here waiting for him. He won’t leave you.”

With that Steve slumped forward onto her as he began to sob.

Eddie came out of his first surgery a couple hours later but the doctors informed he was likely going to be in unconscious for at least a week. Steve stayed with Eddie and his uncle in the hospital everyday refusing to leave. The kids filtered in and out checking on Eddie and Max a few rooms down. Without fail Steve had his chair pulled up right next to Eddie’s bed just watching him.

Dustin talked to Eddie, a lot, so did Robin. Eddie probably liked that, both Wayne and Steve didn’t talk much. Preferred to sit in silence watching for any sign that the comatose boy was improving.

The day Eddie did wake up most of the party was there including Nancy, Jonathan, some guy from California, the youngest Sinclair -Lucas didn’t want to leave Max alone- a couple Russians, his uncle and his boyfriend. When Eddie slowly opened his eyes he looked towards Steve sitting directly to his left.

“Hey Stevie, I tried to be a hero. Sorry,” his vocals were strangled from lack of use.

“You should be sorry! You are such an idiot! God I love you, never do that again.” Steve then pulled Eddie into a searing kiss in front of everyone. Not that anyone was surprised.

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rustboxstarr · 7 months

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🏖Grown Ups🏖 part 2

Summary: You've been pulling away from Eddie recently its not until summer vacation that you finally find your way back to him.

Pairings: Dad!Eddie Munson x PlusSize!Mom!Reader

Warnings: Smut, Fluff, Angst. Swearing, use of Y/N, kinda hints that reader is tall, and not blonde but if that aint u just ignore it haha, Steve once again being an insightful mama hen, accidental hurting animals (the bird scene), slightly persuasive of venturing out of comfort zone (friend to reader) but its all in good nature, age gap one sided flirting, accusations of cheating, talk of depression, oral m receiving, soft dom!Reader, mention of blood, sexy photos, talks of masturbation, P in V, sexual powerplay, mean degrading, blood, slapping, angry makeup sex for deep set feelings after a long time, smoking, R comes from abusive home, crying, bad views on emotions from R, talk of death, loosing a parent, homelessness, allusion to deadly overdose.

Wordcount: 22 k

A/N: Holy hell this took some time, life has just been beating the crap out of me lately but thank you all so much for all the support and love and patience, it means so much to me ❤️

Eddie is not a dick ok, he doesn’t only think about sex all the time, he just comes off as one because its smut hahahaha.

Lets just ignore the fact that big girls chafe haha.

Eddies tall now because I said so, sorry not sorry, he's like 2 cm taller than me, sue me for having a preference.

Love yas!

Part 1

Drawings I made for the fic for some visuals 😊

Grown Ups masterlist

Check out my other works!

Max (35), Lukas (35) - twins Eric (6) and Billy (6)

El (35), Mike (35) - no kids

Dustin (35), Suzie (35) - Willow (11 months)

Eddie (41), You (40) - Ophelia (10) and Roxette (7)

Gareth (37) - single, no kids

Luke -unnamed freak (39), Simone (38) - Tom (5) and Oliver (3) - not that it matters but Simone is african american so the kids are mixed incase it might be nice to visualise

Jeff (37), Tracy (45) - Ariana (16) (Tracy's daughter)

Will (35), Winter (33) - no kids

Steve (40), Nancy (39) - Mercy (11), Lousie (9), Rachel (7), Marcus(5), Bianca (3) and Dustin (2)

Jonathan (39), Charlotte (41) - Emma (6), Charlie (4) and Lilly (2)

Robin(39), Vickie(39) - no kids

Argyle (40), Eden (38) - no kids

Holly (26)- no kids

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The sun was blaring down on the two men as Steve hovered behind Eddie going through the motions of checking the vital parts of the engine to the Harrington-Wheeler Chrysler minivan.

Sweat beads threatened to drip down Eddies forehead under his damp bangs, his hair tied back in a low bun as he bent over the hood, grime building up under his nails and staining his fingers as he picked and pulled at parts, finally he stood up, cracking his back, only prolonging the inevitable as Steve watched him expectantly.

“Your oxygen sensor is malfunctioning” he wiped his hands off on his trunks, making a mental note to wash them later, “And that means?...” Steve crossed his arms and leant forward to inspect the different mechanics he had no idea about “The engine computer won't be able to correctly set the air to fuel ratio, which means lower fuel economy, higher emissions and a high probability of damage to other components, such as an overheating the catalytic converter” Eddie stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, his professional vocabulary shining through “Jesus dude english” Steve groaned, all the unfamiliar words working up some anxiety in his chest, worrying he would have to trade in a new car which would undoubtedly cost them a lot just when they'd gotten settled and comfortable with the economy.

“You're gonna have to get it replaced” Steve relaxed but only a little bit “but you're not taking this hunk of junk out on the road” just as Steve was about to complain about how they needed the car to get back home a rusty Chevrolet Chevette whizzed over the gravel, screeching as it came to a stop, haphazardly parking squint between two cars, cutting off his train of thought as he mimicked Eddies reaction of wincing at the loud noise.

The formerly cherry red now prominently rust door opened and a short blonde figure in a low-cut, cropped, baby pink tanktop and daisy dukes emerged with a wide grin on her face “Holly!” Eddie greeted as he turned to face Nancy and Mike's younger sister who he hadn't seen in nearly 10 years “Hiiii!” she waved happily as she closed the door and walked over to the pair “Lovely to see you” Steve let his arms fall to his sides as Eddie closed the hood to the car “You too Steve. So what you two up to?”

Her arms crossed at the wrist as she played with her bracelet, looking up at Eddie with wide doe eyes “Just checking out Steves tin can” Eddie chuckled as he did a quick scan of the girl in front of him before meeting her eyes, a smirk tugged at her lips as she made a subtle show of pushing her breasts together further with her crossed hands. Steve frowned behind Eddie's back as Holly continued her pleasantries “Oh that's right you’re a mechanic, real man's job” she gave a sultry smirk as it was Eddie's turn to frown slightly in confusion, “What do you do again Steve?” Steve cleared his throat and stood up straight “Uh I’m an accountant” for some reason Holly's comment made him suddenly insecure about his job. He felt the need to puff out his chest to stand up for himself in some strange way. Holly only hummed in response, “Uh Mikes over there and I think Nancy's inside” Eddie pointed towards the beach. Holly gave a wide smirk and walked off with a wave of her slim fingers.

Eddie cleared his throat “Uh ok anyway, yeah you can't take the car out on the road but I can pop by an auto shop and pick up the parts, saves you a fortune of doing it here” they both began strolling over to the beach again as they went over the costs for the parts.

Your eyes drifted from looking out over the lake with the squealing kids and laughing adults to see Holly make her way over to the group of what you all still considered to be the kids, namely, Dustin, Suzie, Max, El, Mike and Lucas scattered on towels soaking up the sun. Gareth sat beside you deep in a monologue about some car he was working on, if you were completely honest you weren't really listening, simply content in being in the sun during summer, away from work and enjoying time with your kids and Eddie, still on a high from being reconnected with him.

You were pulled out of your peaceful bliss when you felt a tug on your hair, turning around to be met by the man himself, your husband, who smacked a kiss to your forehead, further lightening your mood as Dustin clapped his hands together. “So, who’s coming on the hike? There's a tree swing which I think the kids would like, goes over the water” he grinned as he looked around.

Soon enough Luke and his eldest Tom, Dustin with his Willow, Steve and Nancy with Mercy, Louise and Rachel as well as Robin, and you and your little family -save for Roxette who was left in Ariana's room as they gossiped about the music industry- were gathered outside the cabin as Dustin pushed off, leading the group behind him. “Knew you'd wear the shorts” Eddie breathed in your left ear as you watched Ophelia run off to chatter happily with Steve's girls.

You giggled as you felt a strong large hand squeeze at your right asscheek, “They're are the only ones I had, seeing as someone thought my cargos were their cargos and switched them out for their own denim ones” you pulled at the black denim fabric on his thigh as evidence to your point “Maybe I did it on purpose” he grinned as he slipped around to walk next to your left, slipping his fingers between yours to hold your hand. “I would hope so, I still have hope for your fried ass brain, be nice to know its not too far gone that you can't tell the difference between an article of clothing twice the size of yours” you grinned up at him, gum peeking through at the front where it threatened to fall out from the loose bite around it.

“How dare you? I was like the smartest person in our grade” he grinned wickedly at his joke as he slipped back behind you to walk on the narrow path through the woods, switching to his left hand to hold yours without being in an awkward twist. “First of all, that would be me, I mean hello? Trailer trash, near drop out and community college degree” you flashed a grin towards him before staring intently at your feet to make sure you wouldn't trip “But sure, they held you back three years to make sure you held up the average 4.2 GPA” he squeezed your hip at your cheek causing you to giggle again.

“Y/N can we talk?” Nancy rushed over once the path opened up again, leaving Steve behind you both as she looked between you and Eddie. “Sure” you grinned knowingly and let your hand slip from Eddies.

“What you think they're talking about?” Eddie asked as he watched Robin hold back to join the two of you, abandoning her conversation with a bunch of the kids. “What do you think, dumbass?” Steve snorted as he witnessed Robin jumping up and down excitedly “Why does everyone have to know what's going on all the time?” Eddie rolled his eyes “In her defence, you've been scheming with us on how to get her into bed, but I will admit she and Nancy have been talking about it for a while”

“What?”

“Well I mean Nancy gives hints, she keeps talking my ear off about girl code and how she swore she wouldn't tell anyone”

“I’m sorry, are you that interested in my sex life?” he gestured towards Steve's obvious distaste for the aforementioned ‘girl code’.

“No, but I can't be the only one who enjoys listening to my wife's gossip”

“Ok true, but wait why would she talk to Nancy about this and not me? I’m the husband, and like the actual person who it concerns!” he threw his hands out in annoyed defeat as Steve shrugged. “Don’t forget, Robin too, but she really won't tell me shit” Eddie sent him a glare at his remark. “Girl talk? Guess she just feels more comfortable talking about it with another girl. I mean, do you tell her everything?”

“Yes” Eddie deadpanned after drawing his eyes away from your giggling “Oof, eh well maybe like, establish some… rules? I don't know, just like make her aware you're willing to listen”

“Why do you know all of this? Weren't you like super unpopular with the ladies after the breakup senior year?”

“First of all, I’m smart and I communicate with my wife” he gave a knowing glare at Eddie, as if to tell him something you should be doing more “And secondly, so were you, she's like the only one you've been with”

“Didn't have to be popular, been with the same girl since I was 17” he grinned smugly.

“Hey Ophi, when we were kids your parents used to talk us into doing the craziest stuff” Dustin's voice was heard over the chatter of the group as he leant down to pass Willow over to your daughter for her to carry. “That's right” Eddie grinned a few metres away, “Yeah, I remember one time we, uh got our shower curtains, put ‘em in shopping carts and went shopping cart sailing” he stood up once he saw Ophelis was secure with his daughter and flashed a grin towards you.

Luke laughed as you shouted out a “Yeah!”, “Wait, how did you steer?” Tom piped up in confusion “Well we-we didn’t” he grinned towards his son “How’d you stop?” Louise turned, walking backwards to give her attention to Luke. “You just smashed into something” Eddie explained “That was the fun part” you piped up as Eddie found his place walking next to you again.

“We used to shoot bottle rockets at each other” Robin laughed “You always go for the guy’s face cuz’ you wanna blind him” she smirked as Mercy frowned, “Okay, no that's a little much pal” Steve patted her on the shoulder “No! No I know, kids, don't do that” she covered “You know what, erase, reboot” she waved her hands back and forth as she mimicked the sound of a cassette rewinding, Rachel and Ophelia laughing at her antics.

“Oh ho ho ho! The rope swing!” Dustin pointed as you all arrived at your destination “Oh rope on a tree baby! You know what that means” Luke inched towards the swing as Dustin held onto it excitedly. “We get to hang ourselves?” Mercy's bored voice sounded “Mercy” Steve scolded as Eddie interrupted “Are you kidding me? You see a rope and a lake and that doesnt wanna make you go nuts?” he pointed towards lake Michigan which you were now only further up the coastline of.

“It makes me wanna- you- you- you know what? Let me show ‘em, let me show ‘em” Luke stuttered excitedly as he shuffled down the cliff and towards Dustin. “Yeah baby” Dustin forced the rope over to Luke to grab onto “Dude, get on the top rock!” you shouted as he began to steady himself, multiple adults chiming in with yeah’s at your suggestion.

“Class is in session” Luke made a deep teacher's voice as he prepared to jump from the rock “Who wants to see a double flip!” he shouted as he ran off the edge of the rock, “Whee!” he exclaimed as everybody egged him on “Too high!”

“Now drop!”

“This was a mistake!”

“I can’t let go I’m to scared!” he shrieked as he turned back around on the rope, smashing right into a thick tree. He screamed guturally as he let go of the rope, doing a flip in the air and landing on the forest floor with a loud thump, he rolled over with the slope of the hill ramming right into a bush, rolling right over a high edge and thudding loudly onto the last bit of earthy floor before the shore of the lake.

The previous crowd shouting with sympathy pain silenced as he came to a stop. “That was awesome!” his son shouted excitedly, suddenly Luke popped up and into view, his face scrunched up in pain as he shrieked “Oh god! Oh god! My leg snapped!” he held onto his thigh as he shrieked, a grey and brown bone protruding from his skin, “Oh my god! The bone’s sticking out! I need help!” he continued as everyone began shrieking in horror.

“It's a stick! I got you!” he threw the supposed bone away with a clap of his hands, squirming his body in an attempt at a victory dance. Some sighed in relief as some laughed “AAHAHAHA that was good!” Dustin pointed at him as Steve, you, Eddie and Robin all laughed.

“Daddy that bird is hurt!” Rachel squealed as she pointed past Luke to something nestled between the leaves behind him. The bird flapped and chirped in strain as it attempted to rise from the ground, “Oh my god” Robin shimmied down the rock towards the bird “We’ll go get a shoebox when we get back” Nancy comforted her daughter as she clung to her leg, hiding her face.

Eddie too shimmied down towards Luke as Robin picked the bird up and placed it in a makeshift pillow which was her hoodie. Eddie reached a hand out to help him up as he asked “Hey, did you really land on that bird, man?” he watched as Luke stood up and dusted himself off “Um.. I’m not sure. I-I did hear a chirp and then a crunch-like noise, but.. That could have been anything” he shook his head dismissively as Eddie snorted “Okey”.

The group of hikers made their way back as all the kids flocked around Robin to get a look at the bird.

“After lunch I’m gonna head into town with Steve, need to get a part for the engine” Eddie caught up to you again and bent slightly down to speak to you, “Oh ok, us girls were talking about heading to that shopping mall outside of the town later” you pulled your shorts up and tugged your t-shirt down since both had adjusted after talking a large step over a fallen tree “Alright great, I’m sure the girls’ll be fine, I’ll ask Luke if he can keep an eye on them” he said as he fell behind you.

You and Eddie took it upon yourselves to cook lunch, near 10 bags of fresh pasta boiled in two large pots as Eddie heated up a hefty amount of tomato sauce. Once Robin had set out all the plates and cutlery she leaned over and whispered to Eddie “Geez, she’s really bossy” she referred to the multiple orders you had nearly shouted out and multiple warnings not to touch the food. “I heard that” you deadpanned as you stirred the pasta, Eddie only laughed “Don't worry, she’s a lot more bossy when we do other things too” he smirked, earning him a smack to the back of the head from you.

Soon enough everyone had eaten and 11 of you packed into two cars, save for Holly and Ariana who were getting to know each other in their now shared room. You with Nancy, Tracy, Simone, Charlotte, Suzie and Eden in Jonathan and Charlotte's minivan and El, Robin and Vickie, and Max in her car. The mall wasn't too big, mostly clothes shops but too many to all collectively decide on so you all split up.

A cute little independent shop was where your group was headed.

“Oh. My. God! Y/N this is perfect for you!” Charlotte squealed as she held up a dress from the maternity section where she had already found a collection of things to try on “What, maternity clothes?” you laughed as you walked over to her, so far all you'd found was a cute set of panties with a matching teddy which you had reasoned you may as well treat yourself too since it seemed you were becoming more comfortable with yourself again. “Yes a maternity dress but seriously you would look gorgeous in this” she passed over the black silky smooth t-shirt fabric flowing from a hanger. You held it up to look.

Sleeveless with a turtleneck and shapeless, something you usually shied away from as it made you look like you were wearing a garbage bag, but sliding the fabric through your hands you discovered it had slits up the side, decidedly high up on the sides, no doubt past your thighs.

“Babe this would look horrible on me” you sighed as you motioned it back to her, she didn't take it, instead she insisted “Girl this is going to look absolutely stunning on you, at least just try it on” she compromised. “Fine”

You picked up a few more things before you, Charlotte, Simone and Nancy went to try all of your chosen items on.

You most definitely felt the confidence boost as you put the dress on, hips and thighs half on display, the slits hem resting just above your hip, but as you looked in the mirror that confidence washed away. Hip dips, stretchmarks and cellulite were all on display, sure you loved your body and had no issue showing it, but on your own terms, this was definitely a dress for skinny curvy girls, and your point was proved further as you turned to the side. Plump round breasts which honestly yes they looked fucking good, but below that your stomach, devided by your bellybutton and forcing the fabric out. At least the dress wasn't skin tight, the fabric hung from the roundest part of your belly, the bottom, not sucking right back in to show the roundness of it but you weren't keen on the rolls showing.

“Is it on?” Charlotte squealed excitedly as she and the others sat on a pouffe outside, all done with their try-ons, “Yes” you sighed as you turned to look at your front again “Ooh show me, show me!” you sighed again as you hung your head, walking out to show the outfit. “Oh my god, that dress was like made for you” Simone commented as you walked out. “Yeah, Eddies going to love that” Nancy told you with wide eyes. “Babe, it looks amazing! You have to buy it!” she clapped as you made your way over to the full length mirror on the floor, twisting and turning.

“Really?” you asked anxiously as you examined the back, rolls on show and bra straps clearly digging into your fat. “Yes! Come on, it's only like $15!” you contemplated it, it wasn't much money, and you sure had spent more on clothing that you never wore “Eh what the hell?” you shrugged.

You visited a few more stores and were all sat excitedly talking about it as you made your way home. “You should wear that dress tonight” Charlotte piped up from the back as you drove her minivan. “It’s a restaurant with kids, it's not appropriate” you laughed as you pulled into the parking lot of the cabin, “So? We’ll all wear what we bought. We’ll all be inappropriate, Simone you shoulder wear that strappy mess you call lingerie” you all laughed at her response as you parked up.

She kept pestering you all the way out the car, getting the other girls to join in and agree on wearing their new outfits not lingerie which Simone stated clearly “Fine! Fine! I’ll wear it!” you laughed as you entered in the huddle “Wear what?” Eddie chuckled as he slid over to you, dropping a kiss to your lips and naturally grabbing the bags to let you slip your shoes off. “Just this dress Charlotte made me buy” Charlotte in question smirked all smug as she leaned in “You're gonna die when you see her in it” you felt on the spot as Eddie turned with a matching smirk as the pair looked at you “Oh am I?” you only rolled your eyes and grabbed the bags, ruffling Ophelia's hair as you made your way up to check on Roxette.

Thankfully the dress covered up all the hickies, was all you could think as you looked yourself in the mirror, you’d decided against the new lingerie as you riffled through your new things, you weren't 100% ready for it yet but that was ok, instead your worn your usual dark black t-shirt bra and an matching thong which had also been picked up today, only for the purpose of the dress, topping the outfit off with your old beat up converse.

Before leaving for the trip you'd packed some of your old jewellery which hadn't been worn in months, now you were thankful for it, it really pulled the outfit together. A beaded black bracelet with a star hanging from it, a black chain necklace with a ruby in the shape of a crystal tower upside down hanging low from your neck and a collection of different earrings in your various ear piercings. All matching your simple winged eyeliner, mascara and blood red lips.

“Mom, you look like a vampire!” Roxette squealed excitedly as she ran over to you at the bottom of the stairs, you laughed at her comment, pulling her greedy hands away from you as she grabbed onto the fabric. “You look really pretty mom” Ophelia smiled from her spot on the couch next to her dad who was now fully distracted from his conversation with Steve.

You could feel his eyes rake over your body painstakingly slow, drinking you up. He cleared his throat as he blinked, remembering that not only were a bunch of people around but his kids too “You look really beautiful” he breathed as his eyes found yours. “Thanks” you beamed as you followed Roxette who was dragging you over to the dining table. Surprisingly what mattered the most was the opinion of your daughters, and all insecurity was shunted away as they showered you in their own version of praise.

You felt comfortable within yourself as you sat down next to Argyle to see the comic he was telling Roxette about. Not feeling the pair of wide eyes staring at you from across the room as his daughter tugged on his arm. The only way to describe Eddie right now, was speechless. He couldn't even begin to comprehend what he was seeing. The thighs, the stomach, your tits so clearly visible from the side, round and plump. Snake tattoo framed by vines spread wide on your right thigh while a spider creeping out of a skull occupied your left. The girls initials on the back of your left arm, the flower with the eye further down, the dripping moon on your upper arm, and on your other the large spider web on your forearm, a spider resting in its creation, the dagger dripping blood above it next to the butterfly with the eye.

Eddie always liked to joke about your fascination with spiders and eyes but right now all he could do was stare at them all in a daze. He couldn't say all of his favourite parts, nor nearly all, because every part of you were his favourite parts, but most of them were on display. All for Eddie to drink up and fascinate himself with. Not only did you look so incredibly sexy but also so goddamn pretty, beautiful, breathtaking, he couldn't decide. The gods above he didn't believe in had created this devine goddess and on top of that you were his wife??

Compliments were exchanged between all the girls who wore their brand new outfits as well as some teasing directed towards not only Eddie but Jeff, Luke and Jonathan whose wives all had worn something slightly frisky. Finally after lots of back and forth everyone set out in their cars to Woodmans.

Eddie looked behind him to see both girls hot in an argument about why being the knight while playing princesses was better than being a princess and decided the coast was clear. He would love to shower you with dirty compliments but he couldn't, so the best he could do was lay a hand high up on your thigh and grasp on tightly as a sign of affection. You grinned and turned to him as he gave you a meaningful look, desperately trying to convey his message. The message being, If I could, I would fuck you right here, right now.

“Dad, you're hurting mom!” Roxette screeched from the backseat as she witnessed the skin under his hand turning a deeper shade, he quickly retracted his hand and placed it firmly on the steering wheel “No I’m not” he retorted, as if he himself was a 7 year old child too. “Yes you are, and mommy had bruises too, did you do that” she strained against her seatbelt as she attempted to look her father in the eye, you snorted before turning in your seat “No baby, I’m ok, he's not hurting me” you explained. “See” Eddie smugly chimed in as Roxy stuck her tongue out at him.

He cleared his throat as everyone made their way into the restaurant, both girls running off to talk to their friends “So uh are you not wearing any underwear?” he whispered into your ear as his free hand landed on your hip, the other occupied with holding your hand behind you “Wouldn't you like to know” your neck craned to give him eye contact as you turned, beginning to smirk as you felt his hand slip under the fabric in search of something “Is-” his fingers found the hem of your thong, slipping under it and following it down to the crook of your cheeks where it disappeared in between them “Is that a thong?” he frowned down at you in surprise “Well my normal underwear wouldn't work with this” you explained as his hand found your hip again and you adjusted the fabric to sit back over your ass.

A guttural groan left Eddie's throat as you all entered the restaurant.

The restaurant was packed with people but luckily the server brought you to a room at the back which was mostly empty, seating you all down in a cluster of tables. Dim cozy lights shone up above as 80s music played from tinny speakers. There was a lot of ruckus, convincing kids to sit down and everyone finding their seats, Luke telling his kids he was going to sit over with the grownups at a long table while they sat with the other children.

“Hey Dustin” Mike called from across the table, “Remember when we used to come here late at night after we got wasteeed!” he grinned as he sat down next to El, Lucas and Dustin hushed him just as Eric piped up “What's wasted?”, “Nice one Wheeler” Lucas groaned, “Uh wasted, uh, kids is, something that happens.. When you have a hankering for ice cream” Lucas explained to the kids now all listening in.

“I wanna get wasted” Billy stood up excitedly “I wanna get totally wasted!” Louise exclaimed, “I wanna get wasted every single day of my life!” Emma chimed in. “I wanna get chocolate wasted” Roxetted agreed, “No you don't need to get wasted, it's ok” you patted her on the back as Eddie grinned, watching you walk over from the kids table and sit down next to him.

An old round lady made her way over tugging a notebook out of her apron, “Alright everybody, you know what let me make this easy” Luke explained as silence fell over the group, “41 burgers and 41 fries, okay? And uh.. That’ll be for me, what are you guys having?” he laughed as a shared collection of awws and laughs sounded around the room. Individual meals were ordered on separate tabs despite Will and Winters offers of paying and soon enough all the food was eaten and most of the kids and adults were off playing games in the arcade across the building.

“So Eddie” Holly scooted over on the bench once Robin and Vickey walked off to play the games, now sat right next to Eddie whose conversation with Dustin had been broken off to go change Willow's diaper. “Hm?” He asked, looking up from his drink and turning his head towards her “Tell me more about your job, I never got a chance to ask before” she smiled as she crossed her legs and faced towards him, her knees pressing firmly against Eddies thigh.

“Uh pretty self explanatory really, just fixing cars days on end” he shrugged, instinctively moving his leg away at the contact but turning his torso towards her to give her his attention. “Mmm” she hummed “I bet it's really tiring, your poor muscles” she reached a hand out to grab his shoulder, squeezing lightly a few times before letting her hand linger. “Uh, it's- uh… it's not too bad” Eddie frowned, confused at the action.

Next to him you were brought away from your conversation with a few others turning to see Holly squeezing at your husband's shoulder. Not only was she touching your man but he was also letting her? You frowned as Holly leaned in “I could help loosen them up if you want” she smiled a sultry smile as she looked up at Eddie with glossed over doe eyes “Uh no thanks, my wife usually does that” apparently the mention of you didn't have the intended effect, Holly only leaned in further, her hand sliding down his shoulder to grasp at his bicep.

“Is your wife here?” her voice was dropping lower by the second as her hand slid further down to plant a firm grasp on his thigh. “Yes” you leaned past Eddie to look Holly dead in the eye, she quickly ripped her hand away from his thigh “So would you please stop flirting with my husband” you frowned in disgust as Holly stuttered. “I-I uh, I’m so sorry” she looked down towards her lap. So far you hadn't ever spoken to Holly, you hadn't seen her since you were roughly 20 and she was a mere 6 years old but now that you had you found you weren't particularly fond of the 26 year old nonetheless.

