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lisatelramor · 2 years

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Not 100% sure how this happened. It went from, "oh, they'd only talk for real if they were stuck together" to "ok, but even then they'd have to have a life or death situation" to "uh. this is getting kind of grim" to "wait why are you kissing??" so *shrug*? They kinda took over and it unspooled and I wrote the most in one sitting that I have this year on this thing, so yeah. It's also the last thing I have fully written for the HakuKai week, so no guarantee on anything else. =_=; I'm chronically burned out a bit this year.

Last Confessions

Kaito always thought that if he was going to die, he’d die much like his father had; in a very public manner from an ‘accident’ or shot in front of a crowd as Kid. It would be the same organization of course, and the only collateral would be the pain his death would have on everyone he loved. Maybe the pain of his identity as Kid coming to light in the most horrifying way possible.

It was almost funny; he never expected his death might come from being buried alive. Definitely didn’t expect Hakuba to be there with him. Ironically, his night job as Kid wasn’t even related to how they got in this situation. A case of wrong place, wrong time, sideways collateral for someone else’s life problems.

So.

Stuck buried under a hell of a lot of rubble in a space barely bigger than the average bath-and-shower stall with no idea if the mess would shift and crush them at any moment or if they’d run out of air or if some other terrible thing would kill them.

Lovely.

Their light came from Hakuba’s cellphone, set on its dimmest setting to make the battery last as long as possible. There wasn’t a signal to send a help message. Kaito sat at one end of the space and Hakuba sat at the other, left to contemplate their own mortality and nurse the bruises and cuts they’d gotten from the damn building collapsing around them.

“Is it good luck,” Kaito said into the uncomfortable silence that had stretched since they realized their phones would be no use, “or bad that we lived through a building falling on us?”

“I assume good,” Hakuba said. “It is certainly good luck that there were not many people in the building when it fell.”

Because someone pulled the fire alarm first. Because Kaito had the bad luck to hold back with Hakuba to check people were actually out. Because he had the good luck to pull Hakuba to a sturdy part of the room when he felt the ground lurch and the walls rumble.

“Pretty sure that alarm was intentional,” Kaito said. Another stream of dust sifted down above them as something shifted. Kaito could taste it on his tongue. They probably looked like dust monsters, not that the dim phone light gave enough details to tell exactly how bad their condition was. “You think anyone is going to realize we were in there?”

“The people we helped evacuate should notice,” Hakuba said in a dull tone. Tired. Too close to defeated.

“Hm.” Not much good it would do if they ran out of air. How long would oxygen last in a space this size? With two more-or-less adult bodies? Air typically contained about twenty percent oxygen, give or take a percentage or two. The human body exhaled oxygen with carbon dioxide, but each breath that amount of available oxygen would get less. With the dust, the air quality was poor to begin with. Put all of those factors together, Kaito couldn’t really see lasting more than a day or two if the air was truly sealed. Even if it wasn’t, they had perhaps three days without water before their bodies would start shutting down. And they still could get crushed at any moment if the wall and support beams keeping them safe for the moment gave out after all.

“I’m surprised you aren’t coming up with a plan,” Hakuba said, though he didn’t sound surprised, just resigned.

Kaito shifted to get comfortable—as comfortable as concrete and scree could be really—and huffed. “I know I’m a talented magician, but even I don’t have the means to lift a ton or three of concrete off us.”

“No escape then.”

“I’m not giving up hope just yet,” Kaito said, forcing his voice light. “Like you said, someone should know we were still in there.”

“The odds of us living through this are currently at forty-three percent,” Hakuba said. “And dropping.”

“I love to cheat the odds,” Kaito said. “That said, never thought I’d get a building dropped on me. Or that you’d be stuck with me.”

“I’m sure you’d rather a different companion,” Hakuba drawled, blinking focus back into the moment instead of wherever he’d drifted to. Likely to thinking about death and dying. A bit impossible not to at the moment.

Kaito shrugged. Part of him wished it was Aoko. A greater part of him is glad it wasn’t. That she was far away and safe. “I could be stuck with worse.” He could be stuck with Edogawa. Or a corpse. Edogawa and a corpse. Really, Hakuba wasn’t too bad.

“I’m glad I’m here with you rather than a random civilian,” Hakuba said. “I don’t think I would be able to handle the panicking.”

“Oh, we aren’t panicking? I thought we were doing that very very quietly,” Kaito joked.

Hakuba huffed a laugh. Dust sifted to the ground as he ran a hand through his hair. “I doubt you would let me see it even if you were panicking. You can be a hard man to read.”

“Thanks, that’s intentional.”

Hakuba laughed again, quieter.

Kaito didn’t want to sit in silence, stewing in his own thoughts. He rifled through his pockets, coming up with two pieces of candy and one of his many packs of cards. Add a scarf for a surface that wasn’t completely covered in dust, brush aside some pebbles… Hakuba watched him in the dim light. Kaito flipped a card. Hmm. Not great, too hard to play a card game with this. It was enough to see Hakuba some, but with the light pointing up, then they couldn’t see the cards. He could use his phone or try hanging it so it pointed down, but they needed to conserve battery and hanging anything could move things above them by accident.

“Well, there went that idea,” he muttered. He held out a candy instead. “It’s not much, but here.”

“Do you have more of these?” Saguru asked, taking the lozenge.

“Only a couple.”

“Best make them last, then.”

“Or enjoy it while we can,” Kaito countered.

“Hmm.”

Kaito popped his own candy into his mouth, letting artificial strawberry clear away the taste of concrete dust. After a moment, he heard the crinkle of cellophane as Hakuba did the same. Still too quiet. “Hey.”

“What, Kuroba?”

“Why did you become a detective? I mean, you could just like being nosy.”

“No, I am not a detective to be nosy,” Hakuba said. Kaito could picture him rolling his eyes. “I’m a detective because I want to help people.”

“Right,” Kaito said, not really seeing it. Maybe if it was all murders or stalkers or something. But a lot of criminals, especially the petty crime sort that seemed to be a good deal of Hakuba’s expertise, weren’t crazy or cruel, just trying to get by.

“Truly,” Hakuba insisted. “I want to know why people do them. What makes them desperate enough, or uncaring enough, to commit a crime. If I can understand that, see the whole structure of the system, then I can take steps toward bettering that system.”

“Oh, so the puzzle aspect isn’t the draw.”

“I can’t say I dislike the chance to reason out a conclusion based on the facts at hand,” Hakuba said. “But that wasn’t why I was originally drawn to this.”

“No, you just were a Holmes otaku taking it a step too far,” Kaito joked. If it was brighter, he could see the way Hakuba’s lip curled with irritation. Instead, he had to satisfy himself with the scoff and stiff shift in posture instead.

“I liked Holmes because he helped who the police couldn’t or didn’t care to help. Women. The lower class. People who were at a disadvantage.” A beat of silence. “What drew you to magic?”

“Uh. My dad?” Magic was such a core thing in his childhood that it wasn’t even something he questioned. “I guess I wanted a way to connect with him and he loved showing me how to do tricks.” Kaito ached a little inside, an old, old hurt that had never healed right. “And after he died, it was a way to keep him alive.”

“I see,” Hakuba said.

There was another uncomfortable silence. Kaito hated that sort of silence, and they always happened when he mentioned his father’s death, and it was only one of the reasons he never brought it up.

Hakuba’s phone timed out and it left them in suffocating darkness for the long moment it took to find it and turn the light back on. Their hands brushed, having both reached for it. Hakuba pulled his hand away first. Neither of them scooted back toward the edges of the space though.

Kaito thought about closing his eyes and trying to sleep, but the idea of spending potentially his last moments asleep felt cheap. He was going to crawl out of his skin though. He hated being trapped. Always had hated it. He shifted. Shifted again when it only managed to dig rocks more pointedly into his skin. “Distract me?” he said after an unknown amount of time.

“Distract you how?” Hakuba asked. “We decided cards were out.”

“I don’t know. A story or a game or something.” Kaito fiddled with the edges of the scarf he’d set down earlier.

“A game.” Hakuba hummed, thinking. Slowly, he said, “Kuroba. We are most likely going to die.”

“Loving the optimism.”

“I would like to do so with the least number of regrets.”

Kaito scowled in Hakuba’s direction. Hakuba could have been something from a horror movie in the lighting they had, so it was probably a really good scowl. “Not seeing how this is a game, Hakuba.”

“We could take turns saying things we want to air out. I know I have my fair share of secrets weighing on me,” Hakuba said with a wry smile.

“This sounds a lot like your attempts to get a confession of criminal activity from me.”

“No, that’s not—” Hakuba let out a frustrated sound. “I’m not thinking in lines of incriminating things. Merely things that weigh heavy on us.”

“Not sure we’re at the heavy secret stage of whatever the hell we have going on,” Kaito quipped.

“Entertain yourself then,” Hakuba huffed.

He turned his back on Kaito and Kaito felt a twinge of guilt. If Kaito confessed a secret… what kind of things were they even talking about here? “You go first,” Kaito said after several dozen breaths of tense silence.

“Oh no, you’re clearly not interested.”

Hakuba was such an ass sometimes, Kaito thought. “It’s better than waiting to die I guess.”

“What a ringing endorsement.”

“Shut up or spill, Hakuba.”

Hakuba turned back and frowned. His mouth opened. Closed. Ha, not so easy to spill secrets, was it?

“Scared?” Kaito taunted. “I guess it could be a problem to let me know your deep dark secrets.”

“That’s not it. I don’t know where to start.”

“Start wherever.”

“Maybe you should start,” Hakuba snapped.

Kaito rolled his eyes. “Fine. Whatever. I don’t eat fish.”

“…I highly doubt that this is something that weighs on you, Kuroba,” Saguru said archly. “Although it is strange for someone born and raised in Japan.”

“Well it’s kind of a secret. Only my mom, Jii, and Aoko really know why.”

“And why is that?”

Kaito pursed his lips. He wasn’t going to mention his phobia. That would be giving Hakuba something to hold over his head and use against him. He could tell a bit of truth though. “I fell in a fish pond as a kid and a fish tried to swallow my arm. I’ve hated anything with scales ever since. Just looking at them brings back the awful smell of mucky water and slimy fish and—” Kaito shuddered. “Yeah, don’t want to eat something that is so gross.”

Hakuba hummed, bemused. “Alright then. I suppose that is being honest if nothing else.”

“Well what sort of confession were you thinking of, oh mighty detective?”

Hakuba looked him dead in the eye. “I’m gay,” he said bluntly. “And this is the first I’ve ever said so out loud.”

“E-eh? Really?” Kaito blinked rapidly. He. Couldn’t compute that really? No, it was fine that Hakuba was gay, it just. Didn’t fit? He flirted with women? And girls clearly were interested in him if their class was any indication. “Huh.”

“Well? Is that it?”

Kaito blinked again and realized Hakuba was…tense. Oh. He softened a little inside. “Um, congrats on saying it out loud?” Oh crap, should Kaito share something like that back? “Are you… okay with being gay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Defensive much? “You’ve apparently never said it out loud. Even I’ve—”

“You’ve what?” Hakuba’s eyes are sharp in the dim light.

“Ugh.” Kaito rubbed grit into the back of his neck. “Even I’ve said that I sometimes find men attractive out loud before. To myself and to Aoko.”

“Oh.” The defensiveness bled away into understanding.

“Yeah.”

Awkward.

Kaito cleared his throat. “Uh. So, to follow that. Hm. Well I guess I technically just outed myself as sort of bi? But.” He swallowed. Oh, it was actually a lot harder to say this sort of thing aloud than he thought it would be. “I like Aoko. A lot.”

“I think everyone in class is aware of that,” Hakuba said. His voice was a little scratchy. The dust, of course.

“Whatever. It’s just.” You know what? Kaito hated vulnerability. “I guess I wonder if it’s love or love. Is it because she’s the person who’s closest or…? Anyway, I’ve never told Aoko.”

“…I believe she cares for you as well,” Hakuba said kindly.

“She has awful taste,” Kaito joked.

Hakuba actually laughed a little. The space around them felt a little less oppressive for a moment.

“You really never told anyone?” Kaito asked.

“Who would I tell?” Hakuba asked rhetorically. “I haven’t had a close friend my age since I was twelve. My closest friends are my caretaker and a hawk.”

Ouch. “…Aoko’s my only close friend,” Kaito offered.

“I used to think that the price of genius was intimidating everyone away. Now I suppose it was my lack of social ability.”

“Oh, social ability doesn’t mean much if you don’t let anyone close.” Kaito would know that better than anyone.

“It’s lonely,” Hakuba admitted.

It was too vulnerable and yet Kaito supposed Hakuba was right about this exchange. They might die here. Why not air some of the things buried deep in them to someone else, just this once? It could be the only chance to do so.

“Yeah. It’s lonely,” Kaito agreed. “It’s part of why I was mad at my mom for going to America. She was someone who got it.”

“America?” Hakuba questioned.

“She’s in Las Vegas. There’s a pretty big stage magician scene out there. She works as an assistant and helps magicians develop new tricks.”

Hakuba moved a little closer. “When did she go to America?”

“I was thirteen?” Kaito shrugged. “Old enough to take care of myself.”

“Hm.” That was a sound of disagreement.

“Some of us can cook,” Kaito said, “and don’t need a housekeeper or nanny, or whatever that old lady is to you.”

“Baaya is the most stable presence in my life,” Hakuba said. “My parents shipped me back and forth across the world and are both career-driven people. That doesn’t lend itself well to childrearing. Baaya is more of a parent to me than they are.”

Ah. That was sad. Kaito at least had his parents for some of his life. His father was a big part of his early childhood. His mother had been there helping him gain skill for years after Toichi’s death. “They didn’t spend any time with you?”

Hakuba hesitated and in the silence, something crashed distantly. It made them both flinch though, moving closer to each other and the light for comfort. Kaito could almost make out the gold of Hakuba’s eyes this close, bright even with the rest of his body grayed out by shadows and dust.

“They did,” Hakuba said finally. “Mother encouraged my love of books. Otou-san taught me the very basics of deduction. But they were busy, and I never quite…”

“Quite what?” Kaito’s voice came out hushed, gentle.

“Fit,” Hakuba said. “I’ve never fit. Not in Japan, not in England. A half-blood child of a divorced couple who can’t socialize with children his own age. Up until I began gaining fame for solving cases, I felt like a nuisance at best, a bit like an easily forgotten pet to be paraded at social events at worst.” Hakuba breathed out heavily. Dust stirred with the force of it, swirling eddies. “I felt more at home in the imaginary worlds of my books than reality most of the time.”

“Hakuba…”

“I am not saying it for pity,” Hakuba said, sharp. “I never told them though how it felt to forever fly back and forth, switching between languages and cultures and never feeling quite right with either.”

How many times had Kaito thought of Hakuba as only British? It made a tiny squirm of guilt shift in his gut. “Are you mad at your parents?”

“Are you mad at yours? Parental choices shape us, and as children we have to live with it.”

Kaito drew his knees to his chest. He didn’t. He didn’t want to look at the part of him that had those sort of negative emotions. They weren’t useful emotions. Anger at his father’s killers, anger at corruption in the police that had let those killers slip through the cracks without even a true investigation… That was useful for drive. For purpose. The rest of it was only muddying the black and white of it all.

He sighed. “Maybe,” he admitted. “Maybe I’m mad at my mom a bit for moving half the world away. Maybe I’m a little mad at my dad for dying.” It felt wrong to say that out loud. Like. Like it was disloyal to his dad’s memory. Like Kaito’s efforts as Kid wouldn’t outweigh the bit of him that was still that eight -year-old that felt betrayed that the man he looked up to was as mortal as anyone else.

“Maybe I’m a bit angry that my parents thought raising a child from opposite sides of the world was a good idea,” Saguru said, covering Kaito’s rising guilt and discomfort with his own confession. “For as much as I am glad for my freedom to come and go as I please, it would be nice to know if my presence is ever missed.”

“Everyone here notices when you’re gone,” Kaito offered, nudging Hakuba with his elbow—when had they gotten quite so close? “The girls always talk about how they hope you’ll return soon.” Too late he realized girls missing him wasn’t exactly something Hakuba would care about.

But Hakuba gave him a wan smile for the effort. “I’m sure you don’t miss me at all.”

More guilt at all those moments on heists where he’d heaved a sigh of relief that he didn’t have to deal with Hakuba and Beika’s devil child. Kaito cleared his throat. “I definitely notice when you’re gone.”

Hakuba huffed a laugh and it wasn’t even a real, true laugh, and Kaito wanted to change that, to make Hakuba laugh and mean it all of a sudden because if they died here, it didn’t feel right to die with all this bittersweet feelings in the air. This whole sharing secrets was supposed to clear away regrets, not make them worse.

“…Hakuba.” Kaito leaned closer, reaching out to brush his sleeve. He wasn’t sure what he was doing, just that he felt like he had to do something.

“Yes?”

Hakuba’s face was close.

Kaito swallowed. Maybe it was just because of the situation, but he wanted… Maybe… He leaned a little closer. The right words didn’t appear. Kaito was supposed to be able to adjust to any moment, any situation, fit on any mask at the space of a breath, but there weren’t masks here. It was open and vulnerable as an open wound.

He reached out. Hakuba watched his hand near his cheek and didn’t pull away. The faintest hint of stubble at the edge of Hakuba’s jaw. Grit and dust and sweat against sweaty fingertips. Kaito didn’t know what the hell he was doing. Hakuba leaned in further.

The barest brush of lips and breath, the sense of a mouth beyond that, and Kaito’s heart was beating faster than the time he’d kissed a girl on a dare in junior high.

Something gave a loud crack behind them and they jumped apart. Sudden light stabbed into Kaito’s eyes.