Holly scuttled off embarrassed, pushing through the double doors to the room and out into the general restaurant area. “Thanks” Eddie breathed as he turned towards you, you only hummed annoyed in response as you turned back to the others. Eddie frowned at your reaction, bending down to give a kiss to your cheek in yet another thanks, you however made no reaction as you started talking to Luke.

Just as he was about to ask you what was wrong Steve leaned over the table to get Eddie's attention, sliding over a check in thanks for his work on the minivan earlier in the day.

He didn't get any more chances to talk to you as it seemed both of you were busy talking to other people at all times, he furthermore couldn't talk to you since you and Roxette were sat with Steve and Nancy surrounded by some of their kids in their newly working car on the way home, trading places so that Ophelia, Mercy, Louise and Emma could all sit together in your car.

Anxiety was bubbling up in Eddies chest, he had just gotten you back he didn't want to lose you again.

Finally after putting the girls to bed much too late you both got a moment of peace. Eddie whispered a hey as he wrapped his arms around you the second you came through the door from brushing your teeth. “Hi” your tone was flat when you answered him, already pulling away to put your things down. “What's wrong?” he sighed as he sat down on the foot of the bed, watching as you rummaged through the bags to find your sleep shirt. “Nothing” your tone was still flat but it let up in an exasperated “I’m just tired”. This time as you took your clothes off, Eddie wasn’t oggling like some teenager, he knew that I’m just tired and he knew it was bullshit.

Once you'd thrown the t-shirt over your head he beckoned you over, pleased when you stood between his thighs and letting his hands run up and down the backs of your own instead of ignoring him and going to bed. “I just” you sighed “Just Holly, really bugged me” you rolled your eyes at the fact that it affected you so much, it didn't normally. Normally when you heard someone flirting with Eddie you’d feel smug, knowing you had him first, but maybe it was seeing it hands on, literally, while you were right next to him. Blatant disrespect for your relationship. “Ah, well I don't think she knew we were married babe, either way you know I only have eyes for one girl” he squeezed teasingly at your ass as he grinned up at you “I know” you rolled your eyes at his cheesiness before a slight grin crept up on your features.

“Besides now you know how I feel” he ran his hands up your sides to hold onto your clothed hips “How you feel?” you asked confused, “Yeah, guys are always fuckin’ staring at you at bars and shit”

“No they're not” you laughed, “Oh believe me, they are, I know that look, I’ve done that look” he widened his eyes as he stared up at you, but you only chuckled in response “Sure babe” you pulled away from him and rounded the bed, walking over to your bedside table, slipping all your jewellery off but leaving your wedding band and engagement ring on.

“I’m serious, it's the same way Greg looks at you” he stood up, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it to the bench next to the bags. “Greg?” you turned around frowning as you unclipped your earrings. “Yes Greg, any excuse to stare at your ass in those pencil skirts and he takes it” he unbuckled his belt as you pulled the covers away from the bed, sitting up against the headboard.

“Oh please, he’s married and I'm really not his type, have you seen his wife?” you countered as he pulled his pants down. Greg's wife was short, skinny and blonde, basically the opposite of you. “Oh trust me, you're his type” he rolled his eyes as he placed his jeans next to his shirt, “Keep rolling your eyes, maybe you'll find a brain back there because you've clearly lost yours” you scoffed eyes following Eddie as he walked over and slipped under the covers and sat next to you.

As he removed his rings and watch he spoke “He stares at you like you're something to eat, and I bet he just loves spending late nights at the office with you” you scoffed once again, sliding down in the bed and laying on your side with you back to him. “You're ridiculous”

“Am I?”

“Yes”

“Is it really that ridiculous that I’m just a little bit worried that some sleeze is hovering around my wife, spending long nights working on a supposed project, not only that but the fact that I haven't even seen my wife the past six months?” you gasp in offence as you turn around to face him, sitting up with your legs to one side, bedcover gathering around your waist “Are you saying you think I’m cheating on you?” your glare is menacing, but not enough to break Eddie.

“Well are you? I mean we havent had sex in fucking forever”

“We had sex yesterday!”

“Yeah and that was the first time since christmas, its june. Maybe you’ve been so busy fucking him huh?”

“How fucking dare you? No I am not cheating on you you absolute asshole, I’ve been fucking depressed. But only King Eddie is allowed to feel down is that it? You're the only one who gets to say no yeah?”

“You've been depressed?” Eddies anger dissipated instantly as he watched your ragefilled eyes “Fucking obviously!” you threw your hands out. “I-I didn’t know..” he mumbled shamefully as he looked down towards his lap “Of course not, because you're too busy trying to get me naked to even notice” your hands rub angrily over your face.

“I- Of course I noticed, I just didn’t know it was that bad. Why didn't you tell me?” His heartful gaze was too much to bear as he looked up at you with sad eyes, you looked away to fiddle in your lap as you sheepishly admitted “I didn't want to bother you” tears were threatening to build up by your waterline so you furiously blinked them away. Eddie moved in front of you to sit on his knees, warm hands wrapped around your shoulders bringing you into his naked chest “Baby you could never bother me. I-I know you didn't grow up in a household where you could talk about your feelings but I’m not your mom, I’m your husband, you can tell me anything ok?” you felt him kiss your forehead as you were brought back down to the bed.

You were having trouble registering his next words, his previous statement building a sensation through you, shoulders tensing, and stomach knotting as warning bells sounded in your head that you were about to crumble.

“I’m here for you, always. But you just have to talk to me” with one arm around you he used his other to manoeuvre the cover to sit over the both of you before wrapping his arms tightly around you. “Ok” you whispered against him “Ok?” he breathed back “Ok”.

You pulled away from him to look up at his face, eyes swimming with infinite love for you, pink lips tugging into a smile. You kissed those same lips, smiling up at him once you broke apart, both the furious insistence that you not let his words get to you and the fact that his smile could light up a room made the worry slowly melt away. Eyes flitting down to his lips deciding to kiss him again, and again, and again until suddenly you were moving on the mattress to straddle his hips. Slowly hardening cock pressing against your thong as a hand came down to grab desperately at your ass.

Well that switched up quickly, he thought, but he couldn’t bring himself to continue the conversation. A subconscious decision he would find out later, might not have been the best idea. But his body worked faster than his brain, skin on fire with the feeling of you against him.

A groan left Eddie's throat as your tongue licked at his lips, begging for entrance while simultaneously beginning to grind against him. “Hmmph fuck” he breathed as his hand slid under your shirt, grabbing hungrily at your tit. You continued like that for a near minute before a wicked idea popped into your head, sure it was cruel but it was too fun of an opportunity to pass up.

You pulled away from him and sat up, a look of surprise spreading over Eddies face as his hand slipped from under your shirt “I don't wanna do this” you breathed, “What?” he whispered, you could hear the confusion in his voice “This” you gestured between your bodies “We don't have to if you don't want to, we can just you know, do it another time” his hands found yours in an attempt to reassure you. “No Eddie like… at all” it was so difficult not to burst out laughing as Eddie looked up at you extremely confused, slight hurt and disappointment peaking through his gaze.

“But-but we had sex” he was trying to wrap his head around the whole thing, not understanding how you switched up so fast, again, you initiated the kiss after all. “Just because we had sex doesn't mean we have to” one of his hands left yours to run through his hair in an attempt to cool his annoyance. “But if we both want to?” you shrugged “I guess, but I don't want to” the fact that you weren't climbing off him was just confusing him further “So were just.. back to no sex?”

“I dunno Eddie, it's just not the same” you sighed.

“Not the same?” he was deeply frowning now.

“It's not… fun… anymore” you had to avoid his gaze in order to stifle off your laughing. “It's not fun?” he inquired, voice raising in pitch to show his utter confusion. You couldn't help let out the snort bubbling from the back of your throat. You looked up at him and suddenly burst out in full laughter “Oh you fucking-” he breathed a sigh of relief as you laughed maniacally.

“You should have seen your face!” you wheezed as he wrapped his arms around you, bringing your body shaking with laughter back down to him “Not nice” he pouted. You looked up “I’m sorry” you mimicked his pout “You want me to make it up to you?” cupping his cheek as you spoke before sitting up and running your hands down his chest and stomach slowly. Eddie cleared his throat when he understood what you were insinuating “Ahem I mean only if you want to” you flashed him a cheeky grin as you slid down his thighs.

Bending down to peck at his lips you began trailing kisses down his torso, it was his turn to be embarrassed now so you opted for leaving a trail of hickies all the way down to the hem of his boxers, looking up at him with those eyes he always swore would be the death of him as you effectively palmed him over the fabric.

This was too god to be true, not only had he gotten to eat you out, and then fuck you after months and months of desperation, but you were now sliding further down his thighs, planting yourself on his calves about to give him a fucking blow job. Yep, it was too good to be true.

You hummed seductively as you pulled his boxers down under his balls to reveal his excruciatingly hard cock, precum beginning to collect and dribble from his concealed tip, pooling just under his navel. He let out a strained sigh as he felt your soft lips connect with his undercarriage, a soft kiss to the velvety skin which had him near panting.

In an agonisingly slow pace you kissed down his shaft, each kiss further spurring his heavy breathing on until a soft moan left his throat at the sensation of your tongue sliding up hot from the bottom of his shaft to the top. Your soft fingers wrapped lightly around his tip, one lazy stroke bringing his angry red tip to view beneath the skin, he couldn't help the borderline loud groan as he felt your tongue kitten lick at his slit, humming at the taste of his precum. “Mmm you missed this baby?” your voice was smooth and sultry like velvety smoke as you spoke, pulling back to adore the view of Eddie's half lidded eyes staring up at you in desperation and need as his hands gripped the sheets so hard his knuckles were threatening to turn white. “Y-yeah” he stuttered, trying his best at keeping his voice level and not letting it fall into a high pitched whine, inevitably revealing his pathetic need for you to touch him. A need which was unfamiliar to him, something so strong he hadn't felt it since he was a teenager and it was his first time doing this, it was intimidating.

“Yeah? You been thinking about this alot?” you stroking him lazily up and down was not helping him mask his desperation, each time revealing his tip before hiding it again, much too slowly for his liking. “Fuck, so much” he let his eyes flutter shut, soaking up each and every sensation of your hands on him instead. “Yeah been thinking about my lips wrapped around this big cock? Sucking as if my life depended on it?” at this point you were revelling in his poorly hidden desperation and spurring it on was only feeding your ego more. “Look at you, so desperate. Maybe I should hold off more, watch you work yourself up until you're just a whining mess beneath me more often? I’ve barely touched you baby” you hummed, tightening your grip only slightly.

“No!” Eddie almost shouted at your suggestion, eyes snapping open to look at your evil smirk. “P-please don't- don't do that” all you did was hum at his pleading. Bending down you softly wrap your lips around his tip, sucking with minimal effort yet it still has his hips bucking up into you, forcing nearly half his cock down your mouth, only stopping with the resistance of the back of your throat.

You hum in faux annoyance as you release him with a pop, “So desperate, you have no self control baby” to further accentuate your point you pin him with a harsh stare and a pout as he opens his eyes again “I’m sorry” the whisper is so quiet it nearly goes unrecognisable as spoken words to your ears, but you hear it and you grin wickedly as you soak up the scene before you. Your husband beneath you with your hand wrapped around him as another rubs softly up and down his thigh, bringing the sparse hair with you and then smoothing it over again. His slack jaw betrays the absolute bliss he's experiencing at the feeling of pushing at your throat only seconds before. Eyes glossed over and dripping with infinite adoration but also pure unfiltered hunger.

You hum again at his response, wrapping your lips around the tip and forcing his hips down with your free hand at the prospect of him bucking up into you again. A strangled whine leaves his throat as he writhes beneath you, his neck stretching taut to reveal thick muscles as his eyes roll to the back of his head. There's a thought to bring your hand up and squeeze at those same muscles but you dismiss it as his hips start to shake slightly, the task of forcing them down more pressing than choking him slightly.

You bob up and down on his tip a few times, what makes up only a near fifth of his cock threatening to be too much for your mouth to handle. A desperate whine leaves his lips as you pull off him with another pop, his eyes opening once again to understand why you released him, they fall closed again, crinkling at the corners as he screws his face up when he feels your hot tongue run over one of his balls.

“Fuck!” he's way too close to being loud enough that everybody else will hear him at this point. You bring him into your mouth, sucking gently while still lazily stroking him, he’s releasing a mix of whines and whimpers when your tongue traces patterns on the soft skin before moving to the other after a few seconds, giving his other side the same treatment.

You release him again to watch his screwed up face, his hand not soon before finding yours and grasping onto you in a bone breaking hold. “Look at you” you tut “So desperate, whimpering even” you chuckle lightly as he opens his eyes to glare at you “Hm” you hum in faux pity as you sit up slightly, hand on his hip working its was up to cup his cheek, sliding down and pulling at his bottom lip with your thumb, watching it slap back into place. “Don't worry baby, just tell me what you want”.

“N-need you..” he closed his eyes in embarrassment after voicing his request “Need me to do what pretty boy?” he whines at the pet name, writhing beneath you in desperation as he tried to will his mind to stop blocking him for telling you what he wanted. “S-suck” is all he manages to get out. You ponder the idea of pushing him further but he looks so desperate from where you're sat, you decide to indulge him, humming pitifully before bending back down and wrapping your lips around his tip, sucking him down to half his length and then back up again.

You repeat the process revelling in the desperate groans and now only occasional whines as you tongue at his cock. The hand not holding yours finds its rightful place at the root of your hair, tugging slightly as he guides you up and down. You increase your pace and hear his groans go louder as well as feel his thighs tensing tremendously. “Shh baby you gotta be quiet” you whisper as you come up for a deep breath. He works his fingers out of yours to bite down on his flexed knuckles. You hum in approval and go back to his cock, determined to take him deeper you force him down to the back of your throat, taking deep breaths through your nose each time you pull up.

With your now free hand you opt for massaging his balls lightly, close to laughter as his hips buck up, this time not restraining him.

For only a mere 15 seconds you get to continue before you feel his whole body shake beneath you, one particular thrust of his hips unveiling his angry red head, millions of nerves on fire as they brush over your tongue and throat causing his inevitable orgasm. That and the fact that his hand is pressing your head down as far as you'll go, forcing his cock right down your throat, while his sack tenses in your hand, is the only sign of him no longer teetering over the edge but about to fall right off it. It’s all the warning you get before hot spurts of cum shoot down your throat as he groans loudly against his hand.

It feels as though your lungs begin to close up as his neverending release continues. Finally however his shaking simmers under your touch and you pull off him quickly, panting to find your breath again. As you pull away his hand slips from your hair to thud against the mattress.

Once you've found a steady pace of breathing again you look down and chuckle breathily, Eddie's face is still screwed up and he's biting down hard on his knuckles, no doubt leaving marks. His abs are prominent as he still clenches his stomach, as well as all his other muscles. Your hands sliding smoothly over his torso has him fully relaxing beneath you, he's still panting heavily after his orgasm but each breath slowing by the second.

You grin as you climb off him and fall onto the mattress next to him, even after you've pulled his boxers back up and wriggled your way under the duvet he's still in the same position, finally softening his features and letting his hand fall to his side. With his eyes still closed you pick up his hand to inspect the deep red indents in his skin, beads of blood collecting in each.

Eventually he opens his eyes to find you grinning down at him “Holy shit” he breathes as he rolls over on his side, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you to his chest. “I have never seen you that desperate” you giggle as he grasps onto your hand against his chest “Shut up” he chuckles as he closes his eyes and snuggles his forehead against the top of your head. “I mean jesus dude”, he only hugs you tighter in response.

Suddenly he pulls away from you, looking down at you intensely “Wait, was this all a distraction?” you frown at his words “Do you actually not want to have sex anymore?” his face is painted with worry and desperation for an answer. “Jesus Eddie can’t I just suck your dick?” you laugh, his face relaxing into exaggerated and with a shrug he says “No you can” you giggle again and nuzzle your face into his chest.

Just as the night before it seemed that no matter how you fell asleep you always ended up on your side with Eddie curled up behind you. Eddie woke up suddenly, rushing out of bed to get to the bathroom as he passed his kids in the hall making their way to your room, not stopping to say good morning before ripping the door open and shuffling inside.

“Moooom” you awoke with a scream as you found Roxettes widely grinning face less than an inch away from your own, “Jesus christ” you sighed as Roxy laughed and made her way over to her sister rooting through the bags. “What’s this?” Ophelia asked curiously as she held up a blood red lace teddy, you jumped out of bed ripping it away from her hands and shoving it into a ball back into the bag it came from. She frowned “It's just underwear” you sighed as she continued frowning “It didn't look like underwear”, “Well it was”.

As Eddie came back to the room he was greeted by the full view of your ass as you bent over to look through the bag next to Roxette who was now viewing her two outfit options she had laid out on the bed and Ophelia nagging you to find her swimsuit. He cleared his throat, alerting you all to his presence “Oh hi, can you go check downstairs if Ophelia's bikini is there?” your voice was rushed as you quickly turned back to look through the bag. “Sure” was all he said before he was out the door without a second thought.

As you suggested Ophelia find her clothes for the day while Dad looked for her swimsuit, the Dad himself leisurely made his way across the hall and down the stairs. Gareth burst out laughing as well as Luke and Jeff who were all sat around the kitchen table. “What?” he asked as he made his way over to the couch, spotting the swimsuit immediately. “Real sexy man” Jeff commented as Eddie stood back up, suddenly realising he was in nothing but his boxers he instinctively covered his crotch with both hands. “Guess she got you back then” Luke gestured to his chest and down his stomach laughing as Eddie looked down to see the trail of hickies down his torso.

“Man fuck all of yall, least I’m getting some” he gave the group the finger as he promptly walked past the armchairs and up the stairs.

“Dad you have bruises too” Roxette slapped a hand to Eddie's stomach, causing him to groan as he threw the bikini at Ophelia, unintentionally throwing it at her face, she frowned as she picked the items off her head. “Mhm, yep” he pulled the shirt you had thrown at him in response to his attack on your daughter, over his head.

Breakfast had been eaten and Eddie said his goodbye as you gathered the girls and took them down with you to the beach. Pulling all his things out of his pockets he haphazardly tossed them onto the coffee table before joining Jeff, Luke, Gareth, Steve and Jonathan out on the dock where they were throwing the canoes into the water.

Within 10 minutes they were all in their boats and paddling away, Eddie and Jeff sharing one, Luke and Steve, and Garet and Jonathan sharing the others.

“This reminds me of when we were 14 going out on Lovers lake” Eddie commented as they slowed down a few hundred yards away from shore, “Got my first boob that time we all went together” Gareth supplied proudly, “I know you did, it was my wife, and may I add accidental” Eddie grumbled as the group laughed. “No regrets, perfect tits” the group exploded with laughter as Eddie threatened that he had no issue jumping out of his canoe and pulling Gareth out of his.

“Alright Emmerson, that all you think about? Chicks?” Luke laughed, “Yeah relax dude most of us got daughters” Steve added, “That's all you guys think about too, especially this guy” he pointed towards Eddie “Difference is, I can do something about it”

“That's not true! Alright it's true” Eddie laughed.

“You wanna know what I fantasise about?” Luke asked as he stared at the back of Steve's head, turning to Gareth and Jonathan he continued, “Candy-bars”

“Candy-bars?” Jeff laughed, “No, I had a bad blood sugar test at my last checkup and Simone cut me off” Luke threw his hands out in slight annoyance as he explained. “You're a grown ass man, how do you deal with that?” Jeff accused as Luke placed his paddle in the boat and leaned back with his hands behind his head “Oh, I got my own hidden stash, I’m not stupid” the group laughed as he continued “Seriously, I got it all. I got Reese’s, Butterfingers, 3 musketeers. I hide ‘em under my clothes in the bottom of the hamper” he demonstrated with his hands before rowing again “It's great because the smell in my sweat socks masks the chocolate smell”

“And the looks of your underwear match the chocolate stains” Jonathan laughed, earning the same reaction from the rest of them. “Hey, hey, hey, hang on, guys I gotta make a sissy” Steve held his hand out, seemingly not distinguishing between his kids and a group of men when it came to his wording. The group began protesting as Steve repeated himself in a shout “I gotta make a sissy!”

“Come on, you made three already!” Jeff groaned, “It must be just oozing out at this point” Steve gave Jonathan the finger as he stood up in the boat “Shut up I’m trying to concentrate”. “It’s taking a piss, not the SATs” Eddie rolled his eyes “Yeah you should know, you took 21 of them”

“Fuck off”

Steve screwed his face up in concentration as the group heard his intermittent stream, Eddie held his hand out in confusion “Are you peeing or is a diesel truck turning off? What the hell is that?”

“Listen to hamper bottom” Luke laughed “I think he’s sending a message in morse code” he held his finger up “Getting old. Stop. Can’t pee. Stop. Reeks like asparagus. Stop. Even though I didn't even have any. Stop.” he laughed as Eddie spoke “The good news is these girls are gonna have to say hi to it” he waved as a motorboat full of girls in bikinis drove by. “What’s up ladies?” he grinned.

“Hey girls!” Gareth waved enthusiastically, the group of girls shouted complaints at the men as Steve awkwardly waved at them, “They don't all look like that ladies” Jonathan grinned. Just as Luke was about to say something Steve turned, spraying a little bit over the front of his t-shirt before turning back to the water “Aah! Come on!” he whined.

After a near hour round trip they made it back, Luke swearing as he ran off to throw on a clean shirt, without warning Eddie ripped his own off, tossing it onto the wood as he slipped his shoes off and cannonballed right in between you, Ophelia and Roxette. Both girls squealed as you splashed him in the face when he resurfaced. “Asshole” you shrieked as you pounced on him, dunking his head under the water with force from behind.

Before you had a chance to react you felt Eddie's hands wrap around your thighs and before you knew it you were hoisted into the air on his shoulders. You didn't even get a chance to breathe before he flung you off to back-flop into the water. As you resurfaced both girls were already hounding their father for him to do the same for them, you giggled as you watched him throw your eldest off him. As he continued you gazed around the beach, the water filled with happy little kids splashing away as the group canoeing collected on the wooden chairs not far from the various towels scattered over the beach with various occupants.

Out of the corner of your eye you noticed Holly sat next to Ariana watching intently, you rolled your eyes and chose to ignore her, instead joining in with throwing the kids about.

The kids had set up a blanket fort in the attic and were all gathered munching on their sandwiches as the adults ate their lunch in the mixture of a dining and living room. “Oh Rob, can you pass me my wallet” Eddie raised his voice as he sat next to most of the younger ‘kids’ by the dining table, Robin looked up from her conversation with Charlotte and Winter on the couch and motioned towards the black leather on the table, “Yeah that one” Robin picked it up and flung it across the room towards him as something slipped out and floated to the floor in front of Gareth who was making his way to the fridge for a beer.

Eddie caught his wallet and frowned as he saw Gareth bend down and pick up a polaroid, “Is this you?!” he exclaimed in surprise, clutching the photo Gareth turned to you in one of the arm chairs “Huh?” you asked as you looked up. Before Gareth had the chance to show you Eddie was jumping over the table, knocking a glass of juice over in the process and ripping the polaroid away from Gareth's hands with a “Give me that!”

“Holy shit!” Gareth exclaimed as Eddie shoved the photo back into his wallet “What?” you placed your plate on the floor and stood up, walking over to Eddie who was now giving Gareth a death glare. You pulled the wallet from Eddie, opening it up to see the same family photo from when the kids were 4 and 7 in the plastic pocket. Examining it further you realised a collection of polaroids were shoved in one of the pockets for dollar bills.

You gasped as you pulled them out, looking up to Eddie's embarrassed and awkward face as he shoved his hands in his pockets. You felt Gareth leaning over your shoulder as you looked through them and quickly pulled away from him. “I thought you kept these at home” you whispered angrily as Gareth chuckled and continued his mission of getting a drink.

“Well I didn't” Eddie answered sheepishly as you continued looking through them. A whole collection of photos from one particular night where both girls had been away at a school sleepover, leaving the house empty for the both of you in late September of last year. It seemed the photos had been kept in the order they had beentaken in, a couple showing you in lacy black underwear with thigh garders connecting to your hips, one in the doorway and one stood between Eddies thighs, a few more of you giving Eddie a blow job, one of Eddie eating you out, one of your bare pussy, one of you on your back holding your legs up to your chest, pussy on show as well as every other intimate part of you, four of just your naked upper body, laid on the bed, staring up at the photographer with an assortment of fuck me eyes and wide, open mouth, eyes rolled back’s and one last one, crumpled up seemingly the one Gareth had seen.

You on your back, breasts free from their confines and spilling to the side, eyes closed and a happy smile on your face, and long thick ropes of cum painting your stomach and chest.

“Is this the one he saw?” you whisper, it seemed the rest of the group had gone back to their conversations after the interruption “Yeah..” you give a bratty and annoyed grunt as you shove the photos back into Eddie's wallet and thrust it into his chest angrily. He takes it and makes a show of stuffing it into his pocket before you turn away and sit back down in your arm chair.

He was so fucked, and it seemed not only he knew it but the rest of the table who were looking at him with awkward sympathy, as well as Gareth grinning wickedly, not only from the photo but your reaction to it. He wasn't sure what to do, you were making it quite obvious you didn't want to talk to him given the fact that your back was now turned to him, half twisted in your chair. He felt like he should talk to you about it, apologise, but instead his feet steered him back to the table, “Shit” he mumbled under his breath as he saw Dustin bent down cleaning up the juice with a rag “Here let me” he grabbed the towel and continued mopping up the spilled drink, wringing it out in the sink and hanging the towel up on the oven handle he caught an annoyed glare from you which made him fold in on himself as he sat back down.

He took his chance to talk to you as he heard you excuse yourself to the bathroom, cornering you just outside the door. “Babe, I am so sorry” he pleaded as you turned to face him, you looked behind him to see Mike walking down the hall and quickly grabbed his hand, pulling him into the bathroom and locking the door.

“Are you ok?” his voice was soft as he spoke to you, leaning up against the counter as you turned and made a beeline for the toilet. “I’m fine, I’m just..” you took a second to think over your words as you pulled your calf-long green flowery skirt up and in turn your underwear down, “embarrassed” you finished as you sat down. “I’m sorry, I wasn't thinking when I asked Robin to throw it” he spoke as you began peeing.

“It’s fine” you sighed as you wiped and stood up, bumping his hip with yours to get him to move away from the sink. He wrapped his arms around you as you washed your hands. “Is it actually fine or is this one of those times where you say it's fine but it's actually not?” his eyes found yours in the mirror, moving with you as you dried your hands and spun around in his grasp. “It's actually fine” you couldn't help the small tug of your lips as you looked up at his wide eyes.