He swore, shielding his eyes so they could adjust after hours in dimness. Squinting, he was at least sure that they weren’t going to die from rubble and that there wasn’t some kind of miracle tunnel from a rescue operation. Instead there was an unnaturally even circle in the wall that was glowing a blinding shade of silver-veined red.

“Akako?!” he yelped when his eyes finally adjusted past the glow to see the person standing in the middle of it.

“Kuroba.” Her teeth were grit and she looked exhausted and furious. “Get the hell through the hole.”

“I. What?”

“Is there a carbon monoxide leak giving us visions or is that Koizumi-san?” Hakuba asked.

“Uh, I think it’s really Koizumi,” Kaito said.

“Through. The portal,” Koizumi said tensely. “Now.”

Kaito didn’t think twice; his survival instinct was strong. He grabbed Hakuba and Hakuba’s phone and dragged them bodily past Koizumi’s body holding the hole open.

The hole closed behind them with another awful crack. He now knew the sound reality made when someone ripped a hole in space. Great. Wonderful. Not brain-bending at all.

“You owe me,” Koizumi said, wiping sweat from her brow. She looked exhausted and the least put together he’d ever seen her. Not to mention the room he was in looked… kind of wrecked. Like Koizumi shoved all the furniture to the walls, ripped up the rug, and painted on the floor and wall with something that looked suspiciously like blood.

Hmm, yeah, Kaito wasn’t going to examine that closer.

Hakuba looked frozen, eyes flicking about to take in the details without really believing what he was seeing.

Wow, they were both a mess. They had so much dust they were literally gray except for the places where they’d bled. Which were red and the particularly discomforting rusty brown-black that dried blood turned. Now that they weren’t trapped under a building and possibly dying, Kaito’s injuries rushed back to the forefront, all aches and uncomfortable lungs and knee-melting relief.

He sat on the ground not even caring that it was smudging one of Koizumi’s creepy symbols. “Oh thank fuck.”

“No,” Koizumi said crossly, “thank me. You have no idea how much trouble this was.”

“Then why did you even bother?” Kaito asked.

“If you think for a minute that I went through all the work of trying to ensnare you just for you to die from a building of all things,” Koizumi said as her eyes narrowed dangerously, “you’re even more of an idiot than I thought you could be.”

“I didn’t think it was even possible to—” Kaito waved a hand, indicating ripping through the fabric of reality.

“Possible, but not easy,” Koizumi said with a sniff. “You owe me a favor and a date. Two favors,” she corrected, glancing at Hakuba. “Because you had baggage.”

“Pardon me?” Hakuba said. Kaito would laugh at how insulted he looked except he was a bit too emotionally drained for that.

“So yes,” Koizumi said, crossing her arms and tossing her sweat-clumped hair. “You owe me favors.”

“Nothing against my morals,” Kaito said. He flopped to the floor. Wasn’t like he could get dirtier than he was already. “Do you have a shower we could borrow?”

“Do you want to owe me more?”

“Do you really want us walking around your house like this?”

Koizumi huffed. “There is a guest bath down the hallway on the right, and another at the end of the hall on the left.” Wow, two baths on one floor. But he kind of figured she had a mansion or something. “My butler will bring you a change of clothes and towels. I am going to lay down. Kuroba, if you try to wiggle out of your debt later, I will curse you and the next three generations of your descendants, should you be so lucky to have any.”

Kaito waited until she stomped out of the room to open his eyes again. “I feel like a bird that flew into a glass window,” he said.

“Kuroba, is there… I am not sure how…” Hakuba started several times, fumbling with words. “How?”

“Koizumi’s a witch. Don’t know how it works, just don’t think too hard about it.”

Hakuba made a pained sound. “There has to be some… logic… to how that. Whatever just occurred.”

“It breaks the laws of physics,” Kaito said. “You get used to it.” He sat up.

Hakuba stood swaying in the middle of the room, hands gripping his own elbows like he was holding onto his sanity. Fair enough. He had blood on one leg though, and more on his arms and the side of his face. The cut on his face sloped toward Hakuba’s mouth, and Kaito realized with a jolt that Hakuba had kissed him.

Fuck.

“Kuroba?” Hakuba raised an eyebrow at him, concerned.

“Nothing,” Kaito choked. He’d thought he was going to die, yeah, so that was. That was normal, right? Hakuba confessed his sexuality the first time and Kaito didn’t react negatively, and it was only natural he’d want to. To experiment or something in the last however long that. Yeah. Uh.

Oh, Kaito wasn’t thinking about this now.

“I’m going to go find a shower. I’ll go left, you can go right, okay? Okay.”

Kaito walked away fast before Hakuba could call him back. Moving hurt but whatever. He’d had worse. Was it weird to be a little upset that they’d been interrupted before Kaito could really register how that kiss felt? Or if he liked it? Did he like it??

Kaito stripped and stepped under the shower water before it was warm. The shock was good to get him out of his head long enough to wash what looked like two and a half pounds of dirt and dust from his body and find a first aid kit to patch where he’d gotten cuts. The clothes that the butler left—while Kaito was showering and in some method he hadn’t heard him do it—fit unnervingly well. Why did Koizumi have clothes that fit him?

Kaito grimaced. Maybe he shouldn’t go down that trail of thought.

Okay. Next. One, make sure Hakuba didn’t drown in the shower. Two, get the hell out of Koizumi’s place before she decided to put a spell on him in addition to him owing her favors. Three… talk to Hakuba? Maybe? Or he could just skip to figuring out an excuse to justify how they ended up out of the pile of rubble that should have killed them in more-or-less one piece?

It took a minute to find the bathroom Hakuba was in. Koizumi definitely had too big of a house and too many random rooms with identical doors with slightly unnerving decorations that left Kaito feeling like he was being stared at by things like an antique painting of an Irish wolfhound. The shower wasn’t running, but Kaito didn’t hear any noise in there either.

He knocked. “Hakuba?”

Nothing.

Kaito waited for a slow count of five before turning the doorknob. It wasn’t locked.

Inside, Hakuba was shirtless, only wearing underwear, and staring at his own first aid kit like it could tell him the secrets of the universe.

“I’ll take it as a ‘maybe’ to if you’re okay,” Kaito said.

Hakuba flinched, turning to stare at him and cover his chest like some kind of Victorian maiden before wincing as it no doubt aggravated the livid-looking start of a bruise on his ribs. Hakuba got the worst of the damage between them from the look of it. Kaito expected Hakuba to settle since it was just him, but instead he seemed even more flustered, face going a splotchy pink.

“Kuroba!”

“I knocked,” Kaito said. Was Hakuba body shy? He didn’t have anything to be ashamed of for the look of it. Hakuba was solidly built and fit. It wasn’t like he had some sort of bad scars or an embarrassing third nipple or something. Or… maybe he was flustered because he’d kissed Kaito and confessed to being gay, and he was half-dressed in front of someone he was attracted to. Kaito blushed a bit himself at that realization.

He scratched the back of his head, looking up at the paneled ceiling. “Do you need help with bandaging?”

“…I could use assistance with my ribs and back,” Hakuba said after a long, uncomfortable moment.

Kaito nodded, moved forward brusquely. Perfectly normal to help bandage someone up. Nothing odd about a bit of partial nudity between boys. But Kaito’s cheeks stayed warm as Hakuba turned his back to him. As Kaito touched his bare skin and Hakuba’s breath caught in his throat, maybe from pain or maybe not.

“I’m sorry,” Hakuba blurted as Kaito finished tying off bandages around a cut on his side.

“For?”

“The…kiss,” Hakuba said, facing conveniently away so Kaito couldn’t see his expression. The mirror had too much condensation to give him a glimpse. “I shouldn’t have taken advantage of—”

“It’s fine,” Kaito said.

Hakuba’s shoulder jumped under his hand. “Are you sure that—”

“I’m sure.”

“Kuroba…” Hakuba turned. He blushed down his chest, Kaito noted. It was weirdly cute?

“Look. Let’s revisit this when we’re not hopped up on a near-death situation,” Kaito said. “But for the record, I kissed you back.”

Hakuba frowned. “You didn’t.”

“Did.”

“Kuroba, that barely lasted long enough to be counted as a kiss, and I initiated it. I would notice if you had kissed back.”

Kaito was going to blame this on dopey, relief-high brain, but okay. He was doing this. He caught Hakuba’s face in one hand like earlier and this time he leaned in, pressing lips together, firm and unmistakable. Hakuba’s mouth opened in shock and it got a little wetter.

Kaito pulled back.

Hakuba stared, face red, mouth open and a bit shiny at his lips.

Kaito licked his own lips as they practically tingled. “There. Even. One surprise kiss each. Next time one of us asks first.”

“Next time?”

Oh, Kaito did not just say that. Crap. Thankfully he had an excellent poker face. “Oh, did you think I just kiss anyone? Ouch, Hakuba.” It was funny to watch him flail a little, words failing. Kaito took his distraction as a chance to get clothing on him. “And now we’re leaving?”

“But? Koizumi-san?” Hakuba protested as Kaito took him by the arm and pulled him down the hall.

“Will get over it. Pretty sure she left to pass out for a few hours anyway. She knows how to find me.”