A smile painted his features as he saw your face “They been in there the whole time?” you snort slightly when he nods, “What do you even do with them?” definitely a stupid question, but for some reason you wanted to hear him say it. “What do you think I do with them?” he laughed “I jerk off to them, obviously” he rolled his eyes playfully as you grinned.

“That what you do when you spend an hour in the shower without it even running?” your eyebrows tugged down as you tried stifling an ever wider smirk, “Yeah as if you hadn't already figured that out” you shrug as he fakes a look of exasperation “At least you're not making the water bill worse than it already is” he rolled his eyes again. “Keep rolling your eyes, maybe you'll find a brain back there” The sentence this time said under slightly nicer circumstances. Your grin breaks into a giggle as he begins tickling you.

After some shrieking at him to stop he finally does, and when you catch your breath you look up at him again “What else do you jerk off to?” he snorts a laugh at the sudden change in demeanour but looks down at you with some trace of seriousness “Mostly just that kind of stuff” he shrugs, he definitely had a lot more photos stashed at home, but he had to admit that little collection was by far his favourite “Really? For six months? Jesus Christ, aren't you bored of my body yet?”

“I’m beginning to think you're the one with no brain now, I’d never get tired of your body” he squeezes you ass playfully, beaming when you giggle again.

“I just remembered I brought my yoga tape, we could do a little yoga sesh tomorrow, what do you think?” is the first thing you hear as Charlotte makes her way up to you with a beaming smile, pearly whites on show as she holds her hand together above her stomach hopefully. “Sure, sounds fun” Charlotte jumps happily as you feel Eddie kiss your cheek before walking back to the dining table.

Eden and Argyle set up games for the kids outside as the rest of you are scattered about the property. You smile as you hear shrieking from the kids playing tag, happily chatting to a group on the wrap around porch as Vickie paints your now acrylic nails. She's gone through most of the people who wanted their nails done by now, including Eddie who got black and white spider webs painted on his natural nails, over the moon that she got so many people to practise on in preparation for her new job as a nail tech.

“Hot” Eddie grins as he leans over your shoulder to see your medium length, almond shaped, blood red extensions, you grin up at him and peck his lips when he bends down, your kiss cut short as he shuffles to the side to let Roxette through, sick of running around she lets out a loud sigh as she finds a seat in your lap. “Whatcha doooin?” she asks as she inspects Vickies work “Getting our nails done, you wanna?” she happily nods and tells Vickie “Can I have black? Like monster nails, this long!” she shows an exaggerated length by holding her hands apart a near foot, Vickie looks up at you concerned as you turn to your daughter, “Maybe not that long baby, how about something like this” you show on your own nails, now finished as Vickie switches the UV light off, demonstrating half the length of what you have.

She sighs but agrees and you ask Vickie if that's ok, to which she nods before going to work on a fresh set of nails.

“Dad look!” she squeals as she finds him laying in the grass next to Jonathan, Argyle and Dustin who's playing with Willow. “Wow!” he exclaims in mildly faux excitement, “Aren't they a little long?” concern paints his features as he holds onto her hands “Moms are longer” is all the argument she gives before running off to watch Ophelia get her nails painted bubblegum pink.

The clock neared 9 pm as everyone sat gathered in the empty boathouse to watch Dustin's homemade movie screen, Star Wars: A New Hope playing in the projector as it shows on the white bedsheet hanging on the wall. Most of Hellfire spent the afternoon dragging down couches and armchairs from the basement, setting out snacks and drinks as well as multiple blankets and pillows to set up movienight. Pizza had been ordered and now you were comfortably snuggled up to the arm of a couch as Roxetted curled up in your lap, watching intently. Ophelia sat with the Harringtons barely paying any attention as they whispered to each other excitedly.

Next to you sat Eddie who had Jeff and Tracy on his other side, all munching away on their slices of pizza, both Jeff and Eddie watching intently as you and Tracy giggled at their intense gazes despite them having seen the movie hundreds of times. From the other side of the room Robin waved a pack of cigarettes at you, a silent invitation for you to join her, you grinned and nodded before bowing your head down to whisper “Think you can sit with Dad for a little bit?” in Roxettes ear. She nodded and with her eyes never leaving the screen she shifted over, pizza slice hanging from her mouth while she plopped down in Eddie's lap.

The scene was absolutely comical, Eddie automatically moving his plate out of the way and settling her in his lap while both of them never wavered in their watching the movie. You left both of them to awkwardly climb over people on the floor, whispering sorry’s until you got to the door.

Robin handed you the packet of cigarettes and you lit one as you walked off the peer and onto the grass, sitting down next to her. “So Vickies becoming a nail tech” you kept your voice quiet, it seemed a shame to disturb it as silence fell over Muskegon, the only sound being the movie playing softly in the background. “Yeah, she's real excited, I’m proud of her” you smiled at the love Robin had for her girlfriend. “How’s it going with the ring?” when Robin had first announced that she was going to propose you, Nancy and Steve were all over the moon, squealing excitedly and talking nonstop about the wedding.

“Picking it up on sunday next week, called today” she grinned “Yeah that's why I asked doofus” suddenly the door opened and you both turned to see Nancy making her way across the wood panelling making grabby hands as she got closer.

The three of you sat chatting for a near 40 minutes until the door opened again, gaining the attention of all three of you, you stood up when you saw Eddie carrying Roxette, her arms flung over his shoulders as her head bobbed with each step. “Want me to take her?” you whispered once you got to them, you smoothed your hand over her curls which she had inherited from her father, “You sure?” he stood with his side to you, showing her peaceful face as she slept in his arms. “Yeah, go watch the movie” you whispered back. She stirred as he handed her over to you with a thanks, you waved a hand to the girls, telling them you'd be back in a few.

Walking back with Roxette in your arms proved to be heavier with each step but eventually you made it down to the basement and placed her on the mattress next to Ophelias, making sure to be as quiet as possible as to not wake the other kids who had been unfortunate enough to miss the movie due to their age. Slipping her shoes off as well as her jean shorts and tucking her into bed you gave a kiss to her forehead. When you were certain she was asleep you tiptoed back out the room and up the stairs.

Once the movie was over and most of the stuff from the boathouse was brought back inside you both tucked Ophelia to bed. “Ugh I forgot I have to shower” you groan once you step over the threshold to your bedroom walking straight to the bench across from you to pick up your toiletries and towel. “I gotta shower too but you go first I’ll just wait here” Eddie says as he sits down on the foot of the bed, “We can.. shower together if you want” you suggest as you make your way back to the door.

Nah this was just too much, only a few days ago he wasn't even touching you and now you wanted to shower with him? Was he high? Was this all a dream? Was he gonna wake up tomorrow to find himself back on day one of this trip, disappointed because you hadn't wanted to do anything despite the change of scenery?

“Hello?” you wave a hand in front of his face, “Huh what?” he shakes his head and looks up at you “I said we can shower together, if you want to?”

“Hell yes” he stands up so quickly you think he might fall over, but instead he just rushes to snatch his towel up and tap your ass to get you out the door. “How are you already hard??” you whisper as he eagerly tears his shorts down and steps out of them, hard cock slapping his stomach before standing out proudly, “I’m getting to shower with my wife” he says with wide eyes as he pulls his shirt over his head, leaving him in nothing but a silver chain, a deep red pick with your name written in acrylic resting below his collarbone “You do realise shower means shower right? It's not a codeword for sex” you explain as you pull your thin corroded coffin t-shirt over your head.

“Still, it's you, naked” he grins as you unclasp your bra, you roll your eyes playfully as he watches you like a child promised candy. “Well get in then” you gesture to the shower, pulling your bra off and letting it fall to the floor. He walks slowly, eyes never leaving your figure as you pull your skirt down. “Jesus Eddie, you've seen me naked like a million times” you laugh after he knocks his shins into the bathtub wall, he grins sheepishly as he steps over it.

He shakes his head as if to force out all of his dirty thoughts before turning the shower on, the fact that Eden had just stepped out of the shower minutes before played in his favour. He stepped under the stream of warm water after checking the temperature with his hand, running his hair back and away from his face he soaks up the feeling of the water pattering against his skin.

He turns instantly when he hears you step over the small wall and into the bath, not giving you a second to hang your toiletry bag up next to him before circling his arms around you, inevitably pressing his hard cock against the soft dough that is the middle of your stomach.

You reach behind him and fumble blindly until you manage to hook the bag onto one of the metal bars connecting to a shelf already full of wash products. When you pull your arm back you wrap it around his neck to join your hands behind him.

Eddie hums happily and squeezes you tighter, when the hug stretches to 20 seconds long you pull away from him, “As much as I do like hugging you I did actually come in here to shower” he rolls his eyes and groans as he lets you move around him to stand in the firing range of the water.

His hand stops you before you can wrap your fingers around the shampoo bottle, non-verbally telling you he would do it, you shrug and smile at him. You tip your head back slightly as he squirts a hefty amount of frosty gel into his hand, rubbing both together before smoothing them down the surface of your hair.

You let an open mouthed hum escape your lips as the tips of his fingers begin massaging your scalp, you feel his hands twitch for a second at the sound before no doubt pushing through and continuing his work in your hair.

You decide not to tease him by making the sound again, instead you stay quiet and enjoy the sweet and in some way, very much needed, moment between the two of you. It seems Eddie drags the time out of washing your hair because by the time his hands retract you’ve closed your eyes in a lull while a content daze creeps through you.

You whisper a thanks as you turn around, you close your eyes and bring your arms up to run your fingers through your hair and rinse under the water. Not noticing as Eddie's eyes trail down your body. Soaking up every beautiful sight that he’s rewarded with, from your relaxed face, down your thick arms, soft skin pulled with the weight of gravity, to the litter of fading hickies running down your neck to your collarbones, further to your now slightly perkier tits, weight following your raised arms. Down to your soft stomach and hips, he leans back to examine you further, wispy hairs curling over your mound, plush squishy thighs to your calves. He always argued with you when you called them chicken legs and watching you now even strengthened his point that you were wrong.

He snaps his eyes back to yours as you pull your head forward and open your eyes. This time you don’t reach for the next item in your routine, instead you turn around as Eddie pulls the conditioner from the plastic pocket.

Once he’s gone through the motions of running his hands through your hair, smoothing product into the strands you motion for him to switch places. He stands expectantly before you as you sigh, “Babe I hate to break it to you but you're like 6 foot 3, you either gotta bend down or sit on your knees” you chuckle as you can feel him roll his eyes at you. “Mm, you want me on my knees, kinky” he grins at you from over his shoulder, bright teeth on show as he grins wider at your mimic of his reaction, you roll your eyes.

The first thing he says as your fingers come into contact with his own scalp is “Ugh I’ve missed this” his feet slotted between yours after he folded himself down to his knees against the ceramic. “What having someone else wash your hair cuz’ you’re too lazy?” chuckling you work your fingers through his hair, making sure to get every square inch, partly to prolong the moment just like he had but also because you know damn well he is actually too lazy to wash his precious curls properly. You giggle as he nips at your thigh gently, “Shut up, I wash my hair” he grumbles, “You sure? Because there seems to be a lot of dandruff here” another nip to the thigh has you laughing again, the volume dampening quickly when you remember there are people on the other side of both walls.

“Shut up” he laughs, for a long time that sound hadn't had any particular effect on you, but in this particular moment, you feel the formerly black, now neutral, vines colour in a bright shades of golden orange hues. Happiness flowing through you from your chest as his genuine, honest laugh plays like music to your ears.

You let the gold take over you, all the way up to your mind as you rest content with Eddie's head in your hands for a few minutes. Both of you sulk at the all too soon retraction of your hands, after rinsing your hands you let them trail from his shoulders as he stands up, you smack his ass playfully before he turns to face you. Just as he opens his mouth to give a snarky remark you beat him to the punches, “How, how are you still hard? All I did was wash your hair!” you gesture your hands toward the near 8 inches which keeps the two of you apart, he shrugs happily as he washes the product out of his hair. “I’ll give you three guesses” he smirks down at you.

In retaliation you spin around and back up into him, forcing him against the shower wall and in turn you under the water “Hey, wha-”, “Need to get the conditioner out” you shrug as you let the mixture of cream and water run down his front. “Not fair” he fakes a pout as he wraps his arms around you “Can you at least move?” without his hands ever leaving you, the two of you shuffle around and switch places.

He’s trying so hard, he really is, but he can't stop himself from pressing up against you and slotting himself between the globes of your ass. Even though his dirty mind was being painstakingly presented to you he still wanted to respect your obvious hinting at no sex. But as he feels himself surrounded by your wet skin he can't help the moan that slips from the back of his throat.

You sigh and turn in his hold once your hair is clean “Do you want me to suck your dick? Is that what this is?” there's a hint of annoyance painted across your features as he looks down at you “What? No! I just, I dunno’, babe you're naked, its extremely difficult to practise self restraint right now” you stare up at him expectantly “We don't have to do anything just let me feel you” the shrug he gives up doesn't portray any sort of casualness as his face pleads with you.

“Fine” you grin and point a finger at him “But when you're actually on your knees, begging, I will be giving you an ‘I told you so’” he sticks his tongue out in retaliation with a “Try me” murmured through a smirk. “You really wanna go down that road?” you raise your eyebrows, feeling smug as Eddie makes a face of nonchalance “Alright, no sex and no touching and I’ll give you 20 bucks” you wait expectantly until Eddie pulls away from you, hand held out in offering “Heh deal” and you shake on it.

“Now you just stand there and look pretty so I can get on with my shower” you hide a sneaky smirk as you turn and pull the body wash from the bag, face neutral as you turn again with a handful of soapy liquid. Eddie's smug face falls way too fast as he watches you transition from lathering it onto your arms to smoothing your hands over the swell of your tits.

You grin evilly at him but it goes unbeknownst to him as his eyes are trained on the way your plump flesh moves rhythmically with your hands. “Giving me my 20 bucks yet?” you tease as you hold your tits up, bouncing them slightly against each other. Eddie shakes his head as if snapping himself out of his trance and manages to meet your gaze “Never” he whispers with narrowed eyes. You shrug and continue your way down your torso.

You know you have him when you turn around, spreading your legs wide and bending down to work your way up your calves. The muffled squeak you hear from behind as Eddie is met by your pussy on full display furthers your knowledge of winning this little impromptu contest, but when you hear a sharp intake of breath and the sound of feet pattering once, twice, away from you, you begin to falter, maybe he’s stronger than you anticipated.

You stand up annoyed and quickly spin around, met by Eddies guilty looking face and a hand ripping away from his dick you groan mildly “I said no touching, that includes yourself”, “I wasn't!” he quickly jumps to offence “You're a shit liar babe” you laugh, “Fine, you get your $20, now can I please touch you” he holds his hands together as he begs. “Hmm, well I am finished with my shower..” Eddie beams, “But I do need to brush my teeth” you pretend to wonder as his smile falters.

“If you can wash yourself at the same time.. Fine” his smile shines brighter than the one before it “But you only have so much time, the waters already getting cold and I wanna’ go to bed warm” before you can even say anything else you're being flipped around and bent over by two strong hands at your hips and back. You only just manage to brace yourself on the wall before you feel the head of his cock pressing at your hole, the whine that rings throughout the room resembles one of a bratty teenager as he slips inside all the way to the hilt.

As he arches his back in strain all you can feel is his hips against yours and his cock buried deep within your walls until he lets out a heavy breath above you and his forehead rests between your shoulder blades. “Did you.. Did you just cum?” you laugh breathlessly, “No” it's an annoyed grumble against your skin “Oh my god! You totally did!” you eyes widen as you twist your neck to find a wet mop of curls splayed across your skin “How?!” he shamefully admits that the scalp massage and press of your tits against the back of his head may have been a little too much for him, and that he may or may not have slipped up for a couple of minutes.

You slap a hand to your mouth as you roar with laughter, still echoing within the four walls as Eddie slips out of you and you turn around, “Shame, I was looking forward to a good showerfuck” you tut but break out into a sympathetic grin as you realise he’s properly ashamed of himself, with a hand cupping his cheek you reassure him “Baby it's ok” when his face contorts into a pained one you tell him “Seriously baby it's ok, happens to the best of us” he rolls his eyes at you.

You press a kiss to his lips and then to his forehead before you tell him to switch places with you so you can do the bodywash. His shame melts away as your hands slide over his inked skin, smooth fingers running over the anatomical angel, wings spreading far over his shoulder blades, its feet resting over a series of tattooed vertebra that runs down his own spine.

After what must have been half an hour shower the both of you tiptoe across the floorboards in your towels, quickly changing into fresh underwear and wrap yourselves up with each other after you've dropped a t-shirt on to the floor next to your side of the bed for tomorrow morning. Just as any other night you’re back in his heavy arms, that alone would be enough to make the daze of sleep take over you but it seems it's not enough. You feel as Eddie drifts off into dreamland behind you, his breathing evens out into soft puffs of air and his arms loosen their tight grip around you.

20 minutes after initially getting into bed you snap your eyes open, stifling a groan of annoyance as you pinch your eyes shut in frustration. The air in the room was humid and stifling, Eddie's arms suddenly felt like they were suffocating you despite them only resting gently around your waist, the comforter only adds to the pressure and within seconds you start to feel like you're being smothered. Technically you could try harder at falling asleep, you could push Eddie off you, kick the blankets away and crack a window but once your eyes focus on your leather handbag leaned up against the wall it's over for you. You slowly slip out of bed, extremely cautious of your husband's sleeping form surrounding you. You throw the shirt over your head and begin your search for the pack of cigarettes hidden at the bottom.

The soft whine that leaves Eddies throat has your movements halting, bent over in a strain you slowly turn your head to find Eddie rolling onto his back, when it seems he's fallen back asleep you resume your desperate search, a relieved sigh whispers throughout the room as you finally find what you're looking for. When you open it you find that the usual AC/DC lighter shoved between the rolled up papers is gone, you roll your eyes. Before you get the chance to root through your bag further you catch a glimpse of Eddie's zippo in the jumbled mess that was the contents of his pockets poured onto his bedside table.

Making an effort to be as quiet as possible you make your way around the bed, just as you level with his knees you stop dead in your tracks, another whine echoes in the room, this time frustrated as Eddie turns back on his side and blindly starts patting his hand around your vacant spot. In his sleep filled haze he seems to register your absence because his eyes snap open as his head forces back to examine the empty mattress. The sound of a floorboard creek makes him whip around to face you, he frowns. You can't help but smile as you examine his face, he’s cast in darkness but you can still make out the shape of his furrowed brows above half lidded eyes, predominantly black irises peeking through under his long lashes, his soft laugh lines, etching deeper with each year that passes, a tug of his full pink lips, pursing them as the corners pull down slightly. Your smile turns embarrassed as he sits up “What are you doing?” his voice is laced with sleep, a deep throaty husk as he presses a knuckle to his eyes.

“Was just going for a smoke, go back to sleep” you whisper, arriving at your destination and pulling his lighter from a tangle of childish hair bobbles, loose change and a deteriorating pack of gum. “Mm mm” he shakes his head “I’ll come with you” before you get a chance to protest he's already pushing the comforter off of him and setting his feet to the floor with a groan.

Without another word uttered into the silence of the night his hand finds yours and leads you out the door, quietly down the other end of the hall across from you and out onto the balcony. It seems the night air has a positive effect on the both of you, you immediately feel your hot skin cool down as the cold rushes to Eddie's own skin, waking him up. He adjusts his eyes and finds one lonely chair on the old wood, he pats his thigh once he's sat down, gesturing you over.

You hold the small flame up to Eddie's awaiting cigarette perched between his lips, watching as the rusty colour of orange and red lights up within the tobacco. Eddie's arm wraps around you once again after you tossed both the carton and zippo onto the floor. The cool night breeze brushes against your legs while the scent of smoke, chia shampoo and conditioner, tangerine body wash, a fading old spice and redwood and a musk you could only describe as uniquely Eddie fills your senses.

You allow yourself to soak up the moment, relaxed in Eddie's lap, a strong arm enveloping your waist, deep blues painting the sky, purely and simply at ease. “I think we should talk” his words break the comfortable silence, your neck stretches to look up at him, head resting on his shoulder “About what?” the softness of his voice eases any worry that most definitely could have bubbled up in your stomach if his tone had been any different when speaking those five words.

“Sweetheart, I know you have a hard time telling me how you feel about things, but I think it's important you try. I had no idea what you were going through, I still don't. But I feel like it's something I should be made aware of, you know? We need to be able to tell each other things so that we’re on the same wavelength.” you turn your eyes up to the sky as you sigh at his words.

This was going to be difficult. Throughout your whole childhood you had been told time and time again that showing any trace of feelings was a definite sign of weakness. Even the fact of registering your feelings as not only feelings but allowed, permitted, was something you were partly deeply uncomfortable with and something that was scarcely new to you. Untread territory. A deep breath reaches Eddie's ears as you prepare for the unpreventable fate.

“She died” you barely manage a whisper as you confess to the incident which happened months ago. The words tasted sour on your tongue, bitter, you hadn't spoken those words to anyone, saying them now made you shudder. “What?” he's having trouble wrapping his head around what you've just said, “My mom.. she died, uh december 18th” both cigarettes left forgotten you find yourself tearing up. The stupid emotions showing your vulnerability only fuels anger, a bead of salty fluid drops down your cheek, you wipe it away in frustration. Why were you even crying? Crying about a mean old drug addict who had abused you all your life, verbally, physically, emotionally. Why were you shedding tears for the woman who kicked you out at 16 after losing your job at the gas station, the job that paid for the trailer you never bared to call a home, the job that paid the bills, the food, the dangerous toxins which she put into her body.

The woman your own kids believed to have passed away in your early childhood, the woman who you insisted on shielding them from. The same woman who broke down every single part of you until she left you to fend for yourself, to build yourself back up, bit by bit, piece by piece, day by day.

“She.. she died?” his hot breath fans across your cheek as he nuzzles his face to the side of yours “Why didn't you tell me?” his words are muffled as his lips ghost over your skin. For once in your life you feel yourself let go, if only a miniscule fraction of what normalcy is, you let yourself experience your feelings, with one single hiccup. “I don't know” the sadness in your voice makes his heart break, but still you refuse to let it tremble. “I just, I didn't know how to feel, what to think, I needed time to figure it out” your eyes flutter shut as you manoeuvre your face into the crook of his neck, stubbing your cigarette out on the wall behind him and dropping it to the floor.

Eddie copies your movements and rests his cheek to the side of your head, he stays silent as he waits for you to continue, “I knew logistically people are sad when their parent dies, but it just made my head spin, I didn't feel sad, I couldn't, not for her.” your voice vibrates against his throat as you speak.

Eddie knew the two largest reasons as to why you couldn't feel sad, she didn't deserve it, and you simply weren't able to access those emotions. You found some comfort in his awareness, had you been forced to explain everything in intimate detail you would only feel worse. “And the kids didn't know so I couldn't just go around moping so I guess I just… distracted myself?” he knew the reason as to why for that too, endless thoughts swirled around his head as he managed to come to the conclusion that you had been lost, you probably still were. So confused as to how or why you were feeling the way you did, refusing to address the issue head on and finding any way to cope.

Your hours spent in silence -at home, at work, at any activity you could find and drag out the time with, at events, hanging with all your friends, dinners at Wayne’s- had closed you off, in the moment it may have worked but a nagging thought at the back of his mind told him it didn't. Not for you, not for him, not for the girls. So many thoughts threatened to make his head explode, and in the mix of it was roaring guilt. Guilt from not taking a second to ask how you were, guilt for not realising there was something deeper nestled below the surface, guilt for not only the idea he constantly convinced himself was untrue but actually accusing you of cheating, guilt for selfishly missing you in all ways possible and guilt for only focusing on that.

“I’m so sorry” unlike yours his voice shook as he spoke, arms wrapping tighter around you in agony. “Why? You don't have to be sorry” he couldn't see the confused frown spread over your face, but it was there. You simply couldn't wrap your head around why a whole other human being was feeling sorry or even affected by your problems. “I-I didn't do anything, or-or say anything, you were clearly struggling and I never knew, I wasn’t there for you” his own water lines began to flood, just as you had he distracted himself, by running a hand up and down your arm. “I didn't do or say anything” you admit, “I should have told you, I just, I was worried, that you would have.. expectations from me, how I would feel, act. Not only that but I think there was just this gnawing thought that you would think there was something wrong, with me, if I didn't do the normal thing and grieve” his hand was now soothing up and down over your hair.

“Baby, look at me” his hands pulled lightly at your shoulders, gesturing you to turn and straddle him, face to face. “She has never earned the right to your grief” his thumb swiped under your eye as you let out a sob and a hot searing tear rolled down, “She never did a single thing to earn even a glance from you” as your eyes closed tight he continued, “What you did was normal. It was normal for you, there's nothing wrong with not knowing how to go through some things in life, and there's nothing abnormal with trying to process it in your own way” your shoulders threatened to collapse against him but he held on softly to one as he cupped your cheek. “You just need to remember that I'm always here for you, you can tell me anything. I won't judge you, or expect anything from you.”

For the very first time, you actually sat down and accepted your feelings, you accepted them, talked about them and learned to understand them, all thanks to the one person you had shut yourself away from the most. For over an hour you talked, both showing and explaining the raw emotions you found within yourself. By the second hour you walked through the details of what had gone down and at the end you felt a weight lift from your chest as well as some understanding for yourself. A promise was made, to not only communicate with him but also to learn how to access and express what was going on in your head, in therapy. Something that initially seemed so frightening but was slowly dampened with another promise, that Eddie would come with you if you needed him.

Your mother, or rather the woman who had birthed you but failed to raise you, had been forcefully put in rehab years ago. An expensive resort, you found yourself still keeping her afloat with your hard earned money as you sent in monthly payments. An old ‘friend’ had shown up and before the personnel had a chance to alert you to it, she had escaped. Run off with her friend to, what was probably her opinion, be free. Once some hours had passed they had tried calling you, too busy slaving away for your promotion at work you had missed every single one. When they finally got hold of you, the soft pitiful voice on the other end of the line explained to you how she had been found, collapsed only a yard from the abandoned house occupied by the homeless, with no pulse.

It was bound to happen, but just because it was destiny that you would come from a broken home didn't mean you yourself had to be broken. An absent father who had bolted the second the pregnancy had been announced to him, and a mother who for 16 years had constantly reminded you of how unwelcome you were in her life. Even up till your thirties where she would filter in and out of your life unwanted. You had kept the secret from your friends and boyfriend for three months, living under the bridge by the docks with only the clothes on your back and a few newspapers you found. You had lied to your friends and explained that your mother had donated all your clothes as punishment for coming home after curfew, a curfew you didn't have and probably wouldn't have been cared about if you did. For 2 months and 3 weeks you lived off a duffle bag of Eddies band shirts and sweatpants. It was bearable, the life you had at the time, even with the thunder storms and hammering rain, but by peak december when the cold was at its worst you realised that wearing multiple layers wouldn't cut it and shamefully knocked on Eddie's door, asking for a place to stay.