Hakuba couldn’t argue that; Koizumi had just ripped a hole in space to find Kaito.

Kaito glanced at his phone, a message to Jii having finally gone through, this time with their current location. He’d be there in fifteen minutes. “Okay. Hakuba, while we wait for a ride, you’re helping me come up with a cover story.”

Hakuba must give up on trying to understand or control any of this because Kaito could practically see the switch flip as his shoulder slumped the slightest bit. The whole way out of Koizumi’s hell-home, Hakuba’s hand was warm against Kaito’s own.

#hakukaiweek22 #magic kaito #fanfiction #my writing #angst ahoy #i don't even know

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i-dont-want-your-hysteria · 2 years

Text

me runnin outta tumblr after that last fic like

#OOP #ANGST AHOY

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ashortdropandasuddenstop · 2 years

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"... Are you done with Barbara's monkey or whatever that guy's name is?"

"Simba?? Why did you follow me here?!"

#james is frightened for the lion now #v: former commodore #oh boy Simbas never seen him like this #angst ahoy

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arkeresia · 1 year

Text

"it makes me feel better. let's just leave it at that ❌"

#luis sera #luis serra #re4 #resident evil 4 remake #resident evil 4 #arkeresia #angst ahoy????#my arty crap

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taintedcigs · 1 year

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OMG LITERALLY LOVED POLAROIDS SO MUCH DUDE 🤭

Also if your taking requests could you maybe write Eddie x fem!Scoops Ahoy Worker!reader

✦ A SCOOP OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS | e. munson x reader ✦

wc: 2k+

pairing: eddie munson x f!reader

warnings: not a lot of warnings tbh, just swearing, jealousy, fluff, like annoyingly fluffy, i hope this isn't cheesy and tiny tiny bit of angst if u RLLY squint

summary: eddie is really enamored with the new scoops ahoy worker, and is jealous of how her and steve get along so well.

authors note: NONNIE PLS EXCUSE HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO WRITE THIS HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY ASKS FOR A LONG TIME!! im so glad u liked polaroids and now i hope u like this as well and hope i did ur request justice <33 this concept was so fun to write!! ITS ABIT CHEESY BUT I LOVE CHEESY SO EXCUSE ME PLS! also lmk if u want more like this or all ur requests and any of ur feedback pls send me an ask abt anything ily all <3

eddie LOOVES ice cream, and most of all, eddie loves going to scoops ahoy with dustin and annoying the shit out of steve.

it's like their weekly routine at this point, getting ice-cream, but also trying all the flavors so they can get free ice-cream, steve and robin always end up yelling at them.

so eddie entered the scoops ahoy shop with a smirk on his face, and the mission of annoying steve, but his smirk is wiped off and he is almost baffled by something, or rather someone.

you.

he is intrigued at the sight of you, standing next to steve, pouting your glossed plump lips at him for something he is saying, and you look so pretty, that it catches him off guard. even with that stupid scoops ahoy hat on top of your hat, eddie thinks you look so fucking good that it's unfair, and he is too dumbfounded to speak.

you laugh at something steve says, and it makes eddie's heart skip a beat. his mind is fuzzy when he's staring at you, he wonders if you're new here, because if someone as angelic as you worked here before, he wouldn't have missed it.

his attention is drawn back to robin, who tries to take his and dustin's order and dustin asks to try his 100th flavor "god, will you take eddie and dustin's order i need to go on a break!" she exclaims shouting your name, groaning. you nod quickly as you wave steve away.

a warm smile is plastered on your face, "welcome to scoops ahoy! what can i get for you, dustin" you point to dustin, guessing the kid steve always talked about must've been him, and then you turn to eddie.

"and, eddie?" you smile, also remembering him from steve's stories, as he told you all about eddie and how he was 'not jealous' that dustin had gotten another older brother, who played the 'same stupid nerd game as dustin'.

"you know my name?" eddie asked, his eyes widening and his mouth dried up. "robin just told our names, you doofus." dustin lightly nudged him, and a blush crept up eddie's cheeks, his first words to you and he already looked like an idiot, great, he thought to himself.

"oh, not only that but that one talks about you two all the time!" you said giggling as you pointed to steve.

"all good things i hope." eddie chuckled and you gave him a warm smile again, nodding. the way your eyes sparkled as you smiled was etched into his brain forever, dustin realized eddie's adoring looks but he kept his mouth shut.

"so, uh... what kind of ice cream would you like today? we have a lot of flavors!" you asked, showing them dozens of ice cream flavors.

"i'll have one scoop of chocolate and one scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough, and same for him, if that's okay." eddie said, smiling at you.

you looked up at him, your smile widening. "coming right up!" you said sweetly, grabbing a cone and getting to work.

as you did so, dustin lightly nudged eddie's shoulder, eddie could barely turn his head around to dustin when all he could do was focus on you. "what?" he asked annoyed.

"dude, you have to ask her out!" dustin exclaimed excitedly and eddie threw him a look as to say 'keep your voice down idiot, she's right there!'

"what?" eddie asked playing dumb and dustin rolled his eyes, "you've been gawking at her ever since we walked in, just ask her out!" dustin encouraged eddie.

but eddie didn't know how he was supposed to do that. he was the 'freak' of hawkins, and you were- oh you were so pretty, so nice and you seemed so kind. he couldn't even manage to get his words out when you were around, let alone ask you out on a date.

"maybe next time, kiddo." he gave dustin's shoulder a squeeze, as eddie watched you laughing at steve's jokes again, and sighed.

he knew you were out of his league and possibly suited better for someone like 'king steve' anyway, but it didn't stop him from returning in a few days.

"eddie, hi!" the way your face instantly lit up and how you remembered his name, made him smile, eddie was putty in your hands with just two interactions.

"one scoop chocolate and one scoop chocolate chip again?" you remembered his name and his order? eddie's heart was about to burst out of his chest, you were giving the poor boy hope with just existing.

he nodded, and you scooped a generous portion of ice cream into a cone. "will that be all?" your tone was so sweet that it was making eddie sick.

"um, yeah." eddie said, feeling a bit flustered. he took the cone and turned to leave, but then he hesitated, dustin's words rang in his mind. he knew he at least had to start more conversations with you.

"hey, um, do you have any recommendations for other flavors?" he asked, his voice was still timid.

you grinned, excitedly. "oh, there are so many! have you tried the mint chocolate chip? it's my personal favorite." when he shook his head no, you immediately grabbed a spoon feeding him the ice cream.

you excitedly waited for his feedback, your eyes were glimmering, "really good." he managed to get out with a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth, making you giggle.

even if eddie wouldn't have liked the flavor, he would pretend that it was his favorite flavor for the rest of his life if it meant he would get to hear your pretty laugh and those dreamy eyes again.

and eddie knew he was obsessed now, he didn't want to be so hooked on you, but you made it easy, so very easy.

and in the next few weeks, eddie started coming to the shop more often, finding excuses to try new flavors and linger around you at all times. and the more he came the more he got comfortable with you, always making small talk, while trying to be funny and charming, but always feeling like he was failing miserably.

but you didn't seem to mind. in fact, him always coming around to see you, and your conversations were the best part of your day, and your job.

you were always laughing the hardest at his jokes, asking him about his day, and even sneaking him extra scoops of ice cream every now and then.

but eddie had one problem.

steve.

he was always there, talking to you, and making you laugh, jealousy was starting to consume him.

he couldn't help the agonizing anxiety inside of him that made him feel like he wasn't good enough for you, especially compared to steve who seemed to be a ladies' man and had a natural charm to him, along with the 'king steve' title that eddie felt he lacked, the only title he had was, 'the freak'.

and eddie couldn't get you out of his head. his head was constantly filled with thoughts of you and the little moments the two of you shared at scoops ahoy.

so when he came to the shop the next day, he had one thing on his mind. he had to at least try his chances, and ask you out.

"hi, honey." he greeted you, the nickname was something you felt so comfortable with, and it made you feel so giddy inside.

"hi, eds." he loved the nicknames you gave him, 'handsome, eds, pretty boy.' he could feel his insides about to burst when you called him any of them.

when the two of you fell into your routine conversations again, eddie felt comfortable, he felt at ease with your presence, and he realized he could really do it, he could actually ask you out.

so when he called out your name in a soft voice, he gathered his courage, clearing his throat.

"i just wanted to ask you if-" but once again, his voice was drowned out by steve, and he sighed his anxiety was starting to bubble over when your shift instantly focused to steve.

"shit- sorry i'm late, again!" steve's voice was irritating him now, and you waved steve off, to say that it was fine.

"you're only late like 5 minutes." you offered him a smile, and as steve gave you a hug to greet you eddie could feel his stomach knotting up.

he tried to stay composed, but he couldn't help his mind getting fuzzy about his insecurities.

when you returned to eddie, you could sense he was off. "sorry handsome, what were you saying?" you asked, as you gave him a sympathetic smile.

but eddie was distant, and even the 'handsome' nickname, wasn't enough to ease his worries "oh, it was nothing important." his voice was timid and he was now lost in his own thoughts.

"is everything okay?" you asked, your voice filled with worry.

"yeah, yeah, you can go back to your thing with steve, i didn't mean to interrupt." he meant for it to sound casual, but it sounded bitter.

you looked at him, furrowing your brows. "what?" and when you saw the way eddie looked at steve, it clicked.

all the times when steve came and interrupted you and eddie's conversation, all the times steve made you laugh, eddie always had the same disappointed look on his face that he did now.

and you actually face-palmed at the realization, and gave him a chuckle, causing eddie's attention to shift to you again as he gave you a puzzled look.

"jesus- eddie, have i ever told you how i started this job?" you asked, and he shook his head.

"we moved into hawkins a few weeks ago, my dad told me i had to find a summer job and then my cousin told me he got this new job at scoop's ahoy, so i thought why not? and i signed up as well." the information was slow to process eddie's brain.

"steve is my cousin, eds." you said, a smug smirk played on your lips, and eddie immediately felt his face grow hot with embarrassment. "oh."

"shit, i didn't know. sorry." he shook his head, glancing down at the floor.

he wanted to laugh at how foolish he had been, worrying about steve this much in the last few weeks.

"it's okay, i mean we do hang out a lot, but that's because he's my favorite cousin, and it's really fun to be able to annoy him 24/7." you giggled and eddie chuckled, nodding.

he felt a surge of relief, but he wanted to slap himself for being jealous over nothing.

when the conversation between the two of you went back to normal eddie felt comfortable around you again, and he decided to push his plans to asking you out to the next day, his cheeks still blushing at the mention of steve.

so when he says his goodbyes to you, it makes you groan, and eddie tilts his head, confused, as he turns his attention to you.

"are you ever going to ask me out?" you asked, impatiently, and you felt desperate to do so, but you had spent weeks flirting with eddie, and it was driving you crazy now.

eddie blinked slowly, not believing the words that were coming out of your mouth his heart pounding in his chest. "w-what?" he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

you huffed, "i mean i've been flirting with you for weeks, and i thought you weren't interested, but you did nothing." you pouted, and eddie felt like he was going to faint.

"shit, honey." now your heart was pounding out of your chest, the nickname, again, was enough to make you melt.

"fuck, i've been trying to ask you out for weeks, but i thought you weren't interested, especially because i thought you were interested in steve-" you made a gagging sound at that and his mouth turned up into a soft smile.

he felt like he was dreaming, he felt so stupid. "would you wanna go out with me? maybe to that new restaurant that opened up just right down the street?" he asked, intoxicated by your hopeful eyes.

"yes," you replied, without hesitation. "i would love to."

eddie grinned sheepishly at you. "great," he said. "how about tomorrow afternoon?"

you nodded eagerly. "tomorrow afternoon sounds perfect."

"see you then." eddie replied, appearing to be casual and trying to hide the fact that he was screaming internally. and trying to comprehend that he was actually going to go on a date with you.

#eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson angst #eddie munson x y/n #scoops ahoy!reader #eddie munson

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spoodrm4n · 2 years

Text

And I Would Do It Again

Parings: Steve Harrington x Henderson!Reader

Summary: In season 3, instead of Steve getting beaten by the Russian interrogators, it’s you. Steve and Robin are still drugged so they don’t notice your life threatening injury at first.

Warnings: Angst, mentions of injury, mentions of blood.

Word Count. 3.7K

A/N: I suck at summaries. This fic took me 15 years to write. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LOVE!!!!!

PART TWO

You weren’t quite sure how you had ended up with your little brother Dustin, your coworker and crush Steve Harrington, and other coworker and best friend Robin Buckley, and Lucas Sinclair’s little sister Erica in a secret underground Russian base beneath Star Court mall– but that’s where you ultimately found yourself. You had been beaten within an inch of your life by some of the Russians trying to get some answers from you. They had gotten nothing out of you, but you had paid the price. The guards had just thrown you into the room they were holding Robin and Steve. Just like that the guards were leaving again, leaving the three of you alone.

You landed on the floor at their feet with a groan, closing your eyes and willing the excruciating headache you had earned away. You opened them slowly as you heard the two giggling above you. You could make out Steve and Robin’s faces even though it seemed like you had lost part of your vision in your left eye from the interrogation.

“You klutz! You’ve always been sooo clumsy!” You furrowed your eyebrows at Robin’s slurred insult and looked up at the two, pushing yourself to sit back on your heels in front of them.

“You have a rainbow… all over your face,” Steve was gasping at you, eyes wide and a goofy, opened mouth smile on his face. You blinked at them.

“What did they give you two?” You were standing up, grimacing at the pain it caused you. You sucked in what little breath you could without jostling your broken ribs and walked over to them, starting on untying them.

“You’re dripping on me, Henderson.” Robin scrunched up her face and you quickly apologized about getting blood on her white socks. You quickly realized after untying them from their chairs and each other that you were missing two other people.

“Where the hell are Erica and Dust-” You were cut off by the door being blown open by your brother and Erica on an industrial cart. You jumped in front of Steve and Robin, shielding them from any debris. “There they are,” you laughed as Dustin and Erica rushed over, concern written all over their faces. Sirens started to sound through the base accompanied by bright, red, flashing lights.

“Shit, Y/N what the hell did they do to you?” Your brother was all over you as you tried to push him away and lead Steve to the cart.

“Plenty, as you can see, but we need to get out of here before they do plenty to someone else!” You urged him as he got the hint to help Robin to the back of the cart with Steve. You hopped in the back with the two as Dustin and Erica got back in the front. “Drive!” You yelled to your brother as you saw guards starting to file into the hall.

“Wooo!” Robin was cheering and you winced at how loud she was. You flinched at the loud sound of gunfire behind you and ducked down, dragging Steve and Robin with you.

“Shit! You two, stay down or so help me god!” You yelled at them both, hands skimming the bed of the back of the cart. You grinned when you felt a small handgun. “It’ll do.” You whispered, checking the ammunition, turning the safety off and cocking the gun. You popped back up from the cover of the cart and aimed at one of the guards running towards you. You fired and hit him in the shoulder, making him collapse and having a couple other guards trip over his body.

“Badass,” you heard Steve whisper in awe behind you. You cocked the gun again and took aim, but before you could pull the trigger again one of the guards had taken a shot and hit you in the side. “Holy shit,” you gasped as you fell back into Steve’s chest on accident and bit the inside of your cheek, swallowing a scream.

“You’re back,” Steve smiled down at you. You shot him an annoyed glare and breathed out, grabbing Steve’s red tie from his Scoops uniform and working to tie it around your wound to slow the bleeding. It had already stained your scoops uniform a bit. “Hey that’s mine!” He whined and you couldn’t find it in yourself to feel bad. You grit your teeth as you finished tying it around your waist to cover your wound and pulled your uniform shirt back down. You breathed out, sagging against Steve but it was short lived as Dustin slammed on the breaks. You flew forward, face first into the back of the cart and groaned. That earned you some giggles from Robin and Steve.

“Come on, Y/N!” Dustin was yelling at you, tugging your arm to get out of the cart and into the elevator.

“Grab Robin, I’ll grab Steve. Erica get in, fast!” You instructed, pulling Steve by his bicep out of the cart and into the elevator, trying your best to ignore the burning pain in your side. Dustin had Robin in front of you. You pushed Steve into the elevator and ducked in yourself, bullets flying over your head. “Woah! Take me to dinner first!” He giggled at you and you rolled your eyes. You flung yourself against the side of the wall as Erica frantically pushed the ‘up’ button and grabbed Steve by the back of his shirt, making him stumble to your side and out of the range of fire. Dustin and Robin were behind Erica. It felt like years before the doors were finally sliding shut and the elevator was shooting up with as much grace as it had falling down.

“Are you okay?” You ran over to Dustin, wrapping him in a hug. You bit back a whimper as he hugged you back. Not only had you just been shot, but you also had been beaten within an inch of your life.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. What about you–” Dustin was cut off by a snort from Robin as Steve hopped onto a pallet dolly and held his arms out as if he were surfing. You ran a hand over your face. What was wrong with these two? Robin jerked the cart and caused Steve to fall over into the corner, Robin cackling like a mad man.

“Wipeout!” She cheered, motioning with her hands to Steve in the corner.

Dustin crouched down to Steve and pried one of Steve’s eyes open, checking his pupils. Steve poked Dustin on the nose with a small ‘boop’.

“His pupils are super dilated.” Dustin spoke, turning to Erica.

“Maybe he’s drugged?” Erica shrugged and you did the same.

“That seems like a fair answer,” you supplied as Dustin turned back to Steve.

“You drugged?” Dustin quirked an eyebrow and Steve almost scoffed.

“How many times dad I don’t do drugs… it’s only marijuana,” Steve booped Dustin’s nose again.