Wayne had become the father and mother you never had, and you would spend your entire lifetime trying to pay him back, but nothing could ever come close to the love he showered you with, the money he spent, the food, clothes, shelter he gave you.

The time showed 1:26 am when you finally made it back to your room, the cold biting at your skin forgotten until the warm duvet swallowed you whole, a reminder of how extremely cold you were. Wrapped in Eddie's arms, cheek pressed to his chest, you soon fell asleep, no longer sad or gloomy, but tired and happy, every vine in your body glittering with fierce gold. “I love you” the soft whisper from below him made him realise that the words accompanied by your voice were strange to his ears. He hadn't realised it at the time but you had stopped saying those words to him in what must have been mid spring. Tears pricked at his eyes again as he beamed “I love you too”

(A/N was thinking of leaving it here but I know we’re all horny fucks here so OBVIOUSLY I have to continue)

You awoke with a light, happy heart, and just like every other fucking morning, as the little spoon again. Instead of calling them in you pulled yourself out of bed and answered the knock at the door, wrapping your girls up in a warm hug before they had a chance to whiz past you to their clothes. It might have been that you were content with the duration of the hug but it was more probably the fact that both girls were wining and squirming trying to get away from you when they felt they'd been pressed together for too long that you broke apart. You chuckled as you let them go and climbed back into bed, Eddie was still fast asleep, it seemed the giggling voices of two happy little girls weren't enough to wake him from his slumber.

Although he seemed not to be fully passed out when you shimmied back down the covers once the girls had left, because he hummed happily, and automatically wrapped around you in a warm embrace. After a while he fell back asleep, arms clutching you close to his chest in contentment, his nose buried in the scent of your hair. You began to grin when you felt something familiar poking at your behind, Eddie's morning wood was appearing just as the sun began to rise. Jitters built throughout your body at the sensation, you were no doubt used to waking up just like this, even during your rough patch, but for maybe the first time since the early stages of your relationship, it wasn't just funny and exciting but thrilling. The feeling of Eddie's slowly hardening cock pressing up against you sent tingles up your legs, awakening butterflies that situated in the bottom of your stomach.

He must have been wavering between being half asleep and fully judging by the fact that he groaned loudly as you wiggled your hips to situate him between your ass cheeks. The groan spurred you on and you forced your hips against his, earning a tighter hug to hold you infinitely closer to him. Your grin widened when he let out a second groan as you forced yourself back again, one final time had his eyes fluttering open and his hand snaking up under your shirt to squeeze softly at your boob. “Morning” your voice was soft to his ears since it came out in a whisper.

For the first morning in a while the deep raspy “Morning beautiful” had your thighs clenching. Maybe you should talk about your feelings if it made you feel this connected to Eddie and especially this desperate for him. “Love the sound of your voice in the mornings” you chose to push the feeling of spewing random and intimate -to you- thoughts, right down. Forcing them out of sight and allowing you to properly express yourself, even though it may have been an admittedly mild statement. The action, telling him exactly what you were thinking. “Mm you do?” he hummed behind you to which you nodded, hair brushing up and down against his nose. The grin you were fighting off made you once again feel like a teenager, talking to your crush… Holy shit were you flustered?

“Maybe I should talk like this more often” he was slowly waking up now, slight hints of clarity lacing his voice as he stirred behind you, “You really should” your cheeks were heating up now, Jesus Christ you hadn't felt like this since you were an actual teenager, talking to the same man, at that time a boy. “Mm it doing it for you?” he hummed, despite the obvious comic tone in his words the sound sent fiery lightning straight through your body as you let out a stifled girly giggle “It really is”.

You felt yourself swoon as his hips pressed against yours, a pleased hum followed from his lips as you took a deep breath to centre yourself. “Fuck, you don’t know how good this feels” had the ruckus downstairs from all the kids and newly awoken parents been closer the words would have fallen on deaf ears for it was all but a whisper, a mumble from soft plush lips grazing your scalp. All you could do in response was hum, the feeling of Eddie's thick fingers massaging the soft skin of your breast, catching your nipple between them and near searingly hot skin pressed flat against your back along with his throbbing cock grinding against you left you speechless.

The tingles fluttering throughout your body were only growing more violent when Eddie let out a long groan of relief, the pent up frustration echoing through the room as strong arms held you even closer to him. Eventually, it got too much to bare, as soft whimpers began to escape your lips, matching up perfectly to the near obnoxious groans the man behind you was making, you slid your hand from under your cheek to slightly aggressively grab onto the hand massaging your boob, leading it down your front till his fingertips nudged the hem of your brazilians.

Immediately he got the hint and carefully slunk his fingers under the offensive undergarment and soon enough callused fingers were running lazily up from your hole to your clit, collecting you slick and rubbing slow circles into the nub he since long ago had no trouble finding. A needy moan broke from your throat and you were quick to cover your mouth by turning your head and smooshing your bare face into the worn fabric of the pillow beneath you. Your now free hand slunk up behind you to grasp on firmly at the roots of Eddie's curls. His own display of arousal rang through the room before he followed your lead and buried his face further into your hair.

“Shit, fuck, babe, need- need to be” his voice broke off before he had a chance to fully voice his request, your hand was already pulling at the hem of his boxers, prompting him to wriggle awkwardly while his hand was still attached to you. Within seconds your back was arched, your thigh was lifted into the air and your panties moved to the side as a small hand wrapped around his base, leading him to the opening of where you needed him most. The both of you synchronised in desperate whimpers as he sheathed inside you and bottomed out, once he was fully seated you took a deep breath to steady yourself before laying your leg back down.

The added pressure of your thighs squeezing together causing for a delightful sensation as your pussy pulsed around him. Not before long he was rocking into you, matching the slow rhythm of his fingers.

This, this was utter and complete bliss. A lazy morning with your lover, early morning sun filtering through the thin flower curtains, the rambunctious sound of happy children only to be heard as white noise, heavy strained breaths pleasing your ears, warm skin on warm skin, wrapped up in soft colourful sheets with Eddie slowly thrusting in to you. Yeah this was the best fucking feeling.

Soon enough the faint thuds against the very depths of your pussy became repetitive, each pause of Eddie pulling back and thrusting back in shorter when his hips sped up. With each passing second you realised that the thickness of the plush pillow wasn't enough to muffle your moans, the lone hand resting under your cheek came up to plaster over your mouth, forcing it hard against the chubbiness of your cheeks. Once again Eddie was on the same page as you, with his mind and body quickly awakening, the arm squished between the mattress and your body ripped quickly out from under you, a clenched fist coming up to his lips as he bit down hard onto the skin.

Each thrust was growing faster and faster, deeper and deeper, harder and harder, and in turn the slow circles on your clit, matching the pace of his hips with the added pressure increasing. “Fuck babe, roll over” with the help of his body forcing you in the right direction you rolled onto your stomach, a frustrated whine leaving your lips at the loss of Eddies fingers harshly pressing into your clit before you had the chance to cover your mouth again.

Your whine was left discarded as Eddie manoeuvred himself on top of you, his thighs straddling the backs of yours, his left hand slipping under your armpit and lacing his fingers with your own right hand. Before you knew it, plush lips were kissing repeatedly up and down your right shoulder and up the side of your neck. Just as he began thrusting again his free hand planted a deathgrip on your hip, callused tips of his fingers pressing harshly into your skin, no doubt leaving a bruise.

Your left hand found its place splayed across your mouth once again just as the thrusts became hard and evenly spaced. “Fuck feel so good baby, fuckin’ -shit” his breath fanned against your ear, a mewl from the back of your throat only spurring him on. “Fuckin’ love these curves, you’re so sexy” you had long since passed the point where you’d flush with embarrassment at the compliments showered upon you about your body, instead his words had the intended effect, muffled moans became much less muffled, the volume breaking through the barrier of your hand. “Fuck princess you gotta be quiet, think you can do that for me?” you most definitely couldn't, but you sure as hell would try. The deep husky voice whispering against you skin as he kissed it, knuckles gripping tightly onto your own, hand holding firmly onto the meat of your hip and his dick thundering in and out of you overtook all senses, all you wanted to do right now was worship this man who made you feel so Mother. Fucking. Good. So yes, you sure as fucking hell would try.

“Good girl” you could feel the smug smirk against the slope of your neck at your eager nod, could hear it in his voice, knew he was just filling up with pride at the feeling of your whole body tensing with the force of not letting out the excruciatingly loud moan you were so desperate to set free. “So good for me, takin’ me -fuck- so well, oh fuck holy shit” despite how badly he wanted to shower you in endless praise he couldn’t help the endless string of swares as he felt your pussy clamp down around him at his words.

“Fuck fuck fuck, oh shit, oh my fucking god” his neck went slack as his forehead landed on your shoulder with a thud, hips working faster than ever at the feeling of your pulsing around him, intensified with the hard incessant squeeze. You couldn't pass it up, you just couldn't, you knew exactly what to do to get him riled up, despite his whole body working in overdrive you wanted, no, needed to know what would happen if he was pushed just a little further towards his limits. Throughout heavy pants once your hand was lifted only slightly from your lips you managed to get out the words “Seems hmmghf seems you’re enjoying this more than me right now” a smirk slowly spread across your lips.

“You sure about that sweetheart?” his voice was strained as he spoke and it only made the tingling between your thighs strengthen. “Yeah” you breathed, “I don't know about you, but with time things get… old”

“Old huh?”

“Boring” with every ounce of power you had in your body you managed to even your voice in a smooth breath, unnamused and bored. “You can't please me anymore. It's the same old dance every time. It gets boring”

“Oh I can't please you anymore?”

“Not in the slightest. Judging by this maybe I should go find another man, someone who knows what he’s doing. Someone new, exciting, better.” before your grin had a chance to widen at his “Oh you fucking-” a strong hand gripped tightly onto your roots and you were yanked up to a sitting position.

He pulled the flimsy t-shirt your thrown on earlier over your head before the hand holding yours found your hip in no time, leaving identical bruising on your other hip while the tension in your scalp quickly soothed as his other hand no longer gentle forced itself under your panties, diving straight for your clit to circle it fast and harsh. “Oh yeah? That's how we're gonna do this?” with the upper hand, amusement sounded in his voice between the heavy pants he was releasing. But the fact that both your legs were pressed together betweens his was not working in his favour. He wanted so badly to just let loose and scream at the feeling of your thighs tightening you around him but he was trying his hardest never to let the pants transition into deep groans or even loud moans. As he waited for your answer his hand smoothed up your side to plant a firm grasp on your left boob, “Y-yeah” how it was even possible you were even more worked up than he was, your pants faster and louder, threatening to echo deafeningly throughout the room and reach unexpecting and innocent ears.

Just knowing there were people around who could hear you if you dared raise your voice, who could catch you made it all the more exhilarating.

Your head lolled onto his shoulder with your eyes closed and mouth open in a mute scream as your body moved up and down with each push of his hips, in sync with the low squeaks of the old bed frame. “Yeah you wanna be in charge? Go ahead sweetheart” the smug and evil laugh vibrated through his chest at the sound of your pathetic whine in protest “You sure?” the mocking tone only made you squeeze harder around him. The squeaking increased as Eddie breathed, “Fuck” had it not been for the fact that you were almost completely silent you wouldn’t have heard it, but you did and it flipped a switch inside you. Even though you were clearly the whining mess at the hands of your husband, you did in fact have the upper hand despite his insistence that you didn't.

It had most definitely been a while, but you decided you most definitely wanted to push him to his limits, you wanted to see him angry. With some extreme power you didn't know you withheld you managed to clear your head from all the sensations and purely focus on speaking, knowing you would be rewarded by it soon enough. “You act so tough” the near clear tone of your words caught him off guard, “You give off this idea that you're all big and strong. But you're all bark. No bite” you slowly opened your eyes to watch him out of the corner of them, “What did you just say to me?” fury began to swim in his eyes as his jaw twitched with the tightness of the grit of his teeth.

“You heard me.” a loud exhale managed to escape your lips but you forced yourself to reel back in your head and stay focused on your mission, “Everybody thinks you're this mean, inked up, scary metalhead who could crush anyone into a pulp within the matter of seconds, but on the contrary you're just a mushy wuss who plays dress up, watches cartoons and likes baking every sunday with his wife” ok maybe the jab at him playing princesses with the kids might have been a little harsh, but it was no doubt working.

For a moment, it left him speechless. His hips were still working furiously but his grip on your chest slackened. Even before the dry spell it was on rare occasions where you were this mean, this assertive. It threw him right off course.

He managed to regain his mental footing however, “Who the fuck do you think you are right now?” the grin spreading on your delicate features only fueled his anger, “I’m the woman whose body you've worshipped and will continue to worship until the day you die. I’m the woman, the only woman who can get you on your knees, begging, whining for you to touch me” hmm, might have been the wrong direction, judging by the fact that he too was now grinning. The squeaking only increasing with each passing second.

Dammit, you had to rethink your tactics. His hand found your hip again as he watched your tits bounce with amusement. Before you had the chance to even mull over how to play this next his words cut you off, “I know you like to think you're the one who calls the shots sweethea-” “Shut up” he frowns at you as he instantly shuts his mouth in sheer shock. “I am the one who calls the shots, just the other day you were whining and whimpering like a pathetic little baby and I hadn't even touched you” now that seemed to be working. His confused frown shifted into one of anger again, “And I don't think I even need to remind you how you got all hard and needy from just the prospect of getting to see me naked, let alone shower with me”

It was definitely working when an angry twitch of his lips graced your presence, each word blowing oxygen into the bottom of the slow burning fire rumbling in his stomach. “I don't think I need to remind you this either, but I will” you sat up now, his cock still working its way in and out of you, still proving how desperate he was, twisting your neck to face him you forced a sneer “-you came within two seconds of slipping inside me” hot fury glared at you from once almond brown soft eyes, now black with a stare unwavering. “Pathetic” you landed the final punch with a scoff.

“Get off me” the hands once gripping you with need and desperation now held onto you with pure rage, manhandling you to slip off him and almost collapsing onto the ground. Shit, did you take it too far? Did you read the signs wrong? Was he actually not into it? Worry glossed your eyes over as you watched him stand up. “I’m sor-” you tried to apologise as you found your balance “Shut. The. Fuck. Up” without warning he was in front of you, pushing you at your shoulders to bounce onto the bed. With harsh movements he brought you to the edge of the bed, forcing your thighs up.

He looked you dead in the eye as he said the words “Not so tough now are we?” and then he broke into a wide smug smirk, soaking up every inch of your shocked face. “Wha..?” you breathed, a breath that quickly turned into an even more shocked, gasp. Without any caution or warning whatsoever he ripped the soft, expensive polyester lace that lay delicately over your stomach. Within a second he ripped the other side, his fingers finding the discarded -now backpiece- easily, pulling it out from under you and tossing it towards his nightstand.

“Those were expensive!” you chastised him but all he did was smirk even wider. Despite his previous manhandling and legit throwing you around the touch of the tip of his cock running through your folds was soft, gentle. The sensation made you shiver as you felt it brush over your clit before returning back down again and repeating the process as he spoke. “That's the thing sweetheart, you act like a brat and you get treated like one” his words were laced with malice before the loud moan you let out had Eddies eyes shifting to the door, just out of view of his peripheral before zoning back in on you. Watching smugly at the once again evident shock on your face after he had just pushed himself into the hilt. The head of his cock brushing dangerously at your cervix from the force he was putting at his hips to get as deep as possible.

The tut he let out at your reaction only made anger bubble up within yourself too, “Tsk tsk, thought you could be quiet” this time your sneer was 100% real, “Not when you just force yourself inside me with no fucking warning” your backtalk only made him more angry. He retaliated with another hard snap of his hips against you, this time you were ready, biting so hard into your bottom lip you were sure you would soon enough be drawing blood but it didn't matter, he wasn't going to win, maybe before but not now.

His knees were beginning to ache from the awkward bend he was in to reach you on the bed, being tall seemed it didn't always come with its perks but- “Wanna see your face when you cum for me. See you fall apart for the only man who can make you beg and whine, like a pathetic. Little. Baby.” He threw your words right back in your face just before he began a furious pace of his hips, same if not more furious than when had last been inside you a minute ago. You thanked whoever made that stupid old bed for it at least not squeaking when moved the other way.

His cock stretching you out at the new angle, the head of his cock hitting that stupid ‘danger zone’ was now sending you careening towards a fast and undoubtedly strong orgasm. Damn him. Not only that but you found as you bit down harder you did in fact manage to draw blood. “Yeah that's it” his smirk was still shining brightly on his soft and once kind features. The right hand that had been situated on your hip moved up to grab onto your tit once again while he watched the other one bouncing up and down. If the sound of the rest of the house had registered to him before it definitely wasn't now. Now all he could focus on was the way every part of your body bounced with each thrust, had it been under any other circumstance he most definitely would have praised you endlessly on how he loved the bounce of your tits, your soft stomach, your thighs, but right now it didn't even cross his mind to voice his opinions on it. The fiery anger grew more threatening at your next words “Piece of shit” you gritted out, the metallic taste of your blood sour in your mouth “Fucking pervert, bet you just love watching me like this, at your mercy or whatever” you scoffed, “Is it giving you your ego boost?”

The hard slap landed at your cheek had you gasping but not regretting your words, no, far from it. This was exactly what you wanted, you had a feeling treating and being treated rough was something very much needed for the both of you. All sorts of built up feelings being released in a strange form of love rather than distance or petty arguments. This was much better, not only in the absolutely earth shattering way his cock was pistoning into you and every other sensation of this moment but the fact that it could be channelled into complete euphoria for the both of you and not hurt feelings.

Strong fingers wrapped around your throat as he responded “Such a fucking slut, let anyone else do this to you? ‘Cause you seem to be taking this very easy” you rolled your eyes at him “Obviously not. Jesus christ I really regret marrying someone so fucking dense” pressure was added to your throat as another hand left your hip, fingers splayed over the soft pudge of your stomach as his thumb connected to your clit.

If there had been any slight worry that he might actually be angry it would have dissipated the second his skin came in contact with your own slick one. “Hah! No you don't. You and I both know no one could treat you this good” he began to sense the loss of air you were experiencing and drew his hand up to your face, fingers resting at the back of your throat while his thumb sat just in front of your ear. “Drop anything to be at your aid, treat you like a goddamn goddess. No one could ever love you like I do.”

And there it was, love. His anger was beginning to melt, he’d gotten everything out and now all he could look at you with was adoration. “No one could ever love me like you do” you confirmed, a soft smile only hinting at your lips as you stared up at him. In less than a second his hand below your navel disappeared and was found slinking under your back, lowering himself down to capture your lips in a deep passionate kiss. One hand circled under his arm to grasp onto his shoulder blade as the other ran through his hair. Multiple long kisses venturing between soft and hard were shared as well as breathy I love yous’s before you whispered a breathless and whiny “I’m gonna cum” Eddie breathed a heavy sigh of relief “Oh thank god” and soon enough the orgasm you had been teetering over the edge of for a long time came crashing down on you, biting into Eddies shoulder to suppress a loud moan as he led one final thrust before hot spurts of cum painted your walls.

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apomaro-mellow · 1 year

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Part 1 of Nancy helping Steddie happen

Nancy knew it would be an uphill battle. For one thing, she wasn’t a hundred percent sure Steve was attracted to men. But she was optimistic. She hadn’t felt any inclination towards women until a fateful Blondie performance. And since learning about Robin and Eddie’s own preferences, it seemed more likely that Steve might not be totally straight.

It was a probability thing. The hardest part wasn’t getting him to like Eddie, it was getting him to admit it and make a move. But once that block was removed, Nancy was sure his instincts would take over.

“His instincts?”, Eddie had questioned.

“Yes. His dating instincts, flirting instincts, you know. They’ll kick in and it’ll be smooth sailing from there out.”

Eddie looked to the notes he’d taken. The honest to god how to seduce Steve notes. He wasn’t even studying this hard for real school.

“I’m failing to see the actual through-line here. One moment I’m supposed to be buddy-buddy with him over sports, which, do you even know me Wheeler? And the next I’m supposed to make him feel like a big strong man? How do I even do that?”

So Nancy’s plan was less a tactical step by step process and more of a stream of consciousness thing, sue her. “I recognize we’ve got some obstacles. I figured if you got closer to Steve, you could also employ typical flirting techniques.”

“Typical of girls? Or typical of guys? Or typical of guys who like guys?”

“Eddie, it’s all the same.”

“And that’s where you’d be wrong. Because I can do the play flirting that dudes do all the time. But there’s a line. And if I cross that line, Steve will sock me in the jaw.”

“Then let’s cross that line.”

“Excuse me?”

“Cross the line with Steve. Just once. And see how he reacts.”

Eddie looked at her like she grew two heads. “Did you miss the part about my jaw being socked?”

“He won’t do that. Not if Robin is there. And if I just happen to be around-”

“Don’t you go crossing any lines yet.”

Nancy let out a groan and leaned with her hand against the wall. She didn’t always count herself as a patient girl. But if Eddie didn’t get it together she was never gonna date Robin.

-------------------

They had agreed on toeing the line. Something that probably wouldn’t end up with Steve hitting him. Nancy tried to encourage Eddie, saying he’d never lay a hand on a friend, but Eddie was a little protective when it came to his face.

So they were at the local basketball court, where Steve was helping Lucas practice. Max and El were on the court as well, playing their own little game on the other end of the court. Robin, Eddie, and Nancy were there as support. But the plan involved having Eddie on the actual court.

So after watching from the stands for a beat, he stepped onto the court to help Lucas with his moves.

“If you can get by a scrub like me, you’re gonna warm the bench your whole life”, Eddie taunted. He still didn’t get that excited over sports. But Lucas was one of his little lambs. And if this was what he was into, he could be supportive. Especially if it meant seeing Steve in a tank top. Eddie himself didn’t like getting sweaty but a tiny part of his blackened heart warmed when Lucas was able to get past both him and Steve and score a point.

Steve praised Lucas with a high five while Eddie caught the basketball as it dropped through the net. Here it was. The moment of truth.

“Don’t just hype up the student. You gotta give props to the coach too.” Eddie felt his hand get warm before he did it. “Good hustle out there Steve”, he said before smacking Steve right on the ass.

Before he could see the reaction, he tossed the ball back to Lucas and went over to the bleachers, pretty much collapsing right next to Nancy just as Robin was getting up and heading over to Steve.

“Did you see his face?”, he murmured.

“Hm?”

“Did you-you weren’t even looking were you?”

“I was....n’t. I wasn’t”, Nancy didn’t even bother to lie. It was hard to when her eyes hadn’t left Robin, even now.

“You’re unbelievable. Worst wingwoman ever.”

“How did it feel?”, Nancy asked.

Eddie flexed his fingers, never happier than he was now for the physicality of sports. “Glorious.”

“Mhm. You’re welcome.”

Even as she congratulated him, Eddie could see in her eyes that her thoughts weren’t on Steve at all. They both had it bad.

@gay-stranger-things

#apo writes #fanfiction #stranger things #steddie #ronance

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ohtobeleah · 2 years

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Disposable Heroes // Steve Harrington

Summary: After too many close calls with an untimely death, Steve begs you to stay out of the plan to save Hawkins. With too many lives on the line, it’s not a hard decision to make when weighing up the value of your own life in favour of hundreds if not thousands of others. One being Eddie Munsons.

Word Count: 6.8k

Warnings: Mild cannon level violence. Angst. Mentions of death.

Author Note: Unambiguous Love Masterlist is linked here. Thank you for all the unconditional love and support for this series. It has blown me away and I’m truly grateful my comeback series has done phenomenally well. My eyes hurt from writing this all day. So please, enjoy the alternative ending to Stranger Things.

“Do you think it’s better to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all?” Robin whispered as Nancy watched your chest rise and fall. Steve a mess beside you, finally giving into exhaustion beside you. Draped over your blanket covered legs, drooling.

“He hasn’t lost, she’s still here—“ Nancy replied with a soft smile, still having hope in her heart for her former love, praying for a miracle that he’d have a happy ending in all of this. Taking a few gentle strides over to where a bag of fresh clothes sat on top of a forgotten chair, placing a note between a pair of jeans and a baggy top of Steve’s. “Y/n’s strong, the best of all of us, I don’t think she’d leave Steve here in a world without her—not when she’s fought so hard for this long.”

“Steve—!” Nancy shouted, pulling Steve back by his shoulder. The rage in his eyes as he turned to face her told her she’d crossed a line. “Let the medic’s do their job to give Y/n the best chance she has at beating this!” It made sense to Nancy, but to Steve. Letting go of your hand meant letting go of you—he couldn’t bring himself to let you go, not now, not ever. “She needs them more then she needs you right now okay, let them work.”

“I can’t let her go—“ the tears that ran down Steve’s face stung like acid. “Nance—“

“Tell me about her?” Nancy smiled softly, coaxing Steve away from the men in uniform that needed space to work, to save you. Looking back over his shoulder Steve sobbed, his bottom lip quivering as he sighed. Slowly but surely walking closer to where Nancy stood, both sinking down the wall watching you fade. “She’s really pretty you know.” Nancy spoke softly, like she was walking on eggshells, afraid to say something that would set Steve off. “I’ve never really had a conversation long enough with her to get to know her.” It was the excuse Steve needed to just gush about you, to anyone who would listen as he watched you dying. Your blood on his hands. “She’s braver than most of us combined, remember when she stood between Billy and his car?” Nancy always remembered that, how easily you put your life on the line for those kids, for her, for Jonathan.

“Y/n—Nance she’s—“ Steve sighed. “Y/n’s warm, and she’s kind and she’s caring and she’s selfless.” Steve couldn’t get the sight of you being torn apart by those bats out of his head. “And it’s real.” Steve let his tears fall freely as his eyes never left you. Speaking his feeling into the world in hopes that somehow it would make it a little harder for whatever was trying to pull you away from this world to take you. “And honestly, when I’m around her—“ Steve paused.

“Go on—“ Nancy tried to coax Steve to keep talking.

“When I’m around her, I—I completely forget who I am and the worst part about all of this is realising that everything you believe in is complete and utter bullshit—“

“What do you mean?” Nancy asked softly, watching you be carried away on a stretching fighting for your life.

“Uh, you know, destiny and soulmates, true love and all that—childhood fairy tail nonsense because if it were real? I wouldn’t be sitting here watching Y/n die an unimaginable death because she was stupid enough to follow me down into water gate and I was stupid enough to get her involved in any of this crap in the first place and I—“

“Oh my god.” Nancy cooed, interrupting Steve’s monologue, bumping into Steve’s side playfully. “You’re in love with her? Aren’t you? You’re in love with her Steve, you don’t just like Y/n or love her? No—this is way more than just puppy love.”

“Yeah, I am—“ Steve admitted softly. “And trust me, this is in no way disrespectful to you Nance but—“ Steve swallowed a lump in his throat. “I have never known anyone, who actually believed that I was enough, until I met her.” Steve sobbed a little louder, a rolodex of memories of your laugh and your smile and your unambiguous love for him played like an old film behind his eyes. Right from his soul. “And not only does she believe I’m enough, but she made me believe I’m enough, so uh—unfortunately, I need her and that means I can’t let her go, so if you’ll excuse me.” Steve stood with a groan and a loud sniffle. “I’m gonna catch a ride and make sure that when she wakes up and this is all over that she knows that I need her and that not only do I love her but that I’m in love with her.”

The gentle hum of bulky hospital machines working overtime to help keep you comfortable filled the deadly silent hospital room, Steve’s snores mixing harmoniously with the rhythm of the monitor that showed your steady heartbeat. Music to his ears, the rhythmic lub dub. You were alive, you are safe, you are here. Four unimaginable days of torture—but by your side Steve stayed. His fingers intertwined with yours like one of those baskets his mum used to make him pack for family picnics. What are they called again? Oh yeah, like woven cane. Your eyelids flickering like wild as your subconscious drew you into another memory, another dreamscape more perfect then the last. Gentle reminders that you, you were loved.

“Dead roses?” You smirked, gently reaching out to the droopy bouquet of flowers that had well and truly seen better days. No longer the freshest, most vibrant bunch in the store. They must have been discounted, on their last breath. Desperate to survive in a world they were grown in to die. “You are always so full of surprises Harrington—“ you chuckled softly as you looked up at Steve, his eye still swollen, lip still slightly split. It had been a few days since the Star Court mall incident and everyone was still trying to process what had happened, including you and Steve. Trying to navigate a world of unprecedented circumstances beyond your control.

“Consider them an apology for my behaviour lately—“ Steve cooed. “You don’t deserve that.” Steve tried to simplify it, the borderline post-traumatic stress disorder that everyone had been portraying since Star Court was making everyone feel irritated and that didn’t exclude you and Steve. Snapping at each other over the smallest of things.

“None of us deserve any of this.” You corrected Steve as you accepted the dying bunch of flowers, chuckling softly as you did because only Steve would see these as beautiful. Perhaps seeing the beauty in the things overlooked was a good thing. “But apology accepted.” Steve didn’t stop you as you leaned into him slowly, connecting your lips softly to his to share a moment you’d both been craving. The touch of one another. “I missed you Harrington.”

“I missed you more.” Steve mumbled into your mouth as he walked you backwards towards your bed. His hands trailing up your arms, leaving goosebumps where his fingertips danced. “Just wanna be with you.” Steve kissed you harder, with more lust than ever before. “Always.” Slightly tipping you back as you tossed the flowers to the wayside—your back colliding with your mattress as Steve followed you down, hovering above you as he worked to litter your neck with deep purple marks. “God, you do things to me—“

“Steve—“ you moaned, the pressure building between your thighs almost too much to bear. “Steve, please.” Steve didn’t have to ask, he already knew. But as he came back up to meet your gaze he just had to; he couldn’t bring himself to go further without having told you.

“I’m not here to get another notch in my belt.” It was the sincerity that oozed from Steve’s mouth that had your heart skipping a beat. “You mean the whole world to me, I don’t wanna ruin this by rushing this—tell me to stop and I will.” Steve slowly but surely started to trail his hand down your side, fingertips pushing past the fabric of your skirt before finding the softness of your thigh. “Y/n—“ Steve’s fingers danced at the edge of the elastic that was your underwear. “Say it or I swear I won’t be able to stop myself if—“ you cut Steve off with a kiss so powerful it had him seeing stars, had him seeing into his future. Six kids and a gorgeous wife, you to be point blank. His hand twisted with the fabric until he was in heaven—his fingers slowly working their way around you, one slipping in with ease as your slick folds worked to guide him towards Nirvana.

“Fuck—“ you moaned, arching your back as Steve coaxed you, his fingers curling up against your velvet walls, anything, Steve swore in that moment he’d do anything to have you sound like that just for time. A symphony all for him. “Steve don’t stop.” you begged, pulling him down closer to you with one arm wrapped around his shoulders, the other working to slip his belt off. Working fast to find your way past Steve’s fly to his briefs.

“Don’t you dare—“ Steve hissed as your hand slipped past the thin layer of fabric that clothed his cock. “Fuck—“ your hand working to pump his shaft that felt so thick and obnoxiously hard in your hand. Throbbing for you. “Fuck, Y/n I can’t—“ Steve’s voice hitched in his throat. His eyes rolling into the back of his head at the feeling of your touch. “Don’t have any—“

“I do—“ you whispered, “I do—“ you repeated desperately, absolutely no secret about how much you desired Steve Harrington. “Top draw, over near the cupboard.” Steve had never moved so fast in his life. Pulling his jeans down his legs as he made his way across your room. A gentle beeping noise growing louder and louder inside your head. “Do you hear that?” You questioned as Steve made his way back to you with the protection you needed. “That beeping?”

“What beeping?” Steve asked softly as he pushed you down on your back, hovering over you between your legs. “You, okay?” You hesitated for a second, trying not to focus on the beeping—what was that? Where was it coming from? Turning to look out your window to see if you would see anything before you nodded in response to Steve, biting your biting lip as you turned back to him, only to see his mouth bleeding and his now shirtless torso bitten and torn apart. Screaming as you jumped underneath him. Pushing Steve away. “What happened to you!?” You panicked, taking in the sight of a broken and beaten Steve.

“Don’t you remember?” Steve’s asked as he fell to the ground on his knees, blood gushing from his torso, his mouth. “You couldn’t save me.” Falling flat on his stomach at your feet before you gasped awake, lying in a hospital bed. Panic having set your monitor off to a new level. Fast unsteady beeping altered a sleeping Steve to your consciousness.

“Y/n? Hey, it’s alright, I’m here, you’re safe.” Steve cooed, cupping your cheeks to help you calm down. “You’re okay, you’re okay—“

“I was just— but we—“ you tried to explain it, but you soon realised you had been dreaming. “You’re, okay?” You sighed a heavy breath as you settled back into your pillow. “Steve—“

“Am I okay? What do you mean am I okay you saved my life Y/n, it’s us that should be asking you if you’re okay?” At the mention of ‘us’ you turned to see Robin and Nancy over near the door. Both smiling and waving at you, happy to see you awake. “I thought I’d lost you for a while there.”

“I don’t remember anything—“ you explained. “Well, I’m sure I will, but at the moment I’ve got nothing.” Steve took a deep inhale in as he moved his chair as close to your bed side as he possibly could. Holding your hand in between his. He looked so tired, so helpless.

“I wish I could be mad at you for following me inside water gate, but I know I would have done the exact same for you—“ Steve began to explain. “But I’m not, I almost lost you and I can’t escape that feeling.” Steve’s head slumped against your thigh, trying to hide his tears.

“I’m here—“ you cooed. “Steve?” You tried to get his attention. “I’m okay, you—“

“Y/n, I’m in love with you.” Steve sat up, his shoulders slouched in defeat because almost loosing you was not the way he wanted to tell you, even if he already knew you knew. “And for the record, I didn’t fall in love with you because I was lost or lonely like you thought I was.” Steve explained. “I wasn’t broken or needed to be fixed.” Steve remembered all the nights you’d spent together, all the laughter, all the times you’d looked at him like he hung every last star in the sky just for you when you thought he wasn’t looking. Steve remembered all the times you’d come to see him at work, how you’d linger and make any excuse under the sun to stay.

As Steve looked at you, battered and broken and bruised, he saw his future, the only woman he could see himself spending the rest of his life with. This wasn’t puppy love; he was head over heels in love with you. A powerful, independent, loyal, loving women who deserved to know how much she was loved and would be loved for the rest of her life.

“I fell in love with you because, after getting to know you, and who you are—I wanted to make you a permanent part of my world.” Steve admitted. He looked so sad trying to hold himself together. His hands shaking as he clung to you for what felt like dear life. “The places, the scenery they’re all gonna change but I thought that whether it was five minutes or fifty years, I would have just been happy to have you in it—“

“God Steve I—“ you held back your own tears, never having felt so overwhelmed by love. “I love—“

“But then I really did almost lose you and I felt like every time you died in the ambulance or when that piece of shit nightmare on Elm Street, upside down monster tried to take you away from me that I couldn’t live without you and I died too.” Steve sobbed, his lips coming to kiss your hand. “A piece of me died every-time you did and fuck I can’t do that again.” You couldn’t help but smile, trying your best to sit up a little more.

“Steve?” You beamed; his eyes trained on you. So tired and drained. “When we first met, I had no idea you’d become this important to me, and now?” You chuckled softly. “I can’t even begin to imagine what my life would be like without you, because you mean that much to me.” You held your hand out to touch the stubble that had grown on Steve’s cheek. “And I think I have a better word to use then I love you—“ you cooed. Steve’s eyes swirling with curiosity as he leaned into your touch, just happy you were here with him, alive, breathing.

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Steve smirked. He hadn’t felt this alive in days, suddenly having an overwhelming stomach-ache as he couldn’t really remember the last time he ate. A half-eaten hospital hello cup sitting forgotten on your bedside table where a small bunch of decaying roses sat in a vase of water.

“I need you.” You whispered; a lump caught in your throat as you tested up. “I never thought I’d fall for someone as great as you Harrington— neither did I think you would make me a better person for loving you too.” Steve almost jumped into the bed with you, trying to get as close to you as he possibly could as he leaned in a little more. “Every damn day with you is a new adventure, every night just makes me miss seeing you that day, but during everything we’ve been through, we’ve pushed through, and we’ve grown stronger together because of it, you, Steve Harrington, complete me—and I would happily live fifty years by your side.”

“Hey so this is really great and all and I’m so unbelievably happy for the two of you—“ Robin quietly stepped forward as she spoke. “But uh—Steve, if you’re coming, we need to go and we need to go now before it’s too late.” Nancy nodded as if to back Robin up. “Venca’s coming and we don’t have much time—“

“What’s going on?” You questioned as Steve stood over you, pressing his lips to your forehead then to your lips. Your heart began to race just a little faster, your head swirling with too many emotions. “Steve—?”

“Max has a plan to draw Vecna out so we can light him up, I need you to stay here though so I know you’re safe—“

“What about you? What if you don’t make it back? Then what?” Steve could see the tears threatening to spill. “Don’t go, you’ve already done so much.”

“I gotta keep these kids safe Y/n—“ Steve explained, always the babysitter.

“But who will keep you safe?” You questioned. “This isn’t some game you—“

“We’ll all keep each other safe, Y/n, I promise—we won’t let anything happen because this plan is 100% fail proof. Nothing could go wrong even if we wanted it to.” Robin chimed in.

“You’re just saying that because you know I’m either going to try and stop you or I’m coming with—“

“Oh, there no way in hell you are going anywhere, from the bottom of my heart Y/n so help me god if you love an inch from this bed, I’ll—“

“You’ll do what Harrington?” You hissed. “What will you do—“

“I’ll lose my god damn mind.” Steve admitted. “I’ve already almost lost you too many times already and I can’t risk losing you again, please for the love of God just stay here where it’s safe so when I come back—I can’t be with you, because you know what? I think I deserve some fucking happiness in this fucked up shit show of a world.” Steve was angry, but not at you for wanting to go too, at the world, for baiting him into thinking he’d get a happy ending without consequence—without having to work tirelessly for it. This was his last effort to have it. “Please, Y/n—I love you, and I need you to stay here so I can ask you to be mine when I get back.”

“Why not ask me before you go?” You whispered through tears, your bottom lip quivering.

“Leaves something to be desired, doesn’t it?” Steve tilted your chin up towards him as he kissed you deep. The taste of your tears on his tongue. “I love you—“ like a drug Steve because hooked on saying I love you and you became instantly as addicted to hearing him say it.

“You’ll need to sedate me Harrington before you walk out of this door, because I’m gonna try follow you and that’s not good for either of us.” You explained. “Call the damn nurse.”

“Should we leave a Radio here?” Nancy gestured to the radio sitting on the pile of stuff Steve had accumulated over the last few days. Nodding softly, Steve passed it to you.

“Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.“ Steve cooed, smirking softly as he watched you place the radio on your bed side table. Twisting with a slight groan, his heart sinking into his stomach. “also, here you need to put these on, absolutely no questions asked, absolutely no arguing.” Steve sassed, handing you a pair of headphones with a walkman, the same as Max had had. “just play the damn song.”

“How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” You replied, taking the walkman as you settled back into your bed. “See you soon Harrington—“ you held back tears; the idea Steve might not make it back at the forefront of your kind—but you had hope. So much hope.

***~***~***~***~***~***~

The sound of Open your Heart by Kate Bush played softly in your ears as your slept soundly. Head heavy against the hospital provided pillow. Fresh bandages had only just an hour ago been applied after having your wounds cleaned, stiches checked, and antibiotics given. You felt like it was unnecessary to have the protection of music, however, everyone else agreed it was a necessary precaution that needed to be taken in order to keep you safe. You’d been compromised, your mind intruded, your body beaten and bruised. If there was anyone Vecna would see as an easy target, it was going to be you. Max, although younger—was stronger, mentally, physically. She just had a slight upper hand. You did what everyone wanted you to do, listened on repeat into all hours of the night. The same lyrics, the same person, the same tune and chorus. The same everything—it wasn’t going to take long for you to get sick of this damn song.

“You know it’s silly but I’ve actually, well I’ve always had this dream that id have this really, really big family.” It was Steve’s gentle husky voice coming through the radio that had you waking, he pushed through the noise of Kate Bush, cutting through the chorus like a hot knife to butter. Easily mantling your heart. pulling the headphones down around your neck as you could listen in. Dustin had turned his radio on ass Steve spoke. Knowing you’d hear, wanting you to hear. “I’m talking like uh, a full brood of Harringtons. Like five, six kids.” You couldn’t help but to huckle. Five or six kids huh? Interesting.

“Six?” you heard Nancy squeal and Steve explain.

“Yeah, six little nuggets, three girls, three boys. And then every summer I figured all us Harringtons, we would pack into something like this and just see the country, you know the Rockies, the Grand Canyon, maybe even Yellowstone—end up in some beachside town in California.” You caught yourself imagining a life with Steve and his brood, three boys and three girls, a mix or you and him, smiling to yourself in your empty hospital room. “Spend a week parked in the sand, learn how to surf or something.”

“That sounds nice—” Nancy replied softly. “Expect for the six-kid part, man I feel sorry for whoever ends up marrying you Harrington.” She chuckled. “But I have a feeling I know the only person who’d want to have six of your spawn.” Nancy teased. “That sounds like a total nightmare, but Y/n she’d bring the calmness that entire situation would need.”

“If only I had some practice.” Steve gestured to the motorhome full of kids as you chuckled to yourself, listening through the radio Dustin was holding near Steve. “You know I’ve thought about it, just skipping the whole uh, girlfriend part and jumping straight for the shiny ring and big romantic gesture—ask her to marry me.” Dustin froze, not sure if he should have kept his radio on any longer. Your heart skipped what felt like six beats in your chest as your entire body felt like it had been lit on fire. “I just, can’t live without her you know—”

“I think we’ve all seen that you can’t over the past few weeks.” Nancy agreed. “But don’t rush things, she’s a gem Steve, don’t waste a single moment, but smell the roses along the way.”

The radio cut off a second after Nancy had finished speaking, silence filling your room, the monition beeping of your heart rate monitor the only thing cutting through the immense silence.

“I have to get outta here.” You groaned to yourself, Sitting up with a gasp. “Dammit.” You groaned as you stood slowly. Holding your stomach as you ripped the wires from your arm. Waddling over to the pile of clothes that had been forgotten on a chair in the corner of the room, a note falling to the ground as you picked the pile up. Curiosity getting the better of you as you bent down to read it. It was Nancy’s handwriting. A simple note that made you smile. Gave you strength.

For when you wanna kick some more arse. -- Nancy xx

***~***~***~***~***~***~

Eddie’s trailer was further away then you initially thought. However, with the help of an older gentleman who had been parking his car in the underground carpark at the hospital– it didn't end up being as far of a walk as you had anticipated it to be. you were thankful for that, because the drop from our second story window from your hospital room off the makeshift ladder you had made with the sheets from your bed wasn't as kind.

Gravel flung up against the car doors as you came to a screeching halt just outside Eddie’s trailer, hobblingly as you tried to race up the three stairs that led you to the front door. You could hear Dustin screaming from the inside, barging through the door in a panic.

“What's wrong! Dustin, what’s wrong!” you asked, panic lacing your voice as you hobbled towards him. Shock and utter confusion plaguing his face as he turned to see you, tears in his eyes as snot began to run from his nose. Collecting himself momentarily, Dustin explained.

“Eddie pulled the rope down! I can't get back, he’s gonna get hurt Y/n please you have to help me!” kneeling in front of Dustin to match his height, a gentle hand rubbing his forearm to try to calm him just the slightest bit.

“What were you doing!” you cooed, looking around Eddie’s trailer for anything that could help.

“We were the distraction, he was playing his guitar to distract the Demobats, but we got caught and he left me up here before he turned around!”

“Okay, okay, Does Eddie have another guitar?” you asked, concocting a plan quickly in your head.

“Yeah, he should, in his room? Why?” you did your best to stand without a groan, not wanting to lead Dustin onto the fact you were in agony. Your entropy body throbbed, making it hard to rush down the hall to where you thought Eddie’s room might be. “What are you doing!” Dustin shouted from behind you, watching as you grabbed one of Eddies’ older less looked after electric guitars. Turning back to Dustin with a smirk.

“We’re gonna go get Eddie.”

“Steve is gonna kill me–” Dustin mumbled as you raced past him, blood starting to drip through your shirt. “And you’re bleeding, great!” Dustin sighed as he followed you up onto a chair you had dragged under the gate that was open on Eddie’s roof. Helping to hoist him up with a groan of agony.

“Yeah well, you win some you lose some Henderson.” shoving him up into the upside down. “And I might just lose this one.”

***~***~***~***~***~***~

Eddie Munson was ready to accept his fate. Perhaps this was his destiny? His moment to shine and his moment to repent for all the things he’d done in his life they maybe weren't so great. A giant swarm of demobats came right for him, coming face to face with death as he held his bat high and a bin lid shield for protection. His uncle wouldn't believe his death, Dustin would find a way to forgive him.

“AHHHHHH—” Eddie bellowed as the bats raced towards him, smacking against his bin lid shield like he wasn't standing there at all. A guitar ref blasting from the speakers atop his upside-down trailer that he recognised with only a few chords. “What the hell?” he panted, turning over his shoulder to see where the bats were heading, who they were heading for. “Oh, there's no way.” Eddie laughed. Cheering as you stood tall atop his trailer, blasting what Eddie could only describe as the best choice of comeback songs to play after being within an inch of your life previously. “Kick ass Y/L/N! Kick ass!” Eddie bellowed as he ran towards his trailer. The bats ahead of him by what felt like miles.

Disposable Heroes by Metallica. Why hadn't Eddie thought of that himself, he felt one, a disposable hero. The way you played the guitar riff was utterly perfect, distracting the bats enough so that Eddie could once again make it to safety. Meeting Dustin at the front of his trailer as bats loomed close, circling above you as you played.

“What is she doing here! Harringtons gonna blow a head gasket if we don’t get her back to Hawkins!” Eddie shouted over the music at Dustin.

“I'm not gonna be the one to tell him!” Dustin shouted back at Eddie as you jumped down from the roof, scaring them both half to death.

“JESUS H CHRIST!” Eddie hissed as you pulled them both inside. “You are seriously one crazy chick Y/L/N, and I thought Wheeler and her collection of guns were bad but this, this is the cherry on top of a very crazy cake.” Eddie shouted from behind you as you helped Dustin up into the gate, using the sheet tied rope Eddie had pulled down previously to do so. Eddie didn't take long to take over as he saw your strength fading, shoving the youngster up into Hawkins. “I don’t like the idea of Harrington coming after me because his crazy girlfriend decided her life was less valuable than mine so could you hurry it up Henderson? These bats are gonna chew through the walls any second now!” Eddie hissed. Turning to you as if to say your next.

“Uh, uh—first of all, not Steve’s girlfriend.” Yet you thought. Steve hadn’t asked you yet. “Second of all, you first Munson, I didn’t climb out of a hospital window, steal a car from and old man, and sacrifice my life once again just for you to say you first!” you rambled as you held your ground, Eddie just stood staring at you with wide eyes. His hair a mess as he tried to take in what you were saying. “Get. Up. The. Rope!” You hissed through gritted teeth, fed up and exhausted. Stepping closer to Eddie as you looked up at Dustin, still teary eyed. “See that kid Munson? He mourned you, he thought you were dead when I got here, so get up that god damn rope before I decide that you maybe weren’t worth saving after all.” It hurt to hear, but Eddie needed the push, the tough love from someone he knew didn’t judge him or hate him. You were in his mind, a genuinely nice person with a good heart full of kindness and your ability to cut through all the bullshit had him climbing that rope faster than you could say hurry. You had always been a kind soul.

“She’s a hard task master Henderson why did we invite her?” Eddie puffed as he climbed back into Hawkins, falling onto his back onto the mattress with a thud. Looking up at you inside the upside down.

“Y/n saved you, she could have died saving you, she saved Steve and you watched her almost die then too.” Dustin explained in your defence. “You left me Eddie, that was selfish and Y/n? she came back she—” a thud interrupted Dustin’s monologue both Eddie and Dustin look up to see you collapsed in a heap at the base of the rope, a soft moan escaping your lips as you held your stomach, your knees to your chest.

“Y/n!” they both screamed, Eddie jumping to his feet as Dustin grabbed his radio.

“Steve, Steve do you copy! Its Dustin, over!” Dustin shouted through his radio. “Answer me god dammit—” he sighed to himself, watching Eddie climb back up into the upside down to rescue you. A selfless act, not a thought other then he’d rather die by demobats trying to save you then by the hands of Steve Harrington for not trying hard enough.

“Now isn’t the time Henderson!” Steve hissed through his radio quietly. Stepping over moving vines. Tip toeing through the Creel house.

“It’s Y/n! she’s here and she just saved Eddie, it was really cool by the way—” Dustin trailed off for a moment. “But she’s here and she’s hurt, and I don’t know what happened, but she’s collapsed near Eddies trailer gate!” Dustin rambled. Steve didn’t think as he dropped the radio, turning to Nancy and Robin.

“I have to go—” racing around vines as Steve ran, ran so fast his heart hurt, so fast he could hear his heart beating in his head.

“Steve—” Dustin shouted through the radio.

“He’s on his way!” Robin replied, turning off the radio as they continued their journey into the creel house, sticking to the plan. Nancy could only smirk to herself, knowing you were too crazy to stay away from a good fight. Her admiration for you growing tenfold.

“Okay, Okay! Eddie’s Steve’s coming, let’s get her outta there alright!” Dustin shouted up into the upside down.

“Yeah, easy for you to say kid!” Eddie shouted back up. “Hey Y/n, c’mon man don’t do this to me—”

“Can you tell Steve I’m sorry, for everything?” you mumbled, looking at Eddie with gazed eyes. “He told me to stay—”

“You can tell him yourself Y/L/N, Eddie replied, panic creeping up on him as he stated to think you might not make it out of this one. “You hear me? You can tell him your—” Eddie couldn’t believe his eyes as he removed his hand from your stomach, covered in blood. Pushing your shirt up to reveal soaked bandages, bloodied to the point of no return. “Oh fuck—”

“Eddie!!!” Steve shouted from the roof, climbing down as he fought of bat after bat! “It’s me!”

“Down here!” hurry man she’s not doing too good!” Eddie shouted as Steve dropped into the trailer, racing to your side as he dropped to his knees. Pushing your hair from your face as he led you in his lap. All Eddie could do was watch on, his own heart breaking, you had saved his life selflessly, paying the price with your own in return. A disposable hero.

“What are you doing to me Y/n?” Steve cooed. “Hey? What are you doing here?”

“You said—” you coughed up blood as you tried to explain, it was so hard to breath. “You said you wanted too—“ you were trying to say you’d heard Steve in the motor home, you wanted to help but got distracted when. “Dustin, needed help.” Shaking his head, Steve held you tight. “Eddie—he’s okay, he’s safe now.”

“I cannot do this, I won’t do this, I’m—”

“I love you, so much, Steve—” you smiled softly, your eyes heavy as your head became limp in his arms. Your vision tunnelling. “It looks like we’ll have to settle for five minutes.” You felt Steve’s tears hitting your face as you forgot how to breathe. “Keep your heart open.”

“No! No Y/n no! you stay with me! You fucking stay with me!! Y/n!” Eddie could speak, all he could do was watch, feeling your blood on his hands. “Baby please stays!” Steve shouted in utter heart ache. “Please—”

“Steve look at me.” Eddie chocked out, his hands coming to Steve’s shoulders even though Steve never took his eyes off you. “When you come out of this storm man, you won’t be that same person that went into it. That’s what the storm in all about, when—when you can’t control what’s happening to you, you control how you respond to it.” Eddie smirked. “That’s where your power is man, so let’s just get her outta here man, we gotta work fast—” Eddie tried to speak sense into the situations. “let’s get her outta here and to the hospital. But we have to do it now and do it fast, the longer we stay here doing nothing the less chance she has, don’t give up on her.” Steve nodded in response as Eddie helped him lift you.

“You aren’t taking her you hear me” Steve mumbled to whatever god would hear him. “You aren’t taking her from me.”

***~***~***~***~***~***~

Neon lights drew you into a new reality. The second lever of the star court mall. Looking down into the hand, a bunch of wilted roses, slowly dying the longer you held them. An elegant wedding dress dawned your body, confusions plastered across your face. Why where you here?

“So—” a familiar voice spoke softly, coaxing your attention his way as he leaned over the railing, looking down at the bottom level. “It seems as though whenever I appear as Steve Harrington, you never want to say, so I thought I’d give another skin ago.”

“Billy?” you questioned. You had never really had a good friendship with Billy Hargrove, more acquaintances as best. “What are you doing here I—” knowing Billy was dead after an untimely demise you stopped yourself. “I’m dead, aren’t I?”

“No, well—not yet anyway.” Billy replied as you walked closer to where he stood, still looking over the railing. “But I came for you, twice already, and both times you chose to stay, so perhaps a third might be the one where you decide to come with me.”

“Why would I go with you? What the hell is going on?” you hissed, starting to panic before who you thought was Billy morphed before your eyes into Steve. Beautiful, loving Steve.