“I’m not sure what answer you were really expecting, Dusty.” You smiled, trying your best to find the humor in the situation. All of you fell on your butts as the elevator came to a screeching halt. Damn Russian elevators. The doors opened to the outside and you got up, helping Steve to his feet and out the doors. You ushered him out of the elevator and he trotted on out, Robin ahead of him and gulping in fresh air. You walked out with Dustin and Erica but froze when you saw more guards at the gate giving your all incredulous looks.

“Shit! Come on! Other way!” You yelled, running and grabbing both Robin and Steve and pulling them back into the mall and slamming the doors closed behind you. You ran in front of the four, guiding them down the back tunnels that connected everything in the mall.

“We’re going to take these two to the theater and me and you,” you motioned to Dustin, “are going to get in touch with Wheeler.” You made your way to the movie theater, remembering all the times you had shown the kids where to go and opened the back door, pushing the four of them through. Dustin led the way into the theater and made Robin and Steve sit down in two empty seats towards the front of the theater.

“You two, stay here. Do not move!” Dustin hissed at the two and it wasn’t long before a man behind the three were shushing Dustin. You walked to the back of the theater to wait for Dustin as he talked to Erica. In the corner of the theater you leaned against the wall, lifting up your shirt to check the state of the gunshot wound on your side. You were met with purple and blue bruises littered all over your torso and the once bright, cherry red of Steve’s tie was now crimson. “Shit,” you muttered, pulling your shirt back down. Dustin finally came bounding up to you, leading the way to a supply closet.

“Mike, this is Dustin. Do you copy?” Dustin kept on trying to get a response from Mike. You were just about to tell him to give up when Mike’s voice crackled through the speaker, static cutting in and out. “Shit! Low battery.” Dustin was fumbling through his bag now and all you could do was lean against the door frame, barely on your feet in the first place. You had your arms wrapped around your torso, trying to find any comfort at all.

“Find anything?” You mumbled as Dustin set his bag down.

“No. I don’t know where my spare batteries went. We’ll just have to go and find them. Let's go grab Steve, Robin, and Erica and get out of here. We have to tell the rest of the party about this.” Dustin shoved everything back into his bag and you opened the door, following him back out into the hallway.

“I’ll wait here. You get them and meet me back out here. I gotta think of how we’re actually going to leave the mall without a car.” Dustin nodded as he went back into the theater and you leaned back against the wall. You squeezed your eyes shut and grit your teeth. You weren’t sure how much longer you could stay standing at this point.

“Not too much longer…” You breathed out, shoulders slumping. You jumped and turned to see Erica and Dustin barging through the doors.

“They’re gone.” Dustin spoke and you felt a bit of your resolve crumble.

“What do you mean they’re gone? You’re kidding me.” Anger rose in your voice but it wasn’t pointed at Erica or Dustin– not even Steve or Robin. Just the shitty situation you all had been put in. “Okay. You and Erica search the bottom level of the mall, I’ll look for them on the second. You find them, you meet me at the front entrance. Be safe,” you patted your little brother on the head and the three of you parted ways, now on a man hunt for your drugged up coworkers.

You exited the theater and climbed the stairs to the upper level of the mall, starting down the left side. “It would be my luck to get trapped in a secret, underground Russian base after a long day of work and get beaten the shit out of, shot, and now on a manhunt for my best friend and crush. Gotta love Henderson luck,” you thought out loud, running a stressed hand through your hair.

You had met Steve one of the first times he had taken your brother over to the Wheeler’s house instead of you. You had questioned him and your brother on your doorstep on why they were suddenly best friends. It was odd to you, but they had made up a solid excuse which you believed for a while. You both started at Scoops and you became closer, sharing late night drives, dinners, movie nights, and taking care of your brother and his friends. You had also developed a crush on Steve in that time and Robin had called you out on your bullshit within the first week of you realizing you were in love with him. It didn’t help when he would always try to flirt with every girl that would come in, leaving you to cringe and seeth in jealousy beside him. He never had any success anyway, Robin’s ‘You Rule / You Suck’ Talley on one of the whiteboards at Scoops had kept track of it.

Little did you know that Steve only did it because he thought he had no chance with you. It’s not like he wanted his attempts to succeed anyway, he only wanted to make you jealous but you were both too thick in the head to say anything to each other. It was driving Robin absolutely insane.

You caught sight of the two a little ways further down, staring up at the glass domed ceiling. You saw them sway on their feet for a second before they were plowing into a nearby bathroom. “That can’t be good,” you muttered before walking as fast as you could towards the two, which wasn’t fast at all considering the state you were in.

You opened the bathroom door and found the two sitting on the floor of the first stall, laughing with each other.

“Oh, Y/N! We were just talking about you,” Robin winked at Steve and you could’ve swore his face turned a bit pink.

“Oh, sorry to interrupt story time, but I’ve been looking for you two everywhere. We gotta go,” you couldn’t help but be a bit annoyed as you wrapped an arm around yourself on instinct. You knew you were about to bite the dust soon and you needed to get out of here.

Steve looked up at you and for the first time it’s like he actually processed the state you were in. “Holy shit, Y/N.” He breathed, standing up and rushing over to you. He held his hands out helplessly, not knowing where to even start as he looked you up and down. “What the hell did they do? Are you okay?” You looked into his eyes and you could see his pupils were no longer dilated and they didn’t have a haze to them anymore.

“I will be okay as long as we get out of here, Steve.” You were being honest now. “Dustin and Erica are downstairs, we’ll meet up with them there and get out of here.” You explained, shoving his hands away so he wouldn’t find the bullet wound. You were almost out of here. You could do this.

“Yeah, okay, sorry. Let’s go.” He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, worried eyes trained on you as you turned to walk out of the bathroom. They followed you out and you three headed towards the stairs. You started falling behind and you felt yourself get dizzier. You looked down to see that Steve’s tie was no longer holding up and blood was soaking through your shirt. You pressed a hand to it, trying to slow the bleeding.

“Henderson, keep up otherwi– Oh my god,” Robin stuttered out as her eyes trailed down to the crimson seeping through your uniform. You blinked up at her, but she was blurry. In a moment your knees were buckling beneath you and you found yourself on the floor on your back. “Y/N!” Robin’s face appeared above you and you squinted, trying to see her clearly.

“What happened?” Steve was there above you now too. You felt hands pull your shirt up just enough to see the bullet wound. You don’t know when you started crying but you furrowed your eyebrows as you felt hot tears drip down the sides of your face. “Oh god, Henderson.” Steve again.

“Steve,” You breathed, one of your hands reaching out for him. Robin grabbed it instead as Steve undid his tie around your waist and grabbed your own, replacing the soaked through one. “Oh fuck,” you groaned, eyes squeezing shut in pain. All the adrenaline from earlier had dissipated and you were in agony now. You swallowed the bile that threatened to crawl up your throat.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m so sorry,” Steve apologized, securing the cloth around your waist. You gripped Robin’s hand impossibly hard; you would have to apologize to her later. “When did you even get shot?”

“Who got shot?” Dustin and Erica were there above you now as well. You hated that Dustin was seeing you like this. You were supposed to be the big sister who was always okay. “Y/N! What the hell happened Steve?” Dustin was crouching down next to Steve now, grabbing your other hand.

“She must’ve gotten hit when we were driving away from those guards. I’m pretty sure I remember them shooting at us. That was like an hour and a half ago, though. How was she even still walking? And she got the shit beat out of her before getting shot? How are you even still alive Y/N, I mean you should definitely be–” Robin was rambling now out of nervousness. You cut her off.

“Robin, stop. You’re rambling again and I’m gonna punch you in the face if you keep talking,” you grit out, sitting up on your elbows. “I’m fine, really.”

“Yeah, no. You’re definitely not. You need help.” Steve scolded, hand on your upper arm supporting you. “I can carry you down. There’s no way you can walk,” Steve hooked an arm under your knees and your shoulders.

“Steve, really it’s fine, I can walk, I just needed a minute.” You felt your face grow hot as he stood up with you in his arms. You looked up at him.

“Y/N, you’re literally an idiot. Just let Steve help you,” Dustin chastised at your stubbornness.

“Absolutely not. There’s no way you’re walking. Don’t be ridiculous,” Steve scolded at the same time as Dustin as he made his way down the stairs with you. You just sighed and rested your forehead on his shoulder, trying to hide the blush on your face. This is not happening right now.

You all got downstairs and to the entrance when you were met with Nancy, Jonathan, Will, Max, Mike, Lucas, and Eleven. Steve set you down carefully on a bench by them as they conversed. Each of the new members stealing a concerned glance at the shape you were in. You felt yourself start to drift off as their voices droned on. You shook your head, willing yourself to stay awake and stood up.

No one had noticed you get up, thankfully. You walked towards the bathrooms that were nearby and stepped up to one of the sinks. You white knuckled the ceramic, chest heaving with exhaustion. You turned on the water and splashed some on your face, trying to wake yourself up and clean the cuts as well.

“What the hell are you doing?” You jumped nearly a foot in the air. You gasped for air and placed a hand over your heart as Steve came up to you and turned the water off.

“I just needed to get up. I was gonna fall asleep. I can’t really do that right now,” You gestured to yourself, sarcasm dripping from your tone.

“You need to sit down, you’re going to hurt yourself more.” He argued, hands on his hips.

“What are you? My mom?” You grew frustrated. You felt like absolute shit, you just wanted to go home, and you were stuck potentially bleeding out in the mall bathroom.

“I’m sorry I just give a shit about your well-being!” Steve yelled, throwing his hands in the air.

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re doing the bare minimum!” You shouted back, hands going back to gripping the edge of the sink.

“Are you trying to kill yourself, Y/N? Is that what you want? Just sit down and let me take care of you because I can’t– I can’t lose you.” Your heart shattered as his voice broke. You stared at him mouth agape. “I can’t Y/N.”

“I’m sorry, Steve. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” You whispered, eyes filling with tears. “It’s just, it’s funny– ya know? I’m going to bleed out in the mall bathroom after escaping from a secret, underground, Russian base in my Scoops Ahoy uniform. It seems so funny.” You were laughing now. You didn’t really know if it was due to blood loss or just because the scenario you were stuck playing was actually hilarious.

“Hey, you’re not gonna die here. You’re not going to die anytime soon, if I have anything to do with it.” Steve stood in front of you now, hands gliding up and down your arms. “And as soon as we get out of here– alive and well– I’m taking you on a date like I should’ve done ages ago.” He smiled at you.

“What? Am I dead?” You were definitely dead. Steve Harrington didn’t want to take you on a date. No way.

“Um no? Not unless we’re both dead and we’re simultaneously dreaming the same death. I like you, Y/N. A lot. I have since you answered the door that first time instead of your smartass little brother.” Steve laughed.

“Hey, Dustin’s my smartass, okay?” You chuckled as he stepped closer to you.

“They really beat the shit out of you, huh?” Steve was close to your face now, drinking in every detail of you. “Why couldn’t they have taken me?” He shook his head, eyes sad as they remarked your injuries.

“I wouldn’t let them. If it had to have been anyone, it would have been me. And I’d do it again as long as you’re okay.” You spoke, eyes flicking from his eyes to his lips every now and again. Steve had always been so pretty. He was handsome, really handsome– sure, but he was also pretty.

“And that’s the only thing I wish I could change about you.” A smile tugged at his lips. He leaned in finally and your lips touched. You breathed out through your nose, melting into him. Your hands stayed planted on the sink, your knees becoming even more weak. His hands trailed up your arms, to your shoulders, and finally to your cheeks. He made sure his hands were just gently placed there, being careful of your injuries.

The both of you pulled apart and you smiled at him. “Steve?”

“Henderson?” He grinned back.

“I think I’m gonna pass out.” You said as you felt your head get lighter and your knees once again give out beneath you. Your vision started to go dark and you felt yourself let go.

“Y/N!” He caught you. You knew he would.

#steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #stranger things #stranger things season 3 #scoops ahoy steve #robin buckly #steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve x reader #steve x henderson!reader #angst #steve harrington angst #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fanfiction #reader insert #steve harrington x Y/N

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sacrificethelamb · 10 months

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“Give me a toot, I’ll sell you my soul.

Pull my strings and I’ll go far”

-Dead Kennedys

(Tied by @ropesbypatricia <3)

#things have been rough lately #so all i have for you is dk & angst #jello biafra means the world to me #self serving string pulling ahoy >>>#shibari suspension #partial suspension #rope bottom #ropebunny #ropes by patricia columnbind #my pics

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artnijna · 5 months

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Sobs over old people in love meeting in the afterlife or whatever…cries in my pillow over these two

#fanart #sir integra fairbrook wingates hellsing #sir integral fairbrook wingates hellsing #walter x integra #walter c dornez #integral hellsing #walter dornez #sir integra #Waltegra #angst ahoy!!!#Alexa play that one sad song from the glittery vampire movie #1000 years or something #turn up the volume on that angst

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karin848 · 1 year

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Lukanette piece I’ve drawn for the @mlbigbang !!!

In the Heat of the Moment by @inkmousey

#Lukanette #Lukamari #Miraculous Ladybug #ML fanart #Lukanette fanart #my art #KARIN post #Make sure to read the tags for the fic before reading!!! Angst ahoy!!

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bakeryblood · 2 years

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I’m So Happy For You

Eddie Munson x Male Reader

Angst

cw: unrequited love, implied Eddie x Chrissy (if you squint), reader is kind of mean, Eddie is mean to himself

((I’ll add on a happy ending if enough people want me to, I kind of want to))

Y/N grinned as he watched Eddie walk down the hall with pep in his step.

“I’m telling you Y/N, all your hard work is going to pay off today. I’m acing this shit!” You had spent the last week helping him cram for his Physics final after he came to you bordering on having a full blow panic attack. He did ask you to help, he never did, you simply grabbed your thinks and pointed to his van as if to silently tell him you were staying the night at his place.

You’d spent a solid hour reviewing his practice test and textbook to aid you in making him some flash cards. You knew how fast Eddie’s brain ran usually so you figured fast repeated exposure to the information would work best to get it to stick. After a few rounds you both fell asleep with the lights still on, cards scattered on the bed.

That was your routine everyday leading up to now. He’d pick you up from work after he got out of school and you two would spend a solid five hours reviewing the material with goofing off breaks here and there. Y/N took a deep breath, hoping what Eddie said was true as he watched him slap the top of the doorway before turning around to give you one last smile before he went in to ‘ace this shit’ and you took off from school to get to work.

“You better. Or the celebratory root beer float that’ll be waiting on you won’t taste as good.” Eddie sighed longingly and rested a hand over his chest. “You’re too good to me Y/N.”

“Munson! Please come in and close the door, everyone is waiting on you..” His teacher snapped at him making him jump slightly and wave you off before closing the door, him and his beaming smile disappearing from sight. That smile made it all worth it. All the late nights and tired shifts at scoops ahoy.

Your face mirrored the look he’d left you with as you made to your way out to his van to retrieve the bag you’d tossed your silly little sailor uniform in after the last time he picked you up from work. Walking up to the familiar 79’ dodge you went to grab the passengers side door handle when you noticed an envelope taped to the window. You peeled it gingerly off and flipped it over, nothing was written on the outside front or back. As you climbed up in the seat to grab the bag you say there for a moment thinking over what it could be.

Normally when it came to Eddie and the Hellfire club one could easily think of the worst possibility and be right, but some meathead bully wouldn’t go to all the effort to conceal whatever it was they’d written. More likely they would’ve just shouted it across the parking lot at him and swiftly received a middle finger in response. Regardless of your curiosity you sat the note in the drivers seat and leaned your head back, taking a few deep breaths to ready yourself to throw on your best customer service smile for the next eight hours.

As if on cue the sound of impatient honking from a car horn from your co-worker Steve already dressed in uniform, motioning with his hand for you to hurry up. Both because he didn’t want anyone to see him and at the same time so he could get to work and continue him and robins game of how many losses to wins his terrible pick up lines got him. “Come on sailor, why the long face?” He attempted small talk with you as you filled the seat beside him.

“Just drive Harrington..” Well, at least you replied. Usually the two of you just drove in silence as you reminded yourself you needed the money over and over again although you’d secretly wished Starcourt would just burn down one day.

________________________________________

The first half of your shift seemed to drag on forever no matter who was doing what position. Register, scooping or retrieving tubs from the back. Realistically it was Robin filling the orders, you running the register and Steve trying and failing miserably to girls phone numbers. Occasionally you’d force him to multitask and take over for you so you could take a break in the walk-in freezer.

You had to admit something was off with you today, you had to give Steve a little credit for noticing. Usually you’d team up with Robin on giving the man with far too much confidence a hard time, laughing together in between customers. You actually didn’t mind all the groups of loud kids coming in, watching their parents get on to them actually gave you a hit of nostalgia, but not today. School had let out hours ago and even though you didn’t get off until nine-thirty you had of course expected to see Eddie fly through those doors excited waiting his freebies he always got no matter the occasion.

As you rested your head against the wall beside the phone debating giving his home a call to see if he had went home to sulk in premeditated, anxious defeat without even knowing the results of the test you had to argue with yourself against it to avoid catching his uncle on the way out to work.

“No fucking way..” You heard Steve say out at the register, mostly to himself as he watched Chrissy Cunningham walk in chatting away with none other than Eddie Munson. The stark contrast between them no doubt garnered tons of onlooking stares similar to the one Steve had on his face as he rested his elbows on the counter in disbelief. “Well well..isn’t this a surprise, Robin look at the cute couple!”

Robin was looking. Chrissy was immaculate eye candy, sure, she had to be the most generically pretty girl at Hawkins. Which made it all that much more odd that her and Eddie ‘the freak’ Munson were walking in together, shoulder to shoulder.

“I believe I have a root beer float waiting with my name on it, Popeye.”

“Uh, yeah there’s a name tag,” Steve pointed to his shirt with an oblivious look on his face. “Plus if you want to pretend we didn’t go to school together then I can pretend I don’t know what you’re talking about.” With that he shifted his gaze to Chrissy who was happily standing there just listening to the banter.