“You’re too afraid to leave me behind, so you keep fighting to stay, for me.” Stepping closer to you as you stepped back, watching as Steve morphed into Nancy. “Here” Nancy looked around, gesturing to the mall you were in. “this is your own personal heaven, your most cherished memories live here. Why wouldn’t you want to spend the rest of your days, an eternal life after death, here, with them.” Nancy morphed back into Billy; it was truly the most terrifying thing you had ever seen. He reached for your wrist, slicing it with something sharp you didn’t quite see, blood dripping from your wrist before it mended within seconds. “Here you can’t feel pain, here you can’t be hurt.”

“But I’m not ready to die, I’m—”

“You have a choice Y/n, and I’m only here to guide you with whatever you decide. This is your cross-roads.” Billy explained. “If you stay here, whatever you desire, whatever your wildest dreams are, whatever your greatest wishes are, you can have them.” You thought for a second that maybe that didn’t seem so bad. “But if you go, your vessel is broken, its bruised and you will live in pain for what I can only imagine will be months. Agony, from choices you made.”

“But Steve—” you sighed, the ground lever of the Star Court mall now your hospital room. You could see yourself lying with tubes down your throat surrendered by monitors and machines. That familiar beeping, and Steve, sleeping right beside you, his hand in yours. “I just wanna be with Steve—” as you looked down at yourself, whatever was projecting itself as Billy morphed into Steve once again.

“You can have me, I’m right here.” Steve cooed, stepping closer to where you stood. “I came to you in your Waldenbooks dream, and in your bedroom, both times you pushed me away out of fear, panic. But this time? You can stay and we can be together, forever.” It seemed too good to be true. Contemplating the feeling of a forever internal love. You signed.

“But you aren’t Steve, I want the Steve beside my bed, because that’s the Steve who loves me the most, not an angelic version, I just want the human, imperfect Steve.”

“I can be whatever version of Steve you need me to be if you decide to stay.” The angel spoke as he watched you watching yourself down below. The way Steve slept next to you broke your heart.

“Please take me back—” you whispered softly. “I need to go back.” You sobbed. It was only with a gentle push against your forehead did your eyes widen, taking in the florescent lighting of your hospital room. Gagging on tubes shoved into your throat before you calmed down. Coughing as the nurses worked to gently remove them. Watching as you calmed down. Turning to Steve as he looked at your stunned, with so much love in your heart that it hurt.

“Am I still dreaming or is that you Harrington?” you cooed, reaching out for Steve as he came closer, your fingertips tracing his stubble. Steve held back tears as he gently chuckled, of cause that would be the first thing you’d say after four days. Just thankful to have you back.

“Yeah, it’s me Y/n, don’t cream your pants.”

#steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x reader #stranger things season 4 #stranger things fanfiction #steve harrington angst #steve harrington series #Steve harrington fanfiction #eddie munson #steve x eddie

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cyberwears · 2 years

Text

Poly! Steve harrington and Eddie Munson X Male! reader

Prompt: "Hi :) would you possibly write a male reader with poly! steve and eddie? Either as a fic or head cannons, whichever you like!" (REQUEST)

Pairing:Steve harrington X Eddie Munson X Male!reader

warnings: mentions of weed, mentions of bullying and fights,

I was so excited for a request like this and now I have it! I hope to do you justice. this is not proof read. REQUESTS ARE OPEN

Eddie

You try and get eddie to sit still long enough to braid his hair (it doesn't work)

Eddie wont let any people touch his hair other than wayne before you came along

You and eddie were together before steve entered the mix

You and eddie got the reputation of “fruit freaks”

When you guys got into fights or jumped eddie tried to defend you but only got beat up more for “resisting the punishment”

You play in hell fire sometimes and are really close with gareth and jeff

You always hangout at band practice and go to their shows at the Hideout

After you graduated and Eddie had to repeat his senior year you tutored him

Stargazing out by Lovers Lake

BED HEAD omg

Eddie prefers soda over coffee or tea in the mornings to wake up with

When he stretches he kicks his leg and does the little spasms when he gets up.

He claims “It shakes the sleep off my weary bones”

He learns how to make paper rings for you

He put on his rings on a chain for you after seeing you stare at it while cuddling

SPEAKING OF CUDDLING

This man is a little spoon all the way (unless you had a bad day then you kinda just lay on top of him

Obviously this man smokes weed so if you’re allergic to it he goes outside or on the roof of the trailer

If not then he asks if you wanna smoke with him

Clingy. Always likes some skin contact. (hands, ankles if hands are not available.)

OMG he loves kissing you EVERYWHERE

PET NAMES AND COMPLEMENTS (prince charming, my king, Lovebug, handsome. Even refers to you as a greek god some days)

Definitely has a polaroid of you in his van AND wallet “that way you’re always with me forever”

You stole his sweater once and he almost tackled you in kisses saying “you look amazing in my clothes”

He spends alot of time reading to you after school/work

Steve

Started off platonic (sharing a mutual friend of Nancy)

No longer friends with Nancy and defend him till you were blue in the face

Graduating same class as him

After hearing Nancy dumped him for Jonathon you quickly came to his aid and took him on a long drive to comfort him

Held him while he was crying

Before he realized you and eddie were together he kissed you in a spur of the moment decision

He was horrified to learn that you were in a relationship and felt bad after the kiss (you said it was ok and it was never mentioned again)

He coming over and asking you advice on how he was feeling and “how to tell that you like men”

You happy helped him if it helped him move on from Nancy

Tended to his wounds after Starcourt with a very frantic “WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED”

You introduced him to Eddie and could see Steve falling very fast for him

You worried you would lose Eddie to him because they got really close really fast

“I would never take him from you. I see how he looks at you. His eyes are on you 1000%”

Renting movies and watching them at his house

Swimming in his pool late at night

Trying (and failing) to make you small gifts and bracelets

Getting butthurt when you agreed with the group of kids he ended up babysitting all the time

Steve is a coffee man all the way

messing up steves hair just because he spends so much time on it

Steve and Eddie:

Cuddling together (you all rotate who is middle, the others on the outside hold hands basically caging the one in center in.)

If you have long hair steve and eddie love styling it (short hair, playing with it)

Long night drives and arguments over whose music taste is better (steve and eddie. You never cared to argue the point that both genres have their respective strengths and weaknesses

Off hand comments about how steve uses to much hair product and how eddie doesn’t use any (getting an offend look from both)

If in arguments or disagreement you kiss one of them to shut them up

Taking steve to see Corroded Coffin play

They both suck at taking care of themselves period. You act more like a parent than a partner sometimes (“did you eat breakfast?” “…” “here eat this”)

You wouldn't trade it for the world though

You both scream for eddie when he graduates

You and Steve always carry hair ties for Eddie since he “always loses them”.

You tease both of them about their respective highschool callings and nicknames

Blurb Below

You wake up and look towards the clock on your bedside table, 6:53 AM. Letting out a whine and a soft remark on how tired you were, you move your gaze from your clock. Becoming acutely aware of the weight on either side of your body and the soft sensation of warmth to either side of you a soft grin overtakes your features. As you look to your left and see a wild mess of black curly hair and relaxed features, hearing the soft snoring of Eddie Munson, your boyfriend of 3 years. Giggling you sink further into the bed to the best of your ability and shift to your right to see short blonde hair. sticking up in spots and the not so soft snoring of Steve Harrington, Eddie’s and your other boyfriend of 1 year.

You lay as still as possible and gently brush the hair out of Eddie's face as the sun starts rising over Hawkins, Indiana. The curtains moved with the sway of the breeze from your open window, carrying the warm summer air into the room. You look between your boys and admire as the ever waking sunlight cradles their faces gently, as one would hold a newborn kitten or flower from a garden. Looking back down you see the boys pinky fingers interlocked on the blanket about where the soft plush blanket meets your hip bones

After laying in the bed for about an hour or so (you take in every crevice on Steve and Eddie’s faces the whole time) you feel a shift on the right side and an arm wraps around your waist as Steve's bare arm tightens and pulls you closer. Sighing you scoot to face him as his breathing changes and his face becomes a tad bit less relaxed. You kiss his forehead as he cracks his eyes open. You watch as he blinks the sun and sleep from his eyes and a wide dopey grin slides over his features as he moves his head just enough to place his soft lips on yours. Taking note to disregard the morning breath you kiss him back just as gently as he did you seconds ago.

“Good morning bug” he croaks out the dumb nickname he picked up form Eddie and sits up against the headboard. Causally, you reach up and smooth out the wild spots in his hair, him gently and playfully slapping your hand away while claiming that he’s a big boy and can handle himself. “Good morning to you too, my love.” you said, voice riddled with sleep and a bit deeper for lack of use. He grins a bit wider and looks over you again. “Y’know you are sexy with that morning voice” he said as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

You rolled your eyes and went to tease him before hearing a laugh from your left and feeling a shift in the bed. “I have not even been awake for 5 minutes and you two are already ready to jump each other's bones. Good morning to me, I guess” Eddies fake grumpy voice cuts through the teasing banter. you flip to face him and place a kiss on his forehead as your face starts to burn from embarrassment. you feel Steve shift and lean over, kissing Eddie and pushing the hair from his face. “Jesus steve, morning breath” Eddie said as he sits up and makes a fake disgusted face. you laugh and steve looks at the both of you with face offense.

“Well if my breath offends you both so much, you can make your own breakfast” He teases and stands up, pulling his shorts that were disregarded the night prior. You snatch his arm and roughly pull him into your lap and kiss him again. “He was kidding, my love. Give us 15 and we’ll be out there to join you. Maybe we can actually help this time” you said as you sent him your best pleading look. He looks between you and Eddie then snorts “yeah right, after you two almost burnt the house down I don’t think so. I will start breakfast. We’re having pancakes and eggs. I love you two but I don’t think I can handle having to call the emergency line at… 8am” he explains as he glances at the clock. Standing up again he heads out of the room, your gaze follows him until he is out of sight.

You lean back against the bed and turn your head to Eddie who is just staring off into space. As you look at him you lean over and move his hair out of the way and gently bite his shoulder. “Fuck! Why did you do that? I know you love leaving your mark on the world but last time I checked my name isn’t ‘The World’ “ He said as he let out a little yelp in surprise. “I don’t know. Just felt like it. You were spacing out again.” “and you bit me?!” he says in fake anger. “What else was I supposed to do?” you said and rolled your eyes as you moved to go stand.

You make your way to the kitchen and watch as Steve bobs his head and sings to whatever song is on the radio placed on the kitchen counter. While he is dancing like a maniac you see him plating up some food then turning back to the stove. You let out a silent chuckle then move towards him as quietly as you can and snake your arms around his bare waist. the coarse hair from his stomach brushing against the soft skin of your arms and you let out a content hum. “How was your morning thus far, pop star?” You tease as he spins around and pulls you against him.

“I don’t know, poke me or something like a normal person?” He questions as he stands, throwing the disregarded Metallica shirt on. You opt for a plain back tank top and shorts, tying back your hair back the best you can, vowing to brush it later (if you have short hair you run a hand through it to fix the bed head). He pouts then looks over your form. Looking back from your dresser as you slip on your shorts you can see Eddie scheming. Quickly rushing over you kiss him and run your hands down the sides of his arms and to grip his waist in effort to put a pep in his step. “Hey let's go. Steve is probably feeling left out.” you whisper against his lips and pull away. He let's out a whine from lack of contact then follows.

“Pretty good. Better now that you and Eddie are up and moving” He says as Eddie stumbles through the doorway of your shared apartment, making his way to the fridge and grabbing a Coca-cola from it before plopping down at the counter. “Yeah? I am glad” you start and lean up to his ear. “I saw your performance. Amazing might I add.” you whisper as you place a kiss on his collar bone and move away from him, towards the coffee pot after grabbing the dark blue and bright yellow coffee mug. After filling up the mug and sitting down you bask in the morning glow filling the room and wait as Steve finishes breakfast.

The three of you eat, throwing around playful remarks and generally comfortable conversation. You smile and couldn’t and would feel more at peace with the two men you love the most within arms reach of you.

taglist: @hellfirebee @mitzirre

#eddie munson x yn #eddie munson fanfic #steve stranger things #steve harrington #x male reader #steve x eddie #eddie #eddie munson fluff #fluff #headcanon #poly relationship #polyamory #eddie x steve #steddie #steveddie

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lihhelsing · 1 year

Text

Stay for as long as you have time

Eddie Munson is used to one night stands. It’s not that he likes them necessarily, but it’s hard to find a boyfriend in a small town in Indiana.

So he accepts what he can and hooks up with strangers in shady bars. It’s all good, it’s ok.

Until that one night.

Eddie likes to think he can pull beautiful guys. But never this handsome. The guy is built like a god while still being soft in the right places.

He’s full of moles in his face and down his neck and Eddie is fantasizing about tracing them all with his tongue when the bartender interrupts him.

He has a brand new drink for him and motions his head to show that the stranger with the moles sent that.

Eddie smirks and waves his hand in an affected manner and when his handsome stranger blushes, Eddie smiles grows bigger. He picks up his drink and approaches the booth. “Can I join you, sweetheart?”

He knows this routine, done it a million times before but there’s something that feels different this time, so when the stranger nods, Eddie slides beside him instead of in front of him

Eddie can see that he’s nervous, so he places a hand in his arm and squeezes a little. He feels the guy relaxing beside him and smiles. Finally, they strike a conversation.

“What’s your name?” Eddie asks, after a moment, but the guy shakes his head and Eddie gets it. No names.

They end up going to his place, Eddie follows his fucking BMW with his beat-up van and has to take a deep breath when he sees the mansion the guy lives in. It’s in a part of town Eddie has never been.

Eddie’s sweet stranger is fucking loaded.

But it’s fine. It’s ok.

When they are inside, Eddie is surprised the guy doesn’t just jump him. They keep talking over three more rounds of drinks that the stranger makes him and Eddie can’t remember the last time he felt so relaxed on a date

But then, he has to chastise himself because it’s not a date, it’s a hook up, nothing else.

It’s past midnight when the stranger finally makes a move and it’s so sweet that it warms Eddie’s heart. He’s used to men ripping his clothes out and fucking him without ever looking him in the eye.

But this stranger places a hand on his thigh and cups his face with the other. “Can I kiss you?” and Eddie almost faints.

He nods and let the guy lean in. Their lips brush in a soft kiss, and when Eddie slips his tongue in, the guy moans and Eddie is gone.

Eddie gets to trace his moles with his tongue, like he wanted to. He makes the guy squirms under him and the noises he makes are just beautiful. Eddie is fucking addicted. But the sex is softer than Eddie is used to.

When they are done, the stranger pulls him close, nests him in his chest and caresses his hair.

Eddie doesn’t think he’s ever been held like that. He sleeps in his arms and wakes up to a full breakfast table. The stranger kisses him goodbye at the door and never offers his name.

Eddie has a hard time forgetting him. His next hook-ups doesn’t get even close to what it was like with his stranger. The sex is good but there’s something lacking in all of them.

So after years of casual hook-ups, Eddie loses interest in them.

His friends make fun of him but Eddie doesn’t mind. He can’t stop thinking about this stranger he met at a bar. The one who kissed him and fucked him like he cared about Eddie.

Sometimes he thinks he sees him walking around, but it’s never really him.

His uncle is working during Christmas that year, so his best friend insists Eddie spend Christmas with her family. He says there’s no need, but knows he can’t win an argument with Nancy Wheeler so he ends up agreeing to go

Eddie shows up at her house at 7pm sharp, a bottle of wine in hand because she insisted he didn’t need to bring anything.

He rings the doorbell but when the door opens he’s speechless because there he is. His stranger from the bar. More handsome than he remembers.

But the man doesn’t seem to remember Eddie because he blinks once and turns inside “Nancy, your guest is here.” Nancy appears in a second and pulls Eddie in a tight hug.

Eddie wishes he could react but it’s like he forgot how to, all he can think about is his stranger.

Nancy drags Eddie to the living room and the man is sitting there, relaxed, speaking with Nancy’s younger brother. “Babe,” Nancy calls and he turns, a soft smile in his lips. The same one he offered Eddie all those nights ago. “Come meet Eddie properly.”

“Eddie, this is Steve Harrington, my fiancé.”

PART II | Find me on Ao3

#Steve Harrington #Eddie Munson #Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson #Steddie #Fic #Steddie fanfic #Stranger Things

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shintin · 8 months

Text

Gunpowder Dreams

Chapter 5 (Glory-Hole)

↳ Vash the Stampede x Female Reader

They didn't know a wounded man would show no mercy when they took the best thing he ever had away from him. What did they say? Don't poke the dragon if you can't take the heat; if you do, expect the flames.

Genre: explicit smut, toxic relation, romance, angst (Mafia au).

Warnings/Tags: +18, NSFW, Alternative Universe/Modern Setting, no spoilers from manga and anime, dominate Vash the Stampede, sexual situations, dub-con, graphic violence, gore, angst, toxicity, gun-play, manhandling, cunnilingus + fellatio, creampie, fingering, unprotected sex, multiple orgasms, hair pulling, too many smut scenes, emotional trauma, and etc.

Song Recommendation: Nancy Sinatra - Bang Bang

Note: This one has dub-con.

Chapter Index - Next Chapter

"I can save you."

Something shook you, inflicting waves of pain that pierced your consciousness.

"Wake up; I can save you."

The voice cut through the dense fog swirling within your mind. Blackness surrounded you, and it felt like you were adrift in a galaxy devoid of stars while an icy chill crept through your body, serving as a foreboding sign of imminent peril.

A hand firmly grasped your arm, administering another rough jolt.

"There's not much time left. I need you to wake up. I'll help you."

A slender beam of light pierced through the unending darkness of the room, creating a fissure. Your attention was fixated on the light while someone persisted in shaking your body, causing the crack to widen until a dazzling radiance seared through your eyes.

Fucking flashlight!

You let out a groan as a faint glimmer of understanding slowly surfaced. The firm grip on your arm tightened, and the voice urging you to awaken amplified. Once more, you were vigorously shaken, and the harsh movement finally jerked you into full wakefulness. Your eyes flew open, and although the reason was still unclear, your heart was beating out of your chest, pounding against your rib cage with the same intensity as the person shaking you.

The features of an elderly, weathered face with dull blue eyes behind black-framed glasses came into focus, only a few inches away from yours.

Startled, you instinctively recoiled, blinking at him with frenzy and bewilderment. "What's going on?" you choked out. The reality hit you like a thunderbolt in seconds, and you were swiftly reminded of the man's identity. After the ordeal of being kidnapped and enduring a brutal beating from Knives, he tended to your injuries and provided care.

Doctor William Conrad. The man who was currently in your face, staring at you with urgency.

"I'm going to help you. Please, get up."

The spine-tingling fear seeped through the haze and grew more intense as his hand seized yours and forcefully yanked you forward. A startled yelp escaped your lips in immediate reaction.

"I know you don't know me enough, sweetheart, but we must hurry before Vash returns."

With a gentle tug, Conrad pulled you once again, and you noticed the locked door of your room wide open. How had this man sneaked past the armed men and reached you? Was this another mind game orchestrated by that pervert Vash? Yes, pervert. The memory of how he had pressed his every sinew against you a few days ago was still fresh in your mind, and you wanted to rip off your traitorous skin for finding his warmth pleasant. The guilt of enjoying the proximity of a freak who had kidnapped you due to your father killing his partner—Nicholas, who happened to be a man—weighed heavily. A man, you idiot! He was interested in men!

You berated yourself for being foolish, as he likely felt nothing while pinning you against a wall and leering at your cleavage. And wait! The situation grows even more fucked up because, somehow, the fact that he didn't become aroused bothered you more than being trapped within his limbs.

WHY THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING ABOUT HIM IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS?

Oh, deities! These feelings of yours had no logical justification, aside from the possibility that prolonged isolation and lack of sunlight had shrunk your brain or perhaps your subconscious harbored a cunning scheme. Because, just maybe, if you could entice him... there might be a chance...?

For fuck's sake!

You and your female body offered no advantage in this war. Ugh! Since when had you sunk to such levels of degradation? No wonder self-revulsion coursed through you. Sure, you weren't exactly spoiled for choices, but seriously! Attempting to seduce your kidnapper to find a way out? Had you truly lost your mind?

"Hurry up, sweetheart."

You resisted, and in an effort to stall, you asked, "H-how did you pass the guards?"

"I'm their family doctor. Now get up, please."

Leaving you with no other choice, he hoisted you up, hastening your progress while making an effort to maintain silence.

"Where are we going?" You were nearly frantic, and confusion was muddling your thoughts. Mainly, you couldn't figure out why the hell he was helping you. Wasn't he also involved with the Mafia?

It was then he looked at you, wearing a deranged smile. "I'm going to take you somewhere safe. No one will ever find you, I promise."

A lump lodged in your throat, and you struggled to swallow as the gravity of your situation grew increasingly apparent. No one would ever find you. While he might be rescuing you from Vash and his unhinged brother, it didn't guarantee that you wouldn't require saving from him either.

"Why are you doing this?" You breathed, your gaze darting around the basement, desperately seeking a way out of this dire predicament. There appeared to be only one visible exit, and he was guiding you directly toward it. For all you knew, he would lock you in a box and feed you through a glory hole. The image disturbed you so profoundly that you thought you'd rather take chances with twins instead.

"I became a doctor because I genuinely enjoy caring for people. But the hospitals never let me care for my patients the way I want."

Your heart dropped, and he peered at you with an unassuming innocence like a little boy admitting his crush to the prettiest girl in elementary school. His hand slipped into yours, holding it as though he were on the verge of kneeling down and proposing marriage. A frosty sensation embedded beneath your flesh, burrowing deep like a parasite. His hand was damp with sweat, but all you could feel was ice. This man… he was evil. Touching him felt akin to making contact with a dead body. You wanted to slide your hand from his and wipe it against the fabric of your t-shirt.

"I want to take care of you, sweetie. I-I'll treat you better than these people ever will. I promise I'll be good to you."

Your mouth opened, but no sound escaped. The fuck did he expect you to say to that? Yes, please, whisk me away to your creepy lair. Nothing would make me happier?

You wanted him to let you be free, not into the arms of another creep that would trap you for the rest of your life.

Stepping backward cautiously, you gingerly pried your hand from his grasp. His expression fell, and a wounded look flickered across his pale blue eyes as he watched your fingers slipping away from his. He reacted like he had bent down on one knee, and you had just declined his proposal.

"I-I'm not sure that's a good idea. If you do this, he'll know it was you," you cautiously voiced, attempting to reason with him. You didn't want to reject him flat out. His mental state seemed unstable at best, and you had no inkling of the true capabilities of this man.

Shaking his head, he snatched your hand angrily and pulled you forcefully. You suppressed a cry as he impatiently explained, " If we hurry, he won't suspect a thing. I have a plan; I just need you to come with me."

When he continued to drag you after him, your instincts to resist surged within you. Pain be damned, you snatched your hand out of his hold and scrambled backward. "No, I don't want to go with you," you snapped. His face morphed into a snarling demon, and the coldness radiating from him crystallized. This man was dead on the inside. He resembled nothing more than a rigid, decaying corpse.

You felt the burst of pain lancing across your cheek before you registered him moving. Your head whipped to the side, and fire erupted on the side of your face. Gasping, your mouth popped open as you instinctively clasped your stinging cheek, feeling something wet coat your fingers.

Pulling your hand away, you found several drops of blood tainting your skin. He backhanded you with a fucking ring on. A wedding ring. A mix of disgust and anger churned in your stomach, but you kept your mouth shut.

This had become exceedingly precarious, and you no longer had the luxury of doing or saying whatever the hell you wanted without severe consequences. And as much as you were tempted to throw down with the old fart, you weren't sure if he was armed or not.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Think.

His breath came in heavy, ragged gasps, and his ruddy face displayed clear signs of fury. It felt as if you were gazing into the eyes of a fucking zombie, animated solely by the malevolence dwelling within. "I would lavish you with the treatment of a queen. You would want for nothing," he spat vehemently, slashing a hand through the air as he emphasized his final word.

You nodded your head. "Okay," you placated gently. "But you're scaring me just as much as they do."

His posture straightened, and you observed the anger drain from his gaze like it just now dawned on him that he was acting like a goddamn lunatic. So quickly, his face shifted from a state of hysteria to one of sheepish understanding. "You're right; I'm sorry," he acknowledged, stepping forward. "I'm just… if I'm going to get you out safely, we need to hurry, and it seems you're not cooperating." You tensed but refrained from retreating as he apologetically grabbed your hands. "I'm sorry I slapped you, my dear. I'm just trying to help you. Please, come with me. I promise you'll be happy with me."

The panic and surge of adrenaline reached perilous heights, causing your heart to thump painfully against your chest. It was fucking hard to concentrate when he was staring at you so eagerly, and your entire body felt like it had been mercilessly tossed through a fucking grinder. However, amidst this chaos, there lay a potential opportunity to escape if you played your cards right. You needed to get out with as minimal noise as possible without alerting the terror twins, which left you with two options: hit this clown over the head and flee or let him take you along while seeking an alternative way out. Regardless, one thing remained certain—you were not staying here.

"Okay," you whispered, wheezing in a breath through your constricted lungs. When he noticed your visible relaxation, he quickly followed suit, victory sparking in his icy pools.

Taking hold of your hand once more, he guided you towards the metallic doors, creating a cacophony of clattering sounds. Suppressing any resistance, you trailed behind him through the corridor, shutting the door behind you. He led you directly to the staircase, urging you to keep your steps light as your legs propelled you at an alarming pace. Halfway down, you teetered precariously, nearly colliding with a potted plant. Grasping and holding to the railing, you managed to steady yourself and stifle any loud squeak that threatened to escape. You felt like throwing up, the adrenaline and fear intense and biting at your nerves.

Taking a left turn, the two of you headed towards the living room but swiftly veered into the nearest door upon hearing heavy footsteps approaching from above. Locking eyes with the doctor, your heart raced impossibly faster, and your hands quivered violently as you entered the room.

Casting a glance around, a shiver ran through you, induced by the cold and darkness of the place. The entire room was saturated with shades of gray, lacking vibrancy or vitality. The light fixtures suspended above emitted a disconcerting hum, their surfaces tarnished by layers of dust and the remnants of deceased insects. There was an undeniable absence of anything that could breathe life into this place.

On the wall, a framed picture caught your attention. It depicted a woman with flowing black hair standing alongside two blond boys. Squinting your eyes against the dim light, you studied their features, trying to determine which one was Vash based on their overall appearance.

Goodness, could this be their mother? Surveying the room, you took note of the bed, the sizable bookshelf, the wardrobe, and the dressing table. Evidently, this was her personal space, and it appeared untouched since her passing.

Instead of a typical bedroom, the room gave off an eerie, haunted vibe. The thought of meeting your demise in this space was dreadful, even though it appeared that she had, since the air carried reminiscent of death itself.

As you moved past a table cluttered with empty flower vases, some broken, a dangerous thought crossed your mind. If you could grab one of those shattered fragments and strike him in the jugular, he would be silenced, succumbing to death within minutes. With that threat eliminated, you could seize the opportunity to escape. You weren't entirely sure of your plan beyond that point, but there would hopefully be somewhere you could find help.

With one quick glance, you noted that his unwavering gaze fixed straight ahead, intent on his mission to take you for his own. You grasped a sharp shard from the table. However, as you approached to strike, he detected your presence and turned just as you aimed for his neck. The shard sliced across his nape instead, deviating from your intended target.

Blood spurted onto your face, and you turned away, trying to shield your eyes from the crimson spray. Amid his screams, he retaliated by delivering another forceful backhand, launching you to collide with the unforgiving ground. You landed awkwardly on your spine and yelped from the impact. The agony radiated through your body, momentarily stealing your breath away, and he was on you before you could think of what to do next, let alone breathe.

"You bitch!" he bellowed as his hands tightened around your throat, forcefully slamming your head against the wooden parquet. Stars exploded in your eyes, preventing you from seeing anything for several seconds. It felt as if the back of your head had been cracked open, but the hands constricting your windpipe jolted you out of the abyss of torment.

Panic took over, so intense it felt like acid in your veins. With sheer desperation, you clawed at his hands, the force behind your actions leaving behind a trail of bloody scratches in their wake, but they didn't deter him.

Conrad's face was contorted into a pure rage, his pupils dilated until they were nearly black, and his teeth bared, every single yellow, crooked tooth on display. You thrashed and fought, but his grip remained unyielding. And it was then that your life played out before your eyes, flickering like scenes from an old movie reel.

Your mother bestowing upon you one of her sweet smiles whenever you uttered something ridiculous. Amelia, her head thrown back in uproarious laughter at something you said or did, revealing the endearing gap between her front teeth—a feature she despised but you cherished. The various lovers came and went, each with their own flaws, some more egregious than others. And then there was Vash, the fucking wrecking ball of a man who had led you into this inferno of searing flames, reducing you to mere ashes beneath its weight.

You should have …

As darkness overtook your vision, leaving only a faint glimmer of light, Conrad's grip on you suddenly loosened, and something wet and warm flooded over your face. With a desperate gasp, you opened your mouth, urgently drawing in a breath as your lungs expanded. The taste of copper flooded your tongue, and you inhaled so deep that your eyes bulged from their sockets. It took a few moments to register the shocking discovery that only half of Conrad's head remained suspended above you, a mere second before his lifeless body collapsed onto yours.

Your throat became a warzone, where coughing and a gurgled scream fought for dominance over your throat. Impossibly wide, your eyes beheld the grotesque sight of the doctor's disfigured head now resting upon your shoulder while a pool of crimson slowly seeped into your clothes. The constant coughing fit continued to wrack your body, causing near-convulsions as a swirl of emotions overwhelmed you. Trapped beneath the weight of a corpse, blood trickling into your mouth, you grappled with the horror of the situation. More of his brain matter clung to you than remained within his own exploded skull.

The fragrance reached your nostrils before its owner emerged. The distinct scent of leather permeated the air, accompanied by a subtle hint of smoke. Yet, there was something else mixed within, an aroma so stifling that it would typically prompt an eye-roll if it weren't so oppressively suffocating.

"Stop freaking out. You're fine." Vash's figure bent over you, staring down at you with annoyance and a tinge of anger. "Get used to the sight of dead bodies, love. Looks like you'll encounter plenty every time you attempt to escape."

Grabbing the scruff of Conrad's collar, he yanked him up and suspended him over your face again. An additional deluge of bodily fluids and cerebral fragments cascaded over you. Barely closing your eyes in just enough time, you used your hands as a barrier as Vash laughed and wrenched the body off of you, dragging it toward the corner.

Finally, the pressure eased, and you were able to breathe without coughing, but then a low whimper leaked past your lips. Your body instinctively curled inward, coiling into a tight ball, trying not to think about how blood was in your mouth yet thinking of nothing else.

You gagged, your stomach revolting from the thought. Abruptly, a forceful nudge against your shoulder interrupted the retching, momentarily halting your distress. His boot. Angry at the insult, you proceeded to spit on it, pure red splashing on the black leather. Two birds with one stone—a fuck you to Vash and an attempt to rid your mouth of Conrad's blood.

Vash seemed unfazed by the act, though. "You're going to be fine. Our Doc was trying to kidnap you," he remarked in a nonchalant manner.

"Just as you did. So, you're saying you deserve the same fate, right?" you hissed, your body beginning to go into shock. You trembled violently while a creeping numbness ran up your arms and legs, gradually enveloping them.

Stay calm.

Breathe.

Just breathe.

As Vash's laughter filled the air, you clenched your eyes shut and worked not to freak the fuck out. His presence closed in on you. You knew that he'd crouched down, hovering above you. A warm breath grazed your ear, accompanied by the persistent sound of his chuckles.

"You have a smart mouth on you, but it's not so smart in this world. My advice? Dumb it down until the only words you can speak is 'Yes, Vash.' That way, you'll last much longer."

A solitary tear escaped, tracing a path down your cheek, while a stifled sob threatened to rise from deep within your throat. "Isn't that what I'd want? To not last long? Better than suffering forever, right?"

He sighed wistfully. "You're right. You're going to die here anyway. I guess it's not a matter of how long you last but how bad it hurts when it's over," he murmured, infusing his words with a somber reflection.

Your trembling lip betrayed your emotional state. Vash let out another sigh, his tone tinged with renewed frustration. "Come on, get up. There's work to be done since you're so eager to die," he commanded, his impatience evident. Rising to his feet, he took a few steps away before glancing back in your direction, expecting you to follow his lead.

In a dazed state, you mustered the strength to sit up. The pain began to resettle in your bones, asserting its presence once more. "Can I at least take a shower first?"

There must be something deeply awry within you to pose such a question. However, if faced with the prospect of death, you would prefer to be drenched in your own blood rather than that of another wretched soul.

Vash's gaze scanned your body, stained with the color of blood, and a grin stretched across his face. "Of course, love. You may shower. I find it more satisfying to discipline a clean brat than one drenched in disobedience."

Fuck.

Having him join you in the shower would undeniably be a more bearable scenario than the alternative — being commanded to draw back the curtain and wash yourself. At the same time, he sat on the toilet seat, legs crossed, wholly engrossed in his precious gun. Neither you nor your bewildered mind could comprehend why you entertained the thought of his gaze fixated on your ass when it was evident that he derived greater joy from counting his dear bullets rather than observing a woman drenched in the remains of a deceased man.

Still, you maintained your back turned to him as the rivulets of blood cascaded down your skin, and you nearly puked with the sight of bone fragments and chunks swirling towards the drain.

Already drowned in the piles of troubles that seemed like you couldn't stay away from, you focused on avoiding thoughts of the impending torment awaiting you.Undoubtedly, he possessed an entrepreneurial spirit when it came to devising novel methods to unsettle and disturb you. However, deep down, you harbored the knowledge that whatever pain he had in store would not be lethal. As the maniac had emphasized, he required you alive to provoke your father—an ironic twist of fate indeed.

One thing was clear: this bastard would not permit you to escape unpunished. However, despite the fear of the unknown, it didn't deter you from vigorously scrubbing your skin with whatever shampoo and bar of soap you could find long after cleaning the blood. These seemingly innocuous acts of self-harm served as a means for you to assert control over your body when everything else in your life seemed beyond your grasp. Perhaps, in some way, you hoped that these toiletries could cleanse your physical being and eradicate the weight within, leaving you hollow and devoid of any feeling.

With a fleeting glance, you observed him from the corner of your eye. Resting upon the fucking toilet seat, he exuded elegance adorned in a meticulously tailored ensemble of crisp black garments. His shirt was partially unbuttoned, revealing glimpses of tattoos on his neck and chest. Yet, amidst his immaculate appearance, a striking and irregular gash marred the center of his chest, adding a mysterious element to his otherwise impeccable appearance.

Your eyes settled upon his deceptively innocent countenance: his big, droopy eyes, soft spiked hair, and pale pink lips, and something stirred within you, a fleeting spark that caused a subtle flush to grace your cheeks. However, swiftly averting your gaze, you turned your head away.

While you diligently washed and rinsed your hair, making an effort not to bend too far over, you couldn't help but notice him reclining with his arms crossed over his chest. He watched you intently, a mischievous amusement gleaming in his eyes, like someone enjoying himself in a private, dirty dance at an exclusive strip club. You couldn't deny a part of you relished the attention, though a twinge of shame accompanied the awareness. Shame on you, you attention whore!

You shuddered as you shut off the faucet and noticed how quickly he rose from his seat, snatching your towel from the hanger before approaching you. Instinctively, your hands moved to shield your breasts and front, only to be met with his chuckles. "I thought I made it clear that your nipples don't interest me, love," he remarked, and you noticed his gaze lingering momentarily on your chest before he tilted his head. "Although I must admit, they are rather captivating." A twinkle gleamed in his eyes as he playfully winked, his lips curling into a knowing smile.

Your eyes widened, momentarily frozen in surprise, as you registered what he had just said. Clutching yourself tighter, your cheeks flushed with embracement and anger. And then, to your surprise, with great care, Vash carefully unfurled the towel and held it out, creating a soft and protective cocoon within his hands. A mixture of emotions danced across your face — astonishment, repulsion, and a touch of defenselessness.

As Vash waited, your heart thudded in your chest, the rhythm quickening like that of a wounded animal wary of any display of affection. It was there. The situation's intimate nature heightening the electric current of awareness. Your gaze oscillated uncertainly between his eyes and the towel he held, your mind struggling to make sense of the sudden turn of events.

He nodded in acknowledgment, and with a subtle tremor in your hands, you slowly lifted your arms, yielding to his guidance as he threaded them through the openings of the towel. Your body briefly tensed, a wave of vulnerability sweeping over you as you felt the tenderness of his touch. It was as if the act of being helped and cared for by him had momentarily stripped away your self-assuredness.

In that instant, you became keenly attuned to his closeness, his mere presence, and an unspoken connection that seemed to materialize between you. Your breath caught in your throat as his hands lingered longer than necessary while his eyes met yours. For a suspended moment, time stood still. Then, his gaze settled upon your scars, jolting you back to reality, causing you to cringe and retreat from the depths of what you were about to get drowned.

Having seen that, Vash took a step back, allowing you space to adjust the towel to your desired comfort. While tying the robe, you found yourself momentarily dumbfounded, your voice stifled by a flicker of something deeper that had emerged—a burgeoning sense of familiarity.

Now, perched on the edge of your bed, your damp hair clung to your forehead and neck, mirroring the weight of the tumultuous emotions that had stuck themselves in your throat. The usual vibrancy of your eyes had dimmed, eclipsed by the shadows of stress and fear that cast over your face. Each passing second stretched into an agonizing eternity as you anxiously awaited his verdict on your punishment. Your hands trembled, restless, as they fidgeted in your lap while beads of nervous sweat formed on your brow.

In stark contrast, Vash appeared undisturbed, radiating an aura of tranquility. The asshole simply stood there, casually observing the pipes that snaked around the room. His gaze remained fixed upon them as though these seemingly mundane serpents possessed an inexplicable allure, as if they were the most mesmerizing objects in existence.

A flurry of unsettling thoughts passed through your mind, each more distressing than the last. What the fuck he wanted to do to you? The uncertainty gnawed at your insides, coiling into a tense knot in the pit of your stomach. Your heartbeat accelerated, hammering in your ears like an unyielding drumbeat, overpowering all other sounds.

The walls seemed to inch closer as time ticked, closing in on your lungs. You stole furtive glances at him, but his unreadable demeanor only heightened your anxiety, leaving you even more unsettled.

Your breaths grew shallow, coming in gasps, as Vash's focus shifted from the pipes to your worried face. A sly grin stealthily spread across his lips. That bastard! His eyes, brimming with mischief, bore into you, further heightening your fear. With a mocking tone, he uttered words that sent a chill down your spine: "Don't worry, love. We're just going to play a game."

Every syllable that escaped his lips reverberated through you, fueling the restlessness within you, like ants in your pants stoked by a raging fire. And then, it happened again. You found yourself feeling like helpless prey ensnared in a cage with a feral predator, incapable of evading the imminent threat that lurked within the confines of the room.

Your words, against your will, spilled out in fragmented stutters as you inquired, "Wh-What sort of game?" Your eyes were wide and unblinking, just like the mounting unease welling up within you.

A wicked smile crept across Vash's lips as he responded, "One of my favs." Evil oozed from his tone, further fueling your apprehension. Nasty motherfucker!

With a deliberate purpose, he closed the distance, settling beside you on the bed. Instinctively, you shifted away, creating a physical space between you, as if this small act could protect you from the blond menace.

However, the devil would not relent until he was sure you were firmly ensconced in the depths of his hell. Drawing nearer, his presence loomed over you, so close that you could feel his breath caressing your cheek. In response, you tightly shut your eyes, desperately attempting to suppress the urge to bite down on your quivering lower lip.

"Russian Roulette," he proclaimed, his voice calm yet brimming with a disturbing thrill. The words bleak like a macabre specter.

Your heartbeats raced with each other, your mind reeling with dread. Vivid visions of a lethal game flickered before your eyes, each one hauntingly distinct. With a trembling hand, you instinctively grasped at the fabric of your towel.

Summoning your bravery, you looked at Vash with a blend of fear and defiance coursing through your veins. "No," you murmured, your voice a whispered declaration. Despite the tremors coursing through you, your tone resonated with unwavering resolve. "I won't participate in your fucking game."

Vash erupted into laughter, his voice echoing in the nearly empty room and darting back to you even more powerfully. His eyes narrowed, the delight maintaining as he registered your resistance. But a creepy grin soon returned to his face, revealing his true sadistic personality

. "Oh, my naïve love," he sneered. " You misunderstand. You have no say in the matter. The game has already begun."

Perfect! A ruthless man entangled you in a dangerous game.

Vash's fingers coiled around the leather grip of his holster. In one swift, well-rehearsed motion, he extracted his colt from its dormant position and clicked the metallic hammer.

"See this, love?" Vash's voice was low and steady. "This here colt of mine, she's a beauty. And she's got six rounds in her chamber."

Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved several bullets, presenting his open palm to you. "But as you can observe," Vash continued, his voice laden with a subtle taunt, "we only have five bullets. That means one round remains in the firearm." Paying no mind to your horrified expression, he casually returned the bullets to his pocket. Tilting his head, he stared at your frightened face, moistening his lips with his tongue, a contented smile playing across his mouth. "The rules are simple," he declared, picking up his colt, rotating the cylinder, and disengaging the safety catch. "We shall take turns firing."

Your terror peaked when you witnessed him placing the barrel of the gun against his own temple. Your heart throbbed relentlessly in your chest as though it could burst through your ribcage. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as you held your breath, your eyes locked onto the terrifying sight before you.

With a firm hand, he pulled the trigger.

Click.

The ringing noise was meant to valse across the room, but it was drowned out by your own piercing screams. You tightly shut your eyes, and your entire body trembled uncontrollably. Too much—far too much. This shit was unbearable. Fuck it.

His hand made contact with your neck, and your eyes snapped wide open.

A genuine smile adorned his face. "I must say, I'm deeply flattered. I didn't know you cared about me this much," he mocked, but his smile twisted into a sinister one as he extended the gun toward you. Shaking your head, you moved your hands behind your back, signaling your refusal to accept it. However, he grabbed your arm, pulled it forward, and firmly deposited the frigid metal into your palm.

"Rules are rules, love. I can't make an exception," he stated, tilting his head to gaze at you—your eyes filled with tears, your lips trembling, strands of damp hair clinging to your cheeks. With a gulp, you shifted your gaze from the gun to his face.

"What? You thought just because I said I want to keep you alive, I'll ignore your disobedience?" he said and chuckled. "I told you not to cause trouble, yet you proceeded to do the exact opposite. You have disappointed me. While I may be a kind-hearted man, my patience, like anyone else's, has limits, and you pushed too many buttons at once."

"I-I didn't have a choice. The doctor, he... he forced me," you stammered, despising yourself for stuttering in front of this monstrous being, but you didn't care about your dignity as long as you could live long enough to have a chance to survive in this madhouse.

"Love," he murmured, his fingers caressing your neck, encased in black gloves that always hid his hands. The leather seared against your skin. "Let's not undermine my intelligence. If you truly didn't want to comply, you could have screamed, and someone would have come to your aid. After all, Conrad was not even armed. So, please, do not spoil the fun and continue playing along."

A frigid shiver coursed through your column as the shock settled in. Then remembering what he did to Elendira left you with no option but to participate. Reluctantly, your trembling fingers made contact with the pistol's chilling surface as you held it. The weight of your decision pressed down upon you as if the entire world had shifted onto your fragile shoulders.

Casting a final glance at him, you beseeched him with your eyes, silently begging for mercy as he withdrew. Yet, his gaze held no trace of compassion, only a twisted sense of gratification. Uncontrollably shaking, you held the gun up to your temple with a heavy heart.

In that haunting moment, you closed your eyes, uttered a whispered prayer, and pulled the trigger. The room descended into a deafening silence, broken only by the stark knowledge that you, too, had survived. Yet, this fragile triumph couldn't prevent the shattering of your composure. Overwhelmed by relief and emotional exhaustion, tears welled up in your eyes and cascaded down your cheeks.

A ghastly grin stretched across the corners of Vash's lips as he invaded your personal space once more. Masking his true intentions with a sham display of concern, he extended his hand in an attempt to offer solace. However, as his touch made contact with your skin, involuntarily, you pulled away, your tears mingling with fear and disgust. His facade was transparent; you could recognize his attempts to exploit your vulnerability.

Vash's voice permeated the room, tinged with a sickly sweet tone. "There, there," he murmured, his words oozing with insincere empathy. " It's alright, love. You're safe, at least for the time being."

Your sobs shattered the air, a poignant expression of your struggle to fathom the extent of his cruelty. The tears served as more than just an indication of fear; they were also a cathartic release of anger, frustration, and an urgent plea for freedom. Keep your shits together, girl!

A wicked gleam glowed in Vash's eyes as he carried on with his bizarre act. "To motivate you, if I happen to die today, my men will set you free without hesitation. So, let's not stop now, shall we?" he coaxed, his voice dripping with a corrupted charm. "It is my turn once more. May your fervent prayers come to fruition, and I meet my demise, for otherwise, you shall endure yet another round."

He and his mocking priest tone.

You wouldn't be upset at all if his brain splattered onto you and necessitated yet another shower.

Without any pause or second-guessing, Vash brazenly pressed the gun against his own temple, and with a self-assured smirk, he pulled the trigger, his eyes twitching with a disturbing sense of fulfillment.

Nothing.

No fucking thing.

Watching in the eerie silence, your heart sank with disbelief, disappointment, and a glimmer of lost hope. As much as you had hoped for a different outcome, a chance for freedom from this torment, it eluded you yet again.

With each passing moment, Vash's smug expression grew more pronounced, his gaze fixated on yours, savoring your anguish. You comprehended that your turn had resurfaced, and despite the overwhelming odds stacked against you, an ember of determination ignited within your heart. Something shifted within you. This bastard may not have a plan to die tonight, but he could do nothing to stop you.

You embraced a newfound acceptance of your fate in a departure from resistance or yielding to fear. Surrendering to the Lady Death, you positioned the weapon against your forehead and quickly squeezed the trigger.

Nothing.

Again.

No.

Why?

A hushed silence permeated the room, and within its depths, a wave of hope surged through you. Like a delicate seed of possibility, it found its place within your heart, taking root and blossoming.

You survived. Once more, you dared to believe that perhaps, just perhaps, you had been granted a chance to turn the tables on your tormentor. If it wasn't you, then it could very well be him. Your spirit, once dampened, now flourished with a sense of supremacy.

"Happiness suits you," Vash said, extending his hand to retrieve the gun. "Your smile reaches your eyes."

He didn't mean it. He didn't mean it. He didn't mean it. You knew. Shitweasel!

"Go to hell!" you spat, devoid of any shred of compassion in your words.

"Stone cold, love. Stone cold," Vash retorted, his tone mockery. "You're breaking my heart."

"Monsters don't have a heart!" you exclaimed and had to ball your fists to control the thrills tripping your heart. You were almost too distracted by the anger to understand the significance of what you were saying.

"Is that so?" Vash responded, unwavering in his gaze, as he pressed the gun against his own throat.

Fire.

You watched in horror and disbelief how the room fell into oppressive silence. The gun had clicked empty five times already, a grim reminder that the bullet in the chamber was reserved for you.

You felt your body tensing, your breath catching in your throat as a wave of paralyzing fear swept over you. Your condition jolted you to your core like a physical blow. Standing on the edge of death, every fiber of your being screamed in terror. The line between life and death blurred, and you found yourself teetering on the edge of an unfathomable abyss.

Vash lowered the gun and shrugged. "Look what happened, love. Maybe your little Gods have abandoned you too," Laughing sickeningly, he said. You felt nauseated as each repulsive word seeped into your ears. When your own father abandoned you, telling these truths face-to-face was cruel, even for someone like him. You had to fight back tears because you knew that no matter how much he hurt you, he would never understand the magnitude of the pain he had caused. You wouldn't satisfy him. Not anymore.

Driven by an urgent desire to end this fucking misery, your trembling hands reached out, desperate to seize the gun from his grip. But your attempts were thwarted as Vash's hand closed around yours. You looked at him with burning anger and tried to free your hand from his; the iron grip refused to release its hold. "Didn't you want to play? Now it's my turn, and I want to finish my fucking round."

"Yeah, but I don't want you to win," Vash's voice dripped with malice as he offered an ultimatum chance. " As proof that even monsters have a heart, I'll offer another option. It's up to you whether you kill yourself or I devise another punishment. But—"

Refusing to give into his vicious desires, you resolved to take matters into your own hands. It would be much better for you if you faced the gun and put an end to this torture. Nonetheless, you got hit with a fucking new rule. A nasty note reverberated from Vash's voice, a reminder of what lay ahead. "...So, choose wisely, love, because if anything happens to you, your sister will suffer the same fate."

You were overwhelmed, your mind clouded by heavy fog, and your sanity was tested. You faced a harrowing dilemma as your love for your sister was entwined with your fear. You could never bear the idea of Amelia suffering the same fate as you.

So, you were caught between self-preservation instincts and the desire to protect her. However, your choice was clear. Every time, it was clear. Your loved ones always took precedence over yourself, and Vash seemed to know how to fucking finger the shit out of your weakness.

Having loosened your grip, you lowered your head in acceptance as you surrendered yourself to the dark thoughts of the man before you.

"Mm," he chirped in delight. "Such a good girl."

You pinched your eyes shut, not even a single strand of hope threading throughout the hysteria.

He tsked. "You're very predictable, love. We're going to have to work on that."

As you sat motionless, a realization gripped you: escape from this house was an unattainable feat. He was smart, but the scariest part was your inability to anticipate a single one of his thoughts. You felt like a dumb rabbit while he, as cunning as a fox, remained one step ahead.

"You're not touching me," you hissed, your voice wobbly and rife with unshed tears.

"What you gonna do if I do?" He directed his gaze toward the ceiling and the pipes. "I'm glad it's the dead of night, and this room is almost soundproof. So, you won't disturb anyone's peaceful slumber."

Driven by instinct, fear propelled you to your feet as you hurriedly made your way to the door, frantically grasping the handle and repeatedly tugging it up and down.

Open!

Please, open!

As you wrestled with the doorknob, attempting to force it open, a sturdy steel arm suddenly encircled your waist and lifted you off the ground.

"NO!" A piercing scream erupted from your lips as you kicked futilely at the space, fiercely resisting his grip.

"Oh, yes, love," he growled, swinging your body towards the wall.

You grunted from the impact, leaning your back against the wall; this time, you used it as leverage to kick against the bastard of a man. "Let me go, you fucking creepy-ass fuck—"

"Keep talking, and you'll just make it worse."

You screeched, out of breath and growing weaker, as he pinned your flailing body against the wall, rendering you powerless.

"We had a deal, didn't we?" Vash asked in a panting tone.

A tear spilled over your lid. And then another and another until you were on the verge of sobbing again. "We had, but—"

"Don't cry, love," he cooed. "It's going to get so much worse."

His breath skated over your cheek as he pressed himself further into your body, just like in the previous encounter. Towering over you, his larger frame enveloped you completely until all you could see, feel, and smell was him—his warmth, the distinctive scent that was uniquely his, and the way his black-clad body surrounded you.

"I like you scared," he whispered, sending shivers down your core. "I like you begging and pleading. Crying out for imaginary Gods to save you."

You felt the touch of leather on your face, and you flinched away. His fingers delicately traced a path from your cheekbone to your hair, gently tucking stray strands behind your ear. "I like you trembling beneath my touch, uncontrollably."

"You're sick," you snapped, doing just that. You were shaking from head to toe, and you couldn't seem to stop it.

"You think your pleas will only arise when your life is at stake, but you are mistaken," he grunted, letting out a deep, mocking laugh. "In due time, you will beg for my touch, craving it desperately."

"That'll never happen," you hissed, glaring at him with all your might. Or at least you thought you were. The dim light emanating from the ceiling lights shadowed his eyes. It felt almost like being far-sighted. Your face was so close to something, but clarity evaded you. The shadows were a part of him. He carried them around.

"It's time to punish you, and I've thought of the many ways I could do this," he said, ignoring your jab. It only infuriated you more that he found your lack of consent so inconsequential. So… worthless. "I'll be nice this time." You opened your mouth, but he cut you off with a deep growl of warning, "But only if you reciprocate, love."

Your teeth audibly snapped together, the sound punctuating the air and drawing yet another amused grunt from him. Your pride took a hit, and you wanted to knee him in the balls for it, but you couldn't lift your leg an inch as you tried.

"You freak! What are you going to do?" you spat out, the stutter of your words in sync with the beat of your heart. His searing breath brushed against your cheek as you felt the gentle glide of his lips tracing along your jawline. You swallowed but nearly choked from how dry your throat had become. Those lips descended to the column of your neck, skittering along until he paused on the spot right below your ear.

"I'm gonna play with my toy," he declared right before his teeth clamped down. Your back arched involuntarily, repulsion and pleasure marrying in your nerves, sending misfires to your brain. All coherent thoughts escaped from your mind, leaving behind only primal instincts to guide your actions.

But, somehow, as if he was electrocuted, he distanced himself. His gaze shifted downwards towards the collar of his shirt. The cross was there, concealed on his chest. His eyes changed momentarily, remorseful, maybe disgusted by what he had become. As if he was lost, struggling to find himself, but instead, his eyes found you—the one with the answers.