“Can I get the pretty lady something though? On the house, promise!” He waved his arm out as if to offer up anything in the lit up freezer display.

“Oh, that’s so sweet of you! But I really can’t—“

“Okay Harrington, just go get Y/N.”

You stood, now back pressed against the wall as you listened in to the three of them hold up the line forming behind them. ‘Why the hell would he be with Chrissy?’ Was that why he was so late? Was..she the one who left him that envelope? Before you realized Steve had folded and made his way to walk through the doorway to fetch you as requested you were slowly starting to hyperventilate. “Y/N your nerd friend-“

You’d snapped your head to look at him poking through the doorway before ripping the sailor hat off your head and quickly making your way to him, shoving the hat into his chest and simultaneously pushing your way past him. You tried so desperately to not look at either of them, the pounding in your chest seemed to drown out Steves confused calls to you. “Y-Y/N! Where are you going?!”

“I quit!”

Eddie tried to reach out and grab your shoulder as you sped walked past the couple but the way you aggressively through the side of your body to avoid him touching you took him off guard, you wouldn’t even look at him as you disappeared out into the throng of people walking this way and that throughout the mall. Eddie’s hair flew as he turned back towards Steve who had slowly walked back to the resister and was looking at Robin expecting some sort of information she didn’t have.

The store had fell eerily silent, the upbeat music playing over the intercom making it only more awkward as Steve stood there holding the crumpled white sailor hat in his hand, watching as a good quarter of people waiting in the little area had decided to go elsewhere given an employee just quit right in front of them.

“What the hell happened?” Eddie pressed, his eyebrows raised in concern and confusion, leaning against the counter and bouncing slightly as if his brain was torn between leaping over the counter and attacking Steve for no reason other than it must’ve been something to do with him; or running off after you.

“Nobody tells me anything!” Steve tossed the hat on the ground and rested his hands on his hips as Erica Sinclair shoved her way past others blocking where Robin stood in front of the ice cream just as shocked and confused as the rest of them as she stared down at the child. “Give me a tester of Cherry Chocolate Blitz and make it snappy, I didn’t come here to watch a soap opera.” She held out her hand expectantly. Robin looked to Steve, Eddie and then at Chrissy who had went to the furthest part of the shop during the height of the dramatics, before back at Erica.

“No.” She made sure her face conveyed that now was not the time to be making demands while her mind was still trying to process what the hell just happened.

________________________________________

Y/N didn’t hear the heavy metal double doors that led out to the section of the parking lot the employee’s parked in open as he stood with a cigarette burning away between his fingers. Hair messy from that stupid hat and the sprinting he’d taken up after getting far enough away from the door of Scoops Ahoy. He wanted to cry. But he didn’t even fully understand why which made the tears simply not come. It was like he wasn’t even there anymore, stuck thinking about how Eddie sounded in there.

‘Just go get Y/N.’

He wasn’t asking. He was telling. He was demanding. Was that all you had ever been to him? All these years of putting everything you had into making sure he was happy and doing anything you could to make sure he stayed that way, was that why he kept you around?

Every time they played a gig you would without fail be cheering them on and hyping them up on the drive there. You were the one to celebrate his accomplishments big and small. You were the one who’d show up for him at the drop of a hat no matter what. Because you loved him. That was it. You loved him and now, you knew it. That letter must’ve been a love note. Popular pretty girl on the arm of the mysterious ‘freak’.

“Y/N..” When you heard him say your name it finally pulled you out of your thoughts and the pain in your hand hit you as you shook the burnt down cigarette butt off of your skin, burns on both your index and middle finger. “Fuck!” You held your hand and bent over until you felt him grab your shoulder like he’d attempted to as you ran from him earlier.

“What happened? What’s wrong Y/N?” His voice was laced with concern as you pulled away again and turned to face him.

“What’s wrong?” You glared him down as you started to feel your face heat up both from anger and the hot tears now building up in your eyes. “You know what, I could say a lot of things right now. I could make you a grocery list of things that are wrong right now. But no, it’s me!” You shook your head and as he tried to come closer to you, you instinctively put more distance between the two of you.

“I’ve got to be really fucked in the head right? To think I was going to just live the rest of my life being happy following you around like a dog or some shit until just like that, you get a new puppy. One you actually asked for.“ You threw your arm up in exasperation, trying to get your point and feelings across at the same time.

After a moment of silence you looked away from him, your angry eyes focused on the textured brick wall beside you. “I am SO happy for you Eddie.”

Eddie let you yell at him. He thought to himself that it was the least he could do if that was truly how you felt, and although you tried to make yourself out to be the problem he knew it was him. He had never seen you look at anything or anyone like you did him as you spoke. It was like a switch had been flipped and now every ounce of admiration your eyes once held had been replaced with..fear. Anger was just the surface level emotion. “You don’t seem very happy, if I’m being honest.” He spoke softly, eyes locked onto your face.

“No Eddie, I really am. I’m happy for you. You got yourself a little girlfriend and you two can go to college together right? Maybe just hold off on graduating and you can do it together, huh? Wouldn’t that be adorable?”

Eddie was now the one to look away, turning his head up to the sky. As hurtful and aggravating the things you were saying were, he couldn’t let himself snap back at you. “Y/N. You’re upset. I get that, but you’re saying things you don’t mean.” You scoffed and nodded your head as if partially agreeing.

“You didn’t say I wasn’t right.”

“Right about what?!” Eddie raised his voice slightly, tired of dragging this out and seemingly getting no where.

“Fucking Christ— Chrissy! The letter!” Eddie took a couple seconds to connect the dots and in that time you’d grabbed your backpack with your clothes in it and started off walking, finished with this one sided argument.

“Oh- Oh come on Y/N!” Eddie quickly made his way after you. “It’s not even like that, of course we aren’t a thing!” He tried to convince you as he now mirrored the analogy you set in place earlier, he was truly following behind you like a dog desperate for you to stop or slow down.

“Yeah?“

“Yeah!”

Y/N suddenly stopped just as they were about to clear the end of the parking lot and Eddie almost crashed into the back of them. “Eddie..How can you be so stupid?”

The comment wasn’t what hurt him. It was your voice.

“I’ve been there for you since the day we met..And you never thought for second, maybe he likes me?” You long since started crying but it was just now taking you over, your voice cracking as you finally admitted why you were so upset and why you knew there was something there besides two new friends coming to get ice cream together. “I fucking loved you Eddie!”

Loved? Was that really all it took? Seeing him standing in Scoops Ahoy with someone else? No, it was the culmination of your entire dynamic being shoved in your face the moment you heard him asking for you to hurry out there. Showing off the power he had over you. The entertainment anyone clueless would have watching on as you happily delivered on your promise. Fuck your chest hurt. It hurt so fucking badly.

Eddie watched as you reached up to cover your face, crying into your hands. He had no right to touch you, he knew that, but he took the opportunity to quickly wrap his arm around you from the side. You took him to the ground as you struggled to get away, letting your legs give away under you and he didn’t have the opportunity to react quick enough to try to keep you both up. “Y/N-Y/N, stop—Stop!” He used every bit of strength in him to squeeze you.

“I’d rather you hit me, fucking kick my ass if that’s what would make you feel better but just..this isn’t you!” He spoke over your labored breathing, your chest expanding against his grip each time you inhaled. Sitting on the still warm concrete as he held onto you like a wild animal he’d managed to capture. “I’m sorry I was too stupid to see how you really felt, I’m sorry I made you so angry. I’m sorry I took advantage of everything you did for me, okay?”

“It’s not okay..” You managed to get out as he rested his head against your back. He felt his arms getting tired a lot quicker than he expected and his hands were sweating as they gripped onto his leather jacket’s sleeves to keep ahold of you. Scared you would run the second he released you.

“No, it’s not. Of course it’s not…I am stupid, I really am. I know it, you know it..” He tried to force a small laugh but it just came out as a shaky breath. “And maybe you know me better than I do, I probably was holding out some little bit of hope that Chrissy liked me..but that’s not what this is Y/N. That letter wasn’t a fuckin’ love note. It was answers to the test.”

Y/N tried to turn his head as much as he could to look at him but Eddie pushed his head into their back harder in an attempt to hide. “She told me once in passing, when I came out of that class a few weeks ago that the teacher was a total pervert.”

“She has them right before lunch, so I asked her to see if they had any cheat sheets in their desk for grading the final…” His voice was ashamed but even so he tried to cover it with a joking tone. “So see? Even with all your help, I was so scared I’d fucking fail. I take advantage of everyone at every chance I get, why the hell would you ever love me?” He shook his head to himself, his hair brushing against your neck as he did.

“I’m really happy for you, Y/N. You deserve so much better than someone like me. So much better.”

#eddie munson x male reader #eddie munson x male!reader #eddie munson x m!reader #eddie munson concept #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson #stranger things one shot #stranger things x reader #stranger things #angst #angst oneshot #eddie munson stranger things #scoops ahoy #steve harrington #robin stranger things #chrissy cunningham #lmao I played myself with this one

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