You wished you could show him hatred, but seeing your pleasure, he groaned, his teeth piercing as his tongue lapped at your flesh. Your mouth opened, and a silent scream suctioned away just as his mouth did the same, drawing in deep like he was drinking the essence from your body. And then, with a lingering sensation of pain, he withdrew, his teeth grazing your skin as he released his hold, leaving behind a stinging reminder.

Your hands pressed into his chest for stability or to push him away. You were not sure. Though your question was quickly answered when instinct coerced your hands to curl, gripping his shirt tight and anchoring yourself to him as if he was your lifeline. When in reality, he was the one killing you.

Severe shivers wracked your body when he licked a wet path with his tongue, descending from your neck toward the juncture where your scars resided. He paused, and it felt like your body teetered precariously over a sharpened blade. You held your breath, the anticipation rattling your bones. And then he was biting down again, pulling an animalistic sound from your chest. He did this, over and over, leaving behind a trail of bruises that marked his territory along your neck and across your shoulder.

You were breathless by the time he pulled away. "Good girl," he finally exhaled, his own voice airy. Somehow, that made you feel worse. You wanted him to hate it as much as you should've. "You like this, don't you?"

"I…ah," you panted, trying hard to conceal the depths of your desires because you were revealing more and more as he went further. You were fucking seconds away from reaching out and grabbing his cock through his pants and begging him to fuck you since you hadn't been touched by a human for a long time, let alone a man, and this thing in front of you had the power to make you momentarily forget everything, despite being the very reason for your need to escape reality. Then something occurred to your mind.

You couldn't explain why you did what you did next. You would ask Gods later. But at that moment, you were so overcome with a tsunami of emotions that you reached up and bit his tattooed neck. Hard, and you didn't care, just bit harder. Maybe you wanted to hurt him back, give him a taste of his own medicine, make him feel whatever you felt.

Regardless of the reason, he didn't take kindly to it. His hand wrapped around your throat, exerting pressure as he forcefully pushed you back, simultaneously tearing himself away from your body. He was squeezing tightly, but you couldn't care less. You felt justified. If he killed you here and now, at least you could say you left one last mark on him.

He growled low, a sound of frustration and an unnamed emotion that eluded definition. "I'm beginning to think you like to be punished, which means I'm just going to have to do better."

Before you could react, he hoisted you up, effortlessly tossing you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Fucker!" you snapped, your fists pounding against his back as you thrashed your exposed legs. You were not a potato.

A sharp smack to your ass was his only response. "Love, the wind can do more harm than what you're doing."

"Want to see my teeth again, asshole? I'll sure to grab your ugly face this time."

"Keep telling yourself that, but deep down, we both know you can't resist stealing glances at this face," he retorted, amusement coloring his words. Snarling, you resented his fucking unruffled calm. And because he was not entirely wrong. No, dumbass, he was wrong. He must be wrong.

More curses flooded out of your mouth, but they were cut short when he dragged your body down his front until your legs were wrapped around his waist, and he was cradling you to his chest. Oh, fuck this. You lifted your hands to scratch his face, maybe do a little eye-gouging, but instead, you just squealed. He swooped you backward, your stomach bottoming out as he set you on the bed, flat on your back. Your towel came undone, leaving you inadequately covered when he hovered over you, his arms positioned on either side of your head as he braced himself over you. You swallowed, tears pricking your eyes. "What a gentleman! Letting me look at your obnoxious face as you murder me," you mouthed off, forcing the words through your tightened throat.

You really needed to shut the fuck up. But you couldn't seem to stop yourself. Apparently, when you were in a life-threatening situation, all you could manage to do was make it worse. While some might perceive it as fearlessness, you could only assume it as an act of sheer stupidity.

Balancing himself with one hand, he reached behind him with the other. As you prepared to unleash more insults from your mouth, his arm emerged, revealing a tightly gripped gun.

Another audible tick of your teeth later, you were back to being choked silent with fear.

"I told you not to run away. I told you to follow the orders," he stated, his tone bled dry of emotion. "Typically, I would choose to crack open your skull and forcibly implant the words in your brain, but it seems you require a different method to learn your lesson."

"Okay, I'm sorry," you rushed out, your eyes widening as he pointed the gun at your chest. "I-I'm really, rea—"

"Shh," he hushed. "You're not sorry yet, love. But you will be."

A myriad thoughts ran through your head on what you could possibly say to get out of this. You were sorry clearly, wasn't good enough. "You're going to shoot me?"

Your bladder threatened to explode, and knowing that you might die in a puddle of pee brought tears to your eyes. A bewildering cocktail of emotions engulfed you. Fear had gripped you tightly, its icy tendrils coiling around your heart, as you found yourself trapped in this fucked up situation. Yet, amidst the suffocating grip of fear, there was a grotesque sense of fascination. You couldn't deny the perverse allure that came with the feeling of being trapped, as if a part of you savored being confined, even as it elicited a thrilling sensation. WHAT? What the fuck was wrong with you?

"You gonna taste this gun one way or another," he responded, his tone dripping with impatience. He punctuated his response by dragging the gun down through the valley of your breasts. The weapon continued its way down your stomach, stopping at the edge of your towel robe's tie. "Will you take the bullet or the gun?" As he inclined his head, his neck tattoos stretched, emphasizing the presence of the pulsating veins that wound their way toward his enigmatic mind. Meanwhile, the small golden loop on his left ear playfully winked at you while he patiently awaited her response.

"Are you fucking serious?" you panicked, your hands gripping the ends of the tie tightly, the fabric moist with sweat. He must be kidding, right?

"I was going to take it easy on you, but when you act like a rabid puppy, you leave me with no choice but to tame you," he said, tracing the tip of his gun along the edges of the towel. "This is your last chance, or I'll do as I see fit."

Your lip trembled, and a single tear slid down your temple. "Please, don't do this."

He cocked a brow, and the act was damning. He appeared so damn unimpressed with your pleas, causing another tear to trace the path of the first. You had to survive, didn't you? You had to endure long enough to witness this man's demise with your own eyes, didn't you? It couldn't hurt that much, could it? Just focus on counting, fixating your gaze upon the cracks in the wall, and listening to the faint chirping of crickets emanating from the pipes.

You gulped and answered, "I-I'll…"

"You'll what? I need you to be loud and clear."

"Y-your…your gun…" you stuttered, words all dropping dead on your dry tongue.

"What about my gun?" he inquired, sliding the weapon beneath the towel and directing it towards your bellbottoms. " Say it, love. Utilize that sharp tongue of yours that knows how to hurl curses."

With your eyes tightly shut, you released your grip on the tie, your hands trembling. "I... I'll... I'll take the gun."

"Take off your towel," he ordered, moving back a little. "Now!"

Sniffing, you finally listened. Hooking your thumbs into the towel's belt, you undid the tie. You fought the urge to cover yourself. Because you knew that the act of hiding would bring him greater delight than being almost entirely naked before him. He dug the thrill of conquering through struggle, and you were determined to deny him that win. You were only able to slide it a little before the muzzle of the gun got in the way.

He took the hint, grabbed the towel, and harshly moved it aside. More tears followed suit as you stuck your thighs together.

"Open your eyes and look at me."

You did as he said; your gaze got tied with his. Yet, as you stared into his eyes, you noticed something unexpected. No hatred, resentment, or even lust reflected in them. Instead, it was a vacant look devoid of any deeper meaning. It dawned on you that violence was his only language, his sole response to the world around him. He had not learned any other way to navigate life. Perhaps the only bright spot in his existence had been his beloved, cruelly taken away.

Maybe, but maybe in a parallel world, you thought, he could have been a different person—a better person, surrounded by love and family. In that alternate reality, you might have looked at him with a second glance, for his eyes, deep azure pools, his lips, and his face were reminiscent of something celestial, qualities that angels would possess, not those cast out from heaven.

Vash's touch shocked you back to reality, causing you to startle, as if you were about to leap out of your own skin. You had to beg your bones to stop shaking.

"Next, your hands," he commanded, jerking his gun to emphasize his directive. Reluctantly, you moved your arms away from your body and let them drop onto the sheets with a huff.

"Stunning," he murmured, his eyes tracing over the curves of your body. He leaned over you again, his mouth kissing the last bruise he left on your shoulder. "Do you know what these mean?" he whispered, pressing another gentle kiss to a different spot on your skin.

You shuddered beneath his touch, electricity sprouting from the point of contact and dancing across your skin. You didn't answer, but he didn't seem to mind. "Those marks," he stated with a sense of ownership, "signify that you belong to me."

The tip of his tongue darted out, trailing your flesh as he moved down toward your breasts.

"Don't—"

His teeth pierced the cigarette burns on your left breast before you could finish your futile plea. You gasped, squeezing your eyes shut as he left another mark on your skin. "Now, whenever you see these burns, you'll remember me, not that wretched excuse of a man who's supposed to be your father," he said, claiming your old remnants of torment as his own, leaving his mark upon them.

Once satisfied, he moved to the other one, leaving his own hickeys on your scars. And all you could do was just take it. Because you preferred to associate these scars with his sorrowful souvenirs rather than the memories of your father. To be Frank, in some inexplicable way, he seemed to be aiding you in moving past the deep-seated hatred that had festered within your heart for years. It was as if he was sucking that venom out of you, diverting your wrath towards himself. Did he do this on purpose, or was it merely an unintended consequence of his cruelty?

When your body was well and abused by his teeth and tongue, he lifted and forced your thighs apart. You strained against him, but it only hurt you in the end. He was too strong. With a firm grip on your waist, his clothed forefinger traced the delicate crease of your groin, starting from the juncture of your thigh and trailing downward toward the very center of your being.

Before his finger reached your clit, he tantalizingly ran it up and down your engorged vulva, coming perilously close to your pussy. The sensations were overwhelming, and you felt deeply ashamed as you realized your body was responding to his touch. You wanted to cover your face because you knew he was feeling your body's betrayal.

"You're drenched," he rasped out, his lips still wet from his saliva. The sweet Vash with kind eyes had vanished entirely.

"That's called discharge! Your gay ass wouldn't know that!" you snapped, hoping your lie would shoo him away.

He responded with a smile. "As much as I hate to say this to you, I'm no stranger to a woman's pussy and what it feels like when it weeps for me."

Your eyes widened. So this fucker had slept with women too? It seemed he had explored every possible avenue. Disgust curled your lip as you retorted, "Last time I checked, most girls weep because they're upset. Maybe you should take a hint."

He let out a chuckle. "Love, that's exactly what I'm doing."

With a firm grip, he spread your legs apart, baring your pussy to him, where the arousal glistened from within. He muttered a curse under his breath as his eyes hungrily devoured every detail of your being. Another tremble of your lips had you biting down on the traitorous flesh.

With one finger still positioned on your pussy, he raised the gun to your face with his other hand. You flinched back, squeezing your eyes shut and letting loose a startled yelp. "Calm down," he reassured you, his tone strained. "I just want you to suck it."

It took several seconds for his words to register. To process that he didn't pull the trigger and you were not dead. As the comprehension dawned, your eyes flew open, and you shot him a fierce glare. "Why the hell—"

He tapped the gun's tip against your mouth, effectively cutting you off. The remainder of your words dissipated into thin air as he glided the gun across your lips, almost as if he was painting them with lipstick.

"Suck," he ordered, his tone deepening with finality. Closing your eyes against more tears, you opened your mouth and obediently opened your mouth, allowing him to guide the gun between your teeth. You squeezed your lids tighter as you twirled your tongue over the cold metal, cringing from the nasty taste.

"My good girl," he said, pulling the dripping gun out, a trail of saliva following until it snapped.

Your entire body locked when the cool metal slid against your clit. You flinched against the foreign touch of an incredibly dangerous weapon. A wave of pure terror washed over you, and it took all your strength to keep from full-on sobbing.

Holding a gun to your head was far less intimidating than it being held between your legs. A gunshot to the head would bring instant death, but this? This would be slow and painful. Torturous.

He leaned in, close enough for his warm breath to caress your core. You raised yourself, yearning for a clearer view. He met your gaze at that moment, peering up at you through his long, thick lashes, his perfect blue eyes sparkling with delight.

As you parted your lips to question what he was doing, he stuck out his tongue, saliva pooling to the tip and dripping off onto your pussy.

"Seems like you can never be too wet, can you, love?" Sitting up, he traced circles around your entrance with the gun, the metal slipping against your skin.

What if he shoots you mistakenly?

"Oh, my God, please do—" This time, your words were cut off as he pressed the gun past your folds. Just the tip, but enough to close your throat, only allowing a startled squeak to escape.

He laughed cruelly. "Don't hold back. Moan if you want."

You'd snap at him if you weren't frozen solid. You couldn't look away. Helplessly, you just watched him push the gun inside you, your rounded eyes barely processing what you saw and felt. Everything so fucking surreal.

Slowly, he worked the gun inside you, eliciting both pleasure and pain. You clenched your jaw, shuddering from his ministrations but refusing to make a sound. You were determined not to grant him the satisfaction.

He gradually worked the weapon halfway in before retracting it to the very tip, granting you a brief moment to catch your breath. However, that respite was short-lived as he buried the entire barrel deep within you. Your hands clenched the sheets as you sucked in a sharp gasp and let your head fall back, unable to bear witness any longer, drained of the strength to endure the sight.

This was so, so fucked up. Beyond fucked up.

As the gun pulled back and penetrated you once more, a noise did slip through as a wave of pleasure rocked through you. FUCK!

"Good girl," he breathed. "Now open wider, love." His free hand nudged against your thigh. Without a thought, your thighs instinctively parted further. Another praise, but you barely heard it over the beating of your heart.

"I can feel how tight your pussy is. The way it clings to my gun when I slide it out—exquisite."

You bit your lip, but it wasn't enough to hold in the forthcoming moan. Or the one after that. You could hear the suctioning and slurping noises as he fucked you with his gun, and shame filled you in response. The embarrassment nearly overrode the fear. But neither was more potent than the pleasure your body was compelled to submit to.

When he angled the gun in a particular way, he hit the spot inside you that sent your eyes to the back of your head and an unchecked moan to slip free. He growled in response, further fueling your arousal. Your back arched as he skillfully continued to target and stimulate that pleasurable area.

Your hole grew impossibly tight, biting into the gun barrel when his gloved hand gripped your thigh in a bruising hold. Your heart jumped when he leaned closer but only clamped his teeth onto your inner thigh. You cried out from the sharp bite, but it quickly morphed into a moan, sending waves of ecstasy coursing through your body as he hit that spot again.

His mouth sucked your thigh, and his movements quickened until you felt the familiar stirrings of an impending orgasm settled low in the pit of your stomach.

"Please," you begged but didn't know what for. He relented, briefly tearing his mouth away, only to clamp down again, this time lower but still frustratingly distant from your center. Too far away. Sadly far away.

"Tell me what you learned, love," he demanded, looking up at you, his mouth wet from his biting. The sight made your heart drop deep into your belly, right to where the gun was driving into you.

"Not to bite you?" you guessed, your voice trembling as if you were high. He answered by biting your thigh in a punishing grip. You cried out, the pain blinding. He loosened his jaw, allowing the pain to blend with pleasure.

A primal, guttural sound slipped out as he thrust the gun deep. "Are you going to make me ask again?"

You opened your mouth, but no answer came out. Your silence allowed you to hear his warning loud and clear. He cocked the gun.

"Okay, okay, fuck," you relented with a terrified hush. "I-I learned not to run away from my cage." Those words brought tears to your eyes because uttering them aloud made you feel truly trapped by this man.

"Who owns your life, love?"

You closed your eyes, resenting the lie on the tip of your tongue, ready to spill forth just like the tears streaming down your face. "You," you whispered, the bitter taste of the words clogging your throat.

A battlefield raged in your body.

One part of you craved his touch, longing for him to make you come. Meanwhile, another part of you harbored a dark desire, wishing for him to turn the gun upon himself and fire it.

You glanced downwards at him and noted how he was staring at you. And you had the terrifying realization that he saw through your deceit and didn't believe your lies.

"You have ten more seconds to come, love. No more chances after that," he warned before nipping at your thigh again. "Rub your clit."

You hesitated. The last thing you wanted to do was allow this man the satisfaction of making you come and, even worse, helping him do it. In your mind, he didn't fucking deserve it. And though your body was strung tight with desperation for release, your mind rebelled against the idea.

"Now," he shouted, his eyes blazing with something carnal and dangerous.

Muttering a curse, you reached down and twirled your fingers over your clit, too scared of the potential consequences. If it was between orgasming and getting shot, you were going to have to choose the option that would cause the least damage.

"Good girl," he whispered. It took two more thrusts of the gun before you were propelled over the edge, your ass shooting clear off the ground as the orgasm ripped through you. You were screaming. You could feel the sound vibrating the muscles in your throat and turning it increasingly hoarse. But you couldn't hear it. Not when your entire being was consumed in fire and ice, and you could only see a blissful heaven.

The gun worked inside of you faster and deeper, drawing out the orgasm until you were literally begging for it to come to an end. He ripped the weapon out of you, and your thighs snapped shut instantly, sealing off the remnants of your shameful orgasm.

You were left a shuddering mess from the aftershocks as the waves of pleasure subsided. Meanwhile, his body towered over you. Through your half-lidded eyes, still jerking from the little shocks, you glanced up and met his gaze. His face broke into the broadest smile you had ever seen on his face, and you noticed he had dimples.

He had fucking dimples.

He was easily the most beautiful thing you'd ever seen. And you wished you'd never seen it. Because something inside your heart was being torn apart, and it felt like fear, it tasted like panic, and you didn't know how to understand the image in front of you.

You didn't want to see Vash like this. You vehemently refused to perceive him as anything other than a monster. This wasn't right. Your body was full of rage, humiliation, and shame—you knew this. But it was like your brain couldn't process those emotions, so it was just choosing to feel nothing at all. Was this what trauma did? Knowing that you had been violated, yet your body opting for a state of numbness instead?

The silver cross sprung from his shirt, diverting your gaze to the scar it adorned. "Lick this clean," he said, placing his gun onto your bared breast. "I can't use this when it's dripping your cum."

Like a magic trick, he pulled his body back, and every heat you had in your veins disappeared. With one last lingering look, he stood up and turned his back to you, his hands probably adjusting his pants. Then he began to walk leisurely toward the wall, floorboards creaking beneath his weight. Not even a passing glance was spared in your direction. Probably you didn't exist for him anymore. He had taken what he wanted, reducing you to nothingness.

Men.

As he neared the worn-out brick wall, his hand delved into his pocket, retrieving a cigarette. With practiced precision, he placed it in the corner of his mouth. His fingers trembled as he reached for his lighter, or perhaps it was merely a figment of your imagination. Anyhow, he poised himself to ignite the flame, preparing to immerse himself in the disgusting cloud of smoke that would soon envelop him.

You moved without thinking, your hand wrapping around the sticky gun. You would never lick this shit. You stood on your feet, not caring about covering yourself. The second he realized what you'd done, he backed away, raising his hands in surrender—the stupid cigarette dangling between his lips.

You pointed the gun right at his fucking head, and all you wanted to do was blow it off. All you wanted to see was his brain exploding beneath the bullet. Because you were not looking into the face of the man who could easily steal your heart under different circumstances. You didn't see him at all. You only saw a faceless man who took what he wanted from you, and you let him. But now you wanted him to fucking burn for it.

Tears built in your eyes, your vision blurring. The gun was vibrating from how hard your hand trembled, but he stood close enough that you'd strike accurately. Whether the bullet hit his head, his throat, or his chest, you didn't care.

"Love," he whispered.

You squeezed your eyes shut, forcing the sweet but stupid, stupid, stupid whisper out of your head. You didn't want to hear it.

"I haven't done anything to you." Your voice cracked. "How can you hurt me like this?" Your eyes burned from the tears welling up. And within seconds, they spilled, running down your cheeks. It seemed like orgasm had pushed your feelings out with itself.

And he seemed to realize it too because a subtle change reflected in his eyes. "I asked you to stay away from trouble," he murmured, his voice so soft. "Why don't you listen to me?" He bared his teeth, his own ire flashing in his eyes. "Do you think I enjoy hurting you?"

"I do!" you shouted, thrusting the gun at him. You sucked in a sharp breath as a sob climbed up your throat. He nodded slowly, a glimmer of understanding replacing the anger that had once flamed in his eyes.

Deep down, you knew better. You knew he wasn't angry with you. He was angry because he was helpless. Hopeless. A goddamn lost cause. Because he would never be the same, and he knew that. But what he didn't know was what to do with it.

A sob escaped your throat, but the rage persisted. He slowly stepped towards you, like approaching a frightened animal with vicious teeth. His eyes didn't stray from yours as he advanced, and you were so close to slipping back into that paralyzing hold he had on you. Then he was right before you again, pressing his lips into the gun barrel.

"Does this make you feel powerful?" he murmured.

Another sob broke free, but you didn't lower the weapon.

"Does this make you feel free?"

You scowled but couldn't muster the courage to respond. You couldn't articulate what it made you feel—you just knew it made you feel something. You stared at the gun in your hand, at the smooth, heavy metal, and you were surprised to find that you enjoyed the way it nestled within your grip, like an extension of your body. It didn't frighten you anymore.

You could stand still in this moment forever.

"What you seem to have forgotten," he snarled, "is that I am already a dead man. I died months ago. So go ahead, pull that trigger, love. End the remaining fragments of my existence. I am nothing but a hollow vessel."

You broke and screwed your eyes shut against the flood of tears, but it was like putting a flimsy piece of paper over a bursting pipe. Agony etched across your face, consuming you completely. "I don't want to be here," you choked out, barely getting the words out before a gut-wrenching sob tore through your trembling lips.

"Let me help you—fuck love, just fucking kill me," he bit, his voice breaking. He opened his mouth, and the barrel slid in. His lips tightly closed around the gun, his eyes staring at you, begging you.

Pull the trigger.

It wasn't fair, but it was becoming harder and harder to look at Vash and blame him, too. You were beginning to revert to that weak, thoughtful part of yourself that was convinced your life wouldn't be such a goddamn shitshow if your father didn't come barreling into it.

But no! You would no longer let your emotions get in the way. You were supposed to play this game by its own rules. So if it were your turn to shoot, you would do it.

No hesitating. No understanding. Just pulling this little trigger.

Click.

To your dismay, there was only a vacant stillness, a blackhole that swallowed your hopes and replaced them with a rising tide of unease. Your chest resonated with the thunderous cadence of your own heart, the loud thud filling your ears as you refused to accept the defeat. Ignoring the gnawing doubts gnarling at your mind, you pulled the trigger again and again and again.

Click. Click. Click.

The sound of the emptiness mocked your growing desperation.

A cold sweat bead on your brow as you stumbled backward, your body shaking with disbelief. Your eyes widened in horror as you stared at the gun, and when your gaze met his face, your world unraveled further into a maelstrom of darkness. His lips contorted into a wicked grin, now devoid of the innocence and sadness he pretended to have. The sight sent a tremor scurrying up your soul, your skin prickling with a nauseating blend of aversion and revulsion.

"You taste fantastic, love" Vash's voice slithered with a perverse delight as he savored the moment, his tongue caressing his lips in a vile display. His hands, tainted with malice, raked through his disheveled hair. Then with an ear-splitting crack, he twisted his neck, relishing in the discomfort he inflicted upon himself. "You hate me enough to try pulling the trigger four times?"

Your blood ran icy as his words seeped into your consciousness, a sting as bitter as poison. Suffocating the room, his laughter took on a haunting quality, a symphony of evilness. Each note of his amusement revealed the true nature of his depravity, shattering the fragile illusion of triumph you once held.

"Did you really think I'll leave you with a loaded gun?" Then as if to prove how simple-minded you were, he reached into his pocket, extracting the sixth bullet with a perverse flourish. He presented it before you, a diabolical offering that sealed your fate. The weight of that one extra little bullet pressed down upon you, an oppressive force that smothered any remnants of hope.

"Game over," he declared, his voice dripping with finality, each syllable a nail in the coffin of your aspirations. The room contracted around you, a claustrophobic arena that confined you to this sleepless nightmare. "You've got balls."

Your eyes snapped up, your mind working quickly to fit all the pieces together, and he was gaping at you, staring at you in a way that was entirely foreign to you, in a way that said he was utterly, absolutely amazed. You were not sure if he was proud.

But the fact that the gun was empty the whole time was a kick in the gut. No. It was a gun in the cunt.

"It… empty…bullet…" Stuttering, you turned to look at the bed, sheets still wet from your heinous climax, and then yourself, every inch of your body bare to his disgusting gaze.

Fingers coiling like vipers ready to strike, Vash extended his arm, reaching closer to your slumped figure. As his hand reached you, he guided it downward with deliberate precision, his touch a phantom of sweetness. You remained motionless, your body as still as a fragile porcelain doll, your spirit hollowed out by his relentless torment. You offered no resistance, Your limbs heavy with acceptance. It didn't have a meaning anyway. This was his playground, and you were nothing but a worthless pawn.

The room held its breath, like you when you thought his fingers were headed for your hole again, only to find them closing around the gun with an ironclad grip.

He leaned closer to your ear, whispering, "You're far too naïve. I would never take even the slightest risk of losing my favorite toy."

Your eyes got shot closed, your lips pressing on each other as he planted a kiss on your temple and walked out without any more words.

You opened your mouth, and you screamed. You screamed and screamed until your voice cracked beneath the pressure. Until you feared your throat would shred from the force. You wanted to crawl outside of your body so desperately. Just so you could escape this feeling. No. You wanted that gun loaded with bullets to turn it on yourself.

One last shout ripped out of your throat, this one so full of pain that brought you to your knees. You crumbled. The raw sound tapered off, fading into a hoarse, staccato cry. You sucked in a deep breath, filling your lungs with oxygen you didn't want, but you were too lost in your grief to scream like you wanted to.

Unbeknownst to you, concealed beyond that door,

Lurked a man whose rage echoed, fierce and sore.

His clenched fists, like thunder, struck the wall,

Cracks of anguish appeared, a fractured sprawl.

Hiding behind fake smiles, a mask so sly,

His anger, a tempest, veiled in a lie.

A scarlet torrent, his fury took form,

Dripping blood, a cascade of rage, a storm.

Each drop, a vessel of despair and pain,

A sanguine river, flowing through his veins.

Violence and turmoil, a twisted display,

Beneath the veneer, his demons held sway.

In delicate descent, his anguish displayed,

The ruby tears of fury, his soul unswayed.

A tapestry of emotions, woven in red,

His inner turmoil, from which he bled.

Oh, the secrets held within that hidden space,

Where anger, despair, and violence interlace,

A glimpse into the depths of his tortured soul,

A tragic symphony, the blood's solemn toll.

The poem at the end belongs to me, so please don't use it without permission.

Disclaimer: The gunplay scene is inspired by the books I've read.

